Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 15, 2017

Few industries are being disrupted as drastically as the retail industry. More retail purchases are moving online, and a growing number of manufacturers now sell to consumers directly, cutting out retailers entirely. The Gap Between Strategy and Execution. Below, we explore each one, in turn: Empower mid-level teams.

Retail 9

Retail Chief Executive Officer Supply Chain Operations 9

Women on Business

JANUARY 14, 2011

An answer to this was anything but obvious, and I struggled to find one shortly after my friend Katie and I were laid off from what were supposed to be dream jobs with an online shoe retailer. We knew that choosing the latter entailed taking, quite probably, the greatest risk in the face of an unstable economy; yet, in the end, we did anyway.

Fashion 124

Fashion Press Release Discount PR 124

Harvard Business Review

JULY 17, 2014

Rajamannar involved finance early. To spearhead analytic efforts, he assigned a finance person – who was already embedded in marketing – to create an ROI evaluation framework and integrated her deeper into the marketing function. MasterCard had always been a data-driven organization. Inside Intel. The result has been transformational.

Finance 11

Finance Marketing P&L ROI 11

Women on Business

JANUARY 18, 2011

Katrina followed that initial success by branching out of her apartment and opening a retail store in Chicago just two-months after her chocolates launched in Neiman Marcus. The employees loved them, and the next thing Katrina knew, her chocolates were being sold in Neiman Marcus.

Press Release 133

Press Release Magazine Entrepreneur Discount 133

Strategy Driven

JULY 13, 2011

Value: The Four Cornerstones of Corporate Finance by Tim Koller. While you can find numerous books focused on the topic of corporate finance, few offer the type of information managers need to help them make important decisions day in and day out. Discusses the four foundational principles of corporate finance.

ROIC 62

ROIC Balanced Scorecard Metrics McKinsey 62

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

A few months ago I decided to look into the professional experience of non-executive directors at the major banks listed in Britain. Like almost every other major industry today, banking relies on hugely complex, enormously expensive technology. The truth is that many industries today employ outdated technology.

Technology 8

Technology Zero Based Budgeting Banking CIO 8

Chartered Management Institute

MAY 3, 2023

How can AI and future technology aid, rather than impair, inclusion? Kind regards, Ian 19 April Dear all, CMI's chief executive Ann Francke has been commenting on the importance of leadership in getting company culture right. How to close the say-do gap and tap into hidden talent? You can learn more in FE News.

Policies 121

Policies Article Skills Learning-by-Doing 121

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 19, 2016

Carmakers have started using 3D technology to produce parts. The technology is expected to lead to reductions in the cost of employment, capital investment, shipping and inventory as well. manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, according to a leading technology industry analyst. Most hearing aids in the U.S.

Supply Chain 8

Supply Chain Execution Analysis Technology 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 19, 2016

Despite the huge impact executives can have on their organizations, failure rates remain high. So we wondered: If we closely studied the executives who succeed in top jobs once appointed, could we identify distinguishing features that set them apart and defined their success? Prescriptions for what to do continue to fall short.

Execution 8

Execution Supply Chain Analysis Learning-by-Doing 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 11, 2017

Few executives appear prepared for the challenges of digital M&A. When we recently interviewed top M&A executives in Europe about their experience, fully three-quarters of them said that digital disruption has had a relatively large impact or even requires a complete overhaul of their M&A strategy. Insight Center.

Due Diligence 8

Due Diligence Company Learning Curve Finance 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

It took computer company Apple only five years to become America’s largest music retailer, and just seven to become the world’s largest. Retailers are also moving in as well: nearly one-third of domestic Starbucks revenues are paid through its own loyalty cards. Banks possess inherent competitive advantages in the digital world.

Banking 9

Banking Retail Finance Insurance 9

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 24, 2016

Small startup firms are already developing proprietary technologies — such as machine vision, deep learning, and other innovations —– that could help large investors evaluate opportunities and risks with far greater accuracy and efficiency than was previously possible. But right now that’s not happening.

