Accenture’s Blog on Accelerating High Performance Business

Accenture Public Service: Engaging with our clients’ clients

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:23:55 GMT

The launch of the Accenture Global Cities Forum website marks a milestone in the first phase of this ongoing public engagement study, and more importantly, gives people around the world the chance to review and interact with the results of our groundbreaking research. When public officials leverage the data and information we gained from the forums, they will be better able to tailor their services and spend their limited budgets more strategically – ultimately enabling public service organizations to achieve high performance and to deliver greater value to their citizens.

The Rise of the Emerging-Market Multinational (cont'd)

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:26:35 GMT

Recently, the Chinese oil company, PetroChina, became the world’s largest public company with a stock market capitalization of almost US $1 trillion – twice the size of its nearest Western counterpart. It’s no wonder that business leaders and policy makers at this year’s World Economic Forum have been riveted by the rapid expansion of emerging-market multinationals (EMMs), companies from developing economies with operations in more than one country. In anticipation of the strong interest in the phenomenal growth of EMMs, for several months prior to the start of the World Economic Forum, Accenture conducted an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of EMMs – "The Rise of the Emerging-Market Multinational.” Bill Green’s posting last week described the central findings of the study, but the study is so timely that it deserves a few more words. In last year’s first analysis of the multi-polar world – “The Rise of the Multi-Polar World” – we examined the forces creating our new era of globalization and identified five key battlegrounds around which multinationals are competing. These include: This year, we decided to “invert the lens” by interviewing emerging market business executives and experts. In “The Rise of the Emerging-Market Multinational,” we conclude that EMMs are well positioned to sustain their tremendous success. Why? Given this, there are a number of implications for developed market multi-nationals. They need to: The bottom line for both developed and emerging-market multinationals is this: Business leaders cannot afford to be static in an uncertain macro-economic environment. There are both a pace and an urgency in today’s global market that demand pro-active, strategic thinking and flawless execution.

The Rise of the Emerging-Market Multinational (cont'd)

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:25:24 GMT

The Rise of the Emerging-Market Multinational

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:20:01 GMT

As I meet with CEOs, government leaders and others from around the world here in Davos, Switzerland this week, and throughout the year, the conversation typically turns to how to navigate the changing economic dynamics of an increasingly global world. The challenges are complex yet critical – from retraining and refocusing global workforces to creating high-performance organizations to tackling global operating model changes. Last year at the World Economic Forum, Accenture launched a study that looked at the forces creating this new era of globalization, what we refer to as the multi-polar world. This year, we decided to "invert the lens" and examine the multi-polar world from the viewpoint of major companies, which are based in developing economies. Under the leadership of Mark Foster, Accenture's group chief executive of Management Consulting and Integrated Markets, we conducted in-depth interviews with emerging market business executives and experts. Not only did we include the major players in the BRIC countries of Brazil, Russia, India and China, but we thought it was also important to examine the issues facing business leaders in economies such as Mexico, Poland, Vietnam and Lebanon. One of the primary conclusions from our study – The Rise of the Emerging-Market Multinational – is that Emerging-Market Multinationals (EMMs) are expanding at a speed and scale to make even the largest Western multinationals take notice. In fact, 70 companies on the Fortune Global 500 list of the world's largest companies are EMMs, up from just 20 a decade ago. Within the last year, nine EMMs were added to the Fortune Global 500. They have been expanding and acquiring new businesses at a rapid pace, conducting more than 1,100 mergers and acquisitions, all worth US$128 billion in 2006. One interesting example of a Fortune Global 500 EMM is the Chinese oil company, PetroChina. When PetroChina listed on the Shanghai stock exchange in November 2007, it became the world's largest public company, with a market capitalization of almost US $1 trillion – twice the size of its nearest Western counterpart. Based on our extensive original research, we have concluded that the multi-polar world is characterized by increased economic interdependence across five key dimensions: Across all five dimensions, EMMs are succeeding because they are doing three things extraordinarily well: managing risk, improvising and maintaining a focus on their cultural heritages. As "street-wise" business operators, EMMs are politically savvy and have significant experience in building demand in often difficult conditions in their home markets. Their ability to manage risk helps them navigate the hazards of investment in other emerging markets. EMMs are also adept at turning unpromising situations to their advantage. They are quick to improvise when overcoming talent shortages through innovative educational and training programs, tapping into new sources of consumer demand, or adapting products and technologies to local market conditions. Finally, EMMs value their deep roots in their home economies and derive great strength from their limited bureaucracies, their emphasis on local management and their flexible business models and processes. Although there are many similarities, our research found that not all EMMs follow the same business models. Despite their genuine successes, EMMs do face a number of significant challenges. However, many are well placed to achieve high performance—and offer significant lessons for their developed-market counterparts. Mark Foster will share more of these findings in his posting next week….

