Join us as we talk technology with one of our favorite lifetime learners Tracy Borchert. Tracy has had a natural curiosity for how tech works and is passionate about utilizing tech in the workforce.
NetSuite can be an amazing tool, but getting it implementation right is key.
NetSuite Recoveries are more common than you think. Listen along and find out how that journey looked for Tracy and her team.
Featured Guest:Tracy Borchert, Senior Director of Technology and Organizational Effectiveness at Center for Professional & Executive Development
Wisconsin School of Business
Join us as we talk technology with one of our favorite lifetime learners Tracy Borchert. Tracy has had a natural curiosity for how tech works and is passionate about utilizing tech in the workforce.
NetSuite can be an amazing tool, but getting it implementation right is key.
NetSuite Recoveries are more common than you think. Listen along and find out how that journey looked for Tracy and her team.
Featured Guest:Tracy Borchert, Senior Director of Technology and Organizational Effectiveness at Center for Professional & Executive Development
Wisconsin School of Business
Speaker 1: 0:00
Hello everybody, welcome to the Boost Your ERP podcast. Here at GoVirtual Office we're going to talk a little bit about an ERP from a recovery perspective today. I'm thrilled to have on the podcast Tracy from CPED. She's the Senior Director over there at CPED. We've worked together for multiple years on a recovery project for their NetSuite account. Just for their background, they use NetSuite for their back office but also sweet commerce advance. We really work together over the years to improve that process. Very excited to have you on board today, tracy. Welcome.
Speaker 2: 0:39
Thank you, thanks I'm really excited to be here.
Speaker 1: 0:42
Yeah, Well there's a lot to talk about, so we're going to dive right in. But first, before we drive into the ERP stuff, give me a background. I know a little bit, but I'm actually curious to know the full background. Tell me a little bit about yourself, where you're from, where you go to school, stuff like that.
Speaker 2: 0:58
Sure, maybe I'll start with what our organization does and then I'll back into what my role is and how I got here through my background. Cped is actually online and in-person programming, like education. We offer certificates that give professionals modern, relevant skills needed to advance their career. Then we partner with organizations to provide customized professional development programs so we can actually come to your company and help you develop right there on site with your team. I love working for CPED It's Center for Advanced Studies in Business. We have a lot of acronyms, but when I refer to CPED, that's what we're talking about. I grew up in Platteville, wisconsin, so not too far, but I love Wisconsin, so I was not really motivated to go much further. I've been interested in technology since I was a child. I remember taking apart radios and I'm dating myself now, but because I was always fascinated with how things worked and how technology worked From there, i immediately started working after high school and going to college. My focus was always on technology, but I find the most joy when I'm helping other people translate and understand how to utilize technology within their space. There's the very technical speak and the technical way of doing things, and then you have the practical business needs. I've been really fortunate to wear a lot of different hats in my career. I've always been that person that bridges that gap between technology and what the business is doing and how they need to utilize technology. Other than that, i actually was a contractor when I started at CPED and I am now an employee there and I'm really grateful. But I have three certificates from CPED. I'm a lifelong learner. To be on the other side of that, supporting the organization and helping other people continue their education, has been a real treat.
Speaker 1: 3:21
That's awesome. To me, one of the things that I learned really quickly when we were starting to work together is you do a fantastic job on that practical application that you mentioned. I always could tell right away that you understood the nuts and bolts of the technology, but to be able to almost be that interpreter for those people that were end users, toss as a consultant, was extremely valuable. It was two directions that you would be able to take information that we would give to you and then you would translate it back to them. That was extremely helpful. You do really have a great long suit in that area Lifelong learning. so where'd you go to college at?
Speaker 2: 4:03
I actually started off at UW La Crosse, but I have a degree in electronics and then a computer science degree from Herzing. Then I've built on a PMP and besides the CPED courses I've taken a lot of other leadership and development education as well. I'm always getting myself into something where I'm a little bit outside of my comfort zone and continuing to learn, to develop as a professional.
Speaker 1: 4:34
That makes sense that you landed at CPED, which is about learning. You're really at the root of what you do and what you enjoy doing. That's very cool. You got your degree in Herzing. Where did you start out in the industry? How did you get into the industry For what we do? how did you get there?
Speaker 2: 4:51
Yeah, it was an interesting journey. I actually was an electronics technician while I was going to school. I was working full-time and working at a company called Mark Whip. I'm not even sure that Mark Whip's around anymore, but they were headquartered here in Madison. Then, when they shut down the Mark Whip here in Madison, i worked at Nicolet Instruments as an electronics technician as well. We were working on spectrometers that use computers to do the calibration and to run the equipment. I wedged myself into the space where you were setting up and configuring the computers that run all of this equipment. It was a need that they had and it was something I was passionate about. I was going to school for it as well. From there, things just really took off. I was working all the way through school and then I started at UW Health in their IT department a few years ago. I was really fortunate there, because I was in IT for 15 years and I got to wear a lot of different hats, all the way from the boots on the ground installing computers and software to eventually overseeing the systems administrator team and a big focus on telehealth at the end of my tenure there as well. Then, naturally, within technology, you were always project managing, and so that was a skill set that I really built upon as well. Then I was a PMO director after that. Now I'm not only the IT director at CPED, but I'm also a senior advisor, and I create online content. as you're aware, i'm always learning, i'm always growing and I'm always trying to share the lessons that I've learned in technology and in the business space.
