The Ungrowth Show

How to Protect Your Customers’ Trust in a Data Breach | The Ungrowth Show by TrellisPoint

In today’s episode, we dive into the world of data breaches, including a deep look at Equifax’s 2017 scandal. With ransomware attacks and data breaches dominating headlines, it’s easy to feel vulnerable. But did you know that a data breach doesn’t have to destroy your customer’s trust? Tune in to learn how companies can mitigate the damage of a breach and avoid critical mistakes.

In 2017, Equifax, one of the largest credit reporting agencies, suffered a data breach affecting 147 million people. The breach exposed sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers and credit card details.
The breach resulted from a failure to patch a known vulnerability in their system and went undetected for months.
Further compounding the problem was poor communication and organizational negligence, which led to delayed public disclosure, eroded trust, and eventual legal ramifications.

Lessons to Learn:
Proactive Patch Management: Regular and timely patch management is essential. Ignoring updates leaves you vulnerable to breaches.
Network Segmentation: Ensure that sensitive data is segmented, so that in case of a breach, hackers don’t have access to everything at once.
Transparent Communication: If a breach occurs, swift and transparent communication with the public is essential to rebuild trust.
Monitor Your Systems: Regular monitoring of systems and networks ensures that breaches are detected early, preventing long-term damage.

Technical Details
Patch Failure: Equifax failed to apply Microsoft security patches that could have prevented the breach.
Expired SSL Certificate: The breach was made worse by an expired SSL certificate, leaving sensitive data exposed.
Lack of Segmentation: Equifax’s failure to segment their networks meant hackers had access to all of their sensitive data once inside.

How Strategic Growth Consulting Applies:
Strategic growth consulting emphasizes the importance of IT infrastructure management and secure systems. Through the right planning, system segmentation, and transparent communication strategies, businesses can avoid costly errors and maintain trust even in the event of a breach.

How Ungrowth Applies:
The Equifax breach demonstrates how unchecked vulnerabilities can lead to catastrophic outcomes—true ungrowth. Rather than driving innovation and progress, neglect led to the erosion of customer trust, significant fines, and reputational damage that was hard to recover from.

#DataSecurity #DataBreach #PatchManagement #StrategicGrowth #EquifaxScandal #BusinessTrust #Ungrowth #CustomerTrust #ReputationOverRevenue

Wells Fargo's Ethical & Leadership Ungrowth | The Ungrowth Show by TrellisPoint

In this episode, we explore the Wells Fargo scandal where aggressive sales targets and unethical CRM strategies led to a massive loss of customer trust. We delve into how prioritizing revenue over reputation can submarine company culture and result in long-lasting damage.

In 2016, Wells Fargo employees were found to have opened millions of unauthorized accounts to meet aggressive sales quotas.
- The bank's “Eight is Great” mantra pushed employees to open at least eight products per household, leading to unethical practices like account falsification.
- Despite internal reports and warnings, leadership failed to address the issue, leading to a $185 million fine in 2016, which grew to nearly $3 billion by 2018.

Lessons to Learn:
- Customer-Centric CRM: Focus on ethical practices and long-term customer relationships.
- Ethical Incentives: Align incentive structures with ethical behavior, avoiding undue pressure.
- Organizational Oversight: Implement centralized risk management to identify systemic issues.
- Leadership Accountability: Address issues promptly rather than minimizing them.

How Ungrowth Applies:
Demonstrates the dangers of unchecked growth, prioritizing sales over ethics, and the significant consequences of ungrowth.

Technical Details:
- Cross-Selling Strategy: “Eight is Great” mantra led to 3.5 million unauthorized accounts.
- Regulatory Penalties: $185 million fine by CFPB, with penalties totaling nearly $3 billion by 2018.
- Management Response: Initial responses failed to address root causes, leading to a significant scandal.

