Executive Agenda
Fall/Winter 2007

Features

Failure to Launch: Why Some Spin-Offs Can't Leave the Nest
Parent companies that protect their spin-offs from the hard knocks of the real world are not doing themselves or their offspring any favors. Overindulgence breeds clingy offspring that never learn to fly on their own. In the struggle for competitive advantage, your spin-off's performance could mean the difference between profits and peril.
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The End of the Village Store
From tealiPods to custom blends of organic coffee, today's finicky customers expect companies to meet their every desire. An era of specialization is stretching the traditional one-size-fits-all value chain to the breaking point. To compete most effectively, firms must design more focused and tailored value chains.
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The Business of Sustainability
José María Figueres, former president of Costa Rica and an influential figure at the leading edge of sustainable development, discusses why sustainability has become a mainstream issue and why he sees a deepening relationship between economic prosperity and the enviroment - and a future in which both can flourish.
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Management Agenda

Future-Proofing the Company Against Risk
As companies build more relationships up and down an increasingly global value chain, their risk management strategies cannot be merely preventive, defensive, reactive or just compliant. The best strategies assess the peril and potential of every business decision.
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Skill-Building for Leadership: Two Routes to CPO and Beyond
There is more than one way to tackle any function, particularly as the pace of change and globalization accelerates. Two procurement professionals discuss the ability to think beyond "the way we've always done it" and what it takes to be a successful C-level leader.
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Serving the Low-Income Consumer: How to Tackle This Mostly Ignored Market
Conventional wisdom says there isn't any money to earn from selling products to low-income consumers. But when 78 percent of the global population fits into this group, it's time to ignore conventional wisdom.
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Vertical View

Is Telecom Prepared for the Rapidly Gathering Storm?
A hurricane is bearing down on the telecom industry as three distinct forces—portalization, stickiness and convergence—come together to reshape the landscape. Companies that want to do more than survive this gale should move now to protect their "beachfront property."
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Research Reports

A Call to Action: Ensuring Food Safety in China
While food scares in China garner the headlines, an A.T. Kearney study finds that fixing the problem can be boiled down to four steps: standards, enforcement, supply chains and private-sector investment. The potential of the Chinese market is well worth the effort.
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CO₂ Legislation: Threat or Opportunity for the Automotive Industry?
What impact will the European Union's CO₂ legislation have on European automakers? According to a joint study by A.T. Kearney and Credit Suisse, compliance could cost automakers more than $25 billion per year. There is a way to share these costs (and the benfits) with customers.
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The Future of Supply Management
As companies' value chains become more global, their management strategies become more complex. A study by A.T. Kearney, CAPS Research and the Institute for Supply Management reveals that success in supply management depends on perfrmance in seven areas.
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Page 67

China Product Safety: Whose Battle Is This, Anyway?
Careful where you point the finger of blame in the latest food and product safety scandal. The real culprit in the fight just might be you.
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