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How Advanced Analytics Is Changing B2B Selling

Harvard Business Review

While there’s less buzz around business-to-business markets, these innovations are changing the game in B2B as well, even in old-line industries selling what might be considered commodity products. For a deep dive into the elements, see our related HBR article “ The B2B Elements of Value ”).

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Why B2B Companies Struggle with Collaborative Innovation

Harvard Business Review

Collaborative innovation is a hot topic in the B2C space, where it overlaps with crowdsourcing, but we see B2B players taking an interest as well. Nonetheless, innovating with customers should work well in B2B, as it should give companies a deeper knowledge of their customers and promote a trusting relationship.

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You Can’t Collaborate Unless You Agree on the Problem

Harvard Business Review

This sort of collaboration has been well-documented in the B2C context (where it’s often called “crowdsourcing” or “co-creation”), but we see it in B2B companies as well. Recently, the German chemicals giant collaborated with another chemicals company. This happens more often than you might think.

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Why Multinationals Are Doubling Down on Russia

Harvard Business Review

While the middle class has been eroded by currency depreciation and recession, the Russian consumer remains technologically savvy, interested in quality Western brands, and able to spend. The drastic drop in oil prices has obscured these issues, but they will continue to constrain growth even if oil prices recover.

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Figuring Out How IT, Analytics, and Operations Should Work Together

Harvard Business Review

Consider the core mission of the modern IT department: Taking in all the technology “mess” (often from several different divisions), developing the necessary competencies, and delivering savings and efficiency to the company. The unit has fewer than 100 people divided among data science/analytics, technology, and social media.

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How More Accessible Information Is Forcing B2B Sales to Adapt

Harvard Business Review

Over the past 20 years, information technology and digital channels have changed the way consumers shop for products ranging from cars to homes to electronics. Those forces are dramatically changing the way B2B companies and their customers approach buying and selling, too. Sellers must respond. Sellers must respond. Systems (e.g.,

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How Multinationals Can Grow in the Middle East and Africa

Harvard Business Review

Despite lower oil prices, currency depreciations, higher taxes, and geopolitical uncertainty, the region is still rich in opportunities, from selling efficiency-enhancing technology to the Saudi government to offering Western products to 100 million Ethiopian consumers.