Business Excelleration Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Hackett Group
Business Excelleration is The Hackett Group’s weekly podcast featuring insights and research data designed to help business leaders improve efficiency and effectiveness in finance, human capital management, strategic sourcing, procurement, and information technology (IT).
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, hosts Harish Murthy and Ryan Sebastiani discuss emerging technology outsourcing trends for 2025. They highlight an increase in outsourcing spend and a shift in contracting models due to economic uncertainties and growing demand for digital services. The conversation emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships and long-term value creation over mere cost savings as companies reassess their sourcing strategies.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Kyle McNabb leads a discussion with technology transformation leaders Jay Ruffin and Salil Kulkarni about the evolving landscape of digital technology organizations. They explore how proactive engagement from CEOs and a focus on AI automation are driving productivity and competitive differentiation amidst market uncertainty. The conversation highlights the importance of trusting relationships between IT and business leaders in fostering innovation and achieving positive outcomes.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Jessica Haley and David Gibbens discuss the findings from their annual HR Digital World Class®, highlighting key trends in the evolution of HR practices. They emphasize the importance of technology investment and digital enablement within HR operations, which allows organizations to shift their focus toward more strategic activities. The conversation also touches on the defining characteristics of Digital World Class® HR organizations, particularly their ability to align service delivery models with overall business strategies.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Chris Sawchuk and Nic Walden discuss the concept of digital world-class performance and its implications for organizations in today’s volatile environment. They explore how procurement teams can leverage AI and data-driven insights to develop agile supply chains that thrive amid uncertainty and complexity. By examining historical trends, they highlight how prepared organizations can capitalize on challenges to achieve significant savings and performance improvements.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough podcast", the hosts delve into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on various industries. They discuss the concept of Digital World Class®, exploring how businesses can leverage AI to achieve operational excellence and enhanced customer experiences. Through insightful interviews and real-world examples, the episode highlights the challenges and opportunities that AI presents in today’s digital landscape.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Andy Warzecka, Tracee Bowles, and Matt Merker discuss the newly released Digital World Class® Matrix Payroll study. They highlight the critical importance of payroll accuracy and the need for in-depth market analysis to understand provider capabilities and client satisfaction. The conversation also touches on the potential for automation and AI innovations to further enhance payroll processes and meet organizational objectives.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Thomas Kellaway interviews Placid Jover, the Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Teva Pharmaceuticals. They discuss Placid's leadership philosophy, which emphasizes leveraging data and analytics to unlock the potential of individuals and teams within an organization.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, hosts Matt Williams and Dan McCabe delve into the critical topic of successful deployments of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems for organizations. They discuss the significance of ERP systems as a backbone for modern businesses and highlight the strategic steps necessary to overcome common misconceptions and challenges faced during implementation. The conversation emphasizes the importance of viewing ERP initiatives as transformational tools that can drive operational efficiencies and align with long-term business objectives
On this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough” podcast, host and The Hackett Group’s Global Payroll Advisory practice leader Tracee Bowles facilitates the discussion exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and global payroll. Joined by Dayforce’s chief AI officer David Lloyd and The Hackett Group’s senior vice president and head of the AI practice John Thompson, they highlight the transformative potential of generative AI in enhancing productivity, compliance, and managing cross-border complexities in payroll processes. Both guests share their insights on the evolving landscape of AI and its pivotal role in harnessing unstructured data and driving efficiencies in enterprise functions.
On this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough” podcast, Associate Principal, Nic Walden interviews Chief Procurement Officer, Alex Farrow of the Kindred Group to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the digital gambling industry. Alex shares insights into how the Kindred Group leverages AI to enhance efficiency, improve decision-making and automate processes within their operations. The conversation also highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating AI in procurement and contract management.
On this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough" podcast, Kyle McNabb hosts a discussion on the importance of proof of concept (POC) in testing AI solutions, highlighting its role in feasibility assessment and resource efficiency. Guests Kyle Robichaud and Jay Ruffin emphasize key factors such as data quality, risk mitigation, and alignment with organizational goals that influence the success of POCs. Additionally, it addresses the need for continuous education and effective communication to bridge the gap between executives and implementation teams.
On this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast", host Penny Weller speaks with Opella's Karan R Bhatia about the critical role of branding for Global Business Services (GBS) hubs in a world increasingly influenced by Gen AI. Tune in to get answers to strategic questions like – Why having a reputation as a GBS hub can be beneficial to a company? How can Gen AI be an enabler for companies in this quest? What is a good way to measure success or return on investment
In this episode of the "Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast", Kyle McNabb and Joe Nathan discuss how IT organizations are evolving to enable AI adoption across enterprises while transforming their own operating models. They explore the critical role IT plays in scaling AI responsibly, redefining governance, functions, and roles, and leveraging AI to enhance IT operations and development efficiency.
In this episode of "The Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast", Jessica Haley and Amanda Newfield discuss the major challenges facing HR in 2025, including rising workloads, resource constraints, and persistent leadership gaps. They explore how strategic prioritization, HR tech optimization, and generative AI adoption can alleviate pressures and unlock capacity, particularly in talent acquisition and learning & development.
This episode of The Hackett Group’s Gen AI Breakthrough podcast explores the evolving skill sets finance professionals need to thrive in the age of generative AI. Hosts Kimberly Myers Dennis and Sherri Liao discuss the impact of AI on finance talent, emphasizing data literacy, ethical decision-making, and digital business partnering to ensure organizations successfully integrate AI alongside human expertise.
In this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Siobhan Riggott, Vin Kumar and Martijn Geerling discuss the findings of The Hackett Group’s 2025 GBS Key Issues Study. Key topics include the top challenges facing global business services (GBS) leaders – cybersecurity threats, labor costs and employee turnover—along with strategies for cost leadership, value creation, service expansion, and the growing adoption of generative artificial intelligence and digital transformation to drive future resilience.
In this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Andy Warzecha, Jessica Haley and Matt Merker discuss The Hackett Group’s Talent Acquisition Digital World Class® Matrix Study. They explore how tech vendors are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance recruiter efficiency, reduce hiring costs, and improve candidate quality, while highlighting key differentiators and emerging trends in the talent acquisition landscape.
This episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast” explores findings from The Hackett Group’s 2025 Procurement Key Issues Study, focusing on top priorities like the scaling of Gen AI, cost reduction, supply continuity and the evolving procurement operating model. Hosts Vicky Kavan and Chris Sawchuk discuss the disruptive impact of generative AI, the need for digital transformation, and the growing emphasis on talent, data analytics, and supplier relationship management in shaping the future of procurement.
In this episode of The Hackett Group’s “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Sherri Liao and Kimberly Myers Dennis of The Hackett Group explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping financial planning and enterprise advisement. From centralized service delivery models to the democratization of data science, the discussion highlights how finance professionals can evolve into strategic partners with advanced skills in critical thinking and digital expertise.
In this episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast,” Kyle McNabb and Vince Griffin discuss findings from The Hackett Group’s 2025 Finance Key Issues Study, highlighting the evolving role of finance as a valued business partner. They explore major challenges, including AI adoption, while also addressing priorities like cash flow optimization, cost-efficiency and data governance.
This episode of the “Gen AI Breakthrough Podcast” explores findings from The Hackett Group’s 2025 Enterprise Key Issues Study, with a focus on the rapid adoption of generative AI. Hosted by Andy Warzecha – with insights from Kyle McNabb, Vince Griffin and Harry Osle – the discussion covers AI-driven transformation, workforce skill gaps, and the challenges of scaling AI initiatives while balancing data quality and technology complexity.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® podcast, Vin Kumar speaks with IBM about their new transformative strategy. Learn how data is the “secret sauce” behind AI-powered insights and how to get it right for meaningful outcomes. The conversation also explores strategies like fostering cultural adoption, empowering teams with self-service tools, and co-creating with IBM's “Client Zero” approach of using its own technology in-house to ensure it's scalable and ready for clients. Looking ahead, IBM is shifting how businesses consume insights—from static reports to dynamic AI-driven conversations. This episode offers valuable insights for anyone navigating challenges with enterprise data or enhancing their data strategy.
In our latest “Business Excelleration® Podcast,” we share insights from The Hackett Group’s 2024 SG&A Cost Study, exploring how European companies reduced costs while North American companies saw increases. To thrive, companies must assess performance, prioritize actions and align artificial intelligence (AI) with business goals. This episode hosted by Matt Douberly who is joined by, Tom Kellaway and Murray Shevlin as they discuss how generative AI can offer productivity gains of up to 44% and help organizations save up to $300 million annually by adopting Digital World Class® practices.
The Hackett Group’s “2024 Digital Award” winners are transforming complaint management with artificial intelligence (AI). On this episode of the “Business Excelleration® Podcast,” The Hackett Group’s Vin Kumar discusses the award-winning AI project from 3M. He is joined by Josh Bodine and Michael Boba. The project was aimed at revolutionizing the email complaints management process in the order-to-cash cycle. Facing significant challenges in handling customer complaints, short payments and disputes, the team developed a sophisticated AI solution to categorize and analyze these issues, streamlining workflows and driving operational efficiency.
New insights reveal powerful trends in contract life-cycle management (CLM). On this episode of the “Business Excelleration® Podcast,” Andy Warzecha – with Chris Sawchuk and Rick Gardner – dive into The Hackett Group’s latest CLM study. CLM solutions are enhancing contract management with artificial intelligence (AI) for data extraction and seamless integration with enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management systems. Discover what 89% of organizations found valuable in their solutions, plus trends in AI-driven contract management.
In this episode of the “Business Excelleration® Podcast,” Kyle McNabb interviews technology experts from The Hackett Group – Michael Fuller and Vladimir Petreski – as they dive into how generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is transforming managed services. AI is enabling managed services providers to deliver customized, real-time solutions – automating routine tasks and changing team structures. As enterprises demand more tailored services, AI integration is key to staying competitive.
What are Digital World Class® procurement organizations doing differently and better? What type of savings are they achieving and in what areas? How are they harnessing AI? In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, The Hackett Group’s Kavan, Jamila Williams and Kurt Albertson take the listener through some of the most valuable insights from their recent research.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Jim O’Connor and John O’Mahoney discuss why certain finance organizations outshine the competition. Drawing insights from The Hackett Group’s latest Digital World Class® research, they unlock key factors behind success. Their conversation highlights how investments in cutting-edge technologies, strategic preparations for adopting generative artificial intelligence, and enhanced data management contribute to their competitive advantage.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, host Tony DiRomualdo talks with Jessica Haley and Amanda Newfield about how HR organizations can achieve operational excellence while reducing costs. They also share insights from The Hackett Group’s latest Digital World Class® research, including how leading teams are transforming data into actionable insights and the impact of Gen AI on disrupting the HR industry.
What distinguishes Digital World Class® technology organizations from their competitors? In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Kyle McNabb and Mike Fuller tackle this question, drawing from The Hackett Group’s recent research. They reveal that the key lies in providing high-value services, while aligning closely with business objectives and enhancing customer service. Additionally, they explore how cutting-edge technology functions are leveraging automation and setting the stage for Gen AI advancements.
Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is revolutionizing financial reporting processes, streamlining operations and empowering finance teams to make more informed, strategic decisions. In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Shawn Fitzgerald and Jim O’Connor discuss the transformative impact of AI in finance. They explore how companies are harnessing these advanced tools to build sustainable competitive advantages, focusing on the actionable insights Gen AI provides for enhancing business operations.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Andy Warzecha, Harry Osle, and Matt Merker share insights from The Hackett Group’s Digital World Class Matrix™ for human capital management (HCM) providers. They explore how advanced HCM technology can streamline processes, deliver actionable insights from precise data and bridge productivity gaps. They also discuss the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in human resources, including its applications in talent acquisition and employee development.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Kyle McNabb, Vin Kumar and Andy Warzecha delve into the transformative realm of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI). They draw upon insights from client organizations, revealing their experiences, plans and strategies for implementing Gen AI. The discussion outlines different levels of Gen AI maturity, emphasizing the critical importance for organizations to adopt a holistic approach now or risk falling behind.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Andy Warzecha, Greg Morgan and John Sheridan discuss The Hackett Group’s Digital World Class Matrix™ for multi-process human resources outsourcing (MPHRO) providers. They unpack key insights from the study, highlighting how MPHRO providers harness artificial intelligence to streamline operations and amplify client value. From automating routine tasks to delivering strategic insights, they explore the evolving role of MPHRO providers in transforming HR functions.
