Future of Sourcing - Internet of Things (IoT) https://futureofsourcing.com/tags/internet-of-things-iot en The Future of the Supply Chain is Data Driven https://futureofsourcing.com/the-future-of-the-supply-chain-is-data-driven <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/The-Future-Supply-Chain-Data-Driven.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/The-Future-Supply-Chain-Data-Driven.jpg" title="Learn how big data and analytics can help organizations at every level of the supply chain to increase efficiency, productivity, resource management and spending." class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-2155-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/The-Future-Supply-Chain-Data-Driven.jpg?itok=2TeFiK8k" width="624" height="325" alt="Learn how big data and analytics can help organizations at every level of the supply chain to increase efficiency, productivity, resource management and spending." title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-intro field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p><em>Today&rsquo;s global supply chain is faced with unprecedented challenges and data-driven innovation may be the only way forward, says Emily Newton, Editor-in-Chief of <a href="https://revolutionized.com/" target="_blank">Revolutionized</a>.&nbsp; She shares how big data and analytics can help organizations at every level of the supply chain to increase efficiency, productivity, resource management and spending.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-related-news field-type-entityreference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Related news:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/the-importance-of-building-and-maintaining-a-visible-sustainable-supply-chain">The Importance of Building and Maintaining a Visible, Sustainable Supply Chain</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <h1>What Does a Data Driven Supply Chain Look Like?</h1> <p>The key to improving any system is information. A data-driven supply chain is built around this concept, leveraging big data and analytics to improve processes at every level of the supply chain. A wide range of technologies contribute to this, from interconnected IoT sensors to warehouse robots and everything in between.</p> <p>A data-driven warehouse, for example, uses real performance data to identify exactly where and how to integrate a robot into its operations. Similarly, a data-driven trucking company uses real-world traffic, weather, and road data to optimize routes and maximize fuel and time efficiency. Data-driven solutions like these are exactly what today&rsquo;s supply chain needs.</p> <h2>Solving Today&rsquo;s Supply Chain Issues With Tech</h2> <p>The supply chain crisis has made it clear that the supply chain needs to evolve to meet today&rsquo;s challenges. Technology is the only way of accomplishing that. At the heart of the supply chain&rsquo;s technological transformation is data. Only through big data and analytics can we pinpoint the roots of the supply chain&rsquo;s issues and resolve them.</p> <p>For example, one of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/12/05/business/economy/supply-chain.html" target="_blank">the initial driving factors</a> behind the supply chain crisis was skewed supply and demand predictions from manufacturers and retailers. Demand for many products was underestimated, causing supply to be insufficient. Data-driven demand forecasting could help prevent this situation from occurring again. The same technology could be applied throughout the supply chain, from shipping to last-mile traffic.</p> <p>Data has also become critical in the warehousing industry. In the midst of a severe shortage in warehouse real estate, warehouse owners and managers need to leverage data to maximize the value of the space they do have. Data-driven warehouses can operate more efficiently, maximize the usage of every square foot and optimize inventory management.</p> <p>Arguably the most challenging issue in the supply chain today is <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2021-congestion-at-americas-busiest-port-strains-global-supply-chain/" target="_blank">congestion at international ports</a>. Data-driven ports could work with shipping companies to manage traffic and minimize waiting times. On the domestic end of things, trucking companies could use data to maximize the efficiency of their operations, which would help reduce ports&rsquo; container traffic.</p> <h2>Innovating the Data Driven Supply Chain</h2> <p>Data will completely change the way organizations throughout the supply chain operate. Collecting and analyzing data to find solutions is only the first step, though. Data will continue to drive innovation in the next-generation supply chain, building resilience and improving sustainability at every level.</p> <p>For example, with extensive data, manufacturers can reduce waste through improved forecasting and optimized, automated production. AI and robotics will improve the quality control process, which will help collect even more data for manufacturers to use for further improvements. Similarly, warehouses and shipping companies can reduce waste by automating the picking and packing process, which will also boost efficiency.</p> <p>Collaboration and transparency will be critical to improving the state of the supply chain in the years ahead. Manufacturers, retailers, and shipping companies need to be able to coordinate effectively and in real-time, with cutting edge logistics. This is already leading many organizations to work with 3PL logistics providers. Logistics specialists will be critical to the future of the data-driven supply chain, <a href="https://expressitdelivery.com/blog/a-guide-to-choosing-a-3pl/" target="_blank">asset-based and non-asset-based</a> alike.</p> <p>Coordination in logistics ensures that the various links of the supply chain are operating together as effectively as possible, with all of the data available. Logistics is especially important in warehousing. With so many individual objects to manage, it is easy for warehouses to operate inefficiently without the problem becoming noticeable. Experts have pointed out that data-driven logistics would drastically <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/big-data-and-the-supply-chain-the-big-supply-chain-analytics-landscape-part-1" target="_blank">increase visibility within warehouses</a>. This opens the door to optimization for inventory organization, employee management and automated warehousing.</p> <h2>The Role of IoT, AI and Robotics</h2> <p>Robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are transforming virtually every industry already. These technologies will be a critical part of the data-driven supply chain, helping to both collect and apply big data.</p> <h3>Robots</h3> <p>Robotics have been on the rise in the supply chain for years. Experts have long been in agreement that <a href="https://revolutionized.com/the-future-of-your-supply-chain-involves-robotics/" target="_blank">robots will become a natural part</a> of the supply chain&rsquo;s workforce in the years ahead. From robotic arms to roving courier robots, these machines are filling the gaps in the supply chain&rsquo;s labor shortage. They are giving warehouses an edge over competitors through next-gen efficiency and productivity, and they are helping employees work safer and smarter.</p> <h3>Artificial Intelligence</h3> <p>Physical robots are backed by software and data that is no less important, though. Artificial intelligence is the key to moving robots beyond simple machines. It is also crucial to creating fully automated warehouses and manufacturing facilities, which will help reduce delays in the supply chain.</p> <p>Artificial intelligence can help sort and analyze large quantities of data, faster and with more accuracy than people often can. This allows for detailed, realistic logistics simulations and forecasting as well as maximum optimization in operations. In fact, AI can even be used to automate customer service, which will help retailers and shipping companies stay on top of things during high-traffic times.</p> <h3>Internet of Things</h3> <p>If robotics is the hands of an automated supply chain and AI is the brain, IoT is the senses. IoT devices form a vast interconnected web of real-time data collection tools. A few IoT sensors around a manufacturing facility can spark numerous invaluable benefits, such as cost reduction and greater efficiency. With the extensive data collected by IoT devices, the supply chain can be continuously fine-tuned.</p> <p>What differentiates IoT sensors and devices from non-IoT connected devices is communication. Not only do these devices collect accurate data, they can communicate that information in real-time, relaying it to other devices. This gives supply chain organizations a live overview of exactly how their facility or asset is performing, from trucks to assembly lines and everything in between. A great example of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iot-supply-chain-management-logistics" target="_blank">IoT in action is RFID tracking</a> for robots and inventory around warehouses, which has become popular over the past couple of years.</p> <h2>Advancing the Supply Chain Today</h2> <p>The global supply chain is in the midst of unprecedented challenges. The situation will take time to repair and improve, but technology can help. The supply chain is already in the process of evolving and adapting, becoming data-driven in order to survive and thrive. Data will enable recovery and long-term growth at every level of the supply chain. This widespread digital transformation will create benefits for manufacturers, retailers, suppliers, shipping companies, employees and customers alike.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/big-data" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Big Data</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/digital-transformation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Digital Transformation</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/artificial-intelligence-ai" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/robotic-process-automation-rpa" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Robotic Process Automation (RPA)</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="The Future of the Supply Chain is Data Driven - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/the-future-of-the-supply-chain-is-data-driven"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Fri, 25 Mar 2022 02:00:00 +0000 Emily Newton 2155 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/the-future-of-the-supply-chain-is-data-driven#comments Innovations in Governance & Compliance: GEP https://futureofsourcing.com/innovations-in-governance-compliance-gep <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/FOS%20Header%20Image_Innovations%20in%20Governance%20and%20Compliance_0.png"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/FOS%20Header%20Image_Innovations%20in%20Governance%20and%20Compliance_0.png" title="Innovations in Governance &amp; Compliance: GEP" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1597-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/FOS%20Header%20Image_Innovations%20in%20Governance%20and%20Compliance_0.png?itok=t9PaiJRX" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-intro field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>This October, the&nbsp;<a href="https://futureofsourcingawards.com/?