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…
SearchCIO.com’s recently published an article on ‘Six ways the CIO job description is changing‘ which focused on the top 6 new skills that CIO’s are expected. A number were unsurprising in the context of today, however, there were some which showed a change and maturing of this increasingly important role as part of an organisational…
Increasingly in relation to business models we are seeing the use of terms such as ecosystem, keystone, and networks. This is not in itself new, as we have been used to the concept of supply chains more many years and they have been used throughout history. What we are seeing increasingly, is many organisations adopting…
You would have to have been isolated in a bunker for the last few years to have missed the number of natural disasters that have happened. It can be debated whether they are becoming more frequent or more violent, however, what is indisputable is that the impact of these natural shocks is of greater significance and impact on global…
One of the keys to successful innovation is to find an unsatisfied or poorly satisfied need. Whilst we often think of innovation as being about step change, it can equally, and more often, be a small improvement that has disproportionate impact. A great example of a company that consistently achieves this is Dyson. Dyson amongst other products…
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…
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…
We are constantly reminded that we live in an increasingly connected world. If you believe the projections with regards to the number of devices connected to the internet then it will increase from just under 2bn today to over 5bn by 2014. A more than doubling in two years. In terms of business models, the…
Cash flow is the silent killer of businesses and never more so than in the current economic climate. There is rarely a week when the business pages tell of another story of a small or large business that is struggling to access suitable lines of credit. In the UK yesterday was the ‘quarter day’ when…