s+b Blogs
December 19, 2017
How Companies Can Respond to Consumers’ Demands for Better Data Protection
New surveys reveal a lack of confidence in cybersecurity, and how companies can respond.
More Tech & innovation
Archives by year:
December 13, 2017How to Break Bad Business Habits
Freek Vermeulen of the London Business School offers contrarian nuggets for innovation-hungry leaders. See also “Summer Reading: 8 Business Books – in Pictures”
s+b BlogsDecember 7, 2017Why the Aetna–CVS Deal Is a Lesson for Leaders
It’s a case study in the “attacker’s advantage.”
s+b BlogsDecember 4, 2017Do Utilities Need a Chief Digital Officer?
Regardless of their job title, leaders need to be able to connect new technologies to strategy.
November 30, 2017The Coming Wave of Digital Disruption
Technological changes foreshadow a dramatic — but manageable — shift in business logic everywhere.
November 30, 201710 Principles for Winning the Game of Digital Disruption
It’s time to take today’s technological threats seriously and change the way you do business.
November 29, 2017A Guide to Winning the Digital Disruption Game
How to develop a coherent strategy to face today's technological threats. For more insight, read “10 Principles for Winning the Game of Digital Disruption.”
November 15, 2017Rethinking the Role of Pharmacy Benefits
As the healthcare landscape evolves, stakeholders in the pharmacy value chain need to rethink how they organize to deliver value.
s+b BlogsNovember 8, 2017Why Bitcoin Is Becoming a Real Player
One of the largest commodity exchanges has started offering futures contracts on the cryptocurrency.
s+b BlogsNovember 1, 2017Best Practices Are Dead
Those who lead and advise companies on their digital transformation should rely more on imagination and less on experience.
s+b BlogsOctober 31, 2017Why Companies Need to Build a Skills Inventory
To have the right talent to thrive in the future, companies need to start categorizing and analyzing the skills present in their organization today.
s+b BlogsOctober 31, 2017Innovating the Mundane
Space tourism and self-driving cars are exciting to ponder, but what about just making our current systems work better?
October 24, 2017Will Stronger Borders Weaken Innovation?
The flow of talent, investment, and ideas that has boosted companies’ global R&D efforts may soon be impeded by the rise of economic nationalism.
s+b BlogsOctober 16, 2017What Happens When Machines Know More About People than People Do?
Artificial intelligence may learn to track predispositions and personality traits, turning our inner personalities into a detectible second skin.
October 9, 2017Why Larry Smarr Is Pioneering Collaborative Innovation
Larry Smarr has become a vital conductor of innovation by insisting that scientists and researchers at the incubators he runs collaborate across the lines that separate disciplines.
s+b BlogsOctober 2, 2017Improving Healthcare Affordability in a Volatile Time
Legislation passed in 2015 is providing powerful incentives for the U.S. healthcare system to pursue value-based care.
September 27, 2017Disruptors and the Disrupted: A Tale of Eight Companies — in Pictures
The fear of disruption is often exaggerated. In reality, organizations that are threatened by new technologies and new players usually have more time than they realize to craft an effective response. For further insights, read “The Fear of Disruption Can Be More Damaging than Actual Disruption.”
September 27, 2017The Fear of Disruption Can Be More Damaging than Actual Disruption
Resist the urge to react too hastily to major change — or to use it as an excuse not to take action. Focus instead on making the fundamental strategic choices necessary to strengthen your business. See also “Disruptors and the Disrupted: A Tale of Eight Companies — in Pictures.”
s+b BlogsSeptember 27, 2017Does Online Crowdfunding Reward Actual Innovation?
Although crowdfunding has been hailed as a brilliant new tool for edgy entrepreneurs, Internet investors tend to back safer, less groundbreaking products.
September 14, 2017How to Succeed in the Booming Business of Medicare Advantage
To capitalize on the rapid growth in membership, insurers need to rethink the way they design and administer MA plans.
s+b BlogsSeptember 7, 2017Movie Theatres Take Steps to Disrupt Themselves
To address slow growth, multiplexes are replacing humans with machines, and popcorn and soda with gourmet treats.
s+b BlogsSeptember 6, 2017A Manual for Self-Disruption
Leaders can encourage their organizations to construct their own futures by empowering internal iconoclasts and establishing a sense of urgency.
s+b BlogsAugust 30, 2017How Amazon Fuels Deflation
While central banks puzzle about the lack of inflation, the e-commerce giant’s swift move to slash prices at Whole Foods shows how business is keeping prices down.
