Writing an article about organizational resilience seems as exciting as reading about the steps for a root canal and expecting readers to get interested in it. From that perspective, it seems prudent to garner some positive reader motivation before diving into the mechanics of this topic.

Writing an article about organizational resilience seems as exciting as reading about the steps for a root canal and expecting readers to get interested in it. From that perspective, it seems prudent to garner some positive reader motivation before diving into the mechanics of this topic.

The past few years have highlighted many newly recognized operational threats resulting from weather, fraud, data loss, terrorism, and other events. With each incident, the level of loss was significant, but an underlying theme revealed the inability of organizations to survive the threats. Some of these situations were so catastrophic that recovery was very difficult, but the recovery could have been easier with prior planning. More significantly, these recent events will likely repeat themselves in some form or fashion.

The past few years have highlighted many newly recognized operational threats resulting from weather, fraud, data loss, terrorism, and other events. With each incident, the level of loss was significant, but an underlying theme revealed the inability of organizations to survive the threats. Some of these situations were so catastrophic that recovery was very difficult, but the recovery could have been easier with prior planning. More significantly, these recent events will likely repeat themselves in some form or fashion.

Now that the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) compliance audit for 2005 is concluded, and reports are finalized and filed, it is natural for those involved to begin planning the event for the upcoming year. The cycle begins again with the following questions: What will it be like this year? Will it be as intense? Will it be better? Did we learn anything last year? Did we incorporate anything we learned other than ill feelings? Did any trends emerge? Can we survive another year?

Now that the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) compliance audit for 2005 is concluded, and reports are finalized and filed, it is natural for those involved to begin planning the event for the upcoming year. The cycle begins again with the following questions: What will it be like this year? Will it be as intense? Will it be better? Did we learn anything last year? Did we incorporate anything we learned other than ill feelings? Did any trends emerge? Can we survive another year?

Now that the US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) compliance audit for 2005 is concluded, and reports are finalized and filed, it is natural for those involved to begin planning the event for the upcoming year. The cycle begins again with the following questions: What will it be like this year? Will it be as intense? Will it be better? Did we learn anything last year? Did we incorporate anything we learned other than ill feelings? Did any trends emerge? Can we survive another year?

Competitive bidding has been found to be the most common supplier selection technique for outsourcing, with most organizations using a tender (a request for proposal, or RFP) to see how the marketplace would respond to its needs [2]. This approach not only puts pressure on suppliers to deliver their best value for the money against their peers, but it also gives the organization the information it needs to evolve and mature its selection decision.

Competitive bidding has been found to be the most common supplier selection technique for outsourcing, with most organizations using a tender (a request for proposal, or RFP) to see how the marketplace would respond to its needs [2]. This approach not only puts pressure on suppliers to deliver their best value for the money against their peers, but it also gives the organization the information it needs to evolve and mature its selection decision.

Competitive bidding has been found to be the most common supplier selection technique for outsourcing, with most organizations using a tender (a request for proposal, or RFP) to see how the marketplace would respond to their needs. This approach not only puts pressure on suppliers to deliver their best value for the money against their peers, but it also gives the organization the information it needs to evolve and mature its selection decision-making process.

Competitive bidding has been found to be the most common supplier selection technique for outsourcing, with most organizations using a tender (a request for proposal, or RFP) to see how the marketplace would respond to their needs. This approach not only puts pressure on suppliers to deliver their best value for the money against their peers, but it also gives the organization the information it needs to evolve and mature its selection decision-making process.

Organizations use very different outsourcing structures and constantly appear to be seeking "the best one." Yet disparate structures may result in equally desirable outcomes. The configuration concept disaggregates the key structural elements of each outsourcing deal and allows you to see how to combine them in optimal ways.

Organizations use very different outsourcing structures and constantly appear to be seeking "the best one." Yet disparate structures may result in equally desirable outcomes. The configuration concept disaggregates the key structural elements of each outsourcing deal and allows you to see how to combine them in optimal ways.

IT strategy

Systemic agile methods implementations across organizations are replacing the periodic "rogue" project team implementations of previous periods.

The Trends Council recently had a very lively e-mail discussion that we thought you would enjoy reading. We hope it will provoke you and provide you with new reflections on current technologies and the present and future state of society and the world.

The Trends Council recently had a very lively e-mail discussion that we thought you would enjoy reading. We hope it will provoke you and provide you with new reflections on current technologies and the present and future state of society and the world.

Last week, a client of mine who is a senior VP of software development told me, "My CFO declared that fully one-third of our work should be in India within the next two years." For me, it wasn't that the directive was about outsourcing to India that was shocking. What caught my attention was that the mandate was coming from the head of finance, the CFO. The top bean counter was the one directing this decision, not the head of engineering.

Last week, a client of mine who is a senior VP of software development told me, "My CFO declared that fully one-third of our work should be in India within the next two years." For me, it wasn't that the directive was about outsourcing to India that was shocking. What caught my attention was that the mandate was coming from the head of finance, the CFO. The top bean counter was the one directing this decision, not the head of engineering.

Last week, a client of mine who is a senior VP of software development told me, "My CFO declared that fully one-third of our work should be in India within the next two years." For me, it wasn't that the directive was about outsourcing to India that was shocking. What caught my attention was that the mandate was coming from the head of finance, the CFO. The top bean counter was the one directing this decision, not the head of engineering.

Would you like to be a master team builder, leader, or mate? If so, then here is a multiple-choice question for you: What is the number-one predictor of group cohesion and thus high-performance teamwork?

There must be a certain amount of schadenfreude in the oil industry at the continued hammering UK energy giant BP PLC is receiving in the international press. BP, which is the second largest oil company in the world behind ExxonMobil, has over the past several years touted itself as the environment-friendly, socially conscious oil company as opposed to its rivals, especially ExxonMobil. However, a series of events over the past 18 months have tarnished BP's once sterling reputation.

There must be a certain amount of schadenfreude in the oil industry at the continued hammering UK energy giant BP PLC is receiving in the international press. BP, which is the second largest oil company in the world behind ExxonMobil, has over the past several years touted itself as the environment-friendly, socially conscious oil company as opposed to its rivals, especially ExxonMobil. However, a series of events over the past 18 months have tarnished BP's once sterling reputation.

There must be a certain amount of schadenfreude in the oil industry at the continued hammering UK energy giant BP PLC is receiving in the international press. BP, which is the second largest oil company in the world behind ExxonMobil, has over the past several years touted itself as the environment-friendly, socially conscious oil company as opposed to its rivals, especially ExxonMobil. However, a series of events over the past 18 months have tarnished BP's once sterling reputation.

There must be a certain amount of schadenfreude in the oil industry at the continued hammering UK energy giant BP PLC is receiving in the international press. BP, which is the second largest oil company in the world behind ExxonMobil, has over the past several years touted itself as the environment-friendly, socially conscious oil company as opposed to its rivals, especially ExxonMobil. However, a series of events over the past 18 months have tarnished BP's once sterling reputation.

There must be a certain amount of schadenfreude in the oil industry at the continued hammering UK energy giant BP PLC is receiving in the international press. BP, which is the second largest oil company in the world behind ExxonMobil, has over the past several years touted itself as the environment-friendly, socially conscious oil company as opposed to its rivals, especially ExxonMobil. However, a series of events over the past 18 months have tarnished BP's once sterling reputation.