Transforming Marketing, Sales and Service

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:52:11 GMT

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) requires the agility of a star athlete in marketing, sales and service to change the competitive playing field. That's one of the underlying themes in the book CRM Transformation: Transforming Marketing, Sales and Service, which has recently been published by Accenture and Montgomery Research Institute. This year's publication is the seventh edition produced by our companies, and it presents new game-changing maneuvers in marketing, sales and service that can help high-performing companies consistently deliver experiences that win and retain customers.

The lifecycle of leadership

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:45:03 GMT

The other day, I was on my way to my alma mater, the University of Illinois, to speak to students who want careers in consulting. As I prepared to talk to them about the opportunities that exist in consulting, I found myself thinking about the similarities between those students and the more than 500 Accenture professionals around the world who have just been promoted to senior executive. It seems to me that certain tenets about life and work hold true for successful people no matter where they are in their career journey.

Give and take: Implications of the U.S. Supreme Court's price-floor ruling

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:33:24 GMT

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to allow manufacturers to set and enforce minimum prices for their products has prompted predictions of disaster for American consumers. Doomsayers claim there will be only one price per product and that discounting will disappear as manufacturers impose price increases across the board.

4G: Getting there from here (Part 3)

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:26:58 GMT

This is the third and final installment (for now) of this 4G blog. In my first two entries (see Part 1 and Part 2) I introduced the challenges that traditional telcos are likely to face in positioning themselves to compete in 4G networks and services. Then I looked in more detail at the first two obstacles: legacy systems and obsolete business models.

4G: Getting there from here (Part 2)

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:13:43 GMT

In the first part of my commentary, I talked in general about the challenges ahead for traditional telco companies as they attempt to position themselves for success with fourth-generation or 4G networks and services. I introduced four obstacles: legacy systems, obsolete business models, an unhelpful quest for perfection, and restrictive legislation and regulation.

