https://www.scmp.com/rss/322969/feed Gianfranco Casati is Accenture’s group chief executive for emerging markets en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Rapid advancements in technologies – including artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and the cloud – are enabling companies to create innovative products and services, as well as change the way people work and live. This, in turn, is changing companies’ relationships with their customers and business partners. As part of our annual report, Technology Vision, Accenture surveyed more than 6,300 business and IT executives worldwide. More than four in five respondents (84 per cent) agree... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2134002/give-your-business-some-tech-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2134002/give-your-business-some-tech-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2018 11:20:59 +0000 We live in a world of abundant economic opportunities – many stemming from the promise created by new technologies, including artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and biotechnology. But even as the opportunities for successful new products, services, and solutions powered by technology emerge, they aren’t always utilised. This is what we call trapped value – any economic opportunity that has not been realised. This trapped value needs to be unlocked, and management 101 advice allows... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2126072/how-unlock-value-trapped-inside-your-own-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2126072/how-unlock-value-trapped-inside-your-own-business?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Dec 2017 07:02:06 +0000 Technological changes and regulatory pressures are putting a range of traditional industries in Asia under threat and performance data suggests some have unwittingly begun a prolonged operating margin decline that will become harder to reverse. Unless these companies revive the core business and free up investment capacity required to expand into new businesses, obsolescence may become unavoidable. We believe companies today must “rotate to the new,” a journey we think of as a conscious and... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2116127/how-pivoting-can-help-aid-corporate-survival-world-rapid-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2116127/how-pivoting-can-help-aid-corporate-survival-world-rapid-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Oct 2017 01:32:24 +0000 Many of the most important senior executives I speak to, ask how can I their company so it embraces digital? Companies of the future are going to be reliant upon new digital services built on rapidly accelerating technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and robotics process automation (RPA). Top executives at world class companies know this. But they have valid questions regarding how to transform their corporate culture, reskill their staff and make the leap to... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2112443/every-company-future-will-need-embrace-digital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/2112443/every-company-future-will-need-embrace-digital?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Sep 2017 10:15:45 +0000 Many of Asia’s corporations are expanding their brands overseas. From Alibaba and Tencent leveraging their internet, social media and payments capabilities to invest in and grow businesses outside China, to Malaysia’s Grab expanding its ride-hailing capabilities in Southeast Asia, companies are broadening their reach. Cross-border investment isn’t new. Cross-border promotion of a brand is relatively new for China and increasingly diverse for Japan. Obviously, Japanese car and technology brands... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2110340/want-expand-overseas-make-sure-your-management-team-worth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2110340/want-expand-overseas-make-sure-your-management-team-worth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 Sep 2017 02:46:21 +0000 When business is ticking along, it is tempting not to question the status quo. There are plenty of adages to support this view. You’ll often hear management 101 advise to “stick to your knitting” or to follow a plan of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. But that’s precisely how businesses have been left behind. When the Ford Motor Company launched the Model T in 1908 there were already other automakers selling cars. Yet Henry Ford’s car stands out in history because Ford reinvented the way to... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2108291/henry-fords-model-change-remains-pillar-innovation-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2108291/henry-fords-model-change-remains-pillar-innovation-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Aug 2017 02:00:51 +0000 Hong Kong has long been one of the key conduits for trade between China and the rest of the world. And although its role as the hub for manufacturing trade may be waning as the growth of global trade in goods slows, that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for reinvention. The “Belt and Road Initiative” obliquely refers to the historic, often romanticised Silk Road, which put China at the centre of trade. This new route once again puts Greater China at the epicentre of connectivity between more than... https://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/2106429/hong-kong-must-embrace-digitally-enabled-trade-tap-belt-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/2106429/hong-kong-must-embrace-digitally-enabled-trade-tap-belt-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2017 08:41:23 +0000 There has been a shift in what we call the talent agenda: it is now the business agenda, and it means that without the richness of diversity, companies simply will not succeed. Diversity helps drive exceptional business results for a company’s people, clients, shareholders and other audiences. But it is a commitment that must start at the top. Leadership must foster a culture of belonging that ensures its people can be successful professionally and personally, regardless of ethnicity, religion,... