Are we at an inflection point?

McKinsey make 6 recommendations for GBS leaders for these changing times.

For businesses around the world, the past two years of turmoil and change have challenged us with some new demands.

GBS has proven …

“What’s the ONE thing you need to improve?”

Executives typically respond in the same way “to derive more value from our companies’ investments in innovation”.

“Innovation” is often confused with “invention” but the key to innovation is “insight”. 

Insight into WHY, …

Two related articles caught my eye recently. One from Supply Management (CIPS) and one from McKinsey.

Their specific focus is on the procurement function and the source/purchase to pay process, but the lessons are clear across all business and data …

Organisations are always seeking to improve employee productivity.

There are countless approaches and training courses to help us prioritize what is urgent and important, to “manage the inbox”, and share other tricks that tantalize us with promises of peak productivity…

“Fail Fast” we are told. 

This drives learning, innovation and continuous improvement.

The worst thing to do is to fail SLOWLY!

If you prefer, you can watch or listen to this discussion here . .

70% of Digital Transformations Fail …

“Be brave, be focused, be curious”

We are still in challenging times.

We navigated the first 12 months of the pandemic with surprising agility, business-wise, but the second order impacts are proving to be tricky challenges in their own right, …

It is nearly 2022.

Our organizations have, by now, developed risk management mechanisms, processes, protocols and better visibility than ever.

But COVID-19 was/is one of those “Black Swan” risk events that took us all by surprise.

Business-wise, we reacted with …

You all know the story and have read the articles.

You understand that data is the lifeblood of business.  

We are constantly reminded that lack of timely, relevant data about processes slows us down and results in poor decision making …

The vision of common, standardized, centralized business services has come a long way, as has the value delivered for global businesses.

But you could argue there has been some soul searching for “identity”, mission and purpose.

Framing the capability as …

Education and many workplace experiences tend to encourage a focus on having the “right” answers. 

But, much of our workday is spent asking others for information.

Yet unlike professionals such as lawyers, journalists, and doctors, who are taught how to …