This document discusses the increasing importance of services as a major global industry and economic driver. It examines the factors underlying the growth of services, including technological advances, knowledge dissemination through the internet, and the role of networks. The key points are:
1) Services now lie at the heart of economic activity and competition is based on the services offered, not just physical products.
2) Technological innovations like the internet have made knowledge more accessible, changing the nature of business and allowing instantaneous global services.
3) Networks of relationships and partnerships are also essential for service firms to develop the capabilities and knowledge needed to meet customer needs.
4) For service organizations to be innovative and maintain leadership, they
Dear Shareholder,
Successful companies choose what they want to do and then they
actually do it better than others. While doing so, they learn and improve.
As we close the year, we can look back and count many things that we
achieved and did well. At the same time, there is tremendous
opportunity ahead.
This past year, we at MphasiS sustained our transformation journey and
sharpened our focus in key areas. We chose our strategy and executed
to plan. While we did this, we looked at improving our profitability. The
combination of operational excellence and improved quality of revenue
helped us achieve this goal.
Our hyper-specialisation journey continues and is generating a higher
quality pipeline. The changing landscape of the services market place
offers us a unique opportunity to surge ahead in our select areas.
In line with the above direction, we are embarking on an exciting journey.
Our next phase of three years will see us drive greater differentiation through several efforts such as:
• Greater investment in Go-to-Market activity while keeping an eye on maintaining our margins. We are confident that this will translate into more investment in Sales, Solutioning and Marketing.
• Be known for having one of the best sales and customer engagement teams. To enable this, we have engaged a top notch consulting firm, which will help with the transformation.
• Achieve leadership in select areas of emerging services. We have chosen Mobility and Advanced Analytics. You will see us making investments in these two areas.
• Invest in building partnerships in chosen solution segments and be known for best-of-breed services in the solution areas. We are going to build a team that will manage this solution business with first class ‘domain experts’.
We are building an engine crucial for our success. This will result in attracting and nurturing world-class professionals.
Our fundamentals are strong and we have demonstrated our strategy in action. This journey is by no means complete. We are excited by the enthusiasm, participation and partnership of employees,customers and shareholders.
We have miles to go and I am confident that some of our efforts today will set a benchmark for the industry in the future.
Regards,
Ganesh Ayyar
CEO
Rising to the New Challenges of Transactional Services in the Public SectorCapgemini
Companies and government agencies alike are moving their activities online.
The rising curve of online service delivery adoption has raised expectations of service levels. Yet many transactions in the public sector are often still provided by systems that were not intended, designed and built to support the exponential user and data growth.
Subsequently, the rise of online service delivery not only requires new investment but also adds new risks in making these systems secure for an online world with its increasing levels of cyber crime. Both the private and the public sectors are under pressure to reduce the costs associated with delivery of transactional services.
But since our last paper on the topic was published, three significant trends have emerged:
- The increased urgency to reduce fraud and non-compliance
- The changing nature of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Shared Services strategies moving away from pure cost reduction to transformational outsourcing
- The rapid rise of Cloud technology, with dramatic changes to delivery models
Read our paper to learn more about how government can learn from the private sector in order to tackle these issues.
The document discusses the importance of standards for the service industry in the UK. It makes three key points:
1) Services now make up 75% of the UK economy and are increasingly complex, so standards are needed to help customers understand their options and make informed choices.
2) Standards benefit both customers and service providers by providing best practices, protecting customers, and allowing innovation.
3) The UK is a world leader in developing service standards, and BSI plays a key role in creating international standards based on the British model.
2008 New TD Tech, new Network and new Platform (TD-SCDMA)td.tech
July 12, 2008 - On the P&T/EXPO COMM CHINA Exhibition, TD Tech Ltd. demonstrated the new TD-SCDMA Network Solution, supported by the parent companies Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei. This is a premium class radio network solution (UMTS-TDD) for the world market, compliant with ITU and 3GPP Standards.
Based on, and including, interviews with a global panel of experts from world-leading institutions, Capitalising on the Digital Age outlines future revenue models and strategies that media and telecoms firms should consider adopting in order to prosper in a world where the value of traditional business models is slowly being eroded.
The document discusses how the IBM zEnterprise system can provide benefits for healthcare organizations by helping them improve operational effectiveness, achieve better quality and outcomes, and enable collaborative care. It highlights key capabilities of the zEnterprise system like cost savings, security, availability, efficiency and scalability. The system allows consolidation of platforms and simplification of IT infrastructure to help healthcare providers reduce complexity and costs while improving services.
Research snapshot – A corporate view of mobile strategyVanson Bourne
Eight in ten organizations have mobile strategies for their employees, while seven in ten have strategies for their customers. Medium-sized organizations are more likely than enterprise organizations to consider employees in their strategies. Manufacturing organizations are most likely to experience increased network demands from mobile use, while RD&T organizations prioritize customer-focused mobile strategies and spend more on their networks. Employees are seen as more important than customers for medium-sized organizations' mobile strategies, while enterprise organizations view both equally.
Linking quality, satisfaction and behaviour intentions in ghana’s mobile tele...Alexander Decker
This document discusses a study that examines the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in Ghana's mobile telecommunications industry. Specifically, it aims to determine how different aspects of service quality (customer relations, tangibles, image quality, and real network quality) impact customer satisfaction, and how satisfaction then impacts behavioral intentions. The study is based on a survey of 1000 mobile phone users in Ghana and uses structural equation modeling to analyze the relationships. The findings indicate that the four aspects of service quality all have a positive influence on customer satisfaction, which then positively impacts behavioral intentions. The study contributes to understanding these relationships in the context of Ghana's mobile industry.
Dear Shareholder,
Successful companies choose what they want to do and then they
actually do it better than others. While doing so, they learn and improve.
As we close the year, we can look back and count many things that we
achieved and did well. At the same time, there is tremendous
opportunity ahead.
This past year, we at MphasiS sustained our transformation journey and
sharpened our focus in key areas. We chose our strategy and executed
to plan. While we did this, we looked at improving our profitability. The
combination of operational excellence and improved quality of revenue
helped us achieve this goal.
Our hyper-specialisation journey continues and is generating a higher
quality pipeline. The changing landscape of the services market place
offers us a unique opportunity to surge ahead in our select areas.
In line with the above direction, we are embarking on an exciting journey.
Our next phase of three years will see us drive greater differentiation through several efforts such as:
• Greater investment in Go-to-Market activity while keeping an eye on maintaining our margins. We are confident that this will translate into more investment in Sales, Solutioning and Marketing.
• Be known for having one of the best sales and customer engagement teams. To enable this, we have engaged a top notch consulting firm, which will help with the transformation.
• Achieve leadership in select areas of emerging services. We have chosen Mobility and Advanced Analytics. You will see us making investments in these two areas.
• Invest in building partnerships in chosen solution segments and be known for best-of-breed services in the solution areas. We are going to build a team that will manage this solution business with first class ‘domain experts’.
We are building an engine crucial for our success. This will result in attracting and nurturing world-class professionals.
Our fundamentals are strong and we have demonstrated our strategy in action. This journey is by no means complete. We are excited by the enthusiasm, participation and partnership of employees,customers and shareholders.
We have miles to go and I am confident that some of our efforts today will set a benchmark for the industry in the future.
Regards,
Ganesh Ayyar
CEO
Rising to the New Challenges of Transactional Services in the Public SectorCapgemini
Companies and government agencies alike are moving their activities online.
The rising curve of online service delivery adoption has raised expectations of service levels. Yet many transactions in the public sector are often still provided by systems that were not intended, designed and built to support the exponential user and data growth.
Subsequently, the rise of online service delivery not only requires new investment but also adds new risks in making these systems secure for an online world with its increasing levels of cyber crime. Both the private and the public sectors are under pressure to reduce the costs associated with delivery of transactional services.
But since our last paper on the topic was published, three significant trends have emerged:
- The increased urgency to reduce fraud and non-compliance
- The changing nature of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Shared Services strategies moving away from pure cost reduction to transformational outsourcing
- The rapid rise of Cloud technology, with dramatic changes to delivery models
Read our paper to learn more about how government can learn from the private sector in order to tackle these issues.