Speaker 1: 6:47
That's a really good point. You talk about the continuous learning a lot and you really went from the nuts and bolts all the way up to where we deal a lot on the application level of those electronics. What are some of the key things that helped you continuously learn? What would help you be successful in that area?
Speaker 2: 7:08
I think my natural curiosity about how things work and then my drive to always take things one step further In healthcare, the other driver for me was. I was so passionate about what the hospital was doing and the use of technology, the role that technology played in patient care. Ironically, as you know, i've been dealing with a cancer diagnosis and recovery myself, so to know that I helped not only the patients that were there before but ultimately myself in the work that I did is incredibly, not only rewarding but it's very motivating. I really am just naturally driven to understand how technology helps everybody within their role, whether their organization or their personal life. I've just naturally fallen into these roles where I'm constantly helping others bridge that gap as well.
Speaker 1: 8:14
You do an excellent job with that, just of what I've seen, just in our experience together. One of the questions I always tend to ask and like to hear there's a couple of them kind of together but related like technology. There's lots of different viewpoints, lots of different users of technology. I'm curious what's the best technology advice you've ever been given?
Speaker 2: 8:36
Yeah, i mean that's a really good question And frankly I don't know if the advice was something somebody actually gave me or it's just best practice that I learned over time in my different roles. But it's really around technology change control and having a process in place. You know, in every role that I've had there was some level of I don't know if unruly is the right word but there wasn't a lot of control or oversight with not only the technologies that people were bringing into the organizations, but how they were using them And then the risk it was introducing, not only from a data security perspective. But you know, if you are utilizing a technology that doesn't get the job done or it's problematic, you are risking your business, whatever that business might be. So one of the first things I did when I came to CPED was I implemented a technology change control process, and it's really a way to allow our end users to take their technology ideas or the tools or things that they think they want to use and have a process to follow, to have it brought into a governance process to be vetted and to be very thoughtful about what we are utilizing. And I think one of the biggest things that it does is it gives visibility to the entire organization and to those decision makers, so that when we're looking at different tools, we have the opportunity to ask those questions, to make sure it aligns with our strategic plan, to talk about what is in scope, what is out of scope, and then to follow another process for actually implementing it, using change management processes, to make sure that when you're making those changes, you're being very thoughtful and intentional about that as well.
Speaker 1: 10:26
Yeah, and it's great and really to me is so interesting when people start looking at you know, a change management or change requests or things like that. It's really a catalyst for communication. Yeah, and really, in where it forces businesses to cross the part, mentalize and say, hey, what is going on, hey, this is going to affect me and X reason. And to me there's two different schools of thoughts a lot of times with that, especially when it comes to reporting. You know, like, do you allow people to go create their own safe searches or reports or do you lock that down? And there's really two thoughts you can go with that. Well, i want them to go ahead and be able to have that and just make that change. But, as we all know that, you know, a lot of times data isn't always wrong. It could be the safe search and the criteria or what have you that is wrong, but then it promotes that concept that the data was wrong. Right, you know. So it's one of those things that even on a safe search or report level, sometimes it's really beneficial to have that stripped away, that permission stripped away, to be consistent with reporting.
Speaker 2: 11:35
Yeah, i mean, you're absolutely right And in our instance, we're still working on the data And our goal is ultimately to do what you're talking about, which is empowering our end users to be able to get into the system to get the things that they need. But, like with anything, you have to have that foundation in place. You have to have clean data, you have to have structure and bumpers to ensure that they're creating reports or accessing data that is the correct data, and so we're not there yet. You know, as far as giving our users the freedom that we're hoping to give them, you know we're very much sort of like in control of that, but in a way that's very supportive. We would never, you know, dictate what data people can and can't see, but it's really about what you are saying making sure that what they are accessing is accurate And it's going to also get them the end result that they're looking for, because that's the other big piece that, even when changes, workflow changes with a net suite or data request, you know, a lot of times, end users, they know their business and they think they know what they need to accomplish. You know what they're trying to achieve, but it's up to us and technology to really translate that, to hear their goal and then to tell them how they can get there utilizing the technology or the data. And so we that is the role that we are playing right now Eventually we'll have, you know, dashboards and data that's just being readily available, and so that's our long-term vision. You know, we'll get there. Just it's, we got a little work to do.
