Arthur D. Little’s latest report ‘Performance Excellence Networks’ outlines how by implementing key principles, companies can make a major step forward to tap the full potential of their global network and become significantly more flexible in reacting on changing market situations rapidly. Three widely spread defects within companies are true around the globe:

• In most companies, the global operations networks are complex and not focused due to the fact that their current organization is the result of historical developments.
• They are missing transparent and consistent governance structures, competencies, processes and an open collaboration culture which leads to inefficiency.
• Operations networks are not optimally networked internally and externally, hindering a continuous best practice exchange and flexible adaptations of the global network.

But how can companies solve the operations footprint puzzle to transform towards an open, focused and networked global setup while consistently improving local performances in practice? Arthur D. Little and St. Gallen University have developed a ‘networked operations approach’ - a set of measures to help companies with the transformation towards focused, open and networked global operations.