Balance approach in designing strategy for a construction firmThe project nature of construction business means that a firm basically needs to run three key activities simultaneously in order to deliver its services successfully.
High-performance teamsHigh-performance teams are not only desirable in achieving innovation and speed – they are essential.
Ensuring the future health of organisations through real leadershipGood economic climates hide many flaws in organisations, and poor leadership and inept leaders often go unnoticed in those favourable times.
Consigned to history by the smartphoneWith more handsets than people on the planet, the smartphone is changing more than the way we communicate, but consigning some parts of every day life to the history books.
Management have become a nuisanceIf you have ever experienced or learnt something which you then knew was instinctively right - you will never have forgotten it.
How to use stories to bring your business presentations to life
Storytelling is an essential aspect of speech-making.
Who is responsible for our behaviour?If you have ever experienced or learnt something which you then knew was instinctively right - you will never have forgotten it.
Ten stress-free ways to ensure you succeed in a new roleConsultants need to be expert at fitting in and getting on with new teams.
Grow your e-list from public speaking and create “business friendships”Yet how many speakers put on a terrific show, winning over an enthusiastic audience, therefore in effect initiating potentially awesome business relationships with hundreds, even thousands of potential prospects… then throw it all away by not bothering to ask for their biz cards or email addresses?
The myths of publishing: Why staying in touch by email is crucial to publishing successMany clients have the unrealistic expectation that publishing articles and books regularly would automatically expand their clientele and boost revenue.
From flat lining to thriving: Three steps to sales transformationCompanies are turning to their sales organizations in an effort to find ways in which they differentiate their offerings and drive profitable sales growth.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même choseConsumerisation, cloud computing and virtualisation are transforming corporate networks, but for IT professionals tasked with managing this change, the underlying challenges remain the same as when the personal computing revolution first got underway.
Mobile apps bring business intelligence to lifeIntegration of smart phones and tablet PCs into the enterprise means users can be connected to the latest business intelligence (BI) whilst on the move.
Coping with the peaks and troughs of consultancyResponding to ebbs and flows in market demand presents a continuous challenge for consulting firms tasked with creating bespoke solutions for project delivery.
How accurate is your actual vs. planned time and costs?With cost and efficiency dominating the corporate agenda in today’s constrained operating environment, the ability to compare and contrast planned versus actual time and costs provides professional services firms with greater visibility and tighter control of performance in billable markets where time is money.
Are you in touch with your sales sixth sense?If not, you might be taking on business you’ll regret it.
Terminal 'outlook' for email?Are we facing the imminent death of email?
Time to achieve All you need to know to become a freelance consultant.
Removing email from the workplace?harmon.ie says Atos’ plan to remove email from the workplace could be disastrous to business.
What it takes to become a price champion Not everyone gets what they deserve: The largest pricing study ever with over 3,900 respondents sheds light on the profit culture and pricing know-how around the globe and across industries.
Outsourced supplier relationships: The missing linkWith 77% of respondents of a recent survey admitting finding it difficult to influence individuals, 74% struggling with groups, and most reporting networking as their biggest deficiency when it comes to influence,
Advocates & Enemies could hold the key to change.
Bare naked brand namesIf global socio-mobile marketing is mandatory for high level results, names must pass a ‘nudity-test’: a name must be inserted into an everyday social media conversation and checked to see if it’s still identifiable or lost within the text.
The sweeps storyThe owner told me later that he had understood the difference between allowing the crews to care about the problem and thus create their own solutions, and telling the crews what he thought was the solution.
Workout wisdom for the workplaceLeadership and resiliency expert Eileen McDargh shares seven lessons from working out at the gym that can benefit any business: small or large.
Will Google search replace domain names? Often corporations mistakenly believe that their name is the only one powerful name identity.
Creative vertigo: The spin of the ICANN branding revolutionThe word GTLD has been added to the lexicon of global branding.
Changing technology is easy - getting people to change is the problemOld habits die hard, so don’t fight them.
Eight tips for communicating with employees during financial turmoilAs euro zone crisis continues and economy stutters, management must ensure that employees have the full picture, says Mercer.
Increasing profit in the Oil & Gas downstream businessThe Downstream Business does not compare with the Upstream Business on profitability leading to calls for de-merger of the two.
Greece – The illness and the cure for the Eurozone crisisStephen Archer, business analyst and director of UK business consultancy Spring Partnerships, says Greece leaving the Eurozone is an answer to the crisis.
The nature of confidence: Its impact on businessStephen Archer says there are two types of confidence governing business leadership behavior – external and internal.
Processes: Minding your Ps and QsI’m not going to talk about the popular phrase and how you should be minding your Ps and Qs when thinking about Performance and Service Improvements (P&SI or ψ).
Five leadership lessons learned in a canoeA leadership expert shares five life and leadership lessons she learned during her fourth trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.
Top tips to eliminate document chaos -
A practical ‘how to’ guide for document collaboration – the SharePoint wayDid you know that people waste an average 30 minutes a day searching for documents, primarily in their email inbox (that’s 16 days a year, according to
recent industry research!)? When you replicate that across your organisation, you quickly realize this annoyance has significant impact on overall productivity.
Five ways to drive customer conversion rates in your storesMark Ryski, having worked with companies including Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, Harley-Davidson, and Lululemon on their store conversion rates, provides store managers and executives with proven ways to understand traffic and drive customer conversion rates in stores.
How to burnish your leadership brandWhen you act consistently with your brand values, it creates goodwill.
Discover your leadership brandWhat is your brand? It’s a thought and feeling that leap to mind when people think about you.
Dealing with brand disastersWhat do Tiger Woods, Martha Stewart and Tony Hayward all have in common? Each of their brands were marred by brand disasters—missteps that mushroomed into reputational nightmares.
Building and leveraging a high performance boardBringing together a group of outstanding individuals can result in an assembly of good people rather than an effective board.
The art of self promotionThe article discusses whether we should be vocal about our achievements in the workplace, and if so, how to approach it in the right manner.
The five essential steps of a successful business turnaroundHere are the five steps that need to happen during any major business adjustment and some of the pitfalls to avoid along the way.
Managing growth and margins in the professional services sectorExact’s Oliver Wright looks at the challenges faced by managers in the professional services sector in establishing exactly how and where their business is performing best, and the steps they can take to ensure that margins are as strong as possible.
Revolution or evolution - What would Darwin say about collaborationMany enterprise technologies claim to be revolutionary.
Swarm your customers with LinkedInSwarming your customers on social networks like LinkedIn is a new way to orchestrate a company’s business relations and boost sales.
Human work makes for happy workersOn a recent trip Eileen McDargh discovers what makes the difference in the lives of workers that keeps them happy or makes them miserable!
The quick demise of Qwikster - ICANN gTLD approach When the outcry of customers reached the boardroom, the objections over account access, dual billings and having to deal with two separate unrelated name identities overwhelmed the management while the wisdom kicked in.
How much for that ICANN gTLD? There are far too many organizations spending tens of millions monthly in keeping their main name identity visible.
To blog or not to blog: Now is the timeAmong many who grew up BI (Before Internet), blogging seems like a chore.
Austerity and the last-chance saloonRecent reports of the Police having to take yet another long hard stare at their resource in the back office and on the front line is just the latest high profile example of on-going attempts to reduce the staffing of an organization in a bid to save money.
Processes: The good, the bad and the uglyThe truth is that understanding the enterprise’s processes is the key to gaining accurate insight into what it is doing now, how it is operating and responding to customer demand and - most important of all - what processes might be changed or modified to improve performance.
A made up fantasy & the ICANN GTLD realityThe global cyber branding issues are getting hot....
Five strategies to help employees keep their sanity in a world of constant connectivityYour employees are drowning in digital distraction – it’s time to throw them a lifeline.
Government should learn from the private sectorDecision makers in Washington should embrace measures that would both reduce government spending and boost private sector jobs.
On becoming a managerI was left at the end of that hour with absolutely no idea what I was supposed to be doing as a manager except that I was expected to do it with what my mentor believed were a dishonest and disreputable workforce.
Letting the workforce’s natural drive take over Peter A Hunter, author of
Breaking the Mould, reviews Daniel H Pink’s book
Drive.
Planning in uncertain times: Five strategic steps to successDeveloping a strategy does not have to be a major event requiring an off-site retreat, consultants, breakout sessions and flip charts.
Expense management and ways for businesses to save moneyIt is not just the public sector that is being stretched however, but the private sector is equally under pressure to manage and justify its costs.
The seven deadly sins of sales managementI have been part of many business turnarounds in my career, and in all situations I have noted the errors consistently made by sales management, all of which negatively impact team morale and sales.
Career planning – where does consulting take you?So, you’ve graduated, spent a few years with a tier 1 consulting firm, progressed nicely and you’re starting to think about a change; but what are the career paths available to those who have trained with a leading player?
Make innovation sourcing a business strategyInnovation is again becoming a top priority at companies, after the Great Recession, and more resources are being spent on innovation.
IT Doesn’t Matter – Business Processes doA business’s processes are at the very core of its being, as essential to its life as our blood, flesh and bone are to our own lives.
Six strategies for coping when your work can always find youThe standard advice to workers struggling to balance work and personal time focuses on prioritizing the work that absolutely has to get done — make a list of what you need to do, stay focused on what’s important, and so on — but you have to take things a step further and manage your connectivity with everyone at the office if you want to truly be able to regain control over your life.
Eight key factors for better project monitoring and control In a bid to help ‘UK plc’ run more smoothly and become more successful, Ron Rosenhead, chief executive of the project management training and development specialist, Project Agency, has revealed the eight key factors that keep active projects on track.
The challenge of selling in the new normal...and what to do about itRemember success in spite of itself? Sales success was achieved and numbers were made despite your selling organization’s weaknesses, just because economic times were good.
The silver bullet for employee engagementWhen the issue of “Engagement” is raised we automatically assume that the lack of engagement is the fault of the workforce and we look for the “Silver Bullet” that can be aimed at them to make them engage.
What do you really know about Quality Circles?Are Quality circles just big suggestion boxes, or are they the engine that drives engagement?
How to design powerful and productive sales meetingsSalespeople are conscious of the way management spends its money, so seeing waste during ineffective meetings degrades their confidence in the company and makes them less considerate of protecting the corporate resources under their control.
Morale versus executionSome organizations underrate the importance of morale, which is difficult to measure and is often confused with enthusiasm or situational motivation generated from, for example, a spirited sales meeting.
Best chance now to get the graduates who will lead your company in 2030The market is strongest for experienced high skill workers.
Rolling a six every time you deliver process changeYou’re in the middle of a change project and suddenly you get the feeling that people are losing interest, your sponsor has moved onto the next fire that needs fighting, the problems were much larger than you thought they would be, people are too busy to participate … well, you’re not alone: around 70% of all change projects fail to achieve their stated objectives or benefits, or that’s what many studies over the last two decades have found.
Companies beat the crisisDuring this recessionary period a select number of strong performing companies have managed to grow at a
rate that significantly outstrips their peer group.
Are hard times for businesses and regulators good times for consultants?Not since the Great Depression have we seen such sweeping regulatory reforms in the aftermath of a market crisis.
A comment on the growth of the consulting industry in 2011Many companies are being forced to set a new direction in the post-crisis environment, and these new mandates mean a regenerated need for consultants.
360-degree analysis methodology and toolsTo formulate a business strategy is to decide on business model, markets, supply chain and resources to match these with the demands from your community, environmentalists, government and, of course, your target customers.
“Top down” change never worksPeter A Hunter reviews Ricardo Semler’s book
Maverick.
Creating visibility of opportunity and threatSuccess is where planning meets opportunity.
The ICANN- gTLD myth: It will hurt big trademark ownersWhen a good name identity is super glazed with a good trademark protection plan, there is no reason why it would be hurt by ICANN's gTLD.
Power play of name evaluationToday’s biggest question of image expansion is not how and where you got your name from, but rather if it is still producing orchestrated music by ringing cash registers or making choking noises.
How much is your business worth?There are many different ways of valuing a business.
Main trends shaping the Business Intelligence MarketSeveral important technology changes, social trends and customer needs are driving the future development steps and functionality of Business Intelligence solutions.
How to do what you love and get paid for itYou need a passion that can stimulate self-motivation and give you a reason to get up in the morning and go to work – even if it is (temporarily) done at the kitchen table.
Eight things to think about if you’re considering self-employmentIf you are considering self-employment, you’re not alone.
Four reasons NOT to become self-employedIf you are considering self employment you need to think about whether self employment will
really address your current dissatisfactions and whether it will
really help you achieve your dreams.
The essence of negotiationWe all negotiate through life.
Top ten steps to a thriving local consulting practice without travelHere are ten lessons I’ve learned the hard way about how to have a thriving local consulting practice, without travel.
Collateral management is central to regulatory changeCapco highlights why collateral management is central to regulatory change and the Business opportunities it creates if you get it right.
The importance and structure of rescuing out of control programme developments10-15 years ago around 60-70% of business programmes failed.
The future of consulting: Low carb consulting How has a profession that positions itself as a thought leader dedicated to making organisations effective become such an easy hunting ground for negative press and generalised opprobrium?
Don’t try to motivate your workforceWhatever we do we will be looking for a way that we can make the most of our own abilities in order to best provide for the next generation, and our families.
Mom likes me best!
The pitfalls of client favoritismDelivering different levels of customer service to stratified levels of customers is a slippery slope.
Public service wastrelsTry to imagine how effective our public service delivery could be if every one of our public servants was allowed to care about what they did, and felt that their ideas would be listened to.
Will the dotcom kingdom collapse?Once ICANN approves the new super-powered gTLD domain names, what will happen to the some 200 million strong dotcom domain name kingdom? Will the new gTLDs and their massive sub-domain traffic of unlimited brand extensions create global cyber identity chaos?
Influencing for all seasons: Creating and influencing specific business relationshipsAs you enter into the important conversations with the people who make up your circle of influence, there are some general and specific things to keep in mind in the interactions.
The DNA of innovative companies: Visionary CEO or coherent system?Examples abound of wildly creative and ambitious executives boldly leading their companies into uncharted territory and emerging as vibrant, growing organizations.
Five common afflictions of sales teamsBusiness consultant John R Treace knows more than perhaps anyone about re-energizing a sales team.
SPIN: simply a better way to sellA personal experience, by Richard King, deputy managing partner, Ernst & Young.
Commissioning leadershipA current challenge in the NHS and beyond is to determine what good leadership of a consortium will look like and what 'offer' is necessary to broker at a national level to help that good leadership to emerge.
The new path to value: how the smartest organisations are embedding analytics to transform insight into actionUnderstanding how best to leverage analytics can be an extremely daunting task for business leaders.
People + Technology = ChangeToday’s organisations are operating in a new smart world where our lives are becoming increasingly integrated and interconnected.
How to get the best from your marketing budgetIn order to ensure that your marketing is on target, it’s helpful to ask three questions, the answers to which should provide the backbone of your marketing strategy.
Telecoms management: Communications as business enablerSo how can such a diverse communications landscape be managed? A recent survey undertaken on behalf of Vodafone Global Enterprise highlighted that this remains one of the biggest pain points facing large corporates.
Baton leadership lessons from LA Philharmonic Conductor DudamelMaestro Gustavo Dudamel is a much loved orchestra conductor who has some outstanding leadership skills to share.
The key to all great presentations: What’s the story?Before every talk, presentation, meeting, interview or slide show it’s essential to think about the story you want to tell and how stories within that story can bring your content to life.
SAP Managed Services Survey: In-house vs outsourcedDuring Q2, 2010 The Birchman Group carried out a survey in the UK
focused on SAP Support and Managed Services.
MCA / social networking tipsMillions of people have professional social network profiles but only a small percentage really know how to use them.
Getting your sales organisation in shape for 2011Sales organisations must be aligned to new business strategies and economic conditions, says LoganLea.
Servant LeadershipPeter A Hunter reviews Robert Greenleaf’s
Servant Leadership.
What dolphins taught me about managing peopleOver years, I have come to realize that the single biggest challenge in executing projects is that of managing people at the client side.
The WikiLeaks Phenomenon: The dawn of a new age of involuntary transparency?Protiviti has just released a new Flash Report on WikiLeaks and the implications for data governance in all organizations.
Project management on the moveIn today’s flexible business environment, it’s the norm for project managers to work away from the office and travel on business for extended periods.
On the need to go beyond "traditional" cross-functional collaborationCompanies must implement alternative organizational models, strengthen roles that facilitate collaboration and improve the skills of their employees
The future is closer than you think for some forms of alternative energyAdvanced biofuels, concentrated solar power, and solar photovoltaic power are on track to change the global energy landscape far earlier than many assume.
The wired & unemployed citizenryTechnology may be blamed for the hyper speed and massive accessibility but Joe Public cannot be held responsible for shattering the credibility of sacred institutions.
Using employee research to win consulting assignmentsEvaluation and measurement remains the Holy Grail for all consultants.
Are corporate objectives on sustainability and cost improvement complementary or mutually exclusive?The idea that applying sustainability requirements may produce cost savings suggests an interesting overlap between practical and ethical issues as they confront the business.
Resiliency lessons from the Chilean mine triumphThe author of
The Resilient Spirit book offers insight into the resiliency and self growth lessons taught by the thirty-three, brave Chilean miners who were trapped at the bottom of a mine for sixty-nine days.
Farmers and SoldiersBusiness Development and Consulting Delivery are the two pillars on any consulting organization.
Hyper visibility 2011Out there on the branding battlefields it’s simply do or die as either brand images are hyper visible or mortally lost in oblivion.
Why European IT providers should build on their distinctive managerial strengths and not just copy US competitorsEuropean IT providers show better long-term sales and EBITDA growth than their US competitors.
Roland Berger Study identifies diversification as one of the most prominent trends in the pharmaceutical industry65% of the companies surveyed believe that the pharmaceutical industry is facing a strategic crisis.
Fujitsu calls for IT to be pushed up the agenda in M&A and separation dealsFujitsu is calling upon British business to push IT up the agenda in merger and separation situations as organisations are struggling to understand the challenges and opportunities that IT can present in a merger or separation deal.
Family business owners optimistic about growth, but many aren’t making adequate provisions for the future95% of family business are confident they can compete effectively with their sector market leaders.
The Brazilian decade: How Brazilian companies can become global leadersBrazil will be the only BRIC country to grow faster in 2010 than it did before the crisis.
The multi-billion dollar black hole? Investors and stakeholders look to risk management spending as measure of corporate stability.
The Leaderful Practice ModelLeaderful practice offers an alternative approach to the traditional model of leadership.
Capco sourcing governance researchCapco recently commissioned a sourcing governance survey.The objective was to identify and interpret key trends and best practices currently adopted by financial services organizations.
Is the party over for over-the-counter?Insight, innovation and infrastructure will prove to be winning factors in the brave new world that IS coming to OTC Derivatives trading.
How consultants can break the “feast-or-famine” cycleHow to set up an effective marketing strategy for the contacts you already have.
Understanding the benefits of filling production downtimeIf on one hand, there is a printer willing to do work for discounted pricing to fill downtime, and, on the other, there is a print buyer who wants to reduce significantly its printing costs without compromising quality or on-time delivery, wouldn't it make sense to put the two together?
Demand for green vehicles continues to grow steadilyCapgemini study highlights increasing demand for green vehicles and mobility alternatives as automotive industry shifts to stability and growth.
How much is a good rollocking worth?What a strange question, but when most of what is currently called “Management” is concerned with delivering these quaintly named homilies, but it is a reasonable question to ask if we are to understand our value as a manager.
Wake up and smell the economyTim Lambert, Director of Kay-Lambert Associates, who specialise in providing a solution to the problem of absenteeism, argues that “it’s time to attend to Attendance in the workplace.”
Turning orders into cash, quickly ‘Intelligent’ electronic trading holds the key to a faster order-to-cash cycle.
Breaking the rut cycle:
Innovate your thoughtleading by capitalizing on opportunityEmphasizing the “I,” is critical to a thoughtleading strategy, if the thoughtleader strives to gain any degree of recognition.
Stop selling and help your customers buyToday, prospects avoid, filter, and run around your well-crafted marketing tactics.
Emerging market companies eye US targets above others in 2010 Q1US companies were the most popular targets for acquisitions by emerging and high-growth market companies in the first half of 2010, as activity by emerging market companies aimed at developed economies jumped 25 percent over the previous six-month period, according to KPMG International's latest Emerging Markets International Acquisition Tracker (EMIAT) study.
Television advertising still packs the greatest punchTelevision was the most memorable type of advertising in 2010 and had the greatest impact according to a report to be published by Deloitte.
Welcome to the connected world: How eight trends are radically changing work and playNew CSC report details the paradigm shifts driving business opportunity.
The Positive Deviant: Sustainability Leadership in a Perverse WorldThis article is a condensed extract from
The Positive Deviant: Sustainability Leadership in a Perverse World (Earthscan, 2010, £14.99) by Sara Parkin.
The one simple step to initiating the magical flow of revenue in your businessWhen we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
~Victor Frankl
5 myths to employee turnover and simple solutions to keeping who you wantAs with most development and growth issues, treating the symptom, in this case turnover, is only a temporary fix at best.
A change of governmentThe new coalition government almost immediately began to show us a completely different way to govern.
Are successful consulting projects an illusion?Organizations must have the ability to reap lessons learned from all their consulting projects – both successful and unsuccessful – in order to increase the value derived from using consultants.
Outsourcing without compromising total involvement and controlBy using new methodology and technology, a buyer today can gain the advantages of outsourcing without experiencing the negatives.
Delivering bad news to clientsFor many projects, though, the seeds of trouble are sown long before a project kicks off.
How to engage your workforceWhat is so awful is that the managers who spend their working lives creating this directive and ultimately destructive working environment, could, with less effort than they currently spend, create the same positive, recognition driven environment that would allow their workforce to engage and thus become proud of what they do.
SAP Managed Services survey findingsDuring Q2, 2010 The Birchman Group carried out a survey focused on SAP
support and managed services.
Blended Learning model sets the stage for seamless project managementWith thorough planning and rigorous practice schedules in place, trained actors continue to move in synch – even in the face of unanticipated circumstances – so the show can keep playing out, all the way to a standing ovation.
Unlocking competitive advantage: Succeeding at business transformationIn an environment where markets and competitors are changing faster than ever, huge amounts of money, resources and management focus are being poured into business transformation programmes.
Is nepotism rampant in client consultant relationshipsCompanies must have checks and balances in place to ensure that consultants are hired based on merit and value, and not simply because they have unfettered access to a senior executive due to the fact that he/she is an alumni of the consulting firm in question.
Is nepotism rampant in client consultant relationships?Companies must have checks and balances in place to ensure that consultants
are hired based on merit and value, and not simply because they have
unfettered access to a senior executive due to the fact that he/she is an
alumni of the consulting firm in question.
Demands from institutional investors seen as transforming alternative investment industry KPMG international study also finds investors in US want more product transparency, but no new regulations.
'Green' is no longer the magic bulletDeloitte white paper explores new path toward clean energy, jobs and security.
Is your service offer compelling?Before most clients buy services, they expect evidence that you can answer three questions: Do you understand the state that creates the need for outside help? Do you have a vision of the future in which the current problem becomes a distant memory? And, what is that path to a brighter future? If your service offer misses on any of these three questions, it needs work.
Consulting magicConsultants can work magic – but magic only happens if clients provide the right platform for the consultants to perform, and if the consultants themselves have sufficiently practiced their act.
Retreat to advance into a new decadeLearn how taking a retreat can help you renew, refresh and begin again by following this five-step process created by Eileen McDargh.
Let consultants be consultantsThe value that clients obtain from consultants is very much dependant on the roles that they use them in.
The seven principles for inspiring employeesBut are motivation and inspiration really the same? And from a leadership standpoint, which is better? As leaders, we all want certain things from those who report to us.
eSurvey: How good are you at managing multiple programmes and projectsProgramme and Project Management continues to be an area supported with strong methodologies, tools and templates, which is demonstrated by the narrowest range of responses.
Engagement - What happens when we get turned onGathering employee suggestions and what is done with them is a key to producing the environment that allows the workforce to engage.
Building your deal team - Assembling the right playersBefore you jump into a transaction and start negotiating, make sure you have the right players on your side.
Be a thought leader—Not a followerPublishing, or establishing yourself as a thought leader, is neither necessary nor sufficient to be a successful consultant.
What to do if you get arrestedThe recent high profile arrests of directors and city traders in raids by the Serious Fraud Office, Financial Services Authority and police remind businesses and city professionals that they should be prepared for every eventuality in the current climate.
The science of sales growth in a recession: The five most dangerous mistakes a company can makeIt’s a situation primed for old mistakes to be made all over again.
The inspiration factor: How you can revitalize your company culture in 12 weeksHow to tap into people’s dreams and create a culture of passion and loyalty.
Five crucial things you must do to build your business with social networkingLearn five tips that represent some of the best ways to help you get more business using social networks to promote your products and services.
Becoming an effective global manager:
How to operate effectively in the international marketplace
A revolution is underway in the ease with which opportunities and work can be moved around the world.
Rethinking your company’s next move: What you could be doing differentlyTo take an optimistic view, the exciting part of a crisis like we have experienced in the last two years is the ability to easily effect change.
The eight drivers of executive decision-makingPrepare yourself for those career-defining executive calls by studying your client’s internal or external business drivers.
The continuing risk of supplier failureDespite the recent recovery in global trading conditions, a significant risk from supplier failure still exists.
Mobile marketing needs a different approachWe are in an era where mobile phones are continually dominating our communications.
No website is an islandWe live in a world that is Internet obsessed.
‘Lean and mean’ development driven by recessionRuby on Rails has proven itself to be the development framework of choice for websites, writes Paul Wilson, director at EdgeCase UK, which aims to establish Scotland as a centre of excellence for Ruby and Ruby on Rails.
Budget 2010 brings good news for UK sellers of consulting firmsIn his budget speech on 24th March 2010, Chancellor Alistair Darling announced a doubling of the so called ‘Entrepreneurs’ Relief’.
Fire up your About pageLook at the "About" pages of many consulting firms, and you’ll find more hype than help for their businesses.
Getting inexperienced consultants quickly up to speed and profitableThe financial crisis brought recruitment at many companies to a screeching halt.
How to understand what the client really wantsThere are six reasons for meeting the client before you submit your response.
How many rabbits are you chasing?In every economic downturn I've lived through, I've observed the same syndrome in the business development world: a panic-stricken compulsion to bid for every opportunity available.
12 take-home lessons from 2009Want to win more business this year? Then don’t make the same mistakes as last year.
7 wily ways to win more tendersThese seven principles are gold dust.
How to write compelling executive summariesAre your executive summaries taut, persuasive and compelling calls to action? Or wordy rambles through your company history and new website?
The real implications of the Companies Act 2006 on small businesses now that the final implementation has occurredThe Department for Business, Innovation & Skills has commenced post-implementation evaluation of the Act, and is currently surveying a random sample of companies to determine the impact that the Act has had on business.
Why is Toyota failingMuch has been written about Toyota’s production system but very little has been written about the people who make that system work - the line workers and the supervisors.
The future of mobile telecommunications
New operating strategies for a new world
Ready to make the shift to a world of mass market usage of the mobile Internet, we are ushering in the “mobile lifestyle.” But this world is not tenable with the operating models and business paradigms of today.
The one sales skill you must master Whatever sales advice you choose to follow (or ignore), I think that the one skill you shouldn’t leave home without is the ability to close the sale.
Sink or Swim
Consulting services in the decade ahead
The past decade has seen unparallel growth in the consulting sector.
Warning to business owners over missed garden leave clauseBusiness owners could land themselves in hot water by putting employees on garden leave.
Toyota off the cliff?: Lessons in leadershipThe following is a research paper prepared by Alan Pang, Director of Aon Consulting Global Research Centre, which discusses Toyota's leadership strategies given its recent recalls issue, and lessons in leadership which corporations can benefit from.
Driving for success: A PLM case study in business changeSAP’s Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software is designed to help companies manage the complete lifecycle of their product portfolios.
Social enterprise – Why is it central to your success a consultant?Manpreet Pattar of CLR Management & Training Consultancy discusses the importance of expanding your skill set in order to attract and retain more clients.
One small step for man, one giant leap for staff moraleA few subtle changes make all the difference, says business consultant.
Why good work matters more than everNick Isles, author of
The Good Work Guide: How to make organisations fairer and more effective, argues that only by striving to establish and enable a good work environment will organisations be able to release the discretionary effort of their workforces to optimum effect.
Who do you know who ….?We are interested in how we might get more referrals, but not at the expense of alienating our friends and colleagues.
Study reveals increasing competition in the €630 billion global automotive aftermarket industryReport outlines the competitive environment, challenges and opportunities for growth in aftermarket operations in the auto industry, in both established and emerging markets,
Weak analytics capabilities hindering companies’ and governments’ decision-making abilitiesAccenture research reveals senior managers still rely on ‘gut feel’ due to limited access to enterprise-wide data and analytical talent.
2010 HDA Executive Coaching SurveyCurrent trends indicate that coaching remains a valuable tool for developing leaders at all levels in spite of (or perhaps even more importantly during) the down turn in the economy – but what does this actually mean in reality? What are organisations doing differently? How has coaching been impacted? What return on investment can individuals and the business expect? The brief report below outlines the findings of the
2010 HDA Executive Coaching Survey, which goes some way towards answering these questions.
Is it time for a radical re-think in the way our public sector finances and resources are allocated and managed?With the UK’s public finances now in the worst position they have been since the end of the Second World War, this article will consider whether it is time to have a radical re-think of how we allocate and manage both our finances and resources across the public sector.
Roland Berger: The global automotive supplier industry is in urgent need of consolidation to regain profitabilityFour reasons: Uncertainty over the development of vehicle markets, scarcity of cash to finance acquisitions, limited management resources among suppliers and problems gaining approval from vehicle manufacturers.
Globalization and new technologies driving companies to seek new business models to increase efficiency, competitiveness, agility and growthA combination of intensified globalization brought on by recent turbulence in the global economy and the acceleration of new information technologies is driving companies and governments to look for new business models to meet increased demands for efficiency, competitiveness, short-term agility and long-term growth.
Brand excellence – Learn from the bestRoland Berger and marketing magazine absatzwirtschaft conduct study on successful brand management using the winners of the brand awards given by absatzwirtschaft from 2001 to 2009.
Rise of the old but fitIn the next few years we will see the baby boomers reaching retirement age.
Teamwork - It really does make the dream workProfessional speaker and consultant, Gregg Gregory, uses the Blue Angels as an example of excellent teamwork and offers insight into the critical elements needed to make your team excel.
Improving productivity between multinational teamsHow can we avoid the major pitfalls when working with colleagues who are part of the world we know nothing about?
Enhancing corporate reputation and engagement via career self-ownershipPeople have a growing sense that they need to own their futures, and, by definition, the direction of their careers.
Personal branding – It matters in today’s employment marketMany jobseekers are still sticking to the traditional methods, reading ads in newspapers and joining recruitment agencies hoping to bypass the new advances in technology including social media, which have changed the face of recruitment.
Creating an engaging performance environmentWithin the context of dramatic change in the global economic environment, organisations need more than ever to focus on creating an engaging performance environment for their employees.
Transforming Organisational PerformanceThis case study sets out the importance of leaders engaging their people in organisational change and provides some practical examples of how do to this.
Engaging young talented professionalsThis case study explains how organisations can engage their young talent more effectively.
Ten new global trends for 2010Naseem Javed, founder of ABC Namebank, is an authority on building corporate image and creating global name identities and he shares his top ten global trends for 2010.
Ten top challenges for CIOs in 2010Deloitte has published its ten top challenges for CIOs in 2010.
'E-reader Republic' comprises hungriest consumers of new mediaResults from L.E.K.Consulting's second annual "Hidden Opportunities in New Media Survey" of more than 2,000 households showed an explosion of e-reader purchases by a consumer segment that is significantly increasing its new media consumption.
Shift in world economic power means a decade of seismic changeThe new decade will be characterised as the point at which the largest emerging economies catch up with and prepare to overtake the established leading economies according to a new paper by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) entitled, "Convergence, Catch up and Overtaking: How the balance of world economic power is shifting".
The downside of client relationshipsIt's no secret that most consultants try to grow their businesses by building their relationships with current and past clients.
Selling to the C-Suite The sales profession provides no diploma or license.
The game has changed for the auto industryThe after effects of the worldwide economic and financial downturn have altered the business landscape and have challenged long-standing assumptions about successful operating structures.
Forest, paper and packaging companies on the brink of major changeForest, paper and fibre-based packaging (FPP) companies face a changed world requiring fundamental transformation within the industry, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers recent survey of 33 industry executives based in North and Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Believe it or not...Specialist employment lawyers Natasha Koshnitsky and Rob McCreath, at Archon Solicitors, discuss discrimination in the workplace on the grounds of philosophical and religious belief.
Scrooge can mess up your strategy… but Santa can make it work!On the 12th day of Christmas, my consultant shared with me… 12 Scrooge-like waaaaays… to mess up my stra-a-te-gy!
New ways to engage How do I engage with key decision-makers?
Global Roland Berger study on the automation industry: Low growth until 2015 – China developing into the key marketChina is already the biggest market for automation technology (8% annual growth), while hardly any growth has been seen in established markets like Germany, the US and Japan.
Congratulations - It's a business!Most people decide they want a business so one day they make some business cards and say, "Here I am world, hire me." Learn why this is the wrong way to start a business and what it takes to do it right.
Space Solutions highlights importance of the workplace Firms in the financial services sector need to show smart-thinking beyond the knee-jerk reaction of making cuts to survive the recession and instead look to strategically focus on their property to plan for the future.
E-accountancy shows how trust can be built onlineSocial networking is the ‘new kid on the block’ and companies are blogging their way through the complexities of business.
Capgemini European energy report highlights turning point for UtilitiesEleventh edition of report reveals full impact of economic crisis on Utilities sector and sheds light on challenges around continuing investments and meeting legislative targets.
Online advertising now the strongest route to marketNew figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau show that online ad spend has overtaken TV in the UK.
Cast away: Incorporating slidecasts into your online presence can distinguish your business from competitorsTypically consisting of a PowerPoint presentation with synchronized audio, slidecasts don’t consume much time or energy, yet can be an appealing alternative if you’re intimidated or overwhelmed by the prospect of creating a video or other daunting technological creation.
Effective communication can drive employee engagement, help retain top performersIn a business environment that remains tumultuous, companies with highly effective internal communication programs are better placed to keep employees engaged and retain key talent, according to a new survey by Watson Wyatt.
Providing a sustainable future for business and management education and businesses of tomorrowA recent publication produced by the Association of Business Schools,
Pillars of the Sustainable Economy highlights the important work of UK Business Schools and Schools of Management in tackling the sustainability agenda.
The power of Welcome home!Eileen McDargh shares the stories that taught her the meaning of "welcome home" and teaches readers how the power of "welcome home" can engage employees and make a difference in the bottom line.
Flexible workingFlexible working is not new.
New call for a widening of the director gene poolAn effective board is one of the keys to a sustained commitment to performance improvement.
The power of strategic alliancesIf we pay attention to any message at all, it's likely to be that we know and trust the person who sent it.
Winning better businessHow to use value propositions to select the right sales opportunities to pursue.
Making a business case for mind mappingI have seen first hand hundreds of diverse usage scenarios how mapping technology can assist people from improved clarity of thinking, improved communication and increased productivity.
The Post Office, again!It looks as if the Post Office is gearing up for another dispute.
New book: Management Boll**ks - How to talk your way to the topJust who is picking the low hanging fruit? Is brainstorming a thing of the past or do we now just do 'thought showers'? If you have ever spent time in a meeting contemplating yet another 'paradigm shift' then you will be the first to realise that at the end of the day it is all a load of.
Real leaders don’t do PowerPoint
How to speak so people listenA book to read in an evening and use for a lifetime.
Pharmaceuticals out of balance: Reaching the tipping pointA.T.Kearney, the global management consultancy firm, has published a new White Paper on the pharmaceutical industry -
Pharmaceuticals out of Balance.
What you want, when you want it, and how you want it delivered
aCE talentNET annual global consultant studyThat’s what we endeavoured to find out in the inaugural annual
aCE talentNET Global Consultant Study survey for 08-09, where we invited all consultants to share information about who they are; what their consulting business is about; what their wants, fears, hopes and frustrations are; and what else
aCE talentNET can be doing for them to increase the value of the collective relationship.
Participate in this year's study,
click here.
Yes, there is a short-cut to success!
Untapped strategies for success in today's marketThe Sustainable Success Coach, Linda Zander, will teach you the untapped strategies for success in today's market that will help you create sustainable success in all areas of your life.
Only the Collaborative Will SurviveOnly the Collaborative Will Survive is the end product of a three month project by OBA working in collaboration with London Business School.
10 tips for a consultancy bidding into a large organisationDuring my corporate career I have had the relatively unique experience of operating as a Buyer, User, Approver and Supplier of consultancy services – so I have acquired quite a good insight into the buying decision process.
Ditch the pretence: most jobs don’t need all this window dressingInstead of matching candidate with job in a day or so, the recruitment process takes at least a couple of months for even basic clerical positions.
Putting system obsolescence in perspectiveNo matter how big or small the retail operation; there are some basic considerations that should be addressed when specifying a new IT system to help manage your IT investment effectively.
Taming the technostressHow to manage the constant stress of technology demands and information overload by managing your energy and not your time.
The Faith versus Fear mindsetA small business startup expert reveals the lessons learned, and how they apply to small business owners, when she went skydiving and had to rely on faith instead of opting for fear.
Leading ethicallyYou may wonder what ‘ethics’ has to do with the current financial crisis.
Do Preferred Supplier Lists promote poor and illegal practices?Are best-in-class hiring processes suffering because of today’s PSL and internet recruitment techniques? Why does the specialist strategic search wanted by executive managers so often become generalised because the responsibility is taken out of their hands by their HR departments and channelled through MSPs and PSLs?
New book focuses on marketing and selling of consultancy servicesThere are plenty of books about management consultancy some covering the topic in great depth.
Transforming consulting firms into real businessesThe leaders of today’s professional service firms (PSFs) are increasingly becoming aware that they must transform their professional service firms into real businesses.
Customer service opportunity missedLearn how an international airline missed a simple opportunity to salvage a miserable trip so that you and your staff won't make the same mistakes with your customers.
Benefits of automated time tracking for consulting firmsThere are several ways in which an automated system for time tracking can help consulting firms become more profitable.
Are you ready to start a business?Answer these five reality check questions from Leah Grant, the New Business Mentor, to determine if you are ready to start a business.
