INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Perry Hewitt works at the intersection of marketing, technology and mission-driven organizations. Startups salivate at the prospect of
the perfect product to fix the problem.Too often though, the pitch to the enterprise falls flat or a promising pilot gets sidelined
of purchases, like renewable software licensing fees and support contracts with fixed costs
New models, like variable costs for open-source development, require workarounds and explanation in the budget process and cause even the
cost model to adhere to the established norm, the more traction they are likely to get from the hydra of procurement and finance
launched and showing results.The concept of GAAP-based digital strategy extends well beyond accounting practices
Consider internal reporting: Large organizations spend an inordinate amount of time reporting up, across and down in an effort to improve
transparency and inspire shared ownership of outcomes
What are the KPIs for the department you are serving How easily will your results translate into their storytelling Spend some time up front
with your client to ensure your results align with (and show up in!) the existing framework for reporting.Corporations are aware of how hard
experiments using new technology
This is often the start of the relationship between a startup and a new client.For startups, this can be a beneficial approach, as it offers
the opportunity to deliver value before wrangling with cumbersome procurement or IT requirements
But too often these divisions lurch from pilot to pilot, and struggle to find line-of-business champions willing to absorb startup
technology into their operations
headsets and software to a complex pharma manufacturing environment crossed over
Their pilot showed clear results: Testing with four-five headsets, their AR software measurably helped workers on the floor by augmenting
the workflow with voice recording and hands-free capabilities.The startup team then came on-site, and they partnered with the workers
testing the solution to document the improvements and discuss how to ensure the process complied with regulations
This direct interaction fed into their results reporting to make the case for the 30-40 headsets needed on the shop floor
Rather than wait for middle management, the startup developed a grassroots-fortified case for moving into operations.Similarly, a startup
Surrounded by a range of solutions from business intelligence dashboards to marketing technology tools, their pilot was getting lost.By
closely analyzing results, the startup saw promising early findings in the trade promotions area
They avoided being locked into a GAAP-based bucket (analytics), and were connected with an executive to unlock a whole different
conversation.In addition to finding your internal champion and changing the GAAP conversation, spend time understanding the larger
Help your client position the solution not only in the context of the specific problem to solve, but the overall enterprise goals.The annual
report is your friend here
The focus may be digital transformation or global collaboration or risk management, and aligning to this priority may enable your client to
and language to reflect that understanding
Ideally, GAAP-based digital strategy recedes as long-established protocols reduce structural lag with how business is conducted today
In the meantime, consider the art of translation as important as pitching the outcome.
