Enterprise Mobility - the next disruptive market trend..

This is an interesting trend to watch. I have recently laid my hands on the book "googled" which talks on how google emerged, grew and took down the traditional advertising and marketing firms by its sheer reach, highly personalized, cheap, targetted and most importantly ROI driven market offering. While everyone thought some crazy free crawler on the move, it was slowly breaking the boundaries and uniting the world one by one; knowing each one of us, what we like, what interests us and growing every day in its intel( still growing by the way). Internet was the disruptive technology and google scanned and replicated the real world and made it available to each one of us on it.




The more i read on enterprise mobility, more convinced i am that a google who can integrate and create and replicate the world on mobiles will be the next BIG technical gainer. I have never been an early adopter of technology for long, but not anymore. First time i used black berry, i knew i was on top of every info around me any time of the day. As a manager, i need to know whats happening inside and outside my world, helps me take informed decision, helps me connect to right people at right time. Dont know whats the ROI, dont know how does one calculate the ROI for it, but i for sure know that it could be a difference of make or break in my sales field; if i stayed behind my competition in adopting gadgets that kept me informed on the toes. Mobility will definitely be the core for front ending decision makers of the industry. There is scope for:

- Smarter devices at lower prices for affordability and reach to larger population
- Applications that leverage this disruptive technology to bring the world on move
- Integrating the communications seamlessly across gadgets, devices; so that my work world moves with me, i dont have to reach to a physical desk or machine to work
- Enterprise applications that help its key work force make important decision on mobile (Retail, Oil and Gas exploration, transportation and logistics clearly have a business case for their larger part of on move workforce)
- Security protocols to assure data protection
- The mobile network providers have tasks on hand
- Synching up data across devices, tools to provided seamless working (Convergence)
- This might as well become the shop for B2C tickets selling and tool for customer loyalty (Go Mobile)


While this technology will not enable the whole world on its screen and might not be fit for it; it definitely has a potential to lead the enterprise world in name of productivity, speed, access and information. All words count towards competitive edge? Will it become survival instinct for corporates in times to come, let us watch!! :)

Now, dont worry, where you are; information and working world moves with you. You will decide and close deals faster than your competition does and you will know about the world no matter where you are. Welcome to the world of enterprise mobility, your dream of working from a hill top or an island (with mobile connections ofcourse) might just come true. Yep, we are shrinking the world further, coverging it and brining it into your hands.

-Garima
Writing this from my ipad while on move and should be able to save this on the apple icloud sooon. :)

"Execution" Dillema

I know, strategy and marketing blog should not talk about "DOING".. :D Pardon me, but "doing" has been a subject of some best seller books for years; i can not ignore any best selling opportunity. With finesse people often call it "execution". There are many books written on it, many lectures heard on it and then many people claim on it. Well, let us be clear, thinking has to happen in isolation so yes, it is fair for strategy to be formed in a closed box; thinker should not know what can not be done; thats precisely what he gets paid for. Then, how can a thinker assure that his strategy finally turns into an implementable task and shows some result on ground?? I am still struggling to find an answer on this and i am sure it is a learning that will end with life.. But i do feel all "IMPLEMENTATIONS" with excellent plans, in the end have to pass through the human mesh.. no one book can explain it, and nothing but for presence of mind, empathy, appreciation of point of views and sometimes willingness to call everyone's mistake as your mistake can help one wade through the human mesh.. But it takes a lot to rise above your own "human" self and cover all and that is where things fall apart..

Interestingly, as i think of this, i want to share where exactly did i encounter this first lesson of leadership on execution which i still struggle to bring in my personality.. It has been a fair life so far; from holding various responsible positions for which i never got paid, to some for which people are kind enough to pay (thank you by the way). My first observation was when i was made class prefect (only God knows why, i never shouted at anyone and i talked the most). Standing infront, i was supposed to handle what i could never handle for myself, "discipline all"; task was written off. The sea of faces of class mates who loved me otherwise, had it written all over their faces, "YOU ARE THE MOST HATED HUMAN".. That was my first real encounter to manage disparate expectations of people without changing them.. Suddenly, i was not a part of them?? I told myself, no i dont like it. I came back home and probably in my tiny head thought what is it worth? No one will talk to me, everyone will hate me, and above all I CANT TALK ANYMORE. I was not the class teacher, i did not have the cane ( i did not know how to use it anyway), no one will be scared of me, what can i do??

So, i started with defining "DISCIPLINE" in my mind; i was clear, talking and playing is not indiscipline as long as it does not impose same on others when they dont want to. Next day in class, i took this as a discussion with everyone asking them to tell me what did discipline mean to them?? (well, they all laughed and ignored and what followed for next 4 days is a history but in the end we got on one table).. Interestingly, everyone had a different definition, but in the end everyone somehow associated it with their "freedom". I asked, "what about other's freedom?".. And we all agreed that we can talk and play as long as we ensure that others do not get disturbed (difficult one, but they gave me the authority to tell them when their freedom bothered others).. This was to be sold to teacher, as the whole concept of "freedom" in school is what meant "no discipline" to her.. I remember how tough it was to explain anything to teachers (they lived by rule books).. She did not buy the idea, i could not shout (i cant you see), students did not stop talking and they did not fear punishment. I stood infront of the class and often could not resist talking myself.. According to me the leader "Teachers" for years in schooling system have been trying to implement impossible; on altar are some poor souls like me and the point of failure is -- there is no buy in , there is no appreciation of reality.. There is a "strategy to discipline" which can not defy the human mesh..