How business can harness the power of social mediaBritain is one of the most voracious consumers of social media in the world with the average net browser spending 26 minutes a day on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Bebo and LinkedIn.
Seven common mistakes to avoid when engaging a consultantWhile the engagement of consultants is essential to the success of organisational wide projects, most organisations tend to commit a number of common mistakes when engaging external consultants.
Managing expectations means a better experience for both customers and staffA surprisingly short time ago, a query, complaint or even order was sent by post and you sat back and waited for a reply perhaps a week or two later.
Ways people mess up when establishing multiple streams of incomeNew business mentor Leah Grant shares the right way and the wrong way to establish multiple streams of income in your business.
Consumers want social and environmental responsibility from managementA new study from Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, entitled "Socially responsible management and sustainability – What potential for producers and retailers?", has examined consumer attitudes toward CR and actual buying behaviour.
A change is gonna comeToday, retail banks that are implementing a CRM system, or brokers installing an algorithmic trading platform are doing so in the shadow of inevitable regulatory changes, possible mergers or acquisitions, heightened global competition and above it all, a need to drive efficiency throughout the business.
Interims and consultants - what’s the difference?Introducing the term ‘interim consultant’ might create potential confusion for buyers of interim managers and consultants, argues Nick Diprose.
Seven ways to improve your consulting company by automating time and expense collectionIn the consulting business, your hours are your inventory: lose track of them and they are wasted.
The seven deadly sins of non-lean organisations during a recessionIf you Google ‘cost reduction’ or ‘cost control’ you get approximately 29 million links to related information.
Strategy Execution Readiness Assessment (SERA)SERA is a systematic diagnostic template which can be tailored as necessary to an individual business’s situation or even non-profit organisation.
Leadership doesn’t require a suit:
Answering the call and becoming a leader in the 21st centuryThis call to leadership requires a response from the heroes with common powers, with common lives – it requires a response from you, the breadth of America, its business employers and employees.
Return on investment from coaching – Measuring success!Aligning HR strategy with business strategy is critical, however it is insufficient to make this strategic linkage at concept level and then embark on HR initiatives without a conscious intention to measure the return on investment (ROI) of these initiatives.
Succession planning - Success through coaching!Research indicates that effective leaders are instrumental in driving improvements, retaining key talent, attracting new talent, and even in building and sustaining organizational culture...so why do so many organisations fail to maximise on the potential of their leaders given the significant role they play in ensuring business continuity and success?
Training – Maximum impact with minimum budgetsIn the current climate the priority for organisations in terms of training and development should be to focus on what can make the biggest impact, to ensure key staff retention and organisational continuity.
Employee engagement surveys – Why waste your money?So many organisations embark on projects to measure employee engagement levels, without fully understanding what they are trying to achieve.
Dawn of the SuperphoneDisruptive innovation is happening, as you read this, on those little devices that once used to be known as cell phones.
A manager’s night offWe seem to be doomed, by our own example, to show each new generation of the workforce the same model of how not to manage people.
Savvy organisations continue to invest in talent managementIt appears that there is a clearing in the cloud of redundancies that has shadowed the UK for the last 10 months; with many organisations once again directing their focus to talent management.
UK recession, redundancy and outplacement reportRecent statistics show that circa 300,000 people have lost their jobs in the UK in the past year, with unemployment currently running between 2.4 million to 3 million.
Putting a green focus on profitIn today’s economic climate, should companies see ‘green’ issues as something to put on hold? Sally Taylor, of Environmental Population, says that taking steps to be ‘green’ could actually save money and enhance a company’s reputation.
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants' view on the healthcare market 2.0According to a study by Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, the market for electronic healthcare services (eHealth) offers the telecommunications industry huge potential.
Heeding lessons from economic downturnMajority of corporate executives report need to overhaul their approach to risk-management, Accenture study finds.
Credit crisis sparks frantic review of finance function best practiceImproved forecasting, planning, budgeting and investor relations; just some of the areas in which many corporates now accept that their finance functions will have to improve their game in the wake of the credit crisis, according to a survey, Thriving, not just Surviving”, undertaken by CFO Research Services for KPMG International.
Communicating ambitionHitachi Consulting launched a compelling customer magazine to strengthen the support of their ambitious growth plans, combining the best of online and offline worlds with impressive results, writes Andrew Rogerson.
Play! The sanity saver for tough timesThe opposite of work is not play.
Outsourcing in the New World OrderSanjiv Gossain, UK Managing Director of Cognizant Technology Solutions, explains how the role of outsourcing is changing in the current economic climate
Moving on – not moving off
How to avoid alienating users during a major site revampPopular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter have angered users by suggesting or bringing in major changes without consultation.
Changing a popular and well-established website is harder than it seems.
Fight the recession with Social Partnership MarketingAs the recession continues consumers’ trust in brands will fall says Mark
Fawcett, CEO of the National Schools Partnership.
Crafting a compelling elevator speechLearn the do's and don'ts of creating a compelling and effective elevator speech from small business mentor Leah Grant.
The British Airways story: How to survive the recession, then fail the recoverySince the days of Rod Eddington, management at BA have completely lost the loyalty of their staff by the way that they have behaved towards them, creating a morally bankrupt organization.
The global truck and bus industry will experience market and technology challenges after today’s financial crisisLatest report from Arthur D.
How to stand out from the herd and be heard!What makes the difference between an average presentation and one that rocks your world? What makes the difference between a memorable speech and one that fades into oblivion as soon as the presenter steps off the stage? The answer sits in four building blocks that are essential for crafting a speech into a work of art rather than hum-drum blather.
Be first, best or differentLearn from the small business mentor why you have to be the first, best or different in order to grab and keep your share of the market.
HDA Outplacement Survey Results 2009This report outlines the key findings of the 2009 HDA Outplacement Survey, providing
further insight into current trends in the area and the benefits of outplacement support, both for the business and the employee.
The sunny side of cost cuttingMike Andrews, senior cost management consultant from Auditel, the national cost management consultancy, shares some light hearted stories from the world of cost cutting and illustrates how some simple research can save businesses thousands.
Business and it’s unhealthy IT addictionThe rapidly increasing maturity and sheer capability of technology (software suites, middleware, monitoring / control systems and increasingly powerful hardware) should mean that IT is increasingly perceived as ‘easy’ - a real business enabler – but this isn’t happening.
From the world's highest mountains-Lessons for leadersLeadership lessons learned by a business consultant and professional speaker during a trekking expedition through two remote provinces of the Indian Himalayas.
Putting an IT project back on trackSpiralling costs, slipping deadlines and falling profits.
Rational decision making for IT leaders: the three perspectives of IT service deliveryIn the fourth and final paper in Proscetis' series on the issue of taming the problem of business and IT integration, the authors argues that IT leaders are relying on a limited, one-dimensional viewpoint for their decision-making.
The 4 pillars of a successful consultancy websiteHere are the four crucial elements that customers have come to expect from a consultancy website, and some ideas on how to fulfil them.
360-degree approach to due diligence processThe frenzy in M&A activity of past few years has been fuelled not only by cheap debt and the rise of private equity, but also by companies' strategic focus on consolidation.
Outsourcing might be the answer – but what’s the question?A common mistake is to outsource something that’s perceived to be ‘broken’ in the hope that the outsourcer will be able to fix it.
Cutting jobs or retaining talent?Difficult decisions must be made to ensure the continued success of the business and leaders face the conundrum of whether to reduce staff numbers or retain talent.
40% of CEOs fail within first 18 month – strategies to increase their chances of success!What actions can organisations take to increase the likelihood of success for these new leaders?
Cost effectiveness – Surviving and thriving in the new economic orderOrganisations across the globe are facing economic conditions not encountered for generations, if ever before.
Public Sector challenges for 2009The private sector continues to weather the brunt of the storm with failed businesses, job losses and an unpredictable future.
Consultants as outsiders, insiders or both?
A ‘fly on the wall’ study of consultants and clients in action Management consultants are valued for their outside perspective, but what does an outsider view of consultancy look like? A new book by leading consultancy researchers reveals multiple shifting boundaries which have a key role to play in knowledge flow between consultants and their clients.
How to make a good workforce bad -
Perception becomes realityThis idea that we can change our lives, or other peoples, by the way we feel about ourselves, or about them, is as old as the hills.
Growth management: Two hats are better than oneAndy Harrison CEO of easyJet says
Growth management: Two hats are better than one “has a simple powerful message, written in a really user friendly way...This book gives a well structured, practical, easy to use guide on how to embed growth in an organisation”.
To Twitter or not to Twitter - Is it sweet to tweet? – By Clive SextonBritain is obsessed with Twitter...starting life in 2006 as a research project at US podcasting company Odeo the site has replaced Facebook as the social networking tool du jour letting users fire off missives of (“tweets") of no more than 140 characters.
Is Biz really Compleat?There has been a longstanding paradigm in management literature - and indeed in consulting practice - that focuses on continued expansion, as the overriding goal, the apogee of business perfection.
A transformational frameworkWe've written elsewhere about the value of using a robust measurement model for understanding IT capability and its contribution to business goals.
Corporate strategy: An inquisitive outlookEvery business leader would like to create a sound Strategy and have it executed well.
Engaging a remote workforceA critical challenge for the 21st century organisation is in understanding how to engage employees in a world where geographical boundaries have no limits and remote working is commonplace.
Engaging employees – Measuring the return
on investmentSenior Management are highly influenced by anything that positively impacts financial performance so when it comes to employee engagement, as with all projects, a viable business case must be presented in order to gain buy-in before it can become a real business focus.
Punished by rewards Peter A Hunter reviews Alfie Kohn's book
Punished by Rewards.
New age, new retirementIn today’s financial climate; facing retirement and the decisions relating to taking a pension and investing a lump sum have become even more important than previously.
Outplacement support – Measuring the return on investmentWhen choosing to offer outplacement support to employees, the benefits to the individual are often clear but what is known of the real benefit to the organisation – in other words, why offer outplacement support? What return on investment can your organisation expect?
Do you have bouncebackability?You were highly paid, highly respected and at the peak of your powers.
For consulting success, your whole firm must communicate -
8 steps will get you thereThe art of everyday communications should be every consultant and professional service firm’s number one priority.
Can becoming a “thoughtleader” actually make you more money?Can a “thoughtleading Return-on-Investment” be quantified? More importantly, can it pay dividends for YOU?
For innovation that works, dispel obsolete assumptions and ask new questionsManagement suites across the globe today have begun shouting to the rafters that “innovators win!” Yet for most firms, no road map exists to direct them toward consistently successful innovation, including how to achieve it or how to implement it.
Conventional wisdom can mess up your strategy…
But fresh thinking can make it work!
Remember the old saying, “Nobody ever got fired for hiring IBM,” repeated ad nauseum back in IBM’s heyday? Well, times have changed… such conventional “wisdom” doesn’t cut it anymore.
Recession-proofing HR -
harsh times and the survival of your employer value proposition(EVP) and reputationIt’s beyond challenging being an HR professional at the moment.
Top 10 Critical Business Priorities for sailing through the recessionExcerpt from the new Plantronics report
Rise of the super SME: a guide to plain sailing through the recession.
Credit crunch forces outsourcing rethinkThere’s a lot of debate going on right now about whether to outsource, what to outsource and why.
What to do with suggestions schemesMost suggestion schemes consist of a box with a label on it that says "suggestions" and that is what the scheme consists of.
Increasing meeting and team effectivenessAre you looking to improve the effectiveness of your meetings and your teams? This article presents ways to engage, enroll, enable and empower team members to be more responsible for meeting and team effectiveness.
New year, New view – Ensuring your organisation’s reputation during and after the DownturnIn the current economic climate, with significant redundancies across most sectors, the value of ex-employees to the organisation’s future (post-downturn) talent strategy and business continuity needs, will become increasingly important.
Learn from Obama - What business leaders need to knowIn four years' time we'll know whether Barack Obama's record goes on to justify the hype of his inauguration.
Meltdown creates new global champions We have now arrived right in the middle of that second half of the hyper-accelerated phase, where western brands start to fall like dominoes.
A new generation of websites can transform relationships with customers and prospectsDuring tough times companies seek ways of cutting costs, increasing performance and reducing risks.
Clear sailing: How effective risk management can strengthen your businessCliff Longman from Kalido argues that managers need an unclouded insight into their operations in order to steer clear of financial uncertainty.
You may have to be mad to work hereTo put it crudely, the lunatics are already out of the asylum and are looping the loop in the workplace.
The meaning of the position “Partner” in consultancies - Employee or entrepreneur?The short answer to the question in the title is that the term “partner” in itself has no meaning.
Using the balanced scorecard to bring IT governance to light In today’s organisations, where such strategic reliance is placed on the IT function developing and delivering complex systems to support both corporate policy and external regulations, IT governance has a major impact on business strategy.
Top five mistakes leaders make in these troubled timesWise guidance from a business consultant and leadership expert who offers alternative action to the top five mistakes leaders made during difficult times.
4C the futureForesee the future, that’s what your customers expect, that’s what you need to deliver.
The art of Leanership™Leanership™ goes one step further and has, as a core principle, the active engagement of those guiding values and principles as the very DNA that drives attraction, recruitment, development and retention of people (employees) customers and suppliers.
Incentives and rewardsIt's self-evident when we think about it: surely the most sustainable reason why we ourselves come to work, try
harder, endure setbacks, tolerate difficult people and put in extra effort to solve problems ...
The credit crunch: Can we predict the future?Since before the late 19th century we have been struggling to understand Economics in such a way that like other sciences we can make predictions about what will happen when we apply a particular stimulus.
IT in a cold climateWhenever they hear the word “recession”, the first thing most organisations do is adopt a siege mentality, stop all expenditure deemed “non-essential” and hunker down for a long winter.
Go green to survive the economic downturnAs the UK and the rest of the world plunges into recession, businesses are urgently looking for ways to cut costs.
The problem of managing the customer experience The customer experience is made up of a number of different dimensions, including diverse brands, product lines, customer behaviour and channels - all of which have an impact on the way in which the provider’s business is perceived.
Research reveals what effective directors do differently to benefit from recessionDirectors need to understand what the most effective boards do differently to cope with recessions and in the longer term benefit from them.
Personal Social Responsibility: Your journey – the way forwardThe text below is an excerpt from Arvind Devalia new book
Personal Social Responsibility.
The credit crunch - A cautionary taleThe efforts of these companies in the short term to reduce costs may be seen as a necessary evil but if they are not conducted in the correct manner then these companies run the risk of damaging their infrastructure to such an extent that they may not be able to recover even when the current pressure is removed.
Hurtling towards the next big birthdayCall me sad or arrogant, if you like, but I don't crave any more achievement.
Energy sector prepares for transformation: The battle to satisfy future energy needs
Logica white paper reveals step-change required by traditional utility businesses to win in a world driven by sustainability.
Will things get much worse for consulting in a recession?You bet!
If you have not yet experienced a recession while running a consulting business; watch your back, severe downturns bring nasty cash flow surprises that creep up from behind!
You may be optimistic by nature, but be prudent and ask yourself “How am I going to survive a two year recession and maintain the wealth I’ve built to-date?”
Well help is at hand because we experienced the last two recessions, each leaving us with painful memories and costly lessons.
Times of change present danger and
opportunitiesThe Chinese symbol for crisis contains the symbols for danger and opportunity.
How can weight loss through a healthy diet get you more clients and more chargeable hours?The role has particular lifestyle challenges when it comes to weight loss and diet.
‘Go Lean' for the New YearConsultants and professional services firms are reliant on their people.
Implementing corporate social responsibility to help drive tangible business benefitsOne definition of CSR is “Business Behaviour that creates the Trust and Commitment of Stakeholders, both now and in the Future” (MacMillan et al.,2004).
Helping customers cope with economic recessionCustomers are not fools.
Effective purchasingMany purchasing professionals also fail to secure senior management appointments because they struggle to demonstrate the value they are adding.
Resource management: When a hunch is not enoughAn international study by Maconomy on resource management shows that almost half of consulting firms are unable to plan more than
one month ahead.
Ten ideas to have the best year in your businessA small business consultant shares her top ten ways to help your business have its best year yet!
Get your financial house in order...before you lose it!A small business expert shares how to build a strong financial house on a foundation that will last.
The Safest Bet for Your Money Organizations are making tough choices and costs do indeed have to be kept down, but risk does need to be considered.
What candidates tell me:
Simple hiring errors and how to correct themEach time one of my clients interviews one of my candidates, I receive feedback.
Jazz inspired: Change, consulting and jazzThere is more emphasis than ever on the need for change.
Customer service professionals shown how to turn economic recession to advantageEconomic recession presents suppliers with a golden opportunity to build closer relationships with their customers according to Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas.
Directors need to embrace new approaches to financial reporting and risk managementAmbitious financial controllers and directors are urged to embrace new approaches to communicating financial information and managing risks.
What should a capability measurement model look like?A sound measurement model that links business performance with IT capability is an extremely valuable management tool – and a means for organisations to move forward with much greater confidence.
The Credit Crunch: Why did it happen?We have all been witness to some pretty incredible events over the last month or so that appear to have generated a new phrase in our language, “The Credit Crunch”.
Strategic planning during a recession If strategic planning requires vision, strategic planning during a recession requires x-ray vision.
Strong leaders ensure the crunch doesn’t biteJohn Fay MBE, CEO and founder of Cheshire-based change management company, SFL, comments on how company leaders should navigate these uncertain financial times.
Quantum of Solace:
The immediate role of the chief executive in the credit crunch
Those Chief Executives who were able to attend the Solace Conference in Belfast this fall found some support and thoughts about the impact of the credit crunch on local government, together with a few tips on possible immediate priorities.
The credit crunch and positive governmentThe banking system has just collapsed on a world scale, requiring the concerted intervention of governments across the globe.
AppreciationYou would imagine that, with all that has been said and written about appreciation, there would be an abundance of it around.
The vital middle-layerIn the war for talent as well as the war for new business, there is one common battleground.
Crossing the Green Divide: Ways to channel your team's passion for greening into actions for your bottom lineDeloitte whitepaper helps companies close the gap between greening at home and at work.
Towers Perrin finds companies put focus on innovation but fail to implement effectively Companies are adept at generating innovative ideas, but far less effective at turning those ideas into reality, according to a recent survey by Towers Perrin.
Before you leap, do your homework firstShhhh … listen.
Cross sellingCross selling can raise your takings dramatically so why don’t more retail outlets do it? It’s obvious and above all it’s easy.
The Marketing Funnel and what it can do for youThe marketing funnel is an amazing marketing tool that will always work to bring in and convert clients if you know how to use it.
Will a dragon want me?Dragons or Angels by Modwenna Rees-Mogg, (Crimson Publishing) reveals the truth behind
Dragons’ Den and compares it to the reality of securing private investment in today’s business environment.
How to manage successfully in these uncertain times The current economic climate in the UK is causing a good deal of uncertainty in the markets and amongst business leaders, most of whom now believe that an economic downturn is now less a case of 'if' or 'when’ but ‘how long will it last and how bad will it be’.
The credit squeeze and local governmentAll this gloom and doom will produce service pressures on local authorities and it is not easy to predict how and how hard the impacts will be.
Natural Supply Chain as the winning strategy for all stakeholdersYou may think that the recent events that sparked off the financial and economic crises – the collapse of the American sub-prime mortgage market - may have finally got home some fundamental economic truths.
Why the crisis in the financial markets is about Corporate Governance not Executive Pay or BonusesThe media and politicians have over the last few weeks polarised a lot of the issues relating to the current crisis around risk and reward.
How to use LinkedIn to bring in businessLinkedIn has just hit the 1 million user mark here in the UK.
Up sellingHow good would it be to increase the ‘value’ of each customer that you sell to?
Herding catsWe are becoming increasingly concerned with change and how to manage it.
Constant team changes by consultants in IT projects are ‘unacceptable’ according to new researchFujitsu Services, one of Europe’s leading IT services companies, has found from recent research that team changes, however small, within outsourced IT consultancy projects can equate to a “loss of confidence” by the customer.
In down times, turn up the big ideas, creativity & innovation When it comes to business, no matter your age or experience level, the knee jerk reaction is to either wait it out, throw in the towel or do a hatchet job on the bottom line … you know, propping up profits short term.
Beyond IT performance: Measuring true IT effectivenessEveryone agrees – or pays lip service to the idea – that effective IT is vital to the health of a modern business.
Global financial crisis and OCMGiven the state of the current financial crises what role can Change Management Consultants play to help their clients persevere? The following article addresses this question and provides a glimpse into where organizations will be heading during the next 3-6 months.
IT is not the silver bullet to business ills Rod Horrocks discusses the lure of the magic solution – and explains how the pursuit of silver bullets distracts leaders from the urgent need to interrogate the design of the business, and assess its fitness for purpose.
How does outsourcing affect today's graduates?As stated regularly in my other blog entries, the world of outsourcing is becoming more mature year on year.
The case of the missing strategy toolWe are forever reading about great companies who have come to dominate – even define – the markets they operate in.
The consultancy circusConsultancy, by its very nature, is a multifaceted job.
Consultants and other professionals could be held to accountProfessor Colin Coulson-Thomas, Professor of Direction and Leadership at the University of Lincoln and author of ‘Developing Directors’ and ‘Winning Companies: Winning People’, comments on the FBI investigation into US financial institutions.
What to do when they say "Not right now"Not making enough sales and prospects are telling you "not right now"? Learn how to discover what your audience needs right now so that you can offer the perfect solution and get the sale.
Your practice is a success - Now sell it successfully
Part IIThe first article discusses some of the basic financial issues in selling your practice, including what someone might be willing to pay, and how the payment can be structured.
Your practice is a success - Now sell it successfully
Part IThis article will discuss some of the basic financial issues in selling your practice, including what someone might be willing to pay, and how the payment can be structured.
Making conference calls work Conference calls by phone are key tools for us consultants.
Clarify your goals to simplify your life and workLet the Financial Effectiveness Maven guide you through goal setting and financial effectiveness with her 3-step Effective Results process.
Boards must behave differently to seize credit crisis opportunitiesA revolution in boardroom practice and membership is required if boards are to cope with current challenges and exploit unprecedented opportunities.
Seven secrets to downturn survivalIn times of economic downturn, companies invariably pursue “quick-fix” belt-tightening strategies such as hiring freezes, reduced travel and across-the-board budget cuts.
In praise of ambiguityThose of us in IT consulting have a profoundly negative reaction to ambiguity when it appears in a contract or bonus structure.
The nearshore outsourcing wave and the end to sleepless nightsMany consultants have likely wondered if there was a better way while they participated in a conference call at 11:30pm.
The invisible ‘Closed for Business’ signIf you are an entrepreneur and business dries up despite your marketing efforts then consider that you may have an invisible "closed for business sign" posted where potential customers can see it.
Making change stickOrganisations often need to effect change within a particular area of their business, rather than across the whole enterprise, for example to drive improvements to efficiency or effectiveness, or as part of some organisational change.
Boardroom focus and culture must change to cope with economic downturnA different focus and change of culture are required in many boardrooms to cope with tough economic conditions and enable companies to secure competitive advantage.
The best interview question everCandidates talk with me about their career progression, skills, experiences and personal lives.
Aligning actions with strategy, or strategy with actions?Since most people are not involved in too many change initiatives during their lifetime they retire having never succeeded in aligning the workforce’s actions with their strategies, but are quite comfortable with their failure because it simply means that they never found the right implementation tool.
Business Sustainability: What can we learn from Nature?The economic, and especially financial sector, crises like the current one, or the one in 2000 point to the need of some fundamental changes in managing business in the globalized economy.
Business Sustainability – A recipe for the long-term growth
The market turbulence we have been experiencing recently or as it occurred at the beginning of 2001 (when the UK stock market prices fell by 50%) led to some spectacular business failures.
Four secrets to selling value versus priceLearn and apply the four secrets shared by a sales expert that will guarantee that your prospects will no longer focus on price but on value.
Got "marketing paralysis"? Try this...Your reluctance to creating new marketing materials is not based on a lack of time but on your own personal fears that you can learn to overcome.
Got an empty swimming pool?Learn an important client attraction strategy from a water aerobics instructor at a sports resort called Club La Santa.
More tips on how to turn callers into paying clientsMore tips from Bernadette Doyle of Client Magnets to help you turn an initial potential client phone call into a paying client without pressure.
The reward that can’t be bought costs nothingWhen people don't do a good job it is normally because they are being denied the support, the materials or the feedback that they need.
How to turn callers into paying clientsLearn how to handle the initial phone call with a prospective customer after you have used the Client Magnets approach of getting customers to call you before you call them.
Innovate or die!Why this focus on innovation right now? Because in hard economic times, there are only two choices – we innovate, or we die.
7 differences when selling to companiesA sales expert shares the differences in selling to companies rather than selling to one buyer and why the same fundamental techniques need to be used with all potential buyers.
Setting metrics destroys businessHuman beings are devious and will always achieve their targets, but not normally in the way that those who set the targets intended.
GlassHouse provides comprehensive storage strategy to Fife CouncilGlassHouse Technologies, the leading independent IT infrastructure consulting and services firm, has developed a storage strategy for Fife Council that will simplify its storage management, enabling a more efficient and effective way to store, protect and access its data.
GCC banks losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year due to poor customer serviceDespite record profits this year, the GCC's banking sector is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue due to a lack of focus on customer service, according to a study by global strategic management firm A.T.
Proudfoot identifies operational opportunities in mid-tier banks Internal challenges exacerbate current economic and financial market conditions.
A short story on brandWe often work at the intersection of brand, people development and change, and sometimes we are asked questions regarding the inter-relationship between these disciplines.
The capacity conundrumResource management is integral to the smooth, profitable running of any professional services firm.
Strategy with X-appealA new generation of managers is deeply dissatisfied with strategy.
After forty years of consulting, it is time to make a differenceAfter forty years of management consulting -- a UK industry reputed to be the largest outside of the United States -- customers in the UK have yet to experience the improved quality of life that quality products and services should provide.
A damaging admission...Use the proven power of 'the damaging admission' while promoting and selling your products and services to gain the trust of your prospects.
Uncovering opportunityThe ability to spot opportunity is a crucial talent for any “rainmaker”.
How to prosper in uncertain timesAs the economy becomes increasingly volatile, how can managing directors, CEOs and owner-managers prosper in uncertain times? Tony Price, acting CEO of Vistage International, gives his top tips.
Executive coaching – Measuring the return on investmentAstute businesses should only invest in executive coaching if a compelling business case can be presented; this inevitably requires an understanding of the return on investment executive coaching yields.
Everybody wins: Providing career leverage support to engage
organisational talent and enhance reputation"I’m pretty clear on the immediate benefits of remaining at employer X over the next 2-3 years, but is there
an ‘opportunity cost’ to my career if I stay with my current employer?"
Becoming a trusted advisorIt’s the holy grail of Professional Services - to become a trusted advisor to your senior clients.
7 steps to improve your websiteImprove your website, connect with your target market and increase sales with these seven simple steps offered by Bernadette Doyle of Client Magnets.
When will corporates become accountable for the social wellbeing of communities they serve?Alex Milovanovich argues that the current philanthropic nature of Corporate Social Responsibility needs to change to Accountability.
Survey finds outplacement support provides value for moneyHDA, a Human capital consultancy that has worked in the area of outplacement for over 30 years, undertook a detailed survey, incorporating views from across a broad sector base, to measure opinions surrounding outplacement.
Are we facing the end of business as usual or the start of a new way of doing business? As 2008 continues to be overshadowed by the fallout from the US subprime market, we see banks tightening lending and consumers tightening their belts.
When will corporates become accountable for the social wellbeing of communities they serve?The current philanthropic nature of Corporate Social Responsibility needs to change to Accountability.
Are you trying to do it all yourself?Are you a small business owner doing it all yourself? Learn how to delegate to a Virtual Assistant in order to grow your business and increase your income.
Choosing a new CIOThe CIO being the owner of the life and blood of the company’s working, is a key person in the organization and is an integral part of any business strategy.
How to prevent employee-performance issues before they poison your cultureFiring someone can be a dicey proposition.
PwC: Canadian entertainment and media remains solid and profitableReal cash flow will come from digital and mobile
Ernst & Young shines spotlight on major risks for Canadian media and entertainment industry Rapid consolidation, expanding markets, emerging business models and growing consumer demand are taking centre stage and creating real turmoil in the media and entertainment (M&E) industry, Ernst & Young says.
Procurement bias towards big names hampers the PM ProfessionAll too often smaller specialist providers of Project Management are mistakenly viewed as lacking in capability and credibility.
The Co-operative Financial Services tests crisis management capabilityThe Co-operative Financial Services sought external assistance from Jermyn Consulting, specialist crisis management, business continuity and IT disaster recovery advisers.
Make more sales by avoiding The Product Trap It's wonderful that you are passionate about your products and services but this won't help you make sales.
Two rainmaking traps to avoidThose who sell professional services often fall into traps.
India-US technology marketplace: An M&A perspectiveIn an environment of tightening credit markets opportunities for strategic Mergers and Acquisitions are still abound in the Indian technology markets.
What to do when you don't have references or testimonialsBecoming a freelancer or starting a new business can be tough especially when you have no references or testimonials.
Workforce ownershipBreaking the Mould author Peter A Hunter reviews David Erdal’s book
Local Heroes.
How to turn your ideas into realityWe all have hundreds of brilliant ideas for our business but most of them don't make it out of the gate.
Freedom from command and controlJohn Seddon’s book “Freedom from Command and Control” catches the eye immediately with the promise in the title.
How rainmakers can survive the restaurant gambitWatch out for competitors when you‘re networking with executives and other decision-makers.
Principle based regulation in Financial Services in the UKTracy Harvey-Bussell, a Director and Fellow of the Compliance Institute, with over 30 years of financial services industry compliance experience, takes a look at the changing role of compliance consultancy in this evermore tightly regulated sector and highlights the need for all practitioners to accept the reality of principle based regulation.
From Toyota to St Thomas’s – Employing Lean principles to reduce outpatient waiting timesWhilst the government continues its relentless drive to ensure that all NHS patients are seen within 18 weeks of referral, for many outpatients the REAL waiting starts the moment they arrive at the hospital on the day of their treatment.
Is IT bleeding the value from your acquisition?With M&A activity once again buoyant in the telecoms market, Celona Technology’s Charles Andrews examines how financial and commercial value can be devastated by a failure to consolidate IT systems quickly and efficiently and looks at what can be done to prevent this.
Consulting styles in outsourcingThe old adage "you'll never get fired for hiring x" rings as true now as when it was first coined.
Exceptional client service: What it is and how to achieve itWriter and consultant Sara Paine discusses exceptional client service and how to achieve it.
The marketing "two step"If your marketing material is not generating a response from potential clients then you need to follow this "two step" method of getting your marketing materials right.
The next step after consultancyAre you looking for your next big career move? Today’s bright young consultants have a world of options before them and are looking to build the perfect portfolio career, so it’s essential to know all the exciting and varied paths open to you.
What's your time worth?Stop doing everything in your business yourself.
Are you caught in the time trap?Stop selling your time for money and learn from an expert how to turn your service business into a product business.
Should consultancies In-source recruitment?For many clients Outsourcing makes good business sense, however when thinking of recruitment, does that still ring true for the consultancies themselves?
Mind the gapUS infrastructure problems edge towards crisis proportions, according to Ernst & Young and Urban Land Institute.
Is consulting becoming an agency business?In central government there appears to be a drift away from the use of consultancies, in part due to the scrutiny placed upon departments in the early 2000’s from the “excessive” use of some of the larger, more recognised consulting houses.
Customer-cantered government transformation can reduce costs, improve effectiveness' A new Deloitte study suggests governments should use leading "customer experience" practices to improve the delivery and effectiveness of public services.
Hijacked sales meetings – Beagles, babblers, and big shotsProfessionals I work with often complain about colleagues who hijack sales meetings by ignoring agreed upon plans and dominating the conversation, barely allowing the client a chance to talk.
BS 25999-2: Appropriate for all, imperative for manyApplicable to all sizes of organisation, BS 25999-2 is the fastest selling British Standard in history and numerous organisations are already working towards certification.
Survival of the fittest: Ensuring IT is providing you with an innovative edgeAnalysts tell us that IT innovation is high on the CIO’s agenda.
Lydia Ramsey's six secret sales weaponsBusiness etiquette expert, Lydia Ramsey, offers six secret sales weapons that will open doors and build relationships that increase sales.
The hunt for top talent: 11 questions to ask prospective search firmsMany organizations fail to properly qualify Executive Search Firms; often with disastrous results.
Is Agile development a threat to the product management discipline?Agile Development is a growing movement among the software development community, but is it right for every company and every shop? And what does it mean for product and business managers?
BS 25777 will push IT Service Continuity up the Strategic AgendaThe paradox of IT Service Continuity (ITSC) Management is that while IT managers and service managers agree on its importance to the organisation, this is frequently not reflected in the focus given to it.
Selling professional services — The camel’s noseThe logic of selling professional services is simple.
The domain exchangeThe entire domain name industry has advanced to a more mature level, which now fully recognizes the super value of having a generic globally recognizable domain identity as a true cyber-real-estate asset.
Why outsource your China Sales & Marketing efforts?Serious westerners know that to do business, they now need to have a presence in mainland China.
Information: The innovation of advantageIn a fast changing world it is commonly understood that all organisations have to be fitter and leaner, they have to be better at what they are doing to confront the challenges of the fast changing world.
Adding value to your organisation with business intelligenceIf not planned carefully, Business Intelligence can be easy to get wrong, particularly if it is approached as a ‘bolt on’ or a requirement for a select few individuals.
Hacker’s habits revealed!According to the FBI, the most common hacker is probably sitting in the cubicle next to you, right now.
Outsourcing: Success rarely happens by chanceOutsourcing is changing.
Revolution in a boxLike a nicely packaged, little gift box, a highly intense global consumer revolution will be let out to create ripples in global perceptions in consumer minds and like a tsunami will mostly wash over the busy production facilities of hundreds of nations parked far away.
Hold the front page!Do you know the difference in marketing response between an article on the front page of a national newspaper and a smaller list of people who know and like you and are ready to buy? Bernadette Doyle of Client Magnets will explain which marketing technique works best and why.
In the eye of the telecom-media stormSeventh annual report by Arthur D.
Why training doesn’t workWe need to stop designing and delivering training in its current format.
How do you define career success?
Digging deep for high-impact achievementsIf you have not sat down and evaluated your career success in a long time, now is a good time to start.
Four golden rules of successful data migrationYour company is implementing a new set of applications that better meet your changing business requirements.
Indecent proposal Use of the Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement methodology to select a management consulting firm is increasingly characterized as inaccurate and expensive, by experts across North America – as a consultant are you aware of what it’s costing you and your clients?
How to get more done in less timeLearn how to reach more potential customers by replacing one-to-one sales and marketing activities with one-to-many sales and marketing activities.
Companies embrace promise of BPM to drive innovationWhile many companies are investing in business process management (BPM) solutions as a way to spur innovation and boost competitiveness, they lack the best practices, vision and executive sponsorship necessary to realize the full benefits of their BPM investments, according to a new survey by Virtusa Corporation and PRTM Management Consultants.
Banks should replace core banking systems to stay competitive The Capgemini 2008 Core Banking System Survey (CBSS) explores the major core banking systems available in Europe, North & South America and Asia-Pacific.
Marketers must go digital to keep up with "digitally savvy" worldBooz Allen Hamilton/ANA cross industry study finds marketing must move to a digitally focused business system and optimize and integrate client, agency and media consumer connections.
Hindsight isn’t perfect when selling professional servicesI collect
rainmaking stories.
Presidential brandingWith the election frenzy on the way, another wicked way is to pigeonhole candidates like products on a shelf.
5 tips for giving presentations that consistently sellSales expert Tessa Stowe offers five critical tips to help you give relevant and motivating sales presentations that make your prospects want to buy.
How to get past the gatekeeperInnovative ideas for marketing yourself, your products and services in such a way that you can get meetings with decision makers without the frustration of going through a gatekeeper.
Big decisions and large effects can be swayed by small changesExecutives learn that counting on irrational buying behavior can improve business performance.
“Command and control,” why not!There is a school of thought that suggests that we should continue with the authoritarian, Command and Control model of leadership for no reason other than there is no alternative.
Intuition, insight and critical thinking: Keys to resolving customer support issuesThe world of any large, medium or small sized company is tied to the vital quality and outcome of its business-to-business human interactions; a company’s employees who engage in direct oral and written communication with highly valued customers several times a day.
Innovating collaboration: Making thinking visible in business A Design Thinking coach and professional speaker shares how teams in business and non-profits can work together more closely without the usual stress and misunderstandings by using a component of Design Thinking called Making Thinking Visible.
What to do about late payersLet Bernadette Doyle, founder of Client Magnets, teach you a shortcut to avoiding or getting rid of problem clients by simply changing the terms of how you do business.
Heard about 'free days'?Learn why you should follow in the steps of successful business owners by scheduling your free time off in advance as a condition of success.
5 essential sales questionsBernadette Doyle covers the five essential, yet simple, sales questions you must cover in your sales presentations in order to dramatically increase your conversation rate.
The Candidate Advocate:
Improve your chances of hiring outstanding experienced consultantsEven the very best consulting firms lose good candidates.
Exposing the myths of continuous improvementTwenty years after Tom Peters’ seminal ‘In Search of Excellence’, which probed the reasons why some companies consistently outperformed others, the search still goes on.
Goal accomplishment - A proven processAll things are created twice.
The power of thinking BigEveryone knows that goal setting for small and big business is important.
How to provide valuable content without giving it all awayMany entrepreneurs and business owners fear that they may have to give away "the store" while trying to encourage prospects to buy.
Forest products industry CEOs return to basics in a changing worldForest, paper and packaging (FPP) companies are adjusting to a changing business and consumer environment, according to the 2008 edition of CEO Perspectives, released today by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
What to say when your prospect only has 10 minutesProspects often try to control sales conversations by limiting the time they have to talk.
How to scale: Solution selling with your channelsChanges in the way customers buy technology are stressing existing vendor channel and partner organizations, processes, and capabilities.
Unstoppable momentum:
Making real change with ERP
Why is real change so difficult to achieve? And why are organisations so often disappointed in the results? We believe that organisations need to set technology criteria to one side, and focus on the context in which their business processes unfold.
Top 10 consulting deal breakers…and how to avoid themThe process of selling a consulting business is a fragile affair full of the most delicate negotiations.
How to raise your feesAre you worried about raising your prices? Buyers pay less attention to pricing than you think they do.