Speaker 1: 13:20
And what's amazing is that you know we're talking about reporting with this. But at times when we started to do more in the last year, we actually have data analysts, not just data import. People have data analysts and really taking that because that's there's so much data, super data, rich, but you know how do you get actionable data out of it. And as we started to do more with Power BI you know Power Query and things of that nature with their data analysts you know people really had to reframe because a lot of times we would just have a request because I need a safe search, you know, or I need a report, and we would just generally do that. But as we've gone into the data analytics, we actually had to do a requirements phase prior to going into that and that it needs to have the diligence to say, okay, you've clearly said what you want, but like, let's peel that onion back because you're starting to look at the different layers and it almost requires that requirements analysis, that solution design, you know that vetting, proof of concept and that QA. So it's really started data projects. It started to mirror what we've done for a long time in custom scripting And it was really pulling it back to say let's start to apply these principles to data, to validate and make sure, because it is that important.
Speaker 2: 14:44
Yeah, absolutely. I mean the data. There's the data governance of the data going into the system and making sure that we're, you know, always putting good data in but then pulling out the right data based on the needs and you hit it right on the head with that requirements. That that's part of that change control. And the technology governance is, you know, making sure we understand what the end result is that we're trying to get to. And you know, the business. They have their focus, they have their expertise and our expertise and especially in our small group we don't have business analysts, but that is a skill set that I brought with me is to do that requirements gathering, and so important because then otherwise you're delivering on something that doesn't get you what they were trying to accomplish and then you've wasted your time.
Speaker 1: 15:35
So Correct And to me, the worst thing with data is people not having confidence in the data. The worst thing is data right and them having no confidence in that, because then the value of it is very minimal. On that, Yeah, completely Yeah, So with your recovery. So you guys, you know when we first met, you know you brought us in to help with recovery or struggling with certain aspects. So tell us a little bit about where you were at when you started in your recovery when you came on board the CPAC. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
Speaker 2: 16:07
Yeah, i mean, that's, as you know, quite a story. So I, as I mentioned, i was brought in as a contractor to replace NetSuite and I very quickly you know you go back to that requirements discussion I took a step back and I just said you know what is the big picture? What are we trying to accomplish? What are the limitations of what we have now that are preventing you from getting there? And what I realized is that we couldn't just up and replace NetSuite. We had all of this sort of foundational legwork that had to be done first. And so the first thing I did was that technology governance. So you got to stop the bleeding. So no more changes without vetting, no more data requests, because you go back to saying you know, trusting the data, nobody trusted the data on the system, but come to find out It was a lot of those, you know, bad reports and that kind of thing. And then so, and then the next, the very next thing I did after that governance is I did an RFP to find a solution provider to help support us. You know, when it comes to there are systems that you can be trained on and you can learn, and it's one thing when you come in clean or you're part of an implementation, but when you're coming into something that has had years of customization, that wasn't best practice you need to bring in experts. And so we interviewed about 10 different service providers and you guys were the clear front runners. I mean, it was night and day the conversations I had with you compared to the others, but it was so important And that's why we did the RFP. We had our requirements defined for the service provider itself, and we needed somebody that was going to have our best interests at heart, that was going to actually partner with us, that was going to tell us the truth and then give us options to move forward. We're a very small nonprofit And so we couldn't just, you know, bring in the Calvary and do an overhaul. We needed to have a plan, and we needed to do it in a way that not only my little team could digest it, but that the organization could manage through that change. And so you know, one of the things as a leader that's so important is recognizing when you need help or when you need people who know what they're doing, and that's where you guys came in. And so, as you know, you came on site and our primary issue was that our website was unstable. It was unsupportable And we were about eight versions behind. I think I don't even remember It was bad A lot of versions, yeah. It was bad, and so you know our priorities sort of spoke for themselves. You know we needed to address that website And I knew and you talk about an overhaul that was something that needed an overhaul And we needed a partner to do that. And then the third thing that I did is that I brought on Dr Katie Forster. She's our Senior Systems Administrator And, as you know, katie is just outstanding, amazing, incredibly smart but dedicated and also somebody who you can trust to come in and have the best interest of the company at heart, to use best practice, to be able to partner not only with everyone in the org but with you all. And so between GVO coming in and helping us create a plan and then Katie really supporting and bringing the muscle from inside of our organization, we've been able to really turn that ship around. But