business networks

While analyzing the technology markets and advising large enterprises on their technology strategy is something we have been doing for years, this work does not make it into our reports or into articles on our network of sites very frequently. We’re planning to change this and a new “adoption report” format is but one visible way [...]

[Editor’s Note: Ardent Partners, sponsored by Hubwoo, recently published a helpful guide on How to Build a Compelling Business Case for Supplier Networks. Today’s article features snippets of the guide, which interested readers can download by clicking here. We think you’ll find it very useful – registration required.] Supplier networks sit at the intersection of a paradigm shift [...]

The modern business, when viewing the myriad processes that run the gamut from spend management to data management to processing invoices and expense reports, often views the “tactical” as a simpler area to tackle via automation and efficiency than longer-term, more strategic initiatives or functions across the greater organization. At a high level, there’s really [...]

Editor’s Note: Ardent Partners is excited to announce the launch of its 2015 “State of ePayables” market research survey, available here. All participants of this landmark research survey will receive a complimentary copy of the resulting research report in late May. (While the survey is comprehensive, participants can expect to spend only 15 minutes of their time answering the [...]

Editor’s Note: Ardent Partners is excited to announce the launch of its 2015 “State of ePayables” market research survey, available here. All participants of this landmark research survey will receive a complimentary copy of the resulting research report in late May. (While the survey is comprehensive, participants can expect to spend only 15 minutes of their time answering the [...]

Following our series on trends in accounts payable, Payables Place is going to take a look at predictions for the future of the AP function. Today’s installment, the first of four, will take a look at why electronic payment methods will become the default for enterprises of all sizes in the near future. Business-to-business (B2B) [...]

Last week, Ardent Partners analysts Andrew Bartolini and Christopher J. Dwyer presented on a webinar focused on the hottest trends in accounts payable and the necessary action items for businesses as they begin to transform their greater AP functions. The webinar, “Trendspotting: AP’s Top Trends for 2015 and Beyond,” highlighted a variety of current financial [...]

Today’s ever-changing and dynamic business world necessitates the alignment between an enterprise, its suppliers, and the myriad processes and capabilities that are required to effectively manage corporate spend. The overarching need to maintain visibility, that of the “360-degree kind,” is transforming the way the typical business views the inter-connectivity of its network of suppliers, partners, [...]

Enterprises around the world want to maximize working capital for a variety of reasons, not least of which includes freeing up cash from operations in order to hire new employees, pay down debt, expand into new markets, or even to provide better returns to shareholders via dividends and stock repurchases. Working capital management is thus [...]

Today begins the holiday shopping season in the United States. “Black Friday” sales dominate the landscape, with thousands of shoppers filling retail stores searching for deals on everything from cars to televisions. But did you know that the words “Black Friday” were originally coined as a negative description of the day? The story goes that [...]