s+b BlogsAugust 24, 2017Looking for a Better IT Project Manager? Try the Hybrid Model
As business and technology strategies become more integrated, companies need an IT manager who can watch the bottom line and communicate, as well as do the hard coding.
s+b BlogsAugust 17, 2017Two Simple Concepts for Getting the Most from Absurd Ideas
It’s tempting to dismiss a wild idea, but if respected it can be a springboard for finding synergies and new ways of doing things.
s+b BlogsAugust 15, 2017Uniqlo Addresses Retail Woes with High-Tech Vending Machines
A small but growing number of retailers and restaurants are experimenting with selling their wares through unstaffed kiosks, often linked to apps and e-payment systems.
August 8, 2017Get Ready for the Silicon Military
As the global defense industry embraces digital technology, it is creating a new type of warfare with different winners and losers.
s+b BlogsAugust 7, 2017How to Make Innovation Strategy Work
Aligning technological investments with business goals and understanding how they affect real users helps ensure a greater return on investment.
August 2, 2017A Goldilocks Approach to Innovation
Wharton professor David Robertson defines a “Third Way” of creating new products and services.
s+b BlogsJuly 27, 2017The Automaker’s Dilemma: Getting More Impact from Innovation Capital
The auto industry is making massive R&D investments in safety, connectivity, and autonomy — so far without good returns.
July 26, 2017The Next Big Technology Could Be Nanomaterials
Discoveries surrounding a new class of impossibly small and improbably powerful compounds could reshape the materials industry — and the world around us.
s+b BlogsJuly 25, 2017What Billy Joel Can Teach Us About AI
It’s too simplistic to view advances in automation as inspiring either sadness or euphoria.
July 25, 2017Summer Reading: 10 Business Books – in Pictures
A selection of books perfect for your commute — or the beach.
s+b BlogsJuly 21, 2017Chipotle Takes Another Hit to Reputation, Stock Price
This month’s closure of a burrito shop for possible norovirus shows how vulnerable a company’s image is in the digital age.
s+b BlogsJuly 20, 2017140 Characters Can Make or Break Your Brand
An informal social media style can backfire on an unknown company or boost trust among an audience that is already familiar with the firm.
July 19, 2017The Sore Loser and the Supercomputer
Chess champion Garry Kasparov replays his historic loss to Deep Blue to illuminate the potential of AI.
July 17, 2017Making Seamless E-Payments a Reality
The financial world is about to learn a new kind of proficiency with “frictionless” digital transactions.
July 10, 2017A Strategist’s Guide to the Digital Grocery
As Amazon and Walmart disrupt the grocery industry, smart retailers can compete by plying their wares in a technologically enabled way.
s+b BlogsJune 29, 2017Next-Level Cybersecurity: Preparing for Internet Shutdown
Companies around the world need a comprehensive plan in place to ensure that critical business can still get done in the case of a prolonged Web outage.
s+b BlogsJune 28, 2017Strategy Talk: How Can I Make My Company More Innovative?
Successful innovation in big organizations demands three essential behaviors.
s+b BlogsJune 27, 2017Happy 50th Birthday, ATM
Banking’s greatest technological innovation offers timeless lessons in improving customer experience.
June 21, 2017The New Class of Digital Leaders
Faced with organizational challenges, more and more companies are hiring an executive to manage their digital transformation.
s+b BlogsJune 20, 2017Google’s Next Search Is for Housing
With home costs skyrocketing in large metropolitan areas, companies that want to attract talent may have to get into the real-estate business.
June 15, 2017Innovation from Farm to Table
Investment in agricultural R&D is essential to feeding the world’s growing population.
s+b BlogsJune 14, 2017Economic Nationalism and the Future of Global R&D
A new survey examines how political and economic shifts can affect corporate innovation.
s+b BlogsJune 13, 2017A Jobless Recovery in Coal
Hiring people is often a last resort, even when an industry is growing.
June 12, 2017Design for Your Strengths
Paul Leinwand, coauthor of Strategy That Works, introduces a counterintuitive lesson in how to achieve breakthrough performance in your organization from Olympic medalist John K. Coyle.
s+b BlogsJune 6, 2017Two Simple Concepts for Thinking about the Future
Building a network and improving your imagination can expand the road ahead.