Individualism and Personalization – It's What Consumers Crave

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 14:57:32 GMT

At the Customer Innovation Network we are often asked by clients about what shapes consumer behavior and demand today and in the future. In response, we often discuss 'Individualism and Personalization.' While these concepts are not brand-new, we see emerging technologies and new practices that make it more feasible for retailers today than just a few years ago. As exemplified by Generation Y, younger consumers really value their individuality. They celebrate it and are looking to retailers, service providers and marketers to help them express their individuality and cater to their distinctive preferences. We also find consumers may not consider shopping an easy task. In a recent Accenture U.S. consumer survey, 86 percent of respondents said shopping today is either "about the same" or "more difficult" than shopping two years ago. Individualism and Personalization may be highly valued to these shoppers as it enables them to filter through an over-abundance of marketing messages, products and choices and only focus on what's most relevant to their own needs and preferences. We see established companies and brand new ones jumping into this arena attracting attention and customers. Since we get the question so often at the Customer Innovation Network I thought I'd share some examples with you… and please send back comments on others you've found and used, what you like, and what you think is here to stay and what will fade away. Personal Expression Phenomenon like YouTube and MySpace give young consumers a stage for voicing their opinions and showing off their social lives and it's influencing how they shop. Some companies are reacting by offering customers avenues for personal expression, like personalizing a Heinz Ketchup bottle or Kleenex box with personal slogans and pictures. More sustainable ideas include MyTwinn.com that produces dolls that are exact replicas of real girls, allowing them to celebrate their identity through their toys. And, for an extra charge, you can get specific freckles or birthmarks painted on the dolls. A company called Reactee takes personal expression via t-shirts and adds the power of text messaging with t-shirts that literally "text back." Anyone interested in knowing more about the t-shirt's slogan or its owner can text a keyword and get an immediate response set by the owner, who also receives the message with the sender's cell phone number. Not Custom-Made…Customer-Made Some companies have gone beyond custom-made and are putting customers to work by involving them from ideation to selling. Staples' InventionQuest and Kraft's Innovation Challenge incent shoppers to submit ideas for new products. These companies then produce the best ideas. Now a company's product development department is not limited to the people who work for the company but could include the whole world. Companies now get customers involved by letting shoppers design products. Nike has shoppers customize running shoes and some cereal companies let consumers create their own cereal combos and flavors. Zlio.com uses social networking and allows everyday people to essentially open up their own on-line shop and receive commissions from the products they sell. Major retailers like PetSmart, eBay and Sony are paying the commissions. A grocer in Europe – Albert Heijn – literally involved the entire town in the design of a new store. The town chose everything from location to layout and even the experiential elements of the store. These retailers understand that today's shoppers are easily connected to one another, are most influenced by their social group and are looking to one another to be the editor of assortments. It's assortment optimization completely redefined! Tailored Offerings Tailored offerings are taken to a new level at MyShape.com, which has developed a formula that takes a woman's measurements and aligns them to one of seven distinct body types. Each MyShape customer gets their own home page with products that fit their shape as well as their style and fit preferences. At the Customer Innovation Network a prototype from a company called VideoMining shows how we can tailor in-store media with advanced video insight that alters content on a digital screen in real-time to tailor to the demographics (age, gender and ethnicity) of the audience in front of the screen. If you are a teenage girl, you will see information and video that fits your demographic. If the next person to walk by is your Dad, the screen will change to fit his demographics. Consumers will continue to evolve – and at increasing speed – and we believe companies must evolve with them. A shopper is no longer limited by what's at the mall and retailers are similarly not limited by what's in their inventory today. Technology is a common engine for change on both sides but so is imagination, creativity and individuality. And, if you didn't get enough of the examples of 'Individualism and Personalization,' check out trendwatching.com.

Accenture Junior and Community College Scholarship Winners Visit U.S. Capitol

Thu, 02 Aug 2007 14:35:21 GMT

Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting the first 20 recipients of the Accenture Junior and Community College Scholarship. We brought the students together at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know them and to honor them and what they have achieved. The competition was tough, with more than 160 applicants. Most of the scholarship winners are the first in their families to attend college. Most of them have been juggling their school work along with full-time jobs (some even have more than one job) as well as household demands. And with all of that, they graduated at the top of their class. This is true leadership and high performance. It was great to hear the winners' stories. They hail from seven countries – Albania, China, Hungary, Mexico, Russia, Senegal and the United States – and, today, they live in six states – California, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts and New York. Many already have great work experience and aspire to achieve even more. We established the Accenture Junior and Community Scholarship for a number of reasons. Junior and community colleges truly mirror the communities they serve. They enable students to continue their education at a cost that is generally more affordable than many four-year institutions, develop careers in a wide range of fields, get the training and retraining they need to advance their current career or change careers – and find greater job satisfaction and fulfillment. As businesses benefit from the education and training these institutions provide, we stand to benefit by supporting them. We can show our support by donating funds, recruiting students, offering career counseling and encouraging our employees to teach classes. We consider this scholarship an important step not only to helping students earn a bachelor's degree, but also to making life-long learning a reality. Each student will receive a $5,000 scholarship for the coming school year and be eligible to receive an additional $5,000 for another year of schooling or until they earn a bachelor's degree at a four-year institution. Our hope is that Accenture's scholarship will provide a stimulus to our corporate colleagues to support junior and community colleges in similar ways. We all need to do our part and focus on education – whether that means improving our schools or simply encouraging people to continue their education and earn a degree. While in Washington yesterday, the students were greeted at the Capitol by several members of the U.S. House of Representatives: Allen Boyd (D-FL), George Radonovich (R-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Each of the congressional members echoed the sentiments we at Accenture value deeply: To keep our workforce competitive, business and government must work together to focus more resources on beefing up our math and science education and invest more in education overall. We must foster an environment in which skills in critical thinking, analytical reasoning and problem-solving are promoted and rewarded. It's good business practice to support education at every level, through all possible means. I believe strongly that the programs offered by junior and community colleges in the U.S. can be enormously helpful in accomplishing this goal. They can provide a stepping stone to the business world and teach the fundamental principles of business to countless millions. In addition to providing students with a solid education, junior and community colleges very often serve as a meaningful bridge from 12th grade to a four-year degree and beyond. Whether a two-year program represents a starting point to a four-year degree in business or an MBA or enables someone to get a certificate in a business discipline that leads to a more fulfilling career – or higher pay and a higher standard of living – the potential is enormous.

