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. Slowly but surely, as the little database grew bigger and bigger, the manager would wedge the cost into her operating budget.

Supply Chain 15

Supply Chain CIO Budgeting Project 15

Harvard Business Review

JUNE 26, 2013

Carr predicted that an organization''s ability to compete through investing in information technology was about to change dramatically. The IT boom of the 1980s and early ''90s had brought information technology to the corporate masses, unleashing the first full-scale technology revolution in the enterprise. Why is this?

Supply Chain 8

Supply Chain Competitive Advantage Information Technology How To 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 2, 2016

You’ll often find customer relationship management within marketing, budgeting within finance, supply-chain management within operations, outsourcing within procurement, training within HR, and new product development within R&D. Some of the first business functionaries were railroad telegraph operators who managed schedules.

Development 8

Development Supply Chain Incentives Outsourcing 8

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

Over the last decade, most companies’ digital agendas have focused largely on technology — moving to cloud-based software, modernizing IT infrastructures, adding digital channels, and digitizing business processes. This is a break from the traditional paths of finance, sales, and operations to the top spot.

CEO 8

CEO Marketing Span of Control Sports 8

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 9, 2011

We call these people Cost Center Consumers, and they come in two flavors. Divas: These are high maintenance consumers who drive costs up after purchase. They tie up your call centers, incur costly returns, and generate other costs that occur below the gross margin line, which is harder to see.

P&L 14

P&L Supply Chain Retail Price 14

Harvard Business Review

FEBRUARY 8, 2018

Theories and practices of management often spring from the opportunities created by new technologies. The complex calculations of the field known as Operations Research were enabled by mainframe computing. Interchangeable parts spurred ideas about structuring assembly lines and logistics.

Management 10

Management Software BPM Technology 10

Harvard Business Review

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

Who at your company will be put in charge of turning buildings operations from a cost center to a revenue center? And many companies also face additional energy-related costs from their commercial vehicles, of which there are over 12 million in operation in the U.S. Operational Improvements.

Energy 8

Energy Resources Information Technology Cost Center 8