June 5, 2017The Next Wave of Innovation in the Chemicals Industry
Discoveries in materials science could lead to a new era of growth. Who is best positioned to benefit — incumbent companies or upstarts?
s+b BlogsJune 1, 2017The Nine Traits of Highly Effective CMOs
Tips for long-term survival in what has become a short-term role.
May 31, 2017Howard Yu Disrupts Disruptive Innovation
The IMD professor describes how the accelerating pace of technological change puts new pressures on established companies.
s+b BlogsMay 24, 2017Why the Construction Industry May Be Robot-Proof
There is something unique about building houses that inherently eschews efficiency and automation.
May 24, 2017Cracking the Code of Economic Development
Public policy professor Philip Auerswald takes on “the Great Man–Machine Debate.”
May 22, 2017Get Ready for Eight Surprising Disruptions
A look at the major challenges and opportunities in your industry. For more insights, read the full collection of trends from Strategy&.
May 22, 2017Winning with Digital Confidence
The right mix of talent, innovation, and experience will help your company master emerging technology.
s+b BlogsMay 18, 2017Your Next Corporate Leader Should Have a Pilot’s License
CEOs who fly planes in their spare time take on risks and seek out new experiences, traits that lead them to preside over firms with better innovation outcomes.
s+b BlogsMay 17, 2017Do We Really Need to Disrupt Lunch, Too?
Automation is chipping away at one of the few chances many of us get during the workday for human interaction.
s+b BlogsMay 16, 2017Cybersecurity after WannaCry: How to Resist Future Attacks
A few key habits and attributes can help protect companies from ransomware — now and going forward.
May 10, 2017A Strategist’s Guide to Artificial Intelligence
As the conceptual side of computer science becomes practical and relevant to business, companies must decide what type of AI role they should play.
s+b BlogsMay 9, 2017Why Robots Need Adult Supervision
Facebook is hiring legions of people to monitor content, proving once again that, at least in the near future, computers need a human touch.
May 8, 2017How to Make Entertainment and Media Businesses “Fan”-tastic
Capturing the strategic advantages of fan-centric businesses requires functional transformation.
May 1, 2017AI Is Already Entertaining You
How technology endowed with creative intelligence changes the way companies generate and distribute content.
s+b BlogsApril 27, 2017Asking the Right Questions Can Frame a Successful Transformation
When plotting strategy, leaders should worry less about solutions and more about identifying the precise problem they are trying to solve.
April 26, 2017The Next Pop Superstar Just Might Be a Robot
Shelly Palmer, one of the world's leading digital-technology commentators, talks about the evolution of the entertainment and media industry.
s+b BlogsApril 24, 2017How Much Innovation Should We Juice Out of Engineers?
Are the bells and whistles on already highly engineered products just decadence, or are they a small price to pay for the gadgets we need?
April 24, 2017The New Ways to Win in Emerging Markets
How to develop the right capabilities to lead global growth.
s+b BlogsApril 19, 2017For Startups, Giving Up Control Is Key to Creating Value
Young firms are valued significantly higher and attract more financing after their founders relinquish some power.
s+b BlogsApril 12, 2017Where Have All the Shop Clerks Gone?
Forget your worries about the factory floor. Machines are already decimating retail jobs.
s+b BlogsApril 6, 2017Tech Is No Cure-All Where Emotions Run High
Autonomous buses seem like a natural solution to a school bus driver shortage, but parents would certainly disagree.- s+b BlogsMarch 30, 2017
When Robots Miss the Minutiae
As tasks such as ad placement are becoming automated, it’s obvious that machines will need to make a huge leap to discern context. 
s+b BlogsMarch 29, 2017Are Today’s CEOs Tomorrow’s Early Adopters?
Leaders of companies must make personal and financial commitments to trying new experiences.
March 23, 2017A Guide to Leading the Next Industrial Revolution
Ten tips to navigate the opportunities and uncertainties of this great wave of technological change. For more insight, read “10 Principles for Leading the Next Industrial Revolution.”
