Evolving Industry:

A no BS podcast about business leaders who are successfully weaving technology into their company DNA to forge a better path forward

Digital Transformation in Santa’s Workshop

00:00:04 - 00:01:00 Hi, I'm Sarah Krong Garden. I'm stepping in today for a George. George was called away on a last-minute business trip, so I'm excited to be here today. Today the guest is the founder and CEO of the North Pole, whose mission is to deliver gifts and happiness around the world all in one night. He's a white-bearded, red-suited, jolly old man with a great laugh and a love for all things Christmas. Here is Santa Claus. First off, I'd like to thank you so much for being here. I know you have a hectic schedule this time of year, so I appreciate your taking the time to chat with me. Oh So, I'd love for you to give the audience a little bit of an overview of who Chris Kringle is and what's been going on with his workshop. Thank you, Sarah, but please call me Santa. I'm delighted to be here and I have to tell you it's nice to finally have a conversation with someone who is in sitting on my lap. Ho ho ho, let's see, who is Santa? Well, I...
00:01:02 - 00:02:00 ...love milk and cookies. I live on Santa Claus Lane. I have nine flying animals I'm married. I really have a thing against criers and powders and well, seventeen hundred years is a long life. How have you been able to keep up with all of the technological changes throughout the years? When did you know it was time to change? Oh, I was rambling, wasn't I? Yes, we really used new technology to change and things around the workshop most recently been done through digital transformation. I was hesitant at first, but the CEO, Mrs. Claus, was watching the Easter Bunny give a Ted talk about the technology they use it Easter Island. She was fascinated and because she actually does most of the workaround here, she was inspired to bring that kind of transformation to the North Pole. So would you say as a whole, the workshop is operating more efficiently? absolutely! Do you think you could explain kind of what the workshop process was like and what it has evolved...
00:02:00 - 00:03:00 ...into now? I sure can. Hmm, let's see. Well, the way we have been doing things for the longest time. When something like this we receive a letter from a child, I go ahead and cross-check my naughty or nice list. You're on the nice list, by the way. Sarah. Report my findings to the workshop. Then the elves start building and wrapping presents. We packed this Leigh and I'm off into the night with my reindeer to deliver presents and eat some cookies. And for the record, I hate chocolate chip and I hate that everyone thinks it's my favorite. Open it is. Okay, that's great. I think that's the famous process we all expect based on all of the songs and movies. And another thing, they never get the movies right either. I'm much slimmer them portrayed, and I'm sure so. What does the new process look like and what are some of the benefits you've experienced from this new digital transformation? Oh well, the new process is wonderful. I'll go ahead and explain each step and how it has completely improved our whole system. Letters. No more letters. The only way...
00:03:00 - 00:04:00 ...is to contact me now is through email. That's jolly soul, the number four ever at hotmailcom. Not only we saving paper, but I can easily access each email as it's automatically entered into our CRM system. Pretty Nifty, Huh. Then comes the naughty or nice list. Our new CRM system, CCP, or the corn cob pipe drive, is integrated into all the social media accounts and it can tell who's naughty or nice. I can tell you everyone with the tick-tock is naughty. CCP will then pull the Christmas list emails of those who are nice and send the workshop of virtual ticket to make their gift. The same goes for those are not, except they get tickets for coal. On to the workshop. The elves receive the virtual tickets and they get to work. Lots of D printers today, by the way. Then my sleigh is packed accordingly, based on location, and pulled from CCP. After that, my reindeer and I take off and it's the usual deliver, presence, E. Cookies, deliver you, cookies deliver and so on.
