Preface

Business agility is a key attribute of successful private and public organization. It is a topic of increasing interest in a globalized business environment, in particular boosted by the recent global financial crisis. Agility requires both ad-hoc reactions on what is happening in a specific situation and also adaptation of the organization in the long run. For adaptations, two principles can be distinguished: change and maturating. Whereas the first is an explicit, planned transformation of an enterprise, the latter can be viewed as being a continuous improvement. It is a challenge for any business, to sense opportunities or threats, prioritize potential responses, and act efficiently and effectively.