The document discusses the importance of standards for the service industry in the UK. It makes three key points:
1) Services now make up 75% of the UK economy and are increasingly complex, so standards are needed to help customers understand their options and make informed choices.
2) Standards benefit both customers and service providers by providing best practices, protecting customers, and allowing innovation.
3) The UK is a world leader in developing service standards, and BSI plays a key role in creating international standards based on the British model.
2008 New TD Tech, new Network and new Platform (TD-SCDMA)td.tech
July 12, 2008 - On the P&T/EXPO COMM CHINA Exhibition, TD Tech Ltd. demonstrated the new TD-SCDMA Network Solution, supported by the parent companies Nokia Siemens Networks and Huawei. This is a premium class radio network solution (UMTS-TDD) for the world market, compliant with ITU and 3GPP Standards.
Based on, and including, interviews with a global panel of experts from world-leading institutions, Capitalising on the Digital Age outlines future revenue models and strategies that media and telecoms firms should consider adopting in order to prosper in a world where the value of traditional business models is slowly being eroded.
The document discusses how the IBM zEnterprise system can provide benefits for healthcare organizations by helping them improve operational effectiveness, achieve better quality and outcomes, and enable collaborative care. It highlights key capabilities of the zEnterprise system like cost savings, security, availability, efficiency and scalability. The system allows consolidation of platforms and simplification of IT infrastructure to help healthcare providers reduce complexity and costs while improving services.
Research snapshot – A corporate view of mobile strategyVanson Bourne
Eight in ten organizations have mobile strategies for their employees, while seven in ten have strategies for their customers. Medium-sized organizations are more likely than enterprise organizations to consider employees in their strategies. Manufacturing organizations are most likely to experience increased network demands from mobile use, while RD&T organizations prioritize customer-focused mobile strategies and spend more on their networks. Employees are seen as more important than customers for medium-sized organizations' mobile strategies, while enterprise organizations view both equally.
Linking quality, satisfaction and behaviour intentions in ghana’s mobile tele...Alexander Decker
This document discusses a study that examines the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in Ghana's mobile telecommunications industry. Specifically, it aims to determine how different aspects of service quality (customer relations, tangibles, image quality, and real network quality) impact customer satisfaction, and how satisfaction then impacts behavioral intentions. The study is based on a survey of 1000 mobile phone users in Ghana and uses structural equation modeling to analyze the relationships. The findings indicate that the four aspects of service quality all have a positive influence on customer satisfaction, which then positively impacts behavioral intentions. The study contributes to understanding these relationships in the context of Ghana's mobile industry.
Between Creation and Consumption: The Muddle in the MiddleOnFrame Ltd
But until recently, there’s really
only been one channel available
for delivering it: broadcast TV.
For brand marketers, that meant expensive TV ads. For media and content owners, it meant a tightly
managed channel to market controlled by a few power players. However, recent advances in consumer
devices and ubiquitous broadband have changed this. Today, there are numerous ways to get content in
front of viewers and a large number of business models to play with.
At one end, content creators have increasingly powerful and sophisticated tools at their fi ngertips and
at the other end, consumers are hungry for more and more high quality entertainment. The range of
outlets through which audiences consume content has also grown and diversifi ed with new technologies
and devices allowing them to watch and listen anytime, anywhere. This recent explosion of new channels
and business models has led to an equally dramatic infl ux of innovators, disruptors and challengers – all
competing for a fi nite resource: the time and attention of consumers.
On the surface, everything seems fi ne, however many content owners, distributors and marketers
responsible for getting their content to market are unable to make the most of what should be a golden
age. The tools and systems currently being used to manage and distribute content belong to the past.
They are expensive to run, often add unnecessary bureaucracy to everyday processes, limit commercial
and creative agility and usually rely on third parties to execute requests.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be like this. If, that is, the industry recognises that its traditional ways of
managing and distributing fi lm and TV content are no longer sustainable in today’s multi-platform world.
If content owners are to regain control of their own destiny, they need to embrace new technologies and
platforms to eliminate the friction and infl exibility imposed by the old ways of managing media. Consumers
are demanding ever more fl exibility in the ways in which they consume and control content, shifting
constantly between different screens and devices.
Managing Information Technology Servicesmichaelmadsen
1. The document discusses the increasing pressure faced by IT organizations to justify costs and demonstrate value to the business. It describes various external factors like commoditization of technology as well as internal factors driving this pressure.
2. Adopting a services approach provides a framework for IT organizations to address challenges by focusing on customer needs and satisfaction. A services model defines what the IT organization delivers and gets in return through services.
3. The benefits of a services approach include helping the IT organization communicate value, align with business needs, and identify required capabilities. It also provides a basis for comparing internal and external service providers.
The document discusses how clouds, mobility, and big data together create a revolution in business capabilities when used together. It provides a use case example of how an airport authority could use these technologies together in an "outside-in" model, rather than traditional "inside-out" IT systems, to allow real-time collaboration between different groups' employees to solve operational issues as they arise. This would allow improved efficiency and customer satisfaction over just using individual groups' internal IT systems.
Communicating knowledge within a Communication Service Provider OrganizationKevin Kempton
Peer-review research based on the CSP/ISP industry to identify the key factors in sharing knowledge within the organization after a merger. The paper navigates through the history of CSP and follows a startup with new technology (fiber) that needs to find a solution to how to disseminate and update knowledge for technical support.
Designing and delivering public services on the cloudthreesixty
This document proposes a cloud-based platform called the T-Shaped platform to help public service organizations design and deliver services in a more cost-effective way by reducing complexity. Currently, developing public services requires in-house experts across many domains and technologies, which increases costs significantly. The T-Shaped platform aims to leverage reusability of services and customization through guidelines to allow non-experts to develop services on the cloud and reduce infrastructure costs. It also describes a motivating scenario showing the high costs of traditional in-house development models for public services.
The document discusses two new programs for California manufacturers:
1) The Made in CA Program celebrates California manufacturers and has created a community from Crescent City to San Diego.
2) The National Innovation Marketplace connects manufacturers to new technology and business opportunities, helping them find new markets and products. Manufacturers can search opportunities or list their own expertise and receive email alerts.
3) CMTC and MANEX will help manufacturers set up profiles on the National Innovation Marketplace.
Choose Quality With Cost Justification Articledrottmayer
This document discusses the importance of investing in network quality for telecommunications companies expanding into Africa. It notes that while upfront costs are higher, focusing on quality will maximize return on investment through increased revenue, lower operating costs, and longer network lifespan. It provides examples of African mobile operators being fined for poor service quality and discusses the network challenges carriers face in optimizing quality across cellular, broadband, fixed line and outside plant infrastructure. The document advocates for carriers to prioritize quality over short-term cost cutting to improve customer satisfaction, reduce subscriber churn, and increase revenue potential through new subscribers and upselling of services.
This presentation covers the story that how Wateen re-brands its corporate identity and come up with new face along with some brand activation campaigns.
This KPMG report card puts the performance of BC’s technology sector squarely in front of all British Columbians. The report card clearly shows that technology is a cornerstone of the provincial economy, performing well in relation to other sectors and contributing significantly to gross domestic product (GDP) growth and job creation. However, the data also shows that compared to technology sectors in other jurisdictions in Canada we are underperforming. With some exceptions, the relatively weak competitive metrics should be taken as a wake-up call and a clear indication that building the BC technology industry will require much more collaborative thinking, strategic planning and targeted action. We need to raise our game.
Making a Pain-free Migration to Unified CommunicationsReadWrite
Every firm, company or enterprise with distributed data and voice networks is looking for ways to control costs and increase efficiency. To achieve these goals, businesses need to integrate both voice and data onto a single, converged network to reduce costs and improve productivity. A converged voice and data network is the foundation for Unified Communications (UC), which fosters productivity through mobility and collaboration. Mobile technology allows users to work smarter with simple, end-to-end solutions that combine time-saving communication tools that boost user performance, such as virtual private networks and wireless applications. UC also promotes effective collaboration by connecting people with the right resources the first time, thereby increasing productivity. This paper examines the value of UC applications, tools and technologies to provide guidance for pain-free migration to a more efficient and high-performance business environment.
