Interviews
- »One on One with Ed Hess
Grow or Die. It’s probably the most common business axiom, and the least accurate, according to the new book “Smart Growth: Building an Enduring Business by Managing the Risks of Growth” (Columbia Business School Publishing). To better understand the book’s implications for firms, Consulting’s One-on-One sat down with the book’s author, Ed Hess, a former Arthur Andersen strategy consultant and current professor at the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business.
- »One on One with Summit's David Litherland
When prospective employees interview for a job, they obsess over making a good, lasting impression. Firms should do the same. To learn how firms can avoid typical pitfalls, Consulting’s One on One sat down with David Litherland, managing partner of Summit Search Group, an executive search firm specializing in placing professionals within professional service firms.
- »One on One with PwC's Tom Craren
Senior executives are becoming immune to traditional marketing. Marketing consultants tell us that to pierce through the white noise of corporate communication, firms should consider “content marketing”. Instead of more traditional marketing, providing valuable insight and perspective in a blog or electronic newsletter can serve as a more effective door opener. One of the best examples is PricewaterhouseCoopers’ “10-Minute” series. For almost three years, PwC has boiled down complex thought leadership into small electronic pieces an executive can read in about ten minutes. To learn more about PwC’s marketing efforts, Consulting’s One-on-One sat down with Tom Craren, the firm’s brand strategy and thought leadership leader. His team of 20 writers produces between two to three 10-minute pieces each month, along with more detailed white papers.
- »One on One with Stanford Hospital's Kate Surman
Transitioning healthcare companies from paper to electronic records presents huge consulting opportunities.
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2009
»Study: Most Companies Still Seeking Cost Savings
Archstone Consulting’s annual Cost Management survey has revealed 57 percent of companies have yet to identify areas of sufficient cost savings in 2009. The study also found that companies are shifting away from traditional cost saving methods like off-shoring and strategic sourcing and instead favoring more creative options. According to the study, logistics redesign has seen an 11 percent increase, shared services and asset rationalization have each jumped by nine percent. Meanwhile, discreet tactics including restructuring, overhead cost reduction, off-shoring and strategic sourcing have all waned in popularity. President and CEO of Archstone Todd Lavieri said, “companies today have to act very aggressively to protect their profits—they need to review their previous cost reduction plans and examine the savings opportunities that were left on the table in 2008.”
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