The insideEdge

by Jim Hagemann Snabe, Co-CEO, SAP

SAP's co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe greets a new era in business—the era of people. Discover why companies are empowering individuals to help drive growth and how SAP is leading the charge at this new inflection point.

Categories: Innovation, SAP Business Suite, Strategy

We are at an important inflection point. After one and a half years of downturn in all industries globally, companies are looking to grow their business again — and grow it responsibly. It’s a cautious optimism, because challenges still abound. But it’s optimism nonetheless.

Previous inflection points focused on the corporation or the customer (recall the economies of scale and horizontal integration of the 1980s, or the mass customization and business process reengineering of the 1990s). This new era, however, is the era of people.

It’s an era in which individuals wield unbelievable power. Consumers demand goods and services the way they want them; employees work the way they want to work; and they all have strong, influential voices. Through mobile devices, Facebook, and Twitter, they can reach millions of people quickly, challenge how your company does things, and praise or disqualify you.

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July 1, 2010