Podcast Ep88: Digitization of Air Cargo, Project Mgmt Best Practices, QA in Digital Transformation

Introduction

The host introduces the podcast and its focus on digital transformation, organizational change, operational improvement, and business growth.

• The podcast covers everything related to digital transformation.

• Eric Kimberling is the CEO of Third Stage Consulting and the host of the show.

• Kyler Cheatham is a regular guest on the show.

Episode Overview

The host provides an overview of what will be covered in this episode.

Hot Topics

• Digitization of Air Cargo: Emirates launches Sky cargo which links up with web cargo to enable customers to book flights for freight shipments just as they would book airline travel.

• Tortilla Robots: A company in California has developed robots that can make 900 tortillas per hour.

• Mission Critical Networks in Industry 4.0: Discussion about how manufacturers can leverage Industry 4.0 technologies to improve their mission-critical networks.

Navy Seals and Company Culture GPA

• Lessons from Navy Seals on how it can affect company culture.

Best Practices in Project Management for Digital Transformations

• Adriana Girdler, a project management expert, trainer, author, and YouTuber shares her insights on best practices in project management for digital transformations.

Quality Assurance within Digital Transformation

• Clifford Martin and Dominic Lynn discuss quality assurance within digital transformation and how organizations can leverage a quality assurance framework for their transformation initiatives.

Reminder to Subscribe

The host reminds listeners where they can find new episodes of the podcast every Wednesday.

• New episodes are available every Wednesday on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter as well as all audio podcast platforms such as Amazon, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

SkyCargo and WebCargoNet Partnership

The partnership between SkyCargo and WebCargoNet will allow customers to have more control over their supply chain management. The service will be phased in across Europe, with live price quotes available for shipping larger items.

Uber for Air Cargo

• The partnership is similar to an "Uber for Air Cargo" that gives customers control and choice over their shipping options.

• This technology enables supply chain visibility at many different levels of customers.

• Any technology that helps make the supply chain more efficient and cost-effective can only help in today's day and age with the supply chain challenges.

Chipotle's Tortilla Robot

Chipotle has been piloting an AI-based robot to make tortillas. The robot, named Chippy, will now start going into stores, starting with Fountain Valley, California.

Demand-Based Cooking System

• Chipotle is also piloting a demand-based cooking system that uses AI to tell staff what and when to cook something based on forecast data.

• Using data in artificial intelligence to better predict and manage the flow of supply and demand seems like a smart use of technology.

Conclusion

The podcast discusses two new technologies in the food industry: SkyCargo's partnership with WebCargoNet which allows customers more control over their shipping options, and Chipotle's tortilla-making robot named Chippy which uses AI-based technology. Both technologies aim to improve efficiency while reducing costs.

Clippy vs Chippy and Industry 4.0

In this section, the speakers discuss their preference between Clippy and Chippy, two virtual assistants. They also talk about Industry 4.0 and its impact on mission-critical networks.

Clippy vs Chippy

• The speakers discuss their preference between Clippy and Chippy.

• Chippy is preferred over Clippy due to its tortilla Chipotle food option.

• The speakers note that some of the best technology is behind the scenes and you don't even know it's there but it just makes your experience better without you knowing it.

Mission Critical Networks and Industry 4.0

• The speakers introduce the concept of mission-critical networks which are essential functions in business, government, economy, and society.

• Any degradation or outage within power grids across the United States across the world can lead to life-threatening risks.

• Companies are now getting in front of what that looks like for their mission-critical operations by moving these Mission essential critical networks to a very high secure ability to communicate and stay functional.

• Global case studies around this include a company in Germany working to build a 5G Network that fully stands alone to automate trains and control in real-time with Intelligent Traffic management to increase capacity and safer on-time operations for their overall transportation system.

• Also, in Western Australia, the Public Transportation Authority is modernizing an existing Metro wear away system involving very high-tech private Wireless on a digital platform that they can be able to create a more risk-efficient cybersecurity risk mitigation kind of tactics.

Cybersecurity for Mission Critical Operations

In this section, the speakers discuss the importance of cybersecurity for mission-critical operations and share examples of companies that have experienced cyber attacks.

• The speakers discuss the need for cybersecurity soundness in mission-critical operations.

• They share an example of a home builder who had a cybersecurity breach during a digital transformation.

Governments and Regulations in Cybersecurity

The speaker discusses how governments and regulations play a role in cybersecurity compliance. Many global governments have implemented cybersecurity-specific legislation to protect financial institutions and customer data.

• Governments implement cybersecurity-specific legislation to protect financial institutions and customer data.

• This plays into the overall Master Data Management evolution in the digital transformation space.