I realized (still a long way to internalize) that time that strategy has to restrict to definitions and rules to show the best way forward; which is fair.. To create an implementable strategy, ability to appreciate differences, understanding that humans are unique and there is self before all, no matter who you are dealing with ; is extremely important .. As an implementer of strategy, one's ability to negotiate, influence, create win win situation is what it probably takes to implement things on ground. . That is why probably smaller organizations grow fast, change fast; their human mesh is small.. When large organizations try to change, they fail for want of understanding and consensus.. Believe it or not, like school, like business.. :) there are still definitions that don’t work, leaders that stick to them, there are souls on altars who do not associate with rules and then the human mesh underneath has a life of its own.. hah! Life! From first lesson to nth and eternity may be..

APPLE of Business's Eye!

Today, i want to share a subtle observation in the world of pricing in B2B space. It is something interesting which i have observed over last few years and thought would be fun to share with the larger world and solicit ideas. In B2B sales, pricing is very much a standard rate card agreed based on demand and supply, market rates, perception of your services, market willingness to price that differentiation and volumes negotiated. This is how even the IT industry has moved. Most of the large firms negotiate long term contracts, define the rules and standards for pricing and then on it is really not about the rate card; the game of business growth is about better services, high end specialized packaged projects and end to end delivery with unique commercial packages. IT services firms are yet to get more and more innovative on this bare all pricing side to deliver outputs without really pricing each component of it. But all said and done the financial boundaries are very much set and the game has to be played with in the same unless you have a path breaking truely outcome driven solution to offer.
When you move your engagement with large customers from transactional sales to partnership mode, just like automotive industries, you as service provider, have an open book of rules to follow. The parter almost always knows how and what is playing in standard offering, then on it is about working in tandem to ensure the supply chain, quality and output with very predictable commercial variations. The more coherent you become with the orgazniational output, the more your grow and become an integral part of the organziation. As a sales person, someone needs to really look at the final output with a consultative approach and setup team structures to provide efficient services, which shall form the foundation for growth and entry into various parts of IT supply chain. In partnership, the value is not in price, its really in output, innovation, cultural adaptation and acceptance in more and more segments of services supply chain.
It is interesting, but pricing to a large extent is not the differentiator in large engagements, it is the footprint expansion and process innovation. When you talk and target volumes, price is a difficult negotiation point. It is very much kept aside right at the onset to engage stakeholders on services and not finances. This is BAU world of IT and given the size, this is what most IT service providers have chased so far.. Right strategy is to grow, commoditize, normalize, drive efficiency; but there is indeed a path less travelled..

So, if you really want to position yourself APPLE way; you just step out of the crowd, create your solution taking market intel and then with the finesses go back to market and say, here i am, NO, i dont want it all, i just want those few of you, who want excellence, i have taken even the remotest of details into consideration; i am your style statement.. In this case, i will not target entire market, i will target few services, niche firms and will not grow based on numbers on ground, but will grow based on people who follow me and adopt me.. Welcome to the new era of APPLE of Business's Eye- build your enterprise with the best in the world.. We are business partners, we excel, we deliver, we innovate with you and we just want few of you who want to make business different leveraging IT.. No, IT is not about price killing BAU (it is a major part though), it was meant to make business efficient and global and when you use IT for that as CIO or CTO, you are integral to the business.. Here on you add your vendor partners to talk of experience and differentiation and pave your way to be the APPLE of Business' Eye!

In search for Localization..

Yes, this is how important the term localization is. While as i graduated, there was more and more hunger in me to discover more on diversity, different cultures, geography.. The term Globalization was on my mind. Firms all over the world want to enter into new geographies, take their ideas into new emerging markets and i knew i will love this. But hang on, i carry my business model, may be operational excellence, rest everything is just so specific to the people, their lifestyle, their tastes and upbringing.. Glocalization is what got coined and is there to stay. When i stay in London, i long for my local food, sometimes movies, sometimes local products, so the local global business is very much there to stay and will probably never run out.
The large enterprises that entered in new markets, underwent a whole cycle of change. Mc Ds changed its menu, Pizza hut is not the same, Domino's reinvented itself with taste buds and flavours. What really worked in their favor was the brand. So, does that mean luxury retailing, high end upscale product market is what is truly global. For the routine needs, the consumer goods segment, regular food joints, companies and brands need a local hint and they will need to work with local consumers and experts to create a marketable offering which appeals to larger segment, which can give the volume to brands to sustain. I look back at Next, Debenhams and M&S back home in India and now compare with what they offer in the Indian market and why i feel i dont visit them back home. I think they need to localize their clothing, keep the colors, textures and fits unique and smart, but yet price the products to justify the labour and arbitrage cost to suit the emerging markets. If you are not luxury retailers (where you sell for your name value), you need to appeal to the taste of disposable income group, cover the right consumer needs gap and position yourself well. Most medium brands in UK and US which are trying to take their global offering to emerging markets, need to appreciate that all said and done, the consumers in emerging economy look for value for money and buying is still associated with utilization. They need to rethink on their global strategy and get local with designs, prices and variety while leveraging the quality, best styles and global supplier eco system.

The business world comes full circle. Nothing in extremes work. As much as globalization ruled the world, it is now being pushed back to localization. All large corporates entering the emerging markets, need to set the basics right to appreciate the diversity and consumer needs , and then top it up with global expertise, business influence and eco system to offer the best. B2B firms like GE is doing a good job at getting very local with their innovation and supply chain. Retail has a long way. The large brands have a learing curve before they appreciate the Lifestyle and Big Bazaar mindset of Indian consumers and create their space. Till then, there will be a searh for Localization by the Globalizaing giants..