The Challenge

One century ago, the “age of invention” was bringing new advances at an unprecedented rate. These included the automobile, electricity, radio, and the telephone, but perhaps the most impressive breakthrough of all was the accomplishment of powered, heavier-than-air flight. Good aerodynamic design had already been perfected for gliders, and lightweight propulsion systems were also available (e.g., for motorcycles). The critical missing ingredient was the control system that would allow pilots to take off, maneuver through the air, and land safely. Innovation in this area by the Wright Brothers and others led to man’s first flight in 1903.

In today’s business environment, we have a new type of control system challenge. It is clear that insightful strategies can give organizations the required “aerodynamic lift,” and it is equally clear that appropriate resources can propel them forward. The missing ingredient (and the root cause of many corporate disasters) is that today’s management control systems are simply not able to support the current velocity of change and our unforgiving business environment.

Accordingly, GMI’s mission is “To assist our clients in transforming their management control systems to support the needs of the 21st century.”