M&A in rapidly developing economies twice as likely to generate superior shareholder returnsNew Boston Consulting Group survey-based report highlights the risks to successful M&A in rapidly developing economies -- and how to overcome them.
Why ROI doesn’t workMost companies use ROI in their sales process, but few do it well.
So what's YOUR 'ethical bribe'?Client magnet expert, Bernadette Doyle, shares how you can create a free, high value giveaway that will help you attract more potential clients who are willing to sign-up for your list or your e-zine.
Are you selling the wrong thing?Are you selling the wrong thing? Sales expert, Tessa Stowe, believes that most people involved in sales are selling the wrong thing.
Improving alliance marketing
Best practices for managing alliances and joint marketingCrimson Consulting recently conducted extensive research into best practices in alliances and joint marketing.
Five steps to better project managementJames Witty, collaboration solutions manager, Autodesk offers advice on how to keep on top of retail construction projects.
Environmental altruism or just common sense?On a personal level, there are simple steps that we can take – recycle household rubbish, take the bus and leave the car at home, turn your spud peelings and left-overs into compost, but when it comes to the
grown up stuff and the infrastructure that the country depends upon, does this thinking go out of the window?
Worksite marketing – revisitedLife and pension providers show periodic interest in employer-based distribution of retail financial services.
The Big Green Paint JobThe marketing and communication machines of the big businesses all across the world are being armed with the method of projecting ecology and greenery, the colour, that is, as they are becoming more wrapped up in devising colour schemes than in carbon saving and real ecology matters.
The power of the Employer brand In a market where supply and demand for talent is out of sync, how will consulting firms achieve a competitive position in the quest to find quality people?
How to get testimonialsBernadette Doyle of Client Magnets shares six important steps for obtaining testimonials from your satisfied customers on a regular basis.
Collaborating with end users: Revisiting the Hawthorne effectThe article describes the authors’ recent experience working with a business critical end user group in implementing a new billing system for the New York Power Authority – a historic agency established by Franklin D Roosevelt when he was the Governor of New York State.
Traditionally in organizational change management “end users” are seen as “targets” of change.
This article presents a different paradigm -- end users as “partners & collaborators” in the change process.
Supplier diversitySupplier Diversity is a commercial imperative in the USA.
One in three outsourcing buyers has prematurely terminated provider relationship While business process outsourcing (BPO) is developing into a mainstream management tool, it remains complex and many organizations vastly underestimate its challenges.
Only one in three CEOs are champions of technologyWhile 83 percent of business and technology executives predict IT will either increase competitive ferocity, enable new market entrants, or both, a mere third of CEOs champion technology and include CIOs in strategic planning, according to the "Diamond Digital IQ Study," released by Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, the business and technology consulting firm.
Four pillars for product launch --
Best practices from world-class companies Successful product launches create the internal and external excitement that drives market adoption.
2008: The year for greener and leaner ITEDS' eight tips to reducing the environmental impact of computing in the new year.
BCG defines effective business model for GCC heavy industryGCC countries trying to diversify their economies need to focus their attention on further developing the heavy industry sector, says Boston Consulting Group.
You, me and pictures - Part 2
Making Thinking Visible's Collaborative AspectMaking Thinking Visible (MTV) is a process for building better teams and solving complex business problems.
You, me and pictures - Part 1
Making Thinking Visible and Peeringpeer: to look very carefully
peer: somebody who is equal to another person
This afternoon my nephews Eli, 9 and Zach, 8, were playing on the front porch with toy boats, cars and planes.
7 tips for selling with less effortSimple sales tricks you can use that will save you a great deal of effort while speeding up your sales cycle.
Consultancies – a case of the cobbler’s shoes?When did you last buy a pair of shoes? Whether you bought smart brogues for your next conference or snapped up some slippers for the winter you saw what you liked and you bought them.
Software as a serviceSoftware as a Service (SaaS) is top of mind for many leading software executives.
The ‘Holy Grail’ of business intelligence "Business Intelligence 2.0" is the term now being used to describe the rapidly growing business intelligence industry which was reported, at Gartner’s Business Intelligence Summit in London earlier this year, to be ‘stepping up’ and becoming a stand-alone corporate function, like Human Resources or Marketing.
Human asset management: Twelve tips for getting it rightHow many senior managers have told you that their people are their greatest asset? I’m guessing it’s quite a few.
9 easy steps to sell your firm in 6 monthsThe M&A road is littered with casualties due to bad foresight, planning and preparation.
Boosting the bottom line with mid-tier systems integratorsIn today’s economic climate, MTSIs have become increasingly important in helping technology vendors increase incremental revenue.
Shared services organizations becoming a more strategic asset, delivering new benefitsDeloitte survey reveals shared services organizations moving beyond cost savings to deliver greater controls, process efficiency, and increased transparency.
Evaluating M&A optionsDeloitte survey finds key differences in M&A outlook, decision-making and timing among strategic acquirers.
Financial services institutions eager to adopt organic growthPA Consulting Group survey finds that financial services institutions are eager to adopt organic growth as a strategic priority, but struggle to execute.
$55 billion in sales could shift to store brands$55 billion in sales could shift to store brands, McKinsey study predicts at private label trade show in Chicago.
Gaining competitive advantage
How companies win against market leadersAn overview of three best practices that enable companies to win against market leaders.
BCG Report: Tighter competition and shrinking margins leading to shakeout in retail banking industryDevelopment of winning business models and requisite skills is critical to improving revenue share, profitability, and overall competitiveness, says The Boston Consulting Group.
Green ChristmasDeloitte survey says one in five consumers will purchase more 'eco-friendly' products this holiday season; many willing to pay more for 'green' gifts.
Most global organizations lack fully integrated enterprise risk management strategies Aon's ERM report underscores culture, strategy, resources drive success.
A.T. Kearney says low cost carriers will make their mark in the GCCGlobal management consulting firm A.T.
How to balance marketing and delivering services to clientsSooner or later most solo service providers find themselves in the frustrating catch-22 -- while I'm working with a client I'm not able to market my services, and while I'm marketing my services, I'm not working with a client.
Why should an organisation seek a formal independent assessment of their processes when they could do it themselves for free?Organisations wanting to improve may be tempted to apply the model internally as it will take them through a pre-defined set of steps assessing their competency.
Is your website turning off potential clients and buyers?Through the course of the M&A work I’ve done over the years, I have been astonished at how wrong most IT consulting firms get it when it comes to their company website.
Wealth Management – Servicing the ClientWealth Management is growing at an unprecedented rate: the world is generating more wealthy individuals than ever before.
Change in sight – The Life and Pensions distribution landscapeIn this article, we consider the implications of the Retail Distribution Review (RDR) for investment product design and the future distribution landscape.
The new solution-selling paradigmA revolution is taking place in the way solution providers go to market with large technology vendors.
In praise of PR FreelancersGood freelancers are incredibly cost-effective.
Molten Change Insights: Effectively using new technologies to enhance employee communicationsThis issue of Change Insights explores how the rapid advancement in technology has changed the way that organisations communicate, introduced new technological tools that can be used to communicate more effectively, and covers some of the questions senior leaders must address as a result.
Molten Change Insights: Communications as a tool to help realise the financial benefits of corporate transactionWhile significant attention is always paid to the financial aspects of a transaction, a communications strategy is often overlooked, underestimated or considered too late in the process to fully engage employees.
Building rapport – Process & principleThe ability to rapidly build and sustain
Rapport is essential for those of us who need to
Influence in our professional or private lives.
EDS' eight cyber security tips Corporations and governments have long known an effective IT security program requires dedicated resources - people, processes and technology.
Is management really on board?One of the primary workplace demands is for greater responsiveness to change.
Europe is compliant, but is it ready to compete as MiFID goes live?Atos Origin, an international IT services company supporting business processes for 9 of the top 10 European banks, argued today that European financial firms are not ready to compete in the new market that will emerge when the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) comes into effect on November 1st, 2007.
Do you D-Gen it alone or get some help? As vendors catch on to the idea that marketing with their solution partners yields better results than marketing around or through them, solution partners are suddenly faced with a choice: How should I prioritize my investment in (and even choose to work with) leading vendors based on their channel marketing acumen?
Penetration of Web 2.0 beyond consumers into businessWeb 2.0 is a collection of technologies and tools that support connectedness and collaboration.
Raising lots of money in a big hurryChris Baguley is managing director of Bridging Finance Limited, a business that has grown over the last year from lending under £1 million to over £50 million.
Customers and shared service centres and customers The introduction of a shared service centre (SSC) is a complex business transformation task.
Greening the data centres - how far will environmental regulation go?With a power requirement of anything up to fifty times that of equivalent office work space, data centre operators and owners should be well aware that this wave of regulation and legislation is likely to have a disproportionate impact upon them.
Collaborative trade promotionCollaborative trade promotion optimization drives improved business results for retailers and manufacturers, according to a DemandTec/Booz Allen study.
Human “beings” – not human “doings”!Wow! This phrase really resonated with me when I came across it in one of the newsletters I receive regularly.
Process without purposeIn the past some of these magic problem solving "programs" were called Total Quality Management, Reengineering, Continuous Improvement etc.
Providing strategic leadershipIdeally a company should be led by an effective board of competent directors.
The human side of enterprise by Douglas McGregor - 1960This is the most difficult book it has ever been my extraordinary pleasure to review.
The last mile reloadedHow technology companies can revolutionize their business models by controlling the new "last mile" in an era of ubiquitous communication.
Mind mapping and meI discovered mind mapping when I was at school 35 years ago, and found that by setting out my thoughts in a simple, “everything on one sheet of paper” way, it was much easier to remember things.
Starting a dialogue with your market: 8 steps to establishing a successful corporate blog Corporate blogs offer companies many benefits.
Lloyd’s, London Market, Bermuda and beyond: The challenges for Insurers operating within and across evolving markets and their platformsThe multi-platform model for insurers has become the norm, allowing insurers to make very direct comparisons of the pros and cons of doing business through alternative markets; quickly shifting capital to where it can generate greatest returns.
Wealth Management – What makes it different?The asset management universe has many different worlds within it, all of which touch on Wealth Management.
Don't write that proposal until you ask the "magic question"Your potential clients often ask for a proposal even if they aren't sure about working with you.
US mobile operators face important choices in capturing growth opportunities through mobile payments US mobile operators are at a crossroads: Mobile phones have become necessary items for most Americans, and non-voice services make up a growing share of operators' average revenue per user (ARPU).
But while the growing multi-functionality of mobile phones could present an opportunity to substitute the ubiquitous wallet with a digital alternative, wireless operators face real challenges in deciding how they will generate new revenue in a mobile payments ecosystem that could be dominated by financial services firms, according to telecom experts at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, Inc.
Order cycle outsourcing: Backward integration of logistics outsourcing The article starts with discussing the concept of Order Cycle and how it relates to other supply chain elements.
Sales pipeline, this is SO simple it’s almost annoying!When I’m working with clients, one of the big things I notice that separates those on the equity growth curve from those that aren’t is the quality of the sales pipeline and the disciplines that feed it.
Sub-prime and the impact on consulting industry M&AYou know the story, there’s been little else discussed in the financial press over the last few weeks…the US sub-prime crisis has hit global equity markets like a bombshell, the uncertainty is driving irrational behaviour in the credit markets and corporate financiers are getting nervous.
How inactive is your marketing?Are you sitting comfortably with a steady supply of leads from word of mouth and referrals? That’s great news.
Can you beat zero working capital in a consulting firm?When your potential acquirer or investor takes a good look at your financials, good cash-flow management sends a very positive signal, whereas the opposite rings alarm bells.
A revolutionary approach to business developmentIt took me a couple of decades to come up with, and then refine, a model that really works.
Cities should take a holistic approach to broadband initiatives With multiple cities' plans for citywide Wi-Fi networks facing question marks this week, municipalities across the United States should recognize that the current municipal wireless business model -- with vendors footing a significant portion of the bill -- might not be viable.
Many municipalities have faced unanticipated barriers when it comes to developing comprehensive, lasting broadband access.
Does business process automation lead to customer alienation?More firms are turning to automation for a variety of their operational and compliance functions to meet today's fast-paced business and regulatory requirements.
Consumer-directed healthcare will create $40 billion in new business opportunities Demand for more consumer-friendly experience is driving the creation of 'health/wealth' opportunities, according to a new Diamond whitepaper.
The benefits of regularly publishing articlesMany people are under the assumption that, in order to write an article for publication, you need to be a professional writer.
Effective networking for career development in the age of the InternetWith the realisation that networking plays a significant role in leveraging careers for future
success, combined with the rapid growth of Internet utilisation it is not surprising that social
networking is fast becoming a popular component of any effective career management strategy.
Complex event processing – An emerging paradigm in business intelligence, security and monitoring and controlComplex Event Processing (CEP) is a technology which has been used for many years in the Aerospace and Defence Industry for Situational Awareness and Data Fusion modules in Command, Control, Communications, Computing and Intelligence Systems (aka C4I).
Complexity, people and workHuman beings and the way they interact are extraordinarily Complex.
The quest for real-time business intelligenceToday’s enterprise data warehouse is undergoing significant technology changes as the business relies more heavily on the wealth of information it can provide.
Keeping your consultancy under control...Perhaps one of the reasons that everyone stops to watch a professional juggler is that it is a perfect metaphor for the way that we manage our lives.
The three simple secrets to creating partnerships that workThis white paper will help you create partnerships that work.
Deep pockets and a keen eye...Mary Erb from leading corporate law firm Heatons, explains how to set about raising funds to turn your business ambitions into profitable reality – the search for venture capital.
World Wide Working – How to manage international projectsThe boom in the popularity of online resources isn’t confined to the consumer world - the scope for business opportunities is endless, and they aren’t restricted by international borders or time zones.
Institutional strengthening and changing mindsetsThe article presents the key stages necessary in institutional strengthening and changing employee mindsets: namely, diagnostics, planning, implementation, and follow-up.
Archaic, linear ThinkingDuring my research into why transformation projects fail to meet expectations I came upon something that is usually overlooked, ignored or taken for granted.
Post-merger integration: How to bring two separate systems into oneDespite an apparently thorough ‘due diligence’ process, many mergers and acquisitions (M&A) still fail to meet pre-merger objectives.
Small-to-midsize firms often form alliances to kick-start growthThe Conference Board finds that partnerships between smaller and larger companies are often fraught with risk.
Institutional strengthening: A practitioner’s guideInstitutional strengthening is examined through two key metaphors that serve to elucidate not only the six vital areas of institutional strengthening, namely leadership, purpose, structure, unifying mechanisms, relationships, and rewards, but also the uncharted spaces within institutions.
First appointment – What to wear?How many of your people go to a first appointment without a passing thought of what to wear, other than work clothes or “meeting clothes”? How many of your people go to a first appointment with the only thought that they should “look smart”? And how many of your people go to a first appointment unaware that how they look and are received could change their fortunes and those of your company?
Generation Y: Changing the face of manufacturingManufacturers are missing the "Y-Factor" in how they manage their talent, according to a new analysis from Deloitte's Manufacturing Industry.
Unconscious incompetenceWe came across the phrase "Unconscious Incompetence" in the book “Grow Your Own Heroes” by John J Oliver and Clive Memmot.
Atos Origin: Future of mobile payment hinges on bank and mobile operator collaborationBanks and mobile operators must collaborate to secure the long-term future of mobile payment, according to a new whitepaper from Atos Origin.
Booz Allen Hamilton says Arab world insurance sector poised for growthThe insurance market in the Middle East and North Africa has the potential for significant growth, but only under the right conditions cultivated by regional policymakers and regulators, according to a new study conducted by Booz Allen Hamilton in conjunction with the World Economic Forum.
By looking at five key enablers of growth in the industry - legal frameworks, regulatory bodies and processes, the nature of competition, skills and training, and market-led initiatives - the study identified substantive gaps that should be addressed.
"Our main recommendation is for regulators to take immediate action to conduct an assessment of their country's insurance sector against these enablers of growth and chart a course that will address the identified gaps, while taking into account local circumstances," said Peter Vayanos, Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton, a global management consulting firm with offices throughout the MENA region.
"Our goal with this study is to promote the growth and competitiveness of the insurance industry in the Arab world by identifying the key enablers, assessing them in light of existing market conditions and then offering policy alternatives," Vayanos added.
The Internet's real security problemDr Tom Leighton warns that there's a looming threat to Internet commerce because the underlying protocols that the modern Internet is built upon are inadequate to the task of providing secure and reliable packet traffic.
Come again? The ultimate goal of repeat businessMembers of the Association for Consultancy and Engineering generate more than half of their revenues from repeat business, according to a survey carried out last year.
Financial Information eXchange: Where is it now – a personal perspective from the buy-sideFinancial Information eXchange (FIX) participants have been striving to streamline and automate the trading relationship between the buy- and sell-side for the last ten years or so.
Selling High Value Consulting Services, Part III
Selling pitfalls that we don’t need to fall intoIf this topic is of interest to you, do join us on a free conference call on 11th July.
Click here to register.
Most sales are lost, not because of what we say and do, but because of what we don’t say and don’t do.
Recruiters: Consultants or agents?Is a recruitment consultant really a consultant? Do they display any of the competencies that would normally be associated with consulting? For some time the recruitment industry has suffered from a perceived lack of ethics and with just about every professional in the UK having had experienced recruitment consultants first hand, is there are case for making recruitment more consultative?
Selling High Value Consulting Services, Part II
Client’s don’t always know how to buy…If this topic is of interest to you, do join us on a free conference call on 11th July.
Islamic hotel branding and Muslim hospitality
There is a sudden realization among key developers in Dubai and other Middle Eastern countries that hotels and hospitality in Arabia can easily absorb a huge number of properties and tour destinations purely based on Islamic culture.
Leaving on a jet plane? Business etiquette to go
Business travel is often a necessity whether you work for a Fortune 500 company or own a small home based business.
Contract tendering and procurement before, during and beyond 2012
London 2012 operatives are being encouraged to award contracts to firms, but SME’s do not appear to know how to win these contracts.
How can consultants prove their worth?
Value is a subjective term.
Best practice in consultancy recruitment
As part of a general introduction to the topic of consultancy recruitment, respondents were asked "What are the key issues currently facing recruitment in management consultancy at the moment?"
World class contract publishing
Long-term value-adding relationships for agency and client
During the summer of 2006 Grist undertook customer research as part of an ongoing exercise to develop closer, more positive relationships with key clients.
Networking and personal branding for senior executives:
Developing a strategy for success
To ensure long-term career success, senior executives can not ignore the powerful combination of a well-established, carefully constructed network, and professional modus operandi for driving personal success.
Managing a changing talent landscape:
Implications for attracting, engaging and retaining key leadership and technical talent
The world of work is in flux, and the talent management rules are changing rapidly...
Rainmakers are not enough
Chances are, many of us in professional services firms have had this conversation: “How does Bill do it? He has just sold yet another major piece of business for the firm.
How to become a competent director and create an effective board
Obtaining a seat on the main board of a company requires more than being a good manager or consultant, and building an effective board demands more than assembling a group of impressive individuals.
Leveraging critical e-commerce data in real time
As more and more traditional consumers move to the Web to make purchases, the dynamics of online shopping are shifting.
How to get where you want to go quicker, by going slower!
Have you ever noticed when you are in traffic and in a hurry to get somewhere, it is almost impossible not to creep up closer to the person in front?
Selling High Value Consulting Services, Part I
If this topic is of interest to you, do join us on a free conference call on 11th July.
What does the London 2012 Olympic logo prove?
This release of the London logo, half a decade prior to the 2012 games themselves, has realistically captured the essence and portrayed the future demonstrating the miniscule value of the logo.
In need of profitable clients?
When working with companies that have sales revenue and profit challenges, one of the first places to look and diagnose the root cause is within their sales numbers, especially the sales pipeline.
Is your customer experience like a rollercoaster ride?
A good rollercoaster ride is one where you have no idea what to expect next.
What’s the value of your reputation?
If you have high quality support services and polices, and your employee satisfaction surveys show that your employees are happy, are your customers actually experiencing results that match or exceed your brand promise?
What's the Big ID?
Don’t spend too much money and time developing psychological profiles and conducting research of competitors, or allowing inside executives to invent colors that would make them feel good about the company.
A twelve-step program for alienating your clients
Many professional services firms of all kinds are guilty of charging more billable hours than they work to increase revenues and profits.
Pricing derivative contracts
One of the perennial problems faced by investors, and one that has excited financial engineers, academics and regulators alike, is the problem of pricing derivative contracts.
Theme-based real estate branding
With some one thousand theme-based-cities being developed at a phenomenal rate here in the Middle East, the branding and name identities of such projects become nightmares.
Are you applying the "So What Factor"?
Author and consultant Tessa Stowe discussed using
the "What's In It For Me?" factor in your sales conversations.
BS 25999 - An Evolution rather than revolution in business continuity planning
The recent announcement of the BS 25999-1 (code of practice) comes after a number of high profile incidents around the world have raised awareness of what can go wrong.
The newspaper cemetery
Despite all denials, newspapers all over the world are simply dying.
Staff retention - A wake up call
If staff retention is an issue for you the main answer could be in better trained and informed management.
Beware the Groupthink syndrome
I remember being verbally attacked after a board meeting for having the temerity to suggest that a board consider meeting less often and letting the management get on with their jobs – besides the task of producing mountains of reports every month to meet the board meeting deadlines.
Knowledge management - Innovation at its sharpest
The world is changing.
Show IT who's boss!
Jointly written by Rod Horrocks of Procertis and Ken Gorf of West Trax, the paper highlights the lack of ownership and systems development by businesses, and the subsequent impact on their ability to sign-off on legislative compliance.
Advertising reaches the digital age
Every year, pundits have predicted that dramatic changes in marketing will occur due to the convergence of digital and broadcast media, the erosion of mass audiences, and the restructuring of the media and advertising industries.
Business productivity may be just a click away
Dustin Newport, MD of Mindjet (UK) describes how you can use your brain’s natural abilities to manage all the information you will ever need to use.
Some thoughts on workforce planning for the public sector
To this end, a five- step Workforce Planning Framework Model will need to be adopted to ensure that the organizational right-sizing to be developed is realistic, practical, and functional.
The mystery of "leadership"
The concept of "leadership" is pervading job advertisements, position descriptions, professional development programs and no doubt, job applicant résumés with great force.
Flights of fallacy
Bentham aimed to show up the ways made use of by political reactionaries when they lack reasonable or valid arguments to present against a measure they did not agree with.
CEOs tend to seek narrow advice
In their review of the literature concerning firms' strategic responses to poor performance, McDonald and Westphal found that there are a range of perceptual distortions that top executives often adhere to in the face of organisational adversity.
Optimising your card business
The UK credit card industry has experienced unprecedented growth over the past five years.
From recovery to resilience:
Putting the continuity into business continuity management
As the financial world extends its 24/7 coverage across the globe, the growing demand for rapid execution and real-time intelligence increases dependence upon the supporting infrastructure.
The new marketing – IT power partnership
A new study by Kellogg School of Management and Sapient reveals how marketing and IT partnerships improve results and speed innovation and offers best practices.
Do your people let you down? - Unintelligent Dressing
So, just as what you wear can improve your chances of success, so what you wear can also ruin your chances.
Ensuring a successful finance system implementation
Few finance professionals would deny that information technology is vital to executing strategy and delivering value.
What trusted advisors do that others don't
There is a lot of talk in the management consulting industry about the need for turning technical experts into trusted advisors.
Some banks in developing markets could emerge as global challengers
As banks in the so-called BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India, and China - become larger and more competitive, a few could emerge as challengers to leading Western players, says a new report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
The use of consulting firms in high-economic-impact sectors in the UK
But what of the next few years? What role can third-party service providers and management consultants play in the ongoing development of large businesses in the UK? What types of consultants will succeed and continue to have a positive impact on the markets they serve? These and many more questions were the drivers for a research programme, sponsored by The Ultimate Solutions Partnership (TUSP), into the use of consulting firms in certain key high-economic-impact sectors in the UK.
U.S. manufacturers failing to maximize returns from emerging market investments
Succeeding in rapidly growing emerging markets is becoming even more challenging, Deloitte Manufacturing Industry Group study shows.
Outsourcing technology overseas on behalf of the United States property casualty insurance industry
The United States insurance industry has continued to look for new ways to increase profitability, whether it be in designing new ways to produce revenue, or introduce project management to the equation to reduce expenses.
Captive owners need independent experienced outside directors
In 28 years, much has happened to the industry as risk managers have needed to become CEO’s of insurance companies.
A gala tribute to global copycats
Over the decade, the art of copying and stealing other people's content and ideas has settled comfortably in the mainstream across the globe.
Putting the horse back in front!
Mission, vision and purpose in strategic planning
Strategic planning often starts with mission writing.
Programme management through benefits management
In this article Andy Taylor, a long-term Methods Consulting associate, looks at programme management, stripping away the fluff and getting to the core of why programmes exist – to deliver benefits – and suggests that with this in mind, benefits management should be the real focus of programme management.
13 simple steps towards hiring a consultant
Hiring a consultancy firm can be a treacherous path with many traps and pitfalls along the way – one wrong decision can have far reaching consequences.
Business and golf are more alike than you think
Explaining golf to someone can be as simple as "hit the little white ball and try and get it into the hole in as few strokes as possible".
Barbarians at the gates
The newly-implemented immigration policy has rejected both domestically-educated engineering and science graduates, and foreign professionals who seek to enter the US.
Are You A Commodity?
Do you find yourself competing on price when talking to potential clients? Find out how to position yourself and your services as unique so you will no longer be considered an a commodity.
EDS' eight financial services security concerns: Banking on minimal breaches
EDS has identified eight key security risks that should be of utmost concern to financial institutions.
Eight steps to an effective relationship with recruiters
If you have never built an effective relationship with a recruiter, it is not too late to start.
Intelligent Dressing delivers real value
Intelligent Dressing™ is the science of using subliminal messages of personal presentation to influence others and gain competitive advantage.
To mirror or not to mirror?
People will intuitively pick up if you are mirroring them and will know you're not being authentic.
Open season for open source?
Since its earliest days, the open source software movement has been the subject of passionate debate and the kind of invective normally associated with superpower conflicts or religious warfare.
How to get people to do what you want – without telling them what to do
If we want to get a teenager to clean their room our first instinct is to tell them to do it.
Investing in Romania
Romania has become an attractive country for investors anxious to secure their place in a rapidly growing and increasingly stable economy, especially since the country jointed the European Union and NATO.
HSPA vs Mobile WiMax
Global study by Arthur D.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. - Your client's communications preferences
Are you dodging business success by ignoring your client's preferred method of communication?
Executive summary of Strategic Initiatives Management
This summary covers the logical progression through five distinct periods of management development over the last 100 years.
Performance management?
In our organisations The Manager is normally the person with the least hands-on experience, but he is expected to control the people with the most hands-on experience—the workforce.
Should we be happy to continue using this recipe for disaster as a core management strategy or should we be looking for a more logical strategy, one that includes the experience of the workforce instead of ignoring it.
Competitive Intelligence - Directions for setting up own unit
CI is the deliberate practice of managing information to track and understand specific elements of the competitive environment that affect your ability to succeed.
The world's largest office
As the free-floating, nonrestrictive nature of streamlined internet access and efficiency continue to grow, the internet community will slowly render the traditional functionality of the office obsolete.
Tips for setting up a strategy workshop
To have a successful workshop a CEO needs to start planning for it 6-8 weeks in advance.
Global image re-positioning 2007
Suddenly, there is a new global tidal wave of change all over Asia.
The good habits of collaboration: Rethinking the supply chain
Organisations are awash with technology that could potentially help them create and operate highly efficient, flexible and productive supply chains.
Desktop Virtualisation – What is it and is just hype?
Desktop Virtualisation is receiving a lot of marketing attention from leading IT vendors, and is hyped by the press and analyst firms as the "next big thing" in IT.
“Just One More Thing…”
Negotiating with suppliers is often overlooked within the public sector, with too much confidence placed in the power of a competitive market.
Why SOA matters
It’s easy to be cynical in the face of yet another technology acronym that few seem able to explain in terms that make sense to the non-technical majority.
Three tips for building goodwill during negotiations
It’s no secret that negotiating involves a lot of give and take.
The ERP implementation trinity: How to deliver on the promise
How did ERP become one of the most tarnished silver bullets of business change – and what can we do to unlock its potential? The technology keeps advancing and the underlying rationale for ERP hasn't evaporated: we still need to reduce inventory, slash the costs of delivering products and services and make our operations more flexible.
Spare a thought
The last decade has witnessed a resurgence of interest in leadership – a trend which is likely to continue throughout the 21st century.
Corporate business improvement – A new perspective
At any moment in time, every organization will be in the throes of change to a greater or lesser degree.
What is the secret to building a $100m consulting practice?
Imagine if you were no longer threatened by consulting commoditization and the resulting loss of firm revenues.
Intrinsic motivation and W Edwards Deming
I have just finished listening to a recording of W Edwards Deming talking towards the end of his life about the difference between Intrinsic and Extrinsic motivation.
Life sciences execs see dramatic change in the coming decade
Businesses engaged in the life sciences are poised to undergo dramatic change in the next decade, according to a unique survey of top executives in the field undertaken by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (DTT) member firms.
BCG: Asset managers need to raise level of competitiveness
Global asset managers, despite overall positive trends in the value of the funds they manage, must take forceful initiatives to improve the integrity of their businesses if they hope to remain competitive as industry dynamics shift in step with demographic patterns, according to a new report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG).
PwC identifies top seven health industry trends of '07
The year ahead will be a watershed for the health industries, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, as health savings accounts reach a tipping point, states act where the federal government hasn't and pressure on pricing amid demand for transparency forces pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and health plans to rethink their strategies.
Success factors and obstacles for Shared Service Centres
Shared Service Centres (SSC) are booming within the Dutch government.
Why are we surprised when management fail to manage?
There was a programme in the "In Business" series on Radio 4 recently that disturbed some very important ghosts.
Where “win-lose” and “win-win” negotiators fall short
The old school of negotiation was “win-lose,” where the main goal is to walk away with the biggest share of the goodies.
The future for Credit Insurance companies in 2007 and beyond
CRiON, the international credit insurer and independent broker – consultant, member of the AON Group, investigated in 41 countries throughout Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia and the US what the current situation is and the future tendencies for the credit insurance market.
Who will win the battle for clients’ minds?
Thought leadership now absorbs hundreds of millions of consulting firms’ hard-earned fees, but is anyone any good at it? That’s not an easy question to answer because leading-edge thinking for the goose may be stating the obvious to the gander.
The right time to think about your legacy
Do you think that you are too young to start thinking about the legacy you’re going to leave? Or that you’re too old?
The answer to both of these questions should be “no.” The right time to start thinking about your legacy is now.
Negotiating the spirit of the deal
Most negotiators focus on one dimension, namely the tactics they bring to the bargaining table.
Clever practices to boost creative and innovative potential of regions -
Inspiration for the districts of creativity
The Clever Practices to Boost Creative and Innovative Potential of Regions - Inspiration for the Districts of Creativity, undertaken by Arthur D.
90-day action plan for issuing IDs in compliance with Real ID Act
Proceed with caution, but don't wait: while the road ahead for states racing to comply with the federal Real ID Act is has some potholes, there is an actionable roadmap the states can follow to make progress now, according to Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, Inc.
Service and store navigation key to conversion
Redirecting resources from increasing advertising and marketing budgets to improving the customer experience and building a multi-channel capability can help retailers significantly increase sales and earnings, according to a new study from Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.
99% of improvement is irrelevant
Are you guilty of being very good and not remarkable?
If you were to start with a blank sheet of paper and were unafraid of failure, what would be the most audacious thing you would try?
What things are just not done in your industry?
European CEOs rank top headaches of doing business with low-cost countries
In an age of increasing globalisation, significant sourcing of products and services from remote low cost countries is conducted by over half of European companies, according to leading international procurement consultancy Efficio.
Over half (53%) of the European companies surveyed by Efficio say they spend up to a fifth (20%) of their total spend with low cost countries - more than double since 2000 (22%).
Organisations must be flexible on "space, place and technology" to stay competitive in the future
New report identifies four 'worlds' of work, depicting what organisations will look like in 2016.
The SME revolution starts in Dubai and GCC
The Middle East is now at a new turning point for SME’s to begin a grassroots revolution.
Negotiating in a three-dimensional world
Most negotiators focus on one dimension, namely the tactics they bring to the bargaining table.
Death of the checkout operator, birth of the concierge
New research into UK shopping habits highlights that need for speed is driving the iPod generation’s call for a redeployment of supermarket staff.
European insurers embracing industrialized operating models
Large European insurance companies are widely embracing industrial operating models in order to cut costs and improve customer service, according to an Accenture survey of senior executives at 30 of the top 100 insurers in Europe.
Talent management takes on new meaning for companies struggling to retain critical skills
Evolving notion of talent necessitates new strategies and processes, as well as stronger need to ensure effectiveness.
Completing a MiFID gap analysis
There have been a lot of headlines in both industry press and national press about the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) and its impact on businesses around Europe.
Don't race towards SOA without getting IT organization into shape first
New whitepaper outlines steps required to deliver on SOA's promise of greater agility.
Uncovering Supply Chain’s Hidden Taxes
There are tens of millions of pounds in tax savings opportunities that can only be realised by developing smart supply chain operations.
Welcome to the Connected World: How eight trends are radically changing work and play
New CSC report details the paradigm shifts driving business opportunity.
Incentives, belief in company also differentiate top sales reps
When it comes to delivering profitable revenue growth, it's not how many hours a sales force works, it's how they allocate their time.
Leaders look to the future for better leadership today
Adapted with permission from Harvard Business School Press from Your Leadership Legacy – Why Looking Towards the Future will Make you a Better Leader Today by Robert M.
Measuring the return on publication programmes
There are no easy solutions to measuring the benefit from publications.
Corporate transformation: Who's on first and other important questions
This material presents very different perspectives about why business improvement projects are so prone to failure.
Taking hold in a new leadership position
The success of effective leaders is evident in the improvements they make.
MVNOs may be next entrants in fast-growing India wireless telecom market
Consulting firm's report on mobile virtual network operators identifies key markets, regulatory barriers in India.
Key strategic issues facing mobile entertainment industry leaders
The mobile entertainment ecosystem faces substantial unresolved business model questions over the next three years, according to a new study by Mercer Management Consulting.
Identifying interventions for organisational success
Top Managers in several orgnaisations often run to outdo each other in adapting latest management concepts and introducing new initatives with a hope that these initatives will deliver and help organistaion achieve success.
Internet is transforming all forms of marketing, not just online
Qualification: Selecting and evaluating opportunities
Deciding which new business opportunities to pursue is critical to competitive bidding success.
The rise of Middle Eastern carriers is a real and credible competitive threat in long-haul travel
The competitive threat posed by Middle Eastern airlines in long-haul travel is credible and real, according to the latest in a series of reports on the global airline industry by The Boston Consulting Group.
The report, titled "The Rise of Middle Eastern Carriers: Meeting the New Challenges of the Airline Industry," finds that Middle Eastern carriers have been the fastest-growing long-haul airlines in recent years, and this is just the beginning.
Rural customers represent next big growth opportunity for India's commercial banks
India's 150 million-plus rural "bankable" customers now represent a significant growth opportunity if commercial banks are willing to consider new business models and innovative delivery channels using proven technology solutions.
According to Diamond Management and Technology Consultants, a retail banking system that serves more rural customers can be an attractive business proposition.
Achieving loyalty with pre-paid cards
In the March 2006 edition of the Bluerock Review, we looked at one of the strategies that retail banks are employing to win the war for market share – targeting the unbanked sector of around 2 million people with card based products.
Fraud Intelligence
When speaking about this subject outside the US, it is common that the topic is dismissed as an American-only problem when in fact, it is not.
Top-tips for non accountants
Whether you're running a start-up consulting firm or other small business, getting your financial processes organised quickly can be a key success factor.
When will Google™ become generic?
Today, there are hundreds of once highly protected famous name brands, which were backed by multi-million dollar promotional budgets, now commonly used in daily lingo as generic names, as it was their huge popularity that made them lose their trademark protection.
Survival strategies for auto suppliers
Automotive suppliers will need to focus on key business strategies to grow, thrive and survive during the next decade, according to Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.
The playing field of the CIO
Atos Consulting book examines dilemmas of the CIO (Chief Information Officer).
Are you running a consultancy dodo?
I hear from and speak to many independent consultants and small consultancy owners who struggle with how to get in front of the right type of people, how to make their consultancy stand out and how to balance getting business with doing business.
Managing for Project Success:
Client Perspectives on Client-Consultant Relationships
Success in client-consultancy projects depends largely on the quality of the relationship between client and consultant.
How to lose your best talent
Admiral Hyman Rickover was an extraordinary individual whose achievements were the result of his whole lifes work.
Stop telling people what to do!
There seems to be a feeling that the answer to our performance measurement, incentive and ownership problems lie in what we do to the workforce.
If what we do now to the workforce is not working then we have to change what we "Do" to the workforce.
My experience indicates that the problems are not caused by what we "Do" to the workforce, they are caused by the mindset that believes that as managers we can manipulate the workforce to "Do" what we want.
This mindset is the cause of the failure.
The "Broken Windows" Theory and its application to Business
In the early 1990’s Rudy Giuliani, then newly-elected Mayor of New York City, set out to prove that the “Broken Windows” theory could transform the behaviour and actions of New York's inhabitants.
Is the impact of China and India on future long-haul travel exaggerated?
Report from The Boston Consulting Group says the most exciting opportunities for long-haul travel may be closer to home.
Global offshoring
As global strategic offshore outsourcing increases to new levels, James Stuart argues that many organisations consistently fail to reap the extensive business benefits available.
How effective are your initiatives?
The only justification for the existence of a corporate office is if it is able to produce sufficient synergies across its portfolio of businesses, such that the total value of the organisation is greater than the sum of the parts.
Decrypting encryption myths: What CIOs need to know
Many organizations assume that information stored on laptops, desktops and tapes is completely secure if it is encrypted, and to some extent that is true.
Five big issues in investment management
We always think we live in a time of change: and today is no different.
Retail Financial Services – outsourcing the next generation?
As outsourcing matures from a simple cost saving mechanism to a set of complex strategic decisions, the successful selection of partner becomes even more important.
Getting inside clients’ heads
Is client loyalty still relevant in this day and age? Clients are never loyal to their suppliers—only to the best value.
Companies struggling to manage brands across multiple markets
Economist Intelligence Unit survey finds that companies are responding to the challenges of brand management by focusing their resources on a smaller number of stronger brands, while also relying more than ever on technology to improve the brand experience.