4G: Giving control to you (Part 1)

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:56:55 GMT

Moving from one network generation to the next has never been very easy, of course – from analog to digital, or from digital to broadband. Today, however, as traditional wireless and wireline companies look at the prospect of a fourth-generation or 4G network (think, "Wireless + All-IP) I conjure up an image – not of someone looking up at a tall mountain and realizing it will be a hard journey – but of someone staring across a great chasm and wondering, "How the heck am I going to do this?"

Properly Implemented, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Can Help Fight Terrorism

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 15:23:11 GMT

Unless you are a regular international business traveler or live in a border community near Canada or Mexico, you may not be familiar with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or WHTI. No, it's not the latest tour package available from your travel agent. The WHTI is a U.S. federal program that requires all travelers, both U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, to carry a valid passport in order to cross the borders between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda. The passport requirement went into effect for all air travel on Jan. 23, 2007 and it will go into effect for all land or sea travel by no later than June 1, 2009. This is a major change from the way border crossings have been managed in the past. It used to be that Americans could simply produce a driver's license or birth certificate or even just make verbal statements as proof of their citizenship status. The WHTI is changing all that and for good reason. While much of the news media focuses on terrorist threats from locations further abroad such as Europe or the Middle East, the reality is that securing the United States means we need to better secure our physical ports of entry – whether land crossings, airports or seaports. So strengthening our ability to identify travelers entering and exiting the country is an enormously important task. The WHTI, however, is not without detractors. Critics believe it will unnecessarily impede legitimate travel, tourism and trade among our key trading partners. Others think the passport requirement is too onerous and expensive for most citizens, particularly those who cross the borders infrequently. Public education campaigns to inform the public about the new requirements are expensive and can have limited results. Despite the challenges, there is growing agreement that the WHTI can play a key role in protecting the United States against future terrorist attacks. A new white paper released recently by the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America entitled People, Security and Borders: The Impact of the WHTI on North America concludes that cooperation and joint implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is critical for this program to meet its mission. The paper's authors recommend that Mexican, U.S., and Canadian officials work expeditiously, both independently and jointly, to provide the necessary resources to fully evaluate the impact of the WHTI on the three countries to understand the costs, consequences, and opportunities presented by the new rules. They also find that there is pressing need to develop a significant, collaborative public education campaign as the WHTI moves toward full implementation. The lack of citizen awareness and understanding about this initiative will, at best, cause a high degree of uncertainty and may, at worst, have substantial economic consequences. The authors also conclude that the successful implementation of the WHTI will rely heavily on technological innovations and applications of existing identity management technologies such as biometric identification and radio frequency identification (RFID). I and other Accenture security experts agree these technologies hold great promise as key components of an identity management solution that can be used to process travelers. (See the Results of an Accenture Biometric Passenger System Piloted at Heathrow Airport). I found the paper's conclusions compelling. While the process of crossing borders is forever changed, a genuine spirit of cooperation among nations can help achieve a higher level of national security for all. And the WHTI need not be an obstacle to that goal but rather a catalyst for improving our ability to protect the United States while minimizing the impact on the flow of tourism and commerce across our respective borders.

Properly Implemented, Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Can Help Fight Terrorism

Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:27:30 GMT

Missing! Online Sales.

Thu, 24 May 2007 20:34:04 GMT

Every month people ask me what I think of the same store sales numbers. What difference did an early Easter make? Was it new product that boosted a retailer's numbers? What effect do weather and gas prices have on shopping?

Beyond the Hype: How Content and Technology are Redefining Media

Thu, 24 May 2007 20:29:20 GMT

A year ago, would anyone have believed that home videos of my dog could become the kind of killer content that could topple the major movie studios and keep media moguls awake at night?

