Latest Reports

• To H1B or Not to H1B? Presentation Slides

  The recent deluge of rhetoric, EOs and potential regulatory changes to the US Immigration policies and enforcement have put the whole IT Sourcing industry in a turmoil. Three primary areas impacted by these immigration changes include (1) changes to work visa programs (especially the H1-B visa), (2) the freedom to travel to the US, and (3) a changing climate towards foreigner workers.

  May, 2017

• Website/E-Commerce Outsourcing Declines

  Website and e-commerce outsourcing is one of the most ubiquitous forms of outsourcing, and the shift toward web-enabled business processes and e-commerce has prompted organizations to reassess their online strategies. Those that outsource the function are turning to outsourcing partners that can provide the needed expertise and a flexible, scalable infrastructure to provide highly available and reliable website and e-commerce systems.

  April, 2017

• Special Brief Summary: The Caterpillar’s Edge

  Many large and small companies and their leaders are stuck in their approach to planning and execution. They are guided by old habits formed in an era when competition was more static. Change your thinking and you can change your future.

  April, 2017

• Application Development Outsourcing Dropping

  While application development remains one of the more popular IT functions to outsource, our research indicates growth in this form of outsourcing has shown little change over the past five years, until dropping this year.

  April, 2017

• Enterprise Transformation Through Product and Services Innovation

  Mattel has embarked on an ambitious transformation journey, with a focus on rebuilding Mattel's culture to re-focus on brand building, creativity, and innovation, while putting a premium on speed-to-market and accountability.

  March, 2017

• Moving from Cost Optimization to Value Realization through MGS

  The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, known as Freddie Mac, is a mortgage securitization firm. Avasant Director, Jim Lee, and Avasant Associate Director, Anthony Cilla, discussed in this case study the drivers, challenges, benefits, and results of Avasant's engagement with Freddie Mac.

  March, 2017

• Software-Defined Networking Adoption Trends and Customer Experience

  Software-defined networking (SDN) continues the trend of virtualizing everything in the data center. Server, storage, and desktop virtualization might be more accepted and mature, but SDN completes a puzzle that allows for an efficient, automated data center that can be quickly reconfigured. This study quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for SDN as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their SDN implementations. We assess these trends by organization size, sector, and geography. We look at the ROI and TCO experiences of adopters along with current investment levels. We conclude with practical advice for planning new investments in SDN. (18 pp., 9 fig.)[Research Byte]

  March, 2017

• Social Business/Collaboration Systems Adoption Trends and Customer Experience

  Social business/collaboration tools are a vital part of the productivity of the modern workforce. When deployed correctly, organizations have had excellent financial success with these systems. This study quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for social business/collaboration tools, as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their implementations of such systems. We assess these trends by organization size, sector, and geography. We look at the ROI and TCO experiences of adopters along with overall customer satisfaction. We conclude with practical advice for planning new investments in social business systems. (20 pp., 9 fig.)[Research Byte]

  February, 2017

• The Digital Age for Traditional Organizations

  For companies that were fundamentally founded on traditional models, the move toward digital is critical. However, these companies typically face more challenges than their digital native counterparts. Some are even digital skeptics that still view IT as a supporting and back office function, even as data shows that companies farthest along the on the digital maturity curve are 8 times more likely to have gained share than the 15% of companies that are least mature.

  February, 2017

• Use of Project Portfolio Management Continues to Fluctuate

  Just as a mutual fund manager manages a portfolio of stocks, IT executives use project portfolio management (PPM) to maximize the ROI of their IT projects as a portfolio. But although the majority of organizations have adopted PPM as a best practice, there is room for this discipline to grow.

  February, 2017

• Strategic Cost Optimization

  In the GCC, the record drop in oil prices over the past two years has put significant pressure on companies to quickly reduce their cost structures. Albeit quick, layoffs are not the most effective and productive route to achieve cost savings. Companies can use more effective methods to identify cost-cutting initiatives across the business that have a positive impact on overall performance and cost structures without jeopardizing the company's operational performance.

  January, 2017

• IT Asset Management: Keeping the Chaos Under Control

  Given the constantly changing nature of IT knowing precisely what equipment is owned and the current status of each item is essential. In this Research Byte, we review the adoption of this IT best practice.

  January, 2017