Research & Insight

Author archives

An Ounce of Prevention

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Burlington Resources, Inc., which is involved in the exploration, development and production of hydrocarbons, ranks first among U.S. independent oil and gas companies, in terms of proved U.S. reserves. It’s a company with the diverse global opportunities and financial strength of a major oil company, but it is also blessed with the entrepreneurial spirit, flexibility and responsiveness of an independent operator. If there was anything that might impede its ability to grow and remain competitive in its industry, Burlington would take steps to rectify that situation.

Delivering the Difference

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

If you’re a patient in the emergency room, you definitely want that hospital or trauma center to have all the necessary supplies on hand — from IVs and blood plasma to bandages and syringes. But the hospital can’t keep everything on hand; it’s in the patient care business, not inventory warehousing. So the doctors and nurses rely on medical distributors to be sure they have what’s needed — or can deliver it in a couple of hours for an emergency. Many of them depend on Owens & Minor, Inc. (O&M) and, in outsourcing their supplies process to O&M, they enjoy the added advantage of reduced costs.

Putting Humpty Dumpty Together

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

In any vendor relationship, you can let the vendor manage you and direct you, but I’m not sure that you will get full satisfaction and have your full expectationss met. Companies have to understand what they are expecting and actually make decisions based on that, advises Vickie Pettee, Manager, Global Compensation and Benefits for Nokia.

No Room for So-So Performance

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Neither rain nor snow… You know the adage about the reliability of the U.S. postal system. Today we might transfer that goal concept: Neither viruses, nor bandwidth nor disk space will stop email! — at least not for organizations that depend on it as their primary communication vehicle.

Getting Started on the Right Foot

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Success in an outsourcing relationship must be built on the right foundation, and that happens only when the buyer clearly and objectively describes to the supplier exactly what it wants to buy. That’s what Xcel Energy did when it entered into its successful outsourcing relationship with IBM Global Services.

Back to School

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

The American School Directory (ASD) is the Internet guide to every public, private and Catholic K-12 school in the United States. Users have access to communication tools, maps, calendars, menus, payment tools, school wish-lists, images of students at work, alumni directories (even for schools that are now closed) and much more. Schools without their own Web sites can adopt the ASD site, and ASD also works hand-in-hand with schools that have their own sites.

Close Encounters of the HR Kind

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc. (PSEG) is a holding company in the electric and gas business with several affiliate companies in generation and distribution services in 12 countries and in 12 states in the US. Dealing at times with regulation, deregulation and increased competition, this is a company that must set and achieve its goals. One prime target for improvement in the early 1990s focused on human resources.

How to Spend Resources Wisely

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

To survive in our rapidly changing world, companies need agility to make progress in the shifting sands in the business arena. So today’s executives seek advice on how to survive or even get ahead of the pack. One of the most crucial survival tools is outsourcing, and Siemens Business Services (SBS) has a proven track record in helping its clients streamline workflow, reduce costs and improve time to market through outsourcing.

Drexel Deepens Its Impact

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

As the world increasingly becomes defined by technology, Drexel University (DU) is committed to driving innovation and being a leader in technological advancements. Drexel stays in the headlines, having created a number of nationwide firsts. In November 2000, its 62-acre campus became the first major 100% wireless university in the U.S. Other firsts include distribution of speech recognition software to all students and staff, the nation’s first online techno-MBA and an online affinity bank. DU students and faculty have access to a wide array of information technology (IT) resources and support services.

Outsourcing Disease Management Services Helps Patients and Payers

Outsourcing Center, Kathleen Goolsby, Senior Writer

In contrast to an ailment like diabetes or asthma, where there are significant numbers of patients and the prevalence of the ailment is quite high, Accordant Health Services focuses on complex, chronic diseases that require ongoing, specialized care whose patient population prevalence is low. Although Accordant currently handles disease management for approximately 10,400 patients across numerous health plans, this constitutes less than one percent prevalence among the total patient population of these health plans.

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