Process & Operations

Back in 2007, Michael Hammer, the father of the process-centred organisation, wrote in the Harvard Business Review that few executives question the idea that by redesigning business processes - work that runs from end to end across an enterprise - they can achieve extraordinary improvements in cost, quality, speed, profitability, and other key areas.

Tesla recently demonstrated its new electric pickup vehicle, dubbed 'Cybertruck', which has polarised public opinion. Some have stated it looks like a vehicle from a child's sketch come to life, while others consider it to be a vision of the future.

Barloworld Logistics - Why outsourcing can unlock value in tough economic times - Smart Supply Chain Solutions

COVID-19 vaccine rollouts worldwide have triggered the reboot of delayed expansion plans. Expansion into a new country will challenge the efficiency of a company’s existing delivery process. The winners in the global expansion race will be able to adjust products, prices and distribution channels according to local preferences.

Decarbonisation of the energy system, from a hydrocarbon-based to a sustainable, low-carbon energy system poses an existential threat to the oil and gas industry. On the other hand, it presents oil and gas companies with new portfolio opportunities to build adjacent businesses, shape and participate in new markets, and drive new sources of value from existing assets and capabilities.

When is right? Common sense indicates that when the currency is stronger, it becomes cheaper to import. But, if we consider that the trade market changes constantly and that there are a number of factors that affect the sector – beyond currency fluctuations, is there really a right time to import?

Meetings have been a part of the business landscape and company calendar for as long as anyone can remember, and indeed have played a valuable role as a forum to communicate, collaborate and innovate. However many, perhaps even most meetings today no longer serve a strategic purpose and have, instead, become reflexive diary entries that contribute little and can, indeed, hurt more than help, a leadership expert.

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the shortcomings of South Africa’s connectivity landscape, emphasising the fact that not all areas across the country have access to reliable, fast and stable bandwidth. As companies were forced to rapidly enable their workforces to work from home, it became abundantly clear that not all connectivity is equal.

Many employers are asking their teams to work from home, while entrepreneurs who would usually work from a shared space are working from home. This is in order to reduce the risk of employees contracting the COVID-19 virus and adhere to the national lockdown. 

While the power of face-to-face, physical sessions remains indisputable, COVID-19 has called for a ‘new normal’ where Zoom meetings and WhatsApp calls are the order of the day. All sectors of society have been impacted, including intermediaries who have had to quickly digitally mobilise to be there for their clients in a time when they’re needed most.