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Research Insight
The following pieces are based on our conversations with leading executives and venture capitialists along with our observations on the state of technology in business. These short items are "work in progress" research that captures a snap shot of current industy dynamics.
What Is the Connection Between Six Sigma and Offshore Outsourcing?
After the glow of labor savings has diminished, the true long-term success of offshore initiatives centers on the teamwork and processes of a globally distributed workforce. Disregarding process improvement methodologies, especially Six Sigma, is a recipe for offshore failure. This article explains why managers need to incorporate the Six Sigma methodology in their offshore outsourcing projects.
Mobile Revenue Models: The Economics
Mobile communications are on the cusp of the next big step, promising new applications and services that will change the way people live and work. The integration of the Internet, mobility and communications at the device, service and transport level creates a new set of business opportunities. The business challenge is bring together the three worlds with services that customers will pay for.
The promise of Web services for a IT manager is simple: the ability to build useful composite applications by aggregating the services of many other modular services that exist locally or remotely on the network, in a company's intranet or across the Internet. The promised of Web Services for the business executive is a little fuzzier: make it easier for corporations to meet customers, suppliers and channel partners demands.
Tragedy of Commons: Why did First Generation E-Procurement Companies Fail?
The Tragedy of the Commons occurs because people pursue their goals with the means available to them. Nothing belongs to anyone, yet everything belongs to everyone. So when people make use of things, they use what everyone else also owns. Can the Tragedy of Commons explain why the first generation e-procurement companies failed?
E-business: What's Next
What is beyond e-business? Is it more streamlined e-business? Is it an integrated multi-channel -- click and mortar -- infrastructure? Is it mobile commerce infrastructure? Is it voice commerce infrastructure? Is it a combination of all of the above? What really is coming next?
Innovation Fatigue
Employees are being asked to run the “change race” faster and faster. Executives and strategy consultants are driving for ever-faster change in the form of e-initiatives. Companies are being exhorted by so-called gurus to "innovate or perish". Yet the capacity for absorbing and assimilating these initiatives is diminishing at a rapid rate.
Practicing Triage for Survival
Everywhere you look companies are in crisis. If it is a new economy company, it has limited capital that needs to be re-allocated to projects that can deliver the best returns. If it is an old economy company, it has an abundance of not-so-great “e” projects that need to be cut. In either scenario, the problem is similar: How to structure and implement a turn-around in the new economy?
Do You Need Professional E-Business Blueprint Management?
The goal of a blueprint is to provide a balance between day-to-day operations and long-term strategic decision-making. We found that a majority of Global 3000 companies with multiple business units, complex application and infrastructure assets are not using professional blueprint planning and management techniques in linking their Strategy to Execution.
The Execution Mantra
We hear the cliché all the time: companies need to execute. In startup firms, for instance, venture capitalists often go overboard with their faith in recruiting experienced management teams or bringing in new management teams to implement a business plan. If executing a plan was all it takes to be successful, then why are over 95% of the venture funded startups in deep trouble? Looking back it seems that execution is not as simple in the new economy as it appears.
Selling Mobile Enterprise Solutions - What Works?
Creating mobile technology is one thing, marketing and selling it to a mainstream enterprise audience is a whole another thing. For several years, we have been systematically researching the business problem: How to sell mobile enterprise solutions effectively into large corporations? How to create demand for mobile solutions? In particular, we have been studying the sales processes, value proposition, buying criteria and ideal mobile customer profile.
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