Outlook journal

Up Close and Personal

2012-02-06T06:00:00Z

With such formidable competitors as Amazon and Apple successfully invading their space, many traditional retailers will struggle to keep pace over the next decade unless they can swiftly develop a deeper, more intimate and long-term relationship with consumers.

Who Says M&A Doesn’t Create Value?

2012-01-30T06:00:00Z

The conventional wisdom that most acquisitions destroy value might be obsolete. Our latest research shows M&A success rates have climbed, and that top-quartile performers—and often even median ones—can create substantial amounts of shareholder value in any industry or region, at any point in the economic cycle.

Six Ways Social Media Technologies Can Accelerate Large-Scale Change

2012-01-23T06:00:00Z

Social media technologies are helping people communicate in new ways. Now they are also helping enterprises successfully navigate major business change programs.

Solving the Skills Crisis

2012-01-16T06:00:00Z

The broad availability of workers in the midst of the economic downturn can be misleading, and many executives are only beginning to appreciate the scope of the challenge they face when it comes to finding the right skills to compete in the years ahead. Companies must get out in front of the skills challenge, building an arsenal of altogether new solutions.

Distributed, Decoupled, Analyzed: IT’s Next Frontier

2012-01-03T06:00:00Z

While the big picture may be elusive, there are three forces or undercurrents that seem to be shaping much of IT.

The Risk Masters

2011-12-19T06:00:00Z

In the wake of a series of disasters, organizations are putting in place more comprehensive risk management programs, with the intent of moving beyond a reactive approach to risk to one that can fuel business growth in a smarter, more controlled fashion. And according to new research, an elite group of companies is also emerging to embrace even more advanced risk management capabilities.

How Big Data Can Fuel Bigger Growth

2011-12-05T06:00:00Z

In the right hands and handled strategically, the massive amounts of information companies collect today - Big Data - can become a valuable new asset. Players seeking additional organic revenue streams should consider tapping their data trove to power a new information services growth engine.

Inclusive Growth: Closing the Commitment Gap

2011-11-28T06:00:00Z

For years, companies have been exhorted to seek new customers and employees from the world’s poor, underprivileged and isolated. Progress has been slow, but some organizations are finding ways to get around the obstacles that give others pause.

Globalization: Blurring Borders

2011-11-17T06:00:00Z

Companies who segment customers across geographies by similar motives, attitudes and behaviors will strengthen their customer relationship management and enable global growth.

Managing capital projects as a business

2011-11-07T06:00:00Z

Running large capital initiatives as a business, not just as projects, can reduce risk, decrease costs and improve return on investment.

Can Chinese Companies Win in the Global Big Leagues?

2011-10-31T05:00:00Z

The likes of Lenovo and Haier have shown that they can. But for other Chinese enterprises to enter the ranks of the world’s premium brands, they must establish a significant global presence in operations, sales, distribution and R&D.

Creating a High-Performance Learning Environment

2011-10-24T05:00:00Z

New research from Accenture highlights the high-performance learning traits that are distinctive to an organization's top performers.

New Paths to Growth: The Age of Aggregation

2011-10-17T05:00:00Z

Today’s expanded-scale businesses require ever more substantial sales volumes to create shareholder value. In order to grow, they must become market aggregators—masters at identifying commonalities in far-flung consumer segments—recognizing that the strongest growth will happen not within industries or markets but across and among them.

A New Era of Innovation: Cloud and the Future of Business

2011-10-03T05:00:00Z

Although many still think of cloud computing’s value primarily in terms of cost reduction, it actually can drive significant innovations in operations, processes and the design of the business itself.

Adapting to a New Model of Physician Employment

2011-09-26T05:00:00Z

Increasing numbers of physicians are seeking employment directly with hospitals rather than remaining in private practice. This trend has major implications for all players in the healthcare ecosystem.

Clear View of the Cloud: The Business Impact of Cloud Computing

2011-09-15T05:00:00Z

To effectively capitalize on cloud-based business services, providers and clients alike must understand the impact of the cloud on customer service, IT products and the entire supply industry.