The document discusses collaboration technologies and services. It defines unified communications and collaboration, and describes how collaboration will reshape markets by promoting new ways of working, moving enterprises to video, and enabling mobile workforces. The document also outlines benefits of collaboration services for customers, such as managing technology transformations, and for partners, by expanding partnership opportunities. It then provides an overview of Cisco's collaboration services portfolio and strategy.
Presentation IT MNCs and the BOP for TNO IT4D group December 2009Anand Sheombar
The document summarizes a presentation on how multinational ICT companies can benefit from entering the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) market in a commercially successful and sustainable way. It discusses 5 case studies of ICT companies partnering with local organizations to provide products and services to the BOP. The presentation analyzes the companies' business models, products/services, and partnerships. It finds that partnerships are often unconventional, and companies must understand local needs and cultures to succeed while benefiting the BOP.
Why do some firms flourish with the implementation of E-Commerce (EC) strategies while others flop? What are the critical factors that influence the successful adoption of EC? What external conditions are most conducive for a successful deployment? To find out, click our paper here.
This document discusses Wateen Telecom's expansion of its WiMAX network in Pakistan through a new deal with Motorola. Some key points:
- Wateen is doubling the capacity of its WiMAX network through a new deal with Motorola.
- Wateen launched its WiMAX service last year and offers voice and data services across 22 major Pakistani cities.
- The deal will allow Wateen to reach more customers and meet demand for WiMAX services.
- Motorola will provide new WiMAX customer premise equipment that Wateen will offer exclusively to its customers.
BOP and ICT MNCs: Base of the Pyramid approach reflected on the strategy of m...Anand Sheombar
The Base of the Pyramid (BOP) comprises the majority of the world population. However, the majority seemed to be neglected by multinational companies, until recently. Since the landmark publications of Prahalad & Hart much more attention is attributed to the BOP.
This research examines the attention some multinational ICT companies have given to the BOP so far. A case study research was conducted of 5 projects involving multinational ICT companies, which were studied as separate case studies for this thesis, all in the geographical space of Africa.
Qualitative data was collected using the multiple case study method and the data was analyzed for emerging patterns. The cases were analyzed on three main units of analysis, namely the BOP businesses model & strategy, the products & services and the partnerships needed for engaging with the BOP community.
It was found that regarding BOP businesses model & strategy an assessment of the BOP business model qualities is useful. The study revealed in all cases a hybrid view of market creation and socio-economic development by (ICT) companies engaging with the BOP, dubbed a hybrid form of BOP 1.0 & 2.0 strategies. The research also suggests that for successful BOP ventures alignment is needed between “BOP Business model & strategy”, “Partnership” and the “BOP Product & Service development”. The BOP products and services development confirmed the presence of disruptive innovation and innovation blowback. It was found that problems with partnerships revolve around six core categories namely driving force factors, skill factors, input-output factors, socio-cultural factors, systems factors, and trust factors.
This thesis research was conducted by Anand Sheombar
Chris Meyer, CEO of Monitor Networks, discusses the future of work which is influenced by four unstoppable trends: geographic and economic dislocation due to globalization and offshoring putting pressure on wages in rich countries; automation reducing jobs in manufacturing, services likely to be displaced next; longer life spans and careers requiring life-long learning as skills become obsolete faster; and collaboration technologies leading to more porous organizational boundaries and collective work. These trends suggest the need to rethink management, how and what we work on. The context of work will be radically different from the past.
This document discusses Jordan's ICT industry. It notes that Jordan has a highly educated workforce, strong infrastructure, and political stability that have supported the growth of its ICT sector. The ICT sector is a major contributor to Jordan's economy, growing at 30% annually on average. The document outlines Jordan's national ICT strategy and achievements in areas like internet penetration rates, ICT employment, and revenues. It identifies opportunities for Jordan in areas such as e-learning, business process outsourcing, accessing regional markets, and partnering with its diaspora and international agreements. The goal is to establish Jordan as a regional ICT leader and exporter.
The document provides instructions for various technical drawing exercises involving angles, bisection, straight lines, polygons, and geometric shapes. It asks the reader to define angles that can be drawn with 45 and 60 degree set squares, bisect a line segment, draw a 72 degree angle from a point on a line, draw a composition showing how a straight line can create a sense of volume, identify paintings by Josef Albers and Richard Anuszkiewicz involving geometric shapes, name and define types of quadrilaterals and important lines of triangles, draw various triangles and quadrilaterals to specifications, identify a painting by Antoni Tapies using polygonal shapes, name a Basque sculptor known for polygonal shapes,
Between Creation and Consumption: The Muddle in the MiddleOnFrame Ltd
But until recently, there’s really
only been one channel available
for delivering it: broadcast TV.
For brand marketers, that meant expensive TV ads. For media and content owners, it meant a tightly
managed channel to market controlled by a few power players. However, recent advances in consumer
devices and ubiquitous broadband have changed this. Today, there are numerous ways to get content in
front of viewers and a large number of business models to play with.
At one end, content creators have increasingly powerful and sophisticated tools at their fi ngertips and
at the other end, consumers are hungry for more and more high quality entertainment. The range of
outlets through which audiences consume content has also grown and diversifi ed with new technologies
and devices allowing them to watch and listen anytime, anywhere. This recent explosion of new channels
and business models has led to an equally dramatic infl ux of innovators, disruptors and challengers – all
competing for a fi nite resource: the time and attention of consumers.
On the surface, everything seems fi ne, however many content owners, distributors and marketers
responsible for getting their content to market are unable to make the most of what should be a golden
age. The tools and systems currently being used to manage and distribute content belong to the past.
They are expensive to run, often add unnecessary bureaucracy to everyday processes, limit commercial
and creative agility and usually rely on third parties to execute requests.
Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be like this. If, that is, the industry recognises that its traditional ways of
managing and distributing fi lm and TV content are no longer sustainable in today’s multi-platform world.
If content owners are to regain control of their own destiny, they need to embrace new technologies and
platforms to eliminate the friction and infl exibility imposed by the old ways of managing media. Consumers
are demanding ever more fl exibility in the ways in which they consume and control content, shifting
constantly between different screens and devices.
Managing Information Technology Servicesmichaelmadsen
1. The document discusses the increasing pressure faced by IT organizations to justify costs and demonstrate value to the business. It describes various external factors like commoditization of technology as well as internal factors driving this pressure.
2. Adopting a services approach provides a framework for IT organizations to address challenges by focusing on customer needs and satisfaction. A services model defines what the IT organization delivers and gets in return through services.
3. The benefits of a services approach include helping the IT organization communicate value, align with business needs, and identify required capabilities. It also provides a basis for comparing internal and external service providers.
The document discusses how clouds, mobility, and big data together create a revolution in business capabilities when used together. It provides a use case example of how an airport authority could use these technologies together in an "outside-in" model, rather than traditional "inside-out" IT systems, to allow real-time collaboration between different groups' employees to solve operational issues as they arise. This would allow improved efficiency and customer satisfaction over just using individual groups' internal IT systems.
Communicating knowledge within a Communication Service Provider OrganizationKevin Kempton
Peer-review research based on the CSP/ISP industry to identify the key factors in sharing knowledge within the organization after a merger. The paper navigates through the history of CSP and follows a startup with new technology (fiber) that needs to find a solution to how to disseminate and update knowledge for technical support.
Designing and delivering public services on the cloudthreesixty
This document proposes a cloud-based platform called the T-Shaped platform to help public service organizations design and deliver services in a more cost-effective way by reducing complexity. Currently, developing public services requires in-house experts across many domains and technologies, which increases costs significantly. The T-Shaped platform aims to leverage reusability of services and customization through guidelines to allow non-experts to develop services on the cloud and reduce infrastructure costs. It also describes a motivating scenario showing the high costs of traditional in-house development models for public services.
The document discusses two new programs for California manufacturers:
1) The Made in CA Program celebrates California manufacturers and has created a community from Crescent City to San Diego.
