Showing papers on "Value proposition published in 2003"

From the vendor's perspective: exploring the value proposition in information technology outsourcing

Abstract: To date, most research on information technology (IT) outsourcing concludes that firms decide to outsource IT services because they believe that outside vendors possess production cost advantages. Yet it is not clear whether vendors can provide production cost advantages, particularly to large firms who may be able to replicate vendors' production cost advantages in-house. Mixed outsourcing success in the past decade calls for a closer examination of the IT outsourcing vendor's value proposition. While the client's sourcing decisions and the client-vendor relationship have been examined in IT outsourcing literature, the vendor's perspective has hardly been explored. In this paper, we conduct a close examination of vendor strategy and practices in one long-term successful applications management outsourcing engagement. Our analysis indicates that the vendor's efficiency was based on the economic benefits derived from the ability to develop a complementary set of core competencies. This ability, in turn, was based on the centralization of decision rights from a variety and multitude of IT projects controlled by the vendor. The vendor was enticed to share the value with the client through formal and informal relationship management structures. We use the economic concept of complementarity in organizational design, along with prior findings from studies of client-vendor relationships, to explain the IT vendors' value proposition. We further explain how vendors can offer benefits that cannot be readily replicated internally by client firms.

The Blended Value Proposition: Integrating Social and Financial Returns:

Abstract: Value is often viewed in either economic or social terms. The Blended Value Proposition asserts that true value is non-divisible, consisting of a blend of economic, social, and environmental components. This perspective requires us to re-examine our understanding of the nature of capital, the methodology for calculating rates of real return to investors, and the role of for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the value creation process.

Value-based software engineering: a case study

Abstract: The information technology field's accelerating rate of change makes feedback control essential for organizations to sense, evaluate, and adapt to changing value propositions in their competitive marketplace. Although traditional project feedback control mechanisms can manage the development efficiency of stable projects in well-established value situations, they do little to address the project's actual value, and can lead to wasteful misuse of an organization's scarce resources. The value-based approach to software development integrates value considerations into current and emerging software engineering principles and practices, while developing an overall framework in which these techniques compatibly reinforce each other.

The Supply-Chain Management Effect

Abstract: Over the last decade, supply-chain-management concepts have sparked a boom in internal cross-business coordination. But although definitions have broadened and shifted, many executives believe that the field is mainly about installing IT systems for streamlined processes. Wrong, say two researchers from Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business. Their data on companies that lead in supply-chain management illuminate six ways it spurs more-creative thinking on growing a business. The researchers predict that current trends toward restructured supply networks and improved coordination will continue, with more supplier integration and a proliferation of product customization, business complexity and uniquely defined customer relationships. But supply-chain management also will affect industry structure in new ways. Companies in the middle of the supply chain ? contract manufacturers, logistics-service providers and distributors ? will redefine themselves. Also, rebranding and repositioning will occur. Companies across the chain will vie for control of the customer relationship and will find that when value propositions derive from supply-chain capabilities, new cobranding and copositioning strategies are critical. When executives look back after another decade, they'll understand that supply-chain management, having shifted business focus in its first 10 years, created an opportunity for the second 10 years to redefine the competitive landscape.

From the Vendor's Perspective: Exploring the Value Proposition in IT Outsourcing

Abstract: To date, most research on IT outsourcing concludes that firms decide to outsource IT services because they believe that outside vendors possess production cost advantages Yet, it is not clear whether vendors can provide production cost advantages, particularly to large firms who may be able to replicate vendors' production cost advantages in house Mixed outsourcing success in the past decade calls for a closer examination of the IT outsourcing vendor's value proposition While the client's sourcing decisions and the client-vendor relationship have been examined in IT outsourcing literature, the vendor's perspective has hardly been explored In this paper we conduct a close examination of vendor strategy and practices in one long-term successful applications management outsourcing engagement Our analysis indicates that the vendor's efficiency was based on the economic benefits derived from the ability to develop a complementary set of core competencies This ability, in turn, was based on the centralization of decision rights from a variety and multitude of IT projects controlled by the vendor The vendor was enticed to share the value with the client through formal and informal relationship management structures We use the economic concept of complementarity in organizational design, along with prior findings from studies of client-vendor relationships, to explain the IT vendors' value proposition We further explain how vendors can offer benefits that cannot be readily replicated internally by client firms

