Research

The Boston Red Sox played Oakland in Japan this week — an unusual opening day for Major League Baseball.

What do you look for when you buy a pair of jeans? Color? Cut? Designer label? Price tag? One thing is certain: Even if you buy what you think is the same make/label/origin, year after year, it is an entirely different item with a brand-new geographic story.

The Millennials — people aged 14 to 31 — are streaming into the workplace. They have been called "entitled" and "tough to manage" because they need much direction and praise. On the other hand, they're tech-savvy, nimble, enthusiastic and achievement-oriented.

As hospitals and other health care providers strive to cut costs while still giving good patient care, they are hiring an increasing number of MBAs.

A small but growing number of U.S. hospitals are using a version of quid pro quo to achieve two crucial goals: lock in the "rainmaker" physicians — the ones who are at the top of their specializations — and secure the best deal from suppliers.

If, as healthcare experts say, supplies gobble up 30 percent of a typical American hospital's annual budget, then upgrading the medical supplies system is a sensible investment.

GMoney is young and loves to shop, but unlike most young women, she's already a homeowner with a low, low mortgage and a respectable savings account. GMoney is the avatar, or online image, of Gina Fung, who in real life is vice president of experiential marketing for Wells Fargo & Co.

Ruth McCartney's first true exposure to the needs of fans came while growing up around the McCartney clan. Stepsister of Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles, Ruth earned her pocket money as a child helping her mother sort through Paul's fan mail.

The next big upgrade to your corporate systems department may be something you will use but never see — "cloud computing," the next step in the evolution of SaaS technology. As with SaaS, cloud-computing customers tap into computing resources off-site and hosted by another company.

Collaboration is not a new concept, and companies have no trouble imagining the gains to be had from collaborating within the firm, with suppliers and with customers: creativity, productivity, profits. The technology tools already exist to make it happen. But how do you get started?