In this episode of the “Business Excelleration® Podcast,” Anthony Snowball, Kyle Robichaud and Joe Nathan discuss the tangible advantages businesses are experiencing, while also addressing the critical ethical considerations of adopting generative artificial intelligence (AI). They also examine the pivotal role of boards and executives in setting pragmatic expectations and crafting effective AI strategies for sustainable growth.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Andy Moore and Peter Fugere reflect on the vibrant atmosphere and key takeaways from the recent OneStream Splash conference in Las Vegas. They highlight standout moments from the event, and discuss exciting new solutions and features on the horizon from OneStream.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Vin Kumar, Kevin Church and Ramiro Ortiz explore how Gen AI is reshaping finance and how leaders are adapting. From engaging stakeholders to embracing new technologies and bridging skills gaps, they delve into the strategies guiding organizations of all sizes through this transformative period
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Anthony Snowball, Lee Derryberry and Franco Girimonte explore how generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) is revolutionizing human resources (HR). From optimizing recruitment processes to personalizing employee development, these technologies are reshaping HR operations. They discuss how AI algorithms analyze data to identify top talent, predict performance and enhance engagement strategies. Ethical considerations, including bias and privacy, are also examined.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, Vin Kumar, Tim Yoo and Jeff Gilkerson explore the growing interest in generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) among procurement companies. They highlight the challenges companies face in understanding what they require to effectively integrate Gen AI into their operations, and discuss its potential impacts on efficiency, effectiveness, contract management and the necessity for enhanced skills training.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, we explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries and opening new pathways for innovation. As businesses embrace the potential of AI, what challenges will they face? What opportunities should they take advantage of? A discussion with Kyle McNabb, vice president of research, and Associate Principals Rob Donahue and Joe Nathan in our transformation practice.
What sets apart top-tier enterprise performance management (EPM) providers, enabling them to deliver unparalleled value and capabilities? Explore the integration of generative artificial intelligence into EPM solutions, reshaping the way organizations optimize performance. Hear The Hackett Group’s Principal Andy Warzecha, Principal Jason Logman and Director Drew Johnson as they delve into insights from our groundbreaking Digital World Class Matrix™.
What unique challenges do mid-market companies have when it comes to digital transformation? How can they overcome them? A discussion with two experts from The Hackett Group’s Business Services Transformation practice in the UK - Director Teresa Exton and Associate Principal Hermann Waschefort.
What factors enable some customer-to-cash (C2C) receivables software providers to deliver far greater value and breadth of capabilities than others? How are C2C software providers integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI into their offerings? A discussion of findings from The Hackett Group’s new Digital World Class Matrix™, with The Hackett Group Associate Principal Bryan DeGraw and Senior Director Rick Gardner.
Interest in procurement transformation is surging. A discussion of what’s driving demand, what approaches work best and real-life examples from The Hackett Group’s recent procurement transformation engagements, with Director Natalie Henfrey from The Hackett Group’s Procurement Transformation practice in Europe and Principal Tom Kellaway of The Hackett Group’s Benchmarking practice.
Listen to learn how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way human resources (HR) professionals do their jobs, and find out how HR leaders can drive AI adoption within their department and throughout the broader organization. Hear a candid conversation with CHRO Harry Osle, Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo and Associate Principal Amanda Newfield.
MTN Group's Procurement Center of Excellence Leader Andrew Savage talks with The Hackett Group's Managing Partner and AI and Digital Operations Practice Leader Vin Kumar about MTN Group’s Procurement Cockpit, a digital transformation project which received The Hackett Group’s 2023 Digital Award in Source-to-Purchase. The central procurement intelligence platform focuses in three areas: sourcing intelligence, supplier governance, and best practices.
How can companies improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their finance and accounting operations by implementing OneStream as their corporate performance management system? How can the technology shift be used to drive process improvements and implement best practices? A discussion with Sahil Patel, a director in our OneStream practice, and Stephen Ferguson, a director in our Advisory practice.
What priorities do technology leaders have for the coming year? How prepared are they to address them? Highlights of findings from The Hackett Group’s 2024 Technology Key Issues research with Principal Michael Fuller and Principal Kyle Robichaud.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
How has Bosch used artificial intelligence and automation to transform the contact center experience? Irfan Ali, director of Digital, Automation and Innovation at Bosch Service Solutions, talks with David Ketchin, managing director for The Hackett Group in Europe, about the dramatic results they’ve achieved. Bosch received a Digital Award from The Hackett Group in 2023 for their work.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
What are the priorities for supply chain leaders in the year ahead? What improvement initiatives are they planning? A discussion of findings from The Hackett Group’s 2024 Supply Chain Key Issues research with Principal Erin Blair and Principal Josh Nelson.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
A discussion of The Hackett Group’s new research – which finds that generative AI will enable companies to reduce selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs and staffing by 40% over the next five to seven years – with Principal Vin Kumar, who leads AI and Digital Operations, and Associate Principal Joe Nathan.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
Vanessa Gleason, global head of Takeda Business Solutions, shares her organization’s impressive digital transformation journey with Philip King, senior director, The Hackett Group. Gleason was a featured speaker at The Hackett Group’s 2023 European Best Practices Conference in London.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
How has pharmaceutical giant Sanofi used technology to transform their human resources (HR) operation and improve the way they manage talent? The Hackett Group’s Principal Vin Kumar talks with Sanofi Head of Process Intelligence Christian Mueller, Sanofi’s Workday Employee Experience Product Owner Maria Elena Castillo and Sanofi Head of Employee Life Cycle & Solutions Christine Van Heertum about their cutting-edge efforts. Sanofi won a Digital Award from The Hackett Group in 2023.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
Human resources leaders are expecting to feel increasing pressure in 2024 in the face of global economic uncertainty and possible labor and skills shortages, and are turning to technology to help them improve efficiency and effectiveness. A discussion of findings from The Hackett Group’s 2024 HR Key Issues research, with Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
In 2024, finance organizations will need to do more with less, with cost containment and cash flow optimization back at the top of their priority list. A discussion of findings from our 2024 Finance Key Issues research, with Shawn Fitzgerald, a senior research director at The Hackett Group; Tom Willman, a principal in the Finance Advisory practice; and John O’Mahony, a principal in the European Enterprise Performance Management practice.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
In this episode of the “Business Excelleration® Podcast,” what are global business services leaders focused on in 2024? What are their transformation priorities for the coming year? A discussion of findings from our 2024 Global Business Services Key Issues research, with Senior Director Penny Weller, Global GBS Advisory Practice Leader Martijn Geerling, and Digital Enablement and GBS Advisory Practice Leader North America Vin Kumar.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
How have the priorities of procurement leaders changed for 2024? What role will generative AI and technology overall play in helping procurement achieve its goals? A discussion of findings from The Hackett Group’s 2024 Procurement Key Issues research, with Senior Research Director Amy Hillcox and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader Chris Sawchuk.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
How has Pella, one of the nation’s premier manufacturers of windows and doors, transformed its finance operations, creating one source of truth for budgeting, forecasting and more? A success story with Pella Director of Finance Kayla Flanders and The Hackett Group Principal Tammy Norton of our OneStream practice.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® - What are some best practices for companies considering a "best-in-class" or "best-in-suite" approach as they implement or upgrade their Enterprise Resource Planning System. A discussion with Dan McCabe, a Director in The Hackett Group's Technology Transformation practice and Robert Donahue, Associate Principal.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® a discussion of The Hackett Group's new research, which details how difficult it has been for companies in both North America and Europe to sustain reductions in selling, general & administrative costs. With Benchmarking Principal Murray Shevlin and Benchmarking Principal Tom Kellaway.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, in Europe, the U.S. and worldwide, mandatory reporting requirements for companies' environmental impact are on the rise. We discuss the issues around this emerging trend, and how companies can use OneStream to meet these requirements, with The Hackett Group Principal and OneStream Practice Leader Trey Robbins and Director Al Boyer.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
An overview of findings from The Hackett Group’s new research into “Building Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) Capabilities and Beyond,” a performance study designed to understand the drivers of the SWP effectiveness, the impact on talent outcomes, and the strategies and practices employed to build effective SWP capabilities. With Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo and Global HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
A discussion of new research from The Hackett Group which looks at how increasing workloads and little to no increases in budget or headcount have pushed staff in HR, IT, finance, procurement and global business services to their limit. The research quantifies the contributors to burnout risk and offers recommendations for how companies can avoid it. With Senior Director Amanda Newfield and Senior Research Director Anthony DiRomualdo.
The full show notes can be downloaded here.
What impact will generative AI have on the world of corporate finance? How can finance leaders get started using artificial intelligence to improve their operations? A discussion with Tom Willman, a Principal in our Finance Executive Advisory Program, and Vin Kumar, a Principal and The Hackett Group’s Digital Finance & GBS Advisory Program Leader.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, what does it take to create a Digital World Class Global Business Services organization? A discussion with Juniper Networks EVP and CFO Ken Miller about their amazing transformation journey. With The Hackett Group Director Siobhan Riggott and Advisory Principal Martijn Geerling.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, how can IT organizations most effectively vet, evaluate, and integrate AI into their enterprise? A discussion with Tammy Pinter (Practice Leader, Global IT Advisory), Ron Exler (Senior Research Director, Enterprise IT) and Todd Musgrove (Associate Principal, Technology Transformation). Part of a series of podcast episodes covering issues related to Generative AI.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, which Purchase-to-Pay software solutions provide the greatest level of value to companies? A discussion of findings from our new Market Intelligence Service research, with The Hackett Group Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader Chris Sawchuk, Director, Finance Transformation Rick Gardner and Market Intelligence Practice Principal Andy Warzecha.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
How can IT organizations most effectively leverage contract staff and managed services? A discussion with two experts from The Hackett Group’s Technology Transformation Practice, Director Tiffany Hague and Director Vladimir Petreski.
In today’s challenging business environment, financial planning & analysis (FP&A) is playing a greater role than ever. How can CFO’s help their FP&A organization drive greater speed and agility? With The Hackett Group Principal, Finance Transformation Jason Logman and Principal, Finance Transformation Glenn Hafler.
As companies integrate artificial intelligence technology into their infrastructure, how can they do so responsibly? A discussion of what it means to focus on Responsible AI, and what problems companies can avoid by taking a responsible approach in their AI efforts. With The Hackett Group Principal Joe Nathan and Technology Innovations Advisors Founder and CEO Ajay Bawa.
In the evolving world of application landscape, enterprises are faced with the need to constantly optimize technology platforms to achieve their business and innovation goals. We discuss best practices in application portfolio optimization with Kyle Robichaud and Joe Nathan, Principals in our Technology Transformation Practice.
The final podcast in a five-part series on Oracle’s fit-for-purpose banking platform. This episode examines the critical aspects customers look for: implementation, adoption, and operation of the fit-for-purpose platform. It also details best practices that drive sustained success. With Oracle Vice President of Cloud Engineering Venu Mantha, Oracle Cloud CTO Yonas Yohannes, The Hackett Group Principal Joe Nathan, and The Hackett Group Manager Matt Williams.
In 2022, 3M won a Digital Award from The Hackett Group for their digital transformation in purchase-to-pay. The Hackett Group Principal and Global Business Services Advisory Practice Leader Vin Kumar talks with 3M Global Services Director Marco Ortiz and Intelligent Automation Solutions Global Lead Ashish Shrivastava about how they have automated the procurement reconciliation process, and the role that technology has played.
What sets Digital World Class® procurement organizations apart from their peers? A discussion with Principal Kurt Albertson, Senior Director Elizabeth Zucker and Benchmarking Director Travis Werner.
How do the world’s best human resources organizations manage to spend less, operate with fewer staff, yet deliver greater value to their companies? A discussion of key findings from our new Digital World Class® Human Resources research, Franco Girimonte, a Principal in our Executive HR Advisor Practice, and Maggie Rutz Senior Manager in our HR Benchmarking Practice.
Digital World Class® Technology organizations spend less, operate with fewer staff, yet deliver dramatically greater benefit to their organizations. How do they do it? A discussion of findings from our new Digital World Class Technology research with Associate Principal Todd Musgrove and Senior Director Prem Purushothamraj.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, a discussion of the key findings of the new Working Capital Survey, which examines the payables, receivables, and inventory performance of the largest U.S. companies in 2022, and the upcoming challenges companies will face in 2023. Overall, working capital performance degraded significantly at typical companies due to worsening payables performance. With The Hackett Group Director István Bodó and Director James Ancius.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, a discussion of the hidden complexities, potential pitfalls and proven best practices around intercompany accounting with The Hackett Group European Account to Report Advisory Practice Leader Stephen Ferguson and Account to Report Global Program Leader Bill Marchionni.