__hstc=215510152.344406f4865c40604cf6029be7e958e0.1543422516683.1570117954601.1570123446421.621&amp;__hssc=215510152.10.1570123446421&amp;__hsfp=2721840510" target="_blank">Future of Sourcing Awards</a>&nbsp;will celebrate organizations and individuals that have shown innovation, leadership and transformation in categories that are critical to the sourcing industry. Interviews with the finalists provide helpful insight about their projects, the problem they sought to solve and the impact to their organizations. Read how GEP partnered with a multinational Oil &amp; Gas company to implement a single, integrated procurement platform that could replace the legacy system already in place and also be fine-tuned to incorporate regional nuances.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div> <h3><em>Can you outline why your team embarked on this project and the problem that needed to be solved?</em></h3> </div> <div>The client, a multinational Oil &amp; Gas company with users across multiple locations had been using a legacy system along with other stand-alone systems to drive its procurement operations and associated activities such as savings tracking. The lack of integration between these different systems complicated the processes to be followed by the end user. Along with reducing process complexities and improving efficiencies, the client also wanted to improve compliance to global procurement processes across all sites while pushing locally required differences for each affiliate.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>GEP partnered with the client to implement a single, integrated procurement platform &ndash; SMART by GEP &ndash; that could replace the legacy system and also be fine-tuned to incorporate regional nuances. The aim was also to automate controls, thereby improving compliance. Integrating the process on a single application and redesigning it would help cut down the procurement cycle time. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h3><em>How were things done originally and what was the inspiration to innovate the process?</em></h3> </div> <div>The legacy software was an on-premise, outdated system being used by the procurement team along with other home-grown tools. This resulted in low visibility and transparency into procurement processes across different locations. In addition, procurement processes were also being managed offline, using tools such as MS-Word, PowerPoint, E-mail, etc. The then-adopted processes required the same information to be entered across multiple systems, causing errors due to manual data entry and reducing the procurement team&rsquo;s focus on strategic, value-adding activities. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h3><em>What KPIs did you use to measure success for this project? (For example: performance, customer satisfaction, revenue, sales or relevant financial gains?)</em></h3> </div> <div>The outcomes were measured using the following metrics:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Time taken to replace the legacy systems with SMART by GEP for end-to-end procurement operations &nbsp;</li> <li>User adoption across different global locations</li> <li>Number of suppliers onboarded &nbsp;</li> <li>Number of sourcing events conducted using the platform</li> <li>Time taken to complete each procurement activity</li> <li>Number of savings projects initiated, and savings realized&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div> <h3><em>How do you plan to ensure that the new model remains relevant and adapts to the future needs of the market? </em></h3> </div> <div>SMART by GEP is an open platform that supports future innovation with emerging technologies such as AI, RPA, IoT and Blockchain. The platform can be further leveraged to automate spend analysis, project tracking, opportunity assessment and the entire source-to-pay process. With the ability to be able to process heavy volumes of procurement information and drive procurement processes &ndash; for instance: build a huge contract repository or a supplier database with thousands of supplier catalogs &ndash; SMART by GEP would help users of the platform perform compliant purchasing to fulfil their requirement with just a few clicks. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Since SMART by GEP is a cloud-native procurement platform, any changes and enhancements would reflect enterprise-wide for the client. In addition, GEP invests heavily in innovation and the client will be able to enable any future improvement to the existing platform directly from the cloud. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In addition, a feedback loop has been implemented within the client organization to get feedback. This feedback will be used to enhance the product roadmap and improve user experience. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <h3><em>What advice do you have for those who may want to implement this innovative approach in their own organizations?</em></h3> </div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Identify clear goals and objectives for the program, ranging from tangible business case benefits to intangible goals such as improving end user experience</li> <li>Ensure alignment with senior stakeholders on goals, project timing, staffing and approach</li> <li>Agile deployment methodology with continuous user engagement and the willingness to iterate and improve design continuously</li> <li>Suppliers having a seat at the table as very important stakeholders in the S2P process</li> <li>Organizational focus on process optimization, master data harmonization and change management</li> <li>Not being restricted to the program as a technology-only project and having a razor focus on the end-user experience, adoption and the business benefit&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div> <h3><em>How did you get your company and/or stakeholders to get on board and support this project? </em></h3> </div> <div>Multiple factors contributed toward building a strong business case for this project:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>The client&#39;s legacy system was outdated and on-premise. Upgrading the system and implementing the change across all locations would be a time-consuming and expensive affair. &nbsp;</li> <li>Deploying cloud-native SMART by GEP unified procurement platform with functionalities supported by Artificial Intelligence, RPA and NLP, among others, was a better option compared to upgrading the aging infrastructure of the legacy system. The acquisition and operational cost of SMART by GEP was comparatively lower than the cost to upgrade the existing legacy application.</li> <li>GEP was open to co-develop, enhance and fine tune SMART by GEP based on the client&#39;s requirement to ensure coverage of the end-to-end procurement process</li> <li>Internally, with this client, GEP also increased its portfolio of clients in the Oil &amp; Gas industry significantly through the successful implementation of SMART by GEP. The client is currently pleased with the capabilities of the SMART by GEP platform and intends to increase its spectrum of usage within the organization.&nbsp;</li> </ul> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/artificial-intelligence-ai" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/blockchain" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Blockchain</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/governance" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Governance</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/future-of-sourcing-awards" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Future of Sourcing Awards</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Innovations in Governance &amp;amp; Compliance: GEP - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/innovations-in-governance-compliance-gep"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Tue, 10 Sep 2019 19:37:44 +0000 Future of Sourcing Awards 1597 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/innovations-in-governance-compliance-gep#comments The Impact of AI and Automation on the Global Supply Chain Part 1 https://futureofsourcing.com/the-impact-of-ai-and-automation-on-the-global-supply-chain-part-1 <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Impact_AI_SupplyChain_624x325.png"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Impact_AI_SupplyChain_624x325.png" title="The Impact of AI and Automation on the Global Supply Chain Part 1" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1338-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Impact_AI_SupplyChain_624x325.png?itok=wJSoX6DY" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-intro field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Shared Perspectives from the UN Forum for Business and Human Rights</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>Recently, at the United Nations Forum for Business and Human Rights at the Palais De Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, my colleague David Herman, Chief Data Scientist at SAP Ariba, and I had the honor of reflecting on the <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/accelerating-ethical-business-can-technology-help" target="_blank">role of artificial intelligence and technology automation</a> and their impact on human rights &ndash; especially as they relate to workforce displacement in the supply chain. From UN and non-governmental organization (NGO) delegates to business and academic representatives, a number of people reached out to me affirming the relevancy and urgency of this topic and agreeing with the possibilities I laid out for responsible business practices. Here is a synopsis of our perspective.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>According to <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/digital-disruption/harnessing-automation-for-a-future-that-works" target="_blank">McKinsey&rsquo;s 2018 report</a> on robotics and the future of the workforce, automation can raise productivity globally from 0.8 to 1.4 percent annually. This is a positive outcome impacting economic growth, consumption and gross domestic product (GDP) of nations around the world, as new technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) and automation make their way into product and service design for the future. However, with the wide adoption of technology across all sectors &ndash; from manufacturing to services &ndash; there are some inherent risks for which businesses need to take responsibility. In this article, I will share a perspective on responsible business and sourcing practices that can play a part. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Let me start with automation. Sewbots in the apparel industry and robotic automation in many other sectors are replacing the human workforce and impacting the basic right to earn a living wage. Many aspects of machinery operations, fast food prep, data collection and processing are automated, displacing workforces typically much lower in the <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/addressing-ethical-supply-chains-one-step-at-a-time-from-intent-to-action" target="_blank">supply chain</a>. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>So, what can brands do to protect the future of work while taking advantage of the <a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/network-challenges-in-a-world-of-digital-transformation" target="_blank">Internet of Things</a>?