Amidst economic struggles and high unemployment levels, skills shortages endure. Particularly persistent and acute is the shortfall of scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematical (STEM) talent. Consider these findings from APQC’s recent Work force Capabilities survey. More…
This morning, I gave a 30-minute presentation highlighting the best KM content APQC has published so far this year. If you want to find out what’s new and exciting in the Knowledge Base, I recommend listening to this recording of the presentation or downloading the slides. The slides are…
What practice in procurement is associated with shorter supplier lead times and faster PO processing? Category Management. By clustering suppliers into categories, you can leverage similar market intelligence, sourcing strategies, and supplier relationship management programs. Here's an…
No one knows who first said it, but a popular saying asserts: "You don't know where you're going until you know where you've been." I'd like to offer an equally, if not more important, statement that can be applied to process management and improvement: "You don't know where you can go if you don't…
Effectively Managing Risk Across the Enterprise is a new and ground-breaking report from APQC on enterprise risk management (ERM). The pioneers featured have crafted mature ERM programs that not only protect them from major negative events, whether strategic, operational, or financial,…
APQC research suggests that while many aspects of knowledge management (KM) relate to the work force, KM isn’t typically a top priority for HR. But at organizations where HR is involved in KM efforts, the benefits to business performance can be significant. In the new book, The New Edge in…
Luckily, you didn't have to actually be there this time. We wrote it all down in New Product Development: Embracing an Adaptable Process - EXFO Case Study. In the fall of 2010, I joined APQC's Collaborative Research team on a trip to Canada, where we visited the Quebec City offices and…
What are the essential ingredients for work force planning success? What work force planning strategies, processes, and practices give your organization an advantage over competitors? In thinking about these questions, did any of the following approaches come to mind? Formalize and…
It might seem harsh to talk about killing potential new products before they launch. Killing them before they go to market means they never get a chance to be the next "big thing." But the reality is that organizations with the ability to make those tough decisions tend to have greater success…
APQC research shows that a growing number of financial executives have resolved that traditional approaches for managing business performance are no longer adequate. As large organizations struggle to plan and execute growth strategy in an economic recovery that is hard to read, many are embracing…