Topics » Strategy
Companies have often played catch-up in understanding how to harness new technologies without over-managing them. In the early years of the World Wide Web, in the mid- to-late 1990s, many organizations feared that employees would spend too much time idly surfing the Web, so they tried to control access. While some employees undoubtedly did waste time that way, many soon figured out how to unlock the power of the Internet to do their jobs better, and the Internet quickly became a tremendously valuable resource for conducting desktop research, tracking competitors and other corporate activities.
How could a flagship healthcare institution renowned for superb patient care find itself facing a financial crisis so severe that its very future was at risk? When the U.K.’s independent hospital regulator, known as Monitor, hired Alvarez & Marsal Europe, this was the very basic, yet extraordinarily complex, question at hand.
Many CEOs, CFOs and COOs to whom we’ve talked feel that, like never before, their plates are full with managing the day-to-day operations of their businesses. Ever more demanding customers, relentless pressure to reduce costs, and maintaining a productive and satisfied workforce are just a few of the issues that consume days, weeks
and months in massive chunks. “Strategic thinking” becomes a luxury pushed to the bottom of the pile.