Your product may fly off the shelves during a price promotion, but those discounts could ultimately damage your brand. Don't be blinded by short-term sales data. Instead, watch a dashboard of long-term measures to protect your brand and your profit margins.

The wise consumer of a forecast is not a trusting bystander but a participant and, above all, a critic. Here are six common-sense rules for distinguishing good forecasts from bad - and for developing your own.

How do you ensure today's actions will help your company reach tomorrow's goals? By using the balanced scorecard to link long-term strategic objec-tives with short-term budgetary needs.