Sometimes, for our more difficult projects, we have to amp up our game and personally call our potential experts rather than just emailing worthy candidates. Often we spend several hours each day scouring the Internet to find even just one person who might become a valued consultant for our clients. These difficult projects are, of course, time-sensitive like all the others, so if there’s a note of hysteria or desperate subservience when we reach you on the phone, that’s why.
Well, today is no different; my colleague Elizabeth and I are calling potential corporate banking customers to get professional opinions on the process of choosing a bank for one’s lending/banking needs. And you know what? I’m generally very surprised and touched at how genuinely interested and responsive some people are. I mean, we’re calling people at work, out of the blue, asking them to participate in a market research project that they previously had no interest in (that is, until we called them), yet they’re willing and able! “Set it up for next week!” they say. And just to clarify, these are not individuals who have nothing better to do with their time. These are extremely busy C-level executives that have loads on their plates and yet they’re taking time out of their schedules to speak to us, to share their opinions and insights, to become Knowledge Leaders. So, I really just wanted to say:
THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR KNOWLEDGE LEADERS FOR BEING SO WILLING AND ABLE, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR VAST EXPERTISE WITH US AND OUR CLIENTS. Without you, we’d be nothing!
technorati tags: hand-recruitment, thank you
The auto industry stimulus plan is one of the most important measures to stimulate domestic consumption. In fact the plan has brought some positive impact, judging from vehicle sales data in March. The stimulus plan includes encouraging the reorganization of the automobile industry, supporting auto technology innovation, especially on the development of new energy vehicles, etc.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: China’s Auto Industry, Auto Industry Stimulus Plan, Autos Experience a Positive Impact in March, Auto Technology Innovation, New Energy Vehicle Development
Interesting time in the Data Storage and Networking world as the 2 become one through the convergence of Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). Although, the management and day to day operations remain the same, internally to an organization, the question becomes “Who manages the single network? Network group or Storage group? The answer seems to depend on the size of the organization, as larger organizations are not giving control of its storage to the network group, but smaller accounts are giving the “physical” to the network side of the house. I believe you continue to see consolidation of the SAN and LAN providers (Brocade/Foundry) over the next 12-18 months as FCoE gains adoption.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: Data Storage and Networking Convergence, Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), Consolidation of the SAN and LAN providers
Score for overall Economic climate in China: 7.5. It’s not clear how bad American economics will go and what is still uncovered in the economic crunch. But currently the economy in China is holding a kind of “pessimistically optimistic” attitude and I personally believe there are opportunities lying in the “mess”. The biggest blow for China’s economy is definitely exports. Due to the decline of demand in the international company and cash problem, A LOT OF companies (especially in South China Dongguan, Shenzhen) have to close. And therefore A LOT OF people lost jobs and had to go back to hometowns, which are 2nd tier, 3rd tier cities or even villages. And the latest batch of graduates is finding it difficult to find jobs. However, there are huge opportunities lying here. (Why?) When it comes to Chinese CONSUMERS, they are currently holding a “wait-and-see” attitude, which means they become more prudent on spending but don’t necessarily reduce any important ones. Generally they are optimistic about the government’s capability to stand through this credit crunch. Meanwhile the crunch is very beneficial to them in some ways, and consumers pay paramount attention to quality. (Why?) This is mostly the case in 1st tier cities. While in the 2nd tier, it becomes more severe, as a lot of people have lost jobs. But things are not too bad.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: China Economically Pessimistically Optimistic, Companies are Closing in Southern China, Dongguan and Shenzhen, Chinese Consumers Adopting a Wait-And-See Attitude
During the next five years, the number of different communications vendors with which a typical organization works with will be reduced by at least 50 percent. This change is driven by increases in the capability of application servers and the general shift of communications applications to common off-the-shelf server and operating systems. As this occurs, formerly distinct markets, each with distinct vendors, converge, resulting in massive consolidation in the communications industry. Organizations must build careful, detailed plans for when each category of communications function is replaced or converged, coupling this step with the prior completion of appropriate administrative team convergence.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: Communications Vendors, Vendor Reduction of 50%, Vendor Convergence and Consolidation