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>McKinsey&rsquo;s report also predicts $1.5 trillion in wage loss for workers is likely with automation by 2030. Many attendees stated that automation is not a distant future; this transformation is already underway. Some predicted that factories will be fully automated in less than five years. This has a two-pronged impact &ndash; on workers displaced by automated factories and farms, and on whole communities where factories that are unable to shift to automation lose business.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Listed here are some responsible business practices that could positively help impact livelihoods, but only if the procurement and product management departments carrying them out jointly address the following:&nbsp;</div> <ol> <li><strong>Recognize potential risk of worker displacement when introducing automation into the design stages.</strong> Identify the supply chains that will be impacted and combine market intelligence to understand the cultural, socio-economic and legislative factors involved in making the transition. Distinguish the potential impact to workers, especially on vulnerable groups, such as women, and conduct a social impact due diligence amongst the impacted supply base.&nbsp;</li> <li><strong>Ensure enough work.</strong> Brands can work closely with their suppliers to identify the displaced workers and develop reskilling and training opportunities and job shift strategies. Where workers cannot be reskilled &ndash; as automation does change the required capabilities and literacy levels of the workers &ndash; identify income supplementation programs to help workforce transition. &nbsp;&nbsp;</li> <li><strong>Apply a portion of wage &ldquo;savings&rdquo; (a corollary of wage loss) gained from automation to support workforce transition, including training.</strong> There are many benefits of reallocating procurement savings to shared supplier co-development. Productivity, business continuity and brand reputation are all positive impacts of such a shared collaboration with the supply base.&nbsp;</li> <li><strong>Build shared communities &ndash; within or across sectors.</strong> Brands can come together to address more severe issues of income polarization risk factors and socio-cultural issues by working closely with the local NGOs and governments. Providing advance notice of automation might prompt governments and NGOs to start capacity building and community awareness, making the working communities part of the transition process.&nbsp;</li> </ol> <div>Businesses cannot and should not turn a blind eye. After all, this impacts fellow human beings. As one of the business leaders I met rightly said to me offline, &ldquo;Can either of us imagine not being able to work and feed our families?&rdquo; When procurement and sourcing professionals make decisions to source from factories and farms transforming to keep up with fast fashion and mass production trends, keep in mind the impact on the workforce displaced, the share of savings dollars that can be applied to re-skilling and capacity building, and the rights of the workers to be part of the transformation process.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Part 2 of this series will address artificial intelligence and its impact on human rights. We&rsquo;ll explore the role that responsible businesses play as AI makes decisions that create potential risks to consumers.&nbsp;</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/artificial-intelligence-ai" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/human-rights" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Human Rights</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/automation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Automation</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/manufacturing" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Manufacturing</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="The Impact of AI and Automation on the Global Supply Chain Part 1 - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/the-impact-of-ai-and-automation-on-the-global-supply-chain-part-1"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Thu, 20 Dec 2018 20:34:40 +0000 Padmini Ranganathan 1338 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/the-impact-of-ai-and-automation-on-the-global-supply-chain-part-1#comments Digital Supply Chain – The Enabler of Business Innovation https://futureofsourcing.com/digital-supply-chain-the-enabler-of-business-innovation <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/digital_supply_chain.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/digital_supply_chain.jpg" title="Digital Supply Chain – The Enabler of Business Innovation" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1320-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/digital_supply_chain.jpg?itok=oT1KZ8GK" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>We are in the midst of a perfect storm. Customers are becoming more informed and demanding, and therefore, organizations are rapidly implementing technology (IoT, AI, <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/will-machine-learning-save-procurement-millions-a-year" target="_blank">machine learning</a> and <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/blockchain-a-new-link-in-the-supply-chain" target="_blank">blockchain</a>) to address these demands. This hyper-competitive environment presents organizations with the opportunity to rethink business processes in a way that places the supply chain within the &ldquo;eye of the storm.&rdquo;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Companies leading the new age of retail are already adapting to this innovative model, enabling them to bring new products, delivery models and services to the market. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Here are just a few examples.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>From Mass Production to Mass Customization &nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As customers increasingly expect individualized product options, companies must evolve their supply chain business processes to meet these demands. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>From the design of a product that can be customized to order from a base model to the logistical processes that deliver these high volumes of smaller batches (or even a single unit) to the customer, Industry 4.0 and Smart Factory initiatives are popping up all over the world.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Companies supporting individualized products at scale are redesigning their plants to move away from continuous production lines that manufacture set quantities of a narrow set of products and toward manufacturing cells that can yield flexible quantities of various product configurations. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>From Selling a Product to Delivering a Solution &nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>There are also new ways of engaging with the customer. Leading companies are no longer pursuing the single sale of a product, but rather, the development of a relationship that requires the customer to pay on an ongoing basis for a service. In this model, because the customer is now using the product as a service, the supplier is not only the supplier, but is also the party responsible for maintaining and servicing the product.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>For example:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <ul> <li>Paying for a drill based on hours of usage or even the number of holes drilled</li> <li>Paying for a pump based on the volume of water pumped</li> <li>Paying a monthly fee for a car based on miles driven&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div>These examples not only alter the nature of the customer relationship by creating regular, sustained touchpoints, but also require the manufacturer to design and build assets that are smart enough to capture and share information about usage (for billing) and performance (for maintenance). As such, the supplier/customer relationship becomes a continuous exchange, with the ability to drive both customer loyalty and insight, as opposed to one single payment.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>On the flip side, if the asset is not in working condition, then the customer is not using it and the manufacturer is not getting paid&mdash;a lose-lose situation. &nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div><strong>From Cost Reduction to Increased Revenue&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The digitization of the supply chain through innovative technological solutions is not only a way to reduce costs but it can help expand an organization&rsquo;s vision. When digital supply chains shift from reactive to predictive, setbacks can be avoided and operations will run smoothly regardless of external factors. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Having a streamlined supply chain from end to end will help get products to consumers faster, delivering on high expectations and ultimately creating long-lasting customer relationships. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>We can now drive innovation, revenue and growth by utilizing the data, predictive analytics and innovation that a <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank">digitally enabled supply chain</a> provides.</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/supply-chain-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Supply Chain Management</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/artificial-intelligence-ai" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/blockchain" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Blockchain</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/machine-learning" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Machine Learning</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Digital Supply Chain &amp;ndash; The Enabler of Business Innovation - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/digital-supply-chain-the-enabler-of-business-innovation"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Mon, 19 Nov 2018 22:34:25 +0000 Richard Howells 1320 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/digital-supply-chain-the-enabler-of-business-innovation#comments The Rules of Outsourcing Have Changed https://futureofsourcing.com/the-rules-of-outsourcing-have-changed <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Outsourcing-the%20rules%20have%20changed%20624x325.