To customers, there's not much to loyalty programs; on the surface they're usually just a piece of plastic and a "Here's how much you saved" line at the bottom of a receipt.

The Internet has revolutionized ticket scalping, turning it into an electronic extension of the box office, driven by sleek advances in computer hardware and software and by a spate of clever, aggressive online ticketing companies.

As companies shift from product to services focus, they face the challenge of a larger, more dynamic and more diverse customer base. Some are turning to universities for assistance from academics to find ways to improve operations or customer relations.

IBM's Customer Obsession Program (COP) is focused on achieving a world-class client experience, service delivery that is consistently the best, and a passionate commitment to the customer.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have a growing reputation for being big, slow, pricey and just about impossible to change once they're installed. Those aren't exactly promising survival traits in competitive environs that demand IT agility.

When employees make up their minds that a knowledge management (KM) system is more trouble than it's worth, they simply stop using it. This decision affects the employer's bottom line and is a crucial factor in whether the big aspirations for a KM system pan out.

In 2003, when corporate turnaround wizard Champ Mitchell became chairman and CEO of Network Solutions, the company was in serious trouble.

In a recent study, researchers at the W. P. Carey School of Business found that only about a third of doctors use computers for patient notes, and about 10 percent prescribe electronically.

Online retailers seek logistics service providers offering high-quality supply chain management knowledge. But new research by supply chain management professor Elliot Rabinovich shows retailers need to look before they leap into a contract with a provider.

Few companies operate independently in the Electronic Age, which means that the security vulnerability of every business partner — outsourcer, client, whatever — whose computer system has access to yours is a potential portal to your most sensitive data.