麻豆原创 CSR’s strategy utilizes two approaches to create sustainable impact: being an enabler and an exemplar. As an enabler, we provide products and services that help meet sustainability challenges and create opportunities for customers. As an exemplar, we lead by example in our own sustainable business operations and practices to bring our purpose of helping the world run better and improving people鈥檚 lives to life. It is no secret that 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to creating positive economic, environmental, and social impact is a draw for potential employees and customers.听

There is no better example of that than the work employees do to bring that CSR mindset into the work they do every day. 麻豆原创鈥檚 impact is greater because of leaders who integrate the CSR mindset into the business culture, like Maggie Ramaiah.

Meet Maggie Ramaiah

Ramaiah鈥檚 social impact journey began much like so many of ours. She was involved in one-off events here and there, trying to prioritize doing something good while at work so she could show up more authentically and with more energy to give it her all. However, when she joined the 麻豆原创 Academy faculty as vice president of the 麻豆原创 Academy for Customer Success 鈥� Sales Program, she began to take her dedication to making an impact to the next level, not only for herself but for those around her as well.听

Ramaiah is a passionate supporter of enabling others to pursue their passions through pro bono volunteering. She knows that with some organization, the impact we can make collectively is limitless. 麻豆原创 has tremendous power to make an impact in a small amount of time. These beliefs are why she works to bring out the best in others by providing opportunities to contribute in a tangible way that is meaningful to them. This core value of investing in employees builds strong leadership competencies, which in turn leads to greater collaboration, innovation, and trust among each other and with customers.

鈥淚n the corporate environment, we are all driven by success, but the CSR mindset is about human beings. We can do something good for everybody that we come across. It doesn’t have to be big; small little steps make a difference, too.鈥�

Maggie Ramaiah

Ramaiah has participated in pro bono volunteering programs and was inspired when she created change. During her time with Pro Bono for Economic Equity, a program 麻豆原创 has partnered with that focuses on supporting Black- and Indigenous-owned businesses in North America, Ramaiah was assigned to a team of three pro bono consultants who had never worked together. Over the course of six weeks, Ramaiah and her team worked part-time with GoLogic Solutions, based in Chicago, Illinois, to propose an organizational structure for new business models. This was her aha moment. 鈥淎t 麻豆原创, we have everything done for us from a process and resource perspective. We just have to look for it. However, for an organization that is run by one person, or maybe two or three people, everything is so constrained,鈥� Ramaiah said.

鈥淓very resource that we put out there from an 麻豆原创 perspective, we might think is a few hours鈥� worth of work, but for [social enterprises] it鈥檚 a whole end-to-end project that they might not have been able to create,鈥� she added. This is a unique way of appreciating the skills that employees bring to their company and a view that builds confidence, empathy, innovative thinking, and other leadership qualities. Ramaiah鈥檚 inspiration to increase her impact footprint came from her experience creating change for an entrepreneur as part of Pro Bono for Economic Equity.听

Ramaiah saw the opportunity to integrate skills-based volunteering and pro bono consulting into the curriculum of 麻豆原创 Academy, multiplying her impact and enabling others. She offered associates the chance to use what they already knew as well as skills they were developing for good by supporting social enterprise clients through the TRANSFORM Support Hub, a virtual pro bono consulting initiative between 麻豆原创, EY, MovingWorlds, TRANSFORM, and Unilever.听

Ramaiah鈥檚 goal is to build future leaders who think with a CSR mindset. A CSR mindset is something they can carry with them throughout their career and can be transferred to any team, program, or even company. Specialized experience is not required for employees to build leadership qualities and evolve the way they think at work and about business. Many only need an example set, or the opportunity presented to them. Being a multiplier does not require special skills or knowledge. It can be planning a team volunteer activity, ensuring that each team member knows that volunteering their time is important for their professional growth and overall satisfaction at work. It can also be as simple as sharing stories and takeaways from your own impact experiences or asking your network for support on a social impact project. 