2) The National Innovation Marketplace connects manufacturers to new technology and business opportunities, helping them find new markets and products. Manufacturers can search opportunities or list their own expertise and receive email alerts.
3) CMTC and MANEX will help manufacturers set up profiles on the National Innovation Marketplace.
Choose Quality With Cost Justification Articledrottmayer
This document discusses the importance of investing in network quality for telecommunications companies expanding into Africa. It notes that while upfront costs are higher, focusing on quality will maximize return on investment through increased revenue, lower operating costs, and longer network lifespan. It provides examples of African mobile operators being fined for poor service quality and discusses the network challenges carriers face in optimizing quality across cellular, broadband, fixed line and outside plant infrastructure. The document advocates for carriers to prioritize quality over short-term cost cutting to improve customer satisfaction, reduce subscriber churn, and increase revenue potential through new subscribers and upselling of services.
This presentation covers the story that how Wateen re-brands its corporate identity and come up with new face along with some brand activation campaigns.
This KPMG report card puts the performance of BC’s technology sector squarely in front of all British Columbians. The report card clearly shows that technology is a cornerstone of the provincial economy, performing well in relation to other sectors and contributing significantly to gross domestic product (GDP) growth and job creation. However, the data also shows that compared to technology sectors in other jurisdictions in Canada we are underperforming. With some exceptions, the relatively weak competitive metrics should be taken as a wake-up call and a clear indication that building the BC technology industry will require much more collaborative thinking, strategic planning and targeted action. We need to raise our game.
Making a Pain-free Migration to Unified CommunicationsReadWrite
Every firm, company or enterprise with distributed data and voice networks is looking for ways to control costs and increase efficiency. To achieve these goals, businesses need to integrate both voice and data onto a single, converged network to reduce costs and improve productivity. A converged voice and data network is the foundation for Unified Communications (UC), which fosters productivity through mobility and collaboration. Mobile technology allows users to work smarter with simple, end-to-end solutions that combine time-saving communication tools that boost user performance, such as virtual private networks and wireless applications. UC also promotes effective collaboration by connecting people with the right resources the first time, thereby increasing productivity. This paper examines the value of UC applications, tools and technologies to provide guidance for pain-free migration to a more efficient and high-performance business environment.
The document discusses collaboration technologies and services. It defines unified communications and collaboration, and describes how collaboration will reshape markets by promoting new ways of working, moving enterprises to video, and enabling mobile workforces. The document also outlines benefits of collaboration services for customers, such as managing technology transformations, and for partners, by expanding partnership opportunities. It then provides an overview of Cisco's collaboration services portfolio and strategy.
Presentation IT MNCs and the BOP for TNO IT4D group December 2009Anand Sheombar
The document summarizes a presentation on how multinational ICT companies can benefit from entering the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) market in a commercially successful and sustainable way. It discusses 5 case studies of ICT companies partnering with local organizations to provide products and services to the BOP. The presentation analyzes the companies' business models, products/services, and partnerships. It finds that partnerships are often unconventional, and companies must understand local needs and cultures to succeed while benefiting the BOP.
Why do some firms flourish with the implementation of E-Commerce (EC) strategies while others flop? What are the critical factors that influence the successful adoption of EC? What external conditions are most conducive for a successful deployment? To find out, click our paper here.
This document discusses Wateen Telecom's expansion of its WiMAX network in Pakistan through a new deal with Motorola. Some key points:
- Wateen is doubling the capacity of its WiMAX network through a new deal with Motorola.
- Wateen launched its WiMAX service last year and offers voice and data services across 22 major Pakistani cities.
- The deal will allow Wateen to reach more customers and meet demand for WiMAX services.
- Motorola will provide new WiMAX customer premise equipment that Wateen will offer exclusively to its customers.
BOP and ICT MNCs: Base of the Pyramid approach reflected on the strategy of m...Anand Sheombar
The Base of the Pyramid (BOP) comprises the majority of the world population. However, the majority seemed to be neglected by multinational companies, until recently. Since the landmark publications of Prahalad & Hart much more attention is attributed to the BOP.
This research examines the attention some multinational ICT companies have given to the BOP so far. A case study research was conducted of 5 projects involving multinational ICT companies, which were studied as separate case studies for this thesis, all in the geographical space of Africa.
Qualitative data was collected using the multiple case study method and the data was analyzed for emerging patterns. The cases were analyzed on three main units of analysis, namely the BOP businesses model & strategy, the products & services and the partnerships needed for engaging with the BOP community.
It was found that regarding BOP businesses model & strategy an assessment of the BOP business model qualities is useful. The study revealed in all cases a hybrid view of market creation and socio-economic development by (ICT) companies engaging with the BOP, dubbed a hybrid form of BOP 1.0 & 2.0 strategies. The research also suggests that for successful BOP ventures alignment is needed between “BOP Business model & strategy”, “Partnership” and the “BOP Product & Service development”. The BOP products and services development confirmed the presence of disruptive innovation and innovation blowback. It was found that problems with partnerships revolve around six core categories namely driving force factors, skill factors, input-output factors, socio-cultural factors, systems factors, and trust factors.
This thesis research was conducted by Anand Sheombar
Chris Meyer, CEO of Monitor Networks, discusses the future of work which is influenced by four unstoppable trends: geographic and economic dislocation due to globalization and offshoring putting pressure on wages in rich countries; automation reducing jobs in manufacturing, services likely to be displaced next; longer life spans and careers requiring life-long learning as skills become obsolete faster; and collaboration technologies leading to more porous organizational boundaries and collective work. These trends suggest the need to rethink management, how and what we work on. The context of work will be radically different from the past.
This document discusses Jordan's ICT industry. It notes that Jordan has a highly educated workforce, strong infrastructure, and political stability that have supported the growth of its ICT sector. The ICT sector is a major contributor to Jordan's economy, growing at 30% annually on average. The document outlines Jordan's national ICT strategy and achievements in areas like internet penetration rates, ICT employment, and revenues. It identifies opportunities for Jordan in areas such as e-learning, business process outsourcing, accessing regional markets, and partnering with its diaspora and international agreements. The goal is to establish Jordan as a regional ICT leader and exporter.
The document provides instructions for various technical drawing exercises involving angles, bisection, straight lines, polygons, and geometric shapes. It asks the reader to define angles that can be drawn with 45 and 60 degree set squares, bisect a line segment, draw a 72 degree angle from a point on a line, draw a composition showing how a straight line can create a sense of volume, identify paintings by Josef Albers and Richard Anuszkiewicz involving geometric shapes, name and define types of quadrilaterals and important lines of triangles, draw various triangles and quadrilaterals to specifications, identify a painting by Antoni Tapies using polygonal shapes, name a Basque sculptor known for polygonal shapes,
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against mental illness and improve symptoms for those who already suffer from conditions like anxiety and depression.
The Washington Redskins were once a highly successful franchise but have struggled in recent years. Their record and performance indicate they have become a low performing team. Issues include an unclear organizational structure, poor leadership, lack of trust and commitment among players, and poor team processes like communication. Recommendations are made to improve the organizational structure, implement new coaching philosophies, define appropriate management roles, and enhance team processes.
The document outlines four SEO package types - basic, intermediate, professional, and express. The basic package costs $50 per month and includes 45 hours of work focusing on website, keyword, and competitive analysis as well as on-page optimization. The intermediate package costs $100 per month and includes 60 hours of work with expanded analysis and on-page/off-page optimization. The professional package costs $150 per month and includes 90 hours of work providing more extensive optimization, link building, and social media marketing services. The express package costs $200 per month and allocates 120 hours of work to provide the fullest range of SEO and marketing activities.
The Information Agenda Guide for CSPs - Transform your business through information and analytics. The elements of an effective Information Agenda plan for communications service providers to help ensure the right information is delivered to the right people at the right time.
The Technology Enablers Initiative of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) provides a platform for different industry sectors to explore opportunities for leveraging the power of technology, in particular information and communication technologies (ICTs), to enable and scale the business contribution to development. This presentation provides a brief overview on the initiative.
