Archive for 2003
Itron’s Acquisition Spree… Will It Succeed?
Itron has been on an acquisition spree but business research indicates that most mergers don’t add value. Why should Itron succeed where many have failed? In October of 1998, the Wall Street Journal B8 published research findings that strongly indicate most mergers and acquisitions fail to increase shareholder value. According to AT Kearney who examined…
Read MoreHiring Outstanding Sales Executives – Steps to Take and Traps to Avoid
Bringing the right sales person into your organization can have a tremendous impact on your company’s success. Recruiting sales professionals should be an easy task. After all, given the tough economic times, many outstanding sales professionals are out of work, accomplishments in sales are easy to quantify, and sales people are an easy and pleasant…
Read MoreCSA Explains… Chicago Area Resources to Grow Your Business
For entrepreneurs, the time lag between business concept formulation and the achievement of positive cash flows can be excruciatingly long. Even the challenge of writing the business plan and capturing sufficient venture capital can prove insurmountable for many good business ideas. To aid entrepreneurs in this interim state, dignitaries from various agencies shared how they…
Read MoreElements of a Company Security Program
• What does security mean to you and your company today? • Where does security begin once you are inside of your building, plant or warehouse? • How useful is your current operational security program? • How does your management team perceive your corporate security environment? • Are your staff and other employees ready for…
Read MoreADP Dealer Services Succeeds in Mature Market
For many markets, the demand for business software has passed the early adopter phase, made it through the tornado, and entered the early maturity phase. In some markets, the demand for business software has fully matured. When the market for a product or service category has entered the mature stage in its life cycle, a…
Read MoreOutsourcing: It Doesn’t Have to Hurt!
“Traditionally, the large, multinational corporation was held together by ownership. Today, it is held together by a strategic purpose. Ownership of the total means of production is becoming an impediment, a commitment that many organizations—from corporations to healthcare providers to universities—are moving away from. In its place is a focus on organization purpose and the…
Read MoreDrivers to Entrepreneurship
People like crystal balls that predict the future. They publicly lament and place blame on potential causes when the crystal balls offer fictitious predictions of negative outcomes. The crystal balls, accusations, and lamentations flourish in conversations about creating environments that foster new ventures. False thought-leaders blame the lack of entrepreneurial activity on the dearth of…
Read MoreAdventures in Technology for Utilities: Metering Billing CRM/CIS Americas
At the Spintelligent Metering, Billing, CRM/CIS Americas conference held in Chicago, IL during May 2003, over 450 registered attendees were treated to excellent presentations and exhibits. The event was sponsored by Elester, Excelergy, Itron, Kema, and Olameter. Representatives from the gas, electric, and water utilities mingled with a number of technology firms and industry consultants.…
Read MoreNew Markets for Data Capture and Management Created in Green Buildings
Building energy efficient buildings has been a pursuit of many ecology minded activist and architects, but economics has driven the market towards the standard edifice. Greg Kats of Capital E however presented a compelling economic argument in favor of Green Buildings at the Spintelligent Metering, Billing, CRM/CIS Americas conference held in Chicago, IL during May…
Read MoreAutomated Meter Reading with Manual Intervention Creates Value
The electric meter is the cash register of a power utility company. For the consumer of electricity, it is also the source of data to manage consumption and the bill. But getting accurate data to the electric supplier for billing in a timely fashion to the consumer for demand control and reliably managing operations remains…
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