There is not just one way to set an example and enable those around us to make an impact 鈥� what resonates with some might not resonate with others, and it is important to build in choice for meaningful and transformative experiences. At 麻豆原创, being a multiplier for good and investing in our employees, either as an enabler, an exemplar, or both like in Ramaiah鈥檚 case, leads to innovation through experiencing new ways of working, trust with our customers, quality leadership with values that the world needs, and a greater ability to achieve our goal of helping the world run better and improving people鈥檚 lives.听

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Ramaiah鈥檚 journey to being a CSR champion went from her pursing her own interests and passions to helping others find theirs by integrating the CSR mindset into the programs she leads. If you feel inspired to continue your journey as an exemplar and an enabler, we invite you to share this story and听 on the TRANSFORM Support Hub.

Heidi Pio is a non-profit in residence at 麻豆原创.
Atalanta Kyriazi is a non-profit in residence at 麻豆原创.

As someone operating in a leadership position, I often look to these three for inspiration. Leading teams can be complex in our digital age, where remote working is commonplace and seldom do you get the opportunity to sit with colleagues or clients face-to-face.

There鈥檚 no doubt that in this new age of work, leaders need to adapt their strategies if they are to continue to engage their teams and inspire high performance. Taking some of the lessons I have learned from other leaders, I wanted to outline four vital qualities leaders need to succeed in modern times.

Authenticity

All the leaders I mentioned have one thing in common: their credibility. I believe it鈥檚 essential to start from a place of authenticity. How you manage people should sit comfortably with who you are. For less experienced leaders especially, who may still be growing in confidence, don鈥檛 attempt to be someone you are not. Not only will this be difficult to maintain, but it could also be transparent to others.

Authenticity is vital for another reason. Like your team, you will have tough days, you may feel exposed, and you will wish you had approached certain things differently. These things are what make us human. It may seem counterintuitive, but acknowledging our weaknesses takes strength and often earns more respect.

And it’s in times of adversity and through shared experiences that we can connect more deeply with our teams. Humor is also an excellent coping mechanism and a way to forge bonds.

Approachability

Influential leaders are like magnets and draw people to them. Some tough and powerful personalities may be revered but, conversely, can also be feared. This fear can become a barrier that could inhibit your people from being open about their mistakes or seeking your advice. If you want to build a reputation for openness, greet everyone, make time to chat 鈥� even if virtually 鈥� and give them your full attention. And this applies to people you don鈥檛 work with directly, including catering and cleaning staff. Why? Because it says that everyone matters to you.

Innovation

Innovation starts with having a vision, possessing an adaptive mindset, and being purpose-driven. It also demands collaborative leadership behavior to enable the exploration of ideas. Good leaders create and empower interdisciplinary teams and foster a culture of agile learning.

Also, creating a culture where everyone feels their contributions and ideas are valued and welcomed helps innovation. Often, some of the quietest or most introverted people have the most brilliant ideas. Unless they are encouraged and empowered to speak up, their contributions will be lost.

Empathy

Empathy calls for compassion in communication and being an engaged and active listener. According to research referenced by , empathy is a critical leadership skill. It鈥檚 necessary because people are experiencing multiple layers of stress, including the impact of the pandemic. And when people are stressed, research also shows they find it harder to concentrate, take longer to finish tasks, and can compromise their physical and mental health.

How can you lead with empathy? You will be more successful when you not only consider how others might be feeling but when you reach out to them personally. For example, a simple inquiry can go a long way: “I鈥檝e noticed you鈥檝e not been yourself lately, is there anything you would like to talk about or that I can do to help?” You don鈥檛 need to be an expert in mental health 鈥� just pay attention and take your cues from your team members on how best to respond.

Creating opportunities for people to feel heard and understood makes a tremendous difference. But of course, strong leadership requires action too, and how this plays out will depend on the circumstances. At 麻豆原创, we believe a healthy business starts with healthy people. We promote a caring culture where our employees can stay healthy and balanced in a highly competitive environment. 麻豆原创鈥檚 are integral to our investment in our people.