How can HR organizations can leverage artificial intelligence to drive efficiency and effectiveness within their organizations? A discussion with The Hackett Group North American HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte, Senior Director and Executive HR Advisor Amanda Newfield and Manager, HR Transformation Tom Stuck.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, finance costs are increasing for the first time in decades, driven by inflation and other uncertainty factors. But top performers continue to spend less and deliver greater value. Those are just some of the findings from our newly released research "Resilience: The Digital World Class® Finance Advantage." With The Hackett Group Principal, Finance Executive Advisory Program, Tom Willman and Senior Director Shawn Fitzgerald.
The Hackett Group Senior Global Business Services Advisor Penny Weller talks with Cargill Global Business Services Leader Kim Skanson about the dramatic digital transformation she has led across her global business services (GBS) organization.
What’s the role for artificial intelligence in today’s enterprise? Where should IT leaders focus their efforts? A discussion with Global IT Advisory Practice Leader Tammy Pinter, Chief of Research John Van Decker and Senior Research Director, Enterprise IT Ron Exler.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, a discussion of the objectives, challenges and developments in the world of sustainable procurement, with European Procurement Advisor and Director Vicky Kavan, Senior Research Director, Procurement Amy Hillcox, and Procurement Advisory Principal Kurt Albertson.
How can finance can more effectively navigate the high levels of uncertainty and risk in today’s business environment? A discussion with The Hackett Group Senior Director, Finance Executive Advisory Shawn Fitzgerald, Digital Enablement Principal Justin Gillespie and Director, Finance Transformation Anthony Relvas.
A discussion of the convergence of enterprise risk management and enterprise performance management, and how companies are evolving their enterprise risk management capabilities. With Senior Director Shawn Fitzgerald, Principal and EPM Advisory North American Practice Leader Sherri Liao and Director, EPM, Business Intelligence and Finance Advisory Kimberly Myers Dennis.
How can IT leaders more effectively integrate and manage the complex world of software and services offerings that make up their infrastructures? A discussion with The Hackett Group Principal Michael Fuller, Manager Ryan Sebastiani and Director Harish Murthy.
Why is it critical for companies to focus on employee mobility in today’s business environment? What’s the payoff? What are some critical success factors? A discussion with The Hackett Group Senior Research Director Anthony DiRomualdo and North American HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte.
What are the actual opportunities and limitations for the use of ChatGPT in today’s enterprise? On this episode of The Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast we’ll be separating the hype from the reality, with the help of Global IT Advisory Practice Leader Tammy Pinter, Senior Manager Rizwan Imtiazi and Senior Research Director, Enterprise IT Ron Exler.
Which customer to cash receivables solutions providers excel at delivering real value? Which offer the greatest breadth of capabilities? This episode of the Business Excelleration podcast looks at the first piece of research from The Hackett Group’s Market Intelligence Service, which provides a unique analysis and ranking of nine leading C2C solution providers. With Chief Market Intelligence Officer Michel Janssen and Global Customer-to-Cash Advisory practice leader Bryan DeGraw.
What’s required to succeed at IT transformation in today’s business environment? What key challenges do IT leaders face, and what common mistakes do they make? A discussion with The Hackett Group Principal Mike Fuller, Director Tiffany Hague, and Manager Matt Williams.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
How are global economic changes likely to impact on the labor market over the next year or two, and how can HR be ready to respond? A discussion with The Hackett Group CHRO and Global HR Advisory Leader Harry Osle and North American HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
In this episode of the Business Excelleration® Podcast, How can IT organizations can create greater synergy as part of the mergers and acquisitions process? A discussion with The Hackett Group Principal Michael Fuller, Director Todd Musgrove, and Principal Kyle Robichaud.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
What are the key factors driving HR’s move to the cloud? What should HR organizations consider as they embark on or continue their cloud journey. A discussion with The Hackett Group CHRO and Global HR Advisory Leader Harry Osle and Senior Director and Executive HR Advisor Amanda Newfield.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
What projects are technology leaders prioritizing in 2023? What challenges do they expect to face? A discussion of findings from our 2023 IT Key issues research with The Hackett Group's Global IT Advisory Practice Leader Tammy Pinter, IT Transformation Practice Leader Mike Spires, and Technology Transformation Practice Co-Leader Michael Fuller.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
The Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin discusses how Oracle’s fit-for-purpose cloud-based solutions for banking and financial services offer unique benefits to both banks and their customers. With Oracle Senior Director John Andrews, Oracle Cloud CTO Yonas Yohannes, and The Hackett Group Manager Matt Williams.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
What priorities and challenges do companies expect to face in 2023? A discussion of findings from our 2023 Enterprise Key Issues research, with Associate Principal John Van Decker, North American Advisory Practice Leader Jim O’Connor, and European Advisory Practice Leader Martijn Geerling.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
Adrien Cadman, Enterprise Performance Management Leader for IBM’s consulting practice in the UK and Ireland, discusses how FP&A teams can more effectively respond to the challenge of the pandemic and ongoing economic instability.
More information about IBM’s offerings and approach is available at https://www.ibm.com/uk-en/smarter-business
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
Highlights from our 2023 Supply Chain Key Issues research, with Principal, Supply Chain Business & Transformation Practice Josh Nelson and Associate Principal Erin Blair
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
A discussion of finding from our newly-released 2023 HR Key Issues Research looking at challenges and opportunities for human resources in the coming year. Senior Director, HR Advisory Amanda Newfield talks with North American HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte.
A discussion of key findings from our 2023 Global Business Services Key Issues research with The Hackett Group Global Business Services Advisor Penny Weller, GBS Global Practice Leader Martijn Geerling and Principal and Finance Transformation GBS Leader Kevin Church.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
What priorities and challenges do procurement leaders expect to face in 2023? An overview of our latest Procurement Key Issues research with Senior Research Director Amy Hillcox and Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader Chris Sawchuk.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
What challenges and priorities will CFOs and their teams be focused on in 2023? A discussion of key findings from our 2023 Finance Key Issues research, with Senior Director Shawn Fitzgerald and Principal Tom Willman, who lead our finance executive advisory program.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
A spotlight on The Hackett Group’s newly-launched Market Intelligence Service, which evaluates and ranks software and services providers, quantifying the business value realized. With Principal Michael Janssen, and Global IP Practice Leader Anthony Snowball.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
A discussion of Cloud Financial Management or Cloud FinOps, and how best practices and financial governance can help companies achieve the most cost-efficient business outcomes for their cloud applications. With Principal Mike Fuller, Director Prem Purushothamraj and Director Todd Musgrove.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
A discussion of how HR leaders can use a more metrics-driven approach to improve human capital decision-making and management, and deliver greater value to their companies, with The Hackett Group’s North American HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte and Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
A discussion of HR technology and how it is driving change in HR operations, including insights from The Hackett Group’s HR Technology benchmarking and assessment efforts. With North American HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte and Senior Director, Executive HR Advisory Amanda Newfield
A discussion of findings from our first-ever SG&A scorecard research for North America and Europe, detailing how companies have cut costs in these key areas, and how top performers did dramatically better than their peers at improving efficiency without sacrificing effectiveness. With The Hackett Group Principal and North American Benchmark Practice Leader Murray Shevlin and Associate and European Benchmark Practice Leader Tom Kellaway.
The Hackett Group Director John O’Mahony and Director Stephen Ferguson discuss the role finance is likely to play as companies increase their focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, driven in part by impending European and U.S. regulatory reporting requirements around corporate environmental impact.
A discussion of how financial services companies can utilize cloud-based “fit for purpose” solutions to improve their ability to compete, provide better customer service, and deliver solutions to market more quickly, with Oracle Cloud CTO Yonas Yohannes, The Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin and Manager Matt Williams.
The Hackett Group European Procurement Advisor Vicky Kavan discusses the results of our new supplier diversity study with Senior Procurement Advisor Elizabeth Zucker and Senior Research Director Amy Hillcox.
The Hackett Group Director Shawn Townsend and Director Istvan Bodo discuss the Q2 2022 refresh of The Hackett Group’s working capital survey, looking at how companies performed in terms of payables, receivables, and inventory over the first half of 2022.
The Hackett Group Principal Vin Kumar talks with MTN Group CPO Dirk Karl about the company’s digital transformation effort in procurement, which won the company a 2022 Digital Award from The Hackett Group.
Associate Principal Linda Copeland and Associate Principal Brian Willson discuss the needs and objectives for financial reporting and financial planning and analysis (FP&A), and how technology can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of both functions.
Understanding the Impact of Hybrid Work Senior Research Director Anthony DiRomualdo provides an overview of results from The Hackett Group’s Hybrid Work study, which looks at the variety of approaches companies are taking and their impact in areas such as productivity, collaboration, corporate culture, and employee retention
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
Rick Pastore, Senior Director and Technology Research Advisory discusses findings from our recent research looking at "Improving the Stakeholder Experience," including what approaches work best and what distinguishes high-performing companies from their peers.
Rick Pastore, Senior Director, Technology Research Advisor and Michel Janssen, Chief Market Intelligence Officer discuss how companies can more effectively respond to the current downturn, including issues such as inflation and recession, geopolitical turmoil, and the shrinking labor supply.
Linda Copeland, an Associate Principal with The Hackett Group focusing on emerging opportunities for leveraging technology, discusses the increasing focus of companies on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues, and how they can use technology to more effectively drive performance improvements.
Principal and Technology Transformation Practice Leader Mike Spires talks with Principal and Technology Transformation Cloud Leader Mike Fuller and Senior Director and Digital Transformation Strategist Jay Ruffin about the rationales, benefits, and best practices for multi-cloud environments.
Gilles Bonelli, The Hackett Group Associate Principal and Finance & EPM/BI Executive Advisory Practice Leader for Europe, and Nicolas Walden, a Senior Director, and our European Procurement Advisory Practice Leader, discuss the implications of the Ukraine/Russia conflict and other recent macro and geo-political events on both finance and procurement.
The Hackett Group Manager Damon Rottermond talks with Director Shawn Townsend and Director Istvan Bodo discuss findings from The Hackett Group’s 2022 Working Capital Survey.
A discussion of our 2022 Digital World Class Finance research findings with Principal & Global Finance Advisory Leader Jim O’Connor and Shawn Fitzgerald, who is a Senior Research Director in our Finance Advisory Practice.
The Hackett Group Global Communications Director Gary Baker talks with Principal, Procurement Advisory Kurt Albertson and Associate Principal, Procurement Advisory Mélani Flores about the findings from our 2022 Digital World Class Procurement research.
Show NotesWelcome to The Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where week after week we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. Today’s episode is hosted by The Hackett Group’s Communications Director Gary Baker, and features as guests two of The Hackett Group’s procurement experts: Principal Kurt Albertson and Associate Principal Mélani Flores. The conversation centers on the topic of Digital World Class performance, and explores both what the category of Digital World Class means and what The Hackett Group has determined sets procurement organizations apart in this category from their more typical peer.
The Hackett Group has long studied what it looks like for a company to achieve a world-class standing; however, in recent years, the company has expanded the drivers associated with determining world-class companies to take into account such things as automation, a broader definition of business value and operational excellence. As The Hackett Group examines the procurement function, in particular, it weighs matters of experience (for stakeholders and users), digital business enablement, and efficiency (including automation). There are significant gaps in performance levels in these areas between procurement organizations that attain Digital World Class status and their peers. Digital World Class organizations drive digital strategy, and also capitalize on opportunities to adopt new technologies.
Leaders of Digital World Class procurement organizations leverage not only technology, but data analytics and talent. In terms of technology, they focus on an end-to-end process in their tech strategy, and see the need for a broader ecosystem of technologies with best-in-class functionalities. In the analytics space, leaders use data visualization as a way to best understand and apply data. Given its overall operating model, the procurement function is able to start coordinating on key business objectives, using enterprisewide resources and making some of the procurement roles more specialized. In this agile and responsive environment, leaders have taken steps to upgrade procurement staff and manage talent.