Driving Successful Change at Nokia Siemens Networks

2011-09-12T05:00:00Z

Following the merger that created the company, Nokia Siemens Networks overcame a series of challenges with a comprehensive, business-driven transformational change program. As a result, the company has thrived without the performance degradations typically experienced in post-merger integration.

At the Tipping Point: African Financial Services Come of Age

2011-09-12T05:00:00Z

New Accenture research suggests a promising future for the region’s banking sector. But to succeed, newcomers will need to do much more than replicate traditional business models from developed countries.

Why Operational Excellence Matters

2011-08-30T05:00:00Z

Relatively small improvements in business processes can put companies significantly ahead of competitors. But first they need to decide which processes really matter—and develop the disciplines to manage and sustain them.

What Price Information? The Unit Price of Information is Increasing

2011-08-22T05:00:00Z

The unit price of information is actually increasing, not decreasing—and definitely not trending toward free.

Deeper in the Value Chain

2011-08-19T05:00:00Z

Early generations of business process outsourcing services have now matured in terms of the added value they bring to companies. Outsourcing providers are now looking to use their broad industry knowledge and analytics-based insights to help their clients tap deeper levels of innovation and value.

From Patient to Customer: Improving the Patient Experience

2011-08-15T05:00:00Z

The healthcare industry is now more competitive than ever. How to succeed? By treating your patients as customers and delivering on a great customer experience. Here’s how.

Bright Ideas

2011-08-08T05:00:00Z

Innovation drives growth in basic industries just as surely as it powers higher-profile high-tech players. However, while many energy and raw materials companies assume they already innovate effectively, only a few have fully mastered the challenge of combining invention and market success.

Strategy at the Edge

2011-08-01T05:00:00Z

When companies sense the need to find a new growth business, many turn inward, searching to extend core competencies and relying on centralized planning. High performers, on the other hand, look outward, focusing on the edge of markets and the perimeter of their company for insights and opportunities.

Leaping to a New Growth Curve in the Communications Industry

2011-07-25T05:00:00Z

In the face of fierce competition from Internet players, traditional telecom operators must become more aggressive in creating new customer propositions and business models.

Reinventing a Business at Risk

2011-07-18T05:00:00Z

Plummeting profitability, tightening regulation, increasingly informed and demanding consumers, and new and nimble competitors—a perfect storm is hammering France’s big insurers. But they’re not alone: Throughout Europe, relevance in this industry will require radical restructuring.

Rise of the Intelligent City

2011-07-11T05:00:00Z

As the world becomes more and more urbanized, the successful city of the future will need to aggressively pursue two goals: managing resources from a sustainable perspective and creating an attractive economic and social environment in which citizens, companies and governments can live, work and interact.

Network Sharing: Balancing Costs and Competitive Differentiation

2011-07-05T05:00:00Z

To control costs, mobile operators are pursuing arrangements to share some network components with other companies. Here are three keys to making network sharing a success.

Meeting the Challenges of Cloud Computing

2011-06-27T05:00:00Z

Although its potential upside is considerable, cloud computing is still young and suffering from growing pains. Here are four key challenges organizations must meet to realize mature value in the cloud.

Prescription for Change

2011-06-20T05:00:00Z

A new information value chain—built on evidence-based insights—is emerging that could reconcile the divergent interests within the US healthcare industry. The ultimate beneficiary: the patient.

The Allure of Pricing Predictively

2011-06-13T05:00:00Z

Pricing activities are getting fresh attention from senior executives. Realizing that analyses of past performance are no longer enough to outrun competitors, more and more business leaders are investing in sophisticated predictive analytics to drive tomorrow’s pricing models with facts rather than hunches.

Different Strokes: How to Manage a Global Workforce

2011-06-06T05:00:00Z

As companies stake their growth strategies on global expansion and the pursuit of new markets, their ability to forge a human capital strategy and HR capability that is both globally consistent and locally relevant will be critical to success.

