The Manager's View

We live in a time of digital dominance. Shopping, banking, making appointments, reading news—nearly every aspect of life has migrated online. These digital tools are efficient, convenient, and essential. But as any seasoned manager will tell you, when problems arise, success hinges on something less technical and more timeless: the human connection. Today, many companies lean heavily on chatbots and AI tools to handle customer service. From a cost perspective, that makes sense. Automation cuts expenses. But what’s less obvious—and more dangerous—is the growing gap between companies and their customers. Most chatbots offer limited help, often sending users in circles or directing them back to the very website they’re struggling with. That’s not service. It’s deflection. In markets where a product is indispensable, customers may tolerate poor service—at first. But when a disruptor comes along offering a more customer-centric experience, those same customers jump ship. The businesses that...

 We have all heard that "entitlements" are a drain on the economy and that we would be better served to provide tax reductions that allow individuals and banks invest in the economy. It probably is not a good time to discuss the economic topics of marginal propensity to save and the multiplier effect. But I think an understanding of how "entitlement" programs and subsidies affect the economy is important. Individuals in the lower economic classes receive healthcare through medicaid, food through SNAP,  housing assistance and supplemental income through welfare payments and social security. This group represents about 11% of the US population. Individuals in this group, which is considered poverty level, save very little and therefore spend all of the money they receive through "entitlements". This money is spent with companies that provide products and services. In 2025 the federal government is projected to spend $1.2 trillion on providing programs to tho...

I have used the MVOSSTE framework in my classes at The C.T. Bauer College of Business ay the University of Houston. Shown below is a project for a new project created in one of my undergraduate classes. My classes are divided into teams with 5 or six students on team. Each team must use the MVOSSTE approach to create a marketing plan for a new company. This process takes a semester which is  about 45 classroom hours plus the time the team spends outside the class doing research and having team meetings. I have also used this process with my MBA consulting classes. The MBA teams worked with real companies solving real problems. If you like the process and want it enhanced by using AI, my book, Winning Marketing Strategies Using Generative AI,   shows you a step by step approach. If you would like your team trained in this approach you can contact me at gary@gwrresearch.com Here is the project report from the undergraduate team:  ON D GO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & MARKE...