High‐payback IT projects power National City Corporation

Purpose – Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – Scans the top 400 management publications in the world to identify the most topical issues and latest concepts. These are presented in an easy‐to‐digest briefing of no more than 1,500 words. Findings – When Drs Akao and Mizuno developed the quality function deployment (QFD) approach way back in the 1960s their focus was very much on the quality of new products coming through the development process. It was later extended to services. So why should a twenty‐first‐century CEO pay attention to a total quality management (TQM) tool that sounds distinctly middle aged? Practical implications – Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.