The buzz: 'Chain, chain, chain.

The buzz: 'Chain, chain, chain.' Effective supply chain operation is vital for manufacturers and retailers, but the forces of globalization, outsourcing, pricing pressures, new technologies, emerging competitors, and fast-changing market conditions pose critical challenges. How to get past the hurdles? Cloud-based business networks provide seamless integration for real-time collaboration between internal planning systems and all suppliers to drive efficiencies and savings across the supply...

The buzz: Who’s minding the store? You consider yourself and your company savvy in the eCommerce space. You’ve embraced online technologies and tools to service your customers and to increase the efficiency of day-to-day work processes.

The buzz: Who’s minding the store? You consider yourself and your company savvy in the eCommerce space. You’ve embraced online technologies and tools to service your customers and to increase the efficiency of day-to-day work processes. You even built a digital marketing group and eCommerce team to stay competitive with major players and support your business initiatives. But who is managing all of the data input into your systems? Heads-up: Poor data quality and governance can have a big...

The buzz: We got the power! Growing up literally alongside each other, Millennials and technology now stand as a single, powerful entity.

The buzz: We got the power! Growing up literally alongside each other, Millennials and technology now stand as a single, powerful entity. This new business reality is impacting companies that want or need to win the hearts, minds, wallets and loyalty of this young consumer demographic. Are your current selling and marketing strategies still effective in the world of Millennials? If not, you need to become tech-savvy fast and understand the roles mobile and social play in customer...

The buzz: Fish or cut bait? Fish! If you're a small- to medium-size company, it is daunting to have to compete with larger suppliersand their healthy marketing budgets, established brand awareness, and nationwide or global market presence.

The buzz: Fish or cut bait? Fish! If you're a small- to medium-size company, it is daunting to have to compete with larger suppliersand their healthy marketing budgets, established brand awareness, and nationwide or global market presence. But don't throw in the towel yet! Business networks, combined with the shift toward online lead generation tools, can help enable your SME to grow and compete globally with the big kids. How? The experts speak. David Favro, National Business Furniture: “If...

The buzz: Zzzzs. Is sales productivity, or lack of it, keeping your C-suite awake at night? They have good reason, with the sales quota attainment gap hovering around 52% (CSO Insights).

The buzz: Zzzzs. Is sales productivity, or lack of it, keeping your C-suite awake at night? They have good reason, with the sales quota attainment gap hovering around 52% (CSO Insights). From sheer exhaustion, many companies jump into a technology solution without best practices strategies to address changed buying behavior and the roles of enablement and technology. Help is here! The experts speak. Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling: “If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give...

The buzz: Three’s company. Calling all CPOs and CFOs! Your procurement and finance teams may be collaborating on a joint business case for source-to-pay, but truly transforming the business in this Digital Economy requires a third partner: IT.

The buzz: Three’s company. Calling all CPOs and CFOs! Your procurement and finance teams may be collaborating on a joint business case for source-to-pay, but truly transforming the business in this Digital Economy requires a third partner: IT. Why? Given today’s pervasive disruptive tech innovations, it takes a triple-threat power team to achieve sustained business success – leveraging synergies to streamline the source-to-pay process, simplify supply chain connectivity, and drive ecosystem...

The buzz: Who’s minding the store? You consider yourself and your company savvy in the eCommerce space. You’ve embraced online technologies and tools to service your customers and to increase the efficiency of day-to-day work processes.

The buzz: Who’s minding the store? You consider yourself and your company savvy in the eCommerce space. You’ve embraced online technologies and tools to service your customers and to increase the efficiency of day-to-day work processes. You even built a digital marketing group and eCommerce team to stay competitive with major players and support your business initiatives. But who is managing all of the data input into your systems? Heads-up: Poor data quality and governance can have a big...

The buzz: We got the power! Growing up literally alongside each other, Millennials and technology now stand as a single, powerful entity.

The buzz: We got the power! Growing up literally alongside each other, Millennials and technology now stand as a single, powerful entity. This new business reality is impacting companies that want or need to win the hearts, minds, wallets and loyalty of this young consumer demographic. Are your current selling and marketing strategies still effective in the world of Millennials? If not, you need to become tech-savvy fast and understand the roles mobile and social play in customer...

The buzz: The “M” word, again? If you’ve caught yourself saying “Millennials are ---,” it doesn’t matter what you say next.

The buzz: The “M” word, again? If you’ve caught yourself saying “Millennials are ---,” it doesn’t matter what you say next. You’re probably wrong! We’ll look at this (allegedly) most arrogant, aggravating, and amazing generation who use money, sex, and power to change their world and yours. What motivates Millennial customers? Short answer: not much. Join us to learn how to manage, market to, and convince Millennials to buy. The experts speak. T. Scott Gross, T Scott Gross & Co, Inc:...

The buzz: Your #1 business wish this year. If you’re hoping for a crystal ball to show you what 2016 holds for your company, industry and the world, we’ve got the next best thing.

The buzz: Your #1 business wish this year. If you’re hoping for a crystal ball to show you what 2016 holds for your company, industry and the world, we’ve got the next best thing. Today you’ll hear predictions from three inspiring thought leaders on the technologies, strategies, and trends that can help your business network grow and compete better in 2016 and beyond. The expert speak. Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling: “The customer experience is the next competitive battleground”...

The buzz: The Virtual Enterprise. If you’re doing “business as usual,” here’s a reality check. Technological change is challenging existing business models. Markets are increasingly global.

The buzz: The Virtual Enterprise. If you’re doing “business as usual,” here’s a reality check. Technological change is challenging existing business models. Markets are increasingly global. New competition is forcing companies like yours to do even more with less. Welcome to the age of the Virtual Enterprise powered by Business Networks – the new building block in the emerging Networked Economy. Are you ready? The experts speak. Dana Gardner, Interarbor Solutions: “How do we understand the...

The buzz: The weakest link. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In our integrated global economy, this means supplier risk is your risk.

The buzz: The weakest link. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In our integrated global economy, this means supplier risk is your risk. Multi-location sourcing, ever-changing regulations, and a dynamic business environment put organizations like yours at constant risk from multiple points of potential failures. Protecting your business requires fundamental changes in how you anticipate and mitigate supplier risks. Billions of dollars may be at stake. Can the alignment of...