Ever wonder how to truly get business and IT on the same page, moving beyond strategy documents to real project success? In this latest episode, Anuya Sheorey of Nikola Automotive joins Mustansir Saifuddin to dive into how to lead teams across diverse landscapes, focusing on how to bridge that critical gap between high-level goals and daily execution. Anuya shares firsthand experiences and the framework used to align everyone from the C-suite to the front lines. It's more about the people than the technology.

Anuya Sheorey is the Head of Program Strategy & Enterprise Solutions at Nikola where she leads high performing teams to enable rapid scale-up through ongoing delivery of critical capabilities across manufacturing, operations, finance, sales and service. As a strategic technology leader, she is passionate about connecting business strategy with technology execution and has a proven track record in orchestrating enterprise-wide digital transformations in diverse industries such as insurance, transportation, electronics and utilities to drive growth and operational excellence.

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Episode Transcript:

[00:00:00] Mustansir Saifuddin: Welcome to Tech Driven Business, brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. I'm honored to have Anuya Sheorey of Nikola Automotive, join me to discuss how she leads teams across diverse landscapes, focusing on how to bridge that critical gap between high level goals and daily execution. Listen in as Anuya shares a framework she uses to align everyone from the C-Suite to the front lines.

[00:00:31] Welcome to Tech Business. How are you?

[00:00:34] Anuya Sheorey: I am doing great, Mustansir. Very good to see you.

[00:00:37] Mustansir Saifuddin: Thank you. I'm so excited to have you on our show . We'll be focusing on or talking about leading teams and working across business and IT landscapes, and I know that's your sweet spot. That's your area of expertise and how this all relates to a project success.

[00:00:56] I would like to discuss your real life examples. It would be good to, to get some insights into that.

[00:01:02] Anuya Sheorey: Absolutely glad to be here and talk with you about my experiences. Will be wonderful. Thanks.

[00:01:08] Mustansir Saifuddin: Alright, I think one of the things that I always like to, to start with is your experiences. Based on your experience. You've seen a lot it can be very challenging to get business and IT folks on the same page. Right. Especially your C-level strategy team how you align them with the folks who are actually doing the work.

[00:01:32] What are some of the ways you have been able to break through those silos and bring those projects to fruition?

[00:01:39] Anuya Sheorey: Yeah, so as a company, and when we were smaller, Nikola was smaller. We were very agile and nimble, right? It was very easy for us to just have a strategy in place and make sure that those strategies are executed. As we started down the path of scaling rapidly it was important for us to make sure that we maintain that nimbleness, but at the same time, we wanted to make sure that we were able to bridge that gap between strategy and execution that you just spoke about.

[00:02:08] Right? How do we make sure that there is end-to-end ownership and improved line of sight? For the enterprise goals, right? The project was successful, but how do we make sure that it's, moving the needle in terms of what the organization is trying to achieve? You know, do we have buyin from cross-functional teams?

[00:02:26] Are they prioritizing the work? All of them working in the same direction and drawing in the same direction, if you will. And so the other thing to that to add is also are we focusing on the outcomes as opposed to individual tasks? Oftentimes, teams get so focused on individual tasks and individual KPIs.

[00:02:48] So just to give you a soccer analogy, for example, are we measuring how many times the ball was passed or are we measuring how many goals were made? You know, so all of that has to come together very nicely as well. And so to help with solving some of these challenges, we decided to shift our operating model

[00:03:09] from a project to a product centric framework. Now, this is used often in software product companies, right? But how do we use that kind of a framework in a company like Nikola was the challenge that we kind of were working through. And so we created these self-organizing cross-functional teams. That were perpetual, constantly working on business outcomes and continuous improvements.

[00:03:34] And so the way we define these product teams were in terms of value streams. Now, some of your listeners may be familiar with this value stream, kind of a framework which is used in manufacturing and Lean Sigma kind of a model. And the way we define value streams for the purpose of our product stream was a sequence of activities

[00:03:56] that were, that are needed to be taken to respond to a customer [00:04:00] need or to deliver value to the customer. And so in our case, we defined three distinct journeys. We defined a truck journey, a customer journey, and an energy journey because Nikola is a truck manufacturing company and also we dispense hydrogen.

[00:04:17] We are an energy company as well. If you look at the truck journey, what are some of the operational processes needed to support manufacturing a truck? So right from designing a truck to when it rolls off the factory floor, that's the truck journey. Similarly we identified right from the initial contact to the customer to when we service the customer,

[00:04:39] that's the customer journey. And similarly for hydrogen dispensing capabilities, we identified the energy journey. So we created 11 to 12, I am gonna say different product value stream kind of teams that spanned across the enterprise. And we had an owner from the business. It was staffed with SMEs who were actually cross-functional.

