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Suntory - User Story

Business Situation:

Suntory wanted to reduce order processing time and provide better visibility into the order management process, while maintaining flexibility to meet the specific needs of its various trade partners.

Solution:
Suntory worked with Jigsaw, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, to introduce a flexible e-business solution enabling a seamless integration with key customers and partners.

Key Benefits:

  • Automated process deliver greater efficiency and productivity
  • Streamlined interactions with customers and partners drive increased satisfaction.
  • People are connected with the information they need.

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DOWNSIZING DANGERS - Think About those Left Behind

While Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corp, rightly proclaims quick and drastic action is needed to fix the world's economic ails, hasty cutbacks may cause more problems than they cure.  Retrenched employees, for example, receive all kinds of help and support.  But what about those left behind?  How well do they fare?

And, as Rudyard Kipling wrote:  "If you can keep your head while all around are losing theirs you'll be a man, my son".  You'll be a rare individual, perhaps with the foresight to emulate the remarkable success of - would you believe - a margarine manufacturer during an even greater traumatic period.  World War II.

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KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT - Helping secure the future

Loss of 'corporate memory' as a result of downsizing is one of the prime reasons given for adopting formal Knowledge Management practices. Other factors mentioned include global competition and the pace of change.  Perceptive business leaders see Knowledge Management as a means of avoiding repetition of mistakes, reducing duplication of effort, saving time on problem-solving, stimulating innovation and creativity and getting closer to their customers.

On top of all that, successful corporate leaders well understand the real market value of a commercial enterprise consists not only of its physical and financial assets (its 'book value') but also its intangibles.  Assets created through intellectual activities.  These range from acquiring new knowledge (learning) and inventions to creating valuable relationships.  Intellectual assets thus include things such as patents, copyright and other forms of intellectual property, often worth many times the book value.

Formal management of this priceless, sometimes irreplaceable knowledge and information, has developed from existing practices and is being adopted by an increasing number of organisations.

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GREATER HARMONY - BIGGER PROFITS - What women bring to the boardroom

Women once entered the boardroom simply to serve tea and biscuits.  Nowadays, they serve as directors in companies that not only outperform their 'male only' competitors, but their board meetings tend to be more harmonious and productive.

During a television interview while still Qantas chairwoman, Margaret Jackson, said what the national airline wanted was as diverse a group of people as possible.

"We want people with diverse training, experience and background.  We want people of diverse ages who have been through different economic cycles.  We want gender diversity … and any other diversity we can think of."

This raises the question of why 54% of Australia's top 200 publicly listed companies do not have a single woman in an executive management position, according to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency.

Ruth Medd, founder of Australia's 'Women on Boards' which boasts 2200 members, blames the dearth of senior-placed women on the fact that they have smaller networks than men.  "Research indicates that men do this fairly naturally.  We tell people who join Women on Boards, they to have a plan for the future, be strategic about it and work at it."

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THE IMPORTANCE OF STRATEGIC PLANNING - During Difficult Times

Expectations are that sales, profits, employment and capital investment will weaken in the June 2009 quarter.

Despite this, new research shows relatively few directors and managers understand or, more importantly, practice long-term strategic planning. They also lack the tactical agility so often necessary for an organisation to flourish and survive in today's fickle markets.

What many business leaders think of as strategic planning is often little more than forecasting and budgeting. Alas, anyone can jot down figures which, all too often, have no bearing on a company's real problems and opportunities.

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