TrellisPoint: TrellisPoint.com

#StrategicGrowth #BusinessEthics #ReputationOverRevenue #WellsFargo #Ungrowth #CRMFailures #CorporateCulture

Boston's Big Dig | Ungrowth Lessons in Construction for the Tech Industry | The Ungrowth Show by TrellisPoint

In this episode of The Ungrowth Show, we take an unexpected detour into the construction world to draw surprising parallels between one of the largest urban infrastructure projects in U.S. history—Boston’s Big Dig—and your next technology implementation. Whether you're planning a major system overhaul, migrating to new platforms, or modernizing your IT infrastructure, the lessons learned from this $22 billion megaproject could save you time, money, and frustration.

What You’ll Learn:

How Boston’s Big Dig mirrors the challenges of large-scale technology deployments.
The importance of managing scope creep and sunk cost fallacy in IT projects.
Why early communication, change management, and continuous integration are crucial.
Best practices for maintaining business operations while deploying new systems.
The value of focusing on an MVP (Minimal Viable Product) to avoid costly delays and frustration.
Key Takeaways:

Large projects can easily spiral out of control without careful planning and stakeholder management.
Balancing short-term wins (MVP) with long-term goals is essential to ensure user adoption and future-proofing.
Just like construction, technology projects require ongoing adjustments, continuous testing, and strategic vendor selection to succeed.

Let’s Hear From You: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from a complex project implementation? Share your experience in the comments! If you're facing a tech project of your own, reach out to TrellisPoint for a discovery call, and let’s plan your next success.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell icon to stay updated with our latest episodes!

#Implementations #BigDig #DigitalTransformation #ProjectManagement #BusinessGrowth #ungrowth #strategicgrowth

Lessons from The CrowdStrike Outage | IT Disaster Planning | The Ungrowth Show by TrellisPoint

In today’s episode of The Ungrowth Show, we dive into a real-world scenario that every business needs to think about: what happens when your operations experience a massive outage or disruption? Could your business continue to function? How would you even know how to prepare for such a scenario?

In July 2024, CrowdStrike, a leading cybersecurity company, experienced a catastrophic global outage due to a faulty configuration update in its Falcon sensor software. This glitch disrupted millions of devices worldwide, severely impacting businesses, governments, and essential services. In this episode, we explore the ripple effects of this incident and discuss how companies can ensure they are prepared for the unexpected.

What You’ll Learn:
- The importance of disaster recovery plans and business continuity strategies.
- How to build resilience into your business processes and operations.
- The role of communication in crisis management.
- Real-life examples of disruptions and how businesses managed or failed to manage them.
- Practical steps you can take to safeguard your business against outages.

Why It Matters: In our interconnected digital world, a disruption in one corner can cascade across the globe, affecting industries and economies. Whether it’s a software glitch, a power outage, or a cyberattack, being prepared is the key to maintaining operations and keeping your business resilient.

Join the Conversation: Have you ever experienced a major disruption in your business? How did you handle it? Share your stories and strategies in the comments below! If you’re looking for tailored advice on building a robust disaster recovery plan, reach out to TrellisPoint. We’re here to help you navigate the complexities of modern business.

Ford's Dance with Ungrowth in Innovation Team Building | The Ungrowth Show by TrellisPoint

In this episode of "The Ungrowth Show," we explore the right and wrong ways to approach innovation, focusing on Ford's ambitious attempt to lead the digital transformation in the automotive industry with its Ford Smart Mobility initiative. While Ford has a long history of innovation, this venture, launched in 2014, aimed to develop digitally enabled vehicles and mobility solutions. However, the project faced significant challenges and ultimately highlighted the critical need for integrated and cohesive strategies in digital transformation efforts.

Join us as we dissect the lessons from Ford’s experience, discussing how the physical and operational separation of Ford Smart Mobility from the core company led to resource strain, quality issues in their traditional vehicle lineup, and financial instability. We'll explore the importance of integrating digital transformation initiatives with existing operations and how to balance innovation with maintaining quality in existing products.

