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