Guido Schlief is senior vice president and听head of听Services听for听Middle & Eastern Europe at 麻豆原创.听

I don鈥檛 have a college degree. There, I said it. And you know what? That statement does not define me or limit me. It鈥檚 a fact, a part of my background, and is likely one of the reasons I鈥檝e had the career I鈥檝e had.

Do I regret not finishing my degree? I do wish I had the life experience of college, the knowledge I would have gained, and the relationships I would have built. But I also know without a doubt that I would not be who I am today if I had gone down the path of a traditional education. Who knows, I may have accomplished 鈥渕ore.鈥� But I have a husband and three daughters that I love, I have a job that I find tremendously fulfilling, and I鈥檝e had the fortune to meet amazing people and travel to fantastic places.

My career provided me the opportunity to stay home for seven years when my children were small. I now have the honor to lead and mentor others, and I hope to inspire and challenge them to achieve their own success. For me, that exceeds every expectation I had for my future when I entered — and re-entered — the workforce.

The reality is, I鈥檓 in good company — many successful people did not finish college — but I鈥檝e also been incredibly fortunate. Fortunate to have had people who took the time to look past my lack of a formal education, to get to know me and understand the skills, passion, and drive I bring to what I do. Those early leaders, mentors, and sponsors took a chance on me and supported my career growth. They saw my potential and opened doors that lead to a journey I would never have imagined. I鈥檓 beyond thankful for each of them and I am incredibly passionate about supporting and leading others as they grow and develop along their unique career paths.

People learn through different ways and experiences. College is one way, but life and career experiences are tremendously valuable as well. For me, the lack of a formal education has made me more driven, more determined to create my own success, and very intentional when it comes to my personal development. In today鈥檚 world of rapid innovation and a tremendously competitive talent market, we all need to be lifelong learners, regardless of our educational background.

If 2020 taught us anything, it鈥檚 that we need to be prepared to pivot, learn new skills, and adapt to ever changing circumstances. These and many other critical job skills, such as grit, empathy, and emotional intelligence, are not easily taught in a classroom, they are innate skills that are further developed through experience. These skills aren鈥檛 measured by a piece of paper or apparent on a resume or job application; they are evaluated through human-to-human interaction.

Diversity comes in many forms, and educational diversity is one of those, one that isn’t often talked about or considered.

With that, I challenge my fellow leaders to invest their time with someone from a non-traditional background. Get to know the person behind that resume or LinkedIn profile. You may find that they are a perfect for your team, you may not. Regardless, give them the gift of your time by providing feedback and, if appropriate, through mentorship. Help them network or find a role that is right for them. Take a chance, because you may find your next top performer hiding in places you never would have considered.

is head of North America High Growth at 麻豆原创.

Even before COVID-19, Accenture’s global IT organization was at the forefront of innovation, providing the infrastructure and services to meet the needs of more than 500,000 employees worldwide. Working remotely has always been natural in consulting, and the company has continuously invested in emerging technologies, infrastructure, and a collaborative culture over the years.

Having adopted an “anytime, anywhere” approach to how people work and how to serve clients, Accenture was already well positioned when the pandemic forced the rest of the world to set up millions of home offices with just a week or two of notice. What COVID-19 did was increase the demand for scale to reach across continents and into individuals鈥� homes, creating a new normal.

鈥淲e鈥檝e been using technology for some time to transform how we work on a massive scale quickly,鈥� says Prett, who has held various roles at Accenture during the past 25 years. She points out that the company has operated the business for decades as a virtual team with top leaders spread across the globe. The tools to support a collaborative workforce are in place; for example, Accenture is the largest enterprise user of Microsoft Teams in the world.