Managing e-commerce and mobile computing technologies

Abstract: E-Commerce Adoption in Small Firms: A Study on Online Share Trading Web-Based Supply Chain Integration Model An E-Channel Development Framework for Hybrid E-Retailers Deploying Java Mobile Agents in a Project Management Environment Corporate Profitability and Electronic Commerce: A Business Value Complementarity Framework Strategic Issues in Implementing Electronic-ID Services: Prescriptions for Managers Mobile Computing Business Factors and Operating Systems Conceptualizing the SMEs' Assimilation of Internet-Based Technologies Potential Roles for Business-to-Business Marketplace Providers in Service-Oriented Architectures An Evaluation of Dynamic Electronic Catalog Models in Relational Database Systems Factors Influencing Users' Adoption of Mobile Computing M-Commerce: A Location-Based Value Proposition

Key Account Managers' Role Within the Value Creation Process of Collaborative Relationships

Abstract: Value creation and key account management both attract increasing attention among marketing researchers and practitioners. At the intersection of both research streams, however, little is known about the role that key account managers play for the creation of customer-perceived value. Do key account managers contribute to customer value and if so, what are the basic drivers? Based on a qualitative study among key account managers and a quantitative study among purchasing managers, this paper develops and tests a framework for value creation in key account settings. From a managerial point of view, the paper informs key account managers of activities that effectively improve the overall value proposition. From a theoretical perspective, the study deepens our understanding of value creation in collaborative relationships.

Applying Auto-ID to Reduce Losses Associated with Shrink ibm business consulting services

Abstract: Imagine an environment where your product is on the store shelf each and every time consumers reach for it. Imagine an environment where perishables don’t perish, where theft is fully detectable, where your systems exactly match physical inventory counts, and where transfers with trading partners are automated and precise. Imagine product visibility, transparency and a supply chain built on real time demand and supply information – imagine the impact on your inventory and working capital. Image the impact of the barcode some 25 years ago. Now imagine the impact of Auto-ID. Auto-ID represents a truly transformational technology with the ability to revolutionize the face of the supply chain, retail operations and consumer-facing processes. It has the potential to drive enormous shareholder return benefits across a breadth of key metrics including revenue growth, operating margin, working capital and capital expenditures. Just imagine the possibilities… IBM Business Consulting Services, in conjunction with the Auto-ID Center, has worked with over 25 leading players in the consumer goods and retail sectors to develop a series of white papers around this exciting and emerging technology. Our research is based on current leading practices, making the value proposition all the more compelling. IBM Business Consulting Services has now published four Auto-ID White papers.

Global corporate brand building: Guidelines and case studies

Abstract: Corporate brands are important in an international context, but only if they are managed in a manner that adds value to the international corporate offering, and are a continuum of the overall corporate strategy. The objective of this paper is to investigate the factors affecting the success of corporate brands globally. Two case studies are used to ascertain the importance of cultural dynamics and British national identity in the context of successful brands. It appears that corporate brands are only important if they successfully translate the core value proposition of the corporate offering into new territories.

From the vendor's perspective: exploring the value proposition in information technology

Abstract: To date, most research on information technology (IT) outsourcing concludes that firms decide to outsource IT services because they believe that outside vendors possess production cost advantages. Yet it is not clear whether vendors can provide production cost advantages, particularly to large firms who may be able to replicate vendors’ production cost advantages in-house. Mixed outsourcing success in the past decade calls for a closer examination of the IT outsourcing vendor’s value proposition. While the client’s sourcing decisions and the client-vendor relationship have been examined in IT outsourcing literature, the vendor’s perspective has hardly been explored. In this paper, we conduct a close examination of vendor strategy and practices in one long-term successful applications management outsourcing engagement. Our analysis indicates that the vendor’s efficiency was based on the economic benefits derived from the ability to develop a complementary set of core competencies. This ability, in turn, was based on the centralization of decision rights from a variety and multitude of IT projects controlled by the vendor. The vendor was enticed to share the value with the client through formal and informal relationship management structures. We use the economic concept of

Modeling value propositions in e-Business

Abstract: In this paper we provide a conceptual approach to modelling value propositions. We argue that rigorous modelling in an ontological style could improve several aspects of business. Modelling and mapping value propositions helps better understanding the value a company wants to offer its customers and makes it communicable between various stakeholders. Using a common language (ontology) in defining a company's offering brings manager's mental models into a common form. Further, conceptually seized value propositions are comparable to the value propositions of a firm's competitors because the follow a rigid framework and make it possible to identify the competitive position of a firm's value proposition.

