Unfortunately It’s taking me a while to put together my A Change In the Process articles. As it goes, I’ve gotten busy with job searching these days, so the site has fallen a little by the wayside, but expect a new article by the middle of next week. I’ll keep you posted.
Also, of interest on this Hallows Eve. Honda has a interesting ad campaign running right now for the Honda Fit. There’s online ads, television commercials, a video game, and the site. Kind of fun. Check it out:
An interesting video piece on the impact of the recession on a per state basis. Interestingly enough, the midwest, including Minnesota, has been less impacted by recession than states on the coasts. Also note New Hampshire…why New Hampshire? I have no idea, but it would be interesting to find out.
During times of economic hardship, companies tend to take a look at themselves and begin to reassess. Most try to cut costs, reduce labor, and many try to realign their corporate ideals, thinking, and processes. From this reassessment comes the promise of success, since once the company has realigned, and the economy has righted itself, it should be in a better position to take advantage of the market.
That said, I’ve been watching a lot of process evolution in the last few months, and have come across a few key areas that are having a big impact on business and the marketplace at large. Similar to the technology revolution of the eighties and nineties, these changes in thinking and process are leading to some drastic evolutions in technology…so much so that we could be looking at a whole new technological revolution within the next five to ten years.
Over the next few posts, I’ll be talking about specific case examples, including the evolution of the internet with the adoption of cloud computing, the evolution of green technology with advancements in solar cells, the evolution of the automobiles with the creation of the GM Volt, and the current trend in separation between design and manufacturing using AMD and Apple as examples.
Hopefully over the course of these articles, we’ll stumble upon some emerging ideas and get a better grasp of the overarching themes heading into the next generation of business.
With people desperate for cash these days, identity theft is a growing concern. I had it happen to me just last week.
According to the article: High-tech crooks have begun stealing account numbers and PINs from drivers who pay at automated gas pumps. It’s part of a national crime trend that probably originated on the West Coast this year and recently appeared locally.
Thieves have long used devices called “skimmers” to copy information from the magnetic strips of debit and credit cards. They can look like an extension of the legitimate card reader slot and often don’t stand up to close scrutiny.
But new matchbox-size versions of the gadgets fit onto gas pump card readers without being noticeable and copy the numbers without compromising the transaction. New skimmers sometimes even contain tiny cameras that record drivers entering personal identification numbers.
I don’t really use my cash card much except to get money and an occasional gas fill up. Luckily I caught it early and was able to get my card canceled. It’s good to take precautions, especially as crooks are finding new and creative ways of getting your information. Also, in times like these you really don’t want people messing with your money.
I’ve been reading in the news as of late that the current number of suicides have risen with the failing of the global economy, bankruptcies, and joblessness. Unfortunately for many people, this is a serious reality. For those feeling the pressure and needing to talk, hot-lines and counseling are highly recommended.
For a list of hot-lines by state, check out: www.suicide.org
According to one article:
Financial stress builds up to the point the person feels they can’t go on, and the person believes their family is better off dead than left without a financial support,” said Kristen Rand, legislative director of the Washington D.C.-based Violence Policy Center.
Dr. Edward Charlesworth, a clinical psychologist in Houston, said the current crisis is breeding a sense of chronic anxiety among people who feel helpless and panic-stricken, as well as angry that their government has let them down.
“They feel like in this great society that we live in we should have more protection for the individuals rather than just the corporation,” he said.
It’s not yet clear there is a statistical link between suicides and the financial downturn since there is generally a two-year lag in national suicide figures. But historically, suicides increase in times of economic hardship. And the current financial crisis is already being called the worst since the Great Depression.
So about a month or so ago I ordered the IBM Global CEO Study from IBM. It’s an easy, and fairly casual read of 76 pages, but it’s got a lot of good informative studies, and you get a good feel for what CEO’s at the top and bottom of their respective fields are facing in the business world today.
Among the topics covered are:
Hungry For Change
Organizations are bombarded by change, and many are struggling to keep up. eight out of ten CEO’s see significant change ahead, and yet the gap between expected change and the ability to manage it has almost tripled since our last Global CEO Study in 2006.
