_________________________________________________________________________________________________ Main interview
covered systems design , and expert systems and artificial intelligence . After completing this , I moved to Denmark for about six and a half years and worked in several technology and software companies . This got me into ERP and advanced planning solutions .
“ My role in industry strategy is broad ranging , involving defining the direction of the strategy and the plans for the organization . One day , I might be analyzing new markets , looking for what solutions we could bring to a segment and then calculating the potential market size and spend therein . This helps us to create a business case or what we call the decision-making framework to secure investment that enables a new solution or partnership to go to market .
“ On other days , we ’ ll meet with customers . We have what we call our Strategic Industry Council for food and beverage , with several of our customers tending to rotate and sit on that council , providing strategic direction . Equally , we could be out speaking to user groups or individual customers , hearing what their challenges and future needs are . Through these conversations , customers influence our investment decisions and direction ,” he explains .
“ We also develop the positioning and core messaging around our solutions . This is then used by marketing and sales to help promote and position our solutions in the market . We support marketing with events ; talking at webinars or industry events about the solutions we offer to various sector challenges , and the value that Infor can deliver to its customers .
Built-in capability
“ Infor works a lot with industry analysts and technology advisors , such as Gartner and IDC , to gain input and feedback on our solutions and messaging . We want to know whether we ’ re heading in the right direction and how we are perceived in the market . We also work with product management and development colleagues on potential new technology and product partners with the view to adding value for our customers . From marketing to sales , we strive to support colleagues throughout the organization with advice and information ,” he enthuses .
Like any business , Infor is increasingly data driven . “ To be able to optimize our investments and truly help our customers we need to thoroughly understand the data . It ’ s crucial to remain focused on the customer ’ s problem to resolve their requirement , rather than making a product and taking it to market in the hope that there ’ s a need out there .
“ We ’ re always looking for what ’ s next , which is difficult to predict and necessitates evaluation . There ’ ll be some things we can
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