Competition, cooperation and learning: the new dynamics of strategy and organisation design for the innovation net

Abstract: The proliferation of breakthrough technologies and innovations among many industries has spurred the formulation of new types of competitive strategies and imperatives to learn new sources of competitive advantage. It is increasingly the case that the rising costs and risks of innovation make it increasingly difficult for any firm to undertake this knowledge-intensive endeavour completely on its own. As firms move towards establishing closer relationships with their suppliers, partners, and even their competitors, a new paradigm of strategy, value creation, and organisation design appears to be emerging. In this paper, we propose and define the concept of an "innovation net", whereby competition is based on creating new product architectures and technological platforms that often transcend the boundaries of any given industry. Within the innovation net, firms are becoming increasingly specialised in their value-creation activities, and yet simultaneously interdependent on other economic entities to shape the underlying value proposition offered to customers. Competitive advantage in the innovation net is based on learning and absorbing new sources of knowledge, no matter where they may emanate. A focus on modularity, cultivation of tacit knowledge, and learning alliances provides the key organisational design drivers that sustain competitive advantage.

Achieving Knowledge Management Outcomes

Abstract: This chapter outlines six strategies for knowledge management and furnishes a quiz to help assess an organization’s current state of knowledge management. It identifies landmarks on the journey toward achieving knowledge management outcomes: value proposition, culture, infrastructure, technology, tactical approaches, and measurement. These are described in general and in detail as they relate to knowledge management. The chapter closes with guidelines for launching this journey.

Value-Based Software Engineering: Reinventing "Earned Value" Monitoring and Control

Abstract: The Value-Based Software Engineering (VBSE) agenda described in the preceding article has the objectives of integrating value considerations into current and emerging software engineering principles and practices, and of developing an overall framework in which they compatibly reinforce each other. In this paper, we provide a case study illustrating some of the key VBSE practices, and focusing on a particular anomaly in the monitoring and control area: the “Earned Value Management System”. This is a most useful technique for monitoring and controlling the cost, schedule, and progress of a complex project. But it has absolutely nothing to say about the stakeholder value of the system being developed. The paper introduces an example order-processing software project, and shows how the use of Benefits Realization Analysis, stakeholder value proposition elicitation and reconciliation, and business case analysis provides a framework for stakeholder-earned-value monitoring and control.

Value innovation management system and methods

Abstract: A multi-user, network-based computer program and database provides a faster, less-time consuming, iterative process for (a) determining what customers of a client value both currently and in the future, (b) grouping those customers into common market segments, (c) articulating winning value propositions (including required customer experiences and the price to charge) to target customers, and (d) documenting organizational/functional and business partner requirements for delivering the chosen value to the customer (including both actions to create and to communicate the value to customers).

Improving Procurement Performance with E-business Mechanisms

Abstract: E-procurement — e-business mechanisms deployed on procurement — offers many recent and innovative methods that can improve procurement in different ways. The key challenge of e-procurement, however, is how to apply the various e-procurement applications in such a way that they improve the procurement practice and sourcing strategy of a company. There is a demand for an investigation that scrutinizes the e-procurement value propositions and explains how e-procurement applications can improve procurement performance, and that demand motivates this Ph. D. thesis. Five case studies were conducted with the purpose of finding out how the case companies had worked with e-procurement, what specific e-procurement applications they had investigated or implemented, and the expected or actual benefits of doing so. An e-procurement framework was developed in order to investigate how various e-procurement applications operate. The e-procurement framework is a matrix made up of two dimensions, a list of generic procurement tasks and a list of e-business value creation mechanisms. The generic procurement tasks could be grouped in four procurement areas, namely strategic procurement, purchasing process, internal tasks, and external tasks. E-business value creation mechanisms were grouped in three major themes: novelty, efficiency, and coordination. This framework was then used to position the case companies’ usage of e-procurement applications. It was also used for positioning the literature on e-procurement. The thesis also includes three papers that go into detail regarding issues like differentiation, alignment and usage of marketplaces. Deploying e-procurement applications requires that the procurement groundwork has been laid down. Procurement strategies must be present, and preferably aligned with corporate strategy. Processes and procedures must be mapped and understood; supplier relationships must be set up so the full potential of suppliers’ capabilities is acquired. When this foundation has been established, it is time to assess how different e-procurement applications can leverage the procurement work and pick the one(s) that offer the best prospect of improving the procurement performance even further. E-procurement is after all not a remedy for poor procurement work; it is a possibility to improve the performance of procurement work that is already working well even further. (Less)