Due to public demand to reduce emissions for power plants, utilities are struggling with how to balance the cost of low-sulfur coal while managing costs of power to consumers. It is a delicate balance. With increasing regulation of both emissions and coal by-products, utilities will be pushed harder to drive down costs and become more eco-friendly. At the same time, they are being pushed to increase capacity to meet growing demands without increasing costs to consumers. How will they meet this challenge? It remains to be seen, but many strategies are on the table. At the same time, President Obama is calling for increased commitment to green power. Incorporating this strategy into an already complex mix will require creativity on the part of utilities nationwide.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: Coal Industry, Increasing Regulation of Emissions and Coal By-Products, Eco-Friendly, Balancing Cost of Low-Sulfur Coal and the Cost of Power to Consumers, Obama’s Commitment to Green Power
China has been growing at an increasing pace in export of products. With low cost comes compromised quality. So, care needs to be taken when dealing with suppliers there. Supplier management is critical in China where relationships and networks matter. This will ultimately affect pricing, delivery time, quality, etc. Export processes and taxes are simple yet complex if the inexperienced are managing them for the first time.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: China Supply Chain Management, Supplier Management, China Relationships and Networks, Export Process and Taxes
SaaS is increasingly becoming a solid option for companies in the Small and Medium Business Sector. They struggle with the costs of securing infrastructure and training IT staff, which distracts from their core competencies. SaaS in general, however, does not offer the complete functionality required of ERP and is often a niche play. Scalability can also be a concern as well as migration. Fixed price, fixed scope premise based products in an appliance model are playing a major role in this market as well. They offer a quick way for small companies to manage costs and gain a more predictable ROI/TCO. They often require a more hefty upfront investment, but with more predictable outcomes. Business Intelligence is also a key challenge. Companies today need to help manage cash, predict cash flows, and be in a position to act and react quickly. BI, including information discovery and display and enterprise information management (MDM, BI, etc…) are playing bigger and bigger roles in helping companies succeed. Overall companies are looking for software and providers who know their business and can help them solve real problems based on best practices and innovation for the future.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: Software as a Service, SME, Business Intelligence, ERP, Enterprise Information Management
Some of the questions I’m frequently asked are, “Why do your clients ask you to find experts for them? Who are your clients, anyway?”
Having been a customer of Expert Network services in my previous life as a financial analyst, I can tell you that primary research – in particular, “expert consultations” – is one of the most important aspects of the job. Anyone can read annual reports, browse websites, listen to earnings conference calls, and filter through published research. What’s more, everyone already does those things, so in order to be smarter than your neighbor, you need to be prepared to roll up your sleeves and do some first-hand research.
Here’s an example. One of my first research projects was to better understand the online real estate brokerage industry – the leader at the time was a company called ZipRealty. After reading through the published Wall Street research reports and the SEC filings, I had an idea of the what the industry was about – but I didn’t have a good grasp on where it was headed. A few years out, would they be like online travel agents, or online pet stores? To help answer that, I needed to talk to people in the field. That’s where the real knowledge always is, and that’s where I could test out my hypotheses. As good as books or reports are – I couldn’t ask them any questions.
To further my understanding and perspectives, I conducted primary research and talked to a number of real estate brokers and consumers who were shopping for homes. I asked them all types of questions like “Where do you go to look for listings? What value do you find in a real estate broker? How much do you pay to advertise listings in a newspaper? Do your customers come to you with the exact properties they want to see, or, do they ask you to drive them around?” This was much more work than reading a research report – but it was also far more valuable. Primarily with the help of conversations with a group of knowledgeable (and very helpful!) experts who had spent years in the field, I was able to quickly develop an independent and thorough understanding of an industry. This, in turn, helped shape our investments in that space.
Today, our clients include investment firms, corporations, non-profits and startups! As many of you are aware, starting a company can be daunting. You’re out there pursuing a dream, but at the same time you’re also flying without a safety net. Entrepreneurs often encounter obstacles they need to solve by themselves – there’s no one else to turn to. Here’s when an expert consultation might help. What type of online marketing will be most effective for my product? Which recruiting tools/websites should I rely on? These valuable pieces of advice can save not only time, but also money – two things almost always in short supply at a startup!
Canada was a North American Pioneer in the development of P3’s. There are currently about 30 P3 projects forecasted across Canada with a project value of approximately $24 billion. With the recent financial downturn a few of these projects have not reached financial close for various reasons. Market is going through some transition as project sponsors try to balance the financial components with the risk that the engineering and construction market is willing to bear.
*Knowledge Leader Sound Bites are insights from current experts of Tribeca Insights’ Knowledge Leader Forum.
technorati tags: Canadian Public Private Partnerships, P3, Canadian Engineering and Construction Market, North American P3 Pioneer