Moving forward into the latter half of 2022, procurement organizations need a robust response to the context of the moment, especially in terms of widespread digital transformation. They need to prioritize aims, keep the needs of the future in view, and work to both understand where they are and make course adjustments as required. As they go through the journey of adaptation and growth, organizations should also be sure to bring key stakeholders into the journey with them.
Senior Director and Technology Research Advisor Rick Pastore and Principal and Technology Transformation Practice Leader Mike Spires discuss key findings from our 2022 Digital World Class Technology research.
Show Notes:Welcome to The Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where week after week we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. Today’s episode is hosted by Rick Pastore, senior director and tech research advisor for The Hackett Group. He is joined by Michael Spires, principal and leader of The Hackett Group Technology Transformation practice. The discussion today is centered around the differentiators of Digital World Class performance in 2022.
To begin, Michael shares The Hackett Group’s definition of Digital World Class organizations, focusing more on digital outcomes and the business value driven by them. This includes things like stakeholder experience, digital enablement and more customer engagement metrics. The second part of it is operational excellence, which focuses on things like cost, business process, automation and the ability to execute your technology area. Compared to the standard world-class performance monitored by The Hackett Group, Digital World Class has more weight put on the impact of digital. It also includes things regarding the cloud and the percentage of infrastructure and data within the cloud. Things which drive business outcomes from a technology perspective ended up being the focus, rather than the performance of the technology itself. It all comes back to customer outcomes, which is what we are ultimately trying to drive with digital. The effectiveness of a technology organization sets up a ripple effect flowing through every level of experience – from employee to customers themselves. This became more of an issue in light of the pandemic.
There are two distinct metric categories for Digital World Class performance: business value and operational excellence. The true Digital World Class organization is in the top percentile for both of these factors. In Michael’s experience with customers, it is often a challenge for organizations to optimize in both areas. Some organizations that optimize in one area over the other may still be able to achieve digital outward business value more quickly. The challenge for operationally focused organizations, however, is that they often don’t have all of the necessary technologies to drive outcomes. As they go through this journey toward Digital World Class, The Hackett Group’s data shows that organizations don’t achieve either overnight, but over time.
North American HR Executive Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte and Senior Research Director Anthony DiRomualdo discuss key findings from The Hackett Group’s latest Digital World Class HR research.
The Hackett Group Solution Director Mark Eklund talks with Associate Principal and Consolidation Vertical Lead Brian Willson about the benefits of transitioning from Hyperion Financial Management to Oracle EPM FCC.
The Hackett Group Senior Director, GBS Advisory Penny Weller talks with Principal and Global GBS Advisory Practice Leader Martijn Geerling about the impact of inflation on global business services and shared services operations.
Senior Director Anthony DiRomualdo talks with Associate Principal Arbin Smith, Associate Principal Dorothee El-Khoury about results from our recent research examining best practices around corporate efforts to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
The Hackett Group Senior Director and Global IT Advisory Practice Leader Chris Key talks with Tech Transformation Practice Principal Michael Fuller, Senior Director Jay Ruffin, and Tech Practice Principal Scott Holland about key findings from The Hackett Group’s recent Cloud Migration Study, the largest-ever study of its type.
Show NotesWelcome to The Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where — week after week — we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. Today's episode is hosted by Chris Key, Global Advisory Practice Leader at the Hackett Group. His guests are Mike Fuller, Principal in the Tech Transformation Practice, Jay Ruffin, Senior Director, and Principal Scott Holland. The focus of today’s discussion is the results of the largest ever cloud migration study conducted to date.
This study was conducted in October-December of 2021 and represented a wide demographic of global companies ranging from $500 million to over $30 billion. The goal was to identify real business value generated by the migration of infrastructure and application to the Cloud. Of the 1,000+ companies that participated, data was collected from 4,000 applications pre and post Cloud. They considered cost, availability, scalability and operations. About 82% of the companies were multi-cloud.
The biggest difference between the top and average performers was their approach to technology. Top performers saw technology as part of their DNA and course strategy, while the averages were just looking for a way to reduce cost. Scott believes it important to recognize that the value of cloud migration goes way beyond cost and scalability. The Cloud promotes availability, agility and ease of operation. In terms of top performers, they were more likely to migrate IT infrastructure and security and migrated much sooner than everybody else.
There are four primary ways which organizations are migrating workloads to the cloud. Companies that do the work up front see much more benefit as compared to companies who go to the lift and shift path. At the end of the day, cloud is the basis of digital operations. The most common goal among all performers was reducing cost. Among top performers, however, the most common goal was to utilize the cloud to enhance their current services and products. Top performers are migrating 52% more apps than others. The cloud is becoming the norm and those who don’t migrate will likely be left behind.
Referring back to our key issues study, Jay defined the Cloud as a foundation for many of these goals. For example, it allows for faster time to value, cost efficiency, engagement from anywhere, and much more. Top performers were able to reduce their infrastructure spend by 37% compared to average performers’ 12%. This significance all comes back to how they manage their portfolios overall. Shifting to security and the influx in data breaches and ransomware attacks, Mike speaks to the board’s watchful eye of these issues. After cloud migration, organizations on average saw a 44% reduction in cyberattacks, while top performers' improvements were even larger.
A complete list of show notes is available here for download.
The Hackett Group Managing Director, Advisory, Europe Martijn Geerling talks with Sourcing Transformation Practice Leader, Europe Jill Stabler and GBS Transformation Practice Leader, Europe Hermann Waschefort about factors companies should consider when deciding whether to outsource or internally develop shared services or global business services operations.
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. Today's episode is hosted by Martijn Geerling, Managing Director and Advisory Practice Leader Europe at Hackett. His guests today are Jill Stabler, Sourcing Practice Leader Transformation Europe, and Hermann Waschefort, Practice Leader for Global Business Services at Hackett Global Transformation Services Europe.
As the conversation kicks off, Jill identifies the questions which business function leaders should ask when deciding to insource or outsource. During this process, questions of speed, scale, sustainability and increasing business value vs operational excellence are of equal importance. Considering every company has their own unique starting point, Hermann elaborates on how these core variables can play out in different starting points. It’s very important to ensure there is a sense of clarity regarding your capabilities and performance and to be honest with yourself and the organization. Then, you can look at your options and determine the outcomes you want to achieve.
Traditionally, outsourcing was driven by labor arbitrage. Jill shares what has changed in the last few years from that traditional model to new, novel digital technologies. Buyers should look beyond labor arbitrage most importantly. Technology evolution has issued major changes towards transformational partnerships compared to earlier commodity type deals. Today’s value proportion is a combination of that traditional arbitrage and technology.
It’s difficult to determine superiority between in and outsourcing as both can offer great value under certain circumstances. Hermann identifies four key elements to understand to make the right decision: risk, capability, aspirations, and desire for transformation speed. Jill agrees with Hermann on this one and summarized the number one most important question as being able to look at yourself where you are today vs. where you want to be.
When discussing the outsourced services model, Jill tends to spend a lot of time with clients focusing on how they bring to life transformation and ambitions both contractually and through relationships. Stepping away from the outsource conventional model, a new kind of service partnership is emerging among clients. BPOs and IPOs are beginning to propose what she refers to as assisted transformation models. The ownership of the service remains captive, but the scenario is focused on defining transformation initiatives, success criteria, commercial effectiveness and experience outcomes and creating the right commercial model together with an outsourcing partner.
Then, Hermann elaborates on risks. Both operational and financial risk needs to be considered. During discussions with clients, he usually inquires about IT and proprietary models. As we emphasized earlier, it is important to analyze all options before making big decisions and critical to understand key strategic needs. In closing, Jill emphasizes the need to make sure you’ve honestly assessed your starting point and consider your options through that lens. In the end, what you really need to do to make a success of either model, or a combination of both, is to manage that capability.
Senior Research Director Shawn Fitzgerald talks with Global GBS and Finance Advisory Practice Leader Jim O’Connor and Finance, EPM, and BI Advisory Practice Leader Gilles Bonelli about the many areas where corporate finance leaders can help their companies address inflationary pressures.
The Hackett Group Senior Procurement Advisor Nicolas Walden talked with Associate Principal Jonathan Fehring about the impact of inflation on procurement, and how procurement leaders can address it.
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where – week after week – we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. Today’s episode is hosted by Nic Walden, Senior Advisor at the Hackett Group. His guest is Jonathan Fehring, Associate Principal in Hackett’s Principal Advisory Practice.
Up until last year, inflation was not really a huge topic in procurement. The longevity and false predictions of the experts should be somewhat alarming as we see record inflation in almost every category. The response of the government was a major jumpstart to the inflation we are now seeing. This period is one of significant volatility, uncertainty, high demand, supply constraints, lockdowns and reopening, tight labor markets and more. In the U.S., the government directly financially supported those who were laid off. Whereas in Europe, the government incentivized companies not to lay people off. Many Europeans naturally slip back into their same positions while Americans were forced to reconsider the jobs they undertook moving forward. This is where we see the spiraling increase in wages and products. Inflation is not only impacting goods, but also services, labor, and property values.
From a policy perspective, the U.S. stopped accepting Russian oil which has significantly driven up prices. While America is not as dependent on Russian resources as European countries, the impact is still being felt day today including increased food prices. These impacts are more than likely here to stay for the long haul as Russia has refused payments in any currency other than rubles and European storage tanks are basically empty. One of the biggest drivers will have to be reducing demand and consumption of energy. There are too many things converging at this point to think that these sensations are transitory. Companies are raising prices and people are continuing to spend the money and Jonathan predicts these prices could remain until 2024. We are encouraged to look at the numbers and follow the data as it develops. It all starts at supply and demand and imbalances in the markets. Then, Nic shares a data point from Hackett’s client polls. In April, the expectation in terms of how high and how long of prices seem to be continuing to shift to the right.
Jonathan speaks to how we can manage in this time of inflation. Many clients are becoming less optimistic in their ability to hit price reduction goals. It is essential to make sure that incentive structures are aligned in mitigating inflation. Outside of that, it is a huge focus area and companies should be doing more intentional sourcing whenever possible. One third of companies reported that they are passing on pricing details directly to the consumer. Eventually, pre-existing contracts will have to be re-negotiated. This is where we will begin to see even more companies passing on prices. In seller’s markets, strategies and tactics must change as we recognize that prices are going up. As companies are approached by suppliers, they are encouraged to look at the data themselves and understand the structure of costs.
As we talk about delivering cost savings, maybe we should change the discussion from just talking about cost and actually thinking about how we change the mix. This includes how we look at requirements, specification and how some companies responded to semiconductors challenges. There may also be an opportunity in how we can better manage demand in certain areas. In closing, Jonathan reiterates that there is not a one single bullet approach to addressing these changes.
The Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin Senior talks with Oracle Cloud CTO Yonas Yohannes and Oracle Vice President, Cloud Engineering Venu Mantha about how banks are accelerating their movement towards cloud-based digital solutions as a key element of their overall digital transformation efforts. Part 2.
Show NotesWelcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin and features guests Yonas Yohannes, Oracle Cloud CTO, and Venu Mantha, Oracle's Vice President of Cloud Engineering. The Hackett Group and Oracle have partnered to create a series on emerging needs for the financial services industry, especially focusing on cloud platform and financial services solutions. Today's episode is the second in the series; following on the last episode, it focuses on how banks are accelerating their movement toward cloud-based digital solutions as a key element of their overall digital transformation efforts.
As the conversation gets underway, Jay asks his guests how they expect banks will continue to meet customer expectations in a changing market. The COVID-19 pandemic caused an acceleration in digital transformation in the banking space, with customers rapidly adopting and expecting technological services. Traditional banks have been faced with the need to speed up their own shifts to digital platforms and offerings, and have found themselves in competition not only with other banks, but with big tech and financial tech. They must both adapt to address a changing customer profile and mount a two-pronged attack against the pressures of big tech and fin-tech. This attack involves forming alliances with fin-tech to together work against big tech.
Banks must also attend to matters of threat mitigation and efficiency, and this entails a new mindset. Part of this overall mindset requires the need to think differently about how to interact with customers. Customers are the primary asset of a bank, and banks need to be considering the entire life cycle of the customer and adopt a customer-centric model. The new bank mindset must also be marked by agility, risk management, flexibility, and innovation. Agile banks are best able to meet evolving demands and are marked by the kind of holistic thinking that is necessary to developing solutions for a changing market and consumer base.
