Michael D. Moberly   January 22, 2016 ‘A business blog where attention span really matters’!

The word ‘multiplier’ as I observe it being frequently applied in both business and military contexts, requires some clarity. As an intangible asset strategist, I am inclined, for better or worse, to characterize ‘multipliers’ as often originating in distinctive/competitive knowhow and/or thinking.  Preferably, management teams will recognize how these IA’s (intangible assets) are translatable – convertible into tactics or processes which measurably ‘multiply’ effectiveness, efficiency, and/or output of say, a particular operating group, specific project, or process.

More specifically, through my lens, multipliers also refer to attributes or combinations of competitive inputs often collaboratively rooted (originate) in intellectual, structural, and relationship capital, i.e., IA’s. Collectively – collaboratively these multipliers are purposefully integrated in a particular initiative, project, or even organization-wide to favorably impact efficiency, effectiveness, and/or productivity, that otherwise may not have been feasible, particularly in environments in which there is little or no receptivity for multiplier(s) to evolve, mature, become recognized or integrated due to perceived concern that doing so would disrupt the status quo or create new risk.

One example where this has occurred is the consumer package delivery sector, several of which recognized obvious gains which could accrue by integrating – coordinating both GPS and RFID technologies. Standing alone, GPS and RFID are clearly tangible-physical (asset) technologies. However, their deliverables largely manifest as contributory and competitive IA’s that facilitate-enable firms in this sector to receive, process, sort, and deliver substantially more orders and packages, more efficiently compared to competitors that have yet to incorporate same.

For those operationally familiar with IA’s, i.e., their origins, development, and integration, in most instances, can (and should) also be leveraged – exploited as, among other things, value proposition multipliers, which in turn, confer credibility and rationale to capital outlays to pursue, purchase, and integrate the multipliers, ala GPS and RFID systems, while recognizing the various IA’s such multipliers produce and/or strengthen.

So, as more operational clarity is brought to IA’s contributory role and value as multipliers, organization boards and management teams will recognize…

• their operational prerogatives will expand to correlate with IA development, utilization, and exploitation.
• decision – transaction outcomes can be more predictable and lucrative whenever, however, and wherever, IA’s are in play.
• the importance of effective OR (organizational resilience) planning to facilitate quicker and more complete economic-competitive advantage recovery following a significant business disruption or materialization of reputation risk, etc.

Mr. Moberly is an intangible asset strategist and risk specialist and author of ‘Safeguarding Intangible Assets’ published by Elsevier in 2014, [email protected] View Mr. Moberly’s videos on YouTube at ‘safeguarding intangible assets’ or his CNN and CNBC videos at his webpage https://kpstrat.com