Key Topics Covered:
- The importance of integrating digital transformation with core business operations
- Balancing innovation with maintaining quality in existing products
- The role of leadership in driving successful digital transformations
- Lessons from Ford’s digital transformation journey
- Strategic considerations for future digital initiatives

Show Notes:
- Ford’s Digital Transformation Failure
- The impact of siloed innovation efforts on a company’s overall performance
- Why balanced resource allocation is crucial for innovation
- The risks of disconnected digital initiatives
- Practical steps for achieving a cohesive digital transformation strategy
- How companies can learn from Ford's mistakes to drive sustainable growth

Tune in to learn how to navigate the complexities of digital transformation without losing sight of your core operations. This episode is a must-listen for any company looking to innovate effectively and avoid the pitfalls of ungrowth.

Kodak's Digital Revolution Miss | Ungrowth in Product Innovation | The Ungrowth Show by Trellispoint

In today's episode of "The Ungrowth Show," we explore the fascinating rise and dramatic fall of Kodak, once a titan in the film industry. Remember the days when capturing family memories meant lining up in front of a camera with only a few shots to get it right? Kodak was at the heart of those moments, but despite pioneering the first digital camera in 1975, the company chose to suppress the innovation that could have secured its future.

We’ll delve into how Kodak went from being a household name synonymous with photography to a cautionary tale of missed opportunities. By clinging to their profitable film business and resisting digital transformation, Kodak ultimately found itself left behind in an industry it once dominated. This episode covers the lessons learned from Kodak’s failure to adapt, and how companies today can avoid similar pitfalls by embracing innovation and staying ahead of disruptive technologies like AI.

Key Topics Covered:

- The risks of ignoring disruptive innovation
- Why Kodak suppressed the digital camera
- The impact of technological disruption on market leaders
- How to embrace innovation as a mindset
- The importance of adapting business models to new technologies
- Lessons from Kodak’s downfall for today’s businesses

Show Notes:

- TrellisPoint: https://trellispoint.com/ 
- Kodak’s Innovation Failure
- How tech disruption impacts market leaders
- Examples of AI disrupting traditional industries
- Strategies for staying innovative and competitive
- The role of ego and pride in stifling innovation
- How Microsoft successfully pivoted to the cloud, and what Kodak could have learned from that

Join us as we reflect on Kodak’s journey and discuss how businesses can learn from their mistakes to ensure they don’t become the next Kodak in their industry. This episode is packed with insights that are crucial for any company looking to innovate and grow in today's rapidly changing market.

Hershey's $100M ERP & CRM Ungrowth Disaster | The Ungrowth Show by TrellisPoint

In this episode of "The Ungrowth Show," we unravel the story of how Hershey, one of the world’s most beloved chocolate brands, turned a sweet software implementation into a sour experience. In 1999, Hershey embarked on an ambitious project to overhaul its ERP and CRM systems, aiming to modernize operations just in time for the critical Halloween and Christmas seasons. However, what was meant to be a streamlined solution quickly spiraled into chaos, costing the company $100 million in lost sales and shattering holiday expectations.

Join us as we explore the critical mistakes Hershey made during this massive IT project, from the risks of the "big bang" approach to the consequences of inadequate testing and unrealistic deadlines. We’ll dive deep into the lessons learned from this fiasco and discuss how proper planning, vendor management, and strategic growth consulting could have turned things around.

Key Topics Covered:

- The dangers of the "big bang" approach in system implementation
- The importance of thorough testing and phased rollouts
- How IT failures can disrupt supply chains and customer relationships
- Strategies for mitigating risks in large-scale IT projects
 The role of vendor management in successful system integration

Show Notes:

- TrellisPoint: https://trellispoint.com/
- Hershey’s ERP Failure Case Study
- The impact of IT failures on Hershey’s holiday season and overall business
- Lessons learned from Hershey’s mistakes: Avoiding ungrowth in digital transformations
- Strategic growth consulting insights: Ensuring successful CRM and ERP implementations
- Practical tips for planning, testing, and managing complex IT projects
- Tune in to discover how a lack of planning and proper execution turned Hershey’s sweet dreams into a $100 million nightmare—and how your business can avoid the same fate.

#ERPFailure #CRMImplementation #informationtechnology

The AOL & Time Warner Merger