Points of View

Rising to the challenge of the Operational Efficiency Programme

The Operational Efficiency Programme (OEP) puts additional pressure on Government. Senior private sector advisors are tasked with helping Government find a further £30bn of savings across a number of cross cutting initiatives. Again, there will be more focus on the frontline, and streamlining of the back office, but additionally, delving deeper into other areas such as asset management and property which could yield further cost savings. Can Government step up to this latest challenge? Read more...

The Evolution of Lean Thinking in the NHS

Lean thinking is relatively new to the NHS but it is evolving quickly. It started being used to resolve specific problems in hospitals but is now being applied across the boundaries of organisations to improve and redesign complex care pathways. NHS managers recognise that for Lean programmes to be successful, current-state organisational design, change management and knowledge management tools must be adapted to Lean principles and objectives. Read more...

How to Manage Successfully in Uncertain Times

Most businesses now believe that an economic downturn in the UK is now less a case of 'if', or 'when' but a reality. With a regular swirl of economic and market statistics, media stories and rumours circulating, what clear steps can businesses take to prepare themselves for the uncertain times ahead?
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Developing and Fostering an Agile Organisation

Business agility is one of the key differentiators in today’s market, indeed, a company’s future-centricity may soon become the sole differentiator as markets and customers adopt new ways of doing business. Constant change is essential to business success, and it begins with people. Business and HR leaders must work to overcome employees’ natural change-aversion and instill a culture of change from the grass roots up. Read more...

Risk Transparency in Banking

Liquidity crises are a recurring feature of every financial market and in 2007 it was the turn of the credit markets. The ‘Credit Crunch’, also known as the sub-prime mortgage crisis, banking crisis or liquidity crisis, exhibits similarities to and also differences from previous crises. This paper explores some of the underlying factors which led to the credit crisis and identifies steps that banks can take to better manage a similar crisis in the future. Read more...

Lean Product Innovation

It is clear that with the global challenges now facing many organisations the need to improve product innovation is an important source of competitive advantage. Atos Consulting sponsored the Aberdeen Group to undertake a benchmark survey of 400 organisations to identify what leading organisations are doing to enhance their product innovation capability in response to these challenges. Read more...

Effective Sales and Operational Planning will improve profitability

Sales & Operational Planning (S&OP) has been around for nearly 20 years and for many it is limited to a tactical planning process, for a few it is something much more powerful. Research commissioned by Atos Consulting has shown that companies with a best in class wining S&OP process have a clear performance advantage in all key supply chain metrics. Read more...

MiFID Transparency and Structured Products

In the current market, regulation is at the top of the agenda as people search for answers on how the credit debacle materialized. As firms take stock and count their bruises, the regulators are already discussing how initiatives similar to Europes’ MiFID and the US RegNMS could be extended. The potential ramifications to other classes of financial instruments needs to be considered, and in particular, how to achieve transparency in the growing structured products market. Read more...

Surviving or Thriving After MiFID

MiFID sets the stage to make Europe a more attractive market for investors. Even though half of Europe is late in amending national laws to incorporate MiFID, change is already underway. New trading venues, such as Chi-X, are emerging to create more competition. Trade volumes are increasing while the trade size is decreasing. This is illustrated in reports from the European stock exchanges that show a 50-120% increase in 2007 trading volumes over 2006 levels with an average 20% smaller trade size. Read more...

		Identity Management – Can the privacy conflicts be resolved? The identity management debate has suggested that individuals are unnecessarily losing their privacy through technologically enabled surveillance such as ID cards. However, Atos Origin believes there is a solution that can maintain individual privacy yet enable new methods of identification. Atos Origin’s vision for a secure ID scheme shows that these two objectives need not conflict. Read more...

Identity Management – Can the privacy conflicts be resolved?

The identity management debate has suggested that individuals are unnecessarily losing their privacy through technologically enabled surveillance such as ID cards. However, Atos Origin believes there is a solution that can maintain individual privacy yet enable new methods of identification. Atos Origin’s vision for a secure ID scheme shows that these two objectives need not conflict. Read more...

MiFID, Can you compete?
MiFID, Can you compete?

The deadline approaches. The firms in pole position to benefit from the Market in Financial Services Directive (MiFID) will be those that have their client and market strategies allied to an understanding of the changes to their operating model. Their budget and resources will have been allocated to business development that exploits the directive’s created opportunities. The losers will be those that are slow to react or seek only to tick the compliance box. Read more...

		MiFID, Can you compete? The deadline approaches. The firms in pole position to benefit from the Market in Financial Services Directive (MiFID) will be those that have their client and market strategies allied to an understanding of the changes to their operating model. Their budget and resources will have been allocated to business development that exploits the directive’s created opportunities. The losers will be those that are slow to react or seek only to tick the compliance box. Read more...

