Lower costs, greater efficiency… The promises of outsourcing are many, and industry giants like Boeing are even externalizing strategic tasks like innovation. But what happens when companies become too dependent on external service providers? Boeing had a bitter outsourcing experience with its latest full-size aircraft, the Dreamliner, launched three years late at double the foreseenRead more…

Do you have trouble listening to opinions that differ from your own or asking others for advice? Do you feel like you should appear poised and in control at all times? All too often, addiction to achievement causes driven professionals to sabotage themselves without even knowing it. Stop doing the wrong things well and startRead more…

What do Apple, Dell, P&G, RIM, and Amazon, the five champions of operational excellence according to Gartner’s 2011 rankings, all have in common? These companies do not approach the issue as an isolated department-by-department problem. Flexibility, interoperability, and value chain networks contribute to their profitability and guarantees they stay ahead of their competitors. Companies thatRead more…

By Philippe Baumard, CNRS Editions, February 2012 « Market, media, and political leaders in a panic, runaway sovereign debt, finanical speculation, revolt and repression of the people: what if this string of crises, which seem to be pushing us into a bottleneck, were the result of a strategic vacuum?” This is the question posed byRead more…