Theory, practice, and demonstrating ROI

As Director of Research, I have the privilege of a bird's-eye view gained through working with all types of information teams across a range of industries.

Our Focus on Value Chain is one result of that privilege – a breakthrough approach for tying information products, services and expertise to quantifiable business outcomes.

From my position "in the lab," I can think laterally about solutions without worrying about real-world variables like personalities, corporate politics, or budget constraints.

But it only matters if it works in the real world, not just in the lab.

In August, we took our development a step further, by running internal workshops on the process of Value Chain analysis, customer experiences and results, for Jinfo's senior analysts:

• Stephen Phillips, with 35 years' experience, including most recently as the Head of Business Information Management at a global investment bank
  
  
• Susan Gleckner, with 30 years' experience, including most recently as Associate Director responsible for information research strategy and operations for R&D in the consumer division of a global pharmaceutical company.

Whilst I was working out models and theories in the lab, they were actually on the ground, doing the job. Now as a team, our knowledge – both theoretical and practical – represents an incredible resource for Jinfo clients seeking to crack the code of ROI.

It's exciting to share the Focus on Value Chain and the analysis it enables our clients to do with these talented colleagues. The resulting discussions sharpen all of our thinking and make us even more equipped to adapt our methods for your needs.

We'd love to include you in the discussion. Consulting on Value Chain can be tailored to your goals, timeline and budget – contact us today.

Robin Neidorf
Director of Research

Tie portfolio value to commercial impact

Effective value-based portfolio management requires you to have in-depth knowledge of your internal clients' processes.

Two examples from recent Consulting on Content Portfolio workshops with Jinfo clients highlight the practical application of this knowledge:

• Manufacturing: Analysis of what contributes to "efficient innovation" enables the information team to link specific information products with shorter development cycles and faster, more creative identification of "white space"
  
  
• Pharmaceuticals: Deconstruction of how the information team shortened the process of narrowing 500 research targets to 100 made visible (and measurable) the commercial contributions of both expertise and products.

Both clients now can approach their vendor negotiations from a value-based perspective, supported by their own metrics.

As an added benefit, they have made positive shifts in their relationships with internal stakeholders. By speaking the language of their clients and learning their world from the inside out, these teams reinforce their bona fides as trusted advisers essential to digitised R&D.

You can hear more directly from peers having these breakthroughs and successes by joining our upcoming Community sessions in the Focus on Content Portfolio:

• "Teeing up value-based budget conversations for content licensing", 21st September 2021
• "Negotiation role-play for content licensing professionals", 7th October 2021
• "Investment philosophies for strategic portfolio management", 2nd December 2021

Talk with us about Consulting on Content Portfolio to explore what your own transformation can look like.

Stephen Phillips
Senior Analyst

Capacity comes from strategy

We've noticed a trend in queries from Jinfo clients about their efforts to recruit new staff. Where questions once were primarily of the "Who do you know?" sort, lately we've been fielding more questions about "What should we be hiring for?".

A case in point is a long-term client who has (finally) secured provisional executive support to add headcount. The current team of two supports a customer base burgeoning through acquisitions.

They know that simply adding more hours to their department capacity is not the solution. Instead, they need to take this opportunity to think strategically about what the future of their service should look like, and then identify the qualities, characteristics and skills required.

Visit the Focus on Centre of Excellence for an overview of the process they will be using. Detailed guidance on each step is provided in an article and supporting recorded webinar.

This particular client will focus on these:

• Step one - map your services to the model will enable them to imagine what maximum value looks like for their organisation
  
  
• Step two - create your Pillars of Service will give them a framework for rethinking their services from their customers' perspective
  
  
• Step four - assess your team's characteristics will help them observe their strengths and weaknesses and consider how to grow the team strategically.

Many teams are already running these activities very effectively on their own.

But we're always here to help – and with our independent view and industry-wide experience, our analysts often highlight things that are hard to spot from the inside.

Consider Consulting on Centre of Excellence to strengthen and streamline your strategic planning.

Rebecca Brizi
Senior Analyst