Hyper-differentiation strategies: delivering value, retaining profits

Abstract: In today's increasingly competitive business environment companies can, and indeed must, respond more rapidly to customers' changing demands, desires, and preferences. In today's information-rich environment customers can comparison shop, get product reviews from other customers, and, in general, become very well informed about what is available in the market. If your offerings are not differentiated, pure price competition will be more extreme than ever before. If your customer thinks your goods and services have direct competitors your prices (and theirs) will be squeezed down to your marginal costs of production! If your offerings are successfully differentiated, then your customers will not see other products as competing directly, or as competing at all effectively. Your prices will be determined by your value to your customers, and not by your costs or your competitors' costs of production. While differentiation has long been a basis of competitive strategy, newly available sources of information do change the nature and importance of differentiation. Information in the hands of customers has increased price pressure on all producers, increasing the need to differentiate your products and services. Information you provide to customers makes it possible for you to communicate your value proposition more effectively, increasing the value you receive from differentiation. Information makes it possible for you to determine what customers want, and makes it possible for you to tailor your design and your production to these needs, supporting accuracy and precision of differentiation. It is not necessary to be better in any absolute sense, or to be more costly to produce; it is merely necessary to be better for individual customers and more valuable to them. Information makes it possible for you to track the changes in behavior, preferences, demands, and desires of your best customers and serve them with precision, accuracy, and cost-effectiveness that competitors will never be able to match.

Developments in Practice VII: Developing and Delivering the IT Value Proposition

Abstract: In spite of many years of effort, we are still not able to articulate and deliver IT value accurately. Unfortunately, “silver bullet thinking” still predominates (i.e., plug in technology and deliver bottom line impact) in organizations today. IT value is a multi-layered concept, far more complex than it first appears. To examine this complex concept and how it is understood in IT organizations, the authors convened a focus group of practicing IT managers from a number of different industries. This paper, using the inputs from the focus group, explores how organizations are attempting to determine and develop effective IT value propositions. It describes the three components of this proposition: identification of potential value, effective conversion, and realizing value. The paper then derives a number of principles of delivering IT value. We conclude that there is no single agreed-on notion of business value. Therefore, it is important to make sure that both business and IT managers work to a common value goal whether traditional cost reduction, process efficiencies, new business capabilities, improved communication, or any other objectives. We also suggest that technology is being used as a catalyst to drive many different types of organizational transformation and strategy. Therefore, IT value can no longer be viewed in isolation from the other parts of business, namely people and information.

Web Service for Knowledge Management in E-Marketplaces

Abstract: A common strategic initiative of organizations engaged in electronic business (e-business) is the development of synergistic relations with collaborating value-chain partners to deliver their value proposition to customers. This requires the transparent flow of problem specific knowledge to partner organizations over highly integrated information systems. Transparent exchange of information and knowledge across collaborating organizations requires technological foundations for integrating business processes using software architectures built upon industry standards. The unambiguously interpretable flow of knowledge to inform online business processes is a challenging task with significant competitive benefits for organizations that take technical initiative. Infomediary organizations can serve the e-business need for exchange of knowledge and information through value-added knowledge services to participating firms in the value chain through intelligent software systems integrated with the Web Services Architecture. We define knowledge services as the "exchange of problem domain-specific knowledge to inform decision activities of specific e-business processes, facilitated by an infomediary using intelligent software systems and the Web Services Architecture." This research presents a knowledge services framework, founded on the Web Services Architecture, to enable the transparent exchange of knowledge between intelligent software systems that manage processes of organizations engaged in e-business in the knowledge-based economy. The objective is to enable informed and knowledge-based discovery of business partners from among the multitude online, and to support knowledge-rich e-business processes that cut across the value chain and deliver the value proposition to the customer.

