3. Develop environmental awareness.
At first blush, one might think that environmental awareness refers to ensuring that your company has a sound ecological policy and, to be sure, that is important. But my definition of "environmental awareness" refers to developing an understanding of the market forces that are shaping book-buying behaviors. The sales patterns that shaped your traditional inventory strategies may be undergoing dramatic changes that justify a change in your buying behavior; patron-driven access, textbook rental, open-access texts for higher education, course packs, custom publishing and, of course, e-books are having dramatic effects on the marketplace, and it is no longer business as usual. Your inventory strategy should be adjusted accordingly.