In forecasting demand, the airline industry could be mixing apples with oranges
Two rules of thumb often cited in the airline industry are "Demand for air travel grows twice as fast as gross domestic product" and "Airline yields always drop over time." Both statements are at least partly true.
How to spot a City Slacker
Seventy-five percent of the workforce thinks that some of their colleagues aren’t pulling their weight.
They are dead right.
Author Steve McKevitt describes how it has become possible to have a successful career without ever being involved in a successful job or project.
Selling Consultancy Services
Calvert Markham is a former President of the Institute of Management Consultancy and co-founder of Consultancy Skills Training.
A strategic approach to corporate real estate
When it comes to taking a strategic view of how property is performing for a business, how well are property and facilities managers advised by their consultants? Do they get the benefit of truly objective professional advice? How does the senior management function ensure that its property consultants are truly working in the best interests of the company? Is it the responsibility of facilities management to make sure that property strategy is fully in tune with broader organisational issues and that wider business opportunities and market trends are being captured to optimise property decisions? How can senior management ensure that there is there sufficient coordination between external consultants? How can they be confident of achieving the best premises solution for the business?
Telling ain’t selling
"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." – Sir Isaac Newton
A fundamental question in selling is not why people sell, but why people buy.
Entrepreneurial purchasing
One of the winning companies: winning people research teams led by the author found that for almost 70% of 296 companies surveyed purchases of external products or services amounted to over a half of their total costs, while all companies reported that their purchasing achievements were falling short of their aspirations.
Deloitte & Touche unveils 'The Risk Intelligent Enterprise'
"Enterprise risk management" may be the hottest topic in the business community, yet it might also be the most misunderstood, with little consensus regarding philosophy, methodology, or even an agreed-upon definition of the term.
To address this lack of accord or consistency, Deloitte & Touche LLP has released a new whitepaper, "The Risk Intelligent Enterprise: ERM Done Right." Within its pages, the concept of Risk Intelligence is introduced and associated best practices are discussed.
Hospitality 2010: Four 'Mega-Trends' to shape future financial success
The hospitality industry will need to address four transformative issues over the next three to five years, including brand, emerging markets, human assets and technology.
Selling Services: Asia Pacific ‘Call’-ing
The coming consolidation in Telecom in South Asia and Asia-Pacific region led by the Telecom, New Media and Consumer Electronics firms is an immense opportunity for many service companies to sell services and service oriented products in the region and a severe threat to those who do not prepare for this - starting right now.
Share and share alike
Peter Holden, Director of business development, Serco Solutions looks at the shared services strategies being used by some local authorities to generate efficiency savings in year two of The Gershon Review.
Keep Your Data Healthy!
The article highlights the importance of data-quality as a part of effective decision making process.
It’s your ship
Peter A Hunter, author of Breaking the Mould, reviews a new and unlikely management book by a US Navy captain named It’s Your Ship.
Getting it done
“If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” – John Wooden
American consumers are saving more than $100bn a year by shopping smart
Consumers are not just bargain hunting; they are treasure hunting, according to Treasure Hunt: Inside the Mind of the New Consumer and their new patterns of spending and saving will bankrupt many old line consumer goods companies and retailers.
Go back to basics to get your story into the media
The methodologies may have become more multifaceted, but facts - the news - will always prevail.
Airlines rely more on MRO providers to manage supply chain and risk responsibilities
Mercer Management Consulting’s study explores ways that airlines and MRO providers are seeking to build on the strengthened economics of the air travel industry, as well as the new cost-control, revenue, and risk models they have implemented over the past several years.
Digital divide narrows
The world in 2006 is ever more “e-ready”—there are over 1bn Internet users and 2bn mobile-phone users worldwide, and most countries continue to make steady progress in most qualitative indicators of technology-related development.
Big brands must actively build trust online
One of the reasons cited for slower-than-expected adoption in the early days of e-commerce was lack of trust from potential customers.
How top companies keep their customers satisfied
Creating and maintaining a loyal base of customers is the key to success for many industry leaders like the Ritz Carlton, Nordstrom, Ben & Jerry's and Wachovia.
Absenteeism
or Too late for excuses
How many times when we go to see a client and the subject of absenteeism comes up do we hear firstly that it is the fault of the workforce, and second that they know their staff are swinging the lead but they are secretly amused by the outrageous excuses their staff provide when they do turn up.
A problem that is costing industry in this country £12.5 Billion annually surely deserves more respect.
Meet the 21st century Chief Human Resources Officer
New Deloitte Consulting report introduces the CHRO's transformation from Human Resources (HR) administrator to business strategist and steward.
More than a matter of trust: Managing risk in extended business relationships
Extended enterprise business models, a valuable business strategy for supporting corporate growth and business objectives in the competitive global business economy, can just as easily inflict damage and jeopardize the viability of an organization.
Leadership: The Challenges Governments Face
The article argues that traditional views of leadership in government have meant that people in a leadership position have two audiences two play two: those with a commercial interest and those with a community interest, when both are in fact inextricably linked.
Corporate singularity vs. project multiplicity
Organizations that enshrine and enforce the concept of Corporate Singularity will be more proficient at managing projects; more economic in use of project time, resources and money; more sensitive to the issues of acceptance and receptivity.
Industry uptake of RFID increases despite privacy concerns
Although most commonly used to track and identify goods and materials within supply chains, the technology is also being used in applications as diverse as “contactless payment” systems, passports and patient identification in hospitals.
Is your marketing making a monkey out of you?
The problem with word of mouth as a marketing force is that it is not always positive – and it cannot be controlled!
INTEGRITY – The New Leadership Story
The Leadership Industry is big business.
Faster, better, more effective publications
Outsourced publishing for professional services firms
If firms truly want publications which demonstrate their expertise and credibility to the market — providing real value to prospective clients and, importantly, bringing in new business — the answer may be to outsource to a professional publishing agency.
What is coaching?
"There are no rules, but you do have to know them."
(Myles Downie - Author, Effective Coaching)
Six steps to make web marketing work
After more than a decade of practice, you’d think consultants would have mastered the intricacies of using the Web to attract new clients and retain existing ones.
Addressing the implementation challenge
The success of the kind of change initiatives that organisations need most, initiatives that challenge and stretch the organisation and its people to become more, is critically depends upon the implementation capability of the organisation, together with its capacity to establish the myriad of new work patterns and communication flows that are necessary to absorb the change.
Challenges in selling ERP solutions in Asia
Having worked in 9 countries in Asia for over fifteen years and knowing the local language along with the culture, I wish to share my experiences with regard to selling and implement ERP business solutions.
Becoming a successful independent consultant
Consulting is a viable and growing option, I read a statistic recently which indicated that some 30% of MBA students opt for independent consultancy as a career choice; this article aims to provide some guidance to those who are thinking of embarking upon the journey towards independent consultancy.
So what is ownership?
Ownership is a word that has been used and abused for years but very few people are able to give it a meaningful definition.
The Power of Connection
A critical element of business success is making effective connections with people.
Can Brazil produce the same results in offshoring as it does in football?
The article looks at the growing emergence of Brazil as an offshore / outsourcing location.
Protecting time for business development
In the battleground of our work-time, client deadlines tend to naturally take priority.
The performance of teams
Do you remember Matsushita’s chilling ‘We are going to win’ interview?
Exactly twenty years ago, Matsushita outlined how competitive success now depended upon the day-to-day mobilisation of every ounce of intelligence within the organisation.
Restoring the Circle of Trust:
Compliance and relationships are key to staying secure
Embracing regulations or mandates set forth by either the government or other organisations is a key aspect of keeping the circle of trust alive and well.
Collaboration technologies in the workplace
More and more people are aware of the increase in the use of collaboration tools such as instant messaging, telephony, video conferencing, wikis and blogs.
So you want to be a consultant?
You’ve left the world of corporate sales/HR/IT/Marketing behind.
You’re excited about running your own consultancy business
You know you’ve got lots of valuable knowledge and experience to impart
You know you are entering an exciting new phase in your life.
SO WHAT?
So have hundreds of other people.
Why big hitters don't always fit well into smaller firms
How many times have you read about a big hitter approaching the twilight of his or her career joining a smaller firm? The trade press print stories reporting the big hitter's appointment and they are quoted in the articles talking excitedly about their plans for the future.
The common mistake: investing insufficient time in marketing your services
Marketing for consultants usually boils down to a few basic activities, that done well can reap tremendous results...
Riding the wave of industry consolidation
Ian Plover, consultant at Serco, analyses how water companies can maintain customer service levels while preparing for further industry consolidation.
Maximize your sales teams performance to ensure they exceed their targets
Why do so many sales people fail to
achieve their targets? What can be done to reduce the disparity between your highest sales performers and the lowest? How can you harness your sales team to achieve your strategic goals?
This paper sets out to provide answers to these questions and provide a useful framework to ensure that your sales team have the best possible chance of exceeding their targets in support of your company’s strategic goals.
What consultants can learn from the airlines
From the time you book an airline flight until that plane lands, your pecking order in the airline’s customer hierarchy determines your travel experience.
Squashing the myths about winning new business
How do consultants win new business? By word of mouth.
Fractional Work
The unit of work is no longer a whole job
This article is adapted for Top-Consultant.com, and is derived from extracts of the author’s forthcoming book, Winning by Sharing.
The darkened room or,
patterns for organisational development
I recently came across W Edwards Deming and have since been doing some home work to discover why there is so much resistance to what is essentially some very basic philosophy.
Why every company board needs a Head of Inertia
So very established is the theme of change, and of such importance to business culture in modern economies, that too little thought is given when businesses start planning the next round of restructuring or innovation in the permanent revolution.
Eleven principles of great web sites for consultants
A consultant’s Web site can no longer be an afterthought.
Managing the E-mail monster
Almost invariably the answer to the opening question “What prevents you from performing at work?” is “E-mail”, and the answer is normally sung out as one voice.
The groups all agree on the problem and it is very difficult sometimes to bring them back to the purpose of the current event when they become embroiled in an orgy of horror stories about the way that E-mail is ruining their lives.
MES / BDE als Open-Source Lösung
Als IT Dienstleister für den Mittelstand realisierte die F&M Consulting bereits 16 ERP Einführungen und Reorganisationen unterschiedlichster Hersteller im produzierenden Mittelstand.
Governance
Beyond Regulation - Organizational Culture
Governance and the management of the opportunities and dangers faced in the pursuit of wealth creation should be viewed as a dynamic organizational culture driving a search for best practise and not as a static response to regulatory compliance.
KPOM cannot be managed following the standard BPOM paradigm
KPO attraction is in the market now and it’s a great opportunity for Indians to do well but before work can begin we need to be very careful as this work requires good, experienced professionals and a proper working atmosphere.
Knowledge processes outsourcing cannot be managed following the standard business processes outsourcing paradigm.
Peter F. Drucker: Man of the past, man of the future(1)
A personal homage
On Friday, November 11, Professor Peter Drucker passed away.
Top employers talk a good story about diversity and gender equality but don’t deliver
The reasons are well documented and the rationale is clear.
Putting patch management in perspective
Continuously patching doesn't guarantee security and may, in fact, be a waste of time.
Bringing together information in children’s services
David Loyd-Hearn, consultant, Serco and former social care practitioner evaluates the challenges in turning the vision of children’s services into a reality by 2006.
Study finds mobile phone users embracing mobile data services
Mobile phone users are increasingly comfortable with mobile data services but continue to worry about content and price, according to the latest Mobinet study of how 4,000 mobile phone users in 21 countries use their phones.
Longest-tenured workers feel slighted by their bosses, organizations
Mercer Human Resource Consulting survey finds many veteran employees think loyalty is a one-way street.
Survey shows two-thirds of companies view background check as most important risk-reduction strategy for overseas investment
Concerns over information gathered during background checks prompted 70 percent of investors in emerging markets to pull out of such deals according to a new survey assessing the risks of investing in emerging markets globally by Deloitte Financial Advisory Services LLP("Deloitte FAS"), a subsidiary of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP, one of the nation's leading professionals services firms.
Online Community: Creating business advantage
Online community is becoming the key contributor to an organisation’s capacity to detect anomalies in its markets, respond swiftly and source the solutions to deal with them from within their own communities, thereby creating business advantage.
DiamondCluster report details seven essential elements of successful enterprise architecture efforts
What is typically missing from most EA efforts, according to DiamondCluster International, are what the global management consulting firm calls the seven essential elements of enterprise architecture.
The Four Myths of Professional Services Marketing
To compete for and win the most profitable work, professional service providers must rethink familiar marketing practices, and focus their marketing strategies on the issues that really matter to clients.
New success equation for retail banking
A BearingPoint global research study that indicates that retail banks and bankers are not only changing their mindset around their business model to succeed for the next decade, but also changing their mindset around new processes, including the convergence of service-oriented architecture (SOA) and business process management (BPM) for greater efficiency and profits.
10 business practices used by ''growth champions,'' that CEOs and executive teams can implement
Mercer Delta Consulting has released findings from an unprecedented study of practices that companies pursue to achieve organic growth.
Stop trying to motivate me! Part II
Throughout our industries, both public and private, there persists a perception that motivation is a commodity to be handed out by the manager at his own discretion.
Labour cost and productivity in administration
Administration processes in various industries can get extensive if not seriously analysed.
Procurement challenges for utility companies
Most utility organisations the world over are trying to achieve faster growth through either mergers or acquisitions or rapid expansion in newer markets.
MES - Integrationslösung als Open Source Philosophie
Nach einer Marktrecherche der Geyer Industrie –Holding sind alle derzeitigen MES Systeme auf ein Niveau gewachsen, das die eigentliche Hauptzielgruppe (Kleine und mittelständische Fertigungsbetriebe), die Anschaffung eines MES Systems als zu teuer einstufen.
Wireless, fixed line operators must prepare for high selling costs, deep price discounts
DiamondCluster International recently surveyed 610 consumers in the United Kingdom, a market with robust fixed-mobile convergence activity, to determine whether consumers will actually purchase convergent offers, which features are most valued, and what barriers might impede adoption.
Motivation – Part One
Stop trying to motivate me!
What is motivation and why do we think that we can pay people to give it to our workforce.
Mind the empathy gap!
Make no mistake - within multi-stage and / or multi-channel relationships, the empathy gap between brand and consumer is widening, thereby severely undermining brand equity and posing new challenges to all those involved in brand strategy, communication and delivery.
No more root canals
Too many consultants measure a client’s satisfaction postmortem, based on the effectiveness of the transaction.
Reinventing the wheel – there’s every point!
Dr Marc Pinter-Krainer, Chief Executive of Knowledge Technology Solutions PLC, says companies are missing out on the chance to make more use of their websites by using out of date information and sticking to dull, routine formats.
Understanding the business and market environment
So what do the winners do differently in relation to understanding the business and market environment? To answer these questions research teams led by the author have examined the corporate experience of over 2,000 companies.
Favouring the first born
If the eldest child does best in life, does the same apply to employees in smaller firms? Does the first person hired do best? Does the firm put more effort into helping this person succeed? And does their dominance within the firm mean others will inevitably have fewer chances to shine or have their say so?
Separation Anxiety:
Business Owners who smother their company’s success by not being able to let go
The separation anxiety that small business owners feel is understandable, since the early stages they have had to play many roles within the company in order to compensate for lack of resources and to ensure consistency in the deployment of the vision and direction.
Life cycle contact relationship management
The strategic and conceptual approach to effective contact relationship management
A customer centric approach to sales is fundamental in today’s marketplace.
Avoid an RNS Own Goal
Luke Ahern, Director of Broking at smaller company specialist stockbrokers Corporate Synergy Plc, discusses the contrasting ways companies deal the issues surrounding the release of RNS announcements and examines how they can exploit the opportunities presented by this dialogue with their investors.
CRM Technology – Just another milestone in the overall CRM initiative
The article discusses technology just as one facet of CRM initiatives and offers some check points before technology adoption.
International training: Grit and glory
Whether you’re an independent training consultant or a corporate training professional, international work can be tough.
HR Balanced Scorecard
Above all HR professionals must keep the scorecard simple enough for people to understand and apply it, with relevance to their strategic priorities.
For-profit versus not-for-profit: How to measure success
One of the distinctions typically made between profit and non-profit organizations is that the latter are at a disadvantage because they lack profit as a metric for success.
Why do managers create low morale? Or
does my bum look big in this?
This may seem to be a criticism but in actual fact, of all the time spent training people to manage, almost the whole of that time is spent training them to manage inanimate things.
Inventory, Process, Law, Data, Statistics, Strategy, Planning, Legislation etc.
Scenario planning: All about what could happen
Basically, scenario planning provides organizations with a kind of radar for anticipating what could happen, much as a pilot uses radar to detect something on the horizon that may affect the flight plan.
Communication strategies for leading teams
Fostering a variety of managerial approaches is essential to high-performing organizations, but it requires thoughtful leadership and exceptional communication skills.
Communication expertise: How
customer newsletters establish competitive differentiation
The article reveals that clients make choices between professional advisers
based on the detailed abilities and track records of individuals.
Difference between clients versus stakeholders
For organizations to be effective, they need to satisfy their client needs.
Business continuity- The Blade Computing aspect
However, there is another paradigm that is becoming increasingly popular.
“I Guarantee It”
Guarantees, especially on products, have become commonplace.
Nostro Spend Management for Corporates
A same-day money payment costs a bank around 25p to make.
Management myths revisited
From the book "Pursuit of Prime" by Dr.
The importance of recruiting “A” talent - 4 keys to succeed
Unfortunately, these ‘game changers’ are exactly the type of candidates that clients need to hire and recruit into their organization.
How to use W Edwards Deming
The very complexity of his approach deters many students but there is a more fundamental problem with complex systems that was identified by the later work on chaos.
Tackling identity fraud on your customer’s behalf
Many corporate IT security professionals throw up their hands suggesting that there is little that can be done by corporations to reduce the risk of phishing and identity fraud perpetrated directly against their consumers.
Barking up the wrong tree
Problem: Despite the proliferation of management schools, the inflation of incentives and the flood of management books and consultants, the goal of finding or training the “ideal manager” remains as elusive as the unicorn.
Nostro Spend Management
This paper outlines the current market situation and the value proposition in spend and service management opportunities for banks and global corporates looking to manage costs and service quality more efficiently.
Taking action to meet the e-social care record deadline
David Loyd–Hearn, Consultant, Serco and a former social care practitioner, discusses six key steps social care departments need to take in order to establish an electronic social care record system.
Personal brand management; the key to unlocking the value in lasting business relationships
Where does the business relationship end and the personal relationship start? It doesn’t and it should be seamless.
When Consulting Projects Go Sideways
Here’s a tool to help you keep project setbacks to a minimum.
How organizations produce deadwood
Our so-called “modern” organizations are based on a bureaucratic, military model that is structured for adaptation to change over many years.
The Managerial Tower of Babel
Once we learn how to recognize and diagnose other people's predominant management styles, and have also make sure that the organization's structure will support and nourish all four of them, the next step is learning to communicate with each style effectively.
What is the catalyst to delivering results and value from projects?
Why is this so difficult, and what is the root cause why businesses keep repeating this pattern of ineffective project execution? We believe the answer lies in how companies view the role and competencies of the person who is managing the project (ie project manager).
The new recruiting paradigm
The War for Talent is back.
Clients vs. Stakeholders
The focal point - whether it is to produce profits or to survive - is to satisfy client’s needs.
Project Multiplicity vs. Corporate Singularity – Part One
Organizations that enshrine the concept of Corporate Singularity will be more proficient at managing projects; more economic in use of project time, resources and money; more sensitive to the issues of acceptance and receptivity.
Managing supply chain relationships
Co-operation with other firms enables businesses to broaden offerings with complementary products, add services to justify premium prices or reach new customers.
The balanced information diet
Financial Service companies (and indeed others) spend an inordinate amount of money on Information Delivery, but are they really gaining benefit from this? Are they doing it in a cost effective manner and are they serving up the right information?
With issues such as no best practices, disparate technology systems, regulatory pressures and the demand for every increasing quality information rather than quantity companies need to make a stance and act now.
How to avoid the “Family Trap”
In order to grow beyond the early stages, a family business must become less reliant on its founder.
MES der Spielball zwischen Wertschöpfung und Engpass
Wertschöpfung in der Produktion durch flexible und fertigungsnahe Feinstplanung.
The Bernie Ebbers and Kenneth Lay Phenomena
Many executives are now either on trial or under indictment for unethical conduct.
Where does the EU go from here?
The EU is at a crossroads.
The worst thing about best practices
Few consulting “tools” are more widely abused these days than so-called best practices.
Investment management outsourcing --
Should you still be managing your middle office
BearingPoint has issued a white paper on, "Investment management outsourcing -- Should you still be managing your middle office," which details how investment firms already outsourcing so-called back office functions such as fund accounting and transfer agent functions are now turning over other non-investment activities to service providers to increase their profitability and decrease the time-to-market of new products.
The paper addresses a fundamental issue: with investment products becoming more complex and expensive to develop in shorter cycles, as well as clients demanding increasingly detailed performance reporting and attribution analysis, investment firms are looking to outsource a larger portion of office functions as a means of improving profitability.
Gaining insight into customer focus – B2B case
(How clearly your company understands the needs and expectations of its customers?)
This study describes the methodology for establishing the needs and expectations of one’s customers in a B2B relationship and looks for any gap between this perception and the one accepted and followed by the company’s management.
Human Evaluation: The purpose of
The importance of quickly and accurately observing any individual and immediately and without the use of conventional testing methods extrapolating his value to others, trustworthiness, reliability, persistence, etc., cannot be underestimated.
Age of abundance
You might have the best team with the best of innovation, but there are these overly diluted markets out there, glutted with look-alike brands and identical services.
Extracting and sustaining the strategic value from offshoring
Offshoring, which can be considered as the migration of business processes to a location offering cost advantages, is firmly at the forefront of the strategic agenda within a large number of companies in the UK.
Broadband VoIP: Securing a Promising New Revenue Stream
BearingPoint’s white paper details the way service providers should focus more effort and resources on Voice-over IP (VoIP) security if they are to provide the level of reliability and trust that subscribers have come to expect with traditional telephone service.
The paper covers a fundamental issue: while broadband operators are rushing to VoIP as a way to increase revenue and to provide a new service to their customers, hackers are rushing to VoIP to explore and exploit ways to steal information, or disrupt services.
"To sustain the projected growth in VoIP use, service providers will be expected to live up to the service standards set by legacy telephone service," said Fred Hoffmann, a Managing Director with BearingPoint.
Two Style Icons and One Fat Old Man
How to turn your company image into a Paul Newman not a Marlon Brando
This article explores how businesses can age like Paul Newman, rather than Marlon Brando.
Is blogging a ponytailer’s fad or can pinstripes too use it?
This paper explores the importance of weblogs or blogging as an emergent form of business communication.
Grappling with marketing
Good marketing enables a firm to adapt successfully to change.
Beyond Compliance: The Future Promise of RFID
The paper focuses on the steps manufacturers can take to prepare for the challenges and the opportunities they will face implementing radio frequency identification (RFID).
"Despite the business benefit of enhanced visibility into the flow of products from raw material to the retail store, RFID is a complex, costly undertaking.
Planning on the move
In spring 2005, The Hackett Group conducted the "Planning on the Move" study as an extended follow up to the "Quo Vadis Budgeting" study published in 2003.
Heads or tails?
Corporate governance and corporate responsibility
Corporate governance and corporate responsibility are topics that should be on every board’s agenda.
Change management in IT implementation
It is important for organisations to consider how various stakeholders will be affected and what needs to be done to address concerns that people might have.
20 ways to float your firm to the top: Will a ‘rising tide’ raise your boat?
Signs are everywhere that the market for consulting services is picking up steam.
Consumer Goods Industry Landscape Set to Radically Change in Decade Ahead
Provided below are the slides from a key address given by A.T.
Business Technology Consulting in India: The Way Forward
Business technology consulting must be built on the firm foundation of sustainable competitive advantage, and in the consulting business there can only be one credible way to do this: consistent delivery of high-value business results to customers.
Safer, Faster, Cheaper Outsourcing
Implementing consistent IT service management processes across your organisation, and insisting that suppliers comply with these will reduce service risk as well as providing you with greater flexibility of sourcing options.
Dealing with workplace stress
What we are seeing now is that apathy is not a function of the workforce.
Impact of supervisor behaviour on team performance
This article deals with different styles of supervisor’s behaviour and how they correlate with the utilisation of a team under supervision.
Creating sustained performance improvement
Part 8: How to measure change
As we have seen in previous articles in this series the fact of telling the workforce what to do will affect their ability to do it.
Going Global: How to operate effectively in the international marketplace
This article examines the differing approaches of successful international operators and businesses that find it hard going.
Global business risk rose sharply in first quarter of 2005, according to new Corporate Risk Barometer
Worldwide business risks increased sharply over the past three months, according to new research from the Economist Intelligence Unit based on a survey of international risk managers.
Staff Retention – Is it a big issue for systems integrators and professional service organisations?
Big Issues are those that cost your organisation money – lots of money.
Sharing the load
Shared service delivery is a term ringing in the corridors of local authorities across the country.
Avoiding cyber oblivion
Today, there is a major shift in thinking on how to build a major corporate personality.
Creating sustained performance improvement
Part 7: What happens when people are allowed to care about what they do - The results
Instinctively we know that giving people respect and valuing them is the right thing to do.
Third-party ERP support: An opportunity not an overhead
The vast majority of companies using Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) systems would not consider giving up vendor support for such a mission-critical application.
Effective communication: An integrative force in organisations
This paper endeavours to identify barriers to communication.
The global outsourcing-paradigm will change America and the world
The relative importance of the emerging economies as an engine of new demand growth and spending power may shift more dramatically and quickly than expected.
Challenges and payoffs in using shared service centers for HRO
There has been an increased focus on outsourcing over the last few years.
Gaining competitive advantage through enhanced customer experience
Companies continue to invest in CRM enhancements but they are missing out on genuine customer insight.
Economist Intelligence Unit ranks Denmark as best place to do business
Denmark will be the best place in the world to conduct business over the next five years, according to the latest business environment rankings from the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Email has become the world's favourite form of business communication
Electronic communications methods boost productivity and job satisfaction, according to a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Workplace violence fact or fiction
Workplace violence is a matter of reality and it should not be swept under the carpet.
Maximising the impact of talented people in professional service firms
A suggested approach to increasing the impact, influence and capability of your key people – the value of developing talent.
Creating sustained performance improvement
Part 6: How to stop people from performing as well as they can
In this series of articles we have been concentrating on how to create a sustained performance improvement.
Creating a learning organization
When Peter Senge’s book ‘The Fifth Discipline’ was first published in 1990 it created quite a stir and gave people a look into a company that most people would love to create and prefer to work for.
Six strategies to get paid what you're worth
Clients and consultants alike usually dread fee discussions.
Is IT overspending on security?
Organisations need to step back and make a closer assessment of the three components of risk: threat, vulnerability and cost.
Creating sustained performance improvement
Part 5:
How to create performance improvement
In this series of articles we have seen how the environment at work has created a situation in which employees are actively discouraged from making suggestions.
SAP BW –
Implementing delta updates in the financial domain
Delta updates in SAP BW are used when we have to update our data targets with recently changed information.
Crossing the Social Networking Chasm
The business case for mainstream business adoption of social network services
Social and business networking sites have been growing at a tremendous rate the past two years.
Achieve Commercial Success and Personal Fulfilment:
Entrepreneurship that can benefit individual consultants and the practice
Would you like to run your own business or practice? Are you sensitive to the entrepreneurial aspirations of your colleagues and fellow consultants? Colin Coulson-Thomas author of ‘Individuals and Enterprise’ a handbook for achieving both commercial success and personal fulfilment suggests that helping people to achieve their dreams might enable you to participate in any new ventures they create.
Exploiting corporate know-how
An investigation of the differing approaches of successful companies (winners) and their unsuccessful competitors (losers) has identified many opportunities for boosting profitability and generating additional revenue streams by better exploiting corporate know-how.
Wisdom & leadership
Wisdom is a widely used concept.
Taking responsibility for your own career development
Why consultants should value the opportunity and how to make the most of it
Employees in consulting firms face greater demands than ever before; greater demands from clients for delivery, greater demands from their managers for performance and greater demands on their time from their families and outside interests.
Maximising benefits from IT and e-business
So what do the winners do differently to make IT and e-Business an enabler rather than a barrier? To answer these questions a research programme led by the author has examined the corporate experience of over 2,000 companies.
Creating a winning Board
The boards of many companies axe jobs, cripple prospects and destroy shareholder wealth.
Creating a company that can compete and win
In many sectors different companies appear to have similar competitive strategies.
Corporate Governance:
Boardroom questions for challenging conventional wisdom and shaping things to come
Too many boardrooms are like chapels of rest, the only signs of life being the ticking of corporate governance checklists.
Leading and managing change
Despite much rhetoric about ‘change management’ and nimble, responsive and flexible organizations, many business leaders periodically downsize, regularly restructure and inexorably destroy shareholder wealth.
Customers are color blind
In today's e-commerce age, where everyone is forced to type and to remember names with absolutely correct spellings, companies with big branding campaigns only hurt themselves with their old-fashioned, painted, colorful advice.
Don't manage, lead - Become a top performing manager
Think of all the challenges you face on a daily basis: Motivating teams who are harder to mold and direct than those in the past.
Creating Sustained Performance improvement
Part 4: How to find out what is not working
We have previously proposed that the easiest way to improve performance is not to do something extra in order to stimulate that performance improvement, it is simply to find out what we are doing that prevents other peoples performance from being exceptional, and stop doing it.
It sounds so simple on the page but leads us to a terrible problem when we try to implement it practically.
How do we know what is it that we are doing wrong?
How can we as managers find out what it is that we have to stop doing in order to allow our people to start performing?
Essentials for building a high performance team
Teams represent a very powerful mechanism for getting significant results in organizations today.
Most successful business development tools for SMEs revealed
New Research highlights referrals and networking as best strategy – and finds cold-calling and advertising aren’t effective
New research by Brighton-based PR consultancy Vada Media has identified the methods of business development most likely to be successful for small businesses offering professional or business services.
A new lingo calls for a new world order
For corporate executives, it is still a very challenging task to fully understand these new terminologies and how they can deliver all this brand new magic.
Creating Sustained Performance improvement
Part 3: Creating the right environment for change to occur
In previous articles we have identified that we want to create ownership in the workforce because we understand that if the workforce own their work they will take care of it.
Booz Allen Hamilton-Studie identifiziert Erfolgsfaktoren für Ansiedlung von internationalen Unternehmenszentralen in Österreich
Im Rahmen einer Untersuchung vergleicht die international führende Unternehmensberatung Booz Allen Hamilton die Standortattraktivität verschiedener europäischer Länder.
BDU-Marktstudie „Facts & Figures zum Beratermarkt 2004/2005“
Umsatz der Beraterbranche ist 2004 um rund ein Prozent auf 12,34 Milliarden Euro gestiegen – BDU: Reform des Rechtsberatungsgesetzes muss noch in diesem Jahr auch Klarheit für Unternehmensberater bringen
Profit Management
Competitive advantage through active profit management
The concept of profit management dictates all functions and processes within an organisation and, extending from the organisation into its suppliers and customers, impacts profitability and continuously needs to be measurement and review to optimise performance and results.
Developing a leadership culture in the consultancy industry
Global forces of political and technological change are impacting on all industry sectors.
Link between financial success and focus on corporate values
Report by The Aspen Institute and Booz Allen Hamilton also finds strong regional differences in corporate commitments to social and environmental issues
Active CEO support seen as the best method of reinforcing values
A groundbreaking new study by the Aspen Institute and management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton found that companies routinely identify values as a top agenda issue, and public companies that report superior financial results also report greater success in linking values to operations in areas that foster growth, such as initiative and innovativeness.
Dynamic strategy management
The ability to manage strategy formulation and implementation is the biggest bane for business leaders.
Nine-point plan for strategy development
If strategy is an aid to ongoing success and business growth and if companies are aware of its benefits, why do so many find it difficult to formulate?
Grant Thornton’s research into the mid-corporate sector’s attitude to strategic planning has led to the creation of a nine-point plan for strategy development for mid-corporate businesses.
Effects of China’s accession to the WTO on foreign direct investments
The aims of this study are to evaluate the impact on Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) of current and future reforms which China has to implement in order to reinforce its global trade strategy through its membership of the WTO.
In real terms, the rapid expansion of the Chinese economy depends on its power to attract FDIs.
Creating Sustained Performance improvement
Part 2: Removing the obstacles that prevent Ownership
There has in the past been a recognition that the lack of ownership in the workplace is a problem.
100 Tips to find more time
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Stop Press: John Niland confirmed as keynote speaker at forthcoming consultants' event
View full details of "The 5 key steps to winning more consulting fees in less time"
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Great relationships build great business.
The body of a leader
In the leadership development world, we now know that emotions and emotional intelligence are important phenomena.
From managing to leading: Making the leap
Leadership is something completely different – and most managers never make the leap and become leaders.
Entering the Dragons’ Den
Nick Hood is the senior London partner at Begbies Traynor, the UK’s leading independent business rescue firm.
How to land your first client
Just ten firms own almost 40% of the consulting market share in North America alone, and they fight for every opportunity to grow.
The systematic approach to training: Main phases of the training cycle
The Systematic Approach to Training (SAT) is a methodology for managing training programs.
The new enterprise portal economics
For many firms, the total cost of ownership of their enterprise portals is escalating.
Those that have the courage to innovate will sweep the board over the me-too's
Any 3D or graphic designer will tell you absolutely free of charge that the obvious way to stand out is to look different.
The changing face of insolvency practice
After working within the strict professional constraints of Insolvency Practice for many years, Ladislav Hornan describes how attitudes toward members of his profession - and the expectations put upon them – are undergoing a profound change.
Creating sustained performance improvement
Part 1: What do we need to change?
Many management models have been tried all with varying levels of success, from Kaizen to Six Sigma, TQM and a host of others.
These models are not wrong, but they all suffer from the same failing.
Somewhere in each instruction book there is a phrase that says something similar to,
“The key to the successful implementation of this model is ownership”
Then we turn the page and begin the new chapter without ever coming across the instruction that tells us how to create “Ownership”
Ownership is a word that has been used and abused for years but very few people are able to give it a meaningful definition.
Understanding how change has changed
There seems to be an assumption that change is a single traumatic event that is thrust upon us and over which we have no control.
In the recent past this was definitely true, in industry there would come a sudden realisation at the end of the financial year that unless we did something radical we were going to the wall.
The day the old telephony died
Every now and then, our society is placed at a crossroads, a kind of a juxtaposition where a leading current technology gets run over by a bulldozer.
Poor employee relations and its effect on customer demand
Employee relations and worker conflicts are always problematic and the consequences difficult to predict (Fortado, 2001).
On talent & leadership....
You may not be a manager, but you can still lead! Leaders create opportunities to derive maximum benefit from talent both their own as well as what resides in others.
Investing in inclusion
Tony Burnett is the Managing Director of ‘Performance Through Inclusion’, a management consultancy devoted to moving large, notionally ‘diverse’ organisations through the process of genuinely including workers from minority groups into the mainstream of their activity.
Understanding how change has changed
There seems to be an assumption that change is a single traumatic event that is thrust upon us and over which we have no control.
Global trademarks for global branding
Get your current corporate names analyzed for global acceptability, get your teams into play for new educational tools on how to create, capture and cultivate global icons, make plans for introductions of new global name identities and start building icons.
Can the dreaded workplace meeting actually be a pleasant experience?
Yes, says IMS president Chuck McPherson, if you make it scripted, lusty, unegotistical, results-directed and include a healthy dose of self-praise!
Your personal vision - A tool for career success
For those companies that successfully communicated their vision and mission to all of the stakeholders, this was a valuable methodology, and a powerful tool for growth.
Recovery strategies in the IT
sector
In the light of the past crisis that undermined the whole IT industry, this article provides development strategies for the coming economic cycle.
Institute Commentaries on World Change™ December 2004
The December 2004 is a "YELLOW FLAG" year's end issue.
Institute Commentaries on World Change™ November 2004
The November 2004 Executive Letter focuses on just two issues.
Become your own coach
It is helpful to know that some of the greatest success stories in life came about through people who did it themselves, without a coach.
Websites that win clients
In today’s internet age, a website is a crucial tool for consultants to win new business and retain clients, but how capable is your website and does it follow the best, or the worst of practices? Following up on the first article in this series “How Important is Online Marketing for Professional Services?”, this article digs deeper into why content rich websites make the difference between winning and losing online.
We are American, no sex please
Now the newly acclaimed morality standard of America must fully realign itself with the messages and their deliveries to the right mindsets, while clearly explaining the limits and the level of tolerance, otherwise a lot of advertising and branding messages will all have to be completely scrapped.
Optimising airport operations
Lessons learnt from the parcel delivery industry
Over the past 25 years, the parcel delivery sector has continuously revolutionised itself.
Key issues involved in managing consultants’ time
A recent survey examining the key issues involved in the management of consultants’ time has revealed that consultancies are not maximising fee-earning potential due to poor internal systems.
The black hole of corporate branding
Is this the dawning of the age of branding or just another black hole? Learn and teach new standards, lead and spread the new knowledge in your organization, break the old methods.
Value-based versus product-based consulting services
In the United States, corporations spend billions to train sales people to properly represent their products and services.
The 7 critical steps to formulating your annual strategic business plan
Strategic planning is often completed over a few days at workshops and retreats often at great expense.
Why speed dating doesn’t work!
Let’s face it.
Key factors for successful ERP deployment
It is a tall order implementing a complex ERP application that serves the needs of an entire organisation.
How important is online marketing for professional services?
Here’s the bad news! – Many independent consultants are missing out because their website is buried in the haystack and it stands almost no chance of getting found.
Choosing the right offshore model for your BPO initiative
Prayag Consulting, a consulting firm focusing exclusively on the IT and BPO industry, conducted a study to understand how global buyers preferred to formulate and execute an offshore-led BPO strategy.
Mastering your sales pipeline - the easy way to boost your consulting sales
Click the play button below to discover how you can accelerate your sales growth in the next 12 months by taking best-practice sales techniques and applying them to the consulting profession
(NB ensure you have the volume on your computer turned up)
Mastering your sales pipeline is just one of the sales topics to be covered in depth at the next "Art of Selling Consulting Services" seminar.
A Rainmaking primer for professionals
A new book offers practical tools to market your services without compromising your comfort zone or your professionalism.