Operations 8

Operations Intangible Assets Venture Capitalist Hedge 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 11, 2017

Where and When the Technology Might Be Deployed. By contrast, driverless vehicle adoption depends on overcoming three factors: infrastructure maturity, technology readiness, and regulation. It’s time for boards and executives to ask themselves hard questions about how the new mobility could affect their business models.

Automotive 8

Automotive Transportation Health Care Maturity 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 3, 2014

One of the reasons analytics is working for the companies in this select group is because they tend to deploy analytics technologies and expertise across the breadth of the enterprise. The retailer example mentioned above used root cause analysis to answer the question around what factors contributed to an unsuccessful marketing promotion.

Root Cause Analysis 8

Root Cause Analysis Metrics Analysis Information Technology 8

Harvard Business Review

JULY 17, 2017

Despite rapid innovations in data processing and machine learning, many businesses have yet to make the leap from the Industrial Age to the information age, and the gap between technological and organizational progress is widening. Closing this gap requires much more than short-term fixes, like adopting new technologies.

Industry 10

Industry Short-term Planning Long-term 10

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 13, 2012

An impatient marketing or finance manager would, on the sly, secure some extra budget money and hire a contractor to build a little database that tracked mailing addresses or top-line financials. Lines of business are now getting their own official technology budgets for non-standard software products. How do we change this?

Supply Chain 15

Supply Chain CIO Budgeting Project 15

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 10, 2012

More organizations will study their top salespeople in 2013 to understand how they formulate their winning account strategies based upon customer politics, evaluator psychology, and the human nature of executive decision makers that are unique to winning every account. Technology Fatigue. Win-Loss Analysis Studies.

Trends 16

Trends Analysis Politics Technology 16

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 1, 2016

The results show uneven progress: The technology sector comes out on top — no surprise there. Right behind it are media, finance, and professional services, all of which have far more sophisticated digital capabilities than the rest of the economy.

Industry 8

Industry Benchmarking Supply Chain Health Care 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 28, 2017

Even before announcing his new cabinet, Mnangagwa installed a key reformist, Patrick Chinamasa, as acting finance minister, tasked with tackling corruption and re-engaging with international institutions to unlock funds to ease liquidity shortages. An influx of capital could also result in a revival in the formal retail sector (e.g.,

Banking 8

Banking First-mover Advantage Politics Finance 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 25, 2014

But they don’t think nearly enough about operational meltdowns – technological glitches and other problems that can put them out of business. Unlike much larger companies, midsized firms usually lack deep operational and technological talent who can quickly recognize, understand, and resolve huge systems glitches.

Operations 8

Operations Company Supply Chain Short-term 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 3, 2014

One of the reasons analytics is working for the companies in this select group is because they tend to deploy analytics technologies and expertise across the breadth of the enterprise. The retailer example mentioned above used root cause analysis to answer the question around what factors contributed to an unsuccessful marketing promotion.

Root Cause Analysis 8

Root Cause Analysis Metrics Analysis Retail 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

The 2014 survey polled approximately 1,600 executives and managers from over 40 countries and across a range of industries. However, our experience has been that [when a product fails] it’s not a technology problem or a pure R&D problem — it is really around marketing, customer segments, and of course pricing.

Price 9

Price Productivity Products Simon 9

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 23, 2010

When I founded the nonprofit African Institution of Technology , I initially focused on helping African entrepreneurs or artisans, especially those with only primary education, develop new skills and market opportunities. People need at least a rudimentary understanding of finance to become good entrepreneurs or artisans.

Books 13

Books Guidelines Banking Telecommunications 13

Harvard Business Review

AUGUST 17, 2017

Yet progress within organizations has been slow – there is still a lack of women and minorities in leadership positions, and certain industries like tech and finance are lacking diversity at all levels. In 2016, 50% of the Executive Medical Directors group were women and 29% of the Health Plan Organization’s C-Suite were women.

Diversity 8

Diversity CEO Rogers Leadership Pipeline 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 28, 2016

And you probably won’t even know you’ve been affected until it’s too late to prevent significant damage to your company’s finances, operations, and reputation. But the scale of the problem means cybersecurity should be a concern for every executive, from HR to Marketing. The risk is growing.

