It used to be easy. Big companies stayed big, small companies struggled to succeed and business models were written in stone.

But all that's changed. Today's small player is just one good idea away from being the next leader. And business turnarounds that saved companies in the past now require the kind of time, effort and expense that can easily undermine consumer loyalty and investor confidence.

This isn't bad news. Greater change means greater opportunity. But to take advantage, you need the right business model. A business model with change built into it; one that creates an organization flexible and resilient enough to reinvent itself.

Flexible business models are at the heart of the on demand era. They allow companies to seize new opportunities and dodge incoming threats with minimal trauma to employees, stockholders and business partners.

This guide will give you a top-level introduction to developing a flexible business model - so that you can create a truly resilient company. One that changes continually, to keep ahead of the change all around it. One that habitually looks to the future rather than falling back on the past. One that is ready to compete in a world driven by demand. Contact us for a no obligation On Demand Business assessment.

What is it?

It's a new way of running your company - faster, more efficiently and focused only on the activities that build value. On demand businesses are engineered for change, so they can sense and respond to shifts in the marketplace, dodging bullets and seizing opportunities without slowing down or wasting effort.

Why is it important?

Because the business world is radically different from ten, even five years ago. Your customers are demanding new levels of service. Your competition is coming from places you'd never expect, and moving into areas that are tough to predict. Most of all, everyone is eyeing the bottom line. In a world of mounting business pressures, your company needs to constantly find new ways to deliver value.

On demand business gives you new tools - technologies, strategies and processes - to help you meet the demands and dodge the obstacles of a constantly changing world. It can help you break through the bottlenecks to achieve levels of productivity and performance you never thought possible.

How will it change my business?

To operate on demand, your organization will need to transform the way it works. You'll need to re-evaluate your business processes, your technological infrastructure and even your corporate culture.

Most of all, you'll need to integrate. Connect IT systems, business processes and people from one end of your organization to another. Integration is going to be the key to your on demand transformation. It can give your salespeople the same customer information as your support people. It lets manufacturing know what R&D is doing long before it hits the factory floor. It can connect your corporate planners to your distributors, so you can figure out the holiday-season sales leaders as early as March. It can let big businesses move like small companies, and small companies realize economies of scale like big businesses.

So these changes will run deep. But they don't have to be painful. You can begin this transformation on as large or small a scale as you wish. Integrate a single vertical silo (your payroll systems, for example), or a single process, and you can begin building value quickly. Reinvest those rewards in the next business improvement, and you can begin a cycle to help keep your company competitive for years to come.

Who is using it now?

Manufacturers and governments. Scientists and fashion designers. Universities and tourism. The big. The small. The up-and-coming. The blue chippers. In short, anyone looking to drive productivity, innovate or explore, profit or perform in a way that meets the ever-changing demands of today's markets.

Where do I start?

You're not going to wake up one day and find yourself with an on demand business. It's an ongoing journey. And to get started, you'll need the right partner.

Cressida consultants have the depth of experience, the industry insight and the technological know-how to help you compete in an on demand world. We understand how IT and business processes interact. We know the ins and outs of implementation and we get results. To receive a no obligation On Demand Business assessment, please contact your local Cressida staff.

Read more about On-Demand

Take a quick look at the basics of on demand. Discover how on demand business strategies and IT-enabled solutions can help keep your organization competitive.

Download On Demand Business: the executive guide