Connecting for Competitive Advantage

2011-05-31T05:00:00Z

Working with others to secure skilled talent and innovative IT will be critical as electronics and high-tech companies emerge from the recession. That’s why smart organizations are preparing in advance.

Melding Marketing and IT: Are You Ready for the Digital Revolution?

2011-05-23T05:00:00Z

The ultimate promise of digital and interactive channels is personalization: bringing timely and relevant offerings to customers wherever they are, at that moment when opportunity and interest translate into a sale.

The Promise of Cloud Computing

2011-05-16T05:00:00Z

New research details how cloud computing can provide tangible business benefits—if it is backed by strong implementation, business sponsorship and a service ethos.

A Team You Can Count On

2011-05-09T05:00:00Z

The best companies surpass competitors in part by attracting serious talent—people at the top of their professions. And they keep them on board by ensuring they are part of an enterprise staffed with extraordinary individuals all striving toward the same ambitious goals.

Running IT Like a Business in the Healthcare Industry

2011-05-02T05:00:00Z

New research from Accenture shows how healthcare organizations can get smarter about IT cost management, shifting their spending toward applications that better support revenue growth.

What the C-suite Should Know About Analytics

2011-04-26T05:00:00Z

Analytics is a transformational phenomenon that will fundamentally change how business discourse will be conducted and decisions will be made.

Cyber Security to Improve Corporate and National Defense

2011-04-18T05:00:00Z

Cyber security is now a concern not only to enterprises but to national defense. Effective planning and response must harness advanced technologies, but also a broader approach encompassing processes, education, culture, leadership and collaboration.

The Talent to Grow

2011-04-11T05:00:00Z

New research suggests that few executives believe their recession-battered workforces are prepared to fully exploit the global recovery. To drive growth, companies need to embrace a human capital strategy that more closely links workforce planning to business objectives and looks at the broader implications for leadership and the organizational culture.

Electronic Medical Records: Meeting the Compliance Challenges

2011-04-04T05:00:00Z

New rules about “meaningful use” of electronic medical records (EMR) are challenging health care organizations. Six best practices can support compliance and more cost-effective EMR implementation.

Has the Cloud Made Outsourcing Obsolete?

2011-03-28T05:00:00Z

Many cloud enthusiasts—proponents of a simple utility model for providing business services—have written off outsourcing companies for dead. But the shakeup within the services industry has meant more complexity, not less, resulting in a critical new role for value-added outsourcing.

Joining Forces

2011-03-21T05:00:00Z

Collaboration is the key to effective government in an era of fiscal austerity—and not just because it cuts costs. By reaching out across jurisdictions and involving all stakeholders, leading state, regional and local authorities are actually improving the way they deliver services.

Why the West Needs to Learn about Workaround Innovation

2011-03-07T06:00:00Z

A different approach to innovation pervades new economies, born of scarcity and expressed in levels of ingenuity, resourcefulness and drive.

Solving the Skills Crisis in the Automotive Industry

2011-02-28T06:00:00Z

Following a period of severe cutbacks, one might think automakers have a supply of talent ready and waiting. It’s not that simple. New and more complex skill sets are essential.

Jumping the S-Curve: How to Sustain Long-Term Performance

2011-02-28T06:00:00Z

Successful companies often manage revenue growth to the curve of their financial performance, sustaining long-term performance.

Harnessing the Power of Social Media

2011-02-15T06:00:00Z

The impact of social media is embryonic today but could ultimately surpass the predictions of the industry’s most daring visionaries. Companies that actively experiment with embedding a social media mindset and capabilities in their business processes will transform their relationships with customers and create value in unforeseen ways.

State of Panic

2010-11-21T06:00:00Z

Demand for public services is growing as the same recession-battered state and local governments struggle with fiscal crisis. To survive intact, agencies need to adopt private-sector tactics that can cut costs quickly.