[00:05:01] So it was not bound by organizational structure or divisions within the company, but it was defined by the value stream really, and of course IT as well. Then this team was responsible for maintaining a backlog of items, and improvements that they worked on, whether it was training needed, whether it's a enhancement from an IT perspective needed or just ways of working that needed to be improved to continue to work on the improvements in value stream.

[00:05:30] So that was kind of the framework that we used. To bridge that gap between strategy and execution and the role that the governance. So we had a governance committee that worked along with these different value stream enterprise wide. They were responsible for communicating the strategy. Where do we want to see the organization go?

[00:05:51] And these product value streams then decided. How do these, their value streams contribute towards that enterprise goal? So that's kind of the bridge between the enterprise goals and the goals of the value streams. And so the product owner then was really the voice of the customer or the subject matter expert that decided what needed to be done to achieve those metrics.

[00:06:13] And then the IT team took that on and decided how to deliver.

[00:06:19] Mustansir Saifuddin: I think you mentioned a couple of very good points. You know, focus on teams. And, and you know, based on some of the experiences I've had I know cross-functional teams is a great way to get things done because now we are knowledge based from all the different parts of the organization. But how do you keep that balance between who makes the call and how this call is executed across the business and IT teams?

[00:06:48] Because, you may have, sometimes the business may take a lot more focus, or, their focus can be a, a bit different than a technology perspective. Or IT may have a different view on that. Did you run into any of those challenges during your journey?

[00:07:05] Anuya Sheorey: So I think the beauty of this whole framework was that there is no longer business and IT here, right? It's a value stream team. So it's a team that is working on challenges to make the value stream more effective. So they would map out the as is business process for that value stream and say, okay, what are some ways to improve things here?

[00:07:26] Then that really drove the backlog for the team and I think the product owners were responsible, the one person responsible for prioritizing, this is the thing that we will focus on. But then what drove the constraints for how they would prioritize was the goals that came from the enterprise.

[00:07:45] Right? Why should we be doing this came from the governance committee, and so that helped align the different teams as well, because oftentimes we also had initiatives that span beyond a value stream, not just one value stream. So how do you make [00:08:00] sure that you are aligning all the different value streams to work and draw in the same direction?

[00:08:05] That was the goals framework that helped with that.

[00:08:09] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, absolutely. And I was about to go to that point that, you know, your value streams can crisscross, and when you have, those overlaps is where the friction comes into play, and how do you manage all those, all those challenges. Right? So, great, great answer. Kind of leads me into my next ask over here.

[00:08:25] More than often you find yourself as part of their decision making process. Data and analytics is front and center of this, because that's what allows you to make those decisions based on the information you have available. What are some of the top factors that stick out for you when you look at having an SAP S/4 system and, you know, wanting to do analytics and reporting solution for your organization?

[00:08:51] What is your take on it?

[00:08:53] Anuya Sheorey: Yeah. At Nikola, initially our priority was just enabling the core functionality that would help with the rapid, rapid scale up and transformation of the business. So we quickly realized that if we had to grow as an organization, we needed a more robust data and analytic strategy in place as well.

[00:09:10] And so while SAP was our backbone for operational data finance, manufacturing, inventory, we did have peripheral systems and sources of data as well. And I think that's what got us talking to Mustansir when we initially met, is how do we go about doing this? You were a great partner and we talked about, how have you seen this play through you know, several options we were considering at that time?

[00:09:33] How do we make sure that we are able to democratize access to the data and at the same time ensure that we are not constantly having to touch it every time we change something in SAP because that's not the easiest thing to do. And so that's kind of was our thinking for deciding which solution to go forward with and what should be our strategy long term from that point on.

[00:09:57] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, I think that's a great view of that situation. 'cause , I remember when we had that discussion and I find myself a lot of times in those conversations where you have your backbone system, SAP or any other ERP systems for that matter, but you also got to have other peripheral systems from CRM to any other manufacturing system, et cetera in your landscape.

[00:10:22] And the goal or the challenge usually for businesses, I'm looking at the overall organizational data and I, I want to do some analytics on top of that, not my financial system or my supply chain system alone. It's a mix of information that I'm looking at, so it feels like you are able to look at a collective data set and then make those decisions.

[00:10:46] Anuya Sheorey: absolutely.

[00:10:48] Mustansir Saifuddin: That makes sense and that's good because, based on your experience, I know you've worked in a variety of industries and technologies, How have you been successful leveraging third party resources to support your teams? What is the formula that you use?

[00:11:04] Anuya Sheorey: Yeah, unfortunately it's not a formula, but it's more a partnership. I've worked in diverse industries. Insurance, transportation, electronics, utilities. One of the key differentiating factors for extended partner relationships that have worked for me in the past have been the ones where companies have stepped up to co-create the innovative solutions with us.

[00:11:25] They are able to bring in best practices to the table, guide discussions, make themselves trusted advisors in the process. These are the companies that have embodied, true partnerships for us, and we've built long-term relationships with some of these companies.

