The Corner Office: How Hachette Book Group Measures Success
… The right metrics … vary by function. [They] measure service, quality, cost and efficiency, and tie directly to the overall results of the business. For example, measuring on-time performance and [turnaround] time for orders from our manufacturing partners, our order processing team, our warehouse and our deliveries to retailers allows us to see if we are supporting our customers appropriately and efficiently. These types of measures also help us to see where we might need investment in personnel, infrastructure or technology. In the end, these definitely have an impact on the overall results of the business.
• What changes have occurred in the last two years since the change in ownership?
Ford: The one thing we mention all the time here is that the move has been a great move for our business. We’ve had more investment by our parent company in the last year and a half than in the last 10 under Time Warner. When you’re with an owner like Hachette [Livre], they understand this business. It’s their business. They understand the importance of appropriate investments and giving some level of autonomy. They understand the worldwide businesses. I would say this change has been nothing but wonderful.
… The culture here is really quite impressive. … The business is incredibly strong. We’re having an incredible year. The discipline is incredible. David is one of the best leaders I have worked with. He’s a smart man who has genuine fun, as do the publishers. I think everyone feels fortunate to be in this business and in this company. …
• What fresh ideas have you brought to the company’s Web presence?
Ford: We just came alive with our new Web site. We’re thrilled with that. We think it’s a better face to the customer. …
… It’s about putting in place the infrastructure. What we’ve done with this initiative is [that] … we’re digitizing our platform. And in terms of the Web itself, we created a content management system that will help us be more efficient in Web development in the future. … We think it will improve online marketing. …