Method for providing energy commodities trade outsourcing services within the energy markets

Abstract: A cost-effective method for providing transactional and value-add Services for trading energy commodities by providing a viable solution plus a value proposition that is being sought by energy producers, distributors, marketers and consumers but has not yet been introduced to the energy marketplace. Customers or trading entities of these outsourcing services are likely to include, but are not limited to, energy producers, distributors, marketers, and consumers that are or would like to be involved in trading. Other potential customers are the large financial institutions that lack the expertise in physical scheduling and delivery. These services can be offered by a single standalone entity or jointly with a plurality of partners. These services are provided to a trading entity through a method of capturing a trade into a trade life cycle process, confirming the trade, determining whether the trade is financial or physical, if physical scheduling delivery of the commodity, closing the trade, and preparing applicable reports and data files. Value added services can also be provided to the trading entity such as research and modeling services, asset optimization services, risk management services, and contract administration services.

Value-based marketing for bottom-line success : 5 steps to creating customer value

Abstract: To be successful in today's marketplace, a company must integrate its traditional business functions to provide superior value to targeted customers. This means creating an offering that echoes in the customers' consciousness as a great deal for them. Why? Because the value provided serves customers best interests. In so doing, a business succeeds, attracts new customers, and is able to continually improve the value offered to existing customers. "Value Based Marketing for Bottom Line Success" provides a 5-step model and critical tools necessary for creating and managing a successful Value Delivery marketing strategy. Customers buy value, not product or features. They buy from the company that provides the most value. And they buy what's in their best interest. Consequently, the secret to customer retention and growing value relationships with customers is to always make it in their best interest to do business with you by providing the best value in the marketplace." Value Based Marketing for Bottom Line Success: 5 Steps to Creating Competitive Value" offers a value creation and delivery process which will help a company to compete profitably in its marketplace by: identifying the value expectations of target customers; selecting the values on which it wants to compete; analyzing the ability within the organization to deliver that value; communicating the value & selling the value message; and delivering the value promised and improving the company's value model. A value-focused strategy, by definition, isn't a mass marketing strategy; it's a targeted laser strategy directed at chosen value segments that are profitable for the supplier. This text offers a customer value creation model, which shows how to create and sustain competitive advantage while delivering customer value and offers a method for quantifying customer lifetime value (CLV), which enables a company to identify which customer value segments it should target.

Lessons in Radical Innovation: Out of the Box Straight to the Bottom Line

Abstract: Author's Prologue: The map is not the territory! 1: THE CATALYSTS OF RADICAL INNOVATION THE DRIVERS OF QUANTUM CHANGE Evolution, invention, innovation and technology The Creative Destruction matrix Economic, business and organisational life cycles The quantum implications of Radical Innovation 2: CHANGING THE GAME DON'T JUST CHANGE THE RULES - CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE The alchemy of innovation at its most fundamental - Vivendi Universal shifts from water and waste management to networking information 3: EATING YOURSELF A BLUEPRINT FOR CANNIBALISING YOUR OWN BUSINESS How an Asian Company is using a Trojan Horse to explore new business innovations and delight customers 4: BREAKING THE MOULD From workaday white to jungle green jalapeno How ChefWorks re-wrote the global rules for an industry and created the model of a fractal family business in the process 5: BEATING THE HIERARCHY Tearing down the pillars of bureaucracy How Harley-Davidson capitalised on their brand, and went on to make small systems and processes big news 6: CHOOSING INTIMACY Beyond operational efficiency and product leadership How Merrill Lynch is re-writing the rules of investment advice for a volatile world economy, putting the client at the centre of the value network 7: FLIGHTING THE PHOENIX Snatching innovation from the jaws of a downturn How a European company is adding new value propositions and profit streams in a commoditized industry 8: WAGGING THE DOG Taking on the world's biggest players from your backyard How In-n-Out Burger is changing the rules of innovation - by changing nothing 9: HARVESTING IDEAS The process of finding and funding radical innovation How Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu's global approach to harvesting ideas and fuelling innovation is spreading like an idea virus throughout the organsition 10: HERDING CATS The golden thread that runs through radical innovation How to attract and retain the brightest young things, and the implications of working with them 11: STRATEGIC THINKING AND STRATEGIC ACTIONTM A process to make your radical future a matter of choice Ideally, what do you want your business to be? How do you turn bright ideas into commercial realities today? Choosing your business and personal future Appendix: The Radical Innovation Toolbox How do you rate as an innovator? Using The Creative Destruction Matrix Tools and process ideas from FutureWorld and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu: The Innovation Zone: Harvesting ideas Venture Catalyst: Turning ideas into ventures Investment Assistant: Assuring the financials People Assessment: Assuring the skills and attitudes Global Print: Core competencies for going global

