- Collaborating with customers: some companies have begun involving customers in the design of products, through crowdsourcing projects and online votes. Others have global intranets that enable employees around the world to identify colleagues trying to develop similar ideas.

2. Matching management to market change

High-performance businesses must renew their management talent well before financial performance begins to taper.

IT can help companies to both manage the process of renewal and ensure the top team works more productively together. Key aspects include:

- Managing top talent attrition: Predictive workforce analysis enables companies to identify areas where key performers are more likely to leave and develop strategies to counter such risk -- retention programmes, say, or succession planning.