Innovative Beyond Customer Imagination
CEOs view more demanding customers not as a threat, but as an opportunity to differentiate. CEOs are spending more to attract and retain increasingly prosperous, informed and socially aware customers.
Globally Integrated
Nearly all CEOs are adapting their business models-two-thirds are implementing extensive innovations. More than 40 percent are changing their enterprise models to be more collaborative.
Disruptive By nature
CEOs are moving aggressively toward global business designss, deeply changing capabilities and partnering more extensively. CEOs have moved beyond the cliche of globalization, and organizations of all sizes are reconfiguring to take advantage of global integration opportunities.
Genuine, Not Just Generous
Financial outperformers are making bolder plays. These companies anticipate more change, and manage it better. They are also more global in their business designs, partner more extensively and choose more disruptive forms of business model innovation.
Overall, it’s an interesting report, especially for people in companies going through transition, since it gives a good overview of how companies of various sizes have learned to grow and react to change. It’s also a good reference for this site, since it touches on many of the topics I’ve covered in the past six months, as well as many of the articles I continue to write about on a daily basis. I would encourage you to check it out.
According to an article from Yahoo News, GM and Chrystler are in talks over a possible merger of the two companies. Cerberus Capital Management LP, which owns 80.1 percent of Chrystler and 51 percent of GMAC Financial Services has made in roads in recent months to acquire all of Crystlers assets from the German based Daimler Benz AG which it could then turn over to GM for the remaining 49 percent of its stake in GMAC. Essencially merging the two automakers in what could potencially be a cost saving measure on the parts of the two ailing car manufacturers, but more importantly, it would solidify GM’s claim to the top spot in global sales, a position currently held by Toyota.
While GMAC has generally been a cash cow for GM in good times, at a time when GM is just trying to keep their business afloat, spinning off the company removes a lot of the risks involved in dealing with home and auto loans. It also allows all three companies to consolidate their businesses, which should be good for their respective bottom lines.
With Chrystler being 81% privately held, it’s somewhat difficult to gague, especially without a prospectus, what kind of baggage it may come with. Still, while the merger is far from a sure thing at this point, it is an interesting turn of events, and is something worth keeping an eye on.
Whether you like Disney or you don’t, you have to admit, they’ve made their mark on society in one fashion or another. As it is, this clip pretty much speaks for itself.
Here’s an article that talks about plug-in electric vehicles, including the Camry Hybrid, Volt, and Tesla. While Chevy looks good in specs, the article brings up a lot of good points about adoption of these vehicles. At an entry level price of $30,000, these vehicles aren’t cheap, and I’m suspecting that fuel efficient combustion engines will continue to be the norm for the next five to ten years.
Still, looking back at history, once these trends happen, they happen quickly. The age old Intel axiom that the number of transistors able to be fit on a chip doubles every two years, thus increasing the speed of the computer processor exponentially is a good example. As technology changes and is adopted in other parts of the industry, this technology will gain a wider acceptance and will more than likely have a stronger adoption rate by both consumers and corporations alike.
All things considered, with a shake up in the economy like we’re having right now, there are going to be a lot of changes in processes happening in the corporate workplace. Down turns in the economy always means big changes for corporations, and as technology adapts, we’re going to be seeing a lot of changes happening there as well. It may be that this is the beginning of a new technology boom, and while I’m not saying it’s going to happen tomorrow, there are some big things happening right now that make this look like a possibility. Stay tuned and I’ll see what I can dig up.
I’ve been following the American Express Members Projects on my blog over the last few weeks, and it’s been quite the race. It’s kind of fun to watch and see what people are voting for, but now it’s down to the last 5 and there are only 6 days left to vote. Unfortunately if you aren’t an American Express member, you can’t vote in the last round. Still, I encourage you to take a look and cheer them on in your hearts and minds.
I was sent an email last night from one of the finalist, and I just thought I’d pass it on.
Because you’ve written about another organization nominated for the American Express Members Projects on your blog, Henry Phish, I would like to ask for your help. My organization, International Medical Corps focuses on feeding hungry children around the world, and we are very excited to have made the final 5 nominated projects out of 1,190 worthwhile projects. “Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children” is now eligible to receive up to $1.5 million to help feed hungry and malnourished children and we would be thrilled if you would help us. I’ve put together this blogger friendly news release explaining everything.