Think Globally, Act Locally

“Think globally, act locally” is a saying I’ve always liked living by. Although it’s most frequently associated with the environment and the push to live more sustainably, the phrase can easily be applied to almost any situation, including the world of business. And it’s in this context that it carries the most meaning for me.

Let’s be real: our world isn’t getting any smaller.

With companies expanding globally, and technology enabling cooperation on an entirely new scale, it’s never been more important for businesspeople to consider the opportunities of working across continents and cultures. Yet, it’s not enough to take a cookie-cutter approach to doing business globally. In order to achieve true transformation in an increasingly globalized environment, companies must make a serious — and authentic — commitment to understanding and adapting to local customs wherever they work.

That’s why I’m so proud of the steps we’re taking to act locally at AgileOne. Seeking to offer a more personalized, efficient, and effective service, we’ve expanded our Enterprise Transformation Team (ETT) in Europe. Comprised of 30 team members — and counting — this division will be entirely made up of team members local to Europe and India, allowing us to combine the deep legacy of AgileOne with the local knowledge, expertise, and resources of our European team.

This expansion couldn’t come at a better time for our customers.

As companies worldwide grapple with rising costs and tight labor markets, we’ve seen renewed interest in MSPs as a tried-and-true way to hire flexibly and cost-effectively. This is especially true in Europe, where there has been an increasing fervor within the MSP and VMS marketplaces. Recognizing the need, we’ve mounted an effective European-based operation that is empowered and scalable, allowing us to support continued growth in Europe and expansion into Asia.

The benefits of this local-for-local strategy extend beyond AgileOne and the world of workforce solutions. Today, I’m pleased to share three considerations that can apply to any type of business that is doing work around the world — or thinking about it:

1. Breaking down language barriers

Having a dedicated project team that speaks the local language and comprehends the local requirements has a significant impact on implementation, facilitating important conversations. This is especially true in IT, where language barriers extend beyond everyday conversation to complicated technology processes.

 2. Building authenticity

Having a local presence is also critical to understanding the voice of your customers, suppliers, and end-users. Not only does this help determine the specific functionalities and designs that a system should have, but it ensures that services like vendor management systems are tailored to meet the unique needs of a market.

 3. Accelerating adoption

When it’s time for launch, broadcasting the arrival of the program and its adoption through a local lens plays a crucial role in its success. When these factors come together and are executed quickly and efficiently, the impact on the program can be significant, allowing for a smoother implementation process and greater adoption by end-users.

AgileOne’s customers are already benefitting from our local-for-local approach.

Recently, we launched a program for a new client whose existing MSP was not working. As their program expanded to 11 countries, suppliers in the prior MSP showed little engagement or connection. To address this, we leveraged our European counterparts and localized the program rather than layering the program outside of the United States. We engaged the local team to provide a localized experience, and we scheduled meetings in the local time zone with stakeholders, speaking the local language, so that stakeholders didn't feel like they had to Americanize the conversation. The approach paid off, and our client is now looking to implement operations in APAC (Asia-Pacific) while identifying local resources in India, Thailand, and other countries.

Stories like these underscore just how important it is for companies to act locally.

Today’s market demands it: as we move through yet another uncertain year, the surest path to success is to adapt and grow. But this must be done authentically in order to achieve true business transformation.

 As for AgileOne, agility is in our name, and I can’t wait to see how our European team delivers on behalf of our clients worldwide.