[00:11:42] Mustansir Saifuddin: I think that's super interesting. You use the word partnership more often it gets overlooked when you are working with customers, a lot of times the conversation comes up as, the SI is doing the implementation or the or an outside third party is being brought in to help us with this [00:12:00] technology transformation.

[00:12:01] But the concept of partnership kind of sets aside that whole idea of a third party. Working as a team trying to create something. And you saw that partnership successful based on your past experiences?

[00:12:15] Anuya Sheorey: Yes, and I have seen that is the only kind of relationships that have been successful because oftentimes if you think about companies as SIs that there is a lot of things that get lost in the translation. There is handoff and a lot of communication challenges that come to it.

[00:12:33] Whereas if they are involved from the beginning, they are true partners in the success of the initiative that makes it a successful partnership and a program, and it's a win-win for both really.

[00:12:44] Mustansir Saifuddin: Absolutely. I think the the end of the day is it's not about the technology, it's about the actual business benefit of it. And the way you, you described , the relationship I think is what really comes out , as a finished product at the end of the day. Right. From the business perspective.

[00:13:03] So, so I know we've been talking about technology and business and all that. We all know we are living in the, this AI world. Everything is moving super fast. The world is changing by day by hour. How do you stay on top of everything that's going on?

[00:13:22] Anuya Sheorey: I love doing it, that's why. So I am an avid learner. I am a continuous learner and a reader as well, so I tend to take up assignments that I know nothing about with the objective of learning, because that drives me. Personally I'm always on the lookout for classes reading, whether it's books or podcasts or blog posts newsletters of some leaders, thought leaders that I follow.

[00:13:46] And so that's kind of what I do for my teams. I have followed a similar thing that I've been asking them questions. What did you learn today? Do that even at home where we have that conversation. Dinner table, what did you learn today? Whether it's from your day-to-day work or whether you read something interesting.

[00:14:02] And I think that's kind of what helps me stay up to date as well.

[00:14:08] Mustansir Saifuddin: Do you think that that that learning is allowing you to get to your next level faster than you anticipated? Or have you seen that, that drive in learning helping you move forward?

[00:14:21] Anuya Sheorey: I would link, I would like to think so. But I think it also helps me do a better job at whatever role that I'm operating in or whatever task that I'm undertaking as well, because I have heard perspectives of other people who've gone through similar things, learn from their lessons. I have a wider pool of mentors to draw from, from that perspective as well.

[00:14:43] Mustansir Saifuddin: It always helps to have a mentor, right? So that's, that's one thing that you can always appreciate when you're going through your journey. I know we talked about a lot of different things today. As we coming to the end of our session, I, I'd like to have one key takeaway that you want to leave our listeners with today.

[00:15:00] Anuya Sheorey: Yeah, so as we think about how to bridge the gap between strategy and execution, which has kind of been the theme of this podcast here. The way I look at it is any transformation effort at the end of the day, is all about people. You need inputs from them , they are closest to the work being performed.

[00:15:17] You need collaboration and buy-in cross-functionally across the organization for people who are going to execute on some of those strategies. And you need them motivated and ready to embrace the change that goes along with any transformation effort. As we saw in the example of the product framework of what that did, was it empowered people to take on some of the work to take on some of those challenges, and it had a two-pronged benefit as well.

[00:15:43] They were the ones identifying the changes that were needed. And also since they were involved in the decision making process, it's kind of the IKEA effect, right? People, if they're involved in making a product, they have pride in it and that is easier buy-in from those people as well. And [00:16:00] so any transformation is less about technology.

[00:16:02] It's more about people.

[00:16:06] Mustansir Saifuddin: I think I, I don't often hear this thing and this idea about it. and, and everybody's excited about the transformation and the technology, and of course it's exciting but we tend to leave the people part out

[00:16:21] Anuya Sheorey: Mm-hmm.

[00:16:21] Mustansir Saifuddin: or, or minimize that. But I think what I'm hearing from you is you keep the people upfront and center, then everything around it kind of blends in or kind of smoothly moves forward.

[00:16:35] Anuya Sheorey: Absolutely.

[00:16:37] Mustansir Saifuddin: Well thank you so much for joining me today. I would love to continue the conversation, but we gotta come to our end. So thank you so much.

[00:16:44] Anuya Sheorey: Thank you, Mustansir. Glad to be here.

[00:16:46] Mustansir Saifuddin: Thank you for listening to Tech Driven Business brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. Breaking silos and bridging strategy and execution can be challenging for any organization. A new US key takeaway. Any transformation is less about technology and is more about people. We would love to hear from you.

[00:17:10] Continue the conversation by connecting with me on LinkedIn or X. Learn more about Innovative Solution Partners and schedule a free consultation by visiting isolutionpartners.com. Never miss a podcast by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Information is in the show notes.