4. Things of the Enterprise

Whereas the previous chapter described the enterprise and its people, this chapter is concerned with what that enterprise manipulates. This includes the products it makes, the raw materials it uses, and its physical assets. Since all companies deal with something, the structure of this portion of the model can be similar for all. The differences, however, are at the heart of what makes each company’s model unique.

Previously we spoke of entities as being “things of significance,” and included in that category transactions and other intangible things as potential entities. Here we will speak only of the tangible things that a company uses, makes, and sells.

Organizations deal with “things” in different ways—and they ...

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