Measuring Company Culture's GPA

The speaker talks about measuring company culture's GPA using quantitative data. They discuss a study that follows the Navy SEAL system, where senior command operators grade themselves on different fields for their jobs and mindset.

• A recent study showcases how you can measure your company culture's GPA.

• The Navy SEAL system grades senior command operators on different fields for their jobs and mindset.

• The grading system ranges from one to five, with one being no knowledge of a subject matter, while five is an expert level.

• The study looks at attitude, mindset, goal completion, network financial intelligence, resourcefulness, leadership, empathy, team communication and culture professional knowledge development discipline and consistency time management recharge time. It also measures family life outside of work.

• Six key questions are asked to measure culture: What is your why for what you do? Why is it important to you? How do you define success? What are your core values? What are your top three priorities? And finally, what makes you happy?

Measuring Company Culture's GPA - Part 2

In this section of the transcript, the speaker asks Eric some of the six key questions used to measure company culture.

• The first question is "What is your why for what you do, and why is it important to you?" Eric answers that their company represents their clients' best interests in helping them through digital transformations in a technology agnostic and independent way.

• The second question asks "Why is the why important?" Eric explains that it's important because he didn't like being part of the usual consulting space where bias or commission from software vendors resulted in a biased advisory service.

What Makes Transformation Consulting Effective?

In this section, the speaker talks about what makes transformation consulting effective and how he is interested in learning more about technology.

Key Points

• Understanding people, process, and strategy are important for effective transformation consulting.

• The speaker is interested in learning more about emerging technologies such as RPA, data lakes, and interoperability software.

Importance of Measuring Culture

In this section, the speakers discuss the importance of measuring culture and how it can help leaders understand their employees better.

Key Points

• Measuring culture is important to showcase its impact on the organization.

• Going through this exercise employee by employee can reveal surprising insights for leaders.

Introduction to Adriana Girdler

In this section, the speakers introduce Adriana Girdler as a guest who will talk about project management best practices.

Key Points

• Adriana Girdler is an author, YouTuber, trainer, and consultant who specializes in project management.

Best Practices in Project Management for Digital Transformation

In this section, Adriana Girdler discusses best practices in project management for digital transformation.

Key Points

• Effective project management can enable a more successful digital transformation.

• It's important to define clear digital strategies and roadmaps before starting a project or program.

• Deploying effective project management requires understanding basic definitions of what project management is and how it differs from program management.

Introduction to Project Management

In this section, Adrian Girdler introduces herself and her background in project management. She explains the importance of project management and its relevance to all industries.

Background in Project Management

• Adrian Girdler is the President and CEO of Cornerstone Dynamics, a consulting firm specializing in project management and process improvement.

• She has been working in the consulting industry for close to 15 years and has experience working with various organizations.

• Adrian started out in sales, went back to school for engineering, worked in automotive and pharmaceutical industries before starting her own consulting firm.

Importance of Project Management

• A project has a definitive start and end date with a deliverable at the end. It usually involves a series of tasks associated with it.

• All industries have initiatives or projects that require project management frameworks, not just large-scale initiatives like digital transformations.

• The framework of project management is necessary for successful delivery on goals.

Key Elements of Project Management

In this section, Adrian discusses the key elements of project management that are essential for success.

Defining Scope

• Defining scope involves identifying what needs to be done within the given constraints such as time, budget, resources etc.

• It's important to have clear objectives and goals that align with business strategy.

Planning & Scheduling

• Planning involves breaking down tasks into smaller components while scheduling involves assigning timelines to each task.

• It's important to identify dependencies and critical paths to ensure timely delivery.

Risk Management

• Risk management involves identifying potential risks and developing strategies to mitigate them.

• It's important to have contingency plans in place for unforeseen circumstances.

Communication & Stakeholder Management

• Effective communication is essential for project success. It involves keeping stakeholders informed, managing expectations, and addressing concerns.

• Stakeholder management involves identifying key stakeholders, understanding their needs, and engaging with them throughout the project lifecycle.

Benefits of Project Management

In this section, Adrian discusses the benefits of project management for organizations.

Improved Efficiency & Effectiveness

• Project management frameworks help organizations become more efficient by streamlining processes and reducing waste.

• By focusing on delivering value, organizations can become more effective in achieving their goals.

Better Resource Allocation

• Project management helps organizations allocate resources effectively by identifying areas where resources are needed most.

• This leads to better utilization of resources and improved ROI.

Increased Customer Satisfaction

• By delivering projects on time and within budget, organizations can improve customer satisfaction.

• Effective stakeholder management also helps build trust with customers.

Conclusion

In this section, Adrian summarizes the importance of project management for all industries and highlights its benefits for organizations.

Key Takeaways

• Project management is essential for successful delivery on goals in all industries.

• Defining scope, planning & scheduling, risk management, and communication & stakeholder management are key elements of project management.