Forget the toys – it's the guy with the best data who wins

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:07:05 GMT

In our new book, Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning, Tom Davenport and I describe how top performers are turning to analytics – the extensive strategic use of data, quantitative techniques, predictive models, and fact-based management to drive decisions – to out-think and out-execute their competition. If there ever was any doubt that those with the best data win, let it be dispelled now. Watch the Video: Competing on Analytics Analytics is a Strategic Differentiator Until recently, companies have tended to analyze historical data rather than developing predictive analytics for decision-making. A manufacturer may interpret several years' worth of data to improve how it manages product quality, for instance. But it's a big step from there to using analytics as the foundation for the company's business strategy – to use analytics as a strategic differentiator. There's good reason to care about all this. Accenture's research finds that high-performance businesses – those that substantially outperform competitors over the long term and across economic, industry and leadership cycles – are twice as likely to use analytics strategically compared with the overall sample, and five times more likely to do so than low performers. And executives are increasingly relying upon the power of information technology to help make better decisions. More than 30 percent of senior managers polled in a 2006 Accenture study said they use their enterprise systems for "significant decision support or analytical capability;" four years ago, only 19 percent agreed with that statement. Case in Point: Netflix There's a pretty good chance that you're already renting movies from Netflix, so you may have a hint of how successful they've been (growing from $5 million in revenue in 1999 to nearly $1 billion in 2006.) What you may not know is how well they know you and your tastes in movies. That data-driven knowledge is the rocket fuel behind their roaring revenue trajectory. At the heart of their business is a movie-recommendation "engine." The software tool analyzes your choices and feedback on the movies you and others have rented – more than a billion ratings of movies that Netflix customers liked, loved, or hated – and recommends movies in ways that optimize your tastes and Netflix's inventory. CEO Reed Hastings puts it this way: "If the Starbucks secret is a smile when you get your latte, ours is that the Web site adapts to the individual's taste." Analytics also helps Netflix figure out what to pay for the distribution rights to DVDs, giving them huge information leverage during negotiations. When Netflix bid for Favela Rising, the documentary about Rio de Janeiro musicians, its executives knew that a million customers had rented 2003's City of God, also set in Rio. Half a million had rented the documentary Born Into Brothels and 250,000 had seen both. So Netflix paid a fee based on 250,000 rentals. If it rents more than that number of copies of Favela Rising, the film's producers and Netflix split the upside. Netflix belongs to a select group of companies that live or die on the strength of their number-crunching. The group is diverse – from global cement giant CEMEX and California winemaker E. & J. Gallo Winery to John Deere, Tesco and Bank of America – all busy out-thinking and out-executing their rivals with analytics. Information Abundance Data analysis has been around a long time – think of Frederick Winslow Taylor pacing around the steelworks in the early 1900s, stopwatch in hand. Data analysis got more attention in the 1960s when computers were used in experiments to aid decision-making. And statistical analysis became routine in the 1970s with the arrival of packaged computer applications. But number-crunching was left largely to the wonks; few executives embraced the strategic use of data. Things change. We've gone from information scarcity – the whole "knowledge is power" thing – to information abundance. In fact, companies have so much data they don't know what to do with it. (And so much is "dirty data" – inaccurate, duplicate, obsolete – but that's another story.) We don't discuss megabytes any more; now we're well into terabyte talk – as in trillions of bytes. To put the 583TB in Wal-Mart's data warehouse into perspective consider that in 2006, the U.S. Library of Congress's entire print collection took up perhaps 20TB. Meanwhile, businesses have been pushed to the wall in terms of how they can distinguish themselves. Companies that manage to come up with innovative features often find them quickly replicated half a world away. Product lifecycles keep shrinking, yet customer expectations keep climbing. So execution becomes paramount. Superior execution requires companies to make ever-smarter, better-informed decisions – which require superior analytics. Four Fundamentals The high performers know that technology alone doesn't make a company into a stellar analytical player. As the top performers embrace more powerful forward-looking techniques such as predictive modeling, forecasting and optimization, they're relying on sophisticated IT tools, of course. But they are also making sure they abide by four fundamental factors: The good news for those who want to become analytical aces is that they already have much of the data they need. Knowing what to do with it is another thing entirely. But the effort must start now. It takes at least 18 months of regularly working with data before you start seeing a steady stream of insights that can translate into real differentiation. That's a year and a half in which your competitors may already be well down the same road. Where's Taylor's stopwatch when we need it?