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Outsourcing-the%20rules%20have%20changed%20624x325.jpg" title="Future-proof your enterprise for an automated, tech-driven future." class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1271-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Outsourcing-the%20rules%20have%20changed%20624x325.jpg?itok=xFY06o0g" width="624" height="325" alt="Future-proof your enterprise for an automated, tech-driven future." title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div><strong>The Pace of Transformation&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As the pace of <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/network-challenges-in-a-world-of-digital-transformation" target="_blank">transformation</a> ramps up in the technology industry, the chasm is widening between the number of roles that need to be filled and the number of relevantly qualified resources to fill them. Technology is changing the world and our lives at such a rapid pace that it&rsquo;s hard for companies to keep up with the shifts caused. Examples of major technology shifts include the <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank">Internet of Things (IoT)</a> and apps (cloud-based and mobile). By 2020, it is predicted that <a href="https://www.gartner.com/newsroom/id/2636073" target="_blank">7.6 billion people will have 100 billion connected</a> devices that run 1 trillion apps.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Technology shifts open up, which is good for business, but this creates larger workloads for software development departments. The challenge is that companies lack the technology, skills sets, resources and strategies to <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/orchestration-vs-integration-finding-the-best-way-to-manage-automation" target="_blank">manage their workforces</a> effectively. It&rsquo;s predicted that by <a href="https://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240233165/Firms-lack-technology-for-workforce-of-the-future" target="_blank">2020 over 80 percent of companies</a> will rely on temporary or contingent workers to fill skills gaps as the battle to recruit talent intensifies. As the pace of transformation increases in the technology industry, companies are struggling to find the people they need, with many claiming that graduates are leaving university without relevant skills and talent. In the same time span, the U.K. is expected to have a shortage of <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/coadec-brexit-talent-shortage2020-2017-2?IR=T" target="_blank">800,000 tech workers</a>. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>The Traditional Offshore Outsource Model is Broken&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Due to the current and impending shortfall of IT professionals for the U.K. market and the challenge to find talent, other issues will arise in the form of retention. Supply and demand are already an issue and companies will enter bidding wars to lock down the best IT and digital professionals. Retention will be a problem as IT professionals will accept better paying jobs, so how to secure and keep digital talent must be addressed. The traditional outsourcing model to offshore companies will no longer suffice. With AI developments happening so quickly, it no longer makes service or commercial sense to offshore as it once did. It is no longer true that a supplier who can muster thousands of cheap resources (which are not as cheap as they used to be) represents a compelling proposition.  &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>What is the answer?&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>When considering outsourcing, which companies will have to do to fulfill demand, they will need to think carefully. Leveraging a <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/cultural-counterparts-the-advantage-of-nearshoring" target="_blank">nearshore model</a> is becoming very popular. Companies can use nearshore delivery centers with best-in-class experts who are trained and up to speed with the latest technologies and software development tools and methodologies. The nearshore model is proving to be very successful and companies that leverage delivery centers can use several engagement models from managed teams, extended teams and managed projects. This model is proving to be more cost effective, with an increase in quality and speed to market. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Gone are the days when companies can afford to wait for multiple attempts before getting it right. With the velocity of change and the speed at which things need to be done, using an onshore model with a trusted advisor is the key. To lock down and secure resources for the long term, companies should look to partner with outsource providers that have pioneered, built and managed teams that eventually become fully owned assets of their clients (while ensuring that the culture of their client is fully embedded from the outset). This will enable companies to build, recruit and retain their digital talent for an automated, tech-driven future.&nbsp;</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/nearshoring" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Nearshoring</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/talent-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Talent Management</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/digital-workforce" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Digital Workforce</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/transformation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Transformation</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="The Rules of Outsourcing Have Changed - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/the-rules-of-outsourcing-have-changed"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Thu, 30 Aug 2018 17:55:38 +0000 Graham Fell 1271 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/the-rules-of-outsourcing-have-changed#comments Network Challenges in a World of Digital Transformation https://futureofsourcing.com/network-challenges-in-a-world-of-digital-transformation <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/networkchangesindigital624x325.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/networkchangesindigital624x325.jpg" title="Digital Transformation" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1255-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/networkchangesindigital624x325.jpg?itok=QDrMCMDE" width="624" height="325" alt="Digital Transformation" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-intro field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Basic criteria to help navigate network transitions</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>Ask 10 people &ldquo;What is digital transformation?&rdquo; and you are likely to get 10 different answers ranging from smartphones to artificial intelligence to the <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/service-level-management-in-the-digital-age" target="_blank">Internet of Things (IoT)</a>. No matter how you define it, the digital transformation is here and it is having a significant impact on every organization and its networking requirements.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The need for businesses to deal with the impacts of changing technology is nothing new. Creative destruction means that old products, methods and services inevitably must give way to the newer alternatives. The pace, however, of those technological changes continues to accelerate. Today, businesses are faced with a myriad of transformation decisions.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Yet change is inherently risky. To move too fast runs the risk of heading down a dead-end path where costly decisions will ultimately need to be reversed. To move too slow means being left with older, costlier technologies and infrastructure, leaving the organization less competitive in a fast-changing marketplace. No one wants to be the pony express rider in the age of the telegraph or the candle maker in the age of the lightbulb. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Now, more than any time in the last decade, we see businesses rethinking their approach to networking as ethernet, broadband and wireless become the standard for access, replacing traditional time division multiplexing (TDM) networks to support an increasingly digital world. Carriers are planning, or in some cases implementing, the retirement of traditional voice networks in favor of Internet Protocol (IP) and cloud-based solutions. Infrastructure is evolving as more companies take advantage of cloud solutions, both for major hardware components as well as an ever-greater variety of computer applications. &nbsp;&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>And with the IoT appearing poised for hyper-growth, many corporations are stymied on what to do and how to do it. They know change is here, but the questions of what changes to make, how best to make them and when it is the optimal time still perplex many corporate decision makers. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Over the last few years, my colleagues and I have assisted numerous companies in addressing these very questions and have established a basic set of criteria to help navigate network transitions.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Point 1: Understand where you are.</strong> This is frequently an overlooked aspect of network transformations. Too often we see companies attempting to plan for the future without fully understanding where they are today. One of the main reasons they take this approach is they don&rsquo;t have a good inventory or fully understand what services they are using or have in place. The risk here is twofold. First, a detailed understanding of current services and usage helps create a better plan for future services and how they will be utilized. Understanding the scope of current services allows for more accurate planning and better sizing of new services. Full knowledge of essential services and spending is crucial for accurate financial modeling of the impact that a service transformation will have. Without that knowledge, companies are forced into a rule-of-thumb, one-size-fits all approach. While that may work at a high level across the organization, it is rarely workable at the detailed level, with either too much or too few of the new services designed and designated to those individual sites or users. Second, without a comprehensive baseline of the current services in place, enterprises run the risk of continuing to pay for services they don&rsquo;t need as they don&rsquo;t know what (or when) to discontinue them. This lack of insight into current services can have a significant negative impact to any ROI planned for the service transformation. The ability to turn down those legacy services when they are no longer needed is critical. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Point 2: Understand where you want to go.</strong> Today&rsquo;s technology marketplace is highly competitive. New, non-traditional vendors are emerging with new products and services that can satisfy both legacy needs and establish a forward-looking technology framework. Early adopters of the right solution can gain an advantage over the competition, but we often see individual lines of business driving a variety of uncoordinated changes across the enterprise. Knowing they need to adapt &nbsp;&ndash; &nbsp;but not knowing how &nbsp;&ndash; puts tremendous pressure on the enterprise, which can impede decision-making, particularly in those organizations that don&rsquo;t communicate well and coordinate effectively across IT, individual business units and finance. These organizations risk embracing sub-optimal solutions. At the same time, care needs to be taken to fully vet new solutions to ensure they meet the company&rsquo;s transformation needs &ndash; aligning current and future network requirements with digital transformation efforts in a comprehensive approach. The most successful transformation efforts reflect a detailed vetting of the potential solutions and close coordination of key groups across the organization to tightly link stakeholder business requirements and outcomes.