A true understanding of products and customers can help a company create a "best of all possible worlds" - the right value proposition for each customer, delivered via the most efficient and, therefore, most profitable go-to-market business model. Ralf Schwarzendahl, director, and Tom Marriott, U.S. Process Consulting...
Information Technology IT is the elephant in the room. Ask most directors what they really know about IT, and you are likely to experience an arctic freeze strong enough to build igloos on the equator. It's not that directors don't appreciate the value of IT. On the contrary, they understand...
The behavior of leaders is the most critical element in establishing an ethical workplace culture. What must leaders consider each day and how do leaders think about ethics in the work force? What behavioral influences do employees look to for ethical guidance? What work-life strategies promote an ethical environment that...
There's a sea change coming to the C-suite, and the Chief Human Resources Officer - or CHRO - is emerging on a wave of new challenges that will transform how companies reinvent themselves in their quest to increase profits and compete in the global marketplace. Shifts in workforce demographics have...
A variety of pressures are pushing enterprises across diverse sectors to extend their supply chains around the world. But while many companies are acting globally, they are still thinking locally. How hard is it to manage a complex, global supply chain for optimal efficiency? Too hard for most companies, according...
A new Stanford case study, developed in collaboration between the Stanford Global Supply Chain Management Forum and Deloitte Research, looks at how OnStar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation, has grown from a small upstart business to become the world's largest telematics provider in the automotive industry. While OnStar...
Manufacturers tend to spend a great deal of time looking at the concepts of lean manufacturing and Six Sigma and how they can apply on the shop floor. But on the whole, they've given far less thought to how they can benefit by applying lean principles in corporate "White spaces"...
The trend of shared services adoption continues to move toward the high end of the benefits food chain, from cost saver, to strategic asset, to a value and flexibility enabler on a global scale. We are seeing companies expand their global footprint of shared services operations and increasing the scope...
There are advantages to planning ahead, including the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you are prepared for your financial future. In its 20th year, this extensive Deloitte paper provides information on how to review current personal tax and wealth-planning situations and plan ahead for a wide array...
In this paper, Dr. Joseph A. Stanislaw, independent senior advisor to Deloitte's Energy & Resources Group, discusses the convergence of climate change and energy security over the past two years. For the first time in history, nations, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and individuals believe they can make a difference - through...
The Wall Street grinches have borne not-so-glad tidings about the upcoming holiday shopping season. Although consumer spending will be affected by current realities - falling home values, high gas prices, product recalls - the answer is not to close up the cash registers in resignation. An informed assessment of the...
This Deloitte paper focuses on information management issues and how inertia could be overcome. Findings reveal that no one factor helped executives to justify the actions and investments needed to enhance their companies' information capabilities. It also revealed a profound, overarching theme: Respondents that think broadly when evaluating the business...
The energy industry has always dealt with risk. However, when the scope, complexity and interdependency of risk factors increase, or when an emerging risk simultaneously presents significant opportunities, more comprehensive and integrated approaches are necessary. Climate change provides an example of highly interdependent risk with global impact, and is creating...
This paper addresses the dilemma of how to improve controls while simultaneously reducing unnecessary costs - without jeopardizing compliance. The publication outlines Deloitte & Touche LLP's method for optimizing SOX efforts through a continuous top-down, risk-based approach to analyzing and prioritizing controls.
The Food and Drug Administration FDA estimates that counterfeit products make up more than 10 percent of the global pharmaceuticals supply. Whether it is counterfeit products slipping into the supply chain or employees engaging in unlawful pricing activities, fraud costs life sciences companies billions of dollars annually. Implementation of sufficiently...
A global study, conducted by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and the Economist Intelligence Unit, demonstrates how leading chief financial officers CFOs are leveraging talent in finance to assume a more strategic role. The study, which surveyed more than 600 senior finance executives and business leaders representing every major industry and...
A new research paper by the Deloitte Center for Health solutions examines the gap between the health care we get and the care we could be getting. The paper offers one viewpoint on how safe and effective care is achievable if key stakeholders approach the process openly and with trust....
With a proven capacity to both create and destroy shareholder value, few issues are the subject of more internal debate among U.S. corporate leaders than the long-term effects of China on their global businesses. This paper provides energy executives with insight into identifying their key climate change risks and discusses...
A company's Chief Information Officer CIO must be involved if the company is going to be effective at going green. Not only can the CIO and the Information Technology IT group help drive IT, but they can push toward a new type of competitive advantage. This Deloitte paper provides the...
This Deloitte whitepaper provides real-life examples from the frontlines of some of the most complex Merger and Acquisition (M&A) integrations ever done at the company. With articles ranging from strategy and program management to cost reduction, this collection will give you that extra edge in talking with your teams about...