Time for the insurance market to step into the future
Time for the insurance market to step into the future

The London Insurance Market is a trading environment rich in heritage and one that is famous throughout the world for its ability to craft bespoke coverages to address highly complex risks. The subscription basis of the Market and the significant role played by the broking firms all add to the uniqueness of London as a centre of insurance excellence. But things need to change. Read More...

		Time for the insurance market to step into the future The London Insurance Market is a trading environment rich in heritage and one that is famous throughout the world for its ability to craft bespoke coverages to address highly complex risks. The subscription basis of the Market and the significant role played by the broking firms all add to the uniqueness of London as a centre of insurance excellence. But things need to change. Read More...

Building a better future?
Building a better future?

The first of a series of articles that looks into trends across UK sectors to establish just how IT will play its part in the UK of the future. Here we focus on how the construction industry is changing. One area where we are seeing change is in the construction industry's adoption of the standard ERP systems that have been prevalent in the manufacturing industry for many years. Read more...

		Building a better future? The first of a series of articles that looks into trends across UK sectors to establish just how IT will play its part in the UK of the future. Here we focus on how the construction industry is changing. One area where we are seeing change is in the construction industry's adoption of the standard ERP systems that have been prevalent in the manufacturing industry for many years. Read more...

Customer choice – the future for commissioning?
Customer Choice - the future for commissioning

Introduction of the ‘choice’ agenda is causing substantial shifts in the structures of Departments. Commissioning functions have emerged or are being strengthened. They are moving from a scenario of ensuring funding to deliver front line service, to one of commercially managing a tri-sector market that will deliver these services. Read more...

		Customer Choice - the future for commissioning Introduction of the ‘choice’ agenda is causing substantial shifts in the structures of Departments. Commissioning functions have emerged or are being strengthened. They are moving from a scenario of ensuring funding to deliver front line service, to one of commercially managing a tri-sector market that will deliver these services. Read more...

Structured Financial Products – Improving Time to Market
Structured Financial Products – Improving Time to Market

Corporate Investment Banking and Wealth Management institutions have succeeded in creating large profits for their clients and their shareholders. The buoyancy of the economy has meant that even inefficient front-office processes have performed well. As the market becomes more competitive and clients are more demanding, less loyal and looking for new, innovative products being available immediately, the challenge is on to meet their raised expectations. Read more...

		Structured Financial Products – Improving Time to Market Corporate Investment Banking and Wealth Management institutions have succeeded in creating large profits for their clients and their shareholders. The buoyancy of the economy has meant that even inefficient front-office processes have performed well. As the market becomes more competitive and clients are more demanding, less loyal and looking for new, innovative products being available immediately, the challenge is on to meet their raised expectations. Read more...

Shared Services Locations 2007
Update on Shared Services Locations 2007

Our experience in 2007 to date indicates that the location decision is becoming even more significant as a result of some interesting trends in Shared Services requirements and capabilities. Read more...

		Update on Shared Services Locations 2007 Our experience in 2007 to date indicates that the location decision is becoming even more significant as a result of some interesting trends in Shared Services requirements and capabilities. Read more...

Seeing is Believing - The Power of Rich Media
Seeing is Believing - The Power of Rich Media

Many companies see the attraction of making their ‘vision’ vivid and tangible as a proclamation of the ideals that define the company for the benefit both of its employees and its customers. However, ‘mission’ or ‘vision’ statements have lost much of their intended power in recent times. The application of Rich Media techniques addresses these problems by replacing abstract words with images that that are meaningful to everyone, from the top to the bottom of the organisation. Read more...

		Seeing is Believing - The Power of Rich Media Many companies see the attraction of making their ‘vision’ vivid and tangible as a proclamation of the ideals that define the company for the benefit both of its employees and its customers. However, ‘mission’ or ‘vision’ statements have lost much of their intended power in recent times. The application of Rich Media techniques addresses these problems by replacing abstract words with images that that are meaningful to everyone, from the top to the bottom of the organisation. Read more...

Contract Certainty
Business Process Reform: The Key to Unlocking Value from Contract Certainty

Insurance brokers and underwriters agreeing insurance term sheets is traditional practice. It has often meant that the price was agreed far in advance of the finalisation of detailed documentation (‘contract certain’) of just what was being covered. In 2004, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) challenged the industry to improve the lengthy process of finalising insurance contracts or face enforcement action. Read more...

		Business Process Reform: The Key to Unlocking Value from Contract Certainty Insurance brokers and underwriters agreeing insurance term sheets is traditional practice. It has often meant that the price was agreed far in advance of the finalisation of detailed documentation (‘contract certain’) of just what was being covered. In 2004, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) challenged the industry to improve the lengthy process of finalising insurance contracts or face enforcement action. Read more...

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