Business Network Innovation with Game Changers, presented by SAP

The buzz: 'Chain, chain, chain.' Effective supply chain operation is vital for manufacturers and retailers, but the forces of globalization, outsourcing, pricing pressures, new technologies, emerging competitors, and fast-changing market conditions pose critical challenges. How to get past the hurdles? Cloud-based business networks provide seamless integration for real-time collaboration between internal planning systems and all suppliers to drive efficiencies and savings across the supply chain. Are you ready to digitize? The experts speak. Padman Ramankutty, Intrigo: 'The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place' George Bernard Shaw. Keith Baranowski, SAP: 'Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care' Theodore Roosevelt. Marko Navala, SAP Ariba: 'A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.' General George S. Patton. Join us for Real-time Supply Chain Collaboration in the Cloud.

The buzz: Who’s minding the store? You consider yourself and your company savvy in the eCommerce space. You’ve embraced online technologies and tools to service your customers and to increase the efficiency of day-to-day work processes. You even built a digital marketing group and eCommerce team to stay competitive with major players and support your business initiatives. But who is managing all of the data input into your systems? Heads-up: Poor data quality and governance can have a big impact on your eCommerce growth and business strategies. The experts speak. Simeon Chiger, MSC Industrial Supply Co: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it” (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986). Robert J. Brooks, IBM: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them” (Albert Einstein). Austin Whitehead, SAP: “Garbage in, garbage out” (William D. Mellin, 1957). Join us for Damaged by Data: Is Your eCommerce A Victim?

The buzz: We got the power! Growing up literally alongside each other, Millennials and technology now stand as a single, powerful entity. This new business reality is impacting companies that want or need to win the hearts, minds, wallets and loyalty of this young consumer demographic. Are your current selling and marketing strategies still effective in the world of Millennials? If not, you need to become tech-savvy fast and understand the roles mobile and social play in customer relationship-building, superior service delivery and sales growth. The experts speak. Avi Solomon, UnbeatableSale.com: “I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying” (Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption, 1994 film). Jonah Manning, PeopleOps Consulting: “Look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself: What do I want to do every day for the rest of my life? Do that” (Gary Vaynerchuk). Join us for Ready or Not: Millennials and Technology Are Revolutionizing Business.

The buzz: Fish or cut bait? Fish! If you're a small- to medium-size company, it is daunting to have to compete with larger suppliersand their healthy marketing budgets, established brand awareness, and nationwide or global market presence. But don't throw in the towel yet! Business networks, combined with the shift toward online lead generation tools, can help enable your SME to grow and compete globally with the big kids. How? The experts speak. David Favro, National Business Furniture: “If you work slowly but constantly, you will succeed better than if you work fast for a short while and do not continue” (Aesop’s Fables: The Tortoise and the Hare). Ken Redler, cSubs: “We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us” (John Steinbeck). Anne Kramer, Ergo Works®: “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” (Joseph Campbell). Join us for E-Commerce Technology: Competitive Edge for Small/Mid-size Businesses.

The buzz: Zzzzs. Is sales productivity, or lack of it, keeping your C-suite awake at night? They have good reason, with the sales quota attainment gap hovering around 52% (CSO Insights). From sheer exhaustion, many companies jump into a technology solution without best practices strategies to address changed buying behavior and the roles of enablement and technology. Help is here! The experts speak. Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling: “If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it” (Michael Jordan). Tamara Schenk, MHI Research Institute: “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do” (von Goethe). Robin Saitz, Brainshark: “Be disagreeable and be willing to tackle something unpopular; be imaginative to reframe the problem; and be in a hurry and act with a sense of urgency…you can make a difference in the world” (Malcolm Gladwell). Join us for Closing Your Sales Productivity Gap.

The buzz: Three’s company. Calling all CPOs and CFOs! Your procurement and finance teams may be collaborating on a joint business case for source-to-pay, but truly transforming the business in this Digital Economy requires a third partner: IT. Why? Given today’s pervasive disruptive tech innovations, it takes a triple-threat power team to achieve sustained business success – leveraging synergies to streamline the source-to-pay process, simplify supply chain connectivity, and drive ecosystem innovation. Is your company there yet? The experts speak. Rich Lazzara, CA Technologies: “Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved” (Mattie Stepanek). Emily Rakowski, SAP Ariba: “You can always tell when the groove is working or not” (Prince). John Thompson, SAP Ariba: “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply” (Stephen R. Covey). Join us for Your New Power Team: Procurement, Finance and IT.

