Feb 11, 2010
Market Service: Manufacturing Operations
EH&S Content: A Foundational Component of Green Product Supply Networks
Simon Jacobson
Green supply chains are here, with product-specific environmental information transparency expected to increase dramatically in the next three years. Environment, health, and safety (EH&S) plays a crucial role in delivering key information content. Companies seeking to use environmental compliance as an embedded differentiator in their supply networks must shift from inside-out, reactive EH&S content management processes to outside-in orchestration, overcoming significant hurdles along the way.
Feb 8, 2010
Retail Strategies Service
Top Technology Trends in the Apparel Market: The Fourth Annual Apparel Research Study and Analysis
Janet Suleski, David Aquino, Lucie Draper
As economic conditions moderated in late 2009, apparel companies planned to loosen budget belts for this fiscal year-but only slightly. This Report provides insight to apparel executives about where their peers will be placing their IT bets as they look ahead to improved consumer spending patterns while still dealing with competitive, economic, and global market realities.
Sep 30, 2009
Market Service: Global Business and Outsourcing Services
Xerox-ACS: Cloud Services Potential, or Dinosaurs Huddling Together for Warmth?
Dana Stiffler
Xerox is the latest in a long line of technology manufacturers to realize that its future lies in services, not products, particularly in the B2B value chain. Its acquisition of ACS makes sense when executives talk about synergies in document management and transaction processing, but key ACS businesses like broad finance and accounting BPO will likely languish post-transaction.
Sep 14, 2009
Market Service: Global Business and Outsourcing Services
Avoid Reading at Your Own Peril: The Essential Guide To Selecting an Outsourcing Service Provider
Phil Fersht
Selecting an outsourcing partner is very different from selecting a supplier to provide a specific task or product. An outsourcing relationship is likely to span many years, with its level of success having a profound impact on your firm's operations and future performance. Choosing the right provider could be one of the most important decisions you make. In this article we highlight 10 vital considerations to help you make the right choice.
Aug 20, 2009
Market Service: Supply Management
IBM Externalizes Internal Procurement Expertise With Expanded Offering
Mickey North Rizza, Phil Fersht
IBM is now poised to capture a large share of the business process outsourcing (BPO) supply management market. The company's banking on two differentiators: its procurement and sourcing skills and the potential for companies to consolidate their spend with IBM spend, leading to greater leverage and, ultimately, savings.
Jun 10, 2009
Market Service: Global Business and Outsourcing Services
The 2009 Supply Management BPO Landscape: Short-Term Body-Shopping Trumps Business Transformation
Phil Fersht, Mickey North Rizza
Supply management business process outsourcing has been red hot in recent years. The market grew 30% in one year, driven by procurement and strategic sourcing services being offshored to India in record numbers. However, because of the short-term mentality of companies jumping into engagements for the sake of short-term cost savings, this growth is not sustainable. Many of the companies have a long road ahead if they want to follow through with process optimization and make future efficiencies.
Apr 24, 2009
Market Service: Global Business and Outsourcing Services
Moving High-Value Analytical Work Offshore: How Infosys BPO Became Integrated With Alcoa's Financial, Planning, and Analysis Activities
Phil Fersht, Barry Blake
As companies seek to outsource processes that require a certain level of customization and analytical judgment, service providers are branching out into new, higher value analytical offerings like supply chain analytics, clinical services, and front-office financial services. This is termed knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) by many in the industry as enterprises seek access to global talent in low-cost locations. One example is aluminum manufacturer Alcoa and the financial planning and analysis activities it has been sourcing to Infosys' Bangalore center.
Mar 20, 2009
Market Service: Global Business and Outsourcing Services
Be True to Your Core When You Offshore
Phil Fersht, Dana Stiffler, Kevin O'Marah
The capability to source work to locations that will provide added competitive bite to your supply chain backbone, exploit cost efficiencies, give your company access to scarce talent, provide process acumen, and leverage new technology has never been as critical to your global business infrastructure as it is in today's business environment. Smart businesses that address these sourcing opportunities are likely to emerge from this economic slump more nimble, competitive, and globally integrated.
Feb 20, 2009
Market Service: Global Business and Outsourcing Services
2009 Global Business and Outsourcing Services Market Outlook: Slowed Down but Still Strong
Phil Fersht, Dana Stiffler
The global financial crisis, combined with the ongoing war for talent, will showcase the resilience of the global IT and business services sector in 2009.
Feb 4, 2009
Market Service: Global Business and Outsourcing Services
Beating Staff Augmentation Addiction: How Moving to Service Levels Improves Business and Reduces Risk
Dana Stiffler
The majority of AMR Research clients have some experience with outsourcing and global delivery engagements, but most are still stuck in a staff augmentation mindset. Whether we're talking about project-based work or ongoing support, this practice exposes clients to attrition, reduced service quality, and higher costs.