[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to Second Sense. I'm your host, Allison Mitchell. Every episode we explore the complex supply chain behind the mobile device industry, from data driven decisions to sustainable solutions, and how smarter systems can give tech a second life.
Because when you trust your data, second life tech just makes sense.
Today we're joined by Charles Stewardson. Charles is the head of EMEA plus Implementation at appkudo. Thanks for being a guest on the podcast, Charles.
[00:00:35] Speaker B: Thanks. Glad to be here. Thanks for inviting me.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: Okay, Charles, two quick things right at the jump. First, I want to make sure we break down the acronym that's in your title so folks know what that stands for. And second, you were one of Apcudo's first colleagues working outside the U.S. so tell us a little bit about that too.
[00:00:52] Speaker B: Well, the easy one, emea, is Europe, Middle east and Africa. So common parlance goes alongside APAC for Asia Pacific, LATAM for Latin America, for instance. So I've been working with APCUDA for a while. So initially a few years back, I started helping APCUDA with understanding the European market and then started helping the European market get ready for apcudo making an entry into that market. But that was the course of two or three years and then we started building out a team in Europe to be ready to support the APCUDA solutions as and when they started to roll out across the region. We more recently I've been taking on the implementation tasks globally, so setting up an implementation team to make sure that the app CUDA solutions are consistently and well implemented across any place across the world.
[00:01:33] Speaker A: Yeah. So you are the guy that's at the intersection of the plans that we have and our customers have and making that a reality, as your title makes clear, you're leading that implementation phase of the process.
So what was your background prior to this role at AppCudo?
[00:01:50] Speaker B: I've been in the tech services industry for about 30 years and that's been.
I've been lucky enough to work with large corporations like HP, Ingram Micro, DHL, but also quite a few SMEs. So people like Inovo, ReGenesis, which became CTDI, Teleplan, which became Reconnect. So many changes in our industry and consolidations. I've done a variety of roles, whether it's been starting in procurement, going through logistics, supply chain sales, operations, and then moving into more leading divisions and leading companies, putting those skills together across regions. I've done that in an employee capacity, but I've also done a lot of consultancy across the industry as well, which has been great fun.
[00:02:29] Speaker A: Well, you just outlined why I'm looking forward to having this conversation today. Because you've been in the industry for 30 years, you've seen it from a variety of different perspectives and held a variety of different roles. So you've gleaned quite a bit of valuable insight into what makes for a successful implementation phase when transitioning into automation. So today we're going to tap into that wisdom and have you take us through several tips for successfully implementing scalable automation.
So, Charles, let's start by having you give us an idea of the scope of the implementation process as it relates to automation.
[00:03:06] Speaker B: It's broad. It's really broad. It's complex. I mean, effectively, the automation is enabling a company to do things very differently.
So pretty much all functions across any company are engaged in this, and certainly all the functions across AppCudo are engaged in it. Whether you know, from the initial pitch all the way through to designing the solution itself with the customer, the business case you draw up to make sure it makes sense for AppCudo and for the customer. The contracting process, we all know contracting processes can be kind of fun. And then you're into the logistics of it, which involves international shipment management, which is again, in these geopolitically strained times, is quite complex. Local handlers, local specialist companies to transport very fragile, very heavy goods to sites often are not the most accessible. And then the technical implementation installation teams, whether it be at CUDA ones or whether it be from our partners or our OEMs, or sometimes the customers, and then you've got the, in parallel with that, the recruitment and training of local teams and local partners to pick this up in life. So it's really broad scope. It's all encompassing. We do have a very comprehensive playbook now that covers every aspect and makes sure that every work stream is engaged both from our side, but also from the customer side.
[00:04:18] Speaker A: So what is the most important thing to establish with the customer right from the start of this process?
[00:04:23] Speaker B: I'd say the most important thing is to establish a common understanding of what that customer is trying to achieve. It can be simple things like operational efficiencies, and then you're looking at shift patterns. Obviously you want to sweat the asset. If you're paying a big chunk of money for an asset, you want to sweat it across as many shifts as you can. It could be scalability. So maybe the customer's based in an area where labor is very expensive, or they just can't get the labor for the operation. And if their business is seasonal, they need that ability to scale up and then come back down again, which automation, of course, can give them. We love it when customers say, well, actually we want the sweet spot, we want the data, because the data coming out of the automation helps us drive decisions. That's what we love to hear because that's what AppCudo are here for. Even something like the aesthetics matter. We've had quite a few customers say, well, actually, in the end, we chose your solution over somebody else's. Not just because of the technical capability, because it looks fantastic. We can show our customers and our customers go, wow, this is a brilliant solution. We can see the technology involved here. So all these things matter, they're all important. But I think understanding clearly what the customer is aiming to achieve helps us pinpoint the application of the solution more effectively.