Moving forward, Yonas and Venu comment on how cloud providers are adapting alongside banks. Cloud providers like Oracle are specifically working on fit-for-purpose solutions for banks, following several general steps in doing so. They are helping banks with the challenging process of first simplifying legacy technology and then migrating aggressively in order to take advantage of the new digital environment. Oracle is offering what Yonas calls automation plus, and the company has developed a robust two-part strategy of helping banking partners. The conversation concludes with thoughts on current statistics reflecting the banking space.
The Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin Senior talks with Oracle Cloud CTO Yonas Yohannes and Hackett Consultant Matt Williams about how the pandemic has accelerated the movement of banks towards cloud-based digital solutions as a key element of their overall digital transformation efforts.
Show Notes:Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin and features guests Yonas Yohannes, Oracle Cloud CTO, and Matt Williams, a Senior Consultant with the Hackett Group. The Hackett Group and Oracle have recently partnered to create a series of information on emerging needs for the financial services industry, especially focusing on cloud platform and financial services solutions. Today's episode is the first in a five-part series diving into these topics!
To kick off the conversation, Yonas comments on the current situation of the financial services industry with a particular eye to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic advanced and expanded the digital transformation process already underway, pushing banks and other financial service organizations to adapt faster in order to meet customer expectations. Banks, in particular, also face challenges pertaining to talent acquisition and understanding the "new customer." This "new customer" is a large contributor to growing quality of experience, as the evolving customer base is not only demographically different (including millennials) but expects a strong, technologically current experience and a relational rather than transactional approach to client engagement.
One way to gauge how well a given subset of the financial services industry is doing in the digital transformation process is to look at its use of the cloud. A high workload migration level is a positive sign, and a helpful aim for financial services organizations to pursue. Companies in the industry can leverage technology in the same way financial tech companies do in order to achieve goals, and Yonas explains what this means for banks, in particular. Banks have to deal with legacy technology and the "friction" it brings and can look to both learn from past merger processes and partner with a fit-for purpose cloud platform (designed for a specific industry).
Yonas sees the banking industry slowly progressing in its digital transformation and credits this momentum to such platform partnerships and to banking solutions. As innovation in financial services continues, organizations will have to be intentional about enhancing cyber security. Banks with cloud platform partners will find strong cyber security allies in their cloud partners but must remember that customer security is ultimately the bank's responsibility and needs to be incorporated into bank policies and procedures. As the conversation wraps up, Yonas offers thoughts on what level of integration is necessary to get the full value out of a fit-for-purpose cloud platform and comments on how he thinks a CIO can prepare now for the future.
The Hackett Group Senior Director Philip King talks with Sanjay Patel, SVP and Global Head of Takeda Business Solutions about how Takeda has embarked on a digital transformation program designed to reimagine its global business services function to make it truly cross-functional, improving efficiency and strategic alignment. Takeda was named a finalist in The Hackett Group’s 2021 Digital Awards for its CFOinUrPocket AI-driven global finance dashboard.
Show Notes:When Sanjay joined Takeda in 2019, he decided to change the name from “Takeda Business Services” to “Takeda Business Solutions.” During the timeframe in which he joined, Takeda was undergoing a reimagination of the future of the company. Sanjay believes that the term services leads to a servitude mindset, while the term solutions suggests active engagement and proactivity. It was more than just a cosmetic change, but rather a fundamental shift in the company’s philosophy.
Then, Philip asks Sanjay to elaborate on the importance of alignment for Takeda’s overall business strategy. More prevalent today than ever, employees of all organizations must have a very strong sense of purpose and belonging. At Takeda, patients remain at the heart of everything the company does. It was crucial in their reimagination to ensure everyone involved in the pipeline was connected to Takeda’s vision, values, and purpose. They proactively took steps to prove their commitment to the company's purpose of better help for people in a brighter future for the world. They also recently launched an onboarding initiative called the Patients Connections Program which gives employees the opportunity to connect with patients directly and better understand their medical and life experiences. Through the emphasis placed on patient experience, relationships became critical in everything the company does.
As we are seeing more and more within the industry, organizations are beginning to see the inherent value of shared GBS. Functions within the business now look towards GBS for guidance exploring innovation, automation, cost pressures and other new ways of working. The pandemic has further demonstrated the resilience of this operating model. One large benefit of GBS is the opportunity it allows to put digitization at the forefront of operations.
The focus of Takeda’s enterprise includes digitization, automation, analytics, and solutions. Takeda made a commitment as an organization to unleash the power of data and digital to transform itself into a more trustworthy data driven, outcomes-based global biopharmaceutical company. Further, they believe that their people, not technology alone, will make all the difference in their data and digital journey. They empowered the organization through a program called Digital Ninja Program, which is all about building capabilities and skills within everyday actions. Colleagues underwent a 5-week immersive program where they learned to identify opportunities for automation and were equipped with the skillset to build their own digital assistance. TBS has built a digital culture in which they enable employees to develop next generation capabilities while creating an agile talent pool.
Takeda has identified four key variables of their corporate philosophy: patients, people, data, and planet. As part of the people element, TBS moved from an organization delivering simple solutions to one in favor of an exceptional people experience. When surveying for improvements, a common theme was the desire for proactive and confident support for clients. Finally, Sanjay reveals how the business was able to stay afloat amidst the number of changes and acquisitions they were undergoing. He then reveals two examples of his pride in Takeda and the team’s achievements. As the episode wraps up, Sanjay shares his expectations and aspirations for the future of Takeda Business Solutions.
The Hackett Group Principal David Ketchin talks with Principal Paul Morrison and Senior Director Hermann Waschefort about critical success factors for how companies can drive real benefits and improved performance through their digital transformation efforts.
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where – week after week – we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by The Hackett Group’s Managing Director of Europe David Ketchin. His guests today are Paul Morrison, Principal and Lead for Hackett’s Digital Enablement Practice in Europe and Hermann Waschefort, Hackett’s U.K. Lead for Business Transformation team and Global Business Services.
Between the two of them, Paul and Hermann spend their time implementing end to end transformation programs with Hackett’s clients. Today they’ll discuss digital transformation and give tales from the front lines. To begin, Hermann defines digital transformation as the process of change in which new technology is combined with people and processes to create value. Its key components are change, combination and value.
Then, Paul elaborates on the broader themes to be addressed in tackling digital transformation. One overarching theme is what organizations can do to achieve maximum digital impact. He shares a few examples of clients Hackett advised on this front, including one targeting democratization of technology. As a related trend about maximizing impact, we’re seeing growth of product-centric development and the use of a limited number of platforms. A final challenge is clarifying how IT and other functions are working together amidst tension.
It is clear that technology is not the only driver of digital transformation, but it is a key driver. Hermann touches on the two key components of a successful strategy. It begins with being very clear on your business objectives and what you’re trying to achieve. You must remain agile and evolve as priorities evolve. Then, have an understanding of the broader capabilities which can move you forward.
Each year, Hackett runs their Digital Awards every year, which gives them a fantastic insight into what organizations are achieving. Listen as Paul highlights two companies who are really succeeding in this field. First, Mondelēz, winner of the Order-to-Cash category, has been on a multi-year journey towards world class performance in receivables. They raised the bar further this year by using machine learning to predict customer payments. Reckitt was the winner of the IT Opportunity-To-Deployment with their next gen living labs program. Their goal was to drive automation at scale through IT operations and bring to life user experience. Employees have improved their satisfaction by over 20%.
As the episode draws to a close, Paul and Hermann each share absolute critical success factors for organizations, namely those hoping to secure rapid benefits. First, Hermann stresses the importance of determining whether an organization is clear on the value of what they’re trying to unlock. A second question is what they hope to do with customer experience, which is key in unlocking growth. Lastly, what can they do to really leapfrog the competition? From Paul’s perspective, it’s key that digital should not seem that it is done to you by IT. Rather, digital change is something in which you are an active participant and decision maker. You must be able to ask yourself whether your function is set up for success in ongoing digital change.
The Hackett Group Senior Research Director Rick Pastore talks with American Kidney Fund CIO Gregory Smith about his new book “The New Normal in IT: How the Global Pandemic Changed IT Forever”.
Show Notes:
To begin, Rick asks Gregory to share his motivation behind writing his most recent book. Initially, he had written about the topic of the pandemic’s impact on companies. His wife recommended he expand on the idea of the article and write a book. As an academic and intellectual, Gregory believes in continual learning and chafing knowledge. He feels it is his obligation to help educate the next generation of IT and business leaders, which is a key reason as to why he wrote the book. In the times of government shutdowns, technology organizations were the real lifeline keeping companies running smoothly. The well-deserved recognition of IT, Gregory explains, had two key long lasting effects. First, is working through the positives and negatives of a corporate remote work environment. Second is the focus on the significantly hostile cyber security environment. Cybersecurity tax has gone significantly up on various industries, combined with the challenge of revenue reductions, remote work environments and company culture changes.
In terms of the future of the workforce, Gregory has observed diverging strategies and opinions taking place. While the old guard CEOs want to go back to normal, the employees want to stay remote. It can be summed into a labor vs. non labor battle and the employees will likely win. The term “work from anywhere”, however, really doesn’t apply when it comes to security. Technology CIOs as a whole are comfortable with where they are and where they’re going. Gregory predicts KPIs will change to determine if companies are as effective as they can be when working in this new hybrid work environment. Many companies are recognizing the benefits of decreased operational costs as a benefit of the work from home model.
Thanks to the pandemic, the pressure for digital acceleration to drive innovation is now even higher. To sum it up in one single phrase, Gregory states that software rules the world. Now that companies are employing remote workers from all over the world, they will have to adapt to different tools and skill sets to facilitate collaboration. Collaboration software has grown at an exponential rate. Gregory believes that when we are challenged as a society is when we do our best. The pandemic has forced society, corporations, and professionals to ask the harder questions and work together to resolve them. In the future, collaboration suites will be even more effective.
Based on Hackett’s recent survey of 1,000 companies worldwide, the average percentage of technology infrastructure in the cloud is 40%. Prior to the pandemic, there was a good security model in place for the 3 main cloud models: infrastructure, software, and platform. The pandemic revealed an evolution of the digital cloud path starting to take off. The gradual shift for companies moving to the cloud is likely due to the infancy of these cloud models.
Next, Gregory reveals the findings which came as a surprise during his research, including the diverging strategies between senior corporate executives and staff. He also speaks to the backfire of vaccine mandates on supply and demand resources trying to fight the pandemic in the first place. He advises CIOs on how they can lead in today’s ever shifting environment. Most importantly they should remain honest with themselves, their CIOs and employees about the future and plan for disruptions on a variable basis. As the episode ends, he offers advice for new CIOs.
The Hackett Group Principal Robert Derocher talks with Associate Principal Joshua Nelson and Associate Principal Erin Blair discussed key findings from The Hackett Group’s 2022 Supply Chain Key Issues research, which details the priorities and challenges for supply chain organizations.
Show Notes:To begin, Erin identifies the biggest issues we saw in 2022. Given the supply chain disruption because of the pandemic, she finds it unsurprising that the top three issues related to managing these disruptions. The number one key issue was reducing supply risk, the second was enhancing product availability and finally improving supply chain agility and resilience. Fourth, Josh shares, was sound the area of digital transformation, in which companies hope to achieve better visibility across the supply chain. Fifth is around cost efficiency and companies are keeping their eyes on the bottom line. Improving sales and operations planning and integrated business planning was actually number one on the survey last year. It dropped down a bit on the list, likely because many companies have acted on this goal. The talent gap was also evident this year, across all functional areas.
As Hackett consistently conducts this survey every year, there is an interesting dynamic in observing what happens year to year. They saw the pandemic start to transform the priorities of executives. Companies are needing to mitigate risk and become more agile, all while keeping their eyes on the bottom line. They are no longer pursuing cost efficiency, though Josh predicts it may be an issue in the future. There are many different strategies companies are using to identify, mitigate and solve supply chain risk. First are supplier related strategies, including expanding supply base, multisourcing, leveling different geographies and having a backup plan in place. They are also doing regular evaluation of supplier risk. The third is around structural and operational changes, as companies look towards their entire network itself.
Josh then elaborates on the digital transformation goals represented in the study. There are a whole lot of small-scale deployments occurring as companies roll out new technologies on a small scale or pilot phase. The top three focus are data visualization, supply chain analytics and robotic process automation. People are using other technologies within the supply chain, such as AI and blockchain, but Hackett is focused on small scale deployments at this time. The study also considers the types of apps companies are investing in, in which sales and operation planning really rises to the top. We are moving away from the spreadsheet mentality and embracing more structure and automation.