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Point 3: Managing your vendors.</strong> Once an enterprise knows where it is and where it is going, it needs to implement the required changes. Whether you are considering a new vendor to help you with your networking needs or transforming your network with your current vendor, careful planning of the transition is critical. <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/node/972" target="_blank">Managing your vendors</a> to ensure a smooth transition is an important part of that process. Part of that vendor management process is understanding your contract and commitments to your current vendor. Even if you are maintaining the same vendor when you transition services, you&rsquo;ll need to understand how that transition could impact your agreement. Questions to ask yourself include:</div> <ul> <li>Does the transition lower your spend?</li> <li>Do the new services still contribute to your commitment levels?</li> <li>How does a changing pricing structure and new buying paradigm factor into your spend profile?</li> <li>Will you still meet your commitment levels?</li> <li>Do you have business change provisions (e.g. technology change) or ramp down provisions that can be invoked?</li> <li>What termination and/or startup fees will you incur and how much time will you need before turning down legacy services?</li> <li>As part of any new network contract, you&rsquo;ll want to minimize and plan for any commitments and ensure that the transition is carefully scoped so that you don&rsquo;t get caught out of contract on your services &nbsp;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <div>Today, more than ever, the philosophy seems to be adapt or die. Think about it - of the 500 companies in the Fortune 500 in 1955, 440 are no longer there. What happened to companies from that era like American Motors, Studebaker and Zenith Electronics? &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As companies face increased competitive and price pressures, they will need to adapt. They need to identify what they have that isn&rsquo;t working, devise the right type of networking technology to meet current and future needs and make an effective transformation. These are all critical steps in remaining competitive and viable, and necessary so they don&rsquo;t become the next extinct Fortune 500 enterprise.&nbsp;</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/artificial-intelligence-ai" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Artificial Intelligence (AI)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/digitalization" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Digitalization</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/digital-transformation" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Digital Transformation</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-protocol" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet Protocol</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Network Challenges in a World of Digital Transformation - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/network-challenges-in-a-world-of-digital-transformation"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Sun, 19 Aug 2018 23:49:38 +0000 Eric Witt 1255 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/network-challenges-in-a-world-of-digital-transformation#comments Service Level Management in the Digital Age https://futureofsourcing.com/service-level-management-in-the-digital-age <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/SLA_Digital%20Age624x325.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/SLA_Digital%20Age624x325.jpg" title="Service Level Management in the Digital Age" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1247-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/SLA_Digital%20Age624x325.jpg?itok=Uh3p1RLc" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div>In recent years, the art and science of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) has evolved from monitoring metrics around systems and applications to a focus on business outcomes and business performance. Rather than measuring server uptime or network availability, customers want insight into how efficiently they&rsquo;re shipping orders and executing transactions.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This shift involves a business emphasis on collaborative innovation and rapid development of new features. Multidisciplinary client and provider teams increasingly work together to deliver functionality as quickly as possible. In an Agile development setting, for example, pod developers participate in client meetings, report on how they&rsquo;re delivering business value and proactively suggest features that will impact business goals and KPIs. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Today, customers expect the provider team to understand the business and to help it grow. The challenge, however, is that the SLAs assigned to the Agile pod can still be traditional measures of productivity, innovation and quality. This creates a potential scenario in which the team is meeting all its SLAs but remains out of touch with what the business requires.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>To close this gap, clients and providers must jointly embed SLAs into service delivery and share responsibility for achieving business objectives. This involves a shift from reactive to proactive thinking, from manual to automated management and from fixed SLAs to flexible metrics that evolve during the life of the agreement in response to changing needs. In the process, fit and culture between client and provider become more important than ever.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>The Digital Customer Experience</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The growth of digital technology has also significantly impacted SLAs. Data analytics deliver detailed insights from operational data, while cognitive tools enable proactive and predictive modeling. As a result, <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/it-managed-services-mitigating-risk-and-maintaining-leverage" target="_blank">SLAs are transformed into real time management tools</a>, rather than measures of historical performance that are reviewed a month after the fact.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Digital&rsquo;s focus on the user experience, meanwhile, significantly raises the stakes for SLAs. Managing the availability of a customer-facing mobile app, for example, requires the ability to respond immediately if an issue arises with that app. In other words, the issue is no longer just the uptime of a back-office corporate system; rather, you&rsquo;re talking about a potentially dissatisfied (and potentially vocal) customer. And since an unpleasant user experience can very quickly go viral on social media, even a minuscule negative trend can have an adverse and measurable impact on brand value.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Internet of Things</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Another factor influencing SLAs is the <a href="http://www.futureofsourcing.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank">Internet of Things (IoT)</a>, which creates networked &ldquo;systems of systems&rdquo; including intelligent devices, sensors and tools that continually communicate and share information. Traditional, static metrics don&rsquo;t account for this dynamic interchange, so SLAs need to evolve to monitor and track how ongoing data communication impacts products, services and customer satisfaction.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>A specific challenge here is to ensure that SLAs bridge the gap that often exists between IT and operational teams. Traditionally, IT and operations have functioned as discrete entities in isolated towers, complicating the task of data sharing and reporting. Since the IoT, by definition, requires the integration of IT and operational expertise, developing SLAs that drive collaboration and shared responsibility between the two functions is imperative.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Service Level Agreement Best Practices&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>An effective approach to service level management begins at the foundational level of outsourcing strategy. An organization that integrates its provider into the value chain and shares its business direction, priorities and pain points will likely be more successful at developing meaningful, outcome-based SLAs.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>A retailer, for example, wants to know how its mobile app performs in terms of average user ratings, the frequency of use and percentages of deletes. A provider that has insight into the retailer&rsquo;s business goals can align with those measures and focus on driving improvement. Absent that partnership-based insight, providers typically default to generic metrics such as monthly updates &ndash; metrics that provide minimal business value.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Indeed, the stubborn elusiveness of truly outcome-based agreements reflects the scarcity of genuine partnerships in the outsourcing marketplace.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>Focus and Prioritize</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Strategic SLAs should be tailored to the specific needs of the enterprise. A baseline understanding of the business is therefore essential to gain the insight necessary to develop and support outcome-based SLAs. Prioritization is also key. The CIO should focus on the top ten (or so) SLAs that gauge the overall health of IT and the relationship with the outsourcer, and that enable analysis and improvement. The next layer of more detailed metrics within the SLA contract should be pushed down to the manager level. Relying on generic, cookie cutter SLAs simply adds overhead and distracts the business from what&rsquo;s important.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>SLAs should combine penalties and incentives. A basic SLA measures a minimal level of performance, and missing that performance should incur a penalty. However, CIOs should go beyond table stakes and build a reward system for service providers to exceed expectations and improve service.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Finally, SLAs for the digital era require digital tools to enable real-time responsiveness. Excel spreadsheets and manual data collection are no longer adequate. Processes and activities around documentation, compliance, contract management and verification need to be streamlined and largely automated via digital inputs and intelligent tools that drive accurate and consistent records as well as autonomous checkpoints, milestones, alerts and verifications.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>With this framework in place, SLAs can transcend their traditional role of historical reference points and become actionable and real-time management tools.