Bad metrics are worse than no metrics

When it comes to setting goals and assessing your progress toward achieving them, be smart about how you use metrics and what you pay attention to. Not SMART. Metrics have always been a key facet of gauging a business area’s accomplishments, be it IT, accounting, operations, or anywhere else. That’s never been more true than…

7 ways to foster IT innovation

As an IT leader, being able to foster innovation not only benefits the IT itself, with greater efficiency, effectiveness and value, but the organization it serves and you personally, as it illustrates your ability to be an internal agent of change, a true business partner, and an asset at the strategy table. 1. Define and…

Executive Briefing: Unit 42 Cloud Threat Report

Unit 42 is Palo Alto Networks’ world-renowned threat intelligence and security consulting team. The key headline of the latest Unit 42 Cloud Threat Report isn’t about the most sophisticated attacks. It’s that nearly all organizations we analyzed lack the proper controls to keep their cloud resources secure. The term for this in cloud security is…

What it Takes to Make Industry 4.0 a Reality

By Michael Loggins, award-winning executive IT leader Industry 4.0 has vast potential to transform what factories can do. Manufacturing can be faster, more data-driven, more responsive to the needs of workers and customers, and more powered by innovations such as artificial intelligence, internet of things, digital supply chains, and blockchain. While the possibilities of Industry…

Strengthening Retail’s Resilience Against Ransomware

By Ashok Rutthan, Chief information security officer at Massmart Organizations of every size and sector are experiencing a rising tide of ransomware attacks, resulting in the collective global loss of billions of dollars and untold brand damage. Leaders are learning first hand the ways ransomware has become a scourge on smooth operations and financial well-being.…

How data can move the needle on supply chain

Data-driven supply chains continues to be a hot topic, given what’s happened over the last couple of years with the pandemic, lockdowns, transportation woes, container ships held outside ports, war in Ukraine and other issues wreaking havoc. Problems caused by these events are ongoing, but if addressed from a proactive rather than reactive standpoint, there…