鈥淥ur Teams audio usage [] increased by 282 percent from our typical 350 million minutes per month to nearly 1 billion minutes per month since the crisis began,鈥� wrote Prett in a blog about . Cloud, networking, and collaboration tools are all going to be front and center in meeting the demands of a more flexible workplace in the future. IT organizations must be prepared to scale quickly and adapt dynamically to changing business needs based on global and local conditions.

Enabling and Enriching the Workforce

Prett, who assumed her current role just before the pandemic, sees the events of the year as a blessing in disguise when it comes to transforming the workplace. With basics like security and connectivity already in place, her job now is to enable teams around the globe to collaborate and innovate in non-traditional ways. Meeting the needs of a remote workforce with today鈥檚 technology presents both opportunities and challenges.

鈥淭here is a difference between enablement and enrichment,鈥� explains Prett, whose job is to do both. A phone is enough to enable people to work remotely; adding video, which allows people to pick up visual nuances, enriches the experience. 鈥淎 lot has happened since March,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ocial and business do not marry as well in the virtual world as in face-to-face interaction. We鈥檙e still figuring out the future landscape, but the majority of people might well choose to continue working from home. What counts is that now, people know they have a choice.鈥�

Accenture aims to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity, and Prett鈥檚 main objective as the company鈥檚 CIO is to create the right ecosystem for building proprietary technology to help capture market share.

鈥淲e carry the burden for employees,鈥� says Prett. 鈥淲e give them opportunities to plumb the depths of data, so they can make smart decisions.鈥� According to her, the average Accenture employee might do 100 things per day, of which 20 are done in systems. Having to switch between systems fractures the employee鈥檚 experience. The binding factor is data and experience. By unifying the two and providing collaboration hubs, IT helps create a unified experience for employees that is fast, intuitive, and easy.

Words of Advice

Having been in the business for a long time, Prett has had many different leadership roles and plenty of experience managing teams, driving change, and helping customers find solutions to problems. The common thread throughout has been the evolution of technology and its impact on humankind.

鈥淚 spent my entire career with tech at the center and have always been fascinated by the way humans interact with technology to deliver outcomes,鈥� she says. She has also been active in Accenture鈥檚 diversity and inclusion efforts, working on a range of programs including LGBTQ+ initiatives and the integration of veterans and other non-traditional talent into the workforce.

Because humans are all different, they react differently to different challenges. Prett likes to tell a story to illustrate the value of diversity: while running a workshop in the field a decade ago to figure out a way to build a new system, the team started working on a very complex solution to the challenge. At that point, a junior member who had been quietly taking notes throughout piped up and said, 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 not how it works in real life,鈥� forcing the team to rethink their approach. 鈥淓veryone has an area of expertise and sees things through a different lens,鈥� Prett explains. 鈥淪haring those viewpoints is what makes diverse teams better at problem solving.鈥�

There are three critical skills Prett recommends for anyone who wants to succeed in the new world of work. The first skill is to remain intellectually curious. Change happens at a rapid rate and no one is going to spoon-feed you what you need to know, so you need to seek it out yourself. The second skill is to remain adaptable. Knowledge of old-world tech is not good enough for the new age. Change is the most dynamic, powerful source of progress, so it鈥檚 best to embrace it. And, finally, Prett is a true believer in the power of storytelling and how it can build human resilience.

鈥淭here are no schoolbook solutions to the challenges of our times,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e need to write the stories that will inspire people to change and grow.鈥�

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At the same time, the experience of working abroad gave me a taste of what it felt like to be an outsider in some of the countries where I resided. This raised my awareness of the importance of creating a workplace that values inclusivity at its core.

Diversity and inclusion () has long been something that corporations have been striving for across their employee base and leadership teams. It has now become more important than ever for leaders to truly define what D&I means and actively drive toward it, where it becomes part of the fabric of the company rather than an add-on.

It Starts with Communication

The way to understand what diversity is and what it means to an organization is by talking about it. These conversations cannot happen behind closed doors, but rather in an open forum where all members of an organization can exchange their unique thoughts and perspectives. You never know where the next best idea may come from. This is especially important in a global, multi-national corporation that spans geographies and languages.