Cost Transformation for Wireless Service Providers: Is it time to tighten your belt and cut costs?

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 18:10:54 GMT

Those of you who attended 3GSM this year should have received an email from GSMA prior to the show declaring that 2007 is the year of cost control. What do you think? Recently, there's been a great deal of commentary on the slowing growth trends in the Telco industry (view our flash presentation for more on market commentary on declining growth trends). Our research in this area has discovered that global wireless operators with an average annual Operating Expenditure (OpEx) of $24 billion will need to save 4% in total operating expenses, or a staggering $700 million per year, in order to recover their cost of capital. So the market is telling us that cost transformation is an important consideration for Telco Operators – but how do you do it right – while simultaneously delivering innovative services and appeasing your customers? I believe that it comes down to a balance of how much time and energy you can afford to invest in reducing costs versus developing and launching new services. The two should be considered together, because operators can't afford to underfund new products and services. Reducing costs should be viewed in a holistic manner, considering the entire enterprise as opposed to just one function. We conceived our framework for cost analysis and modelling after our research suggested that combining top-down targeting with bottom-up transformational diagnostics can help to lead to sustainable cost leadership. I'd also recommend looking at less traditional areas, such as channel optimization and routing, product and offer simplification, and business intelligence. To take the example of business intelligence – it's not an area historically associated with cost reduction, but our findings reveal it as a significant source of potential value, as businesses learn to use the data they have in more scientific ways and apply the resulting insights to achieve more efficient and smarter ways of working. Is 2007 the year of cost control? My answer is not a simple yes or no… The Telco industry is maturing at different paces. Northern Europe is already thinking about cost reduction and I think the U.S. will be next. Asia has had success in growing new products and services so their focus will remain on delivery for the time being while Southern Europe is still very much in a growth phase. Cost savings will continue to be a hot topic for Telecom Operators for some time to come. You only have to look at other more mature industries for insights on how big an issue it will be. Do you agree that 2007 is the year for cost cutting?

Beating the Cycle: Going for Sustained Growth in the Industrial Products Industry

Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:09:35 GMT

How do you maintain sustainable growth in an industry segment that is known for its cyclicality? This is the issue that's keeping more than one executive in the heavy equipment, electrical, consumer durables, controls, power, building and/or components markets awake at night. Last week the Manufacturing Institute of Supply Management suggested a slowdown in the manufacturing sector citing weaker than expected numbers for the month of March. As the globe gets smaller, I've started to see innovative companies using simulations to gauge and evaluate the impact of future events, in order to create the best business strategy for a particular situation. In fact, the waves of change will be more frequent and come with less warning. In order to achieve and sustain high performance, industrial products companies need a repeatable approach that aligns the organization and engineers growth.

Beating the Cycle: Going for Sustained Growth in the Industrial Products Industry

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:06:25 GMT

Building a World-Class Research Facility in India

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:07:45 GMT

A year ago, I landed in Bangalore, India – not just for a visit, but to live. I had eight suitcases with me, mostly full of what turned out to be the wrong clothes and shoes, and the name and phone number of a woman who supposedly had an apartment I could live in for a while. A few weeks earlier my boss had asked me if I would be willing to move to India to be Director of a new R&D Lab – Accenture's fourth. I jumped at the opportunity. Accenture Technology Labs, our technology research and development organization, has been turning technology innovation into business results for 20 years. Plus, things were seeming a little sleepy in California and I'd heard how things were hopping in Bangalore.

The Future of IPTV: Confidence Rising

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:06:38 GMT

Is the world ready for IPTV – the delivery of television and video services over Internet Protocol technologies? Well, yes and no. "No," in that very few decision makers in the communications industry believe that IPTV is going to be a big revenue generator in, say, the next 12 months. But also "Yes," in that those same decision makers are a lot more confident in IPTV's longer-term prospects – over the next three years or so.

Private Equity: High Quality Due Diligence

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:05:25 GMT

In today's red-hot private equity market, it's getting much tougher to make rational, value-based decisions. With multiple bidders competing for assets, and sellers becoming increasingly sophisticated, the typical auction process is starting to resemble the process of buying a house in a week: you're forced to compete against five other bidders without really knowing what's on the inside.

