During the 2006 economic downturn in Puerto Rico, many jobs were lost and people left the island. Fast forward to 2017 when Hurricane Maria made the problem even worse. People left the island in masses; and many didn’t come back. It’s often said that every Puerto Rican knows someone who died and someone who left as a result of the devastation.
Just as we saw in virtually every other industry, the global pandemic forced manufacturers to reevaluate where and how work gets done, accelerating the pace of digital transformation that was already well underway. It also busted one persistent myth: work from home (WFH) is simply not an option for many manufacturing job roles.
In fact, the latest numbers show the success of WFH – a surprise to many industry leaders – has laid the groundwork for an even more interesting discussion. If workers can be distributed successfully, why not manufacturing capacity?
This article considers nine disruptive strategies of best-in-class procurement operations. These strategies are influenced by how the procurement function has evolved and how it continues to shape best-in-class procurement.
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of the global supply chain. Precisely when the capabilities of international, interconnected trade mechanisms were supposed to kick into high gear, producers found themselves desperate for supplies while store shelves lacked essential goods. The global supply chain didn’t rise to the occasion. Now, it’s important to examine why.
This year has proven complex for organizations and their supply chains as they adapt to an ever-changing landscape filled with new risks and volatilities.
Forward-thinking leaders are turning to sustainability as the solution for building long-term resiliency and ROI. The recently released EcoVadis Business Sustainability Risk & Performance Index shows there is additional work to be done in the journey toward more sustainable business.
(To read the first part of this article, click here.)
Almost a week had passed since my meeting with Jeanette and her team, and I was still reeling from the conversation. It was just so hard to comprehend how a large company can afford to alienate its supplier community. Just as I was about to hit replay on the entire situation, the phone rang.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Hey there, Dean. It’s Tino. How have you been?”
We’ve just published the latest ISG Index, which includes – for the first time – a view on the growing As-a-Service market. Whilst combined second-quarter ACV in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) market fell by 18% year-on-year to €2.2 billion, the new data reveals record growth of the As-A-Service segment, contrasting the sluggish activity in traditional sourcing.
It’s 2016 and we have digital technology at our fingertips, yet few bank accounts can be opened without printing and signing a paper form. A student can’t get their exam results until an examiner manually crosses and marks their paper. Our reliance on paper runs deep and many business workflows continue to bear the “paper weight” burden.
A lot of the talk of RPA today is about bright new names challenging the established order: plucky newcomers forcing their way past the giants of outsourcing and technology. But what do the giants themselves have to say about this? Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is one such business, and it turns out they are not sitting around waiting for their business models to be hollowed out. Live Wires met Vijay Damle, VP and Head of Business Process Services, to get the TCS perspective.
“We are nothing more than a bunch of pawns on this outsourcing checker board,” Jeanette said.
“I think you mean ‘chessboard’,” I said smiling at her.
“You know damn well what I mean, Dean. Hey, that rhymes,” Jeanette said, returning the smile.
“Sadly I do understand, and, from what you’ve described, I have to agree with you.”
Outsource: Atul, thank you very much for joining Outsource today at the SIG Summit. Can you start by introducing yourself and telling our readers a bit about NeoGroup?