In terms of what executives need to be planning for next, the survey shows that companies are expecting business activity to grow. One challenge is how to get employees enabled with technology and innovation to drive efficiency across the enterprise. Another developing area in 2022 is the outcome of inflationary economics. As wages and costs go up, companies will look to grow costs and be most efficient.
Moving into another year of supply chain disruptions, it is important the leaders first keep their focus on the customer and demand. Collaborating and communicating what is possible and what is not is key. They should also invest in business transformation widely and efficiently. Ensure you have the right people and skills to make use of these technologies. With digital technologies comes the need to upgrade skills within your organization. Finally, Josh urges companies to make efforts to return back to a sense of normalcy in their operating model by stabilizing cost and headcount.
The Hackett Group European Practice Leader David Ketchin talks with Global Advisory Practice Leader Tom Willman about key findings from our 2022 Finance Key Issues Research, which outlines changing trends, priorities, and challenges facing the finance function.
Show Notes:Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. Today's episode is hosted by David Ketchin, who leads the Hackett Group in Europe, and his guest for the discussion is the Hackett Group's Global Practice Leader for Finance Advisory, Tom Willman. David and Tom's conversation focuses on the key issues from the Hackett Group's latest research conducted at the end of 2021, and it identifies why these issues are the top priorities for finance functions in 2022.
While the Hackett Group's Key Issues Study identifies the top ten priorities for the finance function, David and Tom narrow their discussion to the first half of these priorities. But first, David first offers business context concerning current realities of high inflation, labor shortages, labor rate and freight price increases, and COVID-19 recovery. This context provides the backdrop for considering the priorities highlighted by the study, most specifically those of returning to growth and fostering agility. Tom explains how he has seen the business context of the day impact finance, detailing how finance is being asked to do more with less staff and money, and so needs greater productivity and to lean into tech-enabled improvements.
The acceleration of digital transformation has actually jumped to be finance's top priority for the year ahead. This priority is followed by the goals to enhance finance's role as a strategic advisor to the business, upskill and retain talent, and foster agility. Digital Transformation, Tom says, is the process of driving change in which we will leverage new technologies combined with people and processes to create value. He unpacks what this involves for finance before expanding on the priority of advising the business; this priority, at heart, looks like giving business leaders new insight, saying things they don't already know. In terms of talent, finance needs to take stock of and improve its value function, and make changes within workforce and management strategy. As the episode ends, Tom offers four absolute "get rights" for finance.
The Hackett Group Senior Manager Vicky Kavan talks with Principal Chris Sawchuk and Principal Timothy Yoo about key findings from our 2022 Procurement Key Issues Research, which outlines changing trends, priorities, and challenges facing the procurement function.
Show Notes:The Hackett Group runs a key issues study annually to identify the impact of changing trends and guide research for the following year. One of the strongest themes to come from this year's study was the importance of procurement issues. Supply Risk moved up to the number one spot ahead of cost production. Chris explains that the number of areas for supply chain leaders has broadened. Tim agrees that diversifying supply chain assurance and managing third party risk have been big growth areas for the procurement teams at The Hackett Group.
Leaders in procurement have similar agenda items across organizations, with focuses on supply assurance and protecting revenue. Cost has gone down to number four or five on the list, but is still the easiest item to measure. Chris says that we need to measure assurance and sustainability as well because they are growing in importance and what gets measured gets done. He wants to bring visibility to sustainability and drive behavior to adjust carbon footprint. Measurements for assurance and sustainability won’t be as exact as cost measuring, but Chris is certain that by collecting quantitative data changes can still be made. Tim says that designing processes with ESG in mind can help make the change to measuring sustainability.
Supply chain disruptions have been an issue throughout the pandemic. Something else the pandemic has brought to light is the need for more digital solutions, something Tim says The Hackett Group has never been so busy with before now. Investing in these digital solutions and a little bit of preparation can go a long way to growing your cloud base suite and make your digital transformation smoother. The pandemic exposed organizations that hadn’t invested in digital transformation, and Chris says looking at the glass half full, it has also given those organizations who were behind a reason to catch up. It’s not just about technology, it’s also about improving customer experience, increasing velocity, and investing in procurement professionals.
Today, Chris says there is a gap in data, analytics, and technology in procurement organizations. These are critical areas for procurement professionals. Analyzing and using data to predict risks is essential to becoming a trusted advisor to the organizations they support. Chris says that procurement professionals shouldn’t be outsourcing data analysis to third parties, but rather investing in it in house so they can have the most up-to-date information possible. Tim’s advice to organizations beginning their digital transformation is to plan appropriately. He recommends thinking about not only the resources you’ll need to implement the digital change, but also what resources will be needed to sustain it.
Workload in 2022 is going to increase over 11% and procurement organizations are recognizing that they need to meet those demands with technology, rather than relying solely on labor as they have in the past. Tim says that procurement organizations should be removing constraints to find the best talent. He and Chris agree that the globalization of the talent pool is one of the best ways we’re removing barriers to labor. Tim also suggests that organizations get creative in candidate backgrounds. He suggests that procurement backgrounds may be less important than technology and data analysis backgrounds as organizations begin their digital transformations.
Senior Director Chris Key talks with Principal Michael Spires about key findings from The Hackett Group’s 2022 Technology Key Issues research, which identifies priorities and potential challenges for technology organizations.
Show Notes:Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by The Hackett Group’s Senior Director Chris Key. His guest today is Mike Spires, Principal at the Hackett Group. The subject for today’s discussion is Hackett’s 2022 IT key issues study results.
Every fall, The Hackett Group reaches out to their constituents to get an idea of their goals and areas for improvement in the upcoming year. Over 300 companies were polled for the results of this study focusing on the technology aspects. The first objective this year is securing data and systems. This is an issue at the top of every technology executive’s list. Mike explains that a core feature of being a good steward of your resources is making sure your data is secure. Number two is effective strategic partnering. This process means optimizing the processes and skills to enable effective stakeholder partnering, necessary to succeed in our transformations. This is no longer a tactical role, Mike says, but is now a collaborative and strategic effort. A partnership mentality drives achievement all down the pipeline.
The third objective is maximizing the value of data. It is incumbent on our technology function to manage data for maximum utility. This isn’t just a one-time action, but rather an ongoing capability. Mike sees many organizations treat data as an enterprise asset part of an organizational construct. He stresses that how you schedule and treat staff, for instance, actually plays into operational efficiency. There are many dependencies built within this observation. Having the skills, business understanding of data and organizing talent all go hand in hand with getting value in your data.
Fourth is aligning technology, skills, and talent to the needs of the business. The ability to attract and maintain talent is more of a challenge than ever. To address this, Mike explains that Hackett is trying to instill an overall resourcing strategy which determines key skill gaps and how to build an ecosystem of internal hiring, external third party and independent contracting networks to best fill these gaps. The fifth objective is enterprising transformation to a more digital operating model. The reality is that most organizations need to accelerate their interfaces. Creating alignment within your own model and product teams who are truly embedded is an effective digital partnership going towards market. And, Mike adds, the better you are at doing this, the easier it is to retain the talent you already have.
Sixth is regarding the matured and industrialized analytics capability, which really unlocks insights and improves the speed and accuracy of decision making. The insight cycle begins with what we need to be doing as technologists and leads into the sources of data, how we’re doing analytics and who is the consumer. It is a continuous journey. Having the partnership, technology and functional teams aligned creates a sense of ownership on both sides. You can create models which adjust and adapt very quickly based on strength and both structured and unstructured guidance. Analytics gives the ability to drive better outcomes and business functions.
Seventh is enterprise cost efficiency improvement. For the first time, we’re hearing that FTEs and operating budgets will keep pace with the expected demand and workload volume. Customer and workforce models are being driven by technology, and many organizations are recognizing the need to invest in better techn
The Hackett Group Senior Research Director Anthony DiRomualdo talked with European HR Practice Leader Dorothee El-Khoury about key findings from The Hackett Group’s 2022 Human Resources Key Issues Research. The research covers top priorities and challenge areas for HR in 2022, including the ongoing pandemic, the great resignation, the challenge of retaining and attracting workers, the shift to remote/hybrid work, creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and more.
Show Notes:Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by The Hackett Group’s Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo. His guest today is Dorothee El-Khoury, Head of France & HR Practice for the EMEA region at Hackett.
The Hackett group polls several 100 executives every year in the October timeframe to gauge what is top of mind for them for the upcoming year. Today, they will discuss some of the key highlights from the research on the HR agenda in 2022, namely the top 10 issues.
To begin, Tony elaborates on the number one issue overall: to act as a strategic advisor to the business. After being on the backburner for many years, this issue finally made it into the top 10 list in 2020. That is significant because Covid changed many things in the world and in business. For HR, it was a breakthrough moment, because they were being relied on to help business leaders deal with a flood of operational challenges. For the first time, HR at large was really appreciated for how they can help the business succeed. This being at the top of the list speaks to the fact that these issues remain top of mind as we move farther from the initial pandemic panic. These obstacles include the great resignation, the pressures around creating a diverse and inclusive workforce and the shift to remote and hybrid working models. Combined, all of these are reinforcing HR’s role as strategic advisor.
Then, Dorothee shares what she found most interesting on this list. In line with #1, she notes that numbers 2 and 3 really relate to how HR can support delivery of company strategy. The second is about being able to require critical skills and retain critical profiles. From the same studies, companies find that not having the right talent is a major risk to the company and can weaken their strategic position. Number 3 is about creating and maintaining a high-performance culture in the organization. This is linked with the new flexible and remote ways of working. The culture replaces what used to be a direct management oversight over employees as they work. These are much more linked to business objectives than they would be in the past.
Next, Dorothee identifies that what really surprised her about the list was in fact what isn’t mentioned on the list. The change in HR operating models is absolutely necessary for HR functions to continue driving in 2022. There is a productivity and efficiency gap due to business growth, but the HR teams and budgets remain stable. This gap must be bridged by branching away from the old ways of working. Tony’s biggest surprise was #8 on the list: maintain employee resilience and wellbeing. Tony’s surprise dates back to April 2020, when he wrote a blog post concerning employee wellbeing and ability to be productive under stressful conditions. Seeing this on this year’s list was a reassurance that it’s on the minds of leadership.
Finally, they discuss the things on the list giving them pause for concern. For Dorothee, the last item on the list, aligning HR skills and talent management, is slightly worrying that it isn’t a higher priority at this time. HR commonly underestimated how much they need to do in terms of bringing in fresh skills and persp
The Hackett Group Vice President of Research Erik Dorr talks with Global GBS Practice Leader Martijn Geerling and Senior Director Hermann Waschefort about key findings from The Hackett Group’s 2022 Global Business Services Key Issues Research. The research tracks GBS goals, critical development areas, and digital transformation priorities, and offers GBS executives guidance on where to focus their efforts.
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where – week after week – we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by the Vice President of Research at Hackett, Erik Dorr. He is joined by the Global GBS Practice Leader, Martijn Geerling and Senior Director of Europe GBS Practice, Hermann Waschefort. Listen as they talk about the insights they have on the Hackett Group’s key issues and improvements for 2022.
The episode begins with Martijn sharing about his observations on some different issues in the GBS business environment along with how they have adapted and responded to them. One of the major ones he addresses is how the pandemic has changed the norm and influenced the business community and environment, specifically with the transition to a virtual culture. Additionally, Hermann adds to this by bringing up the great resignation and how it has affected the market. Digital transformation is another area of change 2022 has brought and both men share about how this has impacted the business’ investment in new skill sets.
Next, they turn their attention specifically to how GBS is responding to these challenges they have been faced with. First, they speak on the goal of returning to a new normal and focusing on growth and productivity within the business. This includes improving customer experience and making it more personal and user friendly. They also point out how GBS is using new technologies and tools to increase digital transformation and reach a higher level of excellence and business value. Going along with this, they point out the importance of planning and managing digital adoptions to assess all the aspects of change it will bring to the company.
Lastly, they discuss the plans for increasing value delivery for the enterprise of the GBS organization. This includes continuing to establish stronger enterprise capabilities, focusing on delivering faster, and joining forces with IT. Another important aspect is using data as an insight into improvement through data management and collaboration. There are several big areas of opportunity to move into, specifically in the supply chain, sales, and marketing, and they discuss how to represent and develop more of these aspects. They conclude with some closing thoughts on 2022 GBS transformation and goals they are excited about for the future.