China's High Performers Take the Long View

2010-11-08T06:00:00Z

China’s top companies were shaken but not toppled by the global financial crisis. Their success can be traced to long-term strategies that stabilize them in hard times while positioning them for future growth.

Product Lifecycle Management: The Innovation Enabler Goes Mainstream

2010-11-08T06:00:00Z

Until recently, product lifecycle management (PLM) was an esoteric specialty practiced deep inside the engineering departments of manufacturing companies. But today, forward-thinking business leaders in many other industry sectors see PLM as an essential cross-functional discipline.

Will Marketing Get the Message?

2010-11-01T05:00:00Z

In a growing number of organizations, marketing is assuming a commanding new role—not only executing strategy but increasingly shaping it as well. As these leading growth companies redefine the marketing function, they are focusing on four key areas of competency.

The Change-Capable Organization

2010-10-21T05:00:00Z

Rather than reshape itself periodically with stand-alone change programs, a company and its culture must be constantly adaptable to new directions. Change management must be an internal—and eternal—capability, present within the organization at every moment.

Where Will the Jobs Come From?

2010-10-15T05:00:00Z

Contrary to more doom-laden views, there are ample opportunities for new growth and jobs in the mature economies of North America, Europe and Japan. But without significant cooperation between policy makers and business, a decade of stagnation could ensue instead.

Can Business Do Well by Doing Good?

2010-10-07T05:00:00Z

Yes, but not until basic sustainability practices are fully integrated into the way business is done, both strategically and operationally. For that to happen, five major obstacles must be overcome.

The Analytics Advantage

2010-10-01T05:00:00Z

BPO Analytics builds on the extensive and high-quality data generated as part of a BPO relationship, enabling companies to achieve higher levels of analytical sophistication.

Cloud Computing: Where is the Rain?

2010-10-01T05:00:00Z

Cloud computing makes traditional IT faster, better and cheaper—and it has the potential to change both the business and IT landscapes in fundamental ways.

Game Over?

2010-07-08T05:00:00Z

Far from it. But fundamental free-market factors are changing the rules about how and to what extent emerging markets will grow in the next 10 years. Companies considering major investments in these economies should consider four possible scenarios for the coming decade.

Mastering the Move from COO to CEO

2010-07-01T05:00:00Z

In the United States, the chief operating officer is often considered to be the CEO-in-training. Here’s what it takes to groom the COO for the top job.

Vive la Différence!

2010-06-29T05:00:00Z

Successful management is a team effort. And new research in Europe shows that the more diverse a company’s senior management—in terms of gender, nationality and other characteristics—the better the company is likely to perform.

A Workforce of One

2010-06-22T05:00:00Z

New research shows that when it comes to managing talent, one size no longer fits all. To be competitive as the economy regains its footing and to maximize the performance of a workforce, companies need to understand and respond to the diverse needs of individual employees.

Agile IT: Reinventing the Enterprise

2010-06-15T05:00:00Z

An open technology and business environment, enabled by cloud computing and new outsourcing models, is creating a radically new approach to the delivery of business services and processes—and with it, a new, more flexible operating platform.

How to Turn Data into a Strategic Asset

2010-06-08T05:00:00Z

Companies across a wide range of industries are learning that the sophisticated use of information found within their own organizations is critical to achieving high performance. Here’s a five-step model for putting analytics at the center of your decision making.

Exploring 12 Disruptive New Transport Fuels

2010-06-01T05:00:00Z

Driven by concerns about energy security, CO2 abatement and the desire to create green jobs, low-carbon energy solutions are on the cusp of commercialization. Tomorrow’s transport fuels could be harvested, fermented and generated—not pumped out of the ground.

Making the Right Investments in People

2005-09-15T05:00:00Z

Implementations of the Accenture Human Capital Development Framework have identified the areas of human capital investment most likely to produce the greatest financial return.

Harnessing the Power of an Engaged Workforce

2005-09-15T05:00:00Z

Keeping employees engaged and aligned with the needs of the organization is the responsibility of executives at all levels.