[00:05:31] Speaker A: So is there a tool or a best practice or process for finding out what this getting to this common understanding and really elevating what. What's important to our customers?
[00:05:40] Speaker B: There is. I mean, there's a suite of tools, and I think Apkuda and numerous other companies have tried all of them.
We've kind of settled on something called a brd, a business requirements document. It's a very detailed document which takes the customer through the detail of what we think they want to achieve and make sure that they align with that. It takes them through what Apkudo needs to deliver that solution, which is critical. We'll come on to that a bit later. It also says what the customer has to do to enable us to do that, which again, is vital, and also what that final solution will then look like. It'll sketch out almost like this is how it's going to look. Is that what you're envisioning, Mr. Customer? So it gives me like a picture of what it's going to be like. That's the vital tool for establishing clarity.
[00:06:24] Speaker A: So as you're utilizing this document and this tool, who else on the app Kudo side are you engaging for this process and also on the customer side who's helping you define and complete that document?
[00:06:38] Speaker B: So there's a standard template to start with, which was created by the implementation team. We have these things called implementation leads. And implementation lead is not just a project manager, typically, these are senior leaders. They've normally been general managers in previous companies. So they understand all the aspects of how a company works, especially operational, supply chain and the tech aspects, which are so vital to this succeeding. They pull together the plan from an appcudo point of view, but also the customer as well. So they're leading this not Just for app Kudo, but for the customer too, which is a bit of a different approach.
The customer on their side, we ask them to make sure there's buy in at all levels of their organization because we have seen situations where commercial decisions made but the operation may be not as bought in as they maybe should have been. We need to make sure there's buy in all the way through.
Automation impacts people, it really does impact people and it's important for the customer to make sure those people are engaged, understand the process and ideally positive about the change that's going to bring.
[00:07:34] Speaker A: So what are the really critical elements that you want to have nailed down as really rock solid before a single piece of equipment is mobilized?
[00:07:44] Speaker B: The foundation of successful automation is for everybody to understand how it's going to change the existing processes. It's not simply going to make existing processes faster. That's not what it does. I think another keystone is establishing the touch points, the right touch points in both the organizations for effective communication and teamwork through the exercise. It's also vital to understand early what data platforms portals for access are required because those sort of interfaces take time to conjure up by the black magic of the air, the software teams and you know, the automation at the end of the day gets us there, but it's the data that actually drives the transformation at the end of it.
[00:08:18] Speaker A: Okay, so let's say we get all those things nailed down. Are we ready to get the equipment loaded and shipped and on its way to the location?
[00:08:27] Speaker B: Not quite yet, we're not quite shipping yet. So the logistics itself needs careful planning. You know, whether you've got Houthi rebels blocking up the, blocking up the straits and you can't get product around that way. So that the whole process of planning logistics has become so much more difficult than it used to be. You then got the taxes and duties to consider as well, which, you know, certain presidents have made that a bit more challenging recently as well. So there's a whole raft of things that need planning. On the logistics side, we need to know that the customer facility is ready and accessible as well. Yeah, and this is something that's tripped up a few implementations in the past. Not just App Cuda, but many companies. You know, we need to know that the power requirements, the air compression requirements or compressed air requirements and the network requirements are going to be there for that machine arriving or those set of machines arriving. That is vital. That's the lifeblood of this equipment. It can't operate without it. So that's key. And we have to agree timelines, set clear expectations as well, and make sure that everybody's aligned through that setting process.
[00:09:26] Speaker A: Now I can start to hear the beep, beep, beep of that first fork truck with the equipment on it that's ready to do the installation.
Where is your team and what are they anticipating at that moment?
[00:09:38] Speaker B: Okay, we are at that point, let's say it's now shipping. Basically we're anticipating executing the plan. That's where we're at at this point in time because it's all in that playbook I mentioned earlier on. So the setup, the alignment, the tuning of the software platform and the hardware to meet the customer needs, that's what's going to be happening next. Then that leads into the accuracy, the alignment testing and the speed testing that are normally things that are agreed in the statement of work in the contract before the customer has to accept the machinery. And typically that's done with a customer set of devices as well. So the customer supplies the devices, you know, it's normally their subset, their devices. So again they have confidence that we can do what they want us to do with their equipment. As app Kudo progresses through the project, we then start the handover process. We then start anticipating the handover to the customer operations and the local support teams that I mentioned earlier on that we've been recruiting via partners or directly to actually take it through its. Its in life. Well, it's normal business as usual life.