Content 8

Content Industry Finance Report 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 23, 2014

At their training center in Louisville, they bounced ideas and product prototypes off of retail salespeople who came to learn about GE’s products. But as Kevin Nolan, vice president of technology, said, “With FastWorks we’re learning that speed is our competitive advantage. You can’t do that if you want to be secretive.”.

Ries 9

Ries Waterman Finance Learning-by-Doing 9

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 28, 2013

In business, volatility used to be more limited to the realms of finance and high tech. The only sure thing, especially when it comes to technology, is continuous discontinuity. How can you build your organization’s ability to sense and respond to rapid improvements in technology? And a lot is happening in Silicon Valley.

Innovation 8

Innovation Telecommunications Technology Entrepreneur 8

Harvard Business Review

NOVEMBER 22, 2010

The theme of the big event was "Technology-led Transition and Innovation-driven Development," which sounds broad. The Ministry of Commerce was showing how some companies "have made use of technology to.promote a low-carbon economy and environmental protection." This last article is the one that really grabbed my attention. In the U.S.

NGO 14

NGO Chemicals Guidelines Telecommunications 14

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 13, 2013

Professionals from the banking, finance, investing, and accounting worlds. Technology, marketing, retail, HVAC, construction, and manufacturing pros. Executives could face criminal prosecution, and investors could lose everything overnight if the federal government or local officials crack down. The list goes on.

Industry 9

Industry Retail Banking Brand 9

Harvard Business Review

MARCH 28, 2016

In the past, disruption occurred at the level of discrete product and service technologies that competed to offer better value for customers (e.g., Understanding and deciphering ecosystem-level disruption will be the key for executives in the coming decade. It made huge investments in new technology, new plant, and new personnel.

Company 8

Company How To Technology Strategy 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 26, 2016

Compared to professions like engineering or business disciplines like Finance or Operations, the concept of a dedicated salesperson is relatively recent. Now, however, students’ college and pre-MBA experience is more likely to be in a finance area or perhaps in coding. Take, for example, the impact of online technology.

Education 8

Education Levitt Retail Training 8

Harvard Business Review

DECEMBER 7, 2017

Among other things, there is growing demand from both retail and institutional investors to align their capital with better environmental and social outcomes, and more resources going into index fund or quasi-indexing products. Technology has put pressure on management fees, and this will only continue.

Supply Chain 8

Supply Chain Asset Management Chemicals Long-term 8

Harvard Business Review

JANUARY 27, 2017

Executives dedicated to data-driven excellence accept the reality that smart algorithms need greater autonomy to succeed. Executives who wouldn’t hesitate to automate a factory now flinch at the prospect of deep-learning algorithms dictating their sales strategies and capex. That’s hard. All-In Autonomy.

Outsourcing 8

Outsourcing Software CAPEX Competitive Advantage 8

Harvard Business Review

MAY 5, 2016

” At most Fortune 1000 firms, executives who’d “walk out the door and come back in” fully recognize their status quo is both inadequate and unsustainable. So retailers dramatically shrink merchandising departments and defer procurement decisions to data-driven algorithms for selecting what goes on their shelves.

Levitt 8

Levitt Disaggregation Kaizen Call Center 8

Harvard Business Review

OCTOBER 3, 2018

The two executives quickly agreed the CMO role needed to be changed significantly, and they went on to discuss what success would look like. In one example, the company pursued a “strategy refresh” project for the firm’s retail business, and the CEO ensured the CMO was deeply involved.

CFO 8

CFO CEO Agility Marketing 8

Harvard Business Review

APRIL 29, 2011

Both now lead with the same processors, but Dell offers custom system configuration at ship, while HP capitalizes on more impressive display and battery technology. You see this every day in retail outlets that are not company stores. They may have the finances you need and are ready to invest in a business area they know.

Travel 15

Travel Chief Executive Officer Venture Funding Magazine 15

Harvard Business Review

MAY 8, 2017

Some companies that made the list were obvious choices; for example, the biggest online retailer now gets most of its profit from cloud services (Amazon). Yet these executives also had an outsider role where they worked on an emerging growth business or consciously explored external opportunities, giving them critical distance from the core.

Franchising 14

Franchising CEO Business Model Strategy 14