Almost every organisation has somewhere in its values a statement that equates to “people are our greatest asset” yet from experience, many employees read such a statement with cynicism and many employers don’t truly mean it. Interestingly both are probably right in their views of such a sweeping statement, yet a good match between employees and employer…
We would all acknowledge that the retail business model has changed massively over the last decade. In the UK there have been a steady stream of casualties over the past couple of years and it is easy to blame the economic environment or the growth of online business model as the reason. These are often…
In a business world where companies are adjusting their business model to outsource all but the business critical and core activities, in the consumer world we seem to be increasingly insourcing more and more to meet our value for money aspirations. A good example of this is the way in which many of us plan…
As I write this article I’m surrounded by bookshelves loaded with books. Gazing at them looking for inspiration it becomes clear that there are two categories, those such as cookery books and reference books which get used many times, and those such as modern fiction which are really one time reads. With ‘real’ books we…
I’ve written before on the issue of cash flow, its importance to business, and the potential for companies to use it as a strategic tool as a part of a supply chain. It was therefore interesting to read an article in the business section of the Sunday Times today which was describing the plight of…
I recently read a great article titled “Why good design is finally a bottom line investment” on the FastCompany website. The article focused mainly on the tech world and a product-centric view of design which is what most people think of when you mention the word ‘design’. To most people design makes them think…
As reported by 9to5Mac the Apple ads for their Genius Bar experience signifies a new tack for Apple where by they’re advertising a non-product area of innovation. Apple is one of the leaders in the area of blending together commercial innovation and product innovation to create leverage from multiple types of innovation. Their retail experience is world-class…
You may have seen the recent announcement by the Managing Director of UK retailer John Lewis that they are looking to allow customers to collect purchases through other retailers as of next year. By taking this approach, together with their other online distribution channels it will allow them to create national coverage with 60-70 physical…
Back in the early ’90s I happened to do a piece of research in relation to the UK government’s intention to award mobile phone wireless spectrum and accompanying PCN licences. At that time there were two mobile phone incumbents, Cellnet (now O2) and Vodafone, who both had licences and operated on the GSM network at…
At the recent IACCM conference in London there were a number of presentations and discussions on the topic of contract visualisation and the use of plain language in contracts and agreements. It was a topic that seemed to spark people’s imagination and resonate with many whether it was the use of simpler language, the ordering…