This Executive Update is adapted from Chapter 15 of our book Global RFID: The Value of the EPCglobal Network for Supply Chain Management (Springer-Verlag, 2007).

This Executive Update is adapted from Chapter 15 of our book Global RFID: The Value of the EPCglobal Network for Supply Chain Management (Springer-Verlag, 2007).

At the beginning of the season for almost any sport, the experts select those teams they believe will be the champions. More often than not, they base their selection on which team has the most skilled players -- those with the best skills, knowledge, and ability. But how often does the most-skilled team win?

In the domain of information security management, important innovations that improve an organization's overall security posture are as much behavioral and managerial as they are technical. As effective as a new technology is in blocking viruses or encrypting data, changes in policies, procedures, thinking, and behaviors that have a material effect on an organization's security strategy might represent the greatest innovations of all for some organizations.

In the domain of information security management, important innovations that improve an organization's overall security posture are as much behavioral and managerial as they are technical. As effective as a new technology is in blocking viruses or encrypting data, changes in policies, procedures, thinking, and behaviors that have a material effect on an organization's security strategy might represent the greatest innovations of all for some organizations.

Many organizations approach vendor management one vendor at a time. More sophisticated organizations, however, view their technology assets as a portfolio of hardware, software, services, and staff.

Many organizations approach vendor management one vendor at a time. More sophisticated organizations, however, view their technology assets as a portfolio of hardware, software, services, and staff.

In Part I of this two-part series of Executive Updates (Vol. 8, No.

In Part I of this two-part series of Executive Updates (Vol. 8, No.

In Part I of this two-part series of Executive Updates (Vol. 8, No.

The late author and media commentator Marshall McCluen famously said, "The map is not the territory." If he were alive today, he might be saying, "The satellite photograph (or Google Maps/Earth) is not the territory!" But if you put these together, you are getting pretty close to being the virtual reality of the territory.

The late author and media commentator Marshall McCluen famously said, "The map is not the territory." If he were alive today, he might be saying, "The satellite photograph (or Google Maps/Earth) is not the territory!" But if you put these together, you are getting pretty close to being the virtual reality of the territory.

The late author and media commentator Marshall McCluen famously said, "The map is not the territory." If he were alive today, he might be saying, "The satellite photograph (or Google Maps/Earth) is not the territory!" But if you put these together, you are getting pretty close to being the virtual reality of the territory.

A lot of Cutter Advisor articles serve as a kind of mental note for people who are deeply emerged in some sort of IT-related activities -- be it software development projects or an implementation of some new IT governance processes.

In late March, the public learned that hackers stole credit card information from approximately 45 million cardholder customers of TJX, the parent company of retailers such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls (see "Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends, Once More," 1 February 2007, by Cutter Fellow and ERM&G Practice Director Robert N. Charette). Never have shoppers in search of bargains anticipated bargaining for so much -- great prices and theft of personal information.

In late March, the public learned that hackers stole credit card information from approximately 45 million cardholder customers of TJX, the parent company of retailers such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls (see "Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends, Once More," 1 February 2007, by Cutter Fellow and ERM&G Practice Director Robert N. Charette). Never have shoppers in search of bargains anticipated bargaining for so much -- great prices and theft of personal information.

In late March, the public learned that hackers stole credit card information from approximately 45 million cardholder customers of TJX, the parent company of retailers such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls (see "Once More Unto the Breach, Dear Friends, Once More," 1 February 2007, by Cutter Fellow and ERM&G Practice Director Robert N. Charette). Never have shoppers in search of bargains anticipated bargaining for so much -- great prices and theft of personal information.

When a new service-oriented architecture (SOA) or enterprise architecture (EA) book hits the shelves, I usually check it out, and when it looks interesting enough, I get a copy. The book Business Rules Management and SOA: A Pattern Language by Ian Graham particularly intrigued me.

collaboration = innovation

collaboration = innovation

A predicate to achieving greater value than just cost reductions from strategic sourcing initiatives is the need for organizations to establish the appropriate partner selection criteria. Although the specific criteria to determine partner suitability in a strategic sourcing context differ from criteria in a cost reduction scenario, the thinking that goes into criteria construction is similar. Because strategic sourcing is poised to grow rapidly, the importance of understanding how organizations can forge a successful sourcing marriage is high today.

A predicate to achieving greater value than just cost reductions from strategic sourcing initiatives is the need for organizations to establish the appropriate partner selection criteria. Although the specific criteria to determine partner suitability in a strategic sourcing context differ from criteria in a cost reduction scenario, the thinking that goes into criteria construction is similar. Because strategic sourcing is poised to grow rapidly, the importance of understanding how organizations can forge a successful sourcing marriage is high today.

Until this title is put in context, it seems like a strange position for anyone to take. It sounds like you are leaving your team holding the bag. Bear with me though.

In 2006, I discussed corporate adoption trends regarding the use of open source BI tools, open source operating systems, and open source databases for data warehousing and BI applications (see my BI Executive Updates "BI for 'Free':Open Source BI Tools Adoption Trends," "Corporate Attitu

In 2006, I discussed corporate adoption trends regarding the use of open source BI tools, open source operating systems, and open source databases for data warehousing and BI applications (see my BI Executive Updates "BI for 'Free':Open Source BI Tools Adoption Trends," "Corporate Attitu