[00:10:34] Speaker A: Having outlined that whole process, which, thank you, I can appreciate the complexity that's involved there with all of the people and all of the expectations and then some of those external forces, you know, when you're moving from country to country that other folks might not even think about. I want to hear your stories of things that went really well. What was key to the success? Maybe some horror stories or some just crazy things you just didn't anticipate that threw you for a loop and how you navigated around that. So share, you know, the good, the bad, the ugly.
[00:11:06] Speaker B: We've had a few situations. I mean, you know, some customers in certain areas, their sites aren't maybe as accessible as you'd expect. Maybe they're two or three floors up in a building for flood avoidance reasons, all sorts of reasons. You get situations like that and pieces of upgrade or equipment simply won't fit. They won't go in the lift. And then maybe our OEMs have to help design a modular solution that can fit in the lift and then be put back together or work. It might work in a Slightly different way, but achieve the same tasks. So we've had to be very agile in many situations to make sure that we can meet the customer's requirements with access.
We have had a few situations, sadly, where you get to the site and you know the air compression isn't what it needs to be or the power is not quite right. You know, it happens. We can normally support to a degree with these situations, but it's not ideal because you end up with delays and temporary solutions.
But every customer is different. Each implementation is an education. I can honestly say that in generally a positive way, when you're going through it, sometimes it feels more stressful, but in general it's in a positive way. The more recent ones have certainly driven a lot of new features and functions that in the end the market's going to want. I can think of one recently actually in the EMEA region where a whole stack of functions and features that they wanted extra to our standard set that we've been offering in the usa. But it's been worked upon in a really collaborative way with that customer. And what it's doing is it's actually helping drive app Cuda deliver a much more cutting edge solution which will then be usable by other customers. So it kind of drives the whole solution forward.
Some customers require tons of information and communication and they might have quite convoluted communication routes sort of all the way up and then all the way back down again. Decisions can take a long time to come. Standard corporate process. I guess that actually teaches us to be really clear in our communications and also maybe it teaches us a bit of patience at times and that's, that's no bad thing too. So they all bring their own challenges. But I think as you progress, what we're seeing is we're getting more and more copy and paste and less and less development as we're getting slicker, which our customers are helping us drive to that at the minute, I think we're Probably, I don't know, 85, 90% copy and paste and 15, 10, 15% is collaborative learning and development. That's not too unhealthy a ratio actually, as long as we set clear expectations up front.
[00:13:26] Speaker A: I can see how the more you do this, then the more you tackle those challenges along the way. Future customers are going to benefit from you having kind of scaled that learning curve already and applying that to just the overall product design moving forward as part of the standard package.
[00:13:43] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:13:44] Speaker A: Well, thanks Charles, for joining the podcast today and sharing your perspective on this. This was fascinating and what? It would be very cool to a fly on the wall in your world and watch this unfold. And I'm sure you know, our customers get the opportunity to do that, but it would be really an interesting thing to sort of chronicle that from start to finish in a project with you. It's clear the work that you and your team are putting in is having an impact in solving the challenges that our customers have with data, improving their experience and internal processes and which, you know, in turn helps them contribute to a more sustainable and circular world with less electronic was. So I can see that impact that you're making and I can only imagine the amount of headaches that you help our customers solve on a daily basis. So is there anything else about this topic that you want to share before we close out?
[00:14:38] Speaker B: I think the key thing is from the get go to trying to get both parties into a collaborative mindset. I've seen both collaborative and maybe not so collaborative in the last year or so. And I think if both parties get into that collaborative mindset from the start and realize it's not just a vendor or a supplier, it's essentially an automation and enablement partner, it's enabling a transformation in the business and we want it to succeed very much as much as the customer does. So I think getting folks in that place at the start and getting the touch points, that to me is key. That's one point I'd like to leave in there, I think.
[00:15:11] Speaker A: Well, that's a great point and it's a perfect one to end on. So thank you again, Charles for joining us and I hope you have a great day and hope that the implementation processes that you're involved in right now continue to go smoothly. And again, thanks for being on the podcast.
[00:15:27] Speaker B: Thanks very much. You too. Cheers now. Bye.
[00:15:30] Speaker A: Thank you for listening to this episode of Second Sense. Learn
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