Technology decisions can make or break a company’s operational success, but who should be at the helm—GBS leaders or CIOs?
In this episode of The GBS Masterminds Podcast, we unravel the complexities of this critical question with insights from industry experts. Annette Hamann, CIO & Managing Director BSS IT at Beiersdorf, and Michael van der Ploeg, VP & GBS at Amway, join us to explore the delicate balance between innovation, cost control, and strategic alignment. If you're navigating the intersection of IT and business operations, this is a discussion you can't afford to miss.
💡 Themes explored include from a CIO vs GBS leaders’ perspective includes:
Balancing innovation with cost control—avoid tech budget blowouts [01:13]
SaaS as “Success as a Service” [02:28]
The debate: Who should lead tech decisions—CIO or GBS? [03:26]
Resolving conflicts between GBS and IT teams [07:03]
Best-of-breed vs. ERP solutions [08:04]
The hype vs. reality of RPA and AI in improving processes [10:09]
Real-world process improvements at Amway and Beiersdorf [11:36]
Key metrics for success during implementation and post-go-live [14:52]
Ask from other business execs [17:13]
✒ Quotes
“An architecture board where we really move one level up in the process, not looking on the actual requirements, but looking into the solution as well, how is it connected in the overall value chain within the company.”
- Annette Hamann, CIO and Managing Director, BSS IT, Beiersdorf
“The problem with those hypes (around RPA) is that it sometimes becomes a very expensive hobby.”
- Michael van der Ploeg, Chief Financial Officer, Head Global Business Services, Amway
🎙 Episode resources
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