This document discusses the expanding role of service management in driving business innovation. Service management is taking on a greater role by encompassing the full service lifecycle, including IT operations, development, and understanding business requirements. Effective governance and an integrated service management framework can help ensure IT decisions are aligned with business objectives and deliver maximum value. This allows IT to better focus on creating value through new projects and services, while managing value through efficient and cost-effective operations.
1) Enterprises are at an inflection point with the rise of mobility and BYOD, but managing mobility in-house presents many complexities and difficulties.
2) Finding the right mobility partner is important to help enterprises navigate these challenges. Look for a comprehensive partner that can offer flexible, scalable solutions and act as an agent for business transformation.
3) Toyota Australia worked with UXC Connect to implement a successful enterprise mobility managed services program that provided a stable platform for innovation while avoiding overburdening their IT department.
Doing Business as Unusual - We have entered an age of ‘business as unusual’. This is an age where business environments
are less predictable, controllable and certain; where strategies become more organic, less linear,
chaotic and emergent; where customer behaviour is social, connected and viral. This is both an
exciting and a scary time because the fundamentals of business as usual are being challenged.
Businesses are generally built to last rather than to change. The result is that we tend to use
new technologies to reinforce old ways of doing things.
The document outlines the need for economic transformation in the UK through investment in next generation infrastructure, innovation, and small businesses. It argues that the UK is currently missing out on growth opportunities due to a lack of data center infrastructure, weak collaboration models that inhibit innovation, and an insufficient funding model that does not scale. It proposes addressing these issues by creating an environment and policy framework to support the development of next generation data centers in the UK, innovation clusters to drive collaboration, and improved access to funding for SMEs and startups to regenerate the economy and drive sustainable future growth.
Capgemini implements new mobile banking service concepts to provide innovative services and increase revenues for financial clients. A new era of mobile banking has emerged with smart phones allowing location-based services, touch interfaces, and increased mobile internet access. Banks face challenges keeping up with technology changes and applying innovations individuals already use. Capgemini's Direct Banking Service Concept provides on-demand access to IT resources and services to help banks more quickly develop and deploy new mobile banking applications and experiences that meet evolving customer demands.
Four technology super trends and their impact on banking: digital society, big data, everithing joins up, integrity and security.
Customer: convinience, safety, personalization
Services have rapidly become a central topic of both concern and interest in research and business. Both the public and the private sector are facing increasing demand, cost, and quality challenges in their attempts to deliver services effectively and efficiently. The changing structure of the population, growing competition and mobility through globalisation, and new opportunities for services’ digitalisation are among the factors forcing us to re-knit the web of services needed for enabling a sustainable operation environment for companies, providing citizens with adequate conditions for good quality of life, and protecting our environment from overload caused by human activity.
This collection of highlights of VTT’s service research illustrates the versatility of service research. Service research has become a theme under which synthesis of traditionally separate research domains thrives. These range from industrial manufacturing to safety and security, from information and communication technologies to the building sector, and from media studies to public-sector innovations. Service research brings researchers from many disciplines together to discuss innovation, design, development, and adoption of services in diverse domains, enabled by emerging technological breakthroughs.
Accenture Communications Research Pts Digital Lifestyle To Digital Lifeblood[1]khogan25
Communications & High Tech
As technology becomes more integral to consumers' lives, they increasingly need technology to work well and reliably. Providing technology services that meet consumers' needs represents a major market opportunity. However, it also poses challenges due to the complex technology landscape and high expectations of users. Key considerations for providers include viewing this as supporting a changing ecosystem, specializing services for specific customer segments, ensuring convenience for users, and providing consistent, high-quality support through an industrial-strength solution.
Discute as facilidades que uma ferramenta como portal corporativo pode oferecer a uma organização, apresenta os critérios de avaliação, infra-estrutura de tecnologia de informação, e o posicionamento, visão e impacto do portal na corporação.
www.terraforum.com.br
Customer centric digital platform for utilities: Process to valueCapgemini
New digital technologies like smart metering and smart
homes, together with the rise of mobile connectivity and
social media, are playing a major role in transforming
how utilities and customers interact
The document discusses the ecosystem for data services in India. It notes that the ecosystem is more complex than for voice services, as it involves content owners, mobile application developers, and content aggregators in addition to service providers, technology providers, and handset manufacturers. The focus in data services is more on subscribers and providing them with enriching content and experiences, unlike voice where the focus is more on infrastructure. Successful portals that list mobile applications can benefit handset manufacturers, service providers, and developers by increasing revenue share and stickiness to their platforms.
Globalization intensified competition in most industries. This came at a time when firms competing in mature markets were experiencing increased difficulty to grow revenues in their home markets. As a result, firms were forced to focus on cost reduction as a means to increase shareholder value. Firms also felt an increased dependence on suppliers for value creation.
An exploration into service design strategy within automotive retailing.Ayman Sarhan
This document discusses service design within the automotive retailing industry. It describes how service design can be viewed as a system of thoughtful customer interactions. The document then discusses a case study of OpenRoad Auto Group, where service design was used to shift power to customers and create a more comfortable dealership experience. This included innovative merchandising displays, internet kiosks, a lounge area, and relocating customers during service. The service design strategies contributed to a 28% increase in OpenRoad's sales within one year.
The telecom industry faces significant challenges including decreasing revenues and EBITDA. CEO strategies show similarities around data monetization, partnerships, and vertical expansion. However, operators are constrained by their ability to invest and monetize networks. This has led to a fragmented value chain and the need to rethink business models through options like diversification, changing business models, cost cutting, consolidation, or shareholders stepping down. The online media industry winners have leveraged search, social networks, hardware/software integration, while losers faced challenges in business models and product dependence.
Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions can turn unstructured data into usable information through an open and flexible system. This allows organizations to be more productive, efficient and agile. ECM combines traditional collaboration tools with content management and social networking to create powerful new business processes. When implemented effectively with changes to work culture, ECM increases efficiency, fosters innovation, and drives growth.
The document discusses business network transformation driven by globalization and new communication technologies. It describes how industries have moved from vertically integrated enterprises to disaggregated business networks of specialized companies collaborating to deliver solutions. These business networks evolve from collaborative models in emerging markets to more coordinated and transaction-based models in scaling, mature markets. Coordinated networks face pressures from large "concentrator" companies seeking to dictate terms and commoditize other members. Overall members must adapt their roles to access more lucrative opportunities.
This document summarizes IBM's perspective on cloud computing in 2011 and beyond. It discusses how cloud computing leverages existing technologies like virtualization, automation, and standardization to provide benefits like low costs, flexibility, simplicity, and rapid provisioning. IBM positions itself as focusing on enterprise clients and industries, with cloud services that are optimized, integrated, and managed. Examples are given of how governments and educational institutions are using the cloud to increase efficiency, collaboration, and access to resources.
1. The service imperative
Innovation as the core The increasing importance and growth of
competency of a service services as a major global industry Shugan,
organisation: the role of 1994) have been of interest to academics and
practitioners alike. There is a consensus that
technology, knowledge economic growth, a higher disposable income
and networks and technological advances have contributed
to the rapid growth of service-sector
enterprises Mattsson, 1995; Patterson,
Jay Kandampully 1995), and have substantially increased their
The author economic importance. According to
Gronroos 2000), today firms compete on the
¨
Jay Kandampully is Associate Professor at the UQ Business
basis of services, and not on the basis of
School, The University of Queensland, Ipswich, Australia.
physical products. The competitive advantage
of services has become increasingly evident, as
Keywords there is little to differentiate competing
Service, Core competences, Innovation, Networks products from the customer’ s perspective.
