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Archive for March, 2010

Yabba Dabba doo! Leaving EDI “bedrock” for B2B

March 23rd, 2010

By Natalie Phillips

Several years ago (in the early 2000s), I was promoted to Director of EDI Services at a large home improvement company based in Atlanta, Ga. At the time, I was only vaguely familiar with EDI and certainly was not up on the best practices of this field. What I learned quickly was that the department had been started in the mid 1980’s and really hadn’t changed much since its inception. Or to put it mildly, we were working in BEDROCK! (That’s right, Yabba Dabba Doo!) Our systems and processes were antiquated and nothing was being done to change it.

The way I see it, I had two choices, stick a bone in my hair, aka Wilma style, or get the department into the 21st century. This didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t magically happen once I changed the name from EDI Services to B2B Services.

So where does one go to get the leading edge, world class, best practice information on B2B – and could anyone relate to our industry and the incredibly humongous volumes of data that we had? There was no easy answer. Our software vendor was happy to sell us new and improved software, but really had no advice on improving our processes or industry specific issues we had. Our competitors would have rather seen us gone back to a stone slab and chisels to take orders. Then something interesting happened, our software vendor had a conference and invited me to participate on its Executive Council. I snapped up the opportunity and thoroughly enjoyed networking and sharing information and issues with my peers from other large Fortune 500 companies. I learned a ton of information, but unfortunately it was strictly focused on the specific software. I got involved in several standards organizations and broadened my network and knowledge base and eventually got the department to be a leader in the industry and operating much more efficiently and effectively.

Where do you go to share ideas and get information on best practices? Organizations now exist that facilitate Executive Peer to Peer Networking. The Information Management Forum does an amazing job at this by facilitating web forums, conferences and industry specific executive councils. IMF is a members-only, peer-driven, knowledge sharing organization for senior IT executives. The members share ideas, insights and solutions in an open and candid environment. The networking and interactions of member companies is amazing and the thought leadership that comes out of the sessions is unparalleled.

To find out more about The IMF visit the website or follow us on Twitter via ITInfoForum.

Natalie Phillips is the Operations Manager at The Information Management Forum. She has more than 20 years of experience in a variety IT marketing and project management roles. She also has extensive hands-on leadership experience in integrating disparate IT, Marketing and Operations initiatives, including more than eight years at Home Depot, where she most recently directed the global B2B Services organization. In that capacity, Natalie successfully enabled cutting-edge electronic invoicing, logistics and distribution processes across one of the retail industries largest and most diverse supply chains. While at The Home Depot, Natalie also managed several large projects including the International SAP project and Y2K initiative. Natalie has also held several management positions at companies such as BetweenMarkets, Borland, Powersoft/Sybase and has been able to build bridges from industry-standard to industry-leading by developing innovative competitive advantages in rapidly changing environments.Natalie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from The University of New Haven.

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Posted in Strategy

Tags: B2B business to business EDI IT peer networking

Corporate mentoring programs

March 22nd, 2010

By Kimberly Salter, Member Services Manager at The Information Management Forum

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give. -Winston Churchill

Recently IMF facilitated a call with IMF members who have implemented high school mentoring programs within their organizations. This call addressed the new generation’s challenges as they entered the workforce and provided depth into the mentors interest and sincerity for these programs.

In order to a mentoring program to be successful, there must be complete buy-in and commitment from senior management. Being a mentor is a responsibility not to be taken lightly, and once the program begins, it must be carried out with full support from all sponsoring parties. Meanwhile, the mentors must be willing to donate the time, effort, and passion needed to connect with the students.

Mentors must be carefully chosen. Young adults gravitate easily to individuals who share the same interests or similar backgrounds. While this must be considered, sometimes certain allowances must be made depending on the situation. It goes without saying that there must be a strong and long-term commitment on both the mentor and student side, and communication must be frequent and open.

Rewards for mentoring are realized by both the company and students. Companies receive potential recruitment opportunities. Additionally, prior involvement with an individual establishes loyalty that is sometimes absent from today’s young workforce. Mentoring also allows employees to feel they are “making a difference,” and statistically, this feeling brings higher productivity and job satisfaction. For students, mentoring offers the support and motivation that is not always found in the school or home environment. It provides them with insight into the corporate world and gives them the opportunity to get to know and trust successful individuals. The list of benefits could go on, but you get the point.

Mentoring programs can change your company, they can change the next generation of employees, and they can change the type of employee you are. Instead of worrying ourselves with how we will deal with the workforce of tomorrow in the next 5 to 10 years, why not take action now by stepping up, mentoring and making a difference! Your company will be better for it!

Kimberly Salter is the Member Services Manager at The Information Management Forumand works with Members to maximize their IMF benefits and services, ensure they receive excellent customer service, and understand IMF is a valuable resource for their IT organizations. She is responsible for many aspects of IMF Forums including speaker acquisition and publicity.

Prior to IMF, Kimberly was in Service Management at AT&T (formerly BellSouth Internet Services) and with Forrester Research. Kimberly received her Bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University

Does your organization implement a mentoring program? What are some challenges that you have encountered when the program was deployed? Take our poll or tell us your thoughts on Twitter via ITInfoForum.

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Posted in Member Identified Trends

Tags: corporate mentoring programs

The potential for anti-offshoring legislation

March 19th, 2010

When President Obama addressed the nation in his State of the Union, he stressed that tax breaks should be eliminated for American companies who ship work offshore and instead include tax advantages for organizations creating jobs locally. This assertion constructed the idea that the federal government was in pursuit of anti-off shoring legislation.

In an article for CIO.com, Stephanie Overby provides insight into how organizations can protect themselves from what she describes as “potential protectionist legislation.” According to Overby, states cannot outright ban offshore outsourcing operations by private companies, but that there are several who are attempting to enact laws that will slow its pace.

Overby suggests that organizations can protect themselves from anti-off shoring legislation by making “change in laws” provisions in contracts for compliance purposes. In addition, Overby suggests to include a “benchmark clause” in the event that modifications need to be made to services as prompted by legislation. Overby also recommends for outsourcing clients to work with provides with significant operations in the U.S. in case they are asked to move work onshore.