Technology’s Ability to Destroy and Create
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, technology (through automation) has lost organizations five million manufacturing jobs since 2000, but technology has also been a major driver of producing new roles. Colin Parris, the vice president of Software Research at GE, said “the only way to fight [job losses] is to train the talent that we have. Because in the future, we have to embrace robotics. It allows us to reduce cost. If I reduce cost, I have more money that I can use for innovation. The more money I have, the more new products I can create. The more products I create, the more workforce I can hire.”
Our View: Talent has become a competitive differentiator. To 46% of business leaders, workforce planning is a top priority – yet only 13% do it effectively. A well-defined strategic workforce plan is critical to keep pace with technology’s impact on roles at your organization. Use our research to Build a Strategic Workforce Plan.
Drive Innovation and Value With IT Governance
Governance is necessary to mitigate risks of bad data, lack of integration, and antiquated processes that prevent organizations from realizing successful business outcomes. A recent study by IDC predicted that by 2017, 80% of global CIOs would initiate a data transformation and governance framework to turn information into a competitive business differentiator, but by 2018, 70% of siloed digital transformation initiatives will fail because of insufficient collaboration, integration, sourcing, or project management.
Our View: IT governance is the number-one predictor of value generated by IT, yet many organizations struggle to organize their governance effectively. Optimize your IT governance framework with our client-tested methodology that supports the enablement of IT-business alignment, decreases decision-making cycle times, and increases IT’s transparency and effectiveness in decisions around benefits realization, risks, and resources. Use our research to Redesign IT Governance to Drive Optimal Business Results.
Possible Security Breach at HipChat
A possible security breach occurred at HipChat, the popular messaging service used by many enterprises, and it may have exposed chat room data and sensitive work-related chats. HipChat reset all of its users' passwords and informed affected users of the password reset by email.
Our View: Our security awareness and training template, Training Materials – Passwords, can be used to educate end users on password best practices. It includes the importance of passwords, best practices for creating and maintaining passwords, and an activity to assess end-user awareness.
The Lift: Unusual Bookstores
From antique boats transformed into shops to old churches repurposed into stores, there are a variety of unusual bookstores to visit around the world. Whether it’s shelves of books organized by color or old bathtubs used as book containers, bookstore owners have found unique ways to display their books and create a welcoming, though peculiar, atmosphere for their customers.