it's been a journey. We just went live with our new website in the summer and that was a ton of work but it was so successful. A sign of a good goal live is that nobody says a word, and that's exactly what happened. But we had sales the morning of goal live right off of our website. We're already seeing our return on investment definitely pay off, but that was clearly our first priority. There are a few of other things that you had pointed out that we needed help. I mean, we needed to stabilize, to get to the point where we could start planning for that website. So there were some other foundational things, and now we're really going to start. We've assembled a team, a data team, that's really going to focus, or is focusing, on our data You know what is and defining what is a customer in our system, what is a company in our system, what are the data elements we need to capture and why on those things. But because of sort of the history of our environment, our net suite environment, we're going to start defining those things and then we're going to have to kind of back into it. So not only do we have like enhancements to the data that we're collecting, but we're going to have to go back and do a pretty big data cleanup effort. But what I can say is that, through this journey that I was just describing, we've taken the team of us, including you. We've taken a system that they were just over. They were like get it out of here, i don't want anything, and I really took a risk. I was like well, actually and the truth is, with all systems and that's where the experience comes in. From me and from you guys We know that you can take the world's best system and customize it or whatever, and not use best practice and ruin it. It could have been the perfect tool for you in the wide world, but if you're not following these processes, if you're not following the governance, it's the wild wild west, and then, of course, you end up with a mess, and it's not as easy as just picking it up and replacing, which is what they wanted to do, which is the start of how we got to this point. We had a different system long before I was here, and they sort of tried to do this lift and shift without really being planful about it, and a lot of the data didn't carry over and it didn't match up, and then we just kept building and building and building on a foundation that was unstable to begin with. So just a ton of work to get to the point where we are. But we are now at the point where people are actually excited about NetSuite Our biggest I don't want to say critics but the people who were suffering the most from what existed before are now singing the praises. They're excited about the opportunity that we have with that system And now that we've implemented a new three-year strategic plan to be able to use the system to execute on that. I mean, it's almost like I can't hardly believe it saying it myself, but it was a lot of work and getting the right people in place and the support of you that made it happen.
Speaker 1: 23:34
So really exciting stuff but a lot of work And I know when we talked in September I think, of last year, after the dust has settled, the relaunch of the website and everybody's able to exhale a little bit it was very, i know, satisfying for both of us Because we knew where that recovery process started And it was. And to me, as you talk about that, i vividly recall some of those first meetings This was pre-COVID, a couple years before COVID and coming on site and sitting down And I remember those first meetings and it would be very reminiscent of being a therapist in front of a couple that had decided that we're divorcing. We just need you to help. How do we do this? Do the paperwork? Yeah, yeah, and really it was at that point, and understandably so, because, as we're going through some of that, and to me, from my perspective of what I saw is there was some probably gross misunderstanding of what Nest we could do and how it had been set up, and it wasn't through anybody's fault, but there have been a number of different partners that have been in. There were some things that I wouldn't say that we're set up wrong, but we're set up right. But there were some and to me, as much as anything, those first meetings were education of okay, nest, we can do this. Well, it's not doing that, understand it's not, but the functionality is there to do this. And there was a lot of people that, and I always say that whenever you have that much energy against the product, people can take that as a negative, in a negative way, which is not a positive situation. I'm not saying it that way, but the fact is is you had some people that really cared about doing their job and doing their job well, and they were not able to do their job well because of the system set up or the data set up or whatever, or not having enough education and knowing how that system works. That that was all being manifested because, like I want to do my job, i can't even come close to doing my job. And so when it did cause a lot of pain And I remember the conversations that we had probably nine, six to nine months there was really that vetting process of like starting to get initial buy into, like okay, plus, not throw the baby out with the bath water. Let's step back. I remember you saying what you said that like look okay, even if you guys decide to go away from Neswee, what you have to do is figure out where you're at in Neswee from a data perspective and how do you want that to work and get those requirements. So even if you do go to another platform, you at least have a roadmap of where you're at now before you make that transition. Then it was really interesting and you did a great job leading your team and just like they're like okay, you're right, we have a good tool. We've just gone way off the path of that, so we get to that point. So everybody's just like okay, we'll pause, we're not going to shoot Neswee. What were the next steps on your side that you guys saw as far as getting towards that recovery process to move in a positive direction? What was next for you?
