Using tech to develop shared outcomes: A conversation with UPS’ Vandana Ramani

In this episode of Catalyst, Tammy is joined by Vandana Ramani, Vice President of Global Strategy at UPS. Vandana has over 25 years of experience split between consulting at KPMG and Deloitte and working inside the industry. Her career spans three continents — India, Africa and the United States — and she’s led digital transformation efforts that span years, not months.

Together, Tammy and Vandana discuss the thrill of hard problems, working toward shared outcomes and empathizing with your customer.

Highlights from the episode include:

• Shared outcomes align business and tech. When business and technology teams are measured by the same goals, they show up differently. Vandana advocates for shared outcomes to create clarity. Cross-functional collaboration improves when everyone understands how their work contributes to financial results.
• Siloed data holds companies back. Tammy and Vandana dig into why sales, operations and marketing rarely share a full view of the customer. Meanwhile, from the customers’ perspective, it’s all the same company. AI can connect disparate data to improve and smooth the customer experience.
• Customer empathy as a discipline. It’s easy for large organizations to turn inward and forget about listening to their customers. To avoid this trap, continually check in with your front-line teams. Customer listening isn’t a one time task, it’s an ongoing project.

Check out the full episode to hear more about UPS’ complex logistics business, shipping everything from wine to koalas.

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Please note that the views expressed in this episode may not necessarily be those of NTT DATA.