For example, to a customer, there is no
Abstract apparent difference between a Sony television
and a JVC television; it is the service offered
Services lie at the very hub of the economic activity of all
by the retail store that manifests true value.
societies, and interlink closely with all other sectors of the
The global dissemination of knowledge
economy. The exponential growth of services
through information technology IT) has
internationally has not only intensified competition, but has
limited benefit with regard to product
also simultaneously posed a challenge and an opportunity
differentiation. Advances in IT have reduced
for the managers of services. This study examines the
the life-cycle of products and, in addition,
factors underlying the growth of services, and emerging
have revolutionised the way in which business
views on what constitutes a ’’resource’’ for service
is conducted in the new economy. Billions of
organisations. To this end, the roles of technology,
people worldwide are currently connected to
knowledge and networks are examined as interdependen t
the Internet, and exponential growth in this
factors. It is argued here that today’s ’’resources’’ are the
international network means that millions
culmination of various advances in knowledge. Technology
facilitates the maintenanc e of networks with customers
more are being connected annually. The
and partners inside and outside the firm. The network of
Internet enables customers to engage in a
relationships renders the firm’s capabilities ’’amorphous’’ in
higher degree of self-service Hallowell,
nature. This study suggests that this amorphous knowledge
2001). Moreover, the nature of business
represent s the true ’’resource’’ in a service firm, and
today demands that firms interact with their
ultimately provides the creative potential for ’’innovation’’ ± customers and business partners using
the so-called ’’core competency’’. However, innovation per technology to provide services
se does not benefit the firm unless it manifests superior instantaneously across international borders.
value in the customer-driven marketplace. Moreover, this Essentially therefore, service encounters relate
study argues that service innovation results only when a to ’’ high-touch’’ traditional face-to-face
firm is able to focus its entire energies to think on behalf of interaction) and ’’ high-tech’’ those
the customer. encounters that take place over a long
distance via a technology interface). Thus
advances in technology have meant that the
Electronic access
provision of services has become the business
The research register for this journal is available at imperative in today’ s competitive
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisters marketplace.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is Moreover, services have become the
available at uncompromisable core component of
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/1460-1060.htm business and, from a management
perspective, they have evolved to assume a
European Journal of Innovation Management
strategic function. A firm’ s service function
Volume 5 . Number 1 . 2002 . pp. 18±26
# MCB UP Limited . ISSN 1460-1060 concerns and interacts with almost every
DOI 10.1108/14601060210415144 activity or component of the firm. These
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2. Innovation as the core competency of a service organisation European Journal of Innovation Management
Jay Kandampully Volume 5 . Number 1 . 2002 . 18±26
include people, process, or physical evidence ultimately improve its efficiency and
both tangible and intangible evidence effectiveness.
representative of the firm from the customer’ s Hence, it can be argued that the value of a
perspective); internal and external customers; resource is dependent on present information
and the various networks, alliances and or knowledge. The important words here are
partners. External relationship networks have ’’ present knowledge’’ , as new knowledge has
become an essential prerequisite if a firm is to the ability to transform anything in this world
achieve the capabilities and knowledge including humans) into a resource. This also
required to serve the holistic needs of implies that resources deemed valuable today
customers. might have limited value tomorrow if new
Service leaders successfully introduce knowledge develops a superior substitute. In
products and services to the market far in the past, Ohmae 1989, p. 153) points out,
advance of customer expectation. Moreover, there were gross inefficiencies some
in the customer’ s mind, a firm maintains its purposeful, some not in the flow of
market leadership position by continuing to information around the world. For example,
operate at the cutting-edge and by extending although the Chinese developed the
conventional parameters. Service firms today knowledge of looming in the thirteenth
are expected to delight customers with their century, it was the British who built that
creativity and innovation. Thus, in knowledge into a commercial business in the
operational terms, innovation can be eighteenth century. However, with the
translated as a firm’ s foresight to ’’ think for increase in knowledge, its global
the customer’’ by creating services that dissemination through networks and
’’ drive’’ the marketplace offer superior value non-restrictive media such as the Internet),
to the customer). The ongoing dominance of and its creative adaptation, many existing
services in the developed and developing resources will diminish in value. For example,
economies around the world has raised a the value of natural rubber decreased in the
challenging question for service enterprises world market following the invention of
as to what constitutes ’’ resource’’ . This is a synthetic rubber made from crude oil.
fundamental issue, which will invariably affect Similarly, the production of semi-conductors
strategic decisions and subsequent high knowledge component product) was
management activities in service previously the economic strength of
organisations. computing science in Taiwan and Korea.
Today semi-conductors represent just
another mass-production item.
’’Resource’’ in the new millennium Moreover, in this age of technology, Porter
1985, p. 166) argues that a firm is actually a
The study of resources has been a focus of collection of technologies, and it is the
interest to economists for many years. A technologies embodied in a firm’ s knowledge,
firm’ s or a nation’ s resources have manifested as product or service, that proffer
consistently been recognised as important, a potential competitive advantage. It is
and many studies have been conducted to therefore the knowledge that has the potential
determine ways of rendering them more to add value to the offer of a product or
effective Andrews, 1971). However, the service by a firm. The true focus has thus
conceptual definition as to what constitutes a shifted from natural resources physical) to
firm’ s or a country’ s ’’ resources’’ has changed knowledge resources mental). There are
dramatically with the advent of technology. numerous factors that have contributed to
Today it incorporates a spectrum of this paradigm shift, one of the most important
components never previously considered in of which is IT. The advent of computers in
economic or management theory Pilzer, the workplace dates back to the early 1950s.
1990). Moreover, Barney 1991, p. 101) However, because computers were
expands the common notion of a firm’ s predominantly utilised to hasten paper-based
resources to encompass ’’ all assets, processing, they failed to effect any
capabilities, organisational processes, firm fundamental changes in the business process.
attributes, information, knowledge, etc.’’ , and It was not until the 1990s with the coming
indicates how such resources enable the firm together of low-cost computers and IT in the
to conceive of, and implement, strategies that form of a universally accessible phenomenon
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3. Innovation as the core competency of a service organisation European Journal of Innovation Management
Jay Kandampully Volume 5 . Number 1 . 2002 . 18±26
Internet) that computers had a example, the automobile industry. Fifteen
transforming impact Mendelowitz, 1999). years ago, we were able to attend to minor
It is, indeed, the advance of technology engine problems in our cars: adjusting the
through mechanisation and mass production carburettor, for example. Today’ s technology
that has given rise to the economic prosperity has replaced carburettors with fuel-injectors,
of Western countries following the and we are obliged to take our cars to
technological revolution in industry in the mechanics for tuning we no longer have a
early part of the twentieth century. In choice. Similarly, when we buy a washing-
economic terms, technology directly cuts machine or dishwasher, our concerns now
costs; more importantly, however, its most extend to the various support services
radical impact has been on conceptual provided by the seller in the event of
thinking, in terms of the designation of something going wrong. The service
’’ resources’’ by a firm or country. This can be component not only has become an integral
likened to the hunter-gatherers of the past, for part of most manufactured products but also
whom land did not manifest itself as a has become the source of sustainable and
resource until the human mind developed the strategic competitive advantage Gronroos,
¨
methods and the know-how technology) of 2000, p. 6). In this hyper-competitive
farming Pilzer, 1990). environment, it is imperative that firms
The creative utilisation of distance and understand the values that customers
time, referred to as the ’’ death of distance’’ attribute to the service package a combined
through the impact of technology, possibly product and service offering Kandampully
constitutes the single most-important and Duddy, 1999a, p. 54).
economic force that will shape society and the Technology has similarly augmented the
service industry in the first half of this century knowledge required in almost every type of
The Economist, 1995). Services today are all- labour in industry. Knowledge through
pervasive, and we are dependent on those training has become a prerequisite for
services to maintain our lives. For example, success in the job market. For example,
services such as: telephone, television, radio, secretaries who were once required to type
taxi, bus, electricity, water, sewerage, and answer the telephone are now expected to
security, restaurant, library, gym, bank, demonstrate equal proficiency in various
grocer, post, hairdressing, health care, and so computer programs, and to possess the
on, are required by almost every citizen. In aptitude to learn new programs when these
fact, technology and its capacity to affect are introduced. Moreover, the increasing use
every aspect of our lives have always been and incessant update) of technology in
major determinants of human progress almost every field has added a knowledge
Pilzer, 1990). component to every manual job, and has
It is proposed here that, on a macro level, required firms to seek employees who are
the ’’ resources’’ of the service organisation can willing and able to update their knowledge on
be attributed to three interrelated factors of an ongoing basis. In addition, technology
modern business, namely: technology, displaces low-skilled labour from the
knowledge, and networks. The following traditional workplace and offers new
sections will discuss these three factors opportunities for skilled labour with higher
individually and will examine how they levels of knowledge. Within this new
contribute to ’’ service innovation’’ the core technology paradigm, experience is of limited
competency of any firm. value because new knowledge is essential to
make oneself productive with the adoption of
new technology. Thus, knowledge and the
Impact of technology on services increasing service component have significant
implications for both the labour market in
Advances in technology have directly terms of ongoing learning) and for the
influenced the growth and importance of industry in terms of continuous upskilling).