The Firm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Other Professional Services

Abstract: Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgments. About the Authors. How to Read This Book. 1 Introduction. 2 A Flawed Theory. "Analyzing" the Predominant Practice Equation. Summary and Conclusions. 3 A Paradigm Worthy of a Proud Profession. Why Are Professionals Successful? Cognitive Dissonance. Why Are We in Business? Study Success: It Leaves Clues. What Business Are You In? Where Do Profits Come From? Summary and Conclusions. 4 Intellectual Capital: The Chief Source of Wealth. The Physical Fallacy. The Scarcest Resource of All. The Three Types of IC. Is All This Stuff Good? Summary and Conclusions. 5 Human Capital: Your People Are Not Assets, They Are Volunteers. Becoming a Lightning Rod for Talent. Retaining Your Firm's Human Capital. The Importance of Continuing Professional Education. Rewarding Your Firm's Human Capital Investors. When Human Capital Turns Negative. Summary and Conclusions. 6 Structural Capital: If Only We Knew What We Know. Leveraging IC and Creating the World's Second Largest Currency. Converting Tacit to Explicit Knowledge. Knowledge Lessons from the U.S. Army. Summary and Conclusions. 7 Social Capital: Man Is Not an Island. Is There an Accounting for Tastes? Leveraging the Social Capital in the Firm of the Future. Reputation, Brands, Referral Sources, and Networks. Suppliers and Vendors. Shareholders and Other External Stakeholders. Joint Venture Partners and Alliances. Professional Associations and Formal Affiliations. Firm Alumni. Consider Creating a University. Putting It All Together: The Concierge Service Model. Summary and Conclusions. 8 You Are Your Customer List. What Do Customers Really Buy? The Value Proposition. Moments of Truth. What Is Beyond Total Quality Service? Is Being a Trusted Advisor Enough? From Zero Defects to Zero Defections. Why Do We Lose Customers? Customer Complaints. The 100-Percent Money-Back Guarantee. Bad Customers Drive Out Good Customers. Adaptive Capacity. Firing Customers. The Forced Churn. Thoughts on Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Summary and Conclusions. 9 You Are What You Charge. A Tale of Two Theories. A Better Theory of Value. Cost-Plus Pricing: Epitaph. Deleterious Effects of Cost-Plus Pricing. Lessons in the Subjective Theory of Value. Professionals Subject to the Laws of Economics. The Four Ps of Marketing. Are Professionals Commodities? The Five Cs of Value. Fixed-Price Agreements and Change Orders. Fixed-Price Agreements. Explaining the FPA. Change Orders. Negotiating Skills. The TIP Clause. The Wrong Mistakes. Value Pricing and Self-Esteem. Value Pricing and Ethics. American Bar Association's Commission on Billable Hours Report. Summary and Conclusions. 10 Measure What Counts: Effectiveness over Efficiency. The Gospel of Efficiency. Frederick Taylor Enters the Professions. Economists Posit Theories. Accounting Is Not a Theory. It's 12:41 A.M.: Do You Know Where Your Package-and CPA-Are? KPIs for the Firm of the Future. Selecting the Right KPIs for Your Firm. KPI Summary. Refuting the Efficiency Defense for Timesheets. Refuting the Cost Accounting Defense for Timesheets. Is There One Best Economic Denominator to Track? Summary and Conclusions. 11 The Timeless Practice. Paradigm Drives Vision. Vision Drives Leadership. Leadership Drives Internal Quality. Internal Quality Drives Team Happiness. Recasting the Roles. Would You Want Your Son or Daughter to Work There? Core Ideology = Core Values + Purpose. Leadership. What about Strategic Planning? Summary and Conclusions. 12 Some Words on the Future. Is the Audit an Edsel? Financial Model Reform. Substituting Government Failure for Market Failure. Multidisciplinary Practices. Summary and Conclusions. 13 Epilogue. What Is Calling You? Continuously Develop Your Intellectual Capital. Adventure. Leaving a Legacy. References. Index.