</div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/service-level-agreements-slas" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Service Level Agreements (SLAs)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/agile" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Agile</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/best-practices" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Best Practices</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/customer-experience" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Customer Experience</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Service Level Management in the Digital Age - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/service-level-management-in-the-digital-age"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Fri, 10 Aug 2018 17:55:20 +0000 Rajeev Tyagi 1247 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/service-level-management-in-the-digital-age#comments Cybersecurity - What to Outsource? What to Retain? https://futureofsourcing.com/cybersecurity-what-to-outsource-what-to-retain <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Cyber%20Security-What%20to%20Outsource%20624x325.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Cyber%20Security-What%20to%20Outsource%20624x325.jpg" title="Cybersecurity - What to Outsource? What to Retain?" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1219-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Cyber%20Security-What%20to%20Outsource%20624x325.jpg?itok=fTc2-8be" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{2456e9b9-0774-4a04-8323-e33610922fd0}{206}" paraid="1223496976"><span xml:lang="EN-US">In daily life as an individual, you rely on others</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">from neighbors to police to lawyers and judges to armed forces</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">for protection against threats of all kinds. At the same time, you also bear responsibility: the more careless or inclined toward risk you are, the less secure you become.&nbsp;</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{2456e9b9-0774-4a04-8323-e33610922fd0}{218}" paraid="1246618975"><span xml:lang="EN-US">The same applies to enterprises and the cyber-world. An organization needs allies and partners because today&rsquo;s threats are complex, widespread and extensive. Yet there is a lot that an organization can and should do itself. How do you divide and assign responsibility? What kind of IT security functions can you outsource</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;and what should you retain in-house?</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{2456e9b9-0774-4a04-8323-e33610922fd0}{226}" paraid="782354612"><strong><span xml:lang="EN-US">Cloud Computing and Overlapping R</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">oles</span></strong></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{2456e9b9-0774-4a04-8323-e33610922fd0}{236}" paraid="617985895"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Answering those questions can be a challenge. How, for instance, do you define in-house? Businesses now run on wireless networks and mobility. Cloud computing has blurred the line between internal and <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/it-outsourcing-changing-landscape" target="_blank">external IT resources</a>. Departments rely on SaaS tools hosted on public clouds and deploy enterprise apps on private clouds in third-party data centers.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">The boundaries aren&rsquo;t always clear.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{2456e9b9-0774-4a04-8323-e33610922fd0}{244}" paraid="1374173783"><span xml:lang="EN-US">As the <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank">Internet of Things (</a></span><a href="http://outsourcemag.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">IoT</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US"><a href="http://outsourcemag.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank">)</a> accelerates, the IT domain will expand</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;further</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">. Already</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;the notion of a perimeter defense is being displaced by the Zero Trust network security model, in which threats can arise from anywhere. In that scenario, security becomes everyone&rsquo;s job.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{7}" paraid="1459953166"><span xml:lang="EN-US">The idea that &ldquo;we are all CISOs now&rdquo; is not entirely new. (See my&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ComputerWorld</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;article on&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.computerworld.com/article/3267754/software-as-a-service/how-secure-is-that-cloud-application-service.html" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">SaaS security</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;from April.) The democratization of IT has meant that&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">nearly</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;anyone can add a SaaS app or other cloud service to&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">a&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">corporate IT estate. Maybe the individual deciding to deploy that technology has reviewed the provider&rsquo;s certifications, regulatory compliance and network architecture. Or maybe not. In any case, by using these services, an organization</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;in effect</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;has outsourced much of the security associated with them.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{38}" paraid="606398650"><span xml:lang="EN-US">But the field is dynamic.&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">In the give-and-take over these&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">blurred&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">boundaries, a new category &ndash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">C</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">loud&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">A</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ccess&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">S</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ecurity&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">B</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">rokers (CASB) providers &ndash; has arisen to provide visibility into application use, identify risk factors and enforce security controls. (NTT Security has announced a strategic partnership with Symantec in this area.) The model is logical: protect outsourced IT with outsourced security.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{66}" paraid="590691435"><strong>Governance, Risk Management, Compliance</strong></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{76}" paraid="1107601543"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Businesses can vet the credentials of outside IT providers, but they are unlikely to run the tests or verify the performance of those partners themselves. Such efforts would fall under the rubric of&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">Governance, Risk Management and Compliance (GRC), a collection of related capabilities that companies tend to retain for themselves.&nbsp;</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{86}" paraid="1885509386"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Executives can always seek advice and counsel, for instance, but as a rule do not outsource how they&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">govern</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">, as governance involves core issues of corporate identity and business ethics. Risk management and compliance are also held closely. Only top executives can set tolerance for risk, and chief compliance officers bear responsibility for the&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">validity&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">of conformance or regulatory&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">outcomes</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{104}" paraid="1191115795"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Growing complexities and a shortage of talent, however, ha</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ve</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;made enterprises more likely to look for help with IT-specific risk management and compliance efforts. An ecosystem of rapidly evolving solutions now exists&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">to&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">address the multifaceted segments of IT risk management, from policy to auditing&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">and</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;operations to vendor management. The efforts by&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">S</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ourcing&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">I</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ndustry&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">G</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">roup</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;to promote&nbsp;</span><a href="https://sig.org/different-more-effective-tail-spend-management-result" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">better management of tail spend</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;is a good&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">example</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;of a&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">related</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;initiative with promising implications for risk mitigation.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{151}" paraid="1211440493"><span xml:lang="EN-US">More comprehensive approaches also exist. From the perspective of a global network services provider with our own unified threat management solutions, we know that even multinational corporations need help. An enterprise must determine its own approach to GRC, but then aligning its security architecture accordingly could entail outsourcing various functions, such as vulnerability assessment, malware detection, endpoint threat detection and log analysis</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{159}" paraid="1421120390"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Compliance is also a taxing and evolving challenge. The EU&rsquo;s General Data Protection Regulation (GD</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">P</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">R</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">)&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">and&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">the newly finalized Cybersecurity Framework version 1.1 from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">cases in point</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">. But the decision to outsource compliance is a serious one, especially if the&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">party&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">is given access to an entire network and sensitive data. As in finance and accounting, trust and transparency are key ingredients to a successful IT audit.