Education is Vital to Competitiveness

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:04:10 GMT

While I'm often asked to speak on a wide range of business issues, on Tuesday I had the opportunity to address a subject that is rapidly becoming one of the most important issues of our time: the role of education and competitiveness. I was honored by an invitation to testify before the U.S. Senate's Finance Committee by its Chairman, Senator Max Baucus of Montana, on the topic: Realizing a Competitive Education: Identifying Needs, Partnerships and Resources.

(Alan) Moore's Law: Pricing is a Profit Lever

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:59:20 GMT

It's earning's season again and the business pages are once again reporting that tired old song – semiconductor companies are missing their revenue targets again. Why?

Taxes made easy? The revenue agency of the future is closer than you think.

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:56:39 GMT

Let the groans begin – it's tax time. And even me, whose job it is to work with revenue agencies around the world, knows that the annual filing ritual will not be the most pleasant or efficient process. But believe it or not, revenue agencies around the world are getting better, working to improve (or lessen the pain of) the tax paying experience. Trust me, revenue agencies have a tough job. Not only do all government services rely on their funding, but they face smaller budgets, regulatory reform and the expectations of an increasingly savvy customer base – you and me, the taxpayer. What's more, there is a significant tax gap – in the United States alone an estimated $290 billion yearly difference between what taxpayers owe and what they pay.

Celebrating 2007 International Women's Day

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 19:47:48 GMT

It's been so energizing for all of us - and for me, personally - to have been part of the planning for our third celebration of International Women's Day. When you consider that by the end of the day, more than 6,000 Accenture people in more than 23 cities around the world will have come together both at live events and through a global webcast, to celebrate the great strides women are making in our company and in the business world, it's obvious that diversity has enormous, tangible meaning. Our goal is simple: to share experiences, connect our people and increase global awareness of our company's women's initiatives. We're well aware, however, that focusing our attention on advancing women in the workplace does not - and cannot - end with a once-a-year event.

Digital Rights Management: How to Compete with "Free"

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 23:06:27 GMT

Steve Jobs recently made public statements to the effect that Digital Rights Management (DRM) is an obstacle to consumer satisfaction (see recent Wall Street Journal article). Weeks before, Bill Gates had publicly said much the same thing. Also this week, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a non-profit group that bills itself as defending freedom in the digital world, opened an office in Brussels to extend its role as a watchdog of digital rights to the European community. Its prime intent is to bring its digital activism to bear on the development of European Union law. These events clearly highlight the global debate that digital rights have taken on in our society. Is this debate over copyrights really anything new?

Supply Chain Management: The Secret Key to Post-merger Integration?

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:17:45 GMT

Every company – and there are no exceptions – must periodically deal with incompatible but necessary missions. Most common, I think, are the frequent needs to reduce costs and increase the quality of customer service. Another is the need to build low-cost, worldwide operations while preserving/enhancing local relationships and (often delicate) corporate cultures.

Maintaining a Common Corporate Culture Is a Big Concern for Global Executives

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:56:04 GMT

On Thursday, I presented findings from Accenture's Global C-Suite Survey to a group of business executives at the World Economic Forum.

The Rise of the Multi-Polar World

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:55:06 GMT

As I speak with CEOs around the world, our conversations often focus on the challenges their organizations are facing in a business environment that is becoming dramatically more global. Whether it's meeting the challenge of increasing competition from companies expanding their global reach…or gearing up for an estimated billion new consumers entering the global marketplace in the next 10 years, all of us face huge issues and even greater opportunities as we strive to achieve high performance in an increasingly complex global environment.

Improving Healthcare: Accenture's Prototype for a Nationwide Health Information Network

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:28:21 GMT

How close is the day when electronic health records help improve the quality of healthcare?

Welcome

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 21:33:37 GMT

The High Performance Business Blog brings you our latest research findings, insights and expertise on accelerating high performance. This new blog will showcase the best thought leadership Accenture has to offer on a wide range of business issues from a host of company leaders. We look forward to your contributions: comments, opinions, experiences, learnings or perspectives, as we post information throughout the year.