Bob Evans from InformationWeek [26 Jan] wrote:

A variety of experts have come up with a list of companies top priorities:

       Create new products

       Create new revenue

       Deepen the company’s engagement with customers

       Conserve cash, liberate trapped cash and understand the implications of cash flow

       Create and enforce global standards for processes and applications

       Unlock new ways to find, deliver and assess higher value information

Of course, Bob is asking how CIO’s can help in these endeavors.

Our thoughts…

This topic appears to be a continuation of my last Ideas on the ‘triple crown’ [reduce costs, improve revenues and enhance customer service].  The above priorities can fall into these buckets – You create new products to create new revenue [improve revenues]; Deepen the company’s engagement with customers [customer service]; and the last 3 fall into the bucket of reduce costs.

I see a company as a collection of processes.  For example - all companies have a common process [although the steps may be different] ‘quote to cash’.  The high level process look like: present quote; gather PO; provide goods or service; bill for goods or service; record payment.  And, each of these will have at least one process of its own.  Any improvements that we can make to these processes will contribute to achieving the ‘triple crown’. 

Process improvements may even be the ‘key’ to achieving the ‘triple crown’.

Your thoughts…

Does your company subscribe to any of these priorities? How do you plan to achieve these priorities?  Do you buy into the notion of the ‘triple crown’?  Want some help?