BNT Thought Leadership Book coming out this summer

[Former Member]

Just wanted to let everyone know that a book on BNT is at the printers and coming out this summer. SAP has purchased several pre-production copies, so let me know if you'd like one for your summer reading

Its an edited volume with chapters contributed by the world's most prominent thought leaders in business and academia.

Companies are gaining competitive advantage through networked business models, tapping into talent across the globe to defend themselves against commoditization and disruptive innovation. Rather than rigid u201Cbuilt-to-lastu201D systems and processes, the new era instead calls for fluid,u201Cbuilt-to-adaptu201D networks in which each company focuses on its differentiation and relies increasingly on its partners, suppliers,and customers to supply the rest.

The primary goal of the book is to explore BNT from its various angles and provide practical guidance to successfully engage in BNT. Chapters outline the depth and breadth of BNT's impact on the organization, covering topics such as customer value, supply networks, product leadership, assets, operations, innovation, human resources, and IT.

Contributors include: Philip Lay, Geoffrey Moore, Marco Iansiti, Ross Sullivan, Mohanbir Sawhney, Ranjay Gulati, David Kletter, N. Venkatraman, John Hagel III, John Seely Brown, Gautam Kasthurirangan, Randall H. Russell, Henry Chesbrough, Jeffrey H. Dyer, Andrew McAfee

http://www.amazon.com/Business-Network-Transformation-Reconfigure-Relationships/dp/0470528346

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Jeff,

Your book sounds very interesting. At the university where I teach, we're working hard in our graduate Informational Technology program to prepare technology-focused students for operating in this environment. In recent revisions we've made to our program we're trying to take on preparing students, most of whom have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science or IT, for the business dimension of their future work. It is challenging to find the balance here in actual coursework.

I'm wondering if you have any insight on how familiarity with BNT might be of value to an entry-level employee. Certainly the knowledge would be useful, but do you see this as something employers are targeting in hiring, particularly on the entry level? The economic downturn has been felt by our graduates, and among those in our region that are hiring, we have not heard much in this domain.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Tony

There's actually quite a bit of info throughout the book on the skillsets necessary to successfully engage in collaborative work across a business network. Things that an undergrad could develop that would help them in this new world are pretty obvious. Cross-cultural communications (in addition to simple language training), negotiations, project management, collaborative tools (way beyond MS Office stuff) and analytical tools. Probably the most important of all is business process concepts. BNT, at its heart, is the phenomena whereby traditional value chains are disintegrating and reforming around global process networks. The ability to move work and process responsibilities around, inside and outside the company, are critical. Entry level grads are going to be thrown into this very unstructured, confusing environment and the only way for them to really make sense of who is doing what and where they fit into the picture is going to be thru a solid understanding of business processes. That's the glue that holds the whole network together.

Hope that helps.

PS. send me your address for your free copy of the book

Jeff

[Former Member]

Hi Jeff

Just to let you know we created an assignment for our students in the Strategic Use of ERP Systems subject based on BNT. It was about the role of technology, especially enterprise systems, in BNT. Of course the book was well sought after and the feedback from students was very positive.

Regards

Paul Hawking

SAP Academic Program Director

Victoria University

Australia

[Former Member]

Brilliant Paul. FYI. Venkat Venkatraman at Boston U is conducting an entire MBA course on BNT over the winter break. I'll be helping him out and we'll be using the BNT book as the required text. The goal is to test out the course format and curriculum and then make it availible as an open coursware for everyone to use. We'll post an announcement when its availible.

Thanks

Jeff

[former_member370051]

hi jeff, are there any books left? thnx & best regards, Petra

Edited by: Petra Hochstein on Dec 11, 2009 9:27 PM

[Former Member]

Hi Jeff

Your book looks good and am wondering whether we could use it for our course on Business Process Management. Unfortunatley, many published books on BPM are either too practitioner oriented with a focus on 'how to' do process analysis and improvement and are focusing on standard procuremenet or order fulfillment processes. I am wondering whether we could find some discussion on both micro as well as macro processes, enterprise-wide as well as cross-enterprise supply chain/value chain processes in your book. I try to cover these issues including process management standards using a assortment of sources and am wondering whether your book will be of value to our postgraduate students.

Thanks

Ravi.

The University of Sydney

Faculty of Economics & Business,

SYDNEY, NSW-2006, AUSTRALIA

[Former Member]

Hi Ravi

Thanks for the comment. The BNT book is definately process-oriented and there are several chapters that focus on end-to-end network processes. In fact, Deloitte contributed an entire chapter on global process networks.

I'll actually be in Austrailia the first two weeks of August speaking in Sydney at the SAUG summit talking specifically about the BNT topic. We'll have copies of the book there, so we can have a chat when I'm down there if you can make it to the show. Send me a note to my work account to connect when I'm down there.

http://www.saug.com.au/Events_Calendar.aspx?mode=overview&id=103

Cheers

Jeff