Useful insights that stand the test of time

Expert Insights

More than 8 in 10 businesses underwent transformational change in 2017

A global survey by interim management specialist IXPA has found that 85% of businesses underwent transformational change in 2017. The study looked at the key challenges facing organisations around the world over the past 12 months and asked leaders how they were tackling them.

Boutique or large consultancy? Why not both?

Using a global management consultancy firm to deliver transformational change offers many benefits and is often the norm for large companies. But there are also tremendous advantages to using a boutique company. Williams Bain Director Mark Kitchen argues that in today’s fast-moving world, it really doesn’t have to be one or the other – outstanding results are being realised by companies using a model blending the best of both worlds.

IT transformation is the key to great service

A disconnect between the IT function and the rest of the business is harming many organisations’ ability to connect with their customers, argues Graham van Terheyden, and it’s time to put it right. The transformation expert explains how business leaders can realise the potential of their IT function – and perform better.

Responding to change: what next for social housing?

The Social Housing sector faces unprecedented challenges as Housing Associations and Local Authority ALMOs have to provide more homes and better services with less money. Change management expert David Lister argues that restructuring and developing a new Target Operating Model can create greater efficiencies and more modern ways of working – leaving organisations in better shape for the future.

Invest in the future – with or without a strong balance sheet

Brexit and the US presidential election have created a cautious market in which many companies are minded to sit on their cash and do nothing. But experienced commercial director David Scott argues that conditions are ripe for companies to make measured investments and steal the advantage – even if their balance sheets aren’t looking so healthy.

Disposing and acquiring. How to get it right

Whether you have an underperforming subsidiary or you’re looking for growth, the market is ripe for disposals and acquisitions. Finance specialist David Wilton explains why – and how to prepare for both. It’s a competitive market right now, one full of pressures – but also opportunities. While a few years ago there was a degree…

Making a LATCo work in the real world

With many local authorities facing ever increasing financial pressures and demands, service delivery specialist Dave Fergus argues that it’s time to be brave and think and act differently about commercialisation.

Have you got the right treasury strategy?

It’s been a tumultuous few weeks. The Brexit result led to a huge fall in sterling against the dollar, recession speculation was rife and the only certainty was an unpredictable future. A new prime minister appears to have brought some stability and the markets have rebounded a little. But the ongoing economic uncertainty has made one thing clear: the need for businesses to have an effective treasury strategy.

Quality data starts with good governance

High-quality, well-managed data is crucial to give you a more sophisticated understanding of your customers and to drive better decision making. But before you can exploit data, it’s vital that you have sound governance in place – and the responsibility for that lies with the board, not your IT department.

Is now really a good time to go for growth?

With turbulence on the stock markets, an economic slowdown in China and uncertainty over the UK’s position in Europe, is now really the time to invest in growth? Former top Coca-Cola executive Nick Massey believes that, with some shrewd moves and a robust plan, you could seize the initiative to boost your market share and deliver a significant revenue upside.

Is now the time to sell your shared service centre?

A boom in internal shared service centres (SSCs) over the past 20 years has helped many organisations lower costs and drive efficiencies. But should you go a step further and outsource altogether? Interim finance manager Ben Chapman, who’s helped many companies set up and / or outsource their SSCs, explains the benefits of doing so, and why now’s a good time.

ERP is not MI – are you getting the right information?

With increasing pressure on CEOs to grow their businesses, accurate management information (MI) has never been so important. But as companies continue to invest heavily in transactional Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to optimise their business processes, former finance director turned management consultant Paul Cullen believes many businesses are not getting the user-friendly, actionable MI they need from the huge amounts of data they have.

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