Gill Eapen

We live in an information age. At any given moment in both our personal and professional lives, we are consistently bombarded with data in various forms; through our interactions with the different technologies available in both our homes and workplaces, we are also constantly generating data that will inevitably, in turn, be harvested and displayed to another. Information has arguably become the most valuable resource of every sort of all businesses, as technology grows in sophistication and… Show more

We live in an information age. At any given moment in both our personal and professional lives, we are consistently bombarded with data in various forms; through our interactions with the different technologies available in both our homes and workplaces, we are also constantly generating data that will inevitably, in turn, be harvested and displayed to another. Information has arguably become the most valuable resource of every sort of all businesses, as technology grows in sophistication and utilization, the world becomes ever more globalized, and economies continue the shift from being material-based to operating on the acquiring and exchanging of knowledge. With the right data – and the appropriate tools for gathering and processing it –, the key to success for any organization seems to be within easy reach. When correctly utilized, data analytics can contribute to the construction of meaningful information patterns, identifying opportunities to boost profitability and improve product quality and service delivery. However, the essential problem lies in the sheer quantity of available data information. With such a tsunami of information, it can be difficult to know where to start. What exactly is the “right” data? Which tools and methodologies can we use to measure it effectively?

Chapter 1: Learning from clients to improve decision-making in the legal industry
By Gill Eapen, founder and CEO of Decision Options, and Aileen Leventon, Esq., principal at Edge International Show less

Uncertainty is a persistent characteristic of the modern economy. Decision makers in business often struggle with the multi-factorial aspects of uncertainty, emanating from internal sources — such as costs of research and development (“R&D”), production and logistics, time needed to complete tasks and projects as well as technical risks such as failure of prototypes, technology, and equipment. Additionally, most decisions depend on market and external uncertainties such as price, demand… Show more

Uncertainty is a persistent characteristic of the modern economy. Decision makers in business often struggle with the multi-factorial aspects of uncertainty, emanating from internal sources — such as costs of research and development (“R&D”), production and logistics, time needed to complete tasks and projects as well as technical risks such as failure of prototypes, technology, and equipment. Additionally, most decisions depend on market and external uncertainties such as price, demand, availability, economic growth, competition, and policy. Recently, shocks that are not market based but have a broad impact on the economy such as terrorism and severe weather, have also surfaced. To make matters more complicated, some of these uncertainties are time-varying such as commodity costs, product prices, economic growth, inflation and interest rates, most of which may show a correlation with the market. Uncertainties that are probabilistic in nature, such as the probability of success of an R&D program and the chance of machine failure in production, are uncorrelated with the market and need special consideration. This article describes how to best take advantage of uncertainty in all aspects of business. Show less

This book is a compilation of entries from the blog entitled Scientific Sense, written and maintained by me, Gill Eapen, from 2008 to 2012. They fall in the general areas of Science, Economics and Policy. These writings contain a set of ideas, opinions and speculation based on my own beliefs. I am an agnostic, have no political affiliations and support a global community. I challenge the status quo in every field and do not accept anything as a given. I evoke the history of humans, a stagnant… Show more

This book is a compilation of entries from the blog entitled Scientific Sense, written and maintained by me, Gill Eapen, from 2008 to 2012. They fall in the general areas of Science, Economics and Policy. These writings contain a set of ideas, opinions and speculation based on my own beliefs. I am an agnostic, have no political affiliations and support a global community. I challenge the status quo in every field and do not accept anything as a given. I evoke the history of humans, a stagnant present and speculate on the necessary direction for future progress. I hope my readers, from over 140 countries, will take these views as stepping-stones to propel new thoughts and debates. In analyzing contemporary events, I use the framework laid out from my previous two books – Decision Options and Flexibility. These books describe how to innovate and lead in complex organizations and how conventional tools and methodologies have been rendered ineffective. My goal is to bring these ideas to a wider audience and foster debate in which participants analyze each other’s viewpoints with indomitable logic. Engage, challenge, think, influence, act and above all, enjoy. Show less

We are in an era of high volatility and uncertain outcomes, driven by accelerating technologies, shortened product cycles, fast-changing information, an increasingly mobile workforce, more demanding customers, complex financial markets, ad-hoc public policies, and many other factors that add layers of uncertainty to all future possibilities. While most believe that good management requires better prediction of the future and better planning, Gill Eapen instead contends that the best way to… Show more

We are in an era of high volatility and uncertain outcomes, driven by accelerating technologies, shortened product cycles, fast-changing information, an increasingly mobile workforce, more demanding customers, complex financial markets, ad-hoc public policies, and many other factors that add layers of uncertainty to all future possibilities. While most believe that good management requires better prediction of the future and better planning, Gill Eapen instead contends that the best way to manage effectively in an uncertain world is through the conscious application of flexibility — an ability to absorb constantly shifting variables and adapt quickly.

Flexibility: Flexible Companies for the Uncertain World explores ways in which organizations can systematically enhance their ability to survive and succeed without the guarantees that come with certainty. In these pages, Eapen details:

Specific attributes of status-quo organizations that hinder their capacity for flexibility in their three primary components: structure, systems, and strategies
A tool and process for diagnosing flexibility-related problems within an organization
Specific actions companies can take to improve flexibility, regardless of their size or age
A case study of a technology company progressively losing flexibility due to management actions, as well as a detailed project plan for remedial actions


Based on the author’s years of experience working with a variety of industries, including life sciences, energy, technology, financial services, and manufacturing, and his expertise in decision options, Flexibility offers a holistic alternative approach for managing risk and making the best decisions possible in these especially uncertain times. Show less

Although uncertainty and flexibility are important attributes that drive the value of an investment, they are seldom systematically considered in traditional financial analysis. Through theory and case studies, Decision Options: The Art and Science of Making Decisions details how uncertainty and flexibility can be evaluated to assist in making better investment decisions in companies. Harnessing the author’s own software technology, the book supplies a tool set that enables the incorporation of… Show more

Although uncertainty and flexibility are important attributes that drive the value of an investment, they are seldom systematically considered in traditional financial analysis. Through theory and case studies, Decision Options: The Art and Science of Making Decisions details how uncertainty and flexibility can be evaluated to assist in making better investment decisions in companies. Harnessing the author’s own software technology, the book supplies a tool set that enables the incorporation of uncertainty and flexibility in investment decisions up front without being too complex.


After a qualitative introduction to decision options, the author covers private and market risks, including how risks relate to decisions and the use of stochastic processes to represent risks. He then presents self-standing options, such as financial options and options pricing theory; describes how decision options are different from single-standing financial options; and deals with a special case of decision options in pricing employee stock options. The next several chapters focus on various case studies of practical applications of decision options. The book also explores common misperceptions around the term real options and the impediments that currently exist in large companies for the systematic practice of decision options.


Providing rigorous methods to use when making decisions, this book helps readers reduce the time and effort needed to reach decisions and build consensus, improve decision fidelity and communication, and enhance the value of their enterprise. Show less

Biosciences R&D harbors significant uncertainty as well as high economic potential. This article describes how to systematically consider risk and potential in all decisions - selection, design, licensing and portfolio management to enhance shareholder value. Cases are given using Decision Options (R) Technology.