In this economy, one thing we can count on is that all organizations will be asked to do is stretch their budgets and increase productivity. And although an efficient procurement department is a net plus on the company’s bottom line, they won’t be immune from the calls to do more with less. So, how do […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
All too often, we have good intentions in life but aren’t quite sure how to put those intentions into action. The cynics among us (and are there any non-cynics left?) question whether petitions we’re asked to sign really mean what we’re told and whether or not donations end up going where they claim.
Enter the internet […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
Few would deny that spend management has taken hold and earned it’s place at the table in the C-Suite of large companies. But in the mid-market (<$2 billion in annual revenues), adoption of the principals and tools of the “big companies” has been slower to take hold. In fact, we recently conducted a survey of […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
It is curious that Microsoft President and CEO Steve Ballmer is touring the globe doing stump speeches not for Vista, but for how Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is changing the way businesses buy, use, and view enterprise applications. Even more curious are Ballmer’s predictions:
“In 10 years, we will see the desktop user experience being delivered 100% virtually […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
To paraphrase Mark Twain: rumors that CIOs are out to kill Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) have been greatly exaggerated. A feature article in latest print edition of CIO Insight magazine reports that IT execs now view SaaS as a low-risk, low-cost, and low-burden way to access best-of-breed functionality and to satisfy requirements of business line executives.
The article, […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
It’s not often that you can get some of the best-known supply management minds together. So, when the occassion arises, you have to capitalize on it. That’s just what Jason Busch and I did with the latest episode of the SupplyNow podcast series.
For this episode, we threw out the format in favor of an extended […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
It’s been a decade since MIT wonk Clayton M. Christensen coined the term “disruptive technologies” in his now legendary book The Innovator’s Dilemma. Professor Christensen defines disruptive technology as a “technological innovation, product, or service that eventually overturns the existing dominant technology or product in the market.”
In layman’s terms: every once in a while something comes […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
I get many questions about the future of enterprise applications. Will ERPs swallow the best-of-breed software providers? How will new technology approaches, such as services oriented architecture (SOA) and Software as a Service (SaaS) disrupt traditional installed software models?
I have shared my thoughts on these subjects both in private and on Supply Excellence. However, since […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
Say the word e-marketplaces to most people and you’ll get one of two reactions: involuntary wretching or, if they have a sense of humor, laughter. (As a former analyst and self-affirmed cynic, I always take pleasure in recalling Gartner’s now-infamous prediction that there would be 20,000 e-marketplaces.)
However, over on the European Leaders Network, cc-hubwoo President and CEO Alain Andreoli provides an […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence
It is no longer controversial to assert that Software as a Service (SaaS) has arrived as an acceptable, if not preferable, model for software delivery. SaaS solutions deliver software functionality, content, and services over the Internet from a single application instance that is shared among all customers. That means there is no need to install […]
Read the rest » Supply Excellence