Speaker 2: 27:00
I mean, I think what was important to the business because they were putting a lot of trust in me and it was a risk, frankly So they needed to see some sort of positive movement And so it was really important for me to start to make some changes or to open there, to educate them through you all on the possibilities, the capabilities, and then also sort of explaining why we were in this situation. We were in because I don't think anybody really understood it And, frankly, there's still some gray area right, i mean it changed through a lot of different hands before it got to us, and that trust was something I really had to earn. And then we had to start delivering. So in my role, i not only had to deliver on Neswee, but I had to deliver on technology across the organization and prove that I'm not making these things up or whatever. There are real reasons and they're going to add value. And so I think we talked a little bit about the instability of the website. Your team made some immediate changes to the website And then suddenly it wasn't the topic that everybody was talking about, it just went quiet. And again, the best sign of a successful technology changes that nobody says anything. And that's what happened. And I remember our CEO, john, saying to me one day I haven't heard a single person complain about Neswee, and this was pretty early on, maybe six months in And he realized like, oh, we are, there's hope here. We are really going to be able to either use this or we have hope moving forward. And so I can't say enough about how much I appreciate John's trust and support I mean even out of the gates, but I really did have to earn that. It was sort of like okay, i hear you, i hear Todd, but the proof is gonna be in your action. So, like, let's get to it understandably and very scary, probably mostly for me, a little less for you, but I mean, i remember having very frank conversations with you about, like, i'm putting my butt on the line here and we need to do this, and I trusted you and I'm so glad I did. But that's that partnership I was talking about when we were talking about looking at other vendors from like a tactical checking the box there. Well, maybe we're some others, but what I felt with you and the message that your team gave to us is that we are gonna be your partner. We are here with you. And you even said something along the lines of, well, you probably might get rid of NetSuite. I don't know, we don't know enough to know right now, but what I can tell you is that we can make a difference And them, hearing you say that, and in a way that was really genuine and honest, resonated with them. So, yeah, but we had to start making action very quickly and your team did, and that's really what started that momentum. And then we went from a timeline of where I was. We had the NetSuite replacement on our roadmap. It was still on a roadmap even a few months out In my mind, though I knew that we were gonna move in sort of iterations, we were gonna address sort of like chunks of problematic pieces to build that trust, and then, eventually, i was able to put out a roadmap. That was also probably the second most scary conversation of my career, where I put out a new roadmap and I hadn't told anyone about it And I just said we're not replacing NetSuite. We got a plan and it's gonna work, and I just know it. And here we are, it worked. I mean it's just like the most incredible, exciting, exhilarating, but yeah, that was pretty intense there.
Speaker 1: 31:27
And I remember a couple of those conversations and one of the things that for those that are listening that may be going through need to go through recovery or stuff like that. The one thing that there's two things, two things really that happened that you mentioned, that were imperative. One is there was a lot of honesty, and when you were able to share it, you're just like, hey, todd this, and we were very, it was very honest. Dialogue, okay, this, what needs to happen, this is what I need to do to start gaining that trust and stuff like that. So it allowed us to have the insight into the playbook. It wasn't a guess And we weren't ever. I think we've been very honest, Like we're not trying to gouge you on anything. If we think it's gonna be this, we'll give you an estimate And if it's less, it's less, if it's more, we'll try to give you an advanced warning. And the reason why so it was always that the goodwill was always there And it was on your part as well and that really helped. But then also the one thing is I look at successful projects, not just recovery projects, but successful projects. The executive buy-in is mandatory. It's really not negotiable for a successful project. Now it could be a middling project, it could be a failed project, and so many times it does end up there. But in one thing I wanted to come back to is that you mentioned Katie before, and we do manage application services, where we do help businesses manage their Nesuit account and we do projects, and there's this common perception that we would be averse to people having a Nesuit administrator. That's farthest from the truth, because we actually probably get the most out of it because whether it's that buffer layer or the summing internally that can help herd the cats or what have you, that that is really important. Now, do I think that every business has to have a Nesuit administrator? They're not cheaper resources. No, i don't think that's the case. It depends on the business. Now what I do see is like your minimum viable product for you. What you have is you do need to have a super user that understands the bigger concepts, so maybe it's not an administrator but has that understanding of like. Okay, i just can't go do the save search right, understand the data structure enough to create a save search that I can validate, improve file and things of that nature, because you guys did have a fair amount of complexity built in some of your projects And a lot of way you had a learning management system where you're tracking, certificates and things like that. So you did have a lot of complexity. That absolutely warranted a Katie And to me, from my perspective, sitting on our side, i never doubted that we could get to where you needed to be. But once our team started working with Katie, and when you brought Katie on board, it was a multiplier effect. It just spent everything up because we could spoon-feed Katie And to give her that. Okay, i think this is what's going on. I'm not quite sure. The next week documentation and and Corey could hop on a call and say 15-minute call and say, yeah, you know what you're, you're not going down the right path. It's close, go this way, tip it to the right a little bit. She's like, oh, i get it, and then she could go full speed ahead and she was definitely one of the keys to success On the relaunch and just the whole recovery project. So anybody's listening the super user something that you just can't underscore. How big of a impact that has.