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2101418/diversity-holds-key-sustained-business-gains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2101418/diversity-holds-key-sustained-business-gains?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Jul 2017 08:34:01 +0000 Hop on a mainland-bound train in Hung Hom station and you are likely to see the same thing you would see on any other MTR commuter train: people sat hunched over their mobile phones, engaged on WeChat or playing Honor of Kings, one of the mobile games by Tencent Holdings, listening to music or reading work emails. Herein lies a weapon for corporate growth – digital readiness. The mainland’s digital readiness, internet technology expertise, use and investment will serve as a powerful base to spur... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2099694/companies-must-move-fast-take-advantage-digitally-skilled?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2099694/companies-must-move-fast-take-advantage-digitally-skilled?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jun 2017 07:51:14 +0000 If you want to make a change, set a concrete goal. Put a number on a target, crystallise the focus and make the goal a priority. That was what we just did with regards to gender balance in Accenture’s workforce. Earlier this week, Accenture announced that we would achieve a gender-balanced workforce, with 50 per cent women and 50 per cent men, by 2025. We are not saying we want to, or we should, we are saying we will. Diversity makes our business stronger and more innovative and, most important,... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2098649/set-clear-concise-goals-create-gender-equality-workforce?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2098649/set-clear-concise-goals-create-gender-equality-workforce?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jun 2017 07:30:15 +0000 If 2017 has shown us anything, it is that there is never a boring day. With all the twists and turns globally in politics, economic uncertainty has been the only constant. In such times, it is imperative that businesses prove themselves to be resilient as well as responsive to whatever the markets throw at them. At Accenture, I have been advocating that our business leaders crystallise their thinking. Let’s start with what you should forget. Forget: predictability. Nothing, as we know, is... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2095681/companies-need-embrace-one-important-skill-era-instant-answers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2095681/companies-need-embrace-one-important-skill-era-instant-answers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 May 2017 04:15:34 +0000 Business disruption today can strike companies quickly, with a “big bang” when a product that is better and cheaper than anything else on the market suddenly becomes available. But it can also creep up on you slowly. And when it hits, it hits hard. As a character in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises asks: “How did you go bankrupt?” “Two ways,” comes the answer. “Gradually, then suddenly.” The first distinguishing feature of this gradual form of disruption is a prolonged decline in... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2094832/spotting-danger-signs-slow-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2094832/spotting-danger-signs-slow-disruption?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 May 2017 04:48:53 +0000 Most management teams talk about the need to unlock the value that is trapped inside their current business models, supply chains and wider markets. The best way to do this is to innovate. Indeed, innovation in Asia-Pacific is a non-negotiable discussion. But don’t assume there is a “one-size-fits-all” plan for everyone. Companies need to be globally connected but locally relevant. When a company thinks about innovation, at the forefront of managements’ minds should be: it’s not just about new... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2084793/using-innovation-unlock-trapped-value?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2084793/using-innovation-unlock-trapped-value?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 00:03:22 +0000 The number of on-demand labour platforms and online work-management solutions is on the rise globally, making it all the more important to ask yourself – does all of your book-keeping really need to be done in-house through bespoke programmes? What about certain client-facing positions? Can you take advantage of high-skilled, freelance labour available through the workforce marketplace to take on these roles? For many management teams, the answer is yes. For example, MasterCard, Airbus, and... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2069511/freelance-workers-can-help-hk-firms-respond-market-changes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2069511/freelance-workers-can-help-hk-firms-respond-market-changes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Feb 2017 08:00:52 +0000 Managers often inherit their offices. They don’t always get to decorate them. But what if you did? Or what if you are about to move to a new site and have the opportunity to design from bottom up how you want your workspace to look and feel? The ideal workplace is one that people want to go to everyday. It is one that expresses the ethos of your business and encourage productivity amongst your employees. Not surprisingly, the tech companies – from Google to Facebook – are known for offices that... https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2056894/digital-workforce-creates-need-office-design-make-overs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2056894/digital-workforce-creates-need-office-design-make-overs?