00:04:00 - 00:05:02 Equal yeah, well, it sounds like you guys have a great new system down. So how about that? sled any sweet odds and upgrades? Recently, funny you should ask, we decided to install that next door APP on my dashboard so I could see who's tracking me in real-time. You know, the APP where people complain no stop. Three am, someone shouting whole hole and waking up my kids. Where my favorite wiser a reindeer on my roof. I pay taxes. Yes, I'm familiar with the APP? Well, now I can see is tracking me, who's complaining about me and who should really be on the naughty list for next year. I was more curious about the performance and speed upgrades to this lag. Of course. Are you familiar with Formula One? Huge Fan. They are on the bleeding edge of aerodynamics, materials and engines. Well, they stored all from me. Energy Recovery Systems, drag reduction systems, you name it, and it came from old Santas slay first. Well, this is huge. Those fue teams claim to spend hundreds of millions a year on R and D. They're definitely...
00:05:02 - 00:06:00 ...at the top of my naughty list. Interesting, but getting back on track, how have you been navigating supply chain issues and forecasting? Well, the forecast is always snow, I'm sorry I had to oh boy, it's been a rough one this year. Luckily I have that last mile down, since you know that's all me. But distribution has been a challenge. So I replicated my North Pole Distribution Center on the South Pole. So since I'm fully vertically integrated, those elves have been able to keep those ports humming. Twenty-four-seven. Wow, impressive. Now I'm wondering. Do you have any thoughts on all of the Non-Dairy Milk All tournaments? I tell you, I love milk, but I gotta say I'm really into this whole oat milk thing right now. My friend Buzzby over a general mills is obsessed with oats and got me hooked. Cole, I didn't, I didn't realize you on buzz were friends. Oh Yeah, I'm friends with all the serial mascots, except for that dawn Lepre con Lucky. He's not going to be lucky once...
00:06:00 - 00:07:00 ...a well. So dunking. Is it okay to Double Ganga Cookie? Definitely listen in the gang. Candy, human food. So I'm the only one dunking, I can dunk as many times as I once, since I'm not sharing with anyone, but I'm no Costanza. If I'm at a cookie party, I'm only dunking once. Right. Right. So what tech trends are you excited for next and why? I love artificial intelligence, but not the scary s blade runner Ai, the tape of ai that Alexa used to help me big gingerbread. I also think it's wonderful that hospitals can use ai powered machines to help detect diseases? Yeah, definitely. Hey, speaking of the S, I have to ask why did you bring me that my little ponies doll I asked for in one thousand nine hundred and eighty nine. MMM, Oh, one thousand nine hundred and eighty nine. That's the year when Harry met Sally was released. I spent so much time we watching it that I was late for and even missed some of my deliveries. I understand that it's a great movie. Let me make it up to you this year and bring...
00:07:00 - 00:08:00 ...some Rudolf's famous Red Holidays Agria. That deer is literally obsessed with the color. It's really a cool that he can makes angry with these hoops. Thank you so much for your time, Santa. This has been a great interview. Is there anything else you'd like to say to the listeners? I don't know who you are or what you think you saw, but it wasn't me becausing your mother. I'm a happily married man of over one thous seventeen hundred years. You think I'd throw that away for a quick smooch? I do think that's just a song, Santa. Well, someone wrote it, didn't they? Anyhow, Mary. Christmas to all and a happy new year. You're listening to sea sweet blueprint, the show for sea sweet leaders. Here we discussed nobs approaches to organizational readiness and digital transformation. Let's start the show. WHO. So, how do you think I did? I think you nailed at, Santa, and I was really, really well done. That's great. Yeah, do you have a little bit of time? Do you...
00:08:01 - 00:09:03 ...want to stick around for a glass of milk? You No, secretly I despise milk. I drank so much milk up became Loptos and tolerant, but I could go for some Bourbon. I'm a big well, or twelve year or maybe like an eagle, rare Fan San it's it's like eleven am right now, five o'clock somewhere right funny. Thank you again everyone for listening. We are so grateful for Santa and his time. Again. I'm Sarah, stepping in for George, who is on a faraway business trip. We're excited to have him back. Technology should serve vision, not set it at Intevity. We design clear blueprints for organizational readiness and digital transformation that allow companies to chart new past. Then we drive the implementation of those plans with our client partners in service of growth. Find out more at wwwettycom. You've been listening...
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