MANAGEMENT TOOLS 2015

Managers have a profusion of tools at their disposal—benchmarking, outsourcing, and customer segmentation to name a few—so it is a challenge to choose the right one for the job at hand. We set out to learn how (and how successfully) organizations are using tools, with the goal of helping executives make informed decisions about which ones to try. Every year or two since 1993, Bain & Company has culled the 25 most popular tools from a list of 50 to 100 by weighting and rating their mentions in academic and mainstream business articles. We have also asked thousands of executives worldwide how frequently and extensively they’ve used these tools, whether they’ve been satisfied with the results, and whether they intend to use the tools again. Now, with 8,504 survey responses in hand, we have a good sense of the tools’ performance today and over the past 15 years. After looking at the various ways managers use the tools and comparing levels of use and satisfaction, we have grouped them into four categories. (See the chart “Top Tools in 2006.”)