Beyond mobile: research topics for upcoming technologies in the insurance industry

Abstract: This paper provides a first idea on changes induced by new ICT that goes 'beyond mobile'. The main aspects considered are value creation structures, value proposition of products and services and customer relations. The goal is to discuss these changes within the insurance industry context (primary insurers and reinsurers) and to foster thinking on new research topics that might arise due to the influence of ubiquitous computing (UC) technology. In order to do so UC is defined. We distinguish between notions such as pervasive computing and ambient intelligence and provide a working definition for UC. In a second step implications of UC in the business context are described generally, which are followed by a general description of characteristics of the insurance industry. This leads to a discussion of scenarios and the potential impact of UC in the insurance industry, providing us with a whole set of research aspects that need to be investigated further in the future. The focus is the influence UC technology has on business aspects for the insurance industry rather than on technological questions that arise.

M-commerce: a location-based value proposition

Abstract: Mobile Commerce (m-commerce) has been defined as a process of conducting commercial transactions via "mobile" telecommunications networks using a communication, information, and payment devices such as a mobile phone or a palmtop unit. Here, we analyze the potential ramifications in the field of marketing and changes in the market due to the advent of m-commerce. In particular, we analyze the opportunities that various characteristics of the m-commerce model can bring to the field of marketing. We investigate the likelihood of the emergence of mall-like zones that are based both on the geographical proximity of services and goods providers and the use of mobile communication devices. Such zones have a potential for becoming the basic units for any analysis of m-commerce scenarios. As m-commerce attains maturity, the zones could become the fundamental parameter in marketing evaluation.

Organizational Consulting: How to Be an Effective Internal Change Agent

Abstract: Introduction. PART I: THE ENVIRONMENT. If It Walks Like A Duck: What Constitutes an Effective Internal Consultant? Creating Peer Relationships: How to Be Perceived as a Credible Partner by Line Management. Tools of the Trade: What You Must Possess to Avoid Being Thrown out the Door. PART II: THE INTERACTIONS. The Role of Conceptual Agreement: The Absolutely Best Way to Establish a Win/Win Project. Formulating the Proposal: How to Ensure that You and the Buyer Meet Each Other's Expectations. The Value Proposition: Why Every Client Knows What's Wanted but Not Necessarily What's Needed. PART III: THE INTERVENTION. The Pros and Cons of Living There: How to Maximize Strengths and Minimize Weaknesses. The Politics of Terror: How to Reconcile Tough Issues without Being Drawn and Quartered. Knowing When to Stop: How to Disengage, Give Credit, and (It's Allowed) Take Credit. PART IV: THE AFTERMATH. Assessing Value: How to Follow-Up and Leverage Your Success. The Ethical Quandaries: When to Put Up, Shut Up, and Give Up. More Suggested Rea dings. Index. About the Author.

Framework for developing process-based technologies at a very early stage

Abstract: After the development of a new chemical process, innovative entrepreneurs must turn this new intellectual property into a value proposition for the new company. Early in the product development process, management should begin to ask and answer the question, "What is the product?" After an initial discussion of the traditional product development process, this paper concludes that there are system-level issues to be considered when the product is a chemical process rather than a manufactured good. One important distinction is that super-system issues such as the following must be considered: economy and access to financing; regional/national support and stability; regulatory regime;protection of intellectual property/rights; human capital; industry structure; industry value propositions. A series of industry value propositions for different "products" (supply of manufactured goods, process design & equipment, equipment only, equipment & parts, sector-limited licenses, use of equipment) is presented. This paper provides a framework to evaluate these system-level aspects.

High‐tech 2005: the horizontal, hypercompetitive future

Abstract: Profound and lasting changes are afoot in the high‐tech industry. Only those high‐tech companies that align their business models for the new horizontal and hypercompetitive future will succeed. The seven deadly signs of the new competitive environment are: (1) growing downward pressure on price with an ever‐increasing demand for greater performance; (2) greater complexity for customers as they face the unbundling of hardware options, integration choices, and multi‐company business coordination; (3) a new distribution of value: greater value to innovative component makers and solution integrators; less value for product design and assembly; (4) branding and customer relationships will differentiate commodity products; (5) collaborative networks will emerge; (6) global supply and global customers will mean global organizations; (7) competitors will encroach horizontally. Recommendation: proceed with a five‐step approach to develop a new winning strategy: (1) pick a horizontal space; (2) redefine and Web‐enable your value propositions; (3) assemble your collaborative networks; (4) integrate your internal operations globally; and (5) realign your organization and technology. Studies demonstrate that during downturns, advantage shifts to companies that continue to invest strategically.