When companies become networks, the edges are the center

The fifth BearingPoint Institute report focuses on developing practical responses to the challenges of organizational improvement in the digital age

Amsterdam/London, October 20, 2014 – Today, no company operates in isolation. The increasing prevalence of strategic partnerships and joint ventures between organizations is making it increasingly difficult to identify where the boundaries of one company end and those of the next begin. But does this matter in a world where all that counts is whatever it takes to accelerate speed to market and the pace of innovation? The fifth BearingPoint Institute report, published today, focuses on strategies for leveraging the opportunities of accelerated change in areas including the achievement of hyper-agility in retailing, driving operational improvement at line-manager level and the eight key public-sector reforms required to prevent challenges from escalating into crises.

The hyperagile retailer: identifying omni-channel strategies for survival

• While retailers recognize the need to better combine their physical and virtual channels, it is often not clear how best to do so
• According to new BearingPoint research, the key to retail’s future is the unaffiliated ‘swing shopper’ group, which selects the channel that best suits each transaction
• ‘Pre-millenials’ in particular may hold the key of the stores future
• Physical retailers now need to pursue a range of specific priorities to differentiate themselves for this group and so stay in the game

Diving deep in the connected digital economy: seven pointers for personalized customer engagement

• Unprecedented opportunities exist for closer and deeper customer engagement, through big data, the cloud, social networking, mobile and more
• But few organizations are successfully leveraging these to create new experiences beyond today’s point services and apps
• How organizations can harness the power that’s available to them today to create bundles of mass-personalized services that deliver new experiences

It’s about far more than finance: equipping CFOs for the CEO journey

• When they reach the top of the tree, many former CFOs find that they lack a number of key skills
• How can financially based CEOs transcend their backgrounds to assure the future success of their companies?

Walking the walk – line management and operational improvement

• How many organizations genuinely act in a way that proves their people are their most valuable asset?
• All too few – but front-line managers have a key role to play in unlocking the potential of employees for enhanced performance and innovation

Overcoming uncertainty – eight imperatives for public sector reform

• Rising to the challenges of reform in a fast-moving operational and social environment is a cause of much concern and debate for public sector organizations in many countries
• BearingPoint public sector Partners from across Europe identify the eight fundamental steps that must be taken to prevent the issues involved from becoming critical

The future is about co-operative and collaborative work models that enable organizations to transcend their traditional limits and re-invent their capabilities dependent on the skillsets of their partners. This shift of focus from the center to the edges is a cultural challenge for many, but the rewards of success are the agility and flexibility required for success in the digital economy.

Per Jacobsson, BearingPoint Partner and lead for the BearingPoint Institute

You can order the full report on the BearingPoint website: www.bearingpointinstitute.com or contact us to discuss individual themes in more detail.

About the BearingPoint Institute

Founded in 2009, the BearingPoint Institute is an incisive, authoritative voice on business-critical topics, bringing together the finest minds from both within and outside the BearingPoint organisation. We strive to:

• Advise business leaders to understand the evolution of the global economy at a deeper level
• Explore new thinking, going beyond straightforward “Thought Leadership”
• Propose new points of view about strategy and organisational change, and stimulate debate

This is achieved by offering practical, real-world advice from:

• A leadership team composed of senior BearingPoint Partners, representing geographical diversity and a wealth of capabilities
• An independent Advisory Board formed by recognised business leaders and academics
• Studies made by experts illustrated with real-life examples

About BearingPoint

BearingPoint consultants understand that the world of business changes constantly and that the resulting complexities demand intelligent and adaptive solutions. Our clients, whether in commercial or financial industries or in government, experience real results when they work with us. We combine industry, operational and technology skills with relevant proprietary and other assets in order to tailor solutions for each client’s individual challenges. This adaptive approach is at the heart of our culture and has led to long-standing relationships with many of the world’s leading companies and organizations. Our global consulting network of 9200 people serves clients in more than 70 countries and engages with them for measurable results and long-lasting success.

For more information, please visit: www.bearingpoint.com