March 23, 201710 Principles for Leading the Next Industrial Revolution
Tools and techniques to ensure your company will stand out in the new age of digitization. See also “A Guide to Leading the Next Industrial Revolution.”
s+b BlogsMarch 23, 2017How TiVo Confronted the Disruptor’s Dilemma
Upstart firms that want to break into an established sector often must collaborate with the very power brokers they seek to unseat.
s+b BlogsMarch 20, 2017Two Simple Concepts for Satisfying Customers
Get to know your highest-volume customers, and fill the satisfaction gaps that they won’t tell you about.
s+b BlogsMarch 9, 2017Why Artificial Intelligence Needs Some Emotional Intelligence
Robots are becoming chefs, and software is our new chauffeur, but their capacity for empathy leaves something to be desired.
s+b BlogsMarch 7, 2017Three Questions Shape the Prospects of Alphabet’s Waymo
Google vaulted from nowhere to grab the lead in driverless cars, but Waymo aims to win the race.
s+b BlogsMarch 2, 2017Should Robots Pay Their Fair Share?
If machines and software are going to take over the jobs of humans, we may need them to fund our society.
March 1, 2017The Business of Tetris
Journalist Dan Ackerman untangles the complicated history of one of the world’s most popular video games.
February 27, 2017Why Augmented Reality Will Be the Next Revolution in Retail
The Pokémon Go craze may have faded, but it provides clues for retailers using technology to engage consumers.
February 22, 2017The Uncertainty Advantage
Creative leaders don’t fear risk — they turn it into a money-making strategy.
s+b BlogsFebruary 20, 2017Two Simple Concepts for Better Leadership
Learn to operate from two observation points simultaneously and to outsource at home.
February 20, 2017The Digital Marketing Value Loop
INSEAD’s David Dubois on how companies and their customers communicate in the digital age.
February 13, 2017A Guide to Strategy through Execution
How to get the strategists and implementers in your company to work together effectively. For more insight, read “10 Principles of Strategy through Execution.”
February 13, 201710 Principles of Strategy through Execution
How to link where your company is headed with what it does best. See also “A Guide to Strategy through Execution.”
s+b BlogsFebruary 9, 2017Return on Design
Companies that receive awards for product design see an immediate uptick in stock price.
s+b BlogsFebruary 8, 2017How to Build a Connected Workforce
Technology can help, but the key is to focus on interdependence and a common language.
February 6, 2017Who Will Insure Self-Driving Cars?
The advent of autonomous vehicles may send the auto insurance industry over a cliff.
February 1, 2017The Thought Leader Interview: GE’s Bill Ruh on the Industrial Internet Revolution
During the next few years, says GE Digital’s leader, the Industrial Internet will turn every company into a digitally empowered enterprise.
s+b BlogsFebruary 1, 2017Doing the Super Bowl Ad Math
Popular commercials aired during the big game can drive up a firm’s stock price, but only if the brand is relatively unknown or has a flagging reputation.
January 26, 2017Quantifying Entertainment
How the science of big data analytics can contribute to the art of producing movie and TV content.
January 25, 2017Peter Diamandis’s Excellent Adventure
Journalist Julian Guthrie tells the story of the Ansari XPrize and of SpaceShipOne’s historic flights.
January 25, 2017Microsoft Starts Up
The tech giant’s partnership model shows how large companies can work with new ventures to drive innovation.
January 24, 2017Why the Right Mix of Products, Customers, and Markets Is an Overlooked Profits Lever
Companies can increase profits in a low-growth environment by focusing on the right combination of segments.- s+b BlogsJanuary 23, 2017
What’s Your Digital ROI?
Companies need a clear and complete view of how their digital transformations are progressing. 
January 19, 2017David Smick Explains How Main Street Capitalism Can Be the Great Equalizer
The editor of the International Economy outlines a plan for restoring income growth based on encouraging startups and competition.
s+b BlogsJanuary 19, 2017How Smartphone Apps Influence the Way We Shop
Consumers who use mobile apps tend to make more-frequent purchases, spend less per transaction, and return items more often than those who don’t.
January 18, 2017Buying Our Time
Author Tim Wu argues that the Internet’s descent into clickbait and trivia is only the latest chapter in a long history of advertisers grabbing our attention.
January 9, 2017The Serious Business of Sandboxes
Constructing places where employees can collaborate, improvise, and watch one another work can spur creativity.
s+b BlogsJanuary 5, 2017What It Takes to Stay Ahead of the Competition
For companies, sustaining a consistently high level of performance requires unique capabilities that may differ sharply from the strategies they used to succeed in the first place.
s+b BlogsJanuary 3, 2017The End of Conventional Industry Sectors
Technology and the Internet of Things are eroding the boundaries that have long classified businesses. Here’s how to change your company’s approach.
January 3, 2017Siri, Who Is Terry Winograd?
For 40 years, the Stanford professor has steered the increasingly complex and meaningful interactions between humans and computers.
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