Speaker 2: 35:01
Yeah, i mean, i think if you put Katie and Corey in a room together, they could solve all the world's problems with enough time, frankly the two of them are just, uh, outstanding, um. So, yeah, i mean, katie, we did. You know, i went back and forth with I. I also had to sell, like getting a senior administrator within our organization. But for us, we, we have to implement. We, well, we had to implement a lot of different changes, especially to the net suite system and and it. It needed sort of like constant management and also support for our, our end users, because we were making so many changes and You know you go back to that change management component, the communication, the ability to ask questions, and she was that translator and not to say that your team couldn't have translated but Because we were doing so many things, having somebody with, you know, in the seat in our organization overseeing all of that, making sure that Everybody in the organization was coming along. She had the visibility into every single role within our, within our org, and to be able to make sure that they were Understanding and coming along with this change Was just critical. I don't think we could have done it any other way and you know you, i'm surprising here that people think that you guys Are not supportive of that type of relationship, because I mean, that has been the secret to our success. You know, not everybody's, like you said not everybody but like, yeah, katie, you know She is anytime she taps into you guys. You know, you know we. We got something big. It's either a big project, there is an issue, there's a change to net suite, that You know we need a level of expertise. You know people that are just living and breathing this all the time And if you have access to Oracle and and you know all of the things. But you know, what I love is that she can come to you with something real tough and You guys are nothing but supportive. And one of my favorite things to do is to be on a meeting when Katie and Corey are brainstorming and just cranking it out and They always come up with a solution and then Katie is able to take that back and execute it in a way in a time That works with our small little company who's already gone through so much change, and really help them through that. So You know we I just can't say enough about those two and and how much their, their partnership together has Impacted the success of of net suite implementation and the and the sweet commerce, goal life and and build last year. I mean just amazing work, amazing.
Speaker 1: 38:00
Yeah, and to me, and really was, it was two-sided on both sides. I totally agree on that. So to me you mentioned a couple times and I know you work with far Well or and you've had experience in change management And really so much of what we did, you know, together was really changed management. Because you know, is it's one thing and I think a lot of times people Take for granted that, like you may have an idea, okay, and the idea is a million dollar idea. There is truth to that, but the execution of that idea the more I do this is the Execution of those great ideas, because there's a lot of great ideas that fail From a lack of execution. So much of that relates, relies back on effective change management. Can you talk a little bit about what you guys did with change management and like your recovery project?
Speaker 2: 38:54
Yeah, so my, my little team actually owns change management, business process management, project management and IT, and so To have the ability to put processes in place for all of those things and sort of marry them together has Really been sort of the secret to success from a technology change perspective. You know people change management is really about helping people through change, which means you need to be communicating with them, they need to feel like they're a part of it, and so we have different tools that we have available to us at CPED. You know, depending on what the project is, we have, you know, a stakeholder list, but we have a communication plan, and the communication plan is, you know, really one of the best tools that we have, because Whether you follow it to a T or not doesn't really matter. The idea is that you're being very thoughtful and planful about who you're communicating to and what you're saying to them, so that they feel prepared and they're not surprised, and You're asking questions to make sure that the change that you're Implementing isn't going to, you know, totally derail What they're doing on their everyday job. Because, you know, we went from our organization, went from 100% in-person program delivery all of our classes were in person to 100% online, basically overnight, and You know then you throw me into the mix where we're, you know, changing the way we utilize net suite. We're upgrading SCA, we are totally Changing the way that we deliver and support and utilize technology within our organization. We also went from 100% on-prem hardware to 100% cloud infrastructure. So if we didn't have good change management, if we weren't communicating, if we weren't planful, this would have been a complete disaster. I mean it was. It was risky, to say the least, but it was so necessary. And so for me to come in, you know, with the experience I had, i have learned from some of the best project manager or, excuse me, change managers out there. I mean I am very fortunate to have worked with some people that are, just like I mean, unbelievable in this space, and so I was able to take those things that I've learned and Apply them here, and I'm a big fan of, like, applying what, what makes sense for your organization and only what you need, and not overdoing it. So we weren't, like you know, exhausting the change management practice to the point where people are. Just that's all we were doing, but it was being very mindful about those different things that you can do around communication and And you know the other thing, that we have done a lot within our company. That's really helped with change management, as we do a lot of lunch and learns. So any changes with net suite, any new features with net suite, any changes with any of the other technology, we always hold to lunch and learns and we invite the entire organization And we talk through what those changes are gonna look like, how does that impact them, and then we give an opportunity for questions and then, of course, we record those for the folks that can't be there. But we always err on the side of over communicating, making sure that everybody is just, you know, as comfortable as they can be in the midst of all of this change. But it has been a, it's been a priority for us to make sure that that's How things are, are being implemented, because I've seen the other side in. As you know, if you can have the best idea in the world with the best project plan in the world, but if it's a surprise to everyone and it's derailing their daily jobs or the other Responsibilities they have and they you don't have their buy-in you can forget about it because it's not gonna happen.
