Corporate Evolution Tales - Greg Williams: Setting Clear Goals for Transformation

Mariam:

Welcome to Digital Shift, also known as Corporate Evolution Tales. Join us as we dive into the dynamic world of digital transformation. From illuminating case studies to captivating narratives, we uncover the stories behind companies' journeys to our digital excellence. Whether you are a seasoned corporate leader or an aspiring innovator, our podcast explores the shifts, challenges of modern business evolution. Hello everyone. This is another episode of Digital Shift, aka Corporate Evolution Tales. And today my guest is Greg Williams. Thank you, Greg for joining today's episode. It's a pleasure to have you on the podcast.

Greg Williams:

Hi, Mariam. Thanks for having me today.

Mariam:

Awesome. Well, I think the first and my always last question is introducing yourself, your experience. Yeah, we can go from there.

Greg Williams:

Sure. So my name is Greg Williams. I live in Michigan in the United States, have been working with software systems and digital transformation for about 25 years now, mainly with ERP software for small to mid-sized businesses.

Mariam:

Awesome. Okay. Well, the other question that I'm enjoying to give is related to digital transformation, of course. And what are your thoughts and opinion about it?

Greg Williams:

Yes. I mean, I've been doing digital transformation for many years. In my opinion, it can be as something as simple as taking people off of paper-based processes into computer-based processes. That was the first iteration of it many years ago. And now we're seeing that we're able to connect and integrate systems and really move businesses forward a lot faster. And we're also able to do it for smaller businesses. That technology is accessible now to smaller businesses where in the past it was mainly accessible only to large IT departments.

Mariam:

I see. Awesome. Well, do you think we should be afraid of it? You mentioned a lot of manual work that is transformed to be more automated faster. So do you think that people should be afraid of digital transformation?

Greg Williams:

Oh no, not at all. I mean, I think every business wants to digitally transform. There are some examples where people are afraid of it. For example, where I live in the United States, a lot of people don't enjoy going through self-checkouts. That's probably one digital transformation. It's a cost-cutting measure, but a lot of customers don't like that, but they do like the low prices that they get at the grocery store.

Mariam:

Agreed. Well, when we are speaking about prices, I think a lot of companies when we are speaking about digital transformation, they're also afraid of the cost. How much can digital transformation cost? Do you think that there is any balance that there can be when starting the process of automating stuff?

Greg Williams:

Yes, I think there is. I think most companies have already done some digital transformation in their back office systems and they've invested in accounting systems and things like that. Now what we're seeing is they're investing in digital transformation for their frontline workers. So for example, if I have someone come to my house to do some electrical work for me, they now have a tablet or a phone that they're checking me out on. They're not asking me to write a check.

Mariam:

Right, right. Agree. And you mentioned about the speed. Do you have any example based on your experience where the speed made it work related to automating staff on any part of the work that you're doing now?

Greg Williams:

Yeah, I mean, we helped companies with a lot of automation, both with frontline workers and with back office workers. One example that's really happening quite a bit more in small businesses is automating their financial payment processes. So we're seeing companies used to print checks on a printer and now they're integrating with their banks and sending those files electronically. And that saves people time. They don't have to buy printers, they don't have to maintain those printers, they don't have to buy check stock. There's just a lot of advantages there. And no one argues with that aspect of digital transformation.

Mariam:

Yes. Well, I also like to say that digital transformation is also eco-friendly because a lot of stuff that we are doing manually is basically being automated, which is helping also to have the nature safe. So yeah, again, a lots of processes can be automated and they're really helping. And also the people that there are that are afraid of the digital transformation, in my opinion, they just should be better educated on that part, like being explained why the company is doing digital transformation and how they can invest in it. Right?

Greg Williams:

Yes.

Mariam:

So yeah, basically about the communication. So what do you think about the communication? Is it crucial to have good communication when doing digital transformation or it is more about just going with the flow?

Greg Williams:

Yes, it's very good to incorporate change management and explain the why to your workers and your team members. Because a lot of times they feel like you're just trying to get rid of their jobs when in fact you're trying to make the company more efficient and more competitive. And if you don't digitally transform and make your company more efficient, then no one's going to have a job.

Mariam:

Yes, agree. Agree. And how about the challenges? Are there any specific frequently happening challenges that you are getting when helping other companies with digital transformation?

Greg Williams:

The biggest challenge especially, and I'll just speak about back office workers for a few minutes here, the biggest challenge with back office workers is they're very, by compliance because they're curating the numbers and the invoices and all those things that get audited and that determines how you file your taxes. So they're very resistant to change because they're afraid that something's going to be inaccurate and then it's going to be their fault. So you have to make sure you have the right testing procedures in place to ensure that the quality of the product is there when you-

Mariam:

Agree. Well, how about generally about the positive changes? So you mentioned about the speed of the work that there can be registered. Are there any other positive things about digital transformation that are coming to your mind?

Greg Williams:

Yeah, better customer service. Customers, especially younger ones, do not want to call your office and talk to somebody. They want to go on an app or go on a website and interact with you in that way because they're constantly multitasking and businesses that require you to call are just going to be left behind.

Mariam:

Yes, definitely. And we are coming to the question that I'm giving almost every guest. It's about the technologies. So what are your thoughts about specific technologies that there are that can help and support on having flawless digital transformation?

Greg Williams:

Sure. So I'm a bit biased, but I'm a big fan of Microsoft's offering for small businesses because you can get Microsoft Office that gives you the whole Office suite as well as things like Teams for collaboration and calling. They also offer customer service systems and sales systems and accounting systems like Microsoft Business Central. We're able to deploy all those systems on one platform. So as a small business, you don't have to deal with multiple vendors and you don't have to know how to integrate multiple systems.

Mariam:

I see. Amazing. Okay, well, I think this is actually the last question, and it's about the advice that you would give to other companies or individuals that want to start their digital transformation. So what will be Greg Williams' advice to the listeners?

Greg Williams:

Yeah, so if you're thinking about embarking on a digital transformation journey, the first thing to do is understand what you want the outcomes to be and where you want your company to be, and then work backwards from there. Don't start with products and product demos and think that each product's going to make all the difference for you. Think about where you want to be with your future state and then work backwards to find the products that fit that.

Mariam:

Agree, agree. Well said. Well, I said it's the last question, but based on your answer, I have one more, if you don't mind.

Greg Williams:

Okay, sure.

Mariam:

It's about basically being so clear on the goal. Do you have any suggestions how people can find that goal so they are sure that that's the right goal, why they're doing their digital transformation?

Greg Williams:

Well, one thing is to look at companies that you admire and some of their processes and aspire to be that way. We see that quite a bit, but look for a company that's similar to your size, so it's attainable. We deal with small business owners that maybe they have a $20 million business and they say, "I want to be like Amazon," and that's just not attainable, and that just frustrates everybody with those types of goals. I'm all for shooting for the stars, but maybe just start a little smaller.

Mariam:

Wow, that's really well said. Awesome. Any last words that you have, Greg, that you would like to share with our audience?

Greg Williams:

No, I would encourage everyone to look at Microsoft's platform for digital transformation. If you want more information about our company, you can visit us at westerncomputer.com and you can also look me up and connect with me. I'm Greg Williams at Western Computer on LinkedIn.

Mariam:

Awesome. Yes. So I'll tag you in the LinkedIn post so our audience can easily find you. And if any other information, they'll be able to find it in the comments. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for being the guest today and yeah, have a lovely day.

Greg Williams:

Thank you very much, Mariam. I appreciate your time today. Bye-bye.