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{186}" paraid="2143878929"><strong>Independent Yet Allied</strong></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{196}" paraid="663102606"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Like many business decisions, the question of what security to outsource and what to retain falls on a spectrum. On the one hand, issues overlap</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ping</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;with corporate governance, such as acceptable risk thresholds, should stay in-house. At the other end, companies that have adopted SaaS and other cloud computing tools or platforms have already outsourced both IT resources and much of the related security management</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">, whether they realize it or not.</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{208}" paraid="632348170"><span xml:lang="EN-US">As noted at the outset, security is not a solo operation. &ldquo;Over the past&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">10&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">years, one observation remains steadfast,&rdquo; writes the authors of the&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.nttcominsight.com/2018-gtir/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span xml:lang="EN-US">2018 Global Threat Intelligence Report</span></a><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;(GTIR) from NTT Communications. &ldquo;Our adversaries operate on a global level, and we must invest in capabilities, people, processes and controls which scale.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span></p> </div> <div style="clear:both;"> <p paraeid="{f7c35e5d-59c6-4170-9b71-f5e19d2743bb}{223}" paraid="1544786013"><span xml:lang="EN-US">Enterprises are responsible for building a security-minded culture, where everyone</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">from C-suite to&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">hourly employees</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">&nbsp;&ndash;&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">is empowered with knowledge, tools and awareness. But effective collaboration with trusted external partners is the only way that most organizations will be able to scale up to meet&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">an&nbsp;</span><span xml:lang="EN-US">ever-shifting and expanding set of cyberattacks that threaten them.&nbsp;</span></p> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/cyber-risk" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Cyber Risk</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/cybersecurity" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Cybersecurity</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/governance" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Governance</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/risk-management-and-compliance-grc" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Risk Management and Compliance (GRC)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Cybersecurity - What to Outsource? What to Retain? - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/cybersecurity-what-to-outsource-what-to-retain"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Fri, 20 Jul 2018 02:13:36 +0000 Brandon Curry 1219 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/cybersecurity-what-to-outsource-what-to-retain#comments Data, APIs and the Future of Healthcare: Addressing the Connectivity Challenge https://futureofsourcing.com/data-apis-and-the-future-of-healthcare-addressing-the-connectivity-challenge <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Data%20Storage%20625x324.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Data%20Storage%20625x324.jpg" title="Data, APIs and the Future of Healthcare: Addressing the Connectivity Challenge" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1164-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Data%20Storage%20625x324.jpg?itok=jpJAKjdm" width="624" height="325" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>For <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/procurement-from-theory-to-practice" target="_blank">healthcare providers</a> operating in an increasingly competitive and demanding environment, leveraging technology to analyze data and gain contextualized insight represents the key to success, if not survival. To deliver services effectively, providers must have real-time access to detailed information at the point of care. An emergency room physician treating a stroke victim, for example, needs instant access to lab results and the patient&rsquo;s health history to deliver the best treatment. From an operational standpoint, administrators need consolidated, accurate and up-to-date account and insurance information (as anyone who&rsquo;s dealt with healthcare paperwork can attest).</p> <p>But efficient management of basic patient information &ndash; while a formidable challenge in and of itself &ndash; is just the beginning. The healthcare industry faces increasing pressure to demonstrate the effectiveness of wellness programs in improving outcomes and reducing demand for health services. That means providers must assess myriad cause/effect variables and integrate data from a growing number of sources such as smart sensors on medical devices and wearables that continually collect, share and analyze data. And as the market becomes more consumer-centric, patients increasingly demand &ndash; and expect &ndash; seamless digital services and user-friendly apps accessible via mobile devices.&nbsp;</p> <p>These imperatives require aggregating data from multiple sources that include general and specialist practitioners, insurance companies and pharmacies, as well as increasingly sophisticated medical equipment and personal devices. Indeed, the world generates an estimated 750 quadrillion bytes of health-related data every day &ndash; a volume that will only grow as <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank">Internet of Things (IoT)</a> capabilities take root.&nbsp;</p> <p>In this environment, healthcare providers face the dual challenge of wrapping their arms around the data they already have, while at the same time establishing an operational foundation to support the integration of exponentially growing volumes of new data in the future.&nbsp;</p> <p>Regarding existing data, the reality is that most healthcare providers struggle to meet even basic requirements around managing patient information, accessing data at the point of care and addressing regulator demands. The fundamental issue is a disconnect between internal systems, operational towers and databases. While many industries face the challenge of integrating a wide range of data sources, the problem is particularly acute in healthcare, given its traditional reliance on closed systems and emphasis on patient information security. Too often, healthcare providers struggle to access data from isolated towers that operate as distinct entities, with different standards and inefficient processes. Legacy systems contain vast volumes of unstructured data that, while difficult to access, is essential to managing patient records and delivering care. Mergers and acquisitions compound these issues, as the process of absorbing new entities is ineffective and often fails to deliver the anticipated efficiencies.&nbsp;</p> <p>To address these challenges, healthcare providers today typically deploy teams of programmers to write middleware&nbsp;to connect information silos and integrate legacy systems and new applications. The process is arduous, complex and time-consuming, and requires customized connections for each new point of communication, as well as coding and development work for orchestration, security and deployment.&nbsp;</p> <p>Healthcare industry experts increasingly view Application Programming Interface (<a href="http://outsourcemag.com/node/722" target="_blank">API</a>) tools based on open source standards as an effective alternative to this traditional approach. Equipped with preconfigured code snippets that fully define how applications communicate with one another, open source API tools bypass the tedious process of coding connections on a customized, one-off basis, and instead enable plug-and-play connectivity between systems.&nbsp;</p> <p>Despite these advantages, the healthcare industry has been slow to embrace API tools. The main concern is around security &ndash; the idea of seamlessly and easily connecting data from myriad sources intuitively seem risky. Industry studies, however, have found that well-managed APIs are secure, and are in fact more secure than traditional ad hoc and customized interfaces.&nbsp;</p> <p>By enabling access to a wide range of different data sources, APIs can provide the essential foundation healthcare providers needed to support the new age of delivery &ndash; one characterized by seamless management of patient information and unprecedented levels of insight driven by continuous and increasingly autonomic data collection and analysis. And, by connecting systems in a controlled, structured and secure manner, APIs can help reconcile the fundamental conflict plaguing healthcare information management; namely, the need to reconcile easy access to vast volumes of data with rigorously protected patient information.&nbsp;</p> <p>More specifically, APIs facilitate access to the &ldquo;right&rdquo; data &ndash; data that can yield meaningful insight into operations or patient care. This is particularly important to address HIPAA requirements that allow providers access to certain types of data and restrict access to others.&nbsp;</p> <p>In terms of a sourcing and technology partner strategy, healthcare providers should seek API expertise complemented by capabilities around change management, process optimization and Agile methodology. Achieving optimal benefits from API tools requires process improvement, including redesign and the deployment of automation tools.&nbsp;</p> <p>Agile, meanwhile, is characterized by flexibility, responsiveness and engagement with business requirements &ndash; attributes that are essential in today&rsquo;s rapidly evolving healthcare environment.