Global might for the local fight
Ryan Barry
CEO at Appcues | Helping technology companies deliver experiences that drive growth
Welcome to Ryan’s Rant, my weekly newsletter aimed at helping companies drive customer-centric growth.
I’ve seen a lot of global/local tension in my day.?
Global teams are often frustrated that local teams don’t listen to them. Local teams feel that global doesn’t know what their lives are really like on the ground.?
As a result, these teams don’t always get along.
A healthy amount of tension here is ok, but if that tension results in a complete separation from the rest of the organization, then those local markets will never get the benefit of “the global might for the local fight,” as my friend Stephan Gans always says.?
What’s going on
What I've noticed is that there are a lot of global teams that are focused on best practices on methodological advancements, on tools and capabilities. But they often aren’t connecting with the regional workflows.
Instead, the regional teams create their own systems and processes.
In one example, I have a customer at one of the biggest companies in the world that currently has six different ERP platforms! That’s ridiculous.?
Global teams need to start to think systemically without alienating the local teams.
The role of global vs. local
The local team's job is to understand their market to drive those P&Ls forward — activating programs and promotions that are going to work.
Their job isn't to figure out the digital transformation strategy of the company. And yet, their voice is essential in that process.
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The global team's job is to leverage their ability to see across the entire organization to understand the needs and audit best practices. Their role is to create an ecosystem of tools, data sets and processes that work for the local nuance but bring enough standardization so that when the organization learns something in Poland, it can be exploited across the world in China.
Because isn’t that one of the biggest benefits of a global enterprise? The volume of data it has collected on what works and what doesn’t? The amount of information it has gathered over the years??
Those insights are a competitive advantage. But it’s a competitive advantage that local markets can’t access unless they’re tied into the rest of the company.
As Stephan has said:?
Every time somebody in PepsiCo does a test, the data feeds the database and the whole of PepsiCo as a result gets smarter. And not just smarter in a vanilla type of way, but smarter in our specific categories and subcategories for our specific brands. And that today is a competitive advantage.
In other words, they’re using the “global might” (the fact that there are people doing research all over the world on millions of consumers) for the “local fight” (applying those learnings in each market).?
How to move forward
We need to stop thinking about global teams as centers of excellence and more about the system architects, the data architects, the best practice architects. So that our local teams can do what they do best, which is stay close to the local customer.
If you're working in a local team, talk to your peers across countries. Talk to your centers of excellence. Invite them into your market and challenge your company to think global and local.
And if you're in a global team, get on a plane and meet with your local teams. Meet with local customers. Find out their needs and adjust your systematization plans to catch your users in stride.
If you missed it
Stephan Gans at PepsiCo is one of the only people I’ve seen lead a transformation to connect insights globally. Learn more about his approach in my podcast:?
Senior Executive | Global Operations Management | Authentic Leader
9 个月I've had the opportunity to observe and be directly responsible to delivering to local stakeholders working with global teams. I found terms like "Center of Excellence" or "Expert" concerning because they often fell short. Branding the teams appropriately is important, especially for expectations. Globally diverse teams can be the catalyst that for local success. Not coined by me, but "Global Operations Locally Delivered" might ring a bell for Beth Teehan. And then there's working effectively together. There must be an intentional One Team strategy. Erin Meyer has a few great questions to Navigating the cultural midfield that I've happily leveraged. Some cultures appreciate brevity and directness, while others prefer layered language with many implied facts. Knowing the difference matters and helps! Organizations also benefit from understanding the value of a global team and the model has to be aligned. Is the model a) dedicated labor, b) augmented labor, or c) pooled labor? Each has unique benefits for local teams and especially the P&L owners. Finally, is the organization using a follow-the-sun delivery model or working during daylight hours? These strategies keep productivity high or improve cycle times ensuring success.
Strategic Insights Leader | Change + Transformation | Experienced + Progressive | Brand Strategy + Innovation | Insights 250
9 个月It's easier said than done, but this is why Global teams need to be expert listeners (to the needs and challenges of the local markets) in addition to ace Insights people. This is the value that a central global team/COE brings to the org in an era where Local drives execution. It's not about justifying the existence of the global team - this is about building efficiency, consumer intimacy as a source of competitive advantage, and embedding the company's way of doing things from the center out. Well done Ryan Barry and Stephan Gans!
Account Manager at CrossTrainer?
9 个月6 ERPs sounds so complex. Mind-bending challenges but your way to move forward makes sense.