Effective communication within this realm all starts with understanding and respecting different cultures and perspectives by being conscious of how you communicate. Leaders must be considerate when 听communicating to help ensure the way they phrase thoughts will not offend people 鈥� whether talking to people of a different gender, race, nationality, or generation.

Communication also goes beyond 麻豆原创鈥檚 internal walls and spills out into the way we interact with customers. 麻豆原创 is very aware that customers in different countries prefer different methods of communication and is also particular about its communications and choice of words. Within a real-time support environment, the company constantly evolves its practices based on the feedback received from support representatives about the level of support provided to various customers around the world.

Embracing All Perspectives

Talking about D&I may be the first step, but a leader must truly embrace it to affect progress within a team and the larger organization. Once you start to embrace D&I and truly live it, there is no going back. When you are put in circumstances or faced with situations that are clearly lacking diverse thought or input, you may begin to feel uncomfortable. While there is no one way to enact D&I within an organization, leaning into this discomfort to figure out the path forward is where the true answers lie.

First is leading by example. This starts with diversifying a leadership team. Approximately half my team is made up of women. And while I do not believe I am ticking any boxes, I know that this helps set a good example for the rest of the organization.

Beyond gender diversity, it is important to embrace and integrate young talent within a team. Generational differences within teams can lend new perspectives to tacking problems and managing projects. 麻豆原创 has built its Technical Core Competence (TCC) team on power couples 鈥� experienced senior architects coupled with less-experienced early talents 鈥� supporting different areas with functional and technical expertise. This unique coupling allows for knowledge transfer, collaboration, and joint accountability across projects and has proven to be very successful. Young talents bring in fresh perspective and skills as well as the willingness to question existing procedures and processes, elevating the team to new levels of performance.

The right mix of people across age, gender, experience level, and culture will ultimately create well performing teams that can achieve much more. A diverse and inclusive team that works together will result in much better decision-making that will stand the test of time and require less change management in the future.

Creating Opportunity for D&I Early

It is important that the D&I scope goes beyond just talking about the numbers or quotas that need to be filled in order to be technically labeled 鈥渄iverse.鈥� Diversity can only be realized at the practical level, with continuous engagement and constant re-evaluation of the processes and initiatives in place that help encourage D&I. This starts at the very beginning with how we define ourselves and our organization to talent looking to enter the job market.

For me, diversity starts at the early talent level. Something as minute as job descriptions can have a long-lasting impact on the overall diversity of a company and its leadership. To afford all employees the opportunity to grow and move up requires making sure they are being given the chance from the very beginning. Hiring the best talent from the get-go, regardless of gender, age, or race, will naturally create a great pool for management positions down the road. It is important to foster this type of environment where the criteria are very clear, and expectations are set around hiring the right blend of diverse talent.

Truly making progress toward D&I within a team and organization requires self-reflection 鈥� taking a look at what has been done, what has been successful and what has not, and making the necessary changes. Diversity and inclusion does not start and stop, and will never be fully achieved; it is something that constantly and consciously needs to be evolved and improved upon.

I encourage you to face a new reality to do things differently, and I hope that this brings about great change and success within your organization.

Andreas Heckmann is the executive vice president of Product Engineering and head of Customer Solution Support and Innovation at 麻豆原创.

Work has moved to our homes, our personal lives have been upended, we have stopped shaking hands with people, travel has basically come to a halt, and typical day-to-day activities have largely adapted to stay-at-home orders as well as health and safety precautions put in place across the majority of the world.

Having said that, there has been a myriad of benefits and new realizations that have come out of this unexpected situation; many of which will translate into the next chapters of our professional lives, when we are all back in a more formal corporate space.

