Many companies have leveraged from their digital transformation in order to grow. They experiment with new channels and business models and even new markets. But a massive expansion initiative does not come without difficulties. Indeed, managing global tech teams during such a shift can be very challenging.
However, as the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained! And that’s the example we bring you today with Motorola (Lenovo).
Welcome to this episode of Digital Insider, a podcast series about the digitalization of retail. It features Jeremiah King, Director of Motorola Ecommerce & Lenovo Customer eService. Join us on a discussion about Motorola’s digital transformation strategy and how it expands globally.
Meet the guest
Jeremiah has worked at Motorola (Lenovo) for the past six and a half years, covering strategic roles in ecommerce operations. Over the years, he had a direct involvement in Motorola’s digital transformation. Now, Jeremiah is leading teams of developers and product managers towards success in international markets.
Before landing a job at Lenovo, Jeremiah worked in the government sector for the United States Air Force. He then transitioned into law enforcement. During those years, he gained experience in handling stressful and complex situations. This played well when he faced the challenges of digital transformation at Motorola, which has been quite disruptive.
As I came into Lenovo, we were in a perpetual transformation mode, if you will. Our support organization was just starting to stand up. We were just beginning to understand more about having a strong online presence in our target markets.
Jeremiah King, Director of Motorola Ecommerce & Lenovo Customer eService
The digital transformation of Motorola (Lenovo)
Digital transformation is part of the core business strategy at Motorola. However, it is not just about new technology. Jeremiah insists on the importance of a holistic and horizontal approach when considering the units that deliver great value to the customers. In the long term, these value streams can be optimized, for both products and services.
Yet digital transformation is also about new initiatives. For Motorola, this meant channel expansion and improvements on digital commerce. The company migrated to a new platform for its ecommerce site — VTEX. It also kept its core internal talent busy with key innovations and disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence and mobile apps.
With their internal teams focused on research & development (R&D), other activities are carried out thanks to strategic partnerships. The desired outcome? A better operational efficiency.
The company’s global expansion
Despite already being an international company, Motorola had further global expansion plans towards new markets. Like all other consumer electronics companies, it targeted revenue growth. And, of course, the digitalization of the company is certainly linked to its global expansion strategy.
With better tools and improved digital technology, Motorola has been able to scale globally what it was doing on a local market level. Successful results, for instance, include a Middle East market entry with great DTC sales and a special attention devoted to cookie consent.
Jeremiah explains how this process optimization came from key learnings that are now applied globally. He also gives great suggestions regarding management frameworks, sharing how he leveraged from a combination of Scaled Agile Framework and Flow Framework.
We try to understand what the value stream is. What is that product that we are delivering to the customer that brings value? Also, we are implementing continual feedback loops all the way throughout the process. That way, we can continue to optimize the customer experience, moving it from satisfaction to delight.
Jeremiah King, Director of Motorola Ecommerce & Lenovo Customer eService
There are plenty more insights and topics that Jeremiah touched upon. These include:
- Company structure and management;
- The relationship between growth and capacity;
- Content creation across local and global teams.
To discover them all and find out more about Motorola’s global growth, listen to the episode at the link below. You can also check out what Patricia Amaro (Reckitt and former Unilever) and Guilherme Lebelson (AB InBev) shared in their respective episodes. And, of course, don’t forget to follow the podcast for fresh retail insights.