• Project management helps organizations become more efficient and effective, allocate resources better, and increase customer satisfaction.

Final Thoughts

• Adrian emphasizes the importance of project management frameworks for all types of initiatives, not just large-scale ones.

• By implementing project management best practices, organizations can improve their chances of success and achieve their goals more effectively.

How I Became a Project Manager

In this section, the speaker talks about how she became a project manager and her journey in project management.

Falling into Project Management

• The speaker fell into project management naturally because engineering is a profession that falls into projects naturally.

• She did process engineering and experimentation before getting into lean Six Sigma type roles, which are all projects.

• She became a professional project management professional after getting her PMP to give credence to the work she was doing.

• The speaker's clients on her consulting firm always asked her to teach their people how to run projects well.

Experience is Key

• The best project management activity out there is experience, and you can do that in any organization or role that you're in.

• Every single initiative is actually a project, so most project managers become one by falling into it.

Practical Online Project Management Course

In this section, the speaker talks about her practical online project management course and offers a promo code for listeners.

Streamlined Course

• The speaker has taken project management and streamlined it because 80% of projects only need some core foundational items.

• She has used her efficiencies over the years to streamline the best of the best for success.

Promo Code Offered

• The speaker offers a 50% off coupon for anyone interested in taking her practical online project management course with promo code "takeoff50".

Lay Project Management YouTube Channel

In this section, the speaker talks about her Lay Project Management YouTube channel and what it offers.

Educational Channel

• The speaker's YouTube channel is an educational channel that provides tons of information on projects.

• She tries to keep things in short snippets because there's a lot of information to cover.

Project Management Skills

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of project management skills and how they can be applied in a professional setting. They also answer a question from an audience member about core skills needed to make a project manager successful.

Communication is Key

• Communication is critical for project success.

• Good communication involves getting clarity, confirmation of understanding, providing updates to key stakeholders, and ensuring that you and your team are constantly in sync.

• Poor communication can have huge ramifications on the activities that you're trying to do.

• Communication is probably the most fundamental skill set for any profession.

Documentation

• Proper documentation is important for capturing everything and ensuring that things don't fall through the cracks.

• Good documentation provides clarity and allows team members to start doing their tasks without micromanagement.

Meeting Management

• Running effective meetings is crucial for moving projects forward.

• Many people do not know how to run an effective meeting, which can lead to confusion or lack of progress.

• Effective meeting management involves running efficient meetings that provide answers and move things forward.

The Fundamentals of Project Management

In this section, Adriana discusses the three fundamental skills that are essential for project managers to succeed.

Essential Skills for Project Managers

• Three fundamental skills that are essential for project managers to succeed: communication, leadership, and problem-solving.

• These skills are relevant whether you're a consultant or service provider managing projects on behalf of clients or an internal stakeholder at a company going through a transformation.

• It is recommended to have these skill sets even if you're not a consultant or service provider helping with the transformation.

The Role of a Project Manager

In this section, Adriana explains the role of a project manager and how it differs from being just a tactical task master.

Strategic Role of Project Manager

• A project manager looks at the macro view of everything and oversees multiple streams within that project.

• There are different individuals in those streams who execute tasks. A representative like a manager may pass those tasks off to other people.

• A flow needs to happen from the project manager all the way to core team members and other individuals who may not be on the core team but have to execute some tasks.

• A project manager's job is not just about executing tasks but also about strategizing where we need to go and how we need to do it.

Common Misconceptions About Project Management

• Anyone can't manage projects; it's not true. It's kind of like saying anyone can create software because they know how to code.

Project Management Best Practices in Digital Transformation

In this section, Adriana Girdler talks about the skills required for project management and the misconceptions around them.

Skills Required for Project Management

• Not everyone can be a manager or a project manager. It requires a specific skill set.

• The right skill set includes great organization and the ability to manage people who don't report directly to you.

• A good project manager supports their team and gives them what they need to be successful.

• Clear communication from day one is essential for an amazing project manager.

Misconceptions About Project Management Skills

• There are misconceptions that anyone can do anything, but it's important to look at the right skill set.

• Competencies required include great organization, managing people who don't report directly to you, and clear communication from day one.

Recommendations for Minimizing Scope Creep

In this section, Adriana Girdler discusses why it's important to manage scope creep and how to minimize it.

Importance of Managing Scope Creep

• Scope creep is when someone wants more added to the project without considering time, budget, or resources.

• Managing scope creep is important because there's only so much time and budget allocated for a project.

How to Minimize Scope Creep

• The key is in the initiation stage where you need a clear scope statement.

• Organize everything up front during the design stage.

• Have a clear scope statement and communicate it to everyone involved in the project.

• Be aware of people who want more for nothing and be prepared to say no.