Failure – the new success in project management
In IT Project Management, it seems that most projects fail – only 16% of IT projects are considered successful, according to Oxford University’s survey of 1,500 practicing IT managers.
Working with entrepreneurs and larger companies
Companies need to become enterprise colonies that tap, build, and release the entrepreneurial potential within their people and relevant external networks and communities.
Be afraid, be very afraid
Is the pensions crisis going to become a marketing crisis or will it create marketing opportunities?
The Pensions Commission’s report makes bleak reading for individuals and government alike.
Turnover and absenteeism
It is imperative that a company have and communicate clearly policies and procedures to deal with absenteeism and tardiness; that these be in writing in an employee handbook; and that all employees are treated fairly and impartially.
Machines and people
The primary differences between analyzing machines and people inhere in the methods of the diagnoses and the accuracy and extent of the results that can be obtained and ascertained.
Goals at all costs?
Seeking to achieve sales goals ''at all costs'' can also result in ''costing all.'' The following sections raise some questions relevant to the sales process and achieving goals.
Communication, or: ''Can We Talk?''
Most of us can talk, but it seems that fewer of us communicate effectively at the same time.
Employee training
The effectiveness of training is enhanced up front by employee attitude surveys given to assess needs, attitudes and problems relative to management and subordinates.
Super advertising slogans and super costs
Advertising slogans or taglines pushing sales are great for getting a customer’s attention as they often tangle and hold them hostage for a second or two.
Delivering significant change while retaining control over execution
Each organization has its own raison d'être which, in turn, by some form of strategic planning process, is translated into long-term and immediate goals.
Emotional Intelligence training – an investment imperative
Michael Massey discusses the alarming indictment on leadership within UK organisations highlighted in the recent DTI/CMI report and how the problem should be addressed.
Corporate governance and the technology infrastructure
As directors we have to improve our understanding of how to apply technology to our business, thus being able to make better informed decisions that balance the long-term benefits against the risks and costs.
The Virtual Firm: Teaming up with a peer
Some legal issues are unique when working on a project with a peer.
How is the UK faring for technology innovation investment in 2004
The recent Harvard Business School Venture Forum event in London had an audience comprised near exclusively of venture capitalists from across the UK.
The Art of Combining Marketing and Selling
Part 5 - Unlocking Major Accounts
If new business drives market share, then account development is all about profit - building your reputation and your shareholder’s funds.
Creating a compelling vision
Are your people, and those with whom you deal, clear about what your organisation is endeavouring to achieve? Colin Coulson-Thomas author of a new guide to competing and winning* reveals what leaders of the most successful companies do differently when setting about the strategically important task of visioning.
Stop trying to raise prices across the board - it’s not driving profitability
The solution is to develop products and services that target unique segments with very specific offers.
Leader or Manager – which way for the modern corporate boss?
Nick Hood, senior London partner at corporate rescue experts Begbies Traynor Group, debates the style dilemma for those who head up businesses in the UK.
Corporate identity fitness test
It's time again for a medical check.
The Art of Combining Marketing and Selling
Part 4 – Creating New Business
New business is the best market test to determine your company’s future.
The nature of working is changing - how are organisations adapting?
Increasingly, the office is in many places wherever workers and their wireless laptop happen to be: in a conference room, at home, on a train, on a plane, a hotel, or on-site with a customer.
Mythen der Kontraktlogistik
In der vermeintlichen Boombranche sind nur wenige Unternehmen erfolgreich
- Komplexe Logistikleistungen wachsen nicht wie prognostiziert
- Kunden fragen vor allem Leistungen mit geringer Wertschöpfung nach
- Hohe Akquisitionskosten und kurze Vertragslaufzeiten drücken den Gewinn
- Kombination von Kontraktlogistik auf Basis eigener Produktionssysteme ist die Erfolgsformel
Clash of the titans: When search engines collide
If search engines are the principal devices for business access, then today's search results, which often include a great deal of irrelevant information, are a serious problem.
New ways of working
Too often processes are simplified or re-engineered without fundamentally changing how, where, when or with whom particular tasks are undertaken.
Corporate communications in crisis
The author’s research programme has examined the communications practices of a wide range of companies in key areas such as winning business, building relationships and managing change*.
Creating an entrepreneurial culture
Increasingly, the challenge for companies is to attract potential entrepreneurs and business partners rather than dependent employees.
Developing a corporate learning strategy
Could your organisation derive more benefit from training and development? Do they contribute to key business objectives such as winning new business? If all existing courses were closed down would customers notice or care?
Now is a good time to ask such questions.
Shaping things to come: Strategies for creating alternative enterprises
Colin Coulson-Thomas, author of a new guide* to challenging cherished assumptions and creating new offerings that provide additional choices, argues that businesses must be distinctive and differentiate their offerings to survive.
Managing virtual organizations
Emerging technologies can overcome barriers of function, distance and time, to bring together networks of complementary partners.
Using management methodologies, tools and techniques
Many organizations adopt a variety of management approaches, methodologies, tools and techniques for bringing about significant change.
Price for profit
Why is it that some companies are able to charge more than their competitors for essentially the same product? Colin Coulson-Thomas shows how to command premium prices for your offerings.
The Art of Combining Marketing and Selling
Part 3 – Sales Management and Direction
Your Market Readiness can be easily judged.
Outsourcing: managing relationships not contracts
Outsourcing IT allows a company's IT department to focus on supporting the core strategic areas of their business, rather than "fire-fighting" day-to-day operational IT problems.
The Knowledge Entrepreneur
Many management teams are missing exciting opportunities to transform corporate performance by better exploiting know-how and using job support tools to boost productivity.
Athens International Airport
Delivering operations planning and solution implementation expertise in time for the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games pose a major logistics and infrastructural challenge for the host nation.
Corporate transformation
Some companies succeed.
Why doesn’t anyone want to run a business these days?
Nick Hood, senior London partner at corporate recovery and turnaround specialists Begbies Traynor, discusses why young entrepreneurs are so eager for a quick exit from their business and whether this is a realistic goal.
Winning Competitive Bids
Yet some companies - according to a flow of reports from the Winning Business Research and Benchmarking Programme* - are much more successful than others at winning business.
Taking care of ''middle manager bounce off''
How many times have the management consultants been ‘in’ and after leaving, have left little or no trace of their passing? Despite massive investment there is no discernable performance improvement, the retention figures still look as if we are running a call centre and our safety record is second to everyone.
Best practice – The ten fundamentals
Many corporations like to think that they have best practice processes already in place.
Innovation management: A curtain raiser
It features in IBM’s annual report 45 times; AIG refers to it 15 times in its annual report.
Cyber branding is now a cyber war
Globalization is at a crossroads, and businesses are now entering into a major war.
IT-Dienstleister der Zukunft bieten alles aus einer Hand
Seit mehr als zwei Jahren bekommen die Marktforscher des Beratungshauses Lünendonk bei Umfragen die höchsten Zustimmungswerte für folgende These: "In einigen Jahren werden Unternehmen den Markt dominieren, die integrierte Dienstleistungen - Beratung, Realisierung, Betrieb - aus einer Hand anbieten." Um zu überprüfen, ob Anwender und potentielle Kunden das auch so sehen, wurde im Sommer 2004 eine Multi-Client-Studie gemeinsam mit Accenture, Capgemini, Gedas und IBM Business Consulting Services durchgeführt.
The Art of Combining Marketing and Selling
Part 2 - Your Market Position
You need to choose your Market Position for two reasons.
European Financial Shared Services Organisations Study
Answerthink Europe and The Hackett Group have just published the 3rd joint European Financial Shared Services Study, which identifies a number of compelling trends and baseline metrics about European Shared Services Organisations.
In early summer 2004 more than 450 leading European companies were asked to complete a web-based questionnaire in order to collect the data presented in this report.
The Wal-Martization of E-Commerce
The self-replication of e-commerce has already started, and like an alien blob from another planet it is re-generating and multiplying itself in a fast self-repro-replication-mode.
The art of combining marketing and selling
Part 1 - Your Market Offer
Our Revenue Roadmap helps you to navigate your way from discovering your emerging clients’ needs, right through to growing your profitable revenues.
How to create an account development plan
How to double your profits from your existing customer base
How many companies analyse the cost benefit of winning new customers, by comparison with the cost benefit of Protecting and Growing revenues from their existing ones? For those that do, there can be little doubt that in today’s risk averse business climate, they will find that the return on investment gained from farming the existing client base, far outweighs the return presently being delivered by new business hunting activity.
The Forbidden Fruits & Singing Bananas
The story is so simple and the lesson ever so very clear.
The art of combining marketing and selling
Introduction to the series
Double-digit growth is back after 3 years in the professional services market.
Der 7 Stufenplan zur erfolgreichen ERP-Einführung
So beschreibt die F&M Consulting die erfolgreichen
ERP-Einführungen im produzierenden Mittelstand.
70% eines ERP-Projektes wird allein von dem
Projektmanagement beinflußt.
Die ERP-Systeme und die Anbieter stehen heute in einem
vergeichbaren Wettbewerb.Jedoch Erfolg und Mißerfolg für
die Einhaltung der gesteckten Einführungszeit, dem Budget und
den gewünschten Unternehmenszielen, liegen in der Verantwortung
der internen Projektleitung.
Will Project Management Save Your Company $ Millions
Improving business performance with sound project management will keep your company profitable.
Google phenomenon critical to corporate identity
These newly emerging cyber giants are quietly humming, working and residing in our laptops and other gadgets snug and warm in our pockets.
Multiplicity
When multiplicity is used to advantage it is a vital, extremely powerful and highly beneficial cog in the engine of organizational change.
Making marketing work
Developing new business for management consultancies
Management consultants are asking themselves a tough question: what’s the most effective way to develop new business? Referrals and the networks of senior consultants still work well, but take up valuable fee-earning time and cannot easily be scaled.
Smart steps to help you beat the seven deadly email sins
European research(1) commissioned by palmOne, Inc.
Gesunde Mitarbeiter kann man nicht kaufen
Turnen für die Firma.
Lost in Translation: Corporate Branding
Is your corporate image sending messages of love, hate, profanity or sobriety? No matter how and where you travel, with or without your products or your corporate image, the chances are that a lot of your marketing messages are getting lost in translation as they make their way around the globe.
INNOVATION... WHO CARES?
Exploiting innovation in a strategic, committed and systematic manner is vital to growing sustainable, profitable revenues and survival argues Ivan Snell, managing director, Snell Consultancy.
21st Century Leadership ; Self Awareness – the key to increased personal and organisational performance
What distinguishes truly great leaders from those who are just mediocre is their level of Emotional Intelligence, according to Daniel Goleman, one of the world’s leading authors in this field.
Stakeholder Satisfaction - the Ninja's Return
In my article “Interim Managers, Ninjas and a Road Map in a Downsized World, I introduced the terms “Ronin” and “Ninjas” in the context of the interim management industry.
Effective Leadership
Leadership Concepts have been changing over time, today people are more educated and more aware of what is happening around them.
What’s Hush-Hush Marketing?
Who are these mysterious and secretive executives behind millions of corporate websites?
Less than 3% of websites have truly identifiable and easily accessible components about the principals behind the business.
Total recall or total cock up?
OK, it’s difficult to talk about something like corporate memory without sounding like a self professed marketing guru with a loud voice and an even louder confidence.
How Google Changes The Economics of Marketing
Google’s recent IPO has attracted much attention as a challenge to investment banks hegemony in marketing new equity.
Personaldienstleistungen in Deutschland
Mit der Diskussion um die Hartz-Konzepte stand die Personaldienstleistungsbranche im letzten Jahr wie kaum ein anderer Wirtschaftsbereich im Zentrum der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung.
Outsourcing von Abrechnung und Kundenbetreuung im Kommen
Neben der Auslagerung von IT und Infrastruktur wird das Outsourcing von Billing und Customer Care in den kommenden Jahren in der Telekombranche an Bedeutung zunehmen.
Meeting New Business Challenges - The Next Generation Manager
Are you tired being an average project manager, working on average projects, being passed over for promotion, and getting an average performance review? You need to understand something right now.
Using contractors to create a project team: Legal issues to watch
This is second in a series of articles on business and legal issues confronting independent consultants.
Getting staff back up to speed after a summer holiday
Nick Hood, partner at the UK’s leading independent corporate recovery firm Begbies Traynor, gets to grips with the factors that cause members of staff to suffer from post-holiday blues and suggests some measures managers can take to alleviate their problems.
Lord of the Engines…
Welcome to the newly discovered world of being found via search-engine.
Looking from a wider angle, it seems that the big revolution of “to be searched and to be found” has finally started.
Getting what you expect: Legal issues with client agreements for the independent consultant
This is the first in a series of articles on business and legal issues confronting independent consultants.
Arbeitsproduktivität wächst in Deutschland weiter kräftig, Zuwachsrate sinkt jedoch auf den tiefsten Stand seit einem Jahr
Mit 56.2 signalisierte der Deloitte Produktivitäts-Index für Deutschland, dass die Arbeitsproduktivität im Juli wie schon im Vormonat kräftig gestiegen ist.
Sind ERP Systeme den heutigen Anforderungen des Mittelstandes noch gewachsen??
Getreu dem Motto "system follow process“ werden viele moderne ERP Systeme angepriesen.
Business intelligence implementations - Maximizing ROI
At the same time companies are facing numerous implementation issues and have to constantly review their BI strategy.
Riding the Google Wave
The debate over Google’s flotation price has focused on the profitability of its paid internet searches, and specifically the long-term value of Google’s AdWords service.
Stress and its panacea
We cannot alter people’s basic personalities and so in living with stress we try and adjust as well as possible to all the changes going on about us.
Let's kill the term "IT"
When a great new technology covers the entire spectrum and turns into a common business word, then the obvious question is how to recognize all the other undercurrent evolutions and all new supplemental innovations.
An Executive Abstract on “Wireless Local Loop (WLL) in India”
Wireless Local Loop and its impact on Indian Telecom Services industry growth
The Global Power of WWW
The most powerful three letters in the world today are www. No further explanation is required.
Legally, no one can own a letter.
Tips for successful outsourcing
Understanding where, when and how to successfully outsource, is proving to be one of the most difficult and important business skills needed for deciding a company’s future.
The case for the Chief Change Officer
Let’s use some hypothetical situations to further explore and energize the context and meaning of the Chief Change Officer role.
The pitfalls of losing touch with your heritage
In this electronic age, vital facts and documentation can be lost at the unintentional press of the delete button.
The Human Side of Outsourcing
Best practices for successful outsourcing
In the present economic climate, many companies are turning to outsourcing, often using low-cost offshore locations, in order to boost efficiencies and reduce costs.
Consultants and the Order of Good Cheer
What can you do, given the conditions in your client’s workplace, to make things a little better? Everyone’s situation is different, of course, but there are ways and means, golden rules if you like, to motivate the people around you and create an energized workplace.
Terrorists Are Ready To Attack, Are You Prepared?
Company leaders take notice.
Naming that THING…again?
Naming that new THING is the most critical and extremely controversial part of the innovation cycle.
Unternehmen streben Einsparungen von 15-30% in der Verwaltung an
Studie von Booz Allen Hamilton zeigt: Finanzchefs suchen nach neuen Einsparquellen - Nachfragemanagement, Shared Services und Outsourcing gewinnen an Bedeutung
Ausgelagerte Geschäftsprozesse der OEM´s erdrücken Zuliefererindustrie
Um den administrativen Aufwand zu reduzieren verlagern die Automobilkonzerne gern einige Geschäftsprozesse aus den Bereichen Auftrags-Rechnungswesen und der Logistik in die Zuständigkeit der Zulieferer.
Managing Cost
Using outsourcing to achieve total cost management
In its early years, outsourcing was employed to manage the cost and effectiveness of business and IT, allowing performance to be measured against budget, and vice versa.
Multiplicity – The Curse of the Organizational Change Universe
What is Multiplicity?
It is systemic, endemic and constant.
Interim Managers, “Ninjas” and
a Road-Map in a Downsized World
It is undisputable that we live in a time of rapid change, technologically, as well as socially.
The Problem With Management Dashboards
THE PROBLEM WITH MANAGEMENT DASHBOARDS
Grady Booch, one of the key inventors of the Unified Modeling Language (UML), once wrote: "We use processes because we are afraid." We are afraid that we will produce a product of inferior quality; give our customers poor service; deliver projects late; be unable to fulfil our commitments.
The myths of outsourcing
Adding clarity and reality to market misconceptions
There are many views of the perceived benefits and concerns surrounding outsourcing, but not all are founded on direct experience and truth.
Chuang Tzu on career management for consultants
An ancient Taoist philosopher, Chuang Tzu, has more to say that’s relevant to modern career management for consultants than any other thinker I’ve come across.
Why is ENRON now called PRISMA?
Because a rainbow arches from its HQ all the way to prison
Corporate image is the art of creating true business identities, and projecting them to the subtle minds of the public, all in pursuit to capture their trust in a name.
Interim Managers, 'Ninjas' and a Road Map in a Downsized World
Reflections on change:
It is undisputable that we live in a time of rapid change, technologically, as well as socially.
Taking the First Steps Toward Effective Vendor Relationships - A Company and Vendor Guide
Successful relationships between your company and a product or service vendor will result in maximizing your return on investment.
What makes organizations deliver? – 4 Aces that matter
What makes some organizations tick? There seems to be four key influencing factors (ACES) within organizations that enable some organizations to do better than others?
Articulation, the first ACE, entails defining the basics, such as vision, mission, goals and values for the organisation through a disciplined and collective imagination and introspection by the organisation leaders.
Basel II stellt Banken weltweit weiterhin vor große Herausforderungen
Viele große internationale Banken stehen immer noch vor signifikanten Herausforderungen bei ihren Vorbereitungen auf Basel II.
Neue Arbeitsplätze durch konsequente Fokussierung auf Kernkompetenzen
In den letzten drei Jahren konnten die führenden deutschen produzierenden Unternehmen die Zahl ihrer Arbeitsplätze um acht Prozent ausbauen, obwohl sie etwa 28 Prozent ihrer Wertschöpfung in Niedriglohnländer verlagert haben.
Breaking The Mould
Breaking The Mould, a new book by Peter A Hunter, looks at what had happened to bring about real corporate cultural change, what the effect of that change was and how it can be repeated in any industry following a very simple process.
The Bloodless Evolution
Leadership and Emotional Intelligence.
Supply chain process management collaborative applications
The trend of outsourcing over the last 10 years has dramatically altered corporate structure.
Systeme insgesamt stärker zentralisiert als die unterstützten Geschäftsprozesse
IT-Transformationsprozesse sind von strategischer Bedeutung für Unternehmen.
Fear of taking the outsourcing plunge is unfounded
- European organisations cannot delay on business process outsourcing decisions if they are to remain competitive
Companies who fail to make major process and operational changes through the implementation of business process outsourcing (BPO) could delay potential payback by up to five years, according to the latest report from Capgemini.
Management Myths Revisited
MANAGEMENT MYTH 1: Companies don‘t thrive under autocrats.
That is not always true.
The Panama Canal: Addressing the hidden issues
What's instructive for modern managers and consultants are the hidden issues behind the scope of work involved on the Panama Project.
Top-Manager sind beruflich auf dem Sprung
60% aller Führungskräfte sind bereiter zu einem Wechsel als vor drei Jahren
Arbeitsplatzsicherheit, Arbeitsort und Vergütung bei Stellensuche vergleichsweise unwichtig
Business Intelligence in Deutschland auf dem Vormarsch
Rund 1,1 Milliarden Euro wollen die deutschen Unternehmen noch in diesem Jahr in die intelligente Datenhaltung und -versorgung investieren.
Not another article about marketing to the over 50s
The article takes an irreverent look at the way that the over 50s are discussed in the media and how the arguments about spending marketing resources on the over 50s has become bogged down in trivial, unsubstantiated debate.
It incorporates some interviews that the author will use in a book to be published at the end of the year by Kogan Page.
Energiebranche sieht Deregulierung positiv
Ein optimistisches Zwischenresümee bei den Bemühungen um Deregulierung der internationalen Energiemärkte ziehen die Anbieter von Strom von Gas weltweit.
Mittelständler kritisieren deutsche Standortpolitik
Der deutsche Mittelstand bewertet die eigene wirtschaftliche Lage derzeit als knapp zufrieden stellend.
Developing people for business performance!
When financial decision makers review the books in search of expendable expenditures, one line item always seems vulnerable - employee training!
But spreadsheet shufflers beware: Giving up training can be a perilous move.
Studies have shown that workers who receive regular training from their employers are more productive and develop a stronger sense of company loyalty.
To read our full strategy paper on this subject, click on the weblink below
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Evolving Practices specialises in helping companies to significantly improve the capability and effectiveness of their management teams and employees by providing development tools and training to encourage and develop the essential skills required by key managers today.
Give yourself a name
Derek Vaughan, Managing Director of one of the leading trade associations, The UK Trades Confederation, stresses the importance of SMEs having an individual identity to enhance their place in e-business.
STAKES AND MUTATION OF THE PRINTING INDUSTRY
This report describes the mutation of the printing industry and recommends strategies to face and accompany the changes
Supply Chain Strategy Allignment – Best Practices From Leaders
There are a few ERP vendors who have helped clients in the supply chain arena to put supply chain competency at the very heart of their business model and in creating strategies that have driven additional revenues for both parties.
If a software company is trying to help a client in maintaining its competitive advantage (leader or follower) in the supply chain arena and looking to increase market share, grow profits, and gain strategic advantage, then it needs to look at deploying a competent team having mastery in the changes happening in the supply chain arena.
This article explores the essence of
(1) Three supply chain leaders and
(2) Five key activities that companies (ERP vendors and prospective clients) must undertake in gaining competitive advantage.
Developing best-practice
Integration and Supply Chain Strategy
In order remain competitive firm in the supply chain arena needs to look at doing business over the internet.
How to obtain a Successful Implementation
The overall goal for any software vendor is to have the system implemented as quickly as possible, but the goal of the customer is to achieve maximum knowledge and skill transfer in the process and to achieve the project objectives.
From my research done on the ‘best practices’ I was able to rank each the key success factors in the order of importance to have a successful implementation.
Think twice before taking on Third Parties
Having decided on an ERP package, selecting 3rd parties viz., partners, resellers, free lance contractors etc to assist with your implementation or upgrade will decide between project success or failure.
Does outsourcing mean cost cutting?
A company should look at outsourcing as an integral part of there strategic planning process.
Is your strategy planning and execution process aligned with changing times
Given the volatility in the market place, the company that is focussed and forward looking will win more customers and gain competitive advantage.
VALUE-ADDING TO ACHIEVE PERSONAL SUCCESS
If you wish to propel yourself toward your goals, you must value-add to all of your success-rings every single day.
About Meetings - Part Three
Facilitation, in a nutshell, is a process that enables a team to achieve desired results or outcomes.
About Meetings - Part Two
Before we look at decision-making, and the various approaches to it, we have to set our sights on the four conditions that make for team success.
About Meetings - Part One
If we’re going to tackle the business of making meetings effective, we have to deal with three vitally inter-related issues: the logistics of meetings, the people and teams that are associated with them, and the various ways to facilitate and optimize the purpose behind the meetings.
Innovation in Professional Services Delivery
Although the output from some areas – advertising, architects, design etc – is sometimes creative, the way in which the sector operates and the way in which the output is generally delivered is far less innovative than other industries.
e-Collaboration: Zusammenarbeit im Internet
Als e-Collaboration bezeichnet man die internetbasierte Zusammenarbeit mehrerer Personen in einem virtuellen Team.
The Challenge of the Private Providers
Understanding the philosophy of a learning organisation is one thing and becoming one is quite another.
Scannergestützte Logistiklösung, Geschäftsprozesse biometrisch abgesichert.
Mit Hilfe der Scannertechnik wurden im PPS-System PPS-BioScan mehrere Fliegen mit einer Klappe erschlagen.
1.
Kunden von Informations- und Kommunikationsleistungen (B2B) fokussieren wieder auf geschäftliches Wachstum - Trends im Channel Management
Kunden von High-Tech-Unternehmen legen bei der Beschaffung von Informations- und Kommunikationsleistungen im Business to Business Segment (B2B) besonderen Wert auf eine gesteigerte Vertriebseffizienz, Kostensenkung und branchenspezifische Lösungen.
Accordion Lessons: mobile enterprise apps for real people
Discusses the typical design of PDA applications for mobile situations and why they can be sub-optimal for their target environments.
“Partnering with a purpose”
Can your company pass the Strategic Partnering Readiness Exam?
In this day and age of corporate downsizing or rightsizing, call it what you will, there is a significant by-product that is being created within all organizations.
The Hidden Revenue Drivers in Sales and Account Management
Part 6: Building selling teams and managing alliance partners
Most professional services sales involve complex issues and complex decision making for your Client.
Unternehmenslenker massiv unter Druck - Jeder zweite CEO-Wechsel in Europa wegen mangelhafter Leistung
In jedem zehnten Top-Unternehmen verließen 2003 CEOs im deutschsprachigen Raum ihren Posten, global lag die Rate mit 9,5% erstmals etwas niedriger.
Bewerben per Mail und mit Web-Formularen
Chatprotokoll vom 11.05.2004,
job-chance-berlin.de & Gerhard Winkler (jova-nova.com).
Understanding Your Total Cost of Change
Most organisations today are aware of the importance of clear and efficient business proc-esses for achieving their corporate goals.
Stromausfälle sind die größte Sorge der Energieversorger in aller Welt
Nach den großen Stromausfällen von New York, London und Mailand im vergangenen Jahr ist die Furcht vor weiteren Betriebsstörungen bei den Energieunternehmen in aller Welt gestiegen.
Difference between clients versus stakeholders
A well-managed organization is effective.
What does it mean to be effective?
An organization is effective when it fulfills the purpose of its existence.
Interactive and experiential learning to increase Business Performance
Recent research by Capgemini's illustrates that the consulting industry continues to undergo considerable change with clients perceiving a decrease in consulting talent below the senior level.
The mysteries and future of websites
Websites have just completed a full circle of a hard struggle, and somehow survived where other traditional marketing tools and old principals failed big time.
The Hidden Revenue Drivers in Sales and Account Management
Part 5: How to Unlock Account Revenue Potential
Excellent account management translates your business strategy in to satisfaction for your client and profitable revenues for you.
Resümee zum 4. Jahrestreffen der Automobil-Supplier 3.3.04
Zum 4.
Die EU-Beitrittsstaaten stellen sich vor
Am 1.
Post-implementation cross-functional teams
The article discusses the advantages of creating cross-functional ERP teams after going live on a new ERP system.
In Hessen herrscht die beste Wirtschaftsstimmung
Die Stimmung unter den Unternehmern der Republik hat sich seit vergangenen Herbst verbessert, wird aber insgesamt noch negativ bewertet.
The migration of jobs is happening.
Should it? Do we want it?
The reality is that there is the migration of jobs from the US to developing countries - India, China, and Mexico, for example, and that there is higher unemployment in the US because of this migration.
What do Energy, Intention, Horses and Leadership have in
common?
LEADERSHIP requires energy, communication, purpose and skill.
Coaching for Results
Der Artikel ist ein Einführung in eine pragmatische Coachingtechnologie.
Part 4: The Sales Manager’s Revenue Initiatives
The hidden revenue drivers in sales and account management
After setting the sales strategy, organising the sales resources and defining the sales targets, what else can the Sales Manager do that will actually help to increase sales revenues? The busy Sales Manager can be very ‘busy’ doing the wrong things.
Interesse an Fusionen und Übernahmen in der IT- Industrie kehrt zurück
Deutsche IT-Unternehmen zeigten im vergangenen Jahr eine wachsende Bereitschaft zu Unternehmenskäufen oder Zusammenschlüssen: Die Zahl der Transaktionen, bei denen deutsche IT-Unternehmen als Käufer auftraten, stieg im Vergleich zum Vorjahr um 11 Prozent auf 108.
IAS/IFRS 2005 - Kapitalmarktorientierte Unternehmen in Deutschland
Mit der im Juni 2002 verabschiedeten IAS-Verordnung sind sämtliche kapitalmarktorientierten und konsolidierungspflichtigen Unternehmen in Europa verpflichtet, ihren Konzernabschluss nach IAS/IFRS aufzustellen.
Kulturengagement von Unternehmen – Integrierter Teil der Strategie?
Welche strategischen Ziele verfolgen Unternehmen in Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz mit ihrem kulturellen Engagement? Führt ein Kulturengagement zu Wettbewerbsvorteilen? Wofür engagieren sich Unternehmen und wer entscheidet darüber? Diesen Fragen geht eine Studie des Schweizerischen Instituts für Kunstwissenschaft (SIK) und Roland Berger Strategy Consultants nach.
Consulting: It's all about expectations!
Consulting business is about managing the clients expectations during the discovery, defining and delivery stage of assignments.
Introduction to writing space ads that boost your business
Space ads are the advertisements you see in newspapers and magazines.
How to get connected with potential clients
If you want to get deep about it, I believe that isolation is the core obstacle to self-promotion.
The Hidden Revenue Drivers in Sales and Account Management (Part III)
Part 3 Control your Sales Pipeline before it controls you
Executive Summary
The Sales Pipeline will end up controlling you if it is inaccurate or full of the wrong type of opportunities - these are very different problems.
Assisting Not for Profits in Restructuring Its Governance Structure
Presents a framework for assisting not for profit organizations in implementing Sarbanes Oxley governance requirements.
EU-Erweiterung: Umsatzsteueränderungen beachten!
Viele deutsche Unternehmen, die in Osteuropa tätig sind, sind noch nicht ausreichend auf die neuen Umsatzsteuerregelungen vorbereitet, die sich aus der Erweiterung der Europäischen Union ergeben.
Große Preisunterschiede für Bank-Dienstleistungen in Europa
Die Preise für alltägliche Bankdienstleistungen weisen in Europa länderspezifisch starke Unterschiede auf.
Why not brand for an entire century?
Now a new routine emerges as savvy marketers enjoy Cyber-Branding using Network Solution’s latest offer of $1000 USD to secure a domain name for an entire century.
Wow, it’s a bargain of the century...it’s only 3 cents per day.
LiveTeam - das virtuelle Projektbüro im Internet
LiveTeam ist eine gemeinsame Arbeitsplattform im Internet, die es Projektteams ermöglicht, jederzeit und unabhängig vom Standort auf Informationen und projektspezifische Dokumente zuzugreifen
Updating the Balanced Scorecard Metaphor
It’s much more than just a dashboard
Metaphors matter.
EU Erweiterung bietet langfristig Chancen für die europäische Life Sciences Industrie
Die europäische Pharmaindustrie wird auf lange Sicht von der Erweiterung der Europäischen Union um zehn Staaten am 1.
Kundenbindung durch After Sales Management
Bei vielen Produkten, auch im Markt für Endkunden, wird der After-Sales Service gar nicht mehr vom Hersteller selbst durchgeführt.
How To Be A Persuasive Leader
Do you have a hard time convincing people of your point of view ? Do you think you could be more effective if you were more persuasive? Well, people are not born persuasive, it's a skill that must be developed.
How Do You Handle Blame
Everybody makes mistakes.
Knowledge is Power, Expertise is Priceless
In the world of IT, expertise is the ticket to success.
The Hidden Revenue Drivers in Sales and Account Management
Part 2 Aligning the Sales Model, Sales Processes and Sales Management
The title of this article assumes that there is a ‘Sales Model’.
Internationalisierung entscheidend für die Zukunft von Bahnunternehmen
Die Top-Manager europäischer Eisenbahnverkehrs-unternehmen sind sich einig - 97 Prozent meinen, dass nur international aufgestellte Unternehmen dauerhaft im kontinentalen Wettbewerb bestehen können.
Deutschland hat Nachholbedarf bei Dienstleitungen
Die Verlagerung von Arbeitsplätzen ins Ausland, in Nearshore-Standorte in Osteuropa oder in Offshore-Standorte wie Indien und China, ist längst ökonomisch bedingte Realität.
"You're fired” really?
Donald Trump is the living legend with one of the greatest surname of our period.
Trump, a superb name brand that fits like a glove to his personality and his business
empire is my hero.
What comes first the chicken or the egghead?
Any board worth its salt wants to see and understand how something is going to produce the required return, which ultimately means saving the company money, or making the company more money.
Re-inventing the consultancy value chain
Differences and Similarities Between Not-For-Profits and For-Profits in the Adizes Lifecycle Model
Not-for-profits that must raise money in order to survive and serve the community have the same lifecycle as for-profit organizations.
Managing Change Successfully: Geronimo
He’s the true and quintessential change master: Geronimo.
IT-Trends 2004
Technik allein löst noch kein Problem - auf die richtige Verknüpfung kommt es an.
Strom- und Gasindustrie: Volumen der Fusionen und Übernahmen halbierte sich in 2003 nahezu
Die Fusionen und Übernahmen (Mergers & Acquisitions, kurz: M&A) in der Strom- und Gaswirtschaft sind im Jahr 2003 weltweit, vor allem aber in Europa, stark zurück gegangen.
Managing Risks in Offshoring
The destruction of top execs or even companies is not a stop in their doings…
Competitive Strategy in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
An important and sometimes overlooked factor that distinguishes one company from another in the pharmaceutical industry is strategic planning.
The Hidden Revenue Drivers in Sales and Account Management
Sales Managers today know that order taking has been replaced by the need to sell effectively.
Communication Strategies for Leading Teams
Dr.
It’s a good thing…corporate image is only a house of cards…
Shakespeare and the Business Connection
Most organizations that are in business to make money would profit from business insights taken from Shakespeare.
Humphrey Bogart on Management
There’s something about a classic film that never ages.
A fundamentally different approach to consulting and coaching for change: action learning, executive coaching, internal networking
Setting the pace for greater results!
Insights into a leadership development
and multicultural change intervention
that delivered significant business results in the automotive industry:
Shorter time to market of new products,
high quality in development,
cost efficiency, better product margins,
on-time SOP's and fast ramp up phases.
3 fundamentals:
Action Learning, Executive Coaching, Internal Networking
Case study
A fundamentally different approach to consulting and coaching for change: action learning, executive coaching, internal networking
Setting the pace for greater results!
Insights into a leadership development
and multicultural change intervention
that delivered significant business results in the automotive industry:
Shorter time to market of new products,
high quality in development,
cost efficiency, better product margins,
on-time SOP's and fast ramp up phases.
3 fundamentals:
Action Learning, Executive Coaching, Internal Networking
Case study
“Pay As You Go” IT Services and the Information Utility
“Pay As You Go” (PAYG) IT Services providers can play a major role in business transformation, but users must understand PAYG IT, recognize its value and overcome obstacles to its effective use.
BSPs Will Impact Business Process Outsourcing
Business Service Provisioning is an emerging model for delivery of
business functions by an external service provider.
A.T. Kearney veröffentlicht Globalization Index
Deutschland bleibt bei Globalisierung Mittelmaß
Die internationale Top-Managementberatung A.T.
Kollaboration in der IT stärkt den Mittelstand
Kleine IT-Abteilungen sind zunehmend gefordert: Sie stehen einerseits ge-stiegenen Anforderungen gegenüber, wie der Einführung von neuen IT-Systemen, sollen aber andererseits Kosten einsparen.
Conflict Management Strategy Revealed
Conflict is inevitable.
Building a Superior Corporate Culture
Being better, faster, and cheaper is no longer good enough to give you an advantage over your competitors.
Are You a Manager or Leader
Today's manager is being replaced by someone with strong leadership skills.
Conflict Management Strategy Revealed
Conflict is inevitable.
Building a Superior Corporate Culture
Being better, faster, and cheaper is no longer good enough to give you an advantage over your competitors.
Automated Expense and Timesheet Management
While the focus on optimizing the logistic and production processes remains strong, optimization of administrative costs need similar attention.
Why do business development projects fail?
I have grouped the causes of failure up into 9 families.
Yes but… Irrationality & The Irrational in Project Management
Picture the scene a start date, an end date, a time box, a business case, a problem, a load of resources, people, a budget, methodology and a box full of project management tools.
Is It Time to Take the “Spin” Out
of Employee Communication?
In the effort to engage employees, build strong brands and improve company performance, few business processes are as important as organizational communication.
World Class Sales Organisation Characteristics
For the purposes of this insight SalesPathways define World Class as people and / or Organisations that are known internationally for their ability to achieve and maintain a position among the top performers in their field.
BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING-WHERE DOES RECRUITMENT FIT IN
A new buzzword in the Industry forums these days is Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO).
The Demise of Quality
How leaders kill quality by having their cake and trying to eat it too
Is quality dead? The early 1980’s heralded the resurgence of quality as a survival issue in the manufacturing sector, primarily automotive.
Coaching for Success
This article provides some basic guidelines for coaching.
Frauen im Profil
Die Einstellungen der jungen Frauen in Deutschland haben sich grundlegend verändert.
Customer Relationship Management – The New Differentiating Tool for Communication Service Providers
The 1990s will be remembered as a key inflection point in the communications industry.
Thriving in Turbulent Times
The ease of changing mortgage has increased to the point that most customers with larger mortgages see it as completely natural to re-mortgage several times within the lifetime of their property.
Diamonds at the soles of your shoes
Truly sustainable profit growth – that Holy Grail of corporate endeavour – is best achieved through the systematic analysis of the people, processes and technology that lie at the heart of an organisation.
When vision is translated into practical strategy and an ethos of business improvement, management teams are assured of much more handsome returns.
So you wanna get a job in Consulting? Well I do!
Perhaps it's the abundance of frequent flyer miles and business-class airline seating.
Why do substandard employees buy substandard alarm clocks?
Kanada und Australien weltweit günstigste Investitionsstandorte
Die Kosten für Ansiedlung und Unterhalt des Geschäftsbetriebs sind für Unternehmen in Kanada oder Australien deutlich niedriger als in den USA.
All About Henry Ford and Hidden Competencies
One business story that made a lot of sense to me was when a visitor to Henry Ford’s plant chided him for the way one of his managers sat dreamily back in his chair with his hands behind his head and his feet crossed upon his desk.
Windows, was always wide open for possible conflict
Now Lindows gets a momentary warm breeze
US-Unternehmen beherrschen zunehmend Welt-märkte - Europa kämpft mit Strukturproblemen
Europa kämpft mit strukturellen Problemen, und die erwarteten Vorteile des Binnenmarktes kommen noch nicht zum Tragen.
Leadership's Most Vital T-A-S-K
How to lead your organization towards greater innovation in today's chaotic business world
Organizational dynamics today are bordering on the chaotic.