Speaker 1: 42:47
Yeah, and they'll use that energy to circumvent instead of Adopt. And and to me that's really and I kind of forgotten about that that Really this whole recovering project with cove it is, with everything. Cove it changed everything, that you really had to put this on the shelf For a while, because we're like We just learned that we're no longer gonna be 100% in person and if we want to survive we have to transition And so and that's a really good lesson for a lot of people that it's not always a linear On on how you go from like it was a to be okay We hate Ness, we all sudden this week is great. It was really a to M to C to D to Z to back, and so it was really There's a little bit of it and to me you can blame that on cove it, but I see that in other businesses as well. It's never just a linear transition and part of it is really. When you brought up the change management I love that you guys do your lunch and learns and things of that nature, because one of the bigger challenges for people that are doing a recovery project on an ERP or implementing an ERP The reality is, is an ERP, if done well, is going to affect everybody in your organization. And now, if you're a manufacturing plant and you have a new machine, you're gonna train your manufacturing people. A salon machine Everybody speaks the same language, everybody does the same thing. But what's an ERP? you have sales, you have accounting, you have ops people, you have purchasing, you know you have CFO with your book. So you have a lot of different people that you can't Share the same message. It needs to be communicated in a message that they're going to understand and that's where we talk. Go back to, like Katie and yourself I mentioned earlier that that buffer and at times It's really one of the values of that internal administrator or the super user that knows those different roles and say, bob, you remember how you did this. Okay, it's gonna be like this, but it's gonna be on this dashboard. And they go, oh, oh, yeah, i don't have anything to worry about. It's that internal communication with those different people. That it's just a spot. You know a little bit of wisdom that it's hard for us at times, unless we're fully engaged, which you know times times with the smaller companies It's hard to be like engaged That level. But having a super user can be very practical And get in and do that change management with that.
Speaker 2: 45:15
Yeah, yeah, especially when you have, you know, with a recovery. There are so many things that are going to need to happen. Having that One constant person who's in your org, that's, that's got their thumb on what the business is doing at all times, but also understands what's happening from a technical perspective in net suite. It's really helpful because this was a, this was a long journey and we're not we're, you know, still in the thick of it, and so, um, for us to have somebody like Katie, you know, as a constant Um has just been instrumental in, in being successful with this And ensuring that we're not derailing the business, that we're supporting the strategic plan that we just rolled out. Yeah, so it was. It was incredibly important for us and continues to be, and and will be, for some, the fourth foreseeable future.
Speaker 1: 46:09
Yeah, that's great. And my last question on the recovery is is there anything you would have done differently, having known what you know? now, going back, and it has been very successful, is there anything? or like, oh, i wish I'd done that differently. Is there anything that jumps out or no?
Speaker 2: 46:25
It's funny. I thought about that and Katie and I chatted about that. We talked about potentially, maybe earlier on, getting on the same page with defining what a customer and company is and bridging the terminology of our business with the terminology that NetSuite uses, because NetSuite is generally for people who are selling widgets and we are not Some of the terminology. There was confusion there about what is a project and a company and all the things. Maybe having aligned everybody sooner would have been helpful, but not to our horns. I don't know that. There's a lot we could have done differently or should have done differently. We were very flexible and mindful and we had to roll with the pandemic and all the other things. Hindsight is 2020, but I'm just really, really proud of what this team has accomplished together. That's including you all. It's astounding and I just don't know that we could have done it any differently. That we did That speaks to your flexibility as well, and you've always given us options. We could do A, b or C. You make a recommendation, but you're not being prescriptive about how we have to do things. You're understanding that we have our own insights, we have our own knowledge and you're pairing that with what your insights and your knowledge are. We're coming up with the best solution at the best time, and we are ebbing and flowing based on what's happening around us in the business or in the world, or whatever the case might be. I honestly don't know that there was anything significant that we could or should have done differently. It's just awesome what we've been able to accomplish.
Speaker 1: 48:29
I thought about that as well. Thinking back over the years that we did this, i don't think there was anything that jumped out to me. I think that you did a great job having your plan in place and was very methodical. That helps a lot. I thought that you guys did great with the resources that you had available One thing that I think that you mentioned a couple of times. I just wanted to call out that you guys were very methodical in the steps that you took For those that are doing a recovery and the process of recovery or wanting to recover. How you're using that suite, iterative approaches, is really successful to gain that confidence and that's, like I said, one of the things that you guys did great with the resources that you guys did. One of the first things I remember, when Corey and I left, that I'm like they have lost complete trust in that suite as a product and that's the first thing that we have to address is can we get them to a point where they believe that we see SEA can do this? I remember we don't normally do this, but in that situation I remember one of the first steps that we actually did is we actually did a demo for you guys SweetCommerce advanced like you had never seen the product before because you were so old. In some of your versions it really wasn't a brand new product. I remember Corey and I we just did a complete demo of here's SweetCommerce advanced and what you could do and that was like started to defrost a little bit. But it was iterative steps along that and I see times where people where they have some frustration they spent some money on a poor implementation of things like that that they try to boil the ocean and we try to slow that process down a little bit to say, okay, let's get some wins. So the people in the warehouse are feeling like there's some love. People on accounting do they trust their data? Are there financial reports accurate? Can we get that and then go forward?