Loss of Personal Touch Does Not Mean Losing Touch

Moving to a remote work environment came with the loss of personal touch and face-to-face interaction, but in some ways, this has also forced us to communicate more than ever. Picking up the phone to reach out to individual employees, checking in with teams on items unrelated to work, and holding virtual social gatherings to replace 鈥渨ater cooler talks鈥� 鈥� these are all things that we have integrated into our day-to-day remote activities, which we can carry forth once we return to the office. These thoughtful interactions, whether in person or remote, show our workforce that it is truly cared for and valued.

For those leading global organizations, geographies and time zone differences may have already made it difficult to keep in touch with everyone and prevented teams from cross-country brainstorms. But because of the pandemic, we have been able to overcome this barrier with the various technologies at our fingertips, bringing about greater team collaboration. For team members that usually work remotely, the need for all team members to meet online can feel more inclusive.

Even when taking trips to visit other 麻豆原创 offices and teams across the world, rarely did I get the chance to meet everyone. With the increased use of video conferencing, I have had the opportunity to get to know many more employees and learn more about who they are and how they contribute to our success 鈥� a great and unexpected benefit stemmed from our remote work reality.

Lead by Example

There is no better time than now for leaders to step up to the plate and lead by example. Where there is much uncertainty, leaders are looked up to for guidance and security, especially for younger employees who had maybe never faced such adversity. As leaders, we must be role models for our peers and set a healthy example for navigating the challenges of remote work. Part of that includes setting the right tone as it relates to taking personal time off and prioritizing employee well-being.

Working in this remote setting has caused much of our personal lives to blend into our work lives, understandably creating a new type of employee fatigue or burnout. Many of us are experiencing similar issues 鈥� working early mornings all the way into late nights and rarely taking breaks.

As someone who was guilty of doing this, I made sure to diligently carve out time for mandatory breaks throughout the day, and even take longer lunch breaks. I have shared on that already. If your teammates saw you do that, they could feel comfortable doing it themselves.

Simplify Processes

There are many changes we have seen in the remote workplace that have allowed us to simplify and streamline old ways of working and business processes.

Firstly, 麻豆原创 has used this opportunity to hunker down and change some of its decision-making processes. Usually, when making big corporate decisions, the company seeks input from the full leadership team, which would have involved physically getting everyone in one room. Nowadays, 麻豆原创 has made use of technology to gather the information it needs virtually and come to a decisive decision more swiftly. In fact, this has proven to be more inclusive, as the company has been able to gather thoughts from far and wide before coming to a collective agreement.

麻豆原创 has also been able to simplify and streamline much of the administrative tasks that, in hindsight, took much longer than necessary. What seemed to be only possible to do in person, such as onboarding new talent, is now very much possible with all the tools and technologies put in place. These kinds of efficiencies have been a huge benefit of remote work.

Break Old Habits and Create New Ones

While the current situation has turned our world upside down, many of us have still been able to keep our businesses running and our customers satisfied.

In fact, 麻豆原创 Support was able to celebrate an all-time high in customer satisfaction. This may have been possible because we had business continuity plans that were in place to activate for situations like this, but it is also because we learned how to break some of our old habits, while forming new ones. 麻豆原创 was able to pivot and adapt to help ensure that customer needs were still met, all while delivering on our promise to help businesses run better.

No one knows when we will go back to the 鈥渙ld normal.鈥� In fact, I believe the old way of work and life will no longer exist. Once we head back into the office and start to get on with our usual day-to-day activities, my hope is that we will start to implement new ways of working and interacting with our peers. We will live and work in a new 鈥渘ew normal鈥� that I believe we have always been working toward.

Andreas Heckmann is the executive vice president of Product Engineering and head of Customer Solution Support and Innovation at 麻豆原创.

鈥淭he need to shift goods and make home deliveries is greater than ever before,鈥� says Sandy Rapp, the newly appointed CIO of , the largest publicly traded full-service travel center company in the U.S. 鈥淥ur job is to make sure truckers and all other drivers have everything they need when they stop for a break.鈥�

Two Clicks Away

Technology is playing a key role in making life safer and easier for people on the road. They need to eat, sleep, refuel, and maintain their vehicles. TravelCenters of America makes it hassle-free by providing a range of services including convenience stores, restaurants, truck maintenance, and repair operations along the interstate highways crisscrossing the U.S. and Canada.