</p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/data" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Data</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/application-programming-interface-api" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Application Programming Interface (API)</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/healthcare" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Healthcare</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/security" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Security</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="Data, APIs and the Future of Healthcare: Addressing the Connectivity Challenge - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/data-apis-and-the-future-of-healthcare-addressing-the-connectivity-challenge"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Wed, 09 May 2018 22:07:49 +0000 Jose A. Diaz Infante 1164 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/data-apis-and-the-future-of-healthcare-addressing-the-connectivity-challenge#comments The Meaning of Facebook’s Fall-out: Centralized vs. Decentralized Systems https://futureofsourcing.com/the-meaning-of-facebooks-fall-out-centralized-vs-decentralized-systems <div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Meaning%20of%20Facebook%27s%20Fallout%20624x325.jpg"><a href="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/Meaning%20of%20Facebook%27s%20Fallout%20624x325.jpg" title="Reduce risk and opt for a decentralized system of sourcing" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-node-1151-khYTEEekirw"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/styles/juicebox_medium/public/articles/Meaning%20of%20Facebook%27s%20Fallout%20624x325.jpg?itok=6ybfnfdU" width="624" height="325" alt="Reduce risk and opt for a decentralized system of sourcing" title="" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>When the Internet arrived, we said, &ldquo;The world is no longer flat! This changes everything!&rdquo; Then we went back to building centralized systems &ndash; something we still do today. Examples of centralized systems are our <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/node/821" target="_blank">ERPs</a>, enterprise payment systems and government platforms. Recent commercial examples include Google, Facebook and Uber.&nbsp;</p> <p>A centralized system relies on one central body to be the holder of all records, the approver of all transactions and the intermediary between transacting parties &ndash; the sole holder of truth. As participants in this system, we rely on the centralized body and assume that it is benevolent. Of course, this is not always the case. A centralized body can be corrupted and actors can misuse their power.&nbsp;</p> <p>Take the recent news about Facebook selling our private data. Or the fact that Google search results may promote results benefiting them or their paying customers rather than users. A centralized solution introduces conflicts of interest and therefore need to be regulated and controlled.&nbsp;</p> <p>A centralized party may ensure &lsquo;order&rsquo; but it is motivated by its own priorities and interests. And the price of this order includes extra costs, delays and the ever-present risk of corruption. One way to free ourselves from the constraints of this paradigm is to opt for a decentralized system.&nbsp;</p> <p>In a decentralized system, participants transact directly in a &lsquo;peer-to-peer&rsquo; model, rather than via someone else. The verification of the transactions is managed by the larger community in a voting system. The members of the community, called &lsquo;miners&rsquo; in the case of the blockchain, have to agree that each contract or transaction is correct.&nbsp;</p> <p>A decentralized system enables:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Reduced cost structure&nbsp;</li> <li>Near-instant transactions&nbsp;</li> <li>Embedded verification (i.e., transactions on the blockchain can&rsquo;t be compromised &ndash; the chain itself is the holder of truth)&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>As a result, decentralized systems are largely self-governing, and because they do not have &lsquo;interests&rsquo; independent of their users, they require less regulation and oversight.&nbsp;</p> <p>Wait a minute, you may say. Look at Mt. Gox, the Bitcoin&nbsp;exchange that was hacked in 2011. Doesn&rsquo;t that show that <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/blockchain-a-new-link-in-the-supply-chain" target="_blank">blockchain</a> isn&rsquo;t any safer than personal information on Facebook? In this case, it was the Bitcoin exchange &ndash; Mt. Gox &ndash; that was hacked, not the blockchain itself. A blockchain has never been successfully hacked. They have, so far, proven to be the ultimate &lsquo;Truth Machines.&rsquo;&nbsp;</p> <p>Can it be that the viability of decentralized systems will spark a bigger revolution than the Internet? Absolutely. Decentralized systems allow communities to be self-governing without the overhead burden of a central authority and bureaucracy (an example is Uber, which is now being challenged by startups on the blockchain).&nbsp;</p> <p>For instance:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Payments won&rsquo;t require the overlay of costly bank systems. Parties will transact directly with each other&nbsp;</li> <li>Online interactions and connectivity will transcend global borders. Just think of how Skype changed the telecom industry by killing roaming costs and long-distance fees&nbsp;</li> <li>Communities can vote together and implement changes through so called &lsquo;smart contracts&rsquo; without having a central body to do it for them. Examples here are the sale of properties&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>In a few years, billions of devices will be directly <a href="http://outsourcemag.com/artificial-intelligence-whats-now-and-next-in-iot-driven-supply-chain-innovation" target="_blank">connected via the Internet of Things (IoT)</a>. How will they transact? Will they need to go through centralized systems or will they use decentralized, peer-to-peer systems? This is a critical question to answer if we are to ensure that decentralized systems achieve their full potential rather than becoming &lsquo;new&rsquo; centralized systems. Other questions and possible scenarios include:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Is a centralized model even possible in the IoT? Imagine the complexity of organizing all the central systems we&rsquo;d need&hellip;who would govern them?&nbsp;</li> <li>Would we have one system for all cars and another for all trucks? How would these central systems communicate and who would build, run and pay for them? What if a conflict of interest is uncovered? Who would mediate and decide?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>As soon as we ask the questions about cost and decision making, we know that a centralized system structure will hardly work. It will be a logistical nightmare. All &lsquo;things&rsquo; have to transact peer-to-peer in a system that accurately and transparently records and stores all transactions. The IoT will require a decentralized solution in order to work. This is why blockchain is rightly being characterized as a bigger revolution than the Internet.&nbsp;</p> <p>This time, we must say, &ldquo;The world is no longer flat! This changes everything!&rdquo; And then proceed to demand and build a whole new kind of system.&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Note: For more information on this topic, read &ldquo;The Truth Machine &ndash; The Blockchain and the Future of Everything&rdquo; by Michael Casey and Paul Vigna.</em></p> <p><span id="cke_bm_167S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_168S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_169S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_170S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_171S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><img alt="" src="http://outsourcemag.com/sites/default/files/150x150xKellyBarner_Photo_150_0.jpg.pagespeed.ic.jQ6JdlRF4N.jpg" style="width: 150px; height: 150px; float: right; border-width: 5px; border-style: solid; margin: 5px;" /></p> <p><span id="cke_bm_316S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_317S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_318S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_319S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_80S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_81S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span>This article was written in collaboration with&nbsp;Kelly Barner owns, manages, and edits Buyers Meeting Point.&nbsp;Since 2009 she has covered procurement news, events, publications, solutions, trends, and relevant economics at Buyers Meeting Point. Kelly has several regular columns throughout the industry, and in the summer of 2016 was appointed to become the Business Survey Chair for the ISM-New York Report on Business.&nbsp;Kelly has her MBA from Babson College as well as an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College. Kelly has co-authored three books: &lsquo;Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals: Research, Process, and Resources&rsquo; (2014), &lsquo;Procurement at a Crossroads: Career Impacting Insights into a Rapidly Changing Industry&rsquo; (2016), and &#39;Finance Unleashed: Leveraging the CFO for Innovation&#39; (2017). In 2017, Kelly co-founded Palambridge with Phil Ideson (Art of Procurement).<span id="cke_bm_81E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_80E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_319E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_318E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_317E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_316E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_171E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_170E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_169E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_168E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><span id="cke_bm_167E" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/blockchain" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Blockchain</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/internet-of-things-iot" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Internet of Things (IoT)</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/centralized-systems" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Centralized Systems</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/facebook" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Facebook</a></div><div class="field-item even" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/cost" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Cost</a></div><div class="field-item odd" rel="dc:subject"><a href="/tags/risk-management" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Risk Management</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-addthis field-type-addthis field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style " addthis:title="The Meaning of Facebook&amp;rsquo;s Fall-out: Centralized vs. Decentralized Systems - Future of Sourcing" addthis:url="https://futureofsourcing.com/the-meaning-of-facebooks-fall-out-centralized-vs-decentralized-systems"><a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_linkedin"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_facebook"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_twitter"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_googleplus"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_pinterest_share"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_reddit"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_email"></a> <a href="https://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300" class="addthis_button_print"></a> </div> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-region field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/regions/global" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="">Global</a></div></div></div> Tue, 17 Apr 2018 21:58:44 +0000 Magnus Lind 1151 at https://futureofsourcing.com https://futureofsourcing.com/the-meaning-of-facebooks-fall-out-centralized-vs-decentralized-systems#comments