Overview

Built to Serve was published by McGraw-Hill in September of 2007. It is a business management book that emphasizes the need for businesses to place people before profit. The author, Dan J. Sanders, believes that a business should not make decisions based on spreadsheets and profit margins. He sets forth a belief that business decisions should be made with a conscience and a determined "higher purpose". He states that:<blockquote>
"The prevailing business culture is broken and a radical transformation is required-a paradigm shift that reshapes our understanding of the true purpose of work."
</blockquote>

The book also sets forth the notion that the current business model was set in place during the Industrial Revolution and the subsequent emergence of the stock market. This business model has remained unchanged for more than a century and is focused around reporting and juggling numbers to meet expectations. The book brings forth the idea that the twenty-first business model is based on building a culture within a company that generates revenue through relationships. He believe that if companies conduct business in this manner, profits will increase due to several factors including:

An increase in employee morale

A driven and focused workforce due to a sense of empowerment

A higher level of service that comes from an increase in employee pride

Employees positive attitude affects customers

Trust and loyalty equity with customers and employees

Author

Dan J. Sanders is Chief Executive Officer of United Supermarkets, as well as an author and aviator. United is a privately held supermarket chain, based primarily in West Texas and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, with stores in 26 cities. Founded in 1916, the 91-year old company is known for its corporate citizenry and service-oriented culture. In 2001, United joined previous winners Sony Corporation and IBM as recipient of the prestigious Better Business Bureau’s National Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics. United has been listed in Texas Monthly’s Best Places to Work in Texas every year since the program began. United has more than 8,000 employees, annual sales that top more than $1,000,000,000, and more than 800,000 customer transactions per week. In addition to the original grocery chain, United has added two other concepts in recent years: Market Street, which features take-home cuisine, restaurants, gourmet and everyday grocery items in one store; and United Super Mercado, an international-format store offering the perfect blend of American fare and international cuisine.

Prior to joining United, Mr. Sanders was a principal partner at adplex, a marketing company based in Houston, Texas. While at adplex, he oversaw the acquisition of four companies, including MCI Digital, as adplex grew to more than $100 million in annual sales. While at adplex, the company grew to more than 1,000 employees and 11 locations across the country.

Mr. Sanders is also a former Major in the United States Air Force, a reconnaissance pilot and a highly decorated officer. He received the Air Medal for one act of extraordinary achievement during a combat mission while flying a Lockheed U-2 over Iraq and earned three other Air Medals for meritorious achievement, flying weather reconnaissance missions in the WC-130 requiring the penetration of 33 typhoons. Mr. Sanders was born in Fort Worth, Texas and currently resides in Lubbock, TX with his wife and children.

Layout

The book is based largely on the company Mr. Sanders leads, United Supermarkets. As a result the book has a predominant grocery store theme. The cover of the book is designed to resemble a paper grocery sack. The top portion of the cover has been cut-off in a zig-zag pattern to resemble the top of a grocery bag with the printed hardcover sticking out from the top of the bag. the exposed cover contains a quote from Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The quote is from the foreword of the book which Mr. Covey wrote. The quote reads:<blockquote>
"[This book] inspires your spirit...The United Supermarkets model, taught in a most excellent and successful way."
</blockquote> Ken Blanchard, author of The One Minute Manager wrote the afterword. The book is divided into three categories:

Part I ‐ Building a People Culture in a Numbers World

Part II ‐ Executing First Things First

Part III ‐ Intangibles Drive Tangibles

Each category has four chapters. The chapters in Built to Serve are called "aisles" instead of chapters borrowing from the grocery store theme of the book. Each aisle begins with a short story in italicized text that sets the tone for the principle being taught in that aisle (or chapter). The end of each chapter contains a bulleted list titled From the Express Lane that recaps the ideas from that chapter.

References

External Links

Built to Serve official website

United Supermarkets

Market Street United

United Supermarkets, Ltd. Careers

McGraw-Hill website