Do we really know the critical phenomena that are linked to how enterprises function and the dynamics of their relationships with customers, suppliers and competitors? Are their decision-making processes founded upon a set of performance measurements that were accurately designed and systematically elaborated? The above questions are the focus of this book, as is the following premise: enterprises need a system to measure their critical performances so they can be managed effectively; metaphorically speaking, enterprises need a 'management dashboard' to serve as a navigational aid. A dashboard to show - with as few distortions as possible - the pattern of key variables that characterizes the specific formula enterprises use to face their competitive and social environment.

Stefano Biazzo, Professor of Innovation management and Business Administration at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Padua, Italy. He has been a researcher, consultant and educator for over 15 years in the field of organisational development of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Patrizia Garengo is a Research Fellow at the Department of Industrial Innovation and Management of University of Padua. She holds a degree in Business Economics from Ca' Foscari University in Venice and a PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Padua. For over 10 year, she carried our research and advice in the field of performance management in SMEs. To date Patrizia has published over 50 papers in international journals and conferences on performance measurement.

From the contents:
Preface .. 3
Chapter 1
Measuring business performances
The Balanced Scorecard model ..5
1.1 A dashboard for enterprise management. 3
1.2 Looking for balance. 3
1.3 Looking for strategic alignment. 3
1.4 The Balanced Scorecard as a reference model 3
1.5 Using BSC: the pyramid analysis of performances. 3
Chapter 2
The Balanced Scorecard for SMEs: a circular approach .21
2.1 Implementing the BSC: traditional approaches ............... 21
2.2 A circular approach to the BSC ....................... 23
2.3 Unveiling what is regularly under control ................ ... 25
2.4 Designing the performance measurement and management
system ............................................................................................................... ...28
Chapter 3
Corporate strategy and the Balanced Scorecard . .33
3.1 Processes leading to corporate strategy ..33
3.2 BSC, learning loops and strategy review loops 37
3.3 BSC, strategic control and entrepreneurship 39
Chapter 4
Models for measuring performances ..42
4.1 Measuring performances in SMEs . 42
4.2 Performance measurement and contingent factors .. 43
4.3 Characteristics of the main peformance measurement models . 44
4.4 Models for measuring performances: a comparison.. . 50
Chapter 5
Empirical evidence: implementing the BSC in SMEs 60
5.1 The Valbona case: implicit dashboard and BSC design .. 61
5.2 The Home Cucine case: the BSC as pivot of the management system ....74
5.3 The Uniflair case: UNIBOARD and the indicator dictionary ..91
Bibliography . 104