It's Not All about the Money

Originally Published MX September/October 2002

EDITOR'S PAGE

It's Not All about the Money

Executives are accustomed to thinking of business strategies in terms of their potential effects on a company's bottom line. While others may think of their company's activities in terms of factory space or delivery schedules, company leaders have a responsibility to oversee the financial aspects of their business.

The habit of performing such responsibilities may explain why many company leaders tend to discuss business matters exclusively in terms of hard numbers, dollars and cents, profit (or loss). For such corporate officers, product R&D has less to do with invention than with investment, and intellectual property has less to do with a company's achievements than with its assets.

When dealing with extraordinarily complex issues beyond a company's control, however, adopting such a viewpoint can become an impediment to understanding and coping with business realities. One example of such an instance is provided in this issue's articles focusing on reimbursement for medical technologies (The