services, in terms of independent service- In the past, labour represented, and was
offerings, and as components of product and considered by management to be, the
service packages. Service has become a inevitable cost incurred in the production of
business essential in manufacturing Zeithaml goods and services. However, under the
and Bitner, 1996, p. 10). Consider, for present extended definition of ’’ resources’’ ,
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labour is valued not in terms of physical As the foundation of economies shifts from
assistance, but in terms of mental natural resources to intellectual assets,
contribution. The labour within an managers will be compelled to examine not
organisation or country is no longer a only the knowledge underlying their
designated cost but a valuable resource. The organisation’ s success and competitive
true economic value of a person is primarily advantage but also, more importantly, the
attributed to his or her knowledge and management of this knowledge Hansen et al.,
creative skills. This view is highlighted by 1999). Moreover, in an age in which business
Moody 1991) in the New York Times operates within networks and alliances,
Magazine with his assertion that ’’ Microsoft’ s international boundaries pose no real
only factory asset is the human imagination’’ . limitation.
Hamel and Prahalad 1989, p. 67) suggest Historically, many countries and industries
that managers nurture and develop prohibited the emigration of skilled workers
competitive intelligence at every level of the for example, carpet-weavers in Persia, paper
organisation in order to build the firm’ s and pottery craftsmen in China, silk-weavers
competitive advantage. A similar view is held in India). In those days, a worker’ s skill in a
by SONY’ s chairman, Morita 1988), who particular trade or craft represented specialist
indicated that it is not the manual labour of knowledge, capability and competence.
employees that allows a company to dominate Today, however, even if a particular worker’ s
the global market, but the contributions of the knowledge is deemed valuable to the
employees’ minds. company, it is seldom accorded the status
More recently, it has been recognised that accorded to a physical asset in the firm’ s book
the contribution of the human mind of accounts. Moreover, in the present ever-
knowledge) will play a major role in changing world of global business,
tomorrow’ s service industries Peters, 1994). technology, competence, and capability, each,
Indeed, talent-based enterprises have become in its own way, is a manifestation of a firm’ s
commonplace in the innovative world of knowledge assets operating at different levels
business. Business success will depend on an of the organisation Boisot, 1998, p. 4).
organisation’ s ability to imagine and/or create According to Drucker 1993, p. 38),
a need Pilzer, 1990). Thus, it can be argued knowledge represents a key personal and
that innovation in services reflects the primary economic resource. He argues that
creativity of the human mind knowledge). It traditional factors of production such as
is, indeed, progress into the unknown land, labour and capital have become
through new knowledge that will enable an secondary. He asserts that ’’ knowledge is the
organisation to attain wealth and the all- only meaningful resource today’’ . Hence, a
important competitive advantage Kelley, worker with knowledge commands a leading
1997). It is the people within a service role and status, as his or her knowledge
organisation that create and innovate an represents the firm’ s single greatest asset.
organisation’ s service offer. According to Moreover, the aptitude of the worker and the
Peters and Austin 1994, p. 98), irrespective firm to seek new and up-to-date knowledge
of where technology leads, service the concept of the ’’ learning organisation’’ ) is
differentiation comes from people and their the only means of sustaining the value of the
contribution to the infinite field of knowledge. firm’ s knowledge resource. However, this new
primacy of knowledge requires managers to
rethink the fundamental practices of
Contribution of knowledge management. Webber 1993) asserts that
managers not only must invest in the
Developing, using and leveraging knowledge necessary information tools to support and
are essential for all organisations and/or enhance the productivity of the knowledge
countries to sustain economic progress. workers), but also need to nurture a
’’ Knowledge is indisputably the primary basis partnering relationship with them. In essence,
for value-added in today’ s companies’’ , claims a firm’ s strategy for knowledge management
management consultant Peters 1994). It has should reflect its competitive strategy
become an accepted fact that, in the new Hansen et al., 1999). In this competitive
millennium, we will encounter advances in environment, knowledge is progressively
technology-information-knowledge services. being perceived as the core driver of
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competitiveness; more importantly, benefit of the customer by creating strategic
knowledge extends beyond individuals, alliances both horizontally and vertically
groups, or corporations to mutually internal and external relationships) with
supporting groups Gummesson, 1999, individuals and firms Peppers and Rogers,
p. 132). It is this extended network of 1997).
relationships that, Gummesson argues, will Horizontal strategy, according to Porter
reap the creative potential of knowledge. 1985, p. 319), is the essence of corporate
Products and services offered in the strategy as it seeks to gain competitive
marketplace today have become increasingly advantage by creating links among distinct
complex, with most organisations offering not but interrelated businesses. It is suggested
one product or service, but a collection of here that the core competency of the firm as
products and services Albrecht and Zemke, valued by the customer) is creatively
1985). Hence, most companies are nothing developed by the firm’ s ability to nurture
but a ’’ chain of services’’ Quinn et al., 1990). enduring relationships with various parties
It is the firm’ s service package that augments inside and outside the organisation. The
the value of both product and service offerings collective competency of the firm is thus
Chase and Garvin, 1990). Moreover, it is the derived from the various networks of
specific configuration of the different stakeholders of the firm for example:
components in the firm’ s service package customer, employee, retailer, supplier, and
competence) that communicates added shareholder see Figure 1, Kandampully and
value to the customer. Management literature Duddy, 1999b). Although various other
attributes a firm’ s competitive advantage to stakeholders can be included in the network,
the firm’ s capabilities or core competencies the above five stakeholders partners)
Prahalad and Hamel, 1990; Stalk et al., constitute those participants that are essential
1992; Teece and Piscano, 1994). A firm’ s to a service firm’ s basic operation. Through
core competency is dependent on its capacity network partners, the firm essentially aims to
to combine core skills creatively Prahalad, enhance the value of its offerings to the
1993), from both within and outside the benefit of customer, firm and stakeholder
organisation. However, ’’ what matters is the simultaneously.
creative bundling’’ of a firm’ s core Developed as networks, the various
competency Prahalad, 1993) and, thus, the relationships that the firm nurtures and
need for a focus on the factors that signal maintains frequently constitute the life source
value to the customer. for many leading-edge firms Kandampully
and Duddy, 1999a); indeed, most large and
small projects invariably involve numerous
Contribution of networks of alliances and partners. This is particularly
relationships
Figure 1 Service relationships
In this competitive global market, customer
focus requires a firm to gain a comprehensive
understanding of the buyer’ s entire value
chain holistic needs), not only as it is of
today, but also as it will evolve over time
Slater and Narver, 1994, p. 22). Moreover,
in most cases, customers’ holistic
requirements frequently extend beyond that
capable of being effectively fulfilled by a single
firm’ s product or service Kandampully and
Duddy, 1999b). Thus, firms which
understand customers’ holistic needs will be
able to mix and match various products and
services commensurate with customers’
specific needs. If customers require products
or services that are not within the realm of a
firm’ s core competency, the firm should find
ways to procure those competencies for the
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6. Innovation as the core competency of a service organisation European Journal of Innovation Management
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pertinent to services, as networks are endemic Figure 2 Core competency in services
to most service businesses Heskett et al.,
1990, p. 160). The competitive advantage of
Federal Express over its competition was
attributed to advanced technology networks
that offered customers the means of
’’ tracking’’ their package during transit.
Today’ s service organisations traverse
conventional boundaries. Firms that seek
assistance and enter into alliances with
various individuals and suppliers do so, not as
a cost-saving exercise, but to seek out
specialist know-how to extend their core
competency. In modern business, the term
’’ out-sourcing’’ has been accorded a new
meaning and has subsequently been replaced
with ’’ out-partnering’’ Peters, 1994).