Speaker 2: 50:28
Yeah, i mean, people could only consume so much change, and it's. I talked about all the different areas that fall underneath my group, but I can't stress enough how important it is to be planful and intentional. And so you know, every year my department puts out a roadmap and what people need to see is maybe not that everything is going to be done right now, but they want to see that it's on the plan, that they are coming, and what we've done is we've taken, like, all of the things that need to happen and we've prioritized them very thoughtfully so that we're doing them in the right order, in a way that isn't going to disrupt business, in a flow that people can consume, but that everybody is going to be benefiting from this long-term plan. And it's a journey and it's not a switch that you're flipping, because we all know that that's especially in technology. That's sort of the old school mentality is like all this planning and then you big bang, and you know the iterative is really that hybrid between the waterfall methodology and doing sprints for agile. It's iterative but not constrained by those methodologies and the out-of-box, if you will, and the out-of-box ways that you can implement. Yeah, and to be able to implement in that way in this organization has been really fun because I haven't always had that opportunity. But then to have you as a partner also be open to doing that, to doing things and like using your common sense and finding a bridge instead of, like you know, doing the textbook way, is so refreshing and that's, i think, why we've been so successful as a team.
Speaker 1: 52:31
And to me, and this one thing that you know I come from a simple background. I'm a farm kid, you know so, and to me, a lot of those things I've learned, you know, going back in the military and like how like in the military is like things to get very complicated and see what the bureaucracy but also see, okay, i need to get this done. What is the most practical way to get that done with the least effort? but the most, you know, most return. You know, really, that's where you know I encourage anybody. Get a good partner. You know that you trust and that you can talk to and that you get on a game plan. So well, that covers a lot of the questions. I have My last question for you, for those that are interested in you guys do have great classes. I one of the cool things working on the website. When you're looking at the courses and stuff like that, i'm like, oh my God, i could never work there because I'd be like, okay, i want to take that class, i want to take that class, i want to take that class. And so how do people find you guys, where they find the classes? How do they get there?
Speaker 2: 53:31
Yeah, so go to uwcpedorg. We have. you know, i talked a little bit about what's called open enrollment, so we have all kinds of classes available for you to sign up and, depending on where you work, there could be different benefits and discounts depending on your company and the relationship they have with us. but you can also build on certificates. So if you're interested in continuing your education and getting something tangible that you can put on your LinkedIn profile or on your resume, we have some amazing certificates in leadership and project management. We have a CIO program that I took myself and it's outstanding, and it's not for people who are currently CIOs necessarily absolutely it can be but it's for people like me. I'm a senior director with a lot of responsibility, and this program covers the gamut of all of the different skill sets and tools that you need to be successful in a technology role. So, absolutely, take a look at our upcoming programs and see what fits with you. If you have any questions, we have the world's most amazing customer service person, brooke, and she would be happy to answer any of those questions. Or if you're a company who you know you need a leadership series specific to your company, reach out to us because we would be happy to come in and give you a consultation and make a recommendation. So, yeah, i loved working here. I loved coming here, i love working here. I can't say enough good things. We're all good people. Everybody within this company is here because they want to be here. They're passionate about it and the culture reflects that. It's just an awesome place to be. And we're at the Fluno Center where we have amazing food. So if you've heard about the Fluno 15, that's the weight you gain when you come to one of our week-long classes.
Speaker 1: 55:28
Yeah, and I've been there. The food is fantastic, Again for those not familiar with Fluno. it's right there in the UW campus, right across from some really good drinking establishments. If you're Wisconsin, there's some great places right next to there, And to me what's really interesting is I have the benefit of seeing the data on the back and side. but for those companies that are looking to have ongoing learning and things like that, what was really refreshing for my perspective is you guys do such a great job of tracking for companies what they've done and what courses they've taken and things of that nature, So that was definitely a great start And we offer virtual.
Speaker 2: 56:08
If you don't want to come down to the Fluno Center, the amazing Fluno Center, or downtown Madison, we can do virtual as well. Obviously, thanks to the pandemic, we have really made that something special as well. So, yeah, definitely reach out to us. We would love to have you.
Speaker 1: 56:25
Awesome And so, and for those that are wanting to learn more about ERP, you can check in our LinkedIn group. Boost your ERP can sign up for that. So get a community to sign up, we'll get you in. We post a lot of articles about new things, so watch out for modules. Maybe you're not familiar with things of that nature. So, with that Tracy, as always, enjoy the conversation. Always learn a lot, too, as we talk about this in the process. So thanks for sharing today and thanks for being a customer. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2: 56:54
Thanks for having me, Todd. This has been a really fun journey with you and I look forward to continuing it.
Speaker 1: 57:00
Awesome, Awesome. Well, everybody thanks so much. Have a great day.