Consulting News

Marc Epstein likes to talk about the Toyota Prius. Not the car itself, but more Toyota’s strategy behind the development and the delivery of the first mainstream electric/gas hybrid car. In an incredibly forward-thinking moment, Toyota’s leadership brought together a team to develop what it was calling “the car of the 21st century” way back in 1993, long before it was fashionable to think of an automobile’s impact on the future. Even more innovative, perhaps, was the team Toyota assembled to work on the car. The traditional hierarchal model was replaced by what Epstein calls “an equal-access system of communication,” which included leadership, designers, engineers, marketers and production plant crew chiefs.

In author Tim Hurson lays out his six-step Productive Thinking Model.

Just when the war for talent couldn’t get any tighter, the enterprise resource planning (ERP) marketplace has taken off like wildfire, putting increased pressure on companies, systems integrators and the ERP vendors themselves to train, recruit and retain top resources. Nearly everyone—from customer to vendor—has either adopted the traditional contractor staffing model to meet market demand or increased the size of the internal IT team. However, both present their own set of challenges that, in the worst of circumstances, can make or break a project. As a result, the market is looking for a new sourcing model that strikes a balance between pure contracting and in-house employees. Value-added sourcing (VAS) seeks to establish that balance.

If you’ve read the economic headlines lately, you know the labor market is turning over every rock to find quality employees. Nowhere is this demand for qualified employees more evident than in the professional services arena. Corporate governance regulations and the impending mass exodus of baby boomers have greatly increased the demand for the next generation of finance professionals. Yet in this high demand for quality professionals, the bigger question becomes: How does a company keep the staff it has and avoid becoming another firm searching for top talent? In an era plagued with high turnover and expensive employee training sessions, keeping employees is just as important as recruiting new employees.

Have you been in the business section of a bookstore lately? Then you know there are no shortage of books on how to be a leader—including how to walk, talk and even dress. But alas, we can’t all be leaders. In fact, most of us will be followers. Where’s that book?

Oakland, Calif.-based Cliff Consulting was founded by CEO Bob Cliff 36 years ago. It is a 15-person, IT operations and strategy firm focused on financial services and healthcare delivery and was named one of magazine’s Seven Small Jewels in 2008. Robin Nasatir, who has been with the firm for 20 years, recently was appointed president and chief operating officer. She will now focus on the day-to-day operations of the firm, while Cliff will guide the firm’s overall strategic direction. Nasatir took a few minutes to speak with magazine’s One-on-One about her promotion.