Foundation Research Agenda Grows and Grows…and Grows
Posted 12/18/07
When the Foundation Board met this fall, members spent two days talking about the future and research projects the Foundation should consider. A plethora of ideas were shared, many of which will be explored further, funded and ultimately developed into research studies.
“We have been brainstorming on our 2008 research agenda,” said Research Committee Chair, David Wiener of GE Capital Markets Group. “Many, many ideas have emerged, which we will now prioritize and introduce to our researcher community for their feedback.” As the board continues its conversations and prioritization of projects, several topics that rose to the top included “lessons learned from the sub-prime market,” transportation, and bundled services.
A study on “lessons learned from the sub-prime market” could be morphed into a Perfect Storms part two study. (In 2002, The Foundation commissioned a study, ultimately titled Perfect Storms, to examine the causes for several previously successful companies to exit the marketplace in the 1999-2001 time frame.) The new 2008 study could explore lessons learned from the sub-prime market meltdown that apply to the equipment finance industry, identify opportunities that now exist; and identify what should be monitored in the future to ensure a similar situation does not arrive in the equipment finance market.
Another idea being actively explored by the Foundation is a study on bundled services. Often referred to as “the new frontier” for equipment financiers, bundling services with equipment acquisitions has grown in popularity. But, how does one actually go about offering bundled services? Beyond including software with computers and paper with copiers, bundled services require a deeper look into how equipment finance companies might take advantage of the customers’ increasing needs to obtain peripheral services and products to make their equipment usage complete. Issues such as tax rules and policies, management of services, price considerations, including FMV conundrums could be included in a bundled services study.
The Research Committee will meet several more times in the coming weeks to discuss these and other ideas. Watch future issues of Forecasts for developments on the Foundation’s research calendar.
Sites of Reference:
http://www.leasefoundation.org/Work/