The Hackett Group European Procurement Advisory Practice Leader Mélani Flores talks with Vodafone Global Head of SCM Development, Operations & Digital Reinhard Plaza-Bartsch about their Vodafone Blockchain Price Manager, which was the winner in the Source-to-Purchase category in The Hackett Group’s 2021 Digital Awards.
Show Notes:Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by the Hackett Group European Procurement Advisory Practice Leader Mélani Flores. She speaks with Reinhard Plaza-Bartsch, Vodafone Global Head of SCM Development, Operations & Digital. Mélani and Reinhard discuss the Vodafone Blockchain Price Manager, which was the winner in the Source-to-Purchase category in the Hackett Group’s 2021 Digital Awards.
To kick off the conversation, Mélani asks how the Vodafone Procurement Company operates and supports the other lines of Vodafone business. Vodafone is, Reinhard shares by way of background, a leading technology communications company. Vodafone Procurement Company is effectively the large supply chain arm of the Vodafone group. It centralizes procurement for most third-party connections Vodafone maintains, covering categories from networks to IT, devices, and "indirects." The Vodafone Procurement Company's value proposition is to bring value to the business through scale, driving category transformation and heavy digitization of the supply chain.
Moving forward, Mélani and Reinhard talk more about the role of digital transformation within Vodafone Procurement Company. Digital transformation has been the organization's top priority for several years, and it started with a clear focus on getting access to data. It involves standardization and automation, movement and connection of data, and much more. Digital is ultimately now part of the company's DNA and drives operational and customer experience efforts.
Turning more specifically to the Vodafone Blockchain Price Manager, Mélani asks what it is and what business challenge required it. The instigating challenge was the issue of keeping track of many pricing agreements, managing them actively, and avoiding any financial leakage. Automation promised to cut down on time and labor, and blockchain seemed a viable option. As Reinhard and his colleagues looked into their existing estate and leaned into new technology, they thought blockchain would offer a unique opportunity for synchronization and alignment. Blockchain could integrate into the Vodafone ecosystem, and offered several points of value, such as making both catalog maintenance and the offering of full transparency easier.
Turning to other business professionals engaging in similar initiatives, Reinhard advises them to be cautious about the technology they choose, and then to focus on development. After having a view to design, the last piece takes critical stock of architectural concerns. As for Reinhard and his company, next steps for Vodafone Blockchain Price Manager include maximizing use of the solution, as well as considering the possibility of turning into a product available for other companies. More broadly, the next steps in Vodafone Procurement Company's digital transformation center on three areas: deep focus on analytics and business insight, deeper automation, and moving into other areas auxiliary to procurement.
The Hackett Group Principal David Ketchin talks with Senior Director Hiten Parmar and Principal Georg Bach about their perspective on sustainable procurement in Europe, how the pandemic has helped move the topic to the top of the procurement agenda, and critical success factors for sustainable procurement initiatives.
Show Notes:This episode of the podcast is hosted by David Ketchin, Managing Director of Europe for the Hackett Group. His guests for the episode are Principal Georg Bach and Senior Director Hiten Parmar. Georg helps lead the Hackett Group's operations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Nordics, working with senior executive clients. Hiten is the Hackett Group's procurement transformation leader based in the UK. Both guests join David to discuss the topic of sustainable procurement, and given their contexts and roles, there is a distinct European flavor to some of the challenges discussed.
As David and his guests launch into their discussion, they first consider the fragile state of Europe' supply chain right now before turning to a basic definition of procurement. The primary goal for procurement is cost management, which involves obtaining the right supplies at the right time for an optimal price. In the present moment, there is a particularly high demand to do this job well and, in doing so, to meet relevant regulations - especially in the high-profile area of sustainability. Sustainable procurement is multi-faceted and involves two broad themes. The first theme, that of looking at ESG and strategic imperatives, centers on three key pillars: environment, social, and governance.
The other broad theme is possibly even more important than the first, and it is to extend the CPO's impact in the decision-making process at the board level, CEO level, and beyond. Because of changes in consumer behavior and investor attitudes, a company CEO has to access innovative profit pools with smaller carbon footprints. The CPO and procurement department generally manage supplier innovation, so they are now presented with both the challenge and the opportunity to effectively contribute to business markets and carbon footprints.
Moving forward, the group talks about how to get started in forming and implementing an effective strategy. It is such an exciting time for procurement leaders, as they have great opportunity to innovate, challenge, and identify strategic partners to accelerate business change. Effective engagement with suppliers is of primary importance, and leaders should also consider what is in their control in relationships with suppliers (such as the cultivation of relationships with suppliers that share the company's values). Procurement leaders have opportunity to work toward a sense of mutual value creation, a robust insistence on company values, and even diversity on multiple levels.
Of course, when preparing to move toward a stronger sustainable procurement practice, it's helpful to see how other companies are handling similar shifts. However, it is not entirely clear at this point what companies are and are not doing well in this area, and the realm of sustainable procurement is constantly evolving and demands flexibility. That being said, there are critical success factors to bear in mind. First, those trying to secure rapid benefits should treat procurement as a true business partner. Procurement leaders should leverage their asset (expertise and data), live the visible strategic priority of sustainability in procurement, keep an eye to tangible value, focus on business alignment, and establish structures of collaboration.
The Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin talks with Principal Yonas Yohannes on the growth of cloud computing and what companies should think about as they make the decision to move to the cloud.
Show Notes:
Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by Hackett Group Senior Director Jay Ruffin. His guest today is Hackett Group Principal Yonas Yohannes. Yonas is an expert in all things digital and is a leader in the area of technology transformation; he joins the podcast today to offer insight on the specific topic of cloud computing.
The market for cloud computing has grown a great deal in recent years, and it is expected to continue growing. Interestingly, though, much of the growth thus far has been seen among small and medium-sized businesses, while larger businesses seem to be lagging more. Yonas offers a brief overview of the history of the cloud, and notes that there has been a lack of both a systematic way to adopt and a motivating sense of need to migrate to the cloud. As part of ongoing digital transformation in the market, Yonas explains, we need to see the cloud treated more as a business strategy and a strategic imperative. We need to see cloud service providers (among others) constructing an adoption mechanism and migration plan, and helping business leaders to think through migration and the necessity of it.
And while it is true that larger companies have thus far lagged behind smaller companies in transitioning to the cloud, Yonas also notes that there are exceptions to this trend. In the financial services industry, for instance, several large companies have migrated to the cloud. Such transitions have been helped by strong cloud education shaping c-level decisions, as well as the emergence of the new customer (with a demand for the digital). In some business sectors, Yonas points out, there has been a faster rate of adoption among large companies than in others. In general, though, the whole market is moving toward adoption of the cloud as a digital transformation pillar.
Moving forward, Jay and Yonas discuss whether there are any must-haves in terms of frameworks or tools as companies consider transitioning to the cloud. Yonas explains a few valuable frameworks: cloud strategy, economy, and management. And while content for executives on a general approach to and the mechanisms of cloud have been missing in recent years, there is increasing availability of resources for leaders to consider the benefits and risks of cloud, an adoption strategy, etc.
As the conversation moves toward a close, Jay asks Yonas for his thoughts about what is in the future and what listeners should be looking out for. Yonas explains that the concept of resilience has changed, and is now tied to the cloud, how banks in particular will be helped by modernizing and simplifying their legacy structures and applications, and more. Yonas offers advice to those looking to formulate a cloud strategy, advises a multiple-CSD approach, and an overall push to both adopt the cloud and mitigate company risk. Finally, he leaves listeners with parting thoughts on the primacy of strategy, the importance of executive sponsorship and having the cloud aligned to all aspects of a business, and the need to think in terms of resilience.
The Hackett Group Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo talks with Chief HR Officer Harry Osle about “The Great Resignation,” what is driving it and what companies can do to address issues relating to hiring and retention in today’s changing market.
Show Notes:Welcome to the Hackett Group’s Business Excelleration Podcast, where - week after week - we hear from experts on how to avoid obstacles, manage detours, and celebrate milestones on the journey to world-class performance. This episode of the podcast is hosted by the Hackett Group’s Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo. His guest today is Harry Osle, Chief HR Officer and Global Leader of the HR Executive Advisory program at Hackett.
The topic for today’s discussion is the great resignation. As we all know, people are leaving their workplaces, and some even the entire workforce, at an unprecedented rate. To begin, Harry shares some of his own observations as a CHRO and advisor at Hackett. He believes these resignations and high turnover rates are an outcome of what he deems “the great introspective.” Over the last two years, people have had the chance to really ask themselves if they are doing what they truly love. Many are realizing that they are not, and are deciding to do something different.
Once people have the opportunity to experience the hardships of personal business, Harry expects we will begin to see some returning to the traditional workforce. As the variants go away and life becomes more normal, the pendulum will shift back as well. However, we will never be back to where we were before. For many organizations, remote work is here to stay.
Many employers have found themselves at a complete loss in terms of how to attract and retain a workforce. Currently, there are more positions open than there are people to fill them. This is putting tremendous pressure on the entire recruiting pipeline, from attracting talent, interviewing them, ensuring they are a right fit and that the onboarding process is efficient.
Next, Harry shares a few ways employers can be more effective in attracting and retaining talent. When it comes to attracting talent, they should do a better job of positioning their brand and ensuring it is out in the marketplace and recognizable. Taking advantage of all job listing and social media sites is very important. Then, they must be timely and efficient with the interview process. This involves ensuring you have the right interview questions, process and interviewers. At that point, it’s very important to ensure that you have an efficient and impactful hiring process. Make sure new hires understand all of the capabilities they are provided for learning new things, developing themselves and growing their careers with you. Remember that while you are hiring someone, you are also marketing to them. Finally, make sure a new hire is equipped with the right performance manager, understands their goals and is surrounded with others who will make them successful in their career.
In terms of retaining talent, Harry believes it is all about making sure they understand that the organization is there. It begins with great coaching, mentoring and candid feedback on performance. Because remote knowledge working is here to stay, you must create avenues for employees to reach out to individual and get feedback on how they’re doing. People often leave their employers because they feel disconnected from the organization. If you can address that by making sure they’re engaged and enjoy their work, you will gain respect. Additionally, making sure they have appropriate and impactful compensation and benefits is more important now than ever. The final piece is to provide them with global mobility and other career options after they have held the same position for a while.
The Hackett Group’s European Advisory Services Practice Leader Martijn Geerling talks with European Practice Leader David Ketchin about the financial impact of the pandemic on European businesses, and how companies can prepare for potentially rising interest rates in 2022.
The Hackett Group Director Jay Ruffin talks with Senior Director Rick Pastore, ADP Senior Vice President Roberto Masiero and ADP Corporate Vice President Don Weinstein about the evolution of ADP’s Innovation Lab, which has helped drive transformational technology change for the HR management software and services vendor.
The Hackett Group Principal David Ketchin talks with Associate Principal John Sheridan and Senior Director Hermann Waschefort about the role of global business services and outsourcing in the next-generation operating model for finance, procurement, and other business services.
The Hackett Group’s Chris Key speaks with Senior Research Director Rick Pastore about best practices that enable top performing IT organizations to more effectively prioritize and manage IT projects to deliver greater business value.
The Hackett Group Associate Principal Franco Girimonte talks with Senior HR Research Director Tony DiRomualdo and HR Advisor Dave Polacheck about the current crisis in retaining and finding talent, and how companies can more effectively address these issues.
Senior Research Director Nilly Essaides talks with Associate Principal Gilles Bonelli and Associate Principal Sherri Liao about what steps finance organizations can take to mature their finance business partnering capabilities.
Associate Principal Dorothee El-Khoury talks with Senior Director, HR Advisory Services David Polacheck about the latest trends in corporate learning and development.
Director Jay Ruffin talks with Principal Yonas Yohannes and Senior Consultant Matt Williams about transitioning IT towards a value-driven approach that provides greater transparency to internal clients and focuses on improving flexibility, agility, and the quantification of the strategic business value that is being driven by technology transformation and systems rationalization.
The Hackett Group Principal Paul Morrison talks with Wipro’s VP of HR and Global Head of HR Shared Services Putul Mathur and VP and Global Head of AI Solutions Practice Mukund Kalmanker about Wipro’s AI-led digital transformation in human resources, which won the company a 2021 Digital Award in the Hire-to-Retire category from The Hackett Group.
Principal Martijn Geerling talks with Vice President of Research Erik Dorr about The Hackett Group’s new Digital World Class performance standard, and how it differs from the world-class standard that The Hackett Group has used for decades to measure operational excellence and business value in finance, procurement, HR, IT, and other business services areas.