The experts inside and outside the firm can
therefore essentially be deemed the firm’ s
’’ competency-contributing partners’’ , because
it is with their assistance that the design and
delivery of the service are realised. Most
often, the experts inside and outside the firm
undertake projects that require them to work firms such as General Electric and British
in very close relationships. It is technology Airways set up their call centres in India to
that renders it possible for these amorphous handle a daily barrage of customer enquiries
networks of expertise to come together in that originate in North America and Europe
cyberspace and work in very close Landler, 2001). Thus resourcing services
relationships, although they might be through networks beyond national boundaries
thousands of miles apart physically. has become a common feature in the global
Technology thus acts as an unparalleled tool marketplace. Moreover, the ongoing
that makes it possible for service firms to dependence on network relationships, and the
extend their core capacity competency or effective maintenance of such networks, will
capability) and to forge networks of dictate the core survival strategy of
relationships across the globe Figure 2). tomorrow’ s service firms.
Thus the firm’ s core competency is Furthermore, the ability of a service firm to
represented by the knowledge base, realised interact with its customer, and the ability to
through the effective use of internal and maintain an ongoing relationship with that
external partnerships utilising technology. It customer, have become increasingly
is argued here that it is this continuously important strategies. This relationship
updated ’’ amorphous knowledge resource’’ , imperative, referred to as ’’ relationship
resulting from the network of partners, that marketing’’ in marketing literature, has gained
represents the firm’ s core competency. widespread acceptance with practitioners and
Moreover, it is the firm’ s subsequent ability to academics alike. One of the many benefits
remain at the forefront that nurtures the associated with the adoption of relationship
firm’ s image as a service leader, and that marketing is its potential to gain timely
provides the feature that differentiates the information on the changing needs,
firm from its competition. The recognition of expectations and spending patterns of
the non-conforming amorphous) nature of customers. Customer information thus plays
knowledge provides firms with the mindset to a significant role in the amorphous structure
seek for sources of knowledge beyond the of the firm’ s knowledge resource. For
obvious. Peters 1994) argues that example, booking 355,000 hotel rooms across
corporations are becoming amorphous as they the planet gives Marriott the opportunity to
expand their resource base to people and collect the world’ s most extensive store of
firms around the world. For example, call information about the characteristics, habits
centres are a booming business in India, as and preferences of people who travel Wired,
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7. Innovation as the core competency of a service organisation European Journal of Innovation Management
Jay Kandampully Volume 5 . Number 1 . 2002 . 18±26
2000). This in-depth customer information industry. For example, the displacement of
proves invaluable for the firm to ’’ think for the the multimillion-dollar music records
customer’’ and to create products and services industry by the introduction of CDs stands as
that manifest superior value to the customer, testimony to this phenomenon. Moreover,
thus gaining ultimate advantage in the innovated products and services indirectly
marketplace. destroy the demand for the old, as the latter
The growing importance of relationships prove less valuable to the customer.
and alliances can be attributed to the global Innovation or creativity per se are of limited
accessibility of the IT digital networks that significance in today’ s evolving business
link individuals and organisations around the continuum, as it is the value of the innovation
world. The collective impact of various as perceived by the customer that renders an
factors including the availability of low-cost advantage to a product or service. Service
computers, recent advances in digital innovation results when a firm is able to focus
communications, applications of the easy-to- its entire energies to think on behalf of the
use graphical-interface Web-browsers and the customer for an outcome that surpasses
evolution of the Internet as a universally customers’ present expectation of superior
accessible phenomenon has enhanced the value. Innovation, however small, has a
accessibility and exchange of knowledge. compounding cumulative) strength that is
From a global perspective, it is the capable of creating the new and of distorting
accessibility of knowledge, and how that the old.
knowledge is creatively transformed and Innovation, therefore, nurtures a culture in
marketed, that provides an individual firm or which there are fewer hindrances to the
a country with its competitive advantage. The creation of a synergy of thoughts and actions
Internet offers access to the global on behalf of the customer. This, of course, is
marketplace, in which border and time pose conceptually and philosophically alien from
no limitations for the amorphous extension of conventional business wisdom. Entertaining
the firm’ s competency the only limitation the old mindset) inevitably affects the
being human imagination. present and future actions of a firm, and
hence it is imperative to eradicate the old
simultaneously with the introduction of the
Service innovation: the core new. As Peters 1997) suggests, it is essential
competency to destroy the old so as to give way to new
thoughts and subsequent new action.
Success stories of firms and individuals in Moreover, every enterprise should
various parts of the world are often featured in systematically undertake the tasks of creation,
business magazines and books. In most cases, preservation and destruction of their
their advances in their chosen fields have not philosophy, systems and processes.
been the result of hard work, but can be This new mindset also recognises the fact
assigned to their capacity to utilise creatively that the firm’ s extrinsic requirement
the benefits of advances in technology, new enhancement of customer value) is the all-
knowledge, and networks of relationships. important factor in the firm’ s intrinsic
Technology thus serves firms as they create preferences. The firm might thus choose to
and maintain networks of relationships in the use various technologies and to forge
pursuit of new knowledge. Thus the incessant networks of relationships to extend its
focus of firms will be on knowledge the competency knowledge) base, and to offer
’’ resource’’ that, with its creative potential for higher value to the customer. The focus on
innovation, offers the firm its core customer-perceived value might require the
competency. firm to forgo their intrinsic ego and to seek
Service leaders have not only developed competencies outside the firm. A firm might
new services as collective packages but, in the thus join in partnership with other enterprises
process, have created new markets often including those they might previously have
initiating the growth of a new industry. viewed as competitors. The 13-partner ’’ Star
Today’ s managers are not concerned about Alliance Network’’ in the airline industry, for
the challenges caused by the short life-cycle of example, illustrates the numerous benefits to
products and services but, rather, by the be gained by competing airlines, and by their
possibility of the disappearance of an entire customers, as a result of operating within a
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8. Innovation as the core competency of a service organisation European Journal of Innovation Management
Jay Kandampully Volume 5 . Number 1 . 2002 . 18±26
network. Star Alliance Network partners challenges previously posed by distance and
enjoy the facilities to serve their customers time, and to convert them into potential
with more than 815 destinations in more than opportunities. Time differences can be
130 countries in a reputable and customer- creatively utilised to serve internal and
service-led environment. This unparalleled external customers around the clock. Many
world-class service would have been an US firms strategically locate their support
impossible dream for any one airline services across international borders with
operating alone. the aim of providing support services during
off-business hours. For example, India is
being recognised as the ’’ back office’’ of the
Conclusion and discussion world Landler, 2001). Marquee businesses
such as Nordstrom, Visa, Xerox, General
Firms undertake a myriad projects. However, Electric, Reebok, AT&T, Motorola, Cisco,
creative innovation necessitates that these Thomas Cook, and British Airways provide
projects and actions be synchronised to their firm’ s support services such as
produce value-enhancement for the customer
computer help-desks, accountants, call
the firm’ s ultimate goal. In the competitive
centres, transcribers, and so on) from India.
marketplace, it is those factors that render
This conceptual shift in recognising the
greater value to customers that command
value of people and their knowledge as a
demand. Hence, customer-focused firms are
resource thus broadens the global
amenable to new and better ways of doing
opportunity for individuals, firms and
things for the benefit of their customers.
countries, and has major implications for
Technology, knowledge and networks thus
gaining success in the marketplace. This
represent a unique set of factors that can fuel
innovation in service organisations. It is the quantum shift in the attitude of firms
combined effect of technology, knowledge demands that they reassess what constitutes
and network that gives a firm the ability to ’’ resource’’ for them, and demands that they
focus its amorphous resource on the future reassess what has to be done to attract,
as yet unexpressed) needs of customers the nurture and manage the ever-changing
true innovative feature. knowledge-resource pool. In fact, it is this
Customers today expect firms to delight knowledge-resource pool that will be
them with creativity. Hence, continuous and attractive to both internal and external
creative innovation undertaken by a firm on customers.
behalf of the customer is, indeed, the only
strategy that can sustain the long-term success
of the firm. However, service innovation References
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