The Tetris Effect
If you have ever experienced the delights of computer games, either as a child or parent, then you will know about Tetris.
Are You a Manager or Leader
Today's manager is being replaced by someone with strong leadership skills.
Governance of Project Management
Corporate governance is defined in the preamble to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s principles as involving “a set of relationships between a company's management, its board, its shareholders and other stakeholders.
3G: The Future Is Now
The jury may be out on what will be the “killer applications” for 3G, but there are some basics that operators need to put in place to ensure success & sustained growth with their new networks.
Closing the Loop with Results-Based Accountability:
How San Francisco is Linking
Outcomes-Based Program Evaluation to Strategic Planning for Children, Youth and Their Families
This paper examines a multi-year process, still underway, led by the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF), to establish a citywide results-based
accountability framework for improving children, youth and family services in the city of San Francisco.
Referencing the literature on results-based accountability (RBA) and outcomes-based planning and evaluation, the paper uses San Francisco as a case study to illustrate how one
locality proceeded with an ambitious, multi-level systems change effort.
Starting in 1998, DCYF undertook a systems-wide process of utilizing RBA to understand and influence decisions affecting children and youth funding issues in the city.
Online Patient-Provider Communication Tools: An Overview
Case studies on the use of secure and integrated online messaging tools, developments in the reimbursement arena and newly published liability and privacy guidelines are leading more physician practices to consider communicating online with their patients.
For practices that lack office-based clinical systems, the use of stand-alone patient communication tools can actually improve physician productivity and generate revenue without the complexity and cost of an electronic medical record (EMR).
A New Technology for Addressing the Shortcomings of Paper-Based Workflows
Although too often overlooked, transaction documents (i.e.
How to Sell to a CIO
Selling technology is probably one of the most difficult jobs on earth.
Surrey business consultancy pioneers
workplace learning – by telephone
Everyone in the office is busy, heads are down.
Top Tips on Partnering for Business Success
Ensuring effective selling
Proactive management of the salesforce is rare.
Where management fads fail
British business has seen many management fads over the years.
Was ändert sich in 2004?
Das kommende Jahr bringt für Unternehmer und Privatpersonen Änderungen mit sich.
Basel II: Herausfordung für das IT-Management
Für Unternehmen, die Kredite benötigen, brechen ab 2006 neue Zeiten an: Unternehmen müssen ihrer Bank belegen können, dass ihre Finanzkraft und ihre wirtschaftliche Zukunft auf einem soliden Fundament stehen.
The Authentic Leader: Losing the Mask
Leadership authenticity is the wild card in leadership development
In a previous article (see The Focused Leader) we talked about developing a powerful and inspiring focus.
A Bangladeshi Orientation for Consultants
One of the greatest difficulties in international project work is that critical interface where two cultures connect- or, in some instances, collide.
Mastering the Manager Role
Managerial Mischief
Why does the role of the manager seem to involve so much mischief?
Lack of clarity, lack of definition, lack of focus.
Smoking In The Workplace: A Consultant's Perspective To Value Lost! - February 2004
C2B is in 5 sections this month:
This Research was designed to provide society, workers and corporations vital information about:
1.
Management By Playing Golf: The Consultant's Guide to Becoming CEO - January 2004
C2B is in 5 sections this month:
1.
Location, Location, Location…
It is all about location, all over again
Today, e-commerce, is like a huge ocean, very deep, very wide and rough, here, if your website's
identity is successful only then it is floating on it and is highly visible to customers, otherwise it is submerged like a submarine, caught in some mysterious undercurrents or worst if it is parked at the bottom, lying beside Titanic.
Digital Hospitals Move Off the Drawing Board
These are challenging times for the hospital industry.
Challenges with Offshore Business Process Outsourcing
More than half of the world's top 500 companies outsource work to offshore locations.
Wachstum mit kalkuliertem Risiko
Weltweit sehen CEOs wieder verstärkt Wachstumspotenziale für ihre Unternehmen, sind sich aber bewusst, dass sie größere Risiken eingehen müssen, um diese auch auszuschöpfen.
Is Your Team Stuck in "P"? - Questions (and answers) that will help you become unstuck
Sometimes teams struggle when it comes to taking action.
The Focused Leader: One BIG idea + One BIG Crisis
In a previous article (see The Five Key Facets of Quality Leadership), we discussed various facets of leadership that lead to breakthrough performance.
The Talent Revolution: Succeeding in the talent economy
This report discovers how organisations are capturing, harnessing and developing talent.
What is the one thing NOT to do when your business/department/area/project is going down or is not doing so well?
I thought I would give here a formula that has worked very well for me in the past 5 years.
Smart, Successful Scotland?
Das Ranking der renommiertesten Unternehmen 2003
Bei den Unternehmen hält General Electric vor Microsoft und Toyota die Spitzenposition, während die Einstufung von DaimlerChrysler, BMW, Volkswagen und Porsche unter die fünfzig weltweit renommiertesten Unternehmen die internationale Bedeutung und Reputation der deutschen Automobilindustrie unterstreicht.
Finanzinvestoren auf dem Vormarsch
Die Anzahl der Investitionen von Beteiligungsgesellschaften in deutsche Unternehmen ist im Jahr 2003 deutlich gestiegen: um 19 Prozent von 59 auf 70 Transaktionen.
How to develop a personal vision
Are you a visionary? Or do you prefer to spend your time in the here and now, solving problems and getting on with things? Achieving a balance between 'dreaming' about a desired future state and living in the current state is difficult.
Organizational Self Assessments: The breakfast of champions
How Organizational Self Assessments, and the feedback you get from them, can put you on the road to success
This article discusses how Organizational Self Assessments can make the difference between winning and losing, and the key elements you need to include in order to make them work for you.
How to become a great leader - Five steps that will change your life
Have you ever had a boss who simply didn't get it? You know, the type who had no vision, no focus, no clue?
Many bosses find themselves in leadership positions without ever having consciously made the choice to become a leader, let alone a great leader.
Pricing for profit
Why is it that some companies and consultants manage to charge higher prices
for their products and services than others?
Pricing decisions impact directly upon sales revenues and profitability.
Charge too much and orders are lost, while charging too little erodes
margins and may give the impression that offerings are of low quality.
Obtaining and sustaining higher prices ought to be a top priority of both
entrepreneurs and consultants.
Portfolio Working – Plural careers prove to be a singular success
Opportunities for management consultants considering leaving corporate life have never been greater but a new survey shows that many of those making the leap are unprepared for the challenges.
The survey carried out by IDDAS (Independent Direction Directors Advisory Service) and exec-appointments.com, found many senior executives were
satisfied, in control and enjoying the freedom and variety of an independent career.
Are you a trustworthy coach or consultant?
...If you are to grow professionally your own trustworthiness
will need to develop, find expression, be recognised by others, and become part of
your reputation.
Outsourcing bringt Industrieunternehmen Kostenvorteile und verbessertes Risikomanagement
Im Bereich der Energieversorgung ist die Verlagerung oder Aufteilung von Risiken durch langfristige Verträge mit Komplett-Vor-Ort-Anbietern besonders attraktiv, weil die Investitionskosten hier generell sehr hoch sind.
Restrukturierung in Deutschland
Reagiert das Management schon bei ersten Anzeichen einer Krise konsequent und im Einvernehmen mit den Arbeitnehmervertretern, stehen die Chancen für einen erfolgreichen Turnaround gut.
Top Ten Tips for Improving the Quality of Your Work Life
We all desire a work experience that can fit neatly with our personal lives.
7 Ways to Improve the Chances of Your Strategy Succeeding
Like most strategic maps, yours is probably missing some important details.
Are You a Leader or a Manager?
Take the leadership challenge.
Supporting the Mobile Workforce
Driven by substantial price reductions in handheld computer systems made possible by this explosion of portable information devices and by the increasing use of wireless technology, more companies are connecting their frontline workers to complete transactions at the point of sale or service.
Trust or bust?
The point is that we need to trust in the basic functionality of a product or service, but we have
come a long way past that.
Does your organisation make consistent decisions?
Imagine what the impact would be if your organisation made more timely and consistent decisions.
Zum Erfolg im Jobinterview braucht man
In erster Linie trägt wohl Ich-Stärke zum Gesprächserfolg bei.
Unternehmensbefragung zur Kundenwertorientierung im
Industriegütermarketing und -vertrieb
Kundenwertorientierung ist ein wichtiger Pfeiler für
Kundenbeziehungsstrategien.
Multiply your meeting effectiveness
Talk to most people and they would agree with you that more time is lost annually in poorly run meetings than in strikes, downtime, travel, injuries, illness or any other causes that you can care to think of.
In All Truthfulness: Achieving support for your mission, vision and strategy
Have you ever written a letter, memo or report that you never intended to send to someone? You may have done this in order to blow off steam or even to apologize for some wrongdoing on your part.
Thinking to Coach? Coach to Think! - 7 tips for moving people beyond acquiring knowledge to gaining wisdom
Coaching is now regarded as a key competency for leaders, educators and consultants to acquire and master.
Curiosity Skills the Company
This CIO advocates fostering curiosity among IT workers as a means to boosting IT's overall value to your company or client.
Answer the Call
Despite the sluggish economy and stalled job market, the future of worldwide business isn't hopeless to those workers who evolve with the times.
When To Turn Up The Heat
Don't wait for the last minute; use deadlines wisely to move projects forward and keep quality high.
Technology to business alignment
However, not taking any action to align IT with business is nowadays likely to have serious – and costly – consequences.
Listen Up...and Speak Out!
If you were to ask leaders or members of a team where the barriers are within their work place, the response you would likely get would be related to the lack of processes within the organization to improve the quality and effectiveness of communication.
The Footsteps of Change
Can organizational change really be managed? There are many experts (and highly paid consultants) out there who think it can, but research has shown that many efforts at change, especially large scale change, such as organizational transformation and reengineering, fall far short of expectations.
The New Accountability: Part 2
This article continues the discussion around accountability in organizations and how managers can shed the command and control aspects of the old style of accountability in favor of a more humane way of managing, which the author calls 'the new accountability'.
Letter from Dominica - A HR audit (Part 3 of 3)
We’ve accomplished a lot since my last letter.
The CIO as Coach
This article posits that the successful CIO will not simply listen to the customer, but will lead the business to the end results, and offers six guidelines for doing so.
IT-Controlling - IT-Kennzahlen - DV-Controlling
Welche IT-Kennzahlen benötigt ein CIO um seine Kosten effektiv steuern zu können? In vielen Unternehmen sind die Kosten der IT erstaunlich intransparent, unübersichtlich und schwer mit Marktzahlen zu vergleichen.
IT Outsourcing - Initative zeigen!
Klare Richtungsvorgaben sind gefragt, wenn Unternehmen vom IT Outsourcing profitieren wollen.
Making Money in Japan
Japan is regarded as a very challenging market.
Heaven and hell of mergers and acquisitions
A glance at the business press nowadays reveals a new trend of mergers and acquisitions.
As the champagne corks pop in anticipation of product synergies, cost benefits and global
presence, inevitably, the post merger task forces overlook the human side of successful
cooperations.
Even if the spirit is willing, the lack of experience and knowledge and the often relatively
weak strategic position of Human Resource Departments means, that “soft issues” lack
strong support within the organisations.
New merger mania faces new mirrors on the wall
As mergers start to take off, realignment of these newly stirred corporate philosophies must be properly captured and correctly projected through their new corporate name personas to ensure long term investor’s confidence in turbulent marketplaces.
First, we must know precisely how corporations and their branding tackle new names germination.
Quality Improvement: A Front Line View
In many industries and business sectors there has been an evolution over the past fifteen years and a distinct shift from the 'quality assurance' approach to the broader, more encompassing 'quality improvement' concept.
In spite of the broad recognition and adaptation to continuous quality improvement, there continues to be a challenge within organizations to fully integrate this approach with the work of front line staff.
How To Achieve Focus, Alignment, Accountability and Results
Traditional approaches to strategy development and implementation are giving way to a more focused, streamlined approach that requires strong, determined leadership.
The New Accountability: Part 1
This articles discusses accountability in organizations and how managers can shed the command and control aspects of the old style of accountability in favor of a more humane way of managing, which the author calls 'the new accountability'.
Outsource, or not outsource your VoIP?
According to NetCentrex, the widespread availability of broadband connectivity is changing the telecommunications landscape.
Letter from Dominica - A HR audit (Part 2 of 3)
In my last letter I said that I’d tackle the ways in which a performance management or appraisal system can be a powerful and non-threatening organizational tool.
How to make mergers and acquisitions work, approach it with some attitude.
Mergers and acquisitions, are still failing to deliver value but a recent study by CASS Business School suggests that it is the initial deal attitude that determines success or failure of the transaction.
Marketing ROI: How to set goals, develop plans, measure & quantify results
Many people believe that marketing, branding & communications are all about creating “buzz” or increasing visibility & awareness of an organization’s product or service offerings -- an intangible “investment” that cannot be measured or justified.
In these days of shrinking profits and corporate belt-tightening, if a person or a team’s contributions cannot be measured or justified in relation to profits, it is considered a non-essential expense.
Maintenance: Expense or Investment?
You've cut maintenance staff for the past two years.
Wirtschaftskriminalität in Deutschland 2003/2004
Wirtschaften ist kein wertfreies Handeln, Wirtschaften kann aber schnell zu wertlosem Handeln
werden.
Outsourcing to India - An expert view
India currently exports software to some 95 countries around the globe and 185 of the Fortune 500 companies have outsourced some part of their software requirement to India.
Key Steps in Collaborative Problem Solving
Conflict is an inevitable part of life - in working relationships and personal relationships.
Building the Right Model for Managing Change
This article discusses the need for a customized approach to managing change.
Unleash The Leaders In Your Midst
Not every manager becomes a leader, and not every person who makes the decision to be a leader needs to become a manager.
Letter from Dominica - A HR audit (Part 1 of 3)
Let’s face it.
The importance of good premises
In general, why do employees who possess houses and cars, who use modern appliances, wear expensive clothes and take expensive vacations, still behave as if they were exploited? Are they lacking some awareness? Should they be persuaded to the contrary?
The answer to these questions lies in replacing Marx’s wrong premise with the right one.
Is Your Human Resources Professional A True Practitioner?
Are You Receiving Value For Your HR
Personnel.
Online Marketing Benchmarks - Setting realistic goals and how to achieve them
For any marketer there are some fundamental questions you will want to answer when looking at online as a marketing medium:
How can you market online?
What metrics should you be looking at?
What results should you be expecting to get?
In this brief guide we’ll look first at the online marketer’s ‘toolbox’ – the approaches, tools and techniques that can be used in online marketing.
Are you firing on all cylinders? - A CRM checklist
Various analysts put the success rate of CRM as low as 40%.
'What I Really Meant Was...'
How operational definitions can improve communications and manage expectations
Most people will roll their eyes when someone suggests that they take time out of their busy days to engage in a discussion regarding definitions around the various buzzwords in circulation today (sometimes referred to as 'operational definitions').
Planning as Doing
Business planning has come of age.
Leading High Performance Organizations
Leaders in high performance organizations know that they must excel in every aspect of their business.
Future-proofed R&D cost reduction - A discussion paper for senior executives with a technology dimension to their role
Many organisations today face this familiar dilemma: they believe (or know) they are spending more on R&D than their competitors, or recognise that all of the players in their industry are spending too much on R&D compared with the benefits delivered.
Take an early bite of the cherry; 80% growth by 2005 in voice outsourcing
A new report by independent market analysts Datamonitor (DTM.L) says demand for outsourced voice solutions amongst enterprises globally is set to rise considerably within the next two years.
Is the ‘top-down’ approach the only way to implement a unified, national b2b
ePayments system?
An exploration of the’top-down’ versus ‘bottom-up’ stakeholder management, commercial and technical issues surrounding the development of business-to-business (b2b)
ePayment systems within a nation state.
TeamPlace - das virtuelle Projektbüro im Internet
TeamPlace ist eine gemeinsame Arbeitsplattform im Internet, die es Projektteams ermöglicht, jederzeit und unabhängig vom Standort auf Informationen und projektspezifische Dokumente zuzugreifen
Building sustainable change capability - the enduring competitive edge
This 20 page changefirst report provides a very practical overview of the growing challenges facing change leaders and describes the key barriers to maximizing benefits realisation from major changes.
Creating Customer Loyalty: The Customer Loyalty Grid™
What makes a loyal customer? One who speaks loudly and with fervor about your organization, telling others how you have made a real and positive difference in their lives? In a word...expectations.
Leadership: Are You "Playing Small"?
Being a leader is a decision, not a position.
How To Translate Strategy Into Tactics
Q: "We are an operations function of a large healthcare organization.
Expertenstreit: Outsourcing und das Ende des schlanken Betriebes
In den neunziger Jahren galt er als das Ideal: der ,schlanke Betrieb', der zahlreiche Aufgaben an Fremdfirmen delegiert und ganze Abteilungen aufgibt und auslagert, im Managerjargon "Outsourcing" genannt.
The sustainable and socially responsible development challenge -
Transforming environmental and social costs into investments
It is today generally accepted that the future and wellbeing of humanity depend also on the capability of industry to meet the challenge of a sustainable and socially responsible development.
Quantum Intuition - boosting creativity and reducing stress
For many years now western culture has been dominated by an engineering approach to the world based on the concept of logical thought.
Offshore Outsourcing: A key element of the new economy
Karl Marx argued, of course, that capital seeks out the lowest-cost labour in the international market.
The Eternally Successful Team
Everyone I speak with agrees with the concept of 'teamwork', yet eyes glaze over when the topic is discussed in a vacuum.
The Balanced Scorecard in Government
Ever since the early nineties when Kaplan and Norton introduced the concept of the Balanced Scorecard, organizations have been quick to adapt the approach.
The Five Key Facets of High Performance Leadership
Many people in leadership positions struggle with understanding what makes a great leader.
Application Outsourcing
Biggest Challenge is not whether to outsource or not ?It is what to outsource to ensure my risks are mitigated and still get est business benefits
Franchising als Chance für KMU, Start-ups und Unternehmer
Der Siegeszug des Franchising als effiziente Marktexpansions-Methode ist weltweit ungebremst.
Squeezing more out of a saturated mobile market
With mobile penetration reaching saturation levels in many markets, is there scope for future value growth? Does 3G have a role to play in enabling operators to raise revenue ceilings? What market strategy should operators be focusing on during this transition phase to recreate value for their shareholders?
Critical Success Factor (Part 7 of 7) - Practising and taking massive intelligent action on your new found knowledge
How many courses/ workshops and seminars have you been on and when you got outside you may have had a flat tyre and when you got back to the office a crisis was about to ensue? Then three weeks later we find a workbook in the bottom of our case and we remember oh that was a good course but I have done nothing about it.
Beyond the basics of project management
So if you are following the basics of good project management, why aren’t things working out the way the plan says they should?
Marketing, the Web and the 50+ Consumer (4 of 4)
Make the Web ‘50+ friendly’
Historically, marketing has all but ignored the 50+ consumer in the belief that their buying habits are conservative and difficult to change.
Communication - its more than a simple word game
You may be interested to see my research, which measured the post merger performance of firms against the clarity and breadth of their external communications during the M&A process.
A Five Star naming standard - a quick test
There are three types of business names, Healthy, Injured or on Life-Support.
Where have all the managers gone? A personal view of downshifting in the IT industry
Specific characteristics of the IT industry and of our working lives in the 21st century may explain why IT managers in their mid 40's to retirement age are a rare species.
Strategic Outsourcing
Kostenreduzierung und -kontrolle sind gegenwärtig und in den nächsten Jahren weiterhin die Hauptgründe, warum Unternehmen ihre IT auslagern.
Institute Commentaries on World Change™ August 2003
Across nine years of publication, the July 2003 RED FLAG executive letter appears has become our most shared and redistributed issue.
Critical Success Factor (Part 6 of 7)- Ramping up the referral
Once your referral volunteer has given you some high quality referrals you need more than their name and telephone number in order to make sure the first contact is as effective as possible.
Institute Commentaries on World Change™ July 2003
Of particular importance, we urge this issue be studied carefully for implications on the missions, objectives, strategies and people within your own enterprises.
Simultaneous Venturing: Damit Ihr Start-up Projekt nicht zum Albtraum wird!
Viele Gründer und Start-up Teams haben bereits viel Zeit, Geld und Energie in aufwendige Prototypentwicklungen investiert und stehen nun vor dem Problem der Finanzierung mittels Risikokapital.
Institute Commentaries on World Change™ May-June 2003
CEOs and Governance Boards are struggling against an extraordinary world event array within which they are tasked with choosing which element, which event, which dynamic must receive specific personal focus and relatively constant attention.
The 5 phases of good redundancy management
Redundancy is never a circumstance that anyone wishes to manage.
Marketing, the Web and the 50+ Consumer (Part 3 of 4)
Cruise but don’t surf
Historically, marketing has all but ignored the 50+ consumer in the belief that their buying habits are conservative and difficult to change.
Internet Security – An Oxymoron?
Many people believe that Internet Security is about keeping ‘them’ out, and certainly it is important to keep your internal network secure.
Critical Success Factor (Part 5 of 7) - Simple, yet powerful referral systems
There may be many reasons why you don’t get an Abundance of Referrals.
How to manage change, compete and win
When mismanaged change can be stressful and destructive.
Mit Technologie-Management zum Markterfolg: Damit Ihre Innovation ein Volltreffer wird!
Mit den Methoden des Technologiemanagement werden technologische Innovationen unter Minimierung von finanziellem und zeitlichem Aufwand zum Markterfolg gebracht.
Immer einen Schritt voraus
Die Formulierung von Strategien im TK-Sektor erfordert ein profundes Verständnis der Regulierungsbedingungen.
Weil sich der Regulierungsrahmen ständig ändert, sind Unsicherheiten bei der Strategieentwicklung
vorprogrammiert.
Is the next hot property right for your kids' brand?
With the international licensing industry firmly in growth, one might think there has never been a better time for kids' brands to get into bed with a character licence.
Are excellent coaches born or made?
Are excellent coaches born or made? The quick answer is ‘both’, the longer answer is much more intriguing and revealing.
Marketing, the Web and the 50+ Consumer (Part 2 of 4)
Grey Marketing means business
Historically, marketing has all but ignored the 50+ consumer in the belief that their buying habits are conservative and difficult to change.
How to proactively manage Cash Collections
Adopting a proactive approach to cash collection offers significant benefits.
Selling in a Recession (Part 6 of 6) - Account Development - 4 ways to double your existing client revenues’
In a rising market, your sales investment priority will clearly be directed towards new business.
Integrierte LAN/WAN Dienste haben großes Potenzial
Auf insgesamt 16,5 Milliarden Euro schätzt eine neue Analyse der Unternehmensberatung Frost & Sullivan das Marktpotenzial integrierter LAN/WAN-Dienste in Westeuropa.
Ideenmanagement erfolgreich gestalten
Machen wir uns daran, den Begriff „Ideenmanagement“ inhaltlich aufzuschließen, so denken wir an Formulierungen wie „Innovationen anpacken“, „Leistungsreserven mobilisieren“, „kreative Lösungen suchen und umsetzen“, „Fehler als Lernchance begreifen“, oder „systematische Nutzung von Mitarbeiterwissen und Erfahrung“.
Factors Facing Consulting’s Future
Organisations need to evolve, to adopt new thinking, to use fresh ideas, to access skills they very often don’t have in-house – be that high level business strategy, IT expertise or implementation skills.
Critical Success Factor (Part 4 of 7) - Educating your sphere of influence
How many times have you received referrals from clients or introducers and were disappointed because they were not what you were looking for but still followed through on them for the sake of your relationship? How much time does this waste? Do you have the confidence to tell your clients that these aren’t the type of referral you are looking for when they give you low quality and low revenue referrals? Whose fault is it when we receive things in our life that don’t fit with our strategy and goals? Yes, it is usually down to us not educating ourselves and our sphere of influence on what specifically we want out of our mutually beneficial relationships.
Modern Supply Chain methodology not just the preserve of larger organizations
Small to medium enterprises (SME’s) seem to believe that they are not large enough to get the benefits which their bigger brothers obtain when it comes to the introduction of money saving processes to support their manufacturing and service needs.
Marketing, the Web and the 50+ Consumer (Part 1 of 4)
Thinking Grey
Historically, marketing has all but ignored the 50+ consumer in the belief that their buying habits are conservative and difficult to change.
Mobile Entertainment Services will Generate Over $27 Billion Globally by 2008
A short introduction to the state of the Mobile data market and its relation to mobile entertainment applications - acts as a precis to the substantial ARC Group report; Mobile Entertainment Applications and Markets - Key Mobile Data and Revenue Drivers
Selling in a Recession (Part 5 of 6) - Getting your Client to help you to Close
Closing the deal is very nerve wracking for both parties and the current recession in consulting is making it worse than ever.
Critical Success Factor (Part 3 of 7) – Uncovering and leveraging customer and client value
I want to talk about something that has really taken a grip of me.
Das Controlling-Cockpit
für IT-Projekte
Auch wenn die E-Business-Technologie in der letzten Zeit viele Rückschläge hinnehmen musste, bleibt doch ihre Bedeutung außer Frage.
Businesses with good PEOPLE policies are likely to SUSTAIN SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE
The link between businesses’ people policies and their ability to sustain superior performance is revealed in a PricewaterhouseCoopers review of leading European stakeholder groups and businesses.
An Introduction to Model-Driven-Architecture (MDA) for Business Managers
Model driven architecture (MDA) promises to revolutionise the software development of the next 18 months to two years.
The Leader Distinction
A number of competencies and personality traits have been noted about various leaders.
Don’t take it personally
One of the toughest lessons in business is learning to deal with REJECTION.
CIOs Top Agenda: Kosten reduzieren, Wertbeitrag multiplizieren
Die Situation der CIOs ist nicht wirklich neu.
Benchmarking für IT-Abteilungen
Die Verantwortlichen von IT-Abteilungen stehen derzeit vor besonderen Herausforderungen: IT-Abteilungen immer rascher ihre Sonderstellung im Unternehmen.
IT-Offshore-Projekte in Mittel- und Osteuropa
Die Ergebnisse einer ausführlichen Befragung mittel- und osteuropäischer IT-Dienstleister zeigen, dass Offshore Development auch für deutsche Kunden zunehmend interessant wird.
Leaders in transition
The dramas of ordinary heroes
An international three year research study backed by Ashridge and Groupe HEC in France explodes many of the myths that surround modern management thinking about what makes leaders successful.
Utility Computing: A Hard Sell
Earlier this summer, Saugatuck Technology released results from preliminary survey research - in a study entitled "Utility Computing: A Hard Sell".
CUSTOMER-CENTRIC
TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS:
WHERE’S THE ROI?
In April 2002, CFO Research Services, the sponsored research arm of CFO Publishing Corp.
Sales and Marketing Support Tools:
Improving sales force productivity and launching new products
Your marketing plans look great on paper, but are people equipped to implement them? Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas author of a new book on increasing revenues* shows how using support tools can get your message across and win more business.
Critical Success Factor (Part 2 of 7) – Building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships
So what exactly are fast food restaurants doing right to get customers to return 4 times a week? They have realised that it is less expensive to keep customers than it is to replace them.
SIX CRITICAL VULNERABILITIES
with Traditional Advertising, Marketing and Branding Initiatives
Dysfunctional advertising, marketing and branding initiatives are at the center of a growing discontent with traditional advertising doctrine.
How does a consulting organization strategically change from a traditional marketing approach to client targeted marketing?
One to One marketing
Common Errors
Execution
Final Analysis
How Sustainable is the Cost
Advantage of Offshore Outsourcing?
The significant cost savings of the Offshore model are clearly fundamental to its growing acceptance and use.
The Triple Bottom Line – why Corporate Social Responsibility makes business sense
During difficult economic times corporations focus more than ever on their economic performance.
Competitive Intelligence: Should It Be Permanently Outsourced Now?
Understanding one’s competitors is the most valuable knowledge a company possesses with the exception of customer understanding itself.
Gain Sharing Systems: Performance Risk or Reward?
Virtual Web Organizations Revolutionize Business
Ulrich Franke, a former researcher at Cranfield University and leading expert in the field of virtual organizations and author of the new important book, "Managing Virtual Web Organizations in the 21st Century: Issues and Challenges" (Ideal Group Publishing), shares his insights and offers practical advice about creating and maintaining successful Virtual Web Organizations (VWO) in the following interview.
Eine Umfrage unter deutschen Führungskräften
Erste Anzeichen deuten auf eine Erholung der deutschen Wirtschaft.
KNOWLEDGE-BASED CUSTOMER SERVICE:
Create Actionable Knowledge with Each Customer Contact
For many executives, managers, and service professionals, the term Customer Relationship Management is held with some scepticism … if not outright contempt.
Why Big Banks Must Deal In This New Name-Economy
Only yesterday, the image of a bank was of a Roman arch, huge columns, and people working behind bars.
Critical Success Factor (Part 1 of 7) – Having a positive referral attitude
In order to raise your referral self-belief lets first look at some of the main benefits of gaining referred customers.
Referral Explosion!
DID YOU KNOW THAT 50% OF YOUR CLIENTS WOULD GIVE YOU REFERRALS IF ONLY YOU HAD THE CONFIDENCE AND SKILLS TO ASK?
Selling in a Recession (Part 4 of 6)
“Developing the 3 Dimensional Sale”
At the end of the last article, you had uncovered some serious Issues with your prospective client and he wanted to continue the discussion.
Scheduling Systems - a New Trend?
In addition to traditional online applications, such as e-commerce and content management systems, there has been an increased interest shown recently to online reservation and scheduling systems.
So you think you need a workshop!
You are faced with a complex Client situation.
Seniorität statt flippiges Outfit - Ältere Fachkräfte fehlen in Zukunft
Wenn sich in 10 bis 15 Jahren der Geburtenrückgang in Deutschland auch in den Belegschaften der Unternehmen niederschlägt und Fachkräfte fehlen, sind ältere und erfahrene Führungskräfte wieder gefragt.
Erfolgreich finanzieren in der Krise
Wie man Venture Capital-Geber heute noch überzeugt
Der rasante Abschwung der neuen Märkte hat die zeitweise flammende Leidenschaft professioneller Investoren in frostige Kälte verwandelt.
The Illusive Craft of IT Project Context Provision
The successful use of methodology on an IT project to mitigate risk requires more than just knowledge of the methodology.
M&A als Lebensart – auch für KMU´s ?
Mergers and Acquisitions – Unternehmenskauf- & -verkauf
Die großen Konzerne und Unternehmen machen es seit Jahrzehnten vor.
Spielregeln für geordnete IT-Prozesse
IT-Leiter müssen heute mit zunehmend geringeren Mitteln auskommen.
Selling in a Recession (Part 3 of 6)
“How to manage the First Meeting”
In Part 2 of this series, we looked at ways of getting leads in today’s tough market place, where many sectors are clearly in a recession.
Invest on investors
Maybe if you ask really nicely, a really rich person would give you tons of money so that you can start your own business.
Digital television fails usability test
"Today's digital TV equipment is confusing and difficult to use" was how E-commerce Minister Stephen Timms summed up the findings of a study published today by the DTI.
Really Simple Syndication(RSS): Boring name, brilliant idea
Back in 1997, Microsoft launched a new way of using the Web called ‘push channels’.
Business ratios - showing the way ahead?
Large firms generally turn to financial control and analysis for a clear view of business realities and performances in each area of operation, with the resulting ratios and data supposed to provide the necessary guidance for decision-making.
Successful CRM: Get Your “Ducks in a Row”
In today’s fast-paced business environment, companies are frantically seeking to find the competitive advantage - that one key ingredient to their business that sets them apart.
IT-Kennzahlen - IT-Kostenmanagement
Welche IT-Kennzahlen benötigt ein CIO um seine Kosten effektiv steuern zu können? In vielen Unternehmen sind die Kosten der IT erstaunlich intransparent, unübersichtlich und schwer mit Marktzahlen zu vergleichen.
Jobsucher und ihre Berater
Frohe Botschaft: In der Arbeit am Menschen liegt der Schlüssel zur Vollbeschäftigung.
Business Travel E-procurement
Travel agents had access to a global distribution system (GDS), a database of major suppliers providing availability and pricing information on over 800 airlines, 30,000 worldwide hotel properties, and hundreds of car rental companies.
Schöne neue Welt der Arbeit
Flache Hierarchien, Job-Nomaden, Work-Life-Balance und die Heilsversprechen der Management-Ratgeber
Ich-AG, Patchwork-Biografie oder Job-Nomade - das sind die aktuellen Schlagzeilen in Wirtschaftsmedien und der inflationären Management-Literatur.
Die Bedeutung der ICT für Firmenzusammenschlüsse:
Erfolg braucht neue Strukturen
Durch Zukäufe von Unternehmen die eigene Marktposition zu verbessern und nachhaltig Wachstum zu pro-duzieren gilt nicht mehr automatisch als Erfolgsrezept.
Putting data at the heart of all marketing communications is the key to effective dm
When it comes to dm many organisations build their business plans around ever increasing volumes.
Selling in a Recession (Part 2 of 6) - “Generating Leads in a Recession”
The bad news is that leads are harder to generate when professional services are in a recession than in a boom period.
Profit Building Teams First, Downsizing Last
As the economy struggles out of the current economic downturn, management consultants are being called upon to bring life back to struggling companies across a range of industries.
What do leadership and lasagna have in common?
Most of us have certain foods that we love.
Vision and Prudence - can we have both?
Much planning activity is based on extrapolation from history, an approach which has become less reliable in recent years as our interdependent global economy causes the consequences of events, such as 9/11, SARS, power outages, etc.
The "Tactical" Compliance Maze -
Five regulatory compliance matters that your business might be overlooking.
In this space, we generally attempt to provide strategic insight into the complex workplace issues that might be affecting your business.
Dry Fruits Of Ethiopa?
Think, not too long ago, the chopped head of Sir Thomas Moore, one of my favorite Saints, was hanging at the city gates of London.
Expectation of the employer
What is the expectation of an employer from new recruits in the organisation? Many new entrants in an organisation fail because they are unable to understand what their organisation and their boss expects from them.
Value in Outsourcing Issue #2 - Vendor Strategies
Potential IT Outsourcing clients need to understand the strategies employed by the vendor community to pursue and win business.
Die Unternehmensplanung steht vor einem neuen
Entwicklungsschub
Ein Interview mit Dr.
Selling in a Recession (Part 1 of 6)
"Understanding your client first"
When it's tough to sell, some people think that they have got to develop the "Next Big Idea" or think of something really clever, but this can actually make matters worse.
Quality – More of the same?
To many people, ISO9000 certification is seen to be “Document what you do, do what you document”.
Corporate governance and national development: Lessons for Zimbabwe
This paper seeks to show that corporate governance is a necessary tool for national development.
The Feminine Myth
Why Are Women Still Haemorrhaging Out Of Organisations?
By the year 2010 only 20% of the workforce will be white men under 45.
Best Practice in der
Nachhaltigkeitsberichterstattung
Die Hamburger Kommunikationsberatung Kirchhoff Consult AG hat in einer umfangreichen Auswertung die Nachhaltigkeitsberichte deutscher und internationaler Konzerne untersucht.
E-Venture-Capital:
Unternehmensfinanzierung in der Net Economy -
Grundlagen und Fallstudien
Im Gegensatz zur allgemeinen Stimmung sehen Venture Capital-Fachleute gerade jetzt, da der Markt am Boden liegt, den besten Zeitpunkt für Firmengründungen und neue Geschäftsideen.
Kollmann/Kuckertz kombinieren die theoretischen Grundlagen zum Thema Unternehmensfinanzierung in der Net Economy mit zehn Best Practice-Fallbeispielen aus dem deutschsprachigen Wirtschaftsumfeld und stellen diese mit Historie und Geschäftskonzept vor.
ISBN: 3-409-12410-1; 241 S., EUR 39,90
Gabler-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2003.
Paving the Way to Effective Cost Containment Practices
As time tested as organized cost reduction/containment is as a concept, it is amazing to the writer how seldom it is undertaken as a planned effort.
Arthur D. Little identifies the eight common characteristics for business success in difficult times
There are eight factors necessary for building a sustainable and successful business operation in a difficult economic environment.
Diminished Business Performance During a Troubled Economy, Fate or Complacency?
By performing a business analysis or GAP audit and then utilizing basic business practices to optimize its workforce a company can both improve performance and implement a continuous improvement process to assure future profitability.
E-Venture-Management: Neue Perspektiven der
Unternehmensgründung in der Net Economy
Das "Who is Who" aus den Bereichen Universität, Venture Capital, Investmentbanken, Verbänden und Start-up-Unternehmen berichten über Erfahrungen aus der Vergangenheit, zeigen die Rahmenbedingungen für Unternehmensgründungen in der Gegenwart auf und liefern Perspektiven für die Zukunft in der Net Economy.
Media Neutral Planning - the Direct Marketing perspective
Media neutrality will provide a force for ongoing experimentation with a wide mix of media for DM campaigns.
Gehört dem „E-Learning“ die Zukunft?
Das Wissen nimmt zu, bei gleichzeitiger Verkürzung seiner Halbwertzeit.
Team Consultancy - The Way Forward?
With the ever-increasing pressure on operating costs, the time might be right to consider an alternative resourcing method for dealing with ad hoc projects and other short-term demands for additional staff.
From e2i - Learning for the Information Age Business
eLearning has a bright future.
Migration and Consolidation of IT Systems - A Technical Perspective
This pragmatic white paper discusses the topic of application migration and consolidation, along with benefits obtained by some organisations via this process.
Manipulating The National Media… A Branding Strategy
The National Media WANTS You To Manipulate Them, But They Can’t Tell You That!
An Introduction to the Quality Standard ISO9001:2000
Many of us are familiar with the quality standard ISO9002:1994 (and in some cases ISO9001:1994).
IF YOU CAN’T CHOOSE, YOU LOSE
Excerpted from Designing Solutions for Your Business Problems: A Structured
Process for Managers and Consultants by Betty Vandenbosch (August 2003,
$45.00, Cloth) by permission of Jossey-Bass/A Wiley Imprint.
The steps you follow to design an appropriate solution are based on the premise that your first idea is not necessarily your best.
Value in Outsourcing - Knowledge is Power
Organisations going to market for IT Services face a number of problems in gaining significant value in the outsourcing proposition.
Now, Sue Those Consultants
Joining doctors, engineers, architects and lawyers, management consultants are being sued with increasing gusto.
Measuring Knowledge...endless possibilities?