Director Jay Ruffin talks with Senior Consultant Matt Williams and Principal Yonas Yohannes about how data science has changed in the past few years, and how data scientists can better understand and address the needs of the business.
Associate Principal Patrick Chan talks with Associate Principal James McDonald discuss how companies can transform and optimize their buying channel strategy by considering the best mix of requirements, controls, approvals, and procedures for each major category of corporate purchases.
The Hackett Group Senior Advisor Kurt Albertson talks with Senior Advisor Nic Walden, discussing and contrasting trends in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ES&G) programs in the U.S. and Europe. They detail how sustainability and supplier diversity in particular are a growing priority for many companies, and talk about the requirements companies are putting on their procurement leaders and suppliers to more effectively address these issues and measure performance.
Host Istvan Bodo talks with Craig Bailey, who leads the working capital team within The Hackett Group’s finance transformation practice, about key findings from The Hackett Group’s 2020 Working Capital survey. The survey, which analyzes performance in payables, receivables and inventory for the 1000 largest public non-financial companies in the U.S., showed the transformational impact of the pandemic on working capital performance. Overall, most companies dramatically slowed payments to suppliers in 2020 to improve their own bottom line, while disrupted demand caused inventory to reach record levels. Driven by market uncertainty, cash-on-hand and debt both also rose to record levels. The two also discussed how companies are now moving forward, focusing on working capital to be able to more effectively respond to the various unknowns related to the economic recovery.
Host Franco Girimonte talks with Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo and Senior Director David Polacheck about winning HR strategies for the new hybrid workplace. They discuss the return to the office, the future of work, and provide recommendations on how to redesign work for the better.
Host Laura Gibbons talks with Senior Director Tarun Puri about findings from our new supplier diversity study. They discuss how the social equality movement of the past few years has sparked growth, the ambitious goals companies have for supplier diversity expansion, and changes in how companies are structuring their programs internally.
The Hackett Group Principal Vin Kumar talks with Senior Director Vanessa Keating about key findings from regular round table discussions with business leaders, discussing how they are making the most of RPA and other smart automation technology, and how the use of this technology is evolving.
The Hackett Group Associate Principal Franco Girimonte talks with Senior Director Tony DiRomualdo about results from our latest digital world-class HR research. They discuss how technology is dramatically changing the way HR organizations operate, and allowing them to provide greater strategic value and an improved customer experience at lower cost.
The Hackett Group Associate Principal Gerhard Urbasch talks with Principal Jim O’Connor , who lead’s our North American Advisory Practice, about the findings from our digital world-class finance research. They discuss how digital transformation has helped finance become leaner and more agile, and deliver greater strategic value to the enterprise.
Host Chris Sawchuk talks with Tim Yoo, leader of The Hackett Group’s Technology Practice, about findings from the latest digital world-class procurement research “Reaching New Heights in Peak Performance,” which details how technology enables procurement organizations to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and customer experience. They also discuss how data and analytics skills have become more important in procurement, and how challenging it has become to find talent qualified and able to utilize these tools to provide greater business value.
Host Chris Key talks with The Hackett Group Principal Mike Fuller and Senior Director Jay Ruffin about key findings from our new digital world-class IT research, and how advanced technology is enabling new levels of insight and business value across various business services functions. Topics covered include the increasing role of data and analytics in decision making, the move towards the cloud, the need for new skills and talent in IT, and the role that organizational culture plans in IT transformation.
Host Jay Ruffin talks with Edward C Anderson, CIO and IT Department Director at the IMF about the challenge of modernization, and the integrated tools and cultural shift required to help staff become better knowledge workers. Ruffin also discusses how his IT staff has helped the IMF adapt to the pandemic, and how his team has participated in IMF discussions around cryptocurrency, blockchain, and other technology-driven issues, and have helped their organization develop strategies for finance technology implementations.
Penny Weller, The Hackett Group Senior Director, GBS Advisory, talks with Juan Gomes Hoyos, Senior Manager, GBS Global Operational Excellence Practices for Kimberly-Clark about Kimberly-Clark’s transformation journey in global business services. The company has created a culture of continuous improvement that enables its GBS operations to provide unique strategic value, drive cost savings, improve efficiency, and enable excellence in both traditional and non-traditional global business services areas.
Host David Ketchin talks with Tom Kellaway, The Hackett Group Associate Principal and European Benchmark Practice Leader about creating a sustainable performance excellence culture via a combination of measurement, accountability, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration. Tom shares brief case histories from several clients who are targeting world-class performance levels, including Vodafone, Sky, Tetra Pak, and BASF.
Host Nathan Harris talks with Kurt Albertson, Principal in The Hackett Group’s Procurement Advisory Group and Josh Nelson, Principal in The Hackett Group’s Supply Chain and Operations Consulting Group about the impact of the pandemic on companies’ digital transformation initiatives in procurement and supply chain, and how companies with more mature digital transformation programs benefitted in terms of improved agility, efficiency, and insight.
Host Paul Morrison talks with The Hackett Group IT Transformation Practice Principals Scott Holland and Mike Fuller about how IT must adapt to its changing role in the business, balance the need to “keep the lights on” with the development of emerging capabilities, and use digital transformation to improve agility, enhance the customer experience, and drive greater value to the enterprise.
Host Martijn Geerling talks with Paul Morrison, Principal and Digital Enablement Transformation Practice leader and Vin Kumar, Principal and Digital Finance and Global Business Services Advisory Practice leader about how digital transformation is changing the way Global Business Services organizations operate, and how they can use technology to further optimize processes, reduce manual labor, and provide greater strategic value to their companies.
Host Clayton Gammill, Associate Principal, HR Transformation for The Hackett Group talks with Dave Polacheck, Director, HR Advisory about how digital transformation has the ability to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and customer experience for the HR function.
The Hackett Group Managing Director of Europe David Ketchin talks with Senior Director and Head of Sourcing for Europe Jill Stabler about the latest market trends in outsourcing, and how technology has changed the value proposition that outsourcers can offer.
The Hackett Group Managing Director of Europe David Ketchin talked with Associate Principal Tom Kellaway about how companies can determine the optimal cost for business services by using a “digital twin” approach, which can be used to model changes to business complexity, functional demand, and service delivery model. Using this approach, companies can more gain insight into the value of various strategies for business services improvement, including staff reductions, process improvement, and automation.
Host Stephen Ferguson, who leads The Hackett Group’s Account-to-Report Advisory Program in Europe, talks with Andreas Beier, Head of Record-to-Report & Change for Bayer. Mr. Beier details Bayer’s record-to-report transformation, and how the company has dramatically streamlined and standardized R2R in order to enable better insights and faster decision making.
Covid has left its mark on working capital performance. The Hackett Group Principal Brian Hall interviews Senior Director Gerhard Urbasch on the results from our latest working capital survey, breaking down performance for receivables, payable, and inventory, and offering strategies companies can use to make improvements in each area.
Nilly Essaides, Senior Research Director, Finance Advisory talks with Jason Logman, Principal, Finance Transformation about how companies are transforming their FP&A operations. The pandemic has caused many companies to expect more from FP&A. By utilizing cutting edge technology, focusing on key drivers, and more, FP&A can improve agility and offer greater insight that can drive improved accuracy and better business decisions.
The Hackett Group Associate Principal Franco Girimonte and Senior Director HR Research Anthony DiRomualdo discuss findings from The Hackett Group’s 2021 HR Key Issues research, including how the pandemic has required HR to step up and play a greater role as a strategic advisor to the business. HR’s ability to enable high-performing organizational culture and better align talent with business needs, improve overall agility, and address workforce diversity issues are also covered. Finally the two experts talk about HR’s digital transformation and other technology initiatives, which have become more important in today’s largely remote work environment.
The Hackett Group North American GBS Program Leader Penny Weller talks with Managing Director, Advisory Practice Leader, Europe Martijn Geerling about the results from The Hackett Group’s 2021 Global Business Services Key Issues Study. The study in part charts how the global pandemic is impacting on strategic priorities and initiatives for GBS organizations as they continue to mature, from a largely labor arbitrage focus to a broader value proposition.
The Hackett Group’s Laura Gibbons talks with Chris Sawchuk, Principal and Global Procurement Advisory Practice Leader, about findings from the 2021 Procurement Key Issues study, which shows a dramatic shift in procurement priorities, including an increased emphasis on reducing supply risk, accelerating digital transformation, enhancing advanced analytics capabilities, and greater focus on diversity and corporate social responsibility.
Nilly Essaides, Senior Director of Research at The Hackett Group’s Finance Advisory Program talks with Tom Willman, Principal and Lead for Finance Advisory about how the pandemic has changed finance priorities for 2021. The pandemic has made it critical for finance to improve its ability to act as a strategic business advisor, cut costs and enhance effiiciency, and accelerate digital transformation.
Exec VP Dave Sievers talks with Supply Chain Practice Leader Bob Allen and Principal Josh Nelson about the results from our 2021 Supply Chain Key Issues Research, which detailed how the pandemic made supply chain a top priority for most companies. The research found that integrated business planning was a key to enable companies to pivot quickly when the pandemic hit. The panelists also detail how companies in an array of industries, including fresh food, computers, and fashion, adapted to supply chain challenges during 2020, and discuss lessons learned, progress in digital transformation, recommendations for 2021, and more.
Chris Key, global IT advisory practice leader for The Hackett Group, discusses findings from our IT Key issues research with Rick Pastore, senior research director. With digital transformation at the top of the enterprise agenda for 2021, IT must drive digital transformation within its own organization, in order to more effectively support enterprise transformation. But IT is behind the curve, having neglected its own digital transformation, and must focus on automating manual processes, building the skills and relationships it needs, and taking a leadership role in the enterprise. All this must be achieved in the context of shrinking budgets, reduced staffing, and increased workload in 2021.
The Hackett Group’s Chris Sawchuk talks with Nic Walden, procurement senior advisor, about the challenges with today’s typical procurement operating model, what changes can be made, the impact on procurement strategy and the increased demand for procurement agility and improved predictive capabilities.
Nilly Essaides, senior research director for Finance and EPM at The Hackett Group, talks with Gilles Bonelli, practice leader of Finance and EPM Advisory for Europe at The Hackett Group, and Vanessa Keating, director of Digital Finance and EPM Advisory at The Hackett Group, about how finance organizations have been accelerating their drive toward improving innovation, agility, and the strategic value they offer in response to the global pandemic.
Stephanie Marchuk, manager at The Hackett Group, talks with Chief Human Resources Officer and Advisory Principal Harry Osle about key vital signs for measuring the health of a human resources (HR) organization. Harry discusses some of the strategies that world-class HR organizations use to improve efficiency, while also delivering greater effectiveness and providing more strategic value.
Chris Key, senior director at The Hackett Group, talks with Allan Frank, The Hackett Group’s co-founder, about how the pandemic has accelerated the evolution toward true cross-functional collaboration for knowledge workers and others across the enterprise.
Host Nilly Essaides talks with Bryan Hall, The Hackett Group’s principal and finance transformation leader, about how the pandemic has changed the chief financial officer (CFO) agenda for 2020, and the emerging priorities for 2021, including dealing with ongoing uncertainty, continuing digital transformation, improving analytics capabilities, tightening cash flow management, and enhancing the ability of finance to serve as a strategic advisor to the business.
Laura Gibbons, The Hackett Group’s senior director, interviews Chris Sawchuk, The Hackett Group’s principal, on the results of our 2020 Procurement Key Issues survey. They discuss how the pandemic has caused procurement priorities to shift in areas such as digital transformation, risk management, talent and skills, social responsibility, and more.
Covid has represented a roller coaster for the human resources function. The Hackett Group’s North American Advisory Practice Leader Franco Girimonte talks with Senior Research Director Tony DiRomualdo about how the pandemic has changed HR’s role and provided an opportunity for HR to prove its value to the organization by playing a key role in maintaining business continuity. While the pandemic has proven the strength of some HR organizations, it has uncovering weaknesses of others in key areas, including skills deficiencies, structural issues and outdated technology.
Two of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings’ lead IT executives – CIO and SVP of Operations and Governance Dimple Jethani, and CIO and SVP of Enterprise Applications and Emerging Technology Scott Piccolo – discuss how the company’s IT organization has responded to the global pandemic, and the IT challenges and opportunities presented by the next normal.