The Ohio-based company, set up to be the first 24/7 truck stop chain in the world, also offers its patrons a that saves time and money, and a variety of payment options. Truckers can or showers, order meals, and request maintenance or repair services without getting out of their vehicle 鈥� all accomplished with a few clicks on a smartphone.

鈥淏eing on the road can be a lonely, tiresome occupation,鈥� Rapp says. 鈥淢any of our customers have regular routes, and they build relationships with our staff along the way. We鈥檙e their home away from home. They can grab and go or sit down in a full-service restaurant that gives them a feeling of familiarity and comfort.鈥�

As the CIO, Rapp was brought on board to intended to improve operational efficiency and profitability.

Peace-Keeping Mission

Rapp, who has 30 years of experience in software development, consumer products, IT consulting, financial, and manufacturing industries, joined the company in the midst of the pandemic. She has not yet met any of her staff in person.

With an undergraduate degree in liberal arts and an MBA in International Business, Rapp did not set out on a career in technology.

鈥淚T found me,鈥� she explains with a chuckle. 鈥淚 worked in project management for a time, and often found myself liaising between IT and the business. That experience taught me the need for a well-rounded approach to position the positive impact of IT on the business.鈥�

For Rapp, everything begins with defining purpose. Part of her success stems from her ability to speak in laymen鈥檚 terms about technology and to educate IT on business needs. The other part is about finding common ground, an ability that evolved from her undergraduate dream to work for the United Nations to bring peace to warring nations. She believes that using emotional information to guide thinking and behavior and handling interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically go a long way toward getting people to accept change.

Changing the Game

Now, Rapp is playing a vital role in the company鈥檚 move to turn its business around. With a new CEO, new CFO, new CIO, and new strategy, for significant organizational change.

Key initiatives include centralized procurement to drive economies of scale in pricing, inform negotiations with vendors, and save on purchasing and operations. Others are focused on cost savings and increased revenues through merchandising in the convenience stores, over-the-road delivery, truck-repair training, and staffing and IT systems.

Rapp explains that these changes require new processes and a new role for IT.

鈥淚n the past IT was an order taker. Now, we鈥檙e showing the business the art of the possible,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e can help address societal challenges like the ones posed by the pandemic. We can provide insights, we can speed up the decision making process. We can look for synergies that will lead to better pricing policies or asset management.鈥�

None of this would be possible without a central platform. Rapp views the company鈥檚 strategic work with 麻豆原创 as a key differentiator in maintaining a competitive edge. An end-to-end enterprise solution from 麻豆原创 allows TravelCenters of America to be sustainable, smart, and innovative for the long term.

Success requires a continuous juggling act between cost savings and innovation. Best practices and cloud capabilities from 麻豆原创 are important elements when it comes to simplifying TravelCenters of America鈥檚 portfolio, responding quickly to business needs, and accelerating change.

Words of Advice

Like many of her peers in the IT world, Rapp believes technology is one of the biggest drivers of change in our lifetime. But it is not enough to develop all the hard skills. She believes the ability to communicate, collaborate, and manage projects skillfully are key success factors for navigating the whirlwind of changes in an increasingly complex world. She encourages young people to be fearless and raise their hands for assignments no one else may want. Influencing others, negotiating win/win outcomes, and opening one鈥檚 mind to diverse viewpoints are all essential abilities.

This mindset enables Rapp and the team at TravelCenters of America to make sure business remains open at all times, and that travelers find comfort and during and after the pandemic. After all, they are catering to a nation of travelers and a slew of professional drivers day and night, week after week, mile after mile 鈥� TravelCenters of America is in it for the long haul!

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Top image via TravelCenters of America