Reflection suggests that the fundamental difference between winners and losers is perhaps a 'mindset' issue - that of being able to go beyond measuring corporate success in terms of ROI and profits only to an elementary force that actually helps one achieve these in the first place - Learning.
Read On.....
The Customer Satisfaction Index
What MNCs in China can learn from National Industry Standards
In March, 2003, China’s Ministry of Information Industry announced the results of its first publicly available Telecommunications Customer Satisfaction Index (TCSI), a statistical measurement of consumer confidence within the Chinese telecommunication industry (the Index was measured in 2001, but the results were not made public).
Customer Satisfaction in China
In March 2003, China’s Ministry of Information Industry announced the second public results of its Telecommunications Customer Satisfaction Index (TCSI), a measurement of consumer confidence within the Chinese telecommunication industry that reports annually levels of customer satisfaction in ISP, fixed, and mobile communication markets for each of the four national telecommunication companies (China Mobile, China Netcom, China Telecom, and China Unicom).
Task-Centric Collaboration
Who hasn’t heard today that collaboration is something important for any business? Business demands that people collaborate within companies and across company boundaries with suppliers, customers, etc.
Revenues from global enterprise investment in security products predicted to hit $13.5bn by 2006
Increased interest in security solutions amongst enterprises globally has ensured that security product revenues have exceeded those of many other IT solutions.
Mangelhaftes IT-Management können sich Unternehmen nicht mehr leisten,
"CIO sollte sich zum CPO wandeln"
Niemand könnte es sich als Unternehmer gegenüber den Mitarbeitern leisten, Lohnabrechnungen abzugeben, die nicht auf Euro und Cent genau wären.
For PRM Success, Think Strategically, Act Decisively
E-business is the infrastructure for collaborative working.
Customer Resource Optimization – making CRM work in B2B
This article seeks to argue that if you want to make CRM work, a total reliance on advanced technologies will never be the answer.
Process Think: Leading to Change and Innovation
Can you learn the decision processes of our top directors?
They say that the way you work is more or less fixed by the play patterns you develop as a child.
Russia, Eastern Europe Most Attractive Expansion Targets for Food and General Merchandise Retailers, According to A.T. Kearney Study
There’s something about Google
Google’s success results from applying sound marketing
principles and provides lessons for us all.
So what is new in marketing – not a lot?
Will marketing move to the centre stage of business or continue lamenting its lack of status and influence? Unless we change, I know where I put my bet.
A Blogging Marketer!
Blogs are beginning to be used as a business communications tool.
Never heard of them? You soon will.
Marketing to the Grey Sector
This sector is of increasing importance to marketers, but despite extensive press coverage is surprisingly unexploited.
To Value Stream Map – Or Not – That is the Question
Most of us who have been keeping up with the Lean/World Class Manufacturing have been exposed to this thing called Value Stream Mapping (VSM).
Die Musik der Prozesse
Wie in den 80er Jahren die Hardware, so entwickelt sich nun die Software zur austauschbaren Commodity.
Wissensmanagement zwischen Wirklichkeit und Illusion
Das Wissensmanagement gilt in Management-Fachkreisen als eine der großen Herausforderungen des 21.
THE FRAGILE BOUNDARIES OF CHANGE
This article looks at the fragile boundaries between individuals, and the social and technical systems of organisations.
The author proposes that change in organisations is all too often approached from an over individualistic and technical orientation that fails to give due prominence to the organisation as a complex social system.
E-HR Delivers Global Results In The New Millennium
ERP Implementations And The Valley Of Despair
This article examines the difficulties confronted by many manufacturing organizations soon after going live on a new ERP system.
The real revolution in Direct Marketing
DM spend is rising year on year but despite this, the 'junk' element of DM remains and agencies are always struggling to eliminate the problem.
Electronic Consulting: Myth or Reality?
1.
Value Based Billing
1.
Can TQM In Consulting Firms Be Sucessful?
1.
Outsourcing-Strategien in turbulenten Zeiten, Konzept der virtuellen Organisation
Führungskräften bleibt es in turbulenten Zeiten nicht erspart, schwere und unbequeme Entscheidungen für ihr Kerngeschäft zu fällen.
Informationsmanagement als wesentlicher Erfolgsfaktor der CRM-Einführung
Wenn man als Consulter neu in ein Unternehmen kommt, fragt man die betroffenen Mitarbeiter nach Ihrer Vorgehensweise im Vertrieb.
Why Financial Institutions Must Face The New Realities Of This New Name-Economy
Only yesterday, the image of a bank was of a Roman arch, huge columns, and people working behind bars.
Uncover Hidden Competitive Value Using Information Strategy
Businesses are awash in information.
Innovation: A Little Help From Their Friends
Executives are finding that some of the best new ideas can be developed through partnerships with organizations outside their companies.
Thinking Grey. Web sites are built by the young for the young - what does this mean for those over 50?
This article describes why Web sites targeted at audiences in their 50s and 60s need to be different to those used by their children and grandchildren.
For the full article please click below:
How To Get More Sales - NOW!
A few proven ways many companies have used to increase sales revenues quickly, in any economy.
Jedem YING sein Yang
Mit der e-Task Plattform ATMG startet die Wirtschaftskammer Österreich eine Offensive zur Verbesserung der allgemeinen Projektkultur und zur Förderung der Umsetzung konkreter operativer Konzepte: Die online-Vermittlung von erfahrenen ProjektManagern stellt sich immer öfter als das Yang zu vorhandenen Consultant-Konzepten heraus und sorgt für eine klare operative Trennung von Konzeption und Umsetzung.
Ideenmanagement und Führungskultur
Unter dem Begriff »Ideenmanagement« werden heute verschiedene Management-Ansätze und Empfehlungen zusammengefasst, denen eines gemeinsam ist: Sie wollen das »Gold in den Köpfen der Mitarbeiter« heben, wollen wirksame Impulse für die betriebliche Entwicklung freisetzen, um zu Produktivität und Wachstum beizutragen.
Guerillas und Konventionelle – Einsteigen in die selbständige
Unternehmensberatung
Bücher mit Ratschlägen für Existenzgründer – insbesondere solche, die sich auf dem Gebiet der Unternehmensberatung selbständig machen wollen – sind überreichlich auf dem Buchmarkt vorhanden.
Organising for Change: conflicts and dilemmas in surveying and consulting
When the RICS Management Consultancy faculty decided to ask Cranfield Advanced Management Research Centre to study the nature of conflicts of interest, they did not expect such a broad and illuminating outcome.
This report helps understand conflicts of interest better, not as a simple one-dimensional black or white issue, but a multidimensional spectrum of colours.
Collaboration for win-win outcomes
Originally ARTICLE FOR 'WINNING BUSINESS' MAGAZINE
The term 'competitive advantage' is so commonly used in the business world that it is hard to think of business without the militaristic overtones of organisations struggling against one another on the global battlefield.
Establishing a culture of disciplined empowerment
Large complex organisations are struggling to reconcile two imperatives.
But we always buy technology first
Technology has an important role to play in the implementation of CRM but the urge to buy technology needs to be strongly resisted until an agreed CRM strategy and roll out plan is in place.
Benefits of Facilitation - to your organisation and your Clients
In any modern organization, groups play an essential role.
Factory – Kein Widerspruch zur individuellen Kundenansprache,
Prozessintegration ist das Thema der Zukunft
Heute verändert IT
ganz entscheidend das Business, und zwar branchenunabhängig.
Wie man Umsatzeinbrüche besser verkraftet, aus Schweinezyklen lernen
Unternehmen, die kontinuierlich an Ihrer Wettbewerbsfähigkeit arbeiten, können Umsatzeinbrüche leichter ausfedern.
Selling your way out of this Recession
Part 5 “Personalisation”
Clients have never been so oversupplied with professional services.
Tools for Change - Featuring Business Focused Coaching
In previous articles we discussed some of the key change challenges that
business people face and the hidden patterns that underlie the challenges.
Wussten Sie nicht, dass Ihre Wettbewerber bereits die Vorteile des Offshore Software-Outsourcing nutzen?
Internationale Outsourcing-Partner für Software-Entwicklung kommen vor allem aus Indien, Osteuropa und den Staaten der ehemaligen UdSSR.
Selling your way out of this Recession - Part 4 “Joined up Benefits”
Clients are under more pressures than ever and need to deliver real change and business improvement just to stand still.
How to Integrate Disability Management into your Strategic Plans
Disability Management can have a significant impact on the bottom line.
Branding – much more than a name
Ever been in doubt about the importance of on-line brand building? Its significance is demonstrated by the latest research* showing that 65% of Internet users arrive at their desired Web site by direct navigation.
Using Process Centric Approach to achieve Organizational Agility
Agile Enterprise is the one where the organization is capable to re-structure its Business Processes in synch with the Supply and Demand Equations.
Fusion gut, alles gut?
Fusionen und Firmenkäufe sind für Unternehmen immer noch ein beliebtes Mittel, um sich im Wettbewerb zu behaupten und die eigene Markposition zu verbessern.
Creating The Best Practice Of Tomorrow
Directors constantly strive to increase efficiency, implement best practice and deliver increased shareholder value.
Vorsicht vor dem „Innovationsmanagement“:
Neue Barrieren auf dem Weg zu Neuem
Was tun, wenn die Kunden unentwegt mehr "value for money“ fordern? Wie aus dem Stellungskrieg ausbrechen, der heute in fast allen Branchen tobt und der so hohe Opfer fordert? Innovation heißt die „Zauberformel“, womit „Innovationsmanagement“ an Stellenwert gewinnt.
Effective Sales & Marketing In The Mobile Data Industry
Executive Summary
From talking to distributors and software vendors, most consider the European Mobile Data
Industry to still be in its infancy, offering attractive market opportunities in the future, but complexity and change near term.
For Application Developers operating in this environment, the marketplace needs to be understood
if sales and marketing strategies are to be effective.
Change and Communication: You Can't Have One Without The Other -
A Programmatic Approach To Being Heard By Your Own People
Like most every organization in this tough economy, yours is one with challenging issues that aren't going to go away on their own.
Design In / Deliver Out Thinking - The Key to Achieving Innovative and Sustained Change
Delivering innovative and sustained change needs a structured and comprehensive change methodology (I refuse to use the word holistic).
Productivity rises each time bosses move to the next natural mode of labour utilization.
Employers cannot control the mental work of their employees.
Selling your way out of this Recession - Part 3 "Client led Innovation"
Part 2, last week, argued Knowledge is power on 2 conditions.
Five MORE tips for profit improvement
Five MORE tips for profit improvement
Five tips for profit improvement
How happy are you with the profitability of your business? Would you like to improve it and if so how do you do it? Do you aim to cut costs to secure profits or do you aim to grow the sales of the business?
Managing Your Cash Flow
Many directors and owners of businesses agree with this statement and focus on their customers – and quite rightly so.
Intranet Efficiency - Der Ansatz
Kaum eine betriebswirtschaftliche Entscheidung wird derzeit ohne eine
intensive Nutzendiskussion getroffen.
Improving Revenue And Achieving Customer/Employee Loyalty During Changing Times Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Improving revenue and achieving customer/employee loyalty during changing times requires more than lip service - it requires an organization with an employee loyalty and customer-centric strategy.
A Quick Guide to Managing Resistance to S-Business Change
Anyone who has participated in an organizational change effort knows the tension that develops
and the resistance that naturally occurs when the people of the organization are asked to behave in new and different ways.
Building Your S-Business Strategy for Maximum Organizational Success
Conversations with executives both inside and outside the ser-vices industry convince us that
there is still much confusion about what s-business actually is.
Integriertes Prozessmanagement
Eine Tool gestützte, integrierte Dokumentation, konsistente Pflege der Information und Einführung eines Prozessmanagements bis hin zur IT/Unternehmensmodellierung bietet einen effizienten Gesamtansatz für erfolgreiches Changemanagement und Optimierung.
Kevin Hasenkamp, Manager für Business Development bei Casewise, erklärt welche Managementsysteme es gibt, Umsetzung der Dokumentation im Prozess-Tool, Nachteile dieser Dokumentation...
An Introduction to Six Sigma
This White Paper provides a brief overview of Six Sigma aimed primarily at the newcomer: what is it, what are the benefits of using it, what to avoid in its application, and why it is worth considering as a business improvement methodology? The paper is structured as follows:
Background to Six Sigma, its history and its recent growth in use
Six Sigma in technical terms and business terms
The methodology, terminology and approach
Implementing Six Sigma: the benefits and the pitfalls
The paper concludes by recommending that companies take a selective approach to the use of Six Sigma methods and tools, rather than attempt to apply all of these as a universal panacea.
For the full article please follow the link below:
Automation As A Panacea
How many times have you heard someone say; “We need to automate this process to reduce cost and improve productivity”? Whoa!! There seems to be a perception by many good managers that automation is a cure-all; that automation will result in improvements.
How to deal with a square peg in a round hole -
A case study
The problem:
Mark was first described to us as a 'square peg in a round hole' - an apt description, which Mark himself would not disagree with.
Recruitment Made Simple and Effective
Hiring through resumes is slow, expensive and often lands the person who was the best at exagerrating in his/her skills on the resume, not the person who has both the head and the heart to do a great job and the new career.
Klugheitslehre für Manager, Gracián und die Kunst der Karriereplanung
Ein Manager darf weder als zu gerissen noch als ein belächelter Dummkopf erscheinen.
A Survivor's Guide to Organization Redesign.
Few people associate redesigning organizations with survival.
Wohlstand und Solidarität am Scheideweg
Die kritische Stimmungslage in Deutschland wirkt sich auf Konsumverhalten, Wohlbefinden und Zukunftseinschätzungen der Bevölkerung aus.
Rewarding Results or the Status Quo?
PSi Partnerships specialises in optimising efficiency, innovation and profits with their clients.
Communication is the Key
There has been a fair number of articles published over the last few years from a bevy of CRM experts.
Using IP to Gain Business Advantage
IP communications can be viewed as the combination of voice, data, and video, including multi-media applications, running within an integrated data infrastructure.
Operating Principles - The bridge between vision and operations
Most companies these days have some form of corporate vision or mission.
SERVICE MEMORY MANAGEMENT – Experience, Delight or Memory Management-Which one is the future?
We hear so much about so-called 'Delight', or 'Wow Factors' and how simple but essential they are for creating customer loyalty.
Colin Marvell takes a look at the good and not so good and introduces us to Service Memory Management.
When there’s a crisis….don’t make it worse
Henry Ford said history was bunk.
It's not cheap...but is it necessary?
Attitude toward customer relations during economic downturn.
Sell your way out of this Recession
Part 2 “Knowledge in Depth”
Part 1, last week, concluded that there is no new “big idea” to save the consulting and IT world such as ERP or Y2K.
Competence-Management, Brücke zwischen implizitem und explizitem Wissen
Nicht jede Art von Wissen, das für Unternehmen und andere Organisationen wichtig ist, kann dokumentiert werden: Das Erfahrungswissen oder die gestalterische Kreativität einzelner Mitarbeiter lassen sich nur bis zu einem gewissen Grad für andere nutzbar machen.
Themenzentrierte Interaktion in IT-Projekten, Mensch und Methode
In IT-Projekten wird methodisch geplant, entworfen und entwickelt.
Is your organization spending too much on insurance for freight?
Talk to your business insurance broker about putting a rider on your policy to cover off all of your freight requirements.
Is your Organization in need of a Logistics Specialist?
Efficient Logistics and Supply Chain Management can lead to considerable cost savings, greater flexibility, and better customer service which in turn can lead to increased sales and profits.
Power To The People Professionals
In Your organisation, what is “HR” for? Is it just an administrative function that ensures that the workforce is paid on time and that there are approximately enough bodies employed to cover the work requirement? Does it drive change, innovation and progress in the organisation? Is it sometimes one or the other of these and sometimes something in between, depending on the attitude of those at the top of the organisation and those running the HR function? Is it a power-house or a garden shed full of useful, but rarely used, implements?
IN SEARCH OF ADVANTAGE - Emergence of a Dipolar Investment Pattern
The petrochemical industry has prepared itself for recovery over the past few years by rationalizing capacity and reducing fixed costs.
The case for active real estate management - The asset you can sweat
Organisations are missing a huge opportunity by treating their real estate portfolio as a static liability.
The role of real estate in change management:
Portfolio strategies and project tactics
Whether change strategy is a series of tactical moves or a total business transformation, realigning an organisation’s real estate portfolio can act as a pivotal tool and facilitator in delivering change and improving corporate performance.
This Fulcrum Corporate White Paper
redefines portfolio management in the context of today’s business environment, describes a macro approach to portfolio realignment and sets out implementation principles to achieve successful change.
For the full article please click below:
Executive Coaching – The Next Step In Learning
“Sam” was in trouble.
Sell your way out of this Recession
Part 1 “Why it’s tough”
We’re more than 2 years on after the dot.com crash of April 2000, so why are some companies finding it so hard to sell consulting and IT services? We waited 18 months after the recessions of 1991 and 1996 and everything got back to normal.
CRM Programmes Aren't Working Effectively
For any business serious about optimising the value of customer relationships and sustaining profitability, the calibre of customer interaction is a critical differentiator in a deregulated, competitive and dynamic margin environment.
Successful Meta-Strategies using Systems Thinking
Research consistently shows that over 70% of all strategic change projects fail.
Hiring in a Down Economy
Hire well or manage hard.
If Your Customer Isn't King
You May Be Losing Your Kingdom - Six Must-Do Steps To Building A Service Culture
Tough economic times breed even tougher, more demanding customers.
Reorganisation: Das mittlere Management aufbauen
Ihr Unternehmensbereich ist personell gewachsen, Sie können sich weder um jeden einzelnen Mitarbeiter, noch um deren Aufgabenbereiche richtig kümmern.
Customer centric processes!
A realistic observation
The article highlights the confronting issues when an organization plans to implement customer-centric processes.
Wussten Sie nicht, dass Ihre Wettbewerber bereits die Vorteile des Offshore Software-Outsourcing nutzen?
Internationale Outsourcing-Partner für Software-Entwicklung kommen vor allem aus Indien, Osteuropa und den Staaten der ehemaligen UdSSR.
Why Most Professional Service Businesses Consistently and Habitually Undercharge for Their Services
The article describes the inherent mistakes of charging time-based Per Diem fees, and proposes the alternative of charging for perceived value received by buyers.
Wie kann Beratung heute Mehrwert schaffen?
Zufriedenheit resultiert aus einem positiv erlebten Vergleich zwischen der erwarteten und der tatsächlichen Leistung.
Best Leaders: Selecting The Most-Effective Managers In Any Specific Industry Sector
Is your specific industry sector so unique that successful leaders need to have special competencies?
Desperately seeking finance
A new report commissioned by EEDA has revealed that, although private equity finance is perhaps harder to find now, investors are still continuing to invest in suitable companies.
CRM's Next Evolution: From Relationships to Value
By now, most companies have realized that Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is not a system or software package; it is a strategy around which
successful businesses organize to optimize profitability, grow revenue and improve customer loyalty.
Are you ready for BPM?
Not all organisations will benefit from Business Process Management (BPM), unless they ask themselves some critical questions about how processes and IT services are managed at the moment.
Offene Flanke der elektronischen Archivierung: Websites und Webtransaktionen
Die elektronische Archivierung hat sich inzwischen als probates Mittel etabliert, große Mengen von Informationen langfristig und sicher aufzubewahren und zu verwalten.
Besonders das Internet trägt derzeit zum exponentiellen Wachstum von Information bei.
In dieser neuen Welt des WCM Web Content Management gelten viele Regeln der Vergangenheit offenbar nicht mehr.
Digital TV developments render individual channel strategies obsolete
The development of the European digital TV market, in particular the mass-market uptake of free-to-air digital services, is threatening the existing business models of broadcasters and channels, according to a new report by independent market analysts Datamonitor (DTM.L).
The M&A Maze: Showing Employees and Investors the Way
The underlying dynamic of major mergers and acquisitions in financial services can be summed up in a single word: change.
Dare to Be Different
What is it that allows some competitors to be truly different? Where do they find the nerve, the insight, the permission? The road toward being successfully different usually involves one of three broad initiatives: leveraging a deeper understanding of customer needs; exploiting a deeper understanding of industry economics; or simply having the courage to challenge conventional wisdom-to overturn "the way we've always done it." Companies searching for ways to be different can gain insight by examining how other institutions have achieved it, both inside and outside financial services.
Are You Still a Project Manager if You Have Limited Authority?
Most project managers have limits on their ability to act independently.
How to Respond When Project Estimates are Ignored
Starting a project with less money than you think you need is certainly uncomfortable.
cahoot: developing customer insight through segmentation techniques
Unlike traditional banks, cahoot has established a unique positioning of direct-only access combined with customised accounts and market-leading offers.
The 10 myths about knowledge management
Knowledge management is a systematic and organised approach to improve an organisation's ability to mobilise knowledge to enhance performance.
A.T. Kearney – TowerGroup Study: U.S. Retail Banks Lag Overseas Peers in Product Innovation
Competitive pressures and waning returns from distribution-focused strategies will push product innovation to the forefront, study says; are U.S.
Will Spain become the “California” of Europe?
As I am writing these lines, American tanks are entering Baghdad finding little if no resistance from Saddam Hussein’s followers.
Distributors: Free Your Customers
Distributors are caught in a trap.
Building an effective communication strategy
This article provides a primer on basic public relations and external communications strategy for wholesaler-distributors.
Can Offshoring Save Tier 2 Consulting Companies?
Tier 2 consulting firms, with 25% or more of their revenue coming from applications development work, need to consider outsourcing offshore as a key survival strategy.
Chancen und Risiken der Internationalisierung
Der internationale Handel und die internationale Arbeitsteilung ist für die Exportnation Deutschland seit Jahrzehnten das Fundament wirtschaftlicher Stärke.
Listen for Fun and Profit
‘Active’ or ‘positive’ listening sounds like a warm and fuzzy, nice-to-have skill.
Why Business Marriages Fail - Seven Sure Signs
There's M&A Trouble Ahead
A wise person once remarked that, in an ideal world, the reception after a wedding would be a small private affair, followed by a progressively bigger party on each anniversary, until a baseball stadium is needed in the 50th year to hold all the friends and relatives who helped make the marriage work across the decades.
Coaching Champions At Work
I saw Brian Kerr (Ireland’s National football Coach) on the television the other night as Ireland won their second game under his management, and it reminded me of a platform I shared with him at a Banking Institute seminar in Dublin.
The Importance of People Development
What does it take to run a marathon? Vision to see the goal, training to reach physical fitness, the mental attitude to stick with the task and the strategic plan that brings all these variables together.
Business Process Outsourcing continues to soar
Strong growth in Business Process Outsourcing, surpassing other outsourcing services and wider IT market.
Steps for Breaking Into and Succeeding in Consulting
Management consulting is one of the professions that endure in a slow economy.
Marketing: Building a Better Decision Mousetrap
Marketing Response Models have been used by some companies to drive great benefits and savings.
Usability-Tests - selbstgemacht!
Wie man mit einfachen und kostengünstigen Mitteln die Effizienz seiner Internetpräsenz steigern kann.
Dieser Artikel soll verdeutlichen, wie sinnvoll es ist, Webprojekte auf ihre Benutzerfreundlichkeit hin zu testen.
Die Vorteile solcher Tests, wie z.
The Problem With Technology At The Point Of Sale In Financial Services
There’s a conundrum that currently exists between the customer and the seller in financial services.
Tried, Not True: People Management Axioms that Don't Work
Although people are the key assets in most businesses, several of the “common sense” assumptions companies use to manage human capital are fundamentally flawed and cause underperformance.
Mit Corporate Governance Tools Vertrauen schaffen und den Unternehmenswert steigern
Corporate Governance Systeme zur Unternehmensplanung und Zukunftssicherung sollten in der Lage sein, Chancen und Gefahren für das Unternehmen im frühestmöglichen Zeitpunkt zu erkennen, damit allfällige Massnahmen von der Unternehmensleitung oder vom Verwaltungsrat frühzeitig eingeleitet werden können.
Tough Choices: Executive Pay 2003
The continued economic downturn sheds little hope of near-term improvement in company overhang issues or employee motivation.
Von P zu C: Customer Value als strategischer Fokus von Dienstleistungsunternehmen
Strategische Überlegungen in Unternehmen konzentrierten sich lange Zeit auf die Erringung von Wettbewerbsvorteilen in Endproduktmärkten innerhalb der eigenen Branche.
History isn't bunk after all
Recent pundits have suggested we've reached 'the end of history'.
Nur Mut zur strategischen Planung
Zu einer strategischen Planung braucht man viel Mut.
Cultural Intelligence For Consultants
This paper is about introducing a new dimension to effective and first class consulting, and that new dimension is culture.
Strategic Alliances - what they are and what's new about them
From small manufacturing plants to giant service corporation, companies need them to survive and be competitive in the global market place: Strategic Alliances.
Improving Enterprise Project Success Starts with Senior Executives
One of the questions that echoes throughout the boardrooms of Corporations is "How can we improve the success rate of corporate projects?"
Introduction to intranet and portal technology - making the right choices
Aspirations for what an intranet can deliver vary massively within most organizations.
When Crisis Has Damaged Their Confidence In You - 10 Tips To Surviving When Employees And Customers Lose Faith
Crisis comes in all forms, all shapes.
Design for the Future: Scenarios Based Product and Design Planning
We cannot predict the future, yet in the design and development of new products we are challenged to create products for the future.
Mercer Survey: Revenue Growth Through Customer-Centric Strategies Has Become a Top Priority for Executives of Large Firms Around the World
Even amidst uncertainty over the war in Iraq and the precarious economy, senior executives at large companies throughout the world appear to be focused more on top-line growth than on retrenchment, according to the results of a new global survey released by Mercer Management Consulting.
The consulting firm's global poll of 123 senior executives representing firms in 11 countries revealed that a greater percentage of business leaders feel that achieving significant revenue growth will be more important over the next two years than it was for the past two years.
Die Eigenmotivation des Managers
Viele Manager zahlen für den beruflichen Erfolg einen hohen Preis.
Post War "Operation Iraqi Freedom" Economic Consulting Trends & Analysis
Taking Care of your consulting firm these days means managing perpetual motion.
Consulting firms must keep reshaping, shifting and flexing to fit our rapidly changing economy.
The Trouble with Team
In an older, more rugged-individualist business model, the word 'team' was seldom used.
Passage to India: The Rewards of Remote Business Processing
Over the past two decades, financial institutions worldwide have transformed themselves in order to improve their competitive positions.
Delivering large-scale systems projects
Large scale information systems projects test the technical and organizational mettle of IT organizations, as well as the depth and quality of working relationships between IT and the business it serves.
The Online Employee
The Internet has already transformed how companies relate to customers and suppliers.
The 5 Phases of Good Redundancy Management
Redundancy is never a circumstance that anyone wishes to manage.
Integrated Management Systems
To date many companies have kept their management systems such as quality, health & safety & Environmental separate.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Well what is it really?
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) has become one of the most over used acronyms in recent times.
Achieving Strategic Focus: The Book of Five Certainties
It was just yesterday when organizations and their leaders were eschewing old-fashioned strategic planning in favor of get-rich-quick Internet fantasies and an unhealthy fixation with top-line growth.
"What matters to Top Management? A survey on the influence of Supply Chain Management on Strategy and Finance"
73 top managers throughout Europe were interviewed, covering a cross section of different industries such as transportation, utilities, chemical/pharma, facilities/equipment, manufacturing, retail and technology media & communication.
Summary of Compensation in Consulting Engineering and Land Surveying Firms Ninth Edition - 2003
The composite highest-income practitioner in this field (salary plus cash bonus and/or cash profit sharing) is the President "A" (defined as a chief executive officer who is the owner of, a full partner in, or a major stockholder in the firm) of a consulting engineering firm.
Summary of Compensation in Consulting Firms, 8th Edition - 2003
Summary of the Compensation in Consulting Firms - 8th Edition survey report of 16 benchmark jobs from Abbott, Langer & Associates, Inc.
Missing out on Freedom Fries and a Freedom Kiss.....
Remember, that old familiar French bistro, with those cozy tables, there, Isabelle, once again twisted her slender body and slipped my plate of a sizzling filet mignion, crispy French-fries with a glass of Bourdeaux filled right to the brim.That’s when the bell rang I.
Die richtige Aufstellung finden - m-Business für Geschäftskunden
Mobile Business (m-Business) unterstützt den Austausch von Waren, Dienstleistungen, Informationen und Wissen innerhalb von und zwischen Unternehmen sowie mit dem Endkunden über die Schnittstelle der mobilen Telekommunikation.
When will e-commerce take off again?
Review of how politics and econmocis will affect the e-commerce & IT industries.
Pricing strategy for industry leaders
There are very few pricing options for industry leaders.
What's a P/E ratio worth?
Although widely used, P/E ratios are not that simple.
Speculative Bubbles
Crashes in the Telecoms, Media and Technology (TMT) sector have made for dramatic headlines of late.
Shareholders are not customers
According to a recent theory, companies can increase their market value by segmenting shareholders and adapting to their risk profiles.
The real beneficiaires of WiFi
Public Wireless Fidelity networks (or Wireless LANs) are all the rage in the telecoms sector these days.
New Directions in Value Management
Value management was supposed to help organizations act in ways that improve total shareholder return.
Managing a Dispersed Project Team
In the past, a project team almost always resided in one location.
When will e-commerce take off again?
One hears so much of the death of e-commerce and the dot coms that one might think that the Internet and e-commerce don’t matter anymore.
How fit are you to sell your way out of a recession?
Part TWO "Account Management... made easy"
Consulting, like all professional service companies, builds strong relationships with clients to drive profitable growth.
Why Excellent Business Plans Fail To Deliver!
The business plan is theoretically perfect.
Why Excellent People Fail!
Fact.
The impact of the euro on the UK consultancy market.
There is much debate at present on whether, and if so when, the UK should enter in Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and adopt the euro.
Of course your web site is great
Remember the hours of meetings, the heated discussions, not to mention the costs.
Unleashing the Inner Innovator
Here’s a question for all upwardly mobile employees: Do you want to be a contender in today’s workplace? Sure you do! Problem is, you’ve got lots of competition, all vying for
a few scarce jobs and promotions.
Creating Your Own Business Upturn
We all see it .
21st Century Leadership Development: Self Awareness – the key to increased personal and organisational performance
What distinguishes truly great leaders from those who are just mediocre is their level of Emotional Intelligence, according to Daniel Goleman, one of the world’s leading authors in this field.
Making New-Growth Initiatives Work
Next-generation opportunities are different from the core business.
Die Krise als Chance - Warum Sie jetzt Ihre IT konsolidieren sollten
Kostendruck für die IT schränkt Bewegungsmöglichkeiten ein.
The 5 Phases of Good Redundancy Management
Redundancy is never a circumstance that anyone wishes to manage.
CHANNEL MANAGEMENT GOES DIGITAL
Supply chains and marketing channels are being redrawn as e-business changes the relationship between manufacturer, distributor and customer.
Double Loop: Wie Sie mit einer dynamischen Strategie die Zukunft im Digital Business vorausdenken.
Digital Business erinnert stark an den Goldrausch am Klondike River vor hundert Jahren.
Prozessoptimierung als
strategischer Erfolgsfaktor
Als Folge der Digitalisierung sind die Branchen Telekommunikation, Informations- und Computertechnik,
Medien, Entertainment und Unterhaltungselektronik in den letzten Jahren immer weiter zusammengewachsen.
Als Folge dieser Konvergenz entstand der neue Begriff „TIME-Branche“.
Common Misconceptions about the Balanced Scorecard
More than a decade after being introduced to the business world, the concept of the Balanced Scorecard has become very popular as a tool for private, public and non-profit organizations.
The Microsoft Balanced Scorecard Framework (BSCF)
- An Executive Summary -
Most companies make extensive use of Excel and other Microsoft desktop tools for presenting management information, but when companies look for more advanced tools for automating things such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) or Enterprise Performance Management (EPM), Microsoft’s server and web technologies are often not considered.
You Can Reduce Costs and Improve Efficiency
With current economic uncertainty and lack of short-term market confidence many businesses are experiencing reduced sales growth or possibly even declining sales.
Five Golden Tips for Mobile Business
In this column we offer five guidelines for CIOs who are developing m-business strategies.
Knowledge management – getting the basics right
According to the proverb, by the time you have accumulated enough knowledge to get by, you are too old to remember it.
3 lenses for viewing IT costs
IT costs may be looked at in 3 ways, each of which represent a type of conversation that should occur among IT, line management and corporate executive teams.
Pursuing excellence in supply chain management
The essence of excellent supply chain management is fast order-to-delivery and production cycle times, together with the highest product and service quality.
How does your business measure up?
Have you ever considered how your business is performing against its competitors? Consider the following statistics: -
Only one in ten customers who feel like complaining actually complain….so how happy are your customers?
The bottom 25% of companies are achieving profit levels that are one tenth of those achieved by the top 25%
Supplier performance is poor.
Time to plan for the year ahead?
These days a lot of headlines in the financial press refer to the current economic uncertainty.
Time to go fishing? - Is it time to plan the future of your business?
I recently heard the following story that I thought I would like to share with you: -
HOW TO PASS IR35 LEGALLY, EFFECTIVELY AND WITH INLAND REVENUE APPROVAL
Having conducted hundreds of IR35 reviews and submitted dozens of contracts to the Revenue for approval it has become apparent that the most effective way to avoid IR35 is not by contract manipulation or convoluted avoidance schemes but simply by restructuring your business.
Executive Coaching – die 7 größten Vorurteile widerlegt
Auf der Suche nach neuen Perspektiven werden gegenwärtig viel Instrumente und Methoden in Erwägung gezogen.
How fit are you to sell your way out of a recession?
Part ONE “Issue Based Selling”
Clients are spending less, doing more with their own internal consultants and becoming tougher buyers.
Should there be a strategy behind customer service?
For some organizations, a well-defined and effective customer service function can become a competitive advantage in the market place.Companies today understand that the customer service strategy is an important part of the overall marketing strategy.
Building a real eCRM capability
A refined and well-executed set of business practices enabled by a robust information and technology infrastructure are essential to fulfilling the CRM vision most companies have.
"The Antidote to Mismanaged CRM Initiatives"
Customer relationship management (CRM) is one of the fastest-growing IT applications in the world.
Growth? Now?
Despite the stock market meltdown, the economic slowdown, and the prospect of a double-dip recession, this is actually a good time for well-managed industrial companies to seek opportunities for growth by acquisition.
Estimating a Project for Planning Purposes
When a project or collection of projects is in the idea or concept stage, you want to put together a high-level estimate to see whether or not the project is worth pursuing.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Well what is it really?
Prerequisite Business Question
Which Model does your business subscribe to?:
A – Churn ‘n’ Burn
B – Learn ‘n’ Earn
If your business mode is based around model A, then a lot of this white paper is irrelevant as the business focus is about costly one off sales and immediate return.
The power of AND
Imagine the big news story: Fred wins the happiness and contentment final for the third year running.
FINANCIAL CONTROL INITIATIVE:
Delivering Data Integrity in the Benefits Agency's IT Systems
The Problem
Each working day the BA issues some 8 to 10 million instruments of payment (automated credit transfers, girocheques, order books and payable orders) for a range of over 20 different social security benefits such as Retirement Pension, Income Support, Child Benefit, Incapacity Benefit and Jobseekers' Allowance.
Data dynamics in new media marketing
Currently commercial intelligence and knowledge management are being addressed on varying levels of sophistication often usually emanating from IT departments.
CMC International, führendes Kontaktcenter der Türkei, bietet nun auch insbesondere in Deutschland und Niederlande globalorientierte Kontaktcenter-Lösungen an
ekip consulting & services, Deutschland begleitet CMC International, Türkei während Ihrer CallCenter-Aktivitäten auf dem deutschen Markt
Manager unter Druck. Zum Zeitnotstand von Managern und anderen Sterblichen
In den modernen, schlanken Unternehmen finden dramatische Umbrüche statt.
There Is No Metaphor For Business
Although there are many synonyms for being “in business” – trade, industry, commerce, ...
Managing Successful Programmes
MSP is the OGC standard for Programme Management in UK, it identifies a number of Principle and Processes that should be followed to successfully achieve the delivery of a programme.
Decisions - How to make them easier.
It was a simple decision to make.
Overcoming Organisational Stress
Organisations are subject to continual change.
The Masquerade Ball during the Typing Revolution...
It's New Year's Eve.
Understanding QA, QC & TQM
It is good to distinguish between QA, QC, and TQM.
In times of recession - expand
During the greatest retrenchment in the consulting industry for a generation, it may seem odd to suggest that a consultancy should expand into new markets.
CRM-Studie: Reengineering und Kompetenz gefragt
Die traumhaften Wachstumsraten, die der deutsche CRM-Markt noch vor zwei Jahren verzeichnete, gehören der Vergangenheit an.
Strategic Performance Management
Strategic Performance Management is not about scheduling annual performance reviews with employees
that often do not happen, have no defined outcome and/or follow no specific process.
How do we express our emotions in business?
Different nationalities express themselves physically in different ways.
IRELAND REMAINS WORLD’S MOST GLOBAL NATION - Countries continue to integrate, but at slowing pace, according to the third annual Globalization Index
Ireland ranks as the world’s most global country for the second year in a row, according to the annual A.T.
Dancing with the 800-Pound Gorilla
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, is creating upheaval in grocery channels everywhere.
The Evolution of Consultancy Companies - How to Speed up the Journey from Selling Skills to Value Propositions
As consultancy companies grow from their initial specialist skills-base and begin to gain a market reputation, they inevitably face market challenges – from both contractors and larger consultancies.
Dispelling the 7 myths of executive coaching.
During the past year consultancy firms have experienced a slowing of business growth.
Equity Research Analysis and Conflicts of Interest
This paper sets out the current regulatory position on equity research and its relationships within the investment bank.
Measuring What Matters– Performance Measurement in 2002.
For over 100 years organisations have been seeking to understand what constitutes success, the drivers behind this success and,
therefore, what should be measured to know whether success has been achieved in the past and will continue to be achieved.
"Managing" Outsourced Projects
Outsourcing of project work is more common today than ever.
HOW TO SURVIVE THE CORPORATE JUNGLE - Managing in times of change
When an organisation goes through significant change it can be like an expedition through a dense hostile tropical jungle.
So you’ve decided to do EAI with Vitria?
Your CIO got approval for his IT revitalization plan, and you’ve done a legacy systems assessment – you’ve targeted EAI as a focal part of the plan, and you’ve even settled on Vitria as your EAI toolkit.
