About this book:

Fortive traces its origins to the Danaher Corporation, where the Danaher Business System (DBS) cultivated a culture of continuous improvement, disciplined acquisitions, and operational excellence. In 2016, Fortive was spun off as an independent S&P 500 company, retaining core businesses in professional instrumentation, industrial technologies, precision measurement, and sensing solutions. James A. Lico became founding CEO, and the company quickly adapted DBS into the Fortive Business System (FBS), embedding FBS pillars—People, Process, and Performance—across its global operations to drive efficiency, quality, and innovation.

From its inception, Fortive pursued a disciplined acquisition strategy, adding companies such as Industrial Scientific (connected safety and gas‑detection‑as‑a‑service), Accruent and Gordian (enterprise facilities‑management software), and the Advanced Sensing Platform from Johnson Controls (pressure, temperature, speed, and position sensors). These moves expanded Fortive’s software and recurring‑revenue streams, strengthened its intelligent‑infrastructure portfolio, and deepened its sensing capabilities, all integrated through FBS tools like Value Stream Mapping, Kaizen events, and Daily Management to realize synergies and sustain growth.

Fortive’s evolution has been marked by a relentless focus on digital transformation and Industry 4.0, embedding connectivity, cloud platforms, data analytics, and AI into its hardware offerings to create smart, connected workflow solutions. The company also emphasized talent development, leadership programs, diversity and inclusion, and corporate social responsibility, while continually optimizing its portfolio—most notably through the 2020 spin‑off of its automation and fasteners businesses (ASP) to sharpen focus on software‑enabled, high‑growth segments. Looking ahead, Fortive aims to deepen its software, AI, digital‑twin, and augmented‑reality capabilities, expand into emerging markets, and sustain growth through disciplined R&D, capital allocation, and the ever‑evolving Fortive Business System.

What You'll Find Inside:

• The strategic spin-off from Danaher Corporation and the evolution of the Danaher Business System (DBS) into the Fortive Business System (FBS) as the core engine for operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• A disciplined approach to portfolio optimization through major acquisitions (Industrial Scientific, Accruent, Gordian, Advanced Sensing Platform) and the strategic divestiture of the ASP business to focus on software-enabled workflow solutions.
• The company's digital transformation journey, pivoting from hardware-centric industrial tools to connected devices, SaaS platforms, and recurring revenue models across intelligent infrastructure and precision technologies.
• Deep integration of the Fortive Business System (FBS) into culture, talent development (GMDP, ALE), leadership behaviors, and innovation processes to drive organic growth and seamless M&A integration.
• Future-focused vision emphasizing AI, digital twins, edge computing, augmented reality, sustainability enablement, and expansion in emerging markets to define the next decade of industrial technology leadership.

Who's It For:

This book is ideal for business leaders, investors, and strategy professionals seeking a detailed case study of a successful corporate spin-off and subsequent transformation. It will particularly benefit those interested in operational excellence frameworks (like DBS/FBS), industrial technology M&A strategy, digital transformation in traditional manufacturing, and the financial mechanics of building a focused S&P 500 portfolio. Academics and students of corporate strategy will also find value in its rigorous documentation of portfolio optimization and culture-building at scale.