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Dec 2016 09:13:55 +0000 The last time I was in China I spoke with the management team of a leading state-owned entity about its acquisition of a European company; the post-merger integration in Europe was going smoothly, they said, largely because it was effectively a reverse takeover. The Chinese company had left the European management team in place and said: “Carry on doing what you do well.” On the one hand, this is savvy. If you acquire something because you like the way it works and it is accretive to your... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2053263/truly-global-firms-ma-acquisitions-need-embrace-culture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2053263/truly-global-firms-ma-acquisitions-need-embrace-culture?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Dec 2016 07:57:33 +0000 It’s time to encourage hacking within your company. You may think I am kidding, but why not? Hacking is no longer the exclusive domain of criminals. Indeed, to distinguish it from underground activity, universities, cities and organisations, including Accenture, have been hosting hackathons to encourage creative thinking. These are typically competitions for developers and designers, generally limited to 24 or 48 hours, in which they have to create a web app, platform or program. For example,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2048976/why-its-time-get-your-staff-hacking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2048976/why-its-time-get-your-staff-hacking?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Nov 2016 06:32:11 +0000 As the winds howl and rain pours down this week, with tropical cyclones Sarika and Haima packing a one-two punch as they blow through the region, we are perhaps all reminded of how we can better use technology and avoid a commute to work, restructuring our business operations and models to better leverage digital technologies. China’s large base of digital users and high level of user savviness make it a nation poised for digital growth. Given the government’s supportive public policies to... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2038992/six-step-guide-corporate-digital-mindsight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2038992/six-step-guide-corporate-digital-mindsight?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Oct 2016 07:16:50 +0000 Should you be running a digital platform company? As consumers, we are used to the benefits of Amazon, Google, Alibaba and Didi Kuaidi, Grab or Lyft. These digital-born companies have used platforms to transform multiple markets and sectors and to create extraordinary new customer experiences at vast scale. But this trend will impact all businesses, large and small, traditional and digital. More than century ago, factories emerged as new platforms that united raw materials, workers, machines and... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2025819/five-tips-setting-successful-digital-platform-company?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2025819/five-tips-setting-successful-digital-platform-company?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Oct 2016 06:30:23 +0000 It’s no secret that boardrooms need more women. Only one in five board members of companies in the S&P 500, a leading stock market index, are women, according to a 2015 study by Catalyst, a non-profit organisation focused on accelerating women’s progress in the workplace. But new Accenture research points to an opportunity: many women who have succeeded in getting on boards have professional technology experience to help propel them. In fact, female directors are nearly twice as likely as their... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2019969/tech-experience-may-help-women-gain-entry-boardroom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2019969/tech-experience-may-help-women-gain-entry-boardroom?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2016 03:36:51 +0000 If you are a manager of a small or medium-sized company you are probably focused on your immediate business challenges. But did you know that SMEs generate half of gross domestic product in the G20 economies, account for three-quarters of formal employment and create 80 per cent of net job growth? Research by Accenture and Alibaba Group - which owns the South China Morning Post - shows that the value of cross-border business-to-consumer e-commerce is set to grow from US$230 billion in 2014 to... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2017965/taking-big-boys-small-businesses-can-power-economies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2017965/taking-big-boys-small-businesses-can-power-economies?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Sep 2016 05:59:43 +0000 By 2030, 85 per cent of predicted growth in the middle class worldwide will come from Asia and the region will account for more than half of global middle-class consumption, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. Accenture analysis indicates that within the next five years, up to 40 per cent of total growth in consumer goods and services will come from just five countries in Asia – China, Thailand, Indonesia, India and Singapore. What this means for managers of... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1987192/anticipating-next-middle-class-move?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/1987192/anticipating-next-middle-class-move?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jul 2016 08:07:49 +0000