Embedding a Culture of Innovation within Your Organization
Two men are hiking through the mountains of Canada when they stumble upon a hungry, 600- pound grizzly bear.
Innovation as a Weapon in Global Competition
To say the global economic environment is undergoing the most rapid change in the history of business is to state the obvious.
Doing it differently.
In 1988 I became the Managing Director of a medium to heavy engineering company located on the Bayhead in Durban South Africa.
CREATE THE “RIGHT” CORPORATE CULTURE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS
Corporate culture continues to be a popular leadership topic these days.
How do we build trust with foreign business colleagues?
Summary: Building trust is an essential ingredient in every business transaction.
UK MBAs lose almost 25% in value in 3 years
Average MBA salaries in the UK have fallen by approximately 24% in real
terms since 1999.
Mbl Mrktng – 2 txt r nt 2 txt - ths s th ?
Verista partner Brendan Dunphy shows how SMS (or texting) provides an exciting and highly responsive new marketing opportunity.
Transforming People’s Bank From The Inside Out
People’s Bank—the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut, with a statewide network of more than 150 branches and managed assets of $14 billion—had been doing business in the state for nearly 160 years.
The Effects of Straight Through Processing on the Investment Banking Industry
Abstract
Global Financial Investment Banking Industry is due to go through a massive change, which will only start to be seen in real terms in 2004, and the effects will not be truly felt until 2006 at the earliest.
The main players in this arena are endeavouring to reduce their operating costs, boost liquidity, increase profitability and ensure their dominant position in the market.
Externe Personalabteilung in der Praxis - Interimslösung für ein weltkonzerngebundenes Medizin-Unternehmen
How should we use e marketing?
For marketers looking to maximise budgets, e-marketing looked like manna from heaven.
Erste Lichtblicke im Top-Führungskräftemarkt
Der Arbeitsmarkt für Top-Füjrungskräfte entspannt sich leicht.
Assuming Leadership: The First 100 Days
Most senior managers will step into a new job at some point within the next five years.
2003 Middle-Market Outlook Bullish According To CFO Survey
There's no shortage of opinions about what the economy is going to look like in 2003.
China's Growing Drug Market: Will you be a contender?
Even though China's 1.25 billion people represent significant untapped opportunity, most global drug companies don't consider the nation a priority.
The New Contact Centre Economics
Rumours of the death of contact centres have been overexaggerated.
Indeed, despite the growth of the web,customer call volumes have increased.
Marketing the Marketing department
The Marketing Department are great at marketing to external customers but are much less skilled at marketing themselves internally.
Generating profit from waste
As waste plays an increasingly prominent role in the UK's environmental agenda, pressure on
retailers to minimise waste from packaging will escalate.
Winning the New Product War
Pressure to deliver top-line growth has forced many marketers to increase their spending on new-product development and to raise their launch budgets.
Customer Relationship Management
Not a day goes by without Customer Relationship Management (CRM) being mentioned in the media, or in annual reports or press releases.
Authentic Transformational Leadership
This article describes the concept of authentic transformational leadership and its relevance to both private sector businesses and organisations in other sectors.
CEO Job as Coping with Structured Instability: Raising the Bar on Internal Organization Awareness
September's Second part continues CIfAR's observations on the extent to which U.S.
Lieferantenmanagement als Erfolgsfaktor
E-PROCUREMENT Noch bestellen Unternehmen ihre Waren eher zögernd übers Internet
und die wenigsten mit einer eigens dafür entwickelten Software.
Business Transformation
Outsourcing: Partnering for Radical
Change
Some executives still use outsourcing as a blunt instrument to offload unimportant activities and wring the costs out of non-core activities.
The Three Golden Rules of Cross-Selling
Most banks and insurance companies recognize the value to be captured from effective cross-selling.
Wie populär sind Management- und IT-Beratungen im Web?
Auch für Management- und IT-Beratungen wird es immer wichtiger, über Suchmaschinen im Internet gefunden zu werden.
Business intelligence consulting industry growing in Asia
Business intelligence consulting firms are emerging and expanding in Asia’s business hubs, with support from clients, professional organisations and academia.
Psycho-analysis of a Corporate Name?
A corporate name or a brand, at best, is an outcry from the deep bottom of the corporation in search of attention and in pursuit of fame and glory.
Christmas is coming – get networked!
Ok, so it’s been a long year and you are looking forward to unwinding a little over the holiday season.
Keeping the customer (profitably) satisfied.
Which is more enlightened: the company that cuts costs across the board during the downturn, not knowing the impact on customer satisfaction; or the company that confidently spends whatever it takes to keep satisfaction scores high?
Neither.
How to be sucessfull in selling professional services
The success of every professional services department / business unit or for that matter you, in an organization requires an ongoing effort to obtain new clients and new engagements.
using the EFQM and the Balanced Scorecard to design a business driven IS architeture
Many IS/IT systems fail because they do not meet user requirements.
What Now for Informix Customers?
Since IBM acquired the assets of Informix Software in July 2001, many users of its leading database, Informix Dynamic Server (IDS), have expressed their concerns about the uncertainty surrounding its future.
IMG schließt Geschäftsjahr mit leichtem Umsatzplus ab
PRESSEINFORMATION
The Information Management Group (IMG) schließt Geschäftsjahr mit leichtem Umsatzplus ab
Leichte Steigerung des Gesamtjahresumsatz um ein Prozent auf Euro 86,15 Millionen - Umsatz im 4.
Wissensmanagement - denn Wissen ist wertvoll
Wissensmanagement beschäftigt sich mit den Möglichkeiten, auf die Ressource Wissen im Unternehmen Einfluss zu nehmen.
Portfolio Careers: High-Earners Want More Out of Life
A survey conducted to gain insight and understanding into some of the issues associated with high-earners' views towards career progression and a portfolio career.
For the full article please click below:
Accelerating Out of the Downturn
The big news is that the recession appears to be ending.
Treating Investors Like Customers
The collapse of Enron and other recent financial scandals have created a crisis in investor confidence.
Zwischen Technos und Psychos - Change Management-Berater auf dem Prüfstand
Die Zeiten werden immer härter.
Performance Measurement and Management.
The management mantra that ‘if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it’ is a refrain that managers often hear but do not fully appreciate until confronted with a major challenge such as the complexity of a business transformation programme.
Are you ready to write off CRM?
Paul Schulz
Paul developed his database and CRM skills through his role as Corporate MIS Manager for HFC Bank and as Database Director at Wunderman Cato Johnson.
Creating an Environment for Innovation
Once your company has made a conscious decision to encourage innovation, where and how should you start? How do you encourage people in every part of the company to innovate? Since setting an atmosphere in which innovation is encouraged is often highly correlated with the long-term success of a company, it’s worthwhile to develop the skills and atmosphere in which effective innovation becomes a part of your ongoing strategic planning.
The Success Zone: Aligning Your Business Model and Risk Profile
Steve Rutan presents an approach to identifying the Risk Matrix that applies to your selected markets.
Here Comes the Old Economy!
Denise Harrison looks at the contrast between bad news headlines and economists' optimistic outlook for continued recovery.
March to a Different Drummer
Denise Harrison proposes that by not joining the crowd, but developing and following a strategy that is the best road for your company, you can succeed even when others think you are missing the big opportunity of the moment.
Put Yourself Out of Business
Innovation is the lifeblood of any organization.
Von Master Bit GmbH erstellte Lösung ADAC.de gewinnt Online Star
Die Web-Site des Master Bit Kundenprojektes beim ADAC wurde mit dem OnlineStar, dem Web-Oscar der Zeitschrift com! Online, gekürt.
From Managing to Leading: Making the Leap
Charlotte is an experienced and highly trained senior manager.
Musikschulen am Puls der Zeit
Die 168 Musikschulen in NRW setzen auf mehr Fortbildung und mehr Qualität.
Offshore Outsourcing - The Real Story
- What is this all about?
- How has the offshore market developed over the last 12 months?
- The advantages and disadvantages of offshore outsourcing.
- The future of offshore outsourcing
- Tips when looking and choosing an offshore vendor
The Era of Wireless Entertainment has Begun.
Personalized ringtones and silly cartoon characters.
IMPROVING CONTACT CENTRE PERFORMANCE - PURE FOCUS ON COST REDUCTION WILL LEAD TO REDUCTION IN PROFIT, SAY DETICA
* Customer and employee experience is key to optimising contact centres and reducing costs *
What UK businesses will need to spend on euro conversion
In a paper published today, two leading independent euro analysts have shown that the costs of euro conversion in the UK will in the region of £3-8bn.
Kooperation zwischen Client Vela und GHP: Komplettservice für Couponing-Projekte
Die Client Vela GmbH, München, und die GHP GmbH, Bamberg, arbeiten künftig auf dem Gebiet des Couponing zusammen.
Divide to Conquer and Business System Dynamics Strategy
in Direct Marketing and Brand Management
The significance of analysing information dynamically by designing and implementing business, statistical, and simulation models for the purpose of encapsulating customers’ needs and behavioural trends, and therefore maximising profits.
A Lean Manufacturing Case Study/Article
During the past several years, Lean Manufacturing has received a great deal of attention in its application to manufacturing companies.
If I had known then what I know now
30+ years experiences of Project Management precised into a three pages.
Strategic Implications of the Euro
A discussion about the impact of the Euro upon UK financial markets (with a retial focus)
Learning and change in the real world
The real world is full of change.
Waste Not – Want Not:
Mindset Obstacles to Competitive Advantage
An assessment of the causes of human, energy, and materials waste in
business, the profit potential and difficulty in changing mindsets, and
the huge costs of not changing.
- Systems Thinking overrides all else - business, government, and
the public must come to understand the inter-connectedness of all
things, and, how failure to understand system interactive effects can
lead to tragedy in any aspect of life.
- Elimination of waste streams is not only feasible - it is
necessary for corporate and public economic sustainability - and,
contrary to popular mindset, is a contributor to profit and growth.
- Technology, finances, leadership and management are not the
primary obstacles to elimination of waste and protection of the
environment, and, for that matter social conflict and terrorism as well.
The primary obstacles are the subconscious mindsets of individuals,
groups, governments, and corporations.
Leading Purchasing & Supply Management
With so much passion and talk of ‘change’ and the importance of Leadership, I thought it would be worth exploring the subject of Leadership and its importance and relevance to the Purchasing & Supply profession.
Color-Blind Customers of Today
Think of Blue and what comes to mind is a blue ocean.
Problem erkannt - Gefahr gebannt - Effektive Veränderungen im Unternehmen
- Mit kreativer Spannung zur Veränderung
- Die Realität im Wandel
- Die Vision als Voraussetzung zum Wandel
- Veränderungsmanagement als Topführungsaufgabe
A.T.Kearney's Foreign Direct Investment Confidence Index release
Despite being more optimistic about the economy than in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, global executives are less likely to make foreign direct investments than they were in early 2001, the last time similar research was conducted, the first broad decline in investor sentiment in five years.
DETICA WARNS OF MAJOR MONETARY AND REPUTATION RISK FROM INTERNAL FRAUD
*Companies primarily focused on external fraud are highly vulnerable to losing £billions to fraudsters operating from the inside*
Zufriedene Kunden - Treue Kunden -
Kundenzufriedenheitsanalyse in einem mittelständischen Unternehmen
Was geschieht in gestandenen, langjährig erfolgreich agierenden Unternehmen, wenn sich die Umsätze und Erträge rückläufig entwickeln und die Kunden wegbleiben? Die Ursachen werden gesucht und nicht selten im eigenen Unternehmen gefunden!
Knowledge Management in Strategic Alliances
Partnering and Knowledge Management as individual disciplines continue to gain in significance, an assessment supported both by studies and by their prominence in the economy.
HEADHUNTING - DIE EVOLUTION VOM
MATCH MAKER ZUM RELATIONSHIPMANAGER
Rainer V.
Behaving yourself in the Board Room
A case study illustrates a simple but often-overlooked conundrum - 'knowing the right things to do is not the same as being able to do them' - and provides some answers.
Why Corporate Images Die a Slow Death?
Then one day, suddenly, Corporate Image caught fire, it was all up in flames.
Einsatzpotentiale und Auswirkungen von eProcurement Lösungen
In seiner Dissertation "Einsatzpotentiale und Auswirkungen von eProcurement Lösungen" analysiert Dr.
Akuter Handlungsbedarf im Automobil-Handel
The Information Management Group (IMG) untersucht aktuelle Trends und Optimierungsansätze in der Automobilbranche - White Paper „Automobil-Handel im Informationszeitalter„ kann unter www.img.ch/ct kostenlos bezogen werden
Banking im Informationszeitalter
The Information Management Group (IMG) stellt auf den "Internationalen SAP Infotagen für Banken" in Frankfurt neue Wege für Banken und Unternehmen zu Standardlösungen vor.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE!
THE ROLE OF TODAY'S CHIEF EXECUTIVE
This short article points out why most performance appraisal systems set up to fail and indicates how they may be structured for better impact in an organisation.
Losing customers?…….. or winning new admirers?
To understand how as a Business you can retain customers and also meet the customers expectation of the service you deliver.
Flying Blind? Try Actionable Information.
Information professionals decry the absence of actionable information in their firms. Yet they're overlooking an approach that can help them create it—information design.
This article talks about what actionable information is, why it's so rare in organizations, and how to create it.
Doing business today means more speed and more complexity.
When meeting foreign business people how do we get and keep their interest?
When we meet foreign business associates for the first time we need to know what their primary interests are.
Planning: is it time for a Renaissance?
Ian is a dm strategist with both client -side and agency experience.
Strategisches Potential der Telekommunikation von KMU noch nicht erkannt.
Die Firma ABA Management AG hat in Zusammenarbeit mit der PHW Privaten Hochschule Wirtschaft eine Studie bezüglich dem Telekomverhalten Deutschweizer KMU erarbeitet.
Consultants’ Alert: Impending Crisis
When clients engage professional consultants, they expect those consultants to be well-educated, experienced, proficient .
Business Process Outsourcing Big Bang: Creating Value in an Expanding Universe.
Stymied by an increasing cost structure in a competitive business? Searching for a way
to drive top-line revenue growth? Looking for a rapid and effective way to get access to
cutting-edge technology without huge capital outlays? Many organizations are turning
to business process outsourcing (BPO) to accomplish these objectives and more.
BPO once had a clear place in the executive’s toolkit—it
was used to achieve cost savings in transaction-intensive,
back office business processes.
The Subtle Power of Virtual Collaboration.
By using a whole battery of new technologies, companies have found ways for their people to work together on essential tasks while essentially staying put.
CEO Perspectives: Business Planning in Inclement Economic Weather
Few of today's corporate leaders have ever had to steer a company through a serious economic downturn, let alone one as troubled by uncertainty as today's economic climate.
Cake, Strangeness and Charm.
So what has gone wrong recently within the Telecommunications marketplace?
Crisis, chaos and confusion everywhere.
Differences in job satisfaction between agency workers and permanent workers
Differences between the job satisfaction of agency call centre workers and permanent call centre workers were proposed in this study, which expands previous work with the use of a control group of permanent call centre workers who do not work with agency workers.
Aligning Values to Achieve Results
"When people know better, they do better." In my experience when they know more about themselves the bi-products of aligning values to organisational outcomes includes less conflict, more behaviourally flexible people who are motivated and committed.
The 5 Key Facets of Quality Leadership
Many people in leadership positions struggle with understanding what makes a great leader.
THE CURRENT WAVE OF CORPORATE VENTURING IS FAILING - SAYS NEW SURVEY FROM CORVEN
Corven published its annual growth survey today (17 September) at a breakfast in London attended by senior industry figures from a number of blue-chip companies.
This year’s survey, which focused on corporate venturing, received some eye-opening responses from over 144 companies, with participants drawn mainly from Strategy and Business Development Directors in FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies.
Optimierte Arbeitsprozesse minimieren die Kosten
Zur Erhaltung der Wettbewerbsfähigkeit sind die Unternehmen zunehmend gefordert, die anfallenden Kosten zu minimieren, realitätsnah zu planen und zu steuern.
Remember Non-Financial Indicators in Measuring Performance
For years, financial results were the main yardstick of
performance.
Taking Performance
Measurement to the Next
Level
A recent report by The Conference Board on Strategic
Performance Measurement found that companies which
employ Performance Measurement were much more likely
to achieve leadership positions in their industry and were
almost twice as likely to have handled a major cultural or
operational change successfully.
Science-assisted People Management
Managing people – a manager’s greatest challenge.
Assuring Ineffective Boards
Leaders frequently are members of Boards of Directors.
Research and Development in the 21st Century: Web-Enabled Innovation Comes of Age
Web-enabled research and development? But of course.
“Anyone Here Have Any Bright Ideas?”
To be successfully innovative—to find new efficiencies and develop new products and services—organizations need to take a more systematic approach.
That’s one way to encourage innovation in your workforce.
Erfolgsfaktoren von Unternehmungen
Warum sind manche Unternehmungen erfolgreicher als andere? Die Frage nach den Erfolgsfaktoren von Unternehmungen ist so alt wie die Betriebswirtschaftslehre selbst.
Chancen von Ethno-Marketing
Gezielte und aktive Unternehmensberatung im Geschäftsfeld Ethno Marketing hilft, unausgeschöpfte Potentiale innerhalb der türkischen Zielgruppe zu erschliessen.
Turning around a troubled IT project
The most popular troubled project remedies are ‘more time’, ‘more people’, and ‘more money’.
Are You Ready for a Radical Change?
If you think the past decade has brought dramatic change to the workplace, you ain't seen nothin' yet! The next ten years will bring radical change to all aspects of the workplace: it's size, age and income distribution, white and blue collar jobs, products and services, as well as to the methods for creating productivity.
Double Jeopardy: Taxation Of Canada/U.S. Stock Options
In contrast to most other forms of compensation, stock options are generally more tax effective in Canada for employees than they are in the U.S.
Your career is a business - so run it like one!
Hopers and floaters are everywhere! I see them nearly every day, and I feel for them.
Customer Relationship Management in deutschen Unternehmen:
Bedeutung erkannt, Umsetzung ungenügend
Ergebnisse einer branchenübergreifenden CRM-Studie in Deutschland von
Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Companies with a Conscience
All businesses have values.
So, What Exactly Is Your Corporate Strategy?
The question every CEO faces and many dread: “So,what exactly is your strategy?” It comes from all sides: investors, the media, board members, managers and employees, even suppliers and customers.
Solving problems on the inside.
Accurate internal financial reports are essential to maximise shareholder value.
Accounting crises at Enron, Global Crossing, Elan and many others have over the past few months undermined confidence in financial reporting and driven down company valuations.
Growth Traps:Lessons from the Go-Go '90s
For most of the late 1990s, revenue growth was the be-all and end-all on Wall Street.
The Client Licensing Tool Dilemma
Over the past few months, many of you have received notices from your middleware vendors suggesting that they will modify their licensing to discourage you from using third-party client tools for viewing, managing and analyzing your data stored within their products.
Guru Theory and Shareholder Benefit
It is becoming increasingly common to hear shareholders and directors discuss their difficulty in maintaining control over their organisations, particularly in ensuring that their organisation delivers what its owners expect.
Managers Caught in Accelerating Rate of Technological Change
Business managers today are being pressured by many forces.
In Search of a Professional Project Manager - Twenty Questions
Finding the right Project Manager for your project is a critical ingredient for success.
Tussling for corporate control: reconciling owners' and managers' interests
It is increasingly common to hear shareholders and directors talk about the difficulty they face in maintaining control over their organisations, particularly ensuring that their organisations deliver what their owners expect.
Raising Capital for Your Business
Are You Ready for Investors?
If your business has a clear strategy for raising capital, you won’t encounter any shortage of funds in Western Canada.
Setting Up or Reorganizing
Your Employee Benefits Program
Your business probably already has a basic form of group employee benefit plan.
Getting Ready for Virtuality: A Case Study at the Department of Energy
One of the most important lessons learned in the process of transforming face-to-face Quality
Circles into Virtual Teams was the critical importance of making tacit assumptions about roles,
rewards, and requirements explicit.
Get the Right Results From Your Ads
One of the greatest things we will ever learn is the power of testing: testing one advertisement against another, testing one way of answering the phone against another, etc.
Why do most new start-up businesses go bust ?
Supposedly some 80 % of new businesses go bust within 2 years from start-up.
Strategy Realisation through Knowledge and Project Management
The core of any business strategy - connecting a company's internal processes to improved outcomes with customers - is that organisation's "value proposition".
Business Planning in Large Organisations
In large organisations, business plans are part of a planning and performance management cycle in which top-down strategic plans give direction to business units by defining the contribution that each unit will make to the organisation’s performance.
The 40 Root Causes of Troubled IT Projects
IT engagements, projects and programmes have a habit of getting into difficulty.
Developing business in a downturn - do's and don't's
When the business environment is tough, people responsible for developing business are naturally inclined to aim for the closest targets and use a sales approach that will push clients through the pipeline.
Introducing Performance Management during Organisation Change
Performance Management Systems have traditionally been viewed as instruments for 're-freezing' the organisation or consolidating gains resulting from a change program.
Tips for Breaking Into and Succeeding In Management Consulting
Management consulting is one of the professions that endure in a slow economy.
Jam Today!
Delivering in the Short Term While Building for the Long Term
“The rule is, jam tomorrow and jam yesterday – but never jam today.”
“It must come sometimes to ‘jam today,’ ” Alice objected.
“No, it can’t,” said the Queen.
Wanted: Leaders with Integrity
In the aftermath of WorldCom, Enron, Arthur Andersen and other scandals it should be expected that companies will put a high premium on finding executives with high ethical standards.
Selling Consulting Services Made Easy (Part 7) - Team Buying and Team Selling (including External Partners)
The simple sale comprising of 1 seller and 1 buyer is rare in consulting.
The Darwinian School of Leadership
Pop Culture or Cultural Message?
Two TV shows, Survivor and The Weakest Link, are currently the rage.
Healthy High-Performance Conference Calls
From a practical standpoint, we can surely see the advantages of conference calls.
Towards the Delivery of a Total Solution.
We've all heard the old saw: "build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door." Like most well worn maxims, it has a kernel of truth.
Technik verliert weiter an Bedeutung
Die Anschaffung eines Softwaresystems war bis vor kurzem eine strategische Entscheidung.
COMPETENCIES, WITHIN AND OF ORGANISATIONS
This paper traces the linkage between the development of national standards of competency definition for individuals, and processes propagated by institutions such as the National Council for Vocational Qualifications, the Management Standards Centre, Investors in People and the British Standards Institute.
These standards are now incorporated into, and further extended, in an organisational competency framework in the form of the British Quality Foundation’s Business Excellence Model.
The author proposes that Organisational Competencies (beyond the focus on individuals and processes) is a legitimate area of enquiry, but that existing frameworks fail to embrace the totality of organisational performance.
This proposition is explored from a consultancy assignment that set out to define organisational competencies for one of the UK’s top 200 corporations
March to a Different Drummer
Denise Harrison proposes that by not joining the crowd, but developing and following a strategy that is the best road for your company, you can succeed even when others think you are missing the big opportunity of the moment.
Marketing: A Key to Long Term Success
Times are tight, business is lousy, right? We can't be bothered worrying about long term image building when we are worried about our next order, if there is to be one, can we? While there is much to be said for surviving this downturn, there is also much to be said about starting to plan for the next upturn, as well.
Appointment of a Non-Executive Director to the board of
Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs)
The use and benefit of Non-Executive (Non-Exec) directors on unlisted company boards is one of the more contentious issues that directors of SMEs consider.
Promises: Roots of Business
How to build trust by making (and extracting) promises you can measure.
Summary of Compensation in Consulting Firms
Abbott, Langer & Associates present their annual survey of compensation in consulting firms, carried out on 107 consulting firms and 1,400 employees.
E-venge of the incumbents?
How to build a hybrid business model that will prevail in the Internet economy.
A "clicks and mortar" approach, which blends the digital and physical elements of business, seems destined to win in many markets of the emerging Internet economy.
Selling Consulting Services Made Easy (Part 6) - Selling on the Soft Side
Sales are won and lost most often because of people.
BRAVE NEW WORLD FOR ERP/FINANCIAL SOFTWARE VENDORS AND CONSULTANCIES
An analysis of recent history of the ERP and Financial Software sectors followed by an insight into future prospects.
Top Ten Worst Human Resource Technology Practices
Findley Davies presents its "Top Ten Worst Human Resource Technology Practices" at the Midwest Pension and Benefits Association annual meeting in Cleveland.
The Organic Revolution
The opportunities for organic produce and retailers in the European market
Bring on the recession; It's the best time to strengthen your strategic position.
Many senior managers, especially in North America, have little or no experience
steering their firms through a recession.
Serving customers digitally:
Applying the right tools to support your business design
Why does British Airways sell less than 4 percent of its tickets online while easyJet - in apparently the same market - sells 75 percent? It’s not because the
smart upstart “got it” and the incumbent didn’t.
Rising from the ashes
With all the talk of the bursting of the Internet bubble and the death of the New Economy, many people have lost sight of an important fact: that lots of online businesses have been successful in revolutionary ways.
Support Systems for Consultancy Start-Ups
Once you have taken the decision to start up as an independent consultant, you will start to discover many different ways you can get support and generate new business opportunities....
Selling Consulting Services Made Easy (Part 5) - 5 Steps to Selling Consulting Services
All the really gifted sellers of Consulting Services I’ve met follow a sales model.
Alternative Energy Emerging Too Slowly To Avert National Emergency
Despite the best intentions of many, it’s time to admit the truth about America’s green energy movement: It’s losing the battle against public indifference.
Take this Job and... Love It
“We used to urge our people to ‘think outside the box.’ Now we all seem to be racing to get back into the box again.”
As a senior human-resources professional said this, the other H.R.
EnCORE-EDGEing Your Strategy
Holding to the center is no longer enough for companies in an uncertain world.
HR as Strategic Partner?
Executives commit significant resources to ensure that their company’s production, service, technology and marketing functions are capable of rapid change.
Caveat Emptor: Human Capital Due Diligence During Acquisition
In today’s business environment, mergers and acquisitions have become appealing because they offer organizations the potential to:
-Increase their leverage in the marketplace, and
-Realize savings associated with economies of scale.
In Findley Davies’ experience, classical due diligence investigates three general areas of concern:
-Product or service offerings and the synergies that may come from an acquisition are identified and predicted,
-The potential in the marketplace and for a combined sales effort is quantified, and
-The aggregate operational costs and cost savings are identified, with the cost of doing business and long-term liabilities offset against predicted gains.
But when we ask managers who have experienced acquisitions where their greatest post-acquisition surprises or challenges came from, invariably the answer given has to do with the attitudes of affected employees in both the acquired and the acquiring organizations.
Are You Overlooking Opportunities to Recruit?
Five tips for managers on recruiting and attracting candidates
Recruiting efforts are not like a faucet to be turned on and off depending on whether a company has job openings.
Is There a Right Way to Layoff Employees?
Do's and Dont's for Managers
In today’s slowing economy, many managers are finding themselves in the position to do something they may never have had to do before—layoff employees.
Board, Heal Thyself
Right or wrong, the fallout from Enron, Tyco and Adelphia Communications is settling right at the boardroom door.
Common Performance
Management Challenges
Organizations frequently identify one or more of seven elements as the most "challenging" when implementing performance management systems.
Before You Make The Call
Traditionally market research firms are accustomed to working with professional researchers in a company.
BACK TO THE BASICS - or "You Really Can Get a Good ROI Out of Your HRMS... But it’s Not What You Thought it Was
This is an incredible period of change for the Human Resources function.
Selling Consulting Services Made Easy (Part 4) - The 12 Greatest Selling Pitfalls
A well-known CEO once said to me most of the consultants he sees don’t lose to competition.
Dancing with customers: why consumer loyalty is a marketing myth
DMS is based in Cheltenham and is the largest independently-owned direct marketing agency outside of London.
Biometric systems - the next big security opportunity
Since the events of September 11 and subsequent terrorist activities, corporations have placed a renewed emphasis on trying to control entry to their workplaces.
PEOPLE, LOYALTY, PROFIT - Is Loyalty Dead?
It’s become something of an urban myth in business that "employee loyalty is dead".
The Communication Crisis
Knowledge is power.
Selling Consulting Services Made Easy (Part 3) - Know your Selling Style
Your Selling Style is your unique personal property.
Changing market dynamics: a paradigm shift needed
Following the telecom meltdown, the dot com crash, September 11’th and now America’s corporate scandals, it’s not surprising that many companies are focusing almost exclusively on cutting costs….
The Top 10 Reasons CRM Projects Fail
Depending on which survey you read, you will see comments and statistics such as "over 50% of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) projects fail." On the other hand, you will also see published results that show double-digit percentage growth in revenue, improved productivity, and increased customer satisfaction from new CRM projects.
Hitting a nerve - How to figure out what’s really going on in customers’ heads—and generate a burst in demand.
The traditional mode of developing business strategy seldom strikes a nerve.
Selling Consulting Services Made Easy (Part 2) - Recognising the Buying Climate
When selling consulting services you have to be able to read the Buying Climate.
E-marketing campaigns risk angering consumers says new survey
New research carried out by entire, the strategic direct marketing agency shows that untargeted email could earn the epithet of 21st century junk mail....
Why breaking the rules will be the next lesson of CRM
Matthew has worked in top companies on both the client and marketing services sides of the business – and believes passionately in leveraging these different viewpoints to meet client needs.
He has almost 10 years marketing experience in the fmcg sector, mostly spent with Procter & Gamble (including 3 years based in Italy).
Performance improvement opportunities in the Financial Services sector
A regular finding in our work in banking, insurance and re-insurance is the low priority and focus given to back office processing activity.
Changing times: Strategic consulting for professional effectiveness
Every organisation has three main items of expenditure – staff, information technology and real estate.
TRANSFER TO THE PROCESS
This critical examination of ISO 9001:2000 looks through the hype and sees a less than perfect standard.
CONTEMPLATING THE PROCESS
Recent (2001) articles and letters on the subject of "processes" in the Institute of Quality Assurance’s magazine “Quality World” highlight a serious problem.
Selling Consulting Services Made Easy (Part 1) - Combining Interpersonal and Structured Selling
Selling consulting services can become a lot easier and more effective by developing your Interpersonal Sales Approach and following a simple Structured Selling Model.
Am I an Entrepreneur
Written for entrepreneurs for self analysis.
An Integrated Approach to Health and Safety
The need to ensure statutory compliance often presents a serious dilemma for facilities managers.
The importance of 360 degree brand strategy
Damian Schogger works for Identica, a leading international brand agency embracing strategic brand consultancy, design and brand management both off and on line.
The future shape of the consulting sector
I have thought for a while that the consultancy model we know from the 1990’s is finished and that a new structure is taking its place.
Outsourcing in Financial Services
The article considers outsourcing and its relationship within an authorised financial services business.
Corporate Property Asset Management Plans
A precis of the need to understand strategic corporate property in the business planning cycle
How to win more business
Presenting in Public: 10 Golden Rules
Achieve Perfect Pitch
Package or Designer Application, that is the question
When a new application requirement is recognised, the choices that have to be made are not just "a package solution", a "Tailored Package" or a specifically designed Application.
Leadership Self-confidence
Great leadership is a rare commodity - in business, politics, sport and in most walks of life.
Sucessfully Implementing SAP
Useful hints for a successful SAP implementation.
Corporate Venturing & Corporate Growth Survey
Companies are failing to generate significant organic growth because of continuing failure to allocate the right skills, resources, and management support to meet this crucial challenge, according to our second annual survey...
Reputation: today's business critical asset
This article will interest anyone who is somehow connected with the issue of enhancing or maintaining corporate reputation.
Convergence in the Mobile Phone Industry. What happens next?
The Mobile Phone can arguably lay claim to the title of the most successful consumer product of all time.
2002 European ERP Salary & Fee Survey
Millennium has conducted a wide-ranging ERP Salary and Consultancy fee survey for Europe contacting organisations that have significant pan-European business systems.
Value Your Customers - In More Ways Than One
The most successful businesses are one’s that recognise the value of their customer base and exploit that value most effectively.
All too often businesses, especially small businesses, spend most of their sales and marketing time and money trying to find new customers, not realising the value of the one’s they already have.
This article explores why it’s important to realise the value of your existing customer base.
Competing In A Changing Telecoms Arena:
There Is More To It Than Getting Customers
Growth in market share through continuing aggressive customer acquisition is recognised to be no longer sustainable by communications companies.
THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY: WAYS AHEAD
It is amazing how some observers, even reputable industry analysts still talk of ‘the 11th September impact on the airline and travel sector’, almost attributing to this single factor all the current troubles.
THE P2P SILVER BULLET - NEXT GENERATION VIRUS PREVENTION
Does the current hype surrounding P2P warrant consideration? Recent virus epidemics would point to the affirmative.
P2P AS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION - P2P AND CYBER-TERRORISM
With the terrorist events of 2001 the lengths to which belligerent parties will go to inflict the greatest possible damage to their considered enemies seems unlimited.
Green Hills East Africa
Synopsis:
Green Hills International has several factories in Africa.
A New Era for Risk Management
Examines how the Second Basle Accord will influence organisations' approach to operational risk management.
Investing in Technology
Management decisions on technology are under more scrutiny than ever, as the final choice and implementation has to be the culmination of a thorough and well-planned process.
Technology investment, by its very nature, should be forward-looking and ambitious.
The Myths of Teamwork
First article in a series that covers four myths of Teamworking as identifed by current research.
Obstacles, The Building Blocks to Greatness
5 Steps to Overcoming Your Toughest Challenges
Discover how to unleash the solutions to your most baffling obstacles.
Nerd Games or Planning for Cyber-War
Are we underestimating the aim of virus attacks? Are our security plans good enough ? Are virus attacks just nerds trying to annoy us or serious tests of our security.
THE TAO OF P2P
What is P2P? How does it work? Is it important? How do I make money out of it?
P2P will undoubtedly herald immense changes in business models, Internet network build, working models and ultimately how we interact within a digital environment.
Marketing Transforms A Small Tourist Attraction
The Leighton Buzzard Railway, Bedfordshire, is a volunteer-run heritage railway, which had hit a plateau in its customer numbers bt the mid-1990s.
This article describes how the intelligent application of standard Marketing techniques has transformed its commercial situation, producing growth of more than 30% over the last 2 years.
Mouse Hunting - The Executive Connections Group guide to recruitment on the web
Mouse Hunting is a guide for both job seekers and employers.
Costs - time for a rethink?
The perennial issue
One of the continuing issues for financial institutions is that there are constant and seemingly never-ending demands for expenditure on IT and infrastructure from new legislation (Basle Accord), changes in the market (Euro), or general issues (Y2K, internet).
Operationalising your strategy
For many organisations setting the Corporate Strategy represents a significant milestone in the companies evolution.
ADSL: towards a broadband world?
Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology, which can provide high-speed Internet access over a
normal telephone line, is being sold to UK businesses and consumers as a ‘broadband solution’.
iDTV: do the business models add up?
Interactive Digital Television (iDTV) is set to change our relationship with the telly - that much is clear.
8 Critical Issues Driving Global Commercial Uncertainty for the Next 14 Months.
CEO CHALLENGES: CEOs should expect all of 2002 and much of 2003 to be a time of intense repositioning [markets, global economic declines, behaviors, sudden financial instabilities, etc.] coupled with utterly profound uncertainty [Warfare/Conflict, catastrophe, competitive incursions, human/employee response needs, energy resource shortages, etc.].
In the Wake of the ENRON Debacle!
Managing increasingly radical global changes heading into 2002 was serious enough challenge for CEOs.
Take control of methodology- put the shoe on the other foot.
A high level discussion of possible methodologies for surviving the software project and strategies to survive the methodology.
The Four Phases of Building Professional Services at a Product Company
When a product company makes the decision to move upstream from basic product support services to more solution-oriented consulting services, there are distinct phases to the journey.
An Information Technology Strategy for the Agile Enterprise
Today, the acceleration of change in the global business environment is forcing organizations across a broad spectrum of manufacturing, service, academic and governmental institutions to become more AGILE, that is, to increase the number of iterations while concomitantly decreasing the duration per-iteration of their OODA decision-to-action cycles.
Confidence in Leadership:
Mediocrity is not an Option
(A Two-Minute Primer for Success)
The global economic downturn compounded by September 11th has many of our business leaders running scared.
Study Finds Huge Gap between Best Practices and Typical e-Recruiting Web Sites
Some companies have mastered e-Recruiting; most haven't; and the gap between the best and worst e-Recruiting Web sites undertaken this summer and fall by Cambria Consulting, a Boston based human resources consulting firm.
Leadership Competencies: Putting It All Together
The Corporate Leadership Council invited Cambria Consulting to summarize the leadership competencies from many of its member organizations.
Winning the War for Talent: e-Recruiting Best Practices
Cambria Consulting recently completed a benchmark study reviewing what high profile companies are doing online in their quest for talented recruits.
Ten Things You Really Need to Know About Your Competitors
Ten key things every business needs to know about its competitors in order to build and/or maintain competitive advantage.
Leadership Development: Attack of the Clones
According to many a frustrated CEO, the greatest threat to organisational success is clone mentality, caused by Leadership Development Programmes.
TEN THINGS YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS
Here are ten things we think you really need to know about your customers...
Whither airport privatisation now?
The privatisation of airports, worldwide, has become a key characteristic of the aviation industry in the last five years.
A bigger picture of performance
Managers often neglect strategic goals when measuring how their company is doing...
The Future of TV advertising: Personalised TV Advertising – a marketing revolution in the making?
TV advertising personalisation is like all other revolutions – many observers see it coming well in advance but only a few people will actually be ready when it breaks
Total Corporate Health - who needs it?
Managing organisational and
individual stress
for a sustainable business
Agile Architecture for Agile Commerce
Today, enterprises exist in a complex business ecology that is in a continuous state of change.
Don't talk about CRM: do it
Everyone is talking about the importance of CRM, but pitifully few have taken action to implement it, writes Camilla Ballesteros
Venture Capital and Hi-tech: what are the VC's interested in funding these days?
Venture Capitalists are reportedly shying away from investment in the hi-tech and wireless industries.
Strategy Deployment and Performance Measurement - Missing Links
Our survey of 28 major UK-based companies highlights several missing links in the way organisations are using performance measurement and management systems (PMMS) to support strategy deployment...
CRM: Changing organisations - how to avoid icing over the muckheap
Many of today’s companies are spending huge amounts of money and effort developing their relationships with customers, perceiving this as a way to increase profits.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has been developed as a profitable and systematic way of achieving this.....