analysis

1. 'Divide and conquer' approach applied to systematic examination and evaluation of data, by breaking it into its component parts to uncover their interrelationships. Opposite of synthesis.

2. Examination of data and facts to uncover and understand cause-effect relationships, thus providing basis for problem solving and decision making.

Do an analysis of how profitable each of your customers are. Often, the results will surprise you, because the biggest customers can often be less profitable than initially thought once all the time spent catering to their unique manufacturing and service requests is taken into account. Focus on the most profitable clients and figure out a way to make the less profitable ones more profitable. And once you have done this analysis on your business, do it on your competitors and go heavily after your competitor's most profitable clients. Leave them with the low-margin fruit.

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