About Tim Minahan

Nearly 14 billion years ago, massive forces of gravity and friction converged to spark the big bang that gave life to the universe as we know it. Today, the same type of convergence is occurring in the business world. After years of technological innovation and aggressive IT investment, companies now sit atop a vast volume Read the full article…

In my experience by the time a trend gets picked up by the mainstream media, it is already firmly entrenched (and possibly on the decline). So when I came across no fewer than five articles and news reports this weeks touting brand-name manufacturers – from Apple to GE – bringing production back onshore, I knew Read the full article…

There’s no disputing it. We live in a networked world. No matter what we do – whether paying the tab at dinner or calling a cab – our interactions are enabled and enhanced by some invisible network that connects us all. I was reminded of this point this week in a most unlikely place:  while Read the full article…

In a recent podcast with Made-in-a-Free World (MIAFW) founder Justin Dillon we examined how the benefits of being a globally Networked Enterprise come with a responsibility for socially and environmentally responsible business practices. McGraw-Hill is one company that has embraced this tenet, making sustainability a core pillar of its networked business model. The publisher, which uses Read the full article…

There are slaves in your supply chain. There, I said it. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) there are more than 20 million forced laborers around the world today. And, although it unfathomable, it is likely that some of those slaves work for you or your suppliers. Recent high-profile cases have uncovered forced labor Read the full article…

Forbes.com  asked me to share my views on the role of social media in business. I was initially uncomfortable with the topic, as I’m not certain businesses want to be ‘social’ as much as they want to improve collaboration and knowledge management around core business processes. (That’s a debate for another post.) Regardless, I took Read the full article…

Last year, McKinsey & Company reported the initial findings of its examination into how the world’s businesses are beginning to use social media and business networks to enhance collaboration and productivity within the enterprise and across the supply chain. (The consultant recently released a more detailed tome of real-world networked-enterprise case studies, which we will Read the full article…

Yesterday we examined how InformationWeek 500 companies were prioritizing investments in business networks, cloud computing, mobile apps, and advanced analytics. What’s even more compelling than what types of IT these top innovators are using, is why they’re using it.   According to InformationWeek study of the top 500 IT innovators, the top three reasons business Read the full article…

Every great transition in business is forged by a group of pioneers. First movers that capitalize on new technologies and process approaches to drive up profits and competitive advantage for their companies; and to establish new models for business. With the rapid adoption and convergence of cloud, mobile, analytics, and social and business networks, we Read the full article…

A few years back, Thomas Friedman’s best-seller, The World is Flat, forewarned us how shifting economic power, new trade policies and capabilities, and advances in technology are blurring the geographic boundaries that once separated global economies. Soon your enterprise will be flat too. In a recent video interview, Michael Fauscette, IDC’s Group Vice President for Read the full article…

This is not your father’s business environment. Changing global demographics and mega-shifts in how technology is delivered, accessed, and used are dramatically changing the way we live, engage, and work. Thanks to the rapid convergence of the cloud, mobile computing, and social and business networks, we are now more connected. We are more enabled to Read the full article…