ROI planning and control

Defects in the application of the ROI method of planning and control have been disclosed by its originator, du Pont, and by a study of firms that adopted the method relatively late. None of the errors, the author observes, is inherent in the ROI method; the central error is the confusion of goals and processes. Both businessmen and theorists have treated the firm's objectives as ends in themselves. ROI systems or other systems have been installed, and targets and standards used bureaucratically. Targets and standards should be viewed as instruments for engendering healthy adaptive learning processes in organizations. The ROI system can provide information on every element of the balance sheet, income statement, and other comprehensive performance statements, serving as a vehicle for dynamic communication, feedback, and adjustment.