The buzz: The “M” word, again? If you’ve caught yourself saying “Millennials are ---,” it doesn’t matter what you say next. You’re probably wrong! We’ll look at this (allegedly) most arrogant, aggravating, and amazing generation who use money, sex, and power to change their world and yours. What motivates Millennial customers? Short answer: not much. Join us to learn how to manage, market to, and convince Millennials to buy. The experts speak. T. Scott Gross, T Scott Gross & Co, Inc: “It’s supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it” (Jimmy Dugan, A League of Their Own). Avi Solomon, UnbeatableSales.com: “People are always going to go shopping. A lot of our effort is just: ‘How do we make the retail experience a great one?’” (Phillip Green). Jonah Manning, PeopleOps: “The secret to success is to find out what others don’t like to do and be really good at it (Jonah’s Dad). Join us for Sex, Money, Technology and Millennials: A New Generation Rocks Your World!

The buzz: Your #1 business wish this year. If you’re hoping for a crystal ball to show you what 2016 holds for your company, industry and the world, we’ve got the next best thing. Today you’ll hear predictions from three inspiring thought leaders on the technologies, strategies, and trends that can help your business network grow and compete better in 2016 and beyond. The expert speak. Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling: “The customer experience is the next competitive battleground” (Jerry Gregoire). Mike Schultz, RAIN Group: “The road to success is always under repair” (Multiple sources). Tamara Shenk, MHI Research Institute: “Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do” (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe). Pour a cup or glass of Joe, Earl, or Dom, and join us for Business Network Innovation 2016 Predictions Special!

The buzz: The Virtual Enterprise. If you’re doing “business as usual,” here’s a reality check. Technological change is challenging existing business models. Markets are increasingly global. New competition is forcing companies like yours to do even more with less. Welcome to the age of the Virtual Enterprise powered by Business Networks – the new building block in the emerging Networked Economy. Are you ready? The experts speak. Dana Gardner, Interarbor Solutions: “How do we understand the world better? Through open conversation and dialogue. (David Gurteen) Dinesh Sharma, SAP: “Remember when your business EMPLOYED its cafeteria staff, security guards and made all its products in manufacturing plants it owned?…We don’t live in that world anymore.” Rob Mihalko, Ariba: “It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today.” (Isaac Asimov) Join us for Business Networks: Powering Today’s Virtual Enterprise.

The buzz: The weakest link. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In our integrated global economy, this means supplier risk is your risk. Multi-location sourcing, ever-changing regulations, and a dynamic business environment put organizations like yours at constant risk from multiple points of potential failures. Protecting your business requires fundamental changes in how you anticipate and mitigate supplier risks. Billions of dollars may be at stake. Can the alignment of predictive intelligence, network-based insights, and sub-tier visibility give you a comprehensive supply chain view that will enable you to take proactive risk-avoidance measures? brbr The experts speak. Andrew Lea, Dun & Bradstreet: “We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us” (Marshall McLuhan). Keertan Rai, SAP: “If you don’t invest in risk management, it doesn’t matter what business you’re in, it’s a risky business” (Gary Cohn).Join us for Supplier Risk Is Your Risk. Are You Prepared?

The buzz: Social selling. Studies show that B2B buyers are 57% –70% of the way through the buying process before they first engage with your sales people. Simply put, your prospects are having a learning feast without you. How? The modern buyer is digitally driven, socially connected, frequently mobile, and happily empowered with unlimited access to the information they need to decide. What does this mean to you? Your sales team needs to be up-to-date on the social selling tools and techniques to cut through this noise, build their personal brand, and deliver “the steak behind their sizzle” on relevant social channels like LinkedIn. Are they? The experts speak.Michael Idinopulos, PeopleLinx: “Technology changes everything…and nothing. Phil Lurie, SAP: “Social engagement is the “tip of the spear” for our new digital economy. Your personal brand is a key component in your future success.” Join us for the ABCs of Social Selling and Building Your Global Brand – Part 2.

The buzz: Winner! B2B sales is evolving, with buyers more sophisticated and better informed, and the buying environment dramatically different than ever. How do today’s top sales winners separate themselves from the pack? By studying over 700 major business-to-business purchases from buyers representing $3.1 billion in annual purchasing power, RAIN Group discovered that solution-, consultative-, and relationship-selling approaches are no longer sufficient to win the sale. And even savvy buyers still need people to share ideas and help them think through their options. Is your sales team up to speed? The experts speak. Mike Schultz, RAIN Group: “The road to success is always under repair” (Anonymous). Gord Smith, Hitachi Solutions: “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm” (Winston Churchill). Mark Roberge, Hubspot: “In God we trust, all others bring data (W. Edwards Deming). Join us for Insight Selling: What B2B Sales Winners Do Differently.

The buzz: David vs. Goliath 2015. By 2020, global trade among connected businesses could total $65 trillion. But large corporations’ current processes can’t keep up with the Digital Economy’s hyperconnectivity, data deluge and customer expectations. The answer? Business Networks. How? They connect people, systems, and processes to simplify collaborative innovation. What else? They support supplier diversity by connecting corporations with minority- and women-owned businesses for procurement opportunities. The experts speak. Quentin L. McCorvey, Sr., M&R Distribution Services: “God places people in your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime” (Pastor Rodney Maiden). Bridget Carter, Caesars Entertainment: “The time is always right to do what is right (Dr. Martin Luther King). Sam Crawford, Sr., Armed Forces Construction Group, LLC: “In honor of those who served, as we did, and continue to do so.” Join us for David vs. Goliath: Business Networks and Diversity Suppliers.

The buzz: Cash on the line. As we move from post-recession recovery to growth, the importance of cash flow and working capital management is crystal clear. And the rise of business networks connecting people, processes and information is now yielding previously unknown insights and opportunities. Is your organization using the Digital Economy’s tools and methods to control cash flow and grow beneficially for all stakeholders? The experts speak. Dan Juliano, Prime Revenue: “Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba …has no inventory. Airbnb…owns no real estate. Something interesting is happening” (Tom Goodwin). John Evarts, Mediafly: “The power of visibility can never be underestimated (Margaret Cho). Alan Cohen, SAP: “Money was the currency of the 20th century...Time is the currency of the 21st century” (Business owner). Join us for Payments, Payables, and Cash Flow in the Digital Economy.

The buzz: Better together. To survive in our rapidly changing world – we're more interconnected than ever before and generating an unprecedented volume of data – you need to equip your business with the ability to differentiate and compete effectively. But how? The agile solutions of the future are best arrived at when companies co-innovate with their customers and partners. Co-innovation can even enable bringing solutions to non-traditional businesses in previously uncharted territory. What does the co-innovation process entail? What types of companies, industries, locations, are already reaping the benefits of successful co-innovation? The experts speak. Dawn Duross, Cisco: “In 10 years, it’s predicted that over 40% of Enterprise companies will no longer exist” (Babson Olin School of Business, Fast Company). Puneet Suppal, SAP: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it” (Alan Kay). Join us for Co-Innovation: Your Path to a Digital Future.

The buzz: Social selling. Attention, suppliers! Studies show that B2B buyers are 57% –70% of the way through the buying process before they first engage with your sales people. This means prospects are having a learning party without you. How? The modern buyer is digitally driven, socially connected, mobile, and empowered with unlimited access to information. Is your sales team up-to-date on social selling, its critical role in global brand strategy, and how to master social channels like LinkedIn to cut through the noise? The experts speak. Michael Idinopulos, PeopleLinx: “In 3 years, sales reps who aren’t active on social media today will be...out of work.” Jill Rowley, Jill Rowley.com: If you suck offline; you'll suck more online. You are what you eat and what you Tweet.” Phil Lurie, SAP: “Social selling enables businesses to reach new markets in ways that best suit the 21st Century consumer.” Join us for ABCs of Social Selling and Building Your Global Brand.

The buzz: Winner! B2B sales is evolving, with buyers more sophisticated and better informed, and the buying environment dramatically different than ever. How do today’s top sales winners separate themselves from the pack? By studying over 700 major business-to-business purchases from buyers representing $3.1 billion in annual purchasing power, RAIN Group discovered that solution-, consultative-, and relationship-selling approaches are no longer sufficient to win the sale. And even savvy buyers still need people to share ideas and help them think through their options. Is your sales team up to speed? The experts speak. Mike Schultz, RAIN Group: “The road to success is always under repair” (Anonymous). Gord Smith, Hitachi Solutions: “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm” (Winston Churchill). Mark Roberge, Hubspot: “In God we trust, all others bring data (W. Edwards Deming). Join us for Insight Selling: What B2B Sales Winners Do Differently.

The buzz: Supply chain health. As global barriers for business commerce are being torn down, enterprises have unparalleled opportunities to create unique advantages within their supply chains. The upside: enterprise spending now spans more diverse geographies and suppliers than ever before. The downside: supply chains are infested with supplier risks, savings leakages and procurement inefficiencies that often go undetected. Can cutting-edge analytics and real-time supplier visibility help you mitigate the risks, as well as drive trusted and confident spending decisions? The experts speak. Rahul Raj, Deloitte: “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892). Keertan Rai, SAP: “Torture numbers and they will confess to anything” (Gregg Easterbrook). Join us for Managing Suppliers and Enterprise Spending: Let the Numbers Do the Talking.

The buzz: Social selling. Attention, suppliers! Studies show that B2B buyers are 57% –70% of the way through the buying process before they first engage with your sales people. This means prospects are having a learning party without you. How? The modern buyer is digitally driven, socially connected, mobile, and empowered with unlimited access to information. Is your sales team up-to-date on social selling, its critical role in global brand strategy, and how to master social channels like LinkedIn to cut through the noise? The experts speak. Michael Idinopulos, PeopleLinx: “In 3 years, sales reps who aren’t active on social media today will be...out of work.” Jill Rowley, Jill Rowley.com: If you suck offline; you'll suck more online. You are what you eat and what you Tweet.” Phil Lurie, SAP: “Social selling enables businesses to reach new markets in ways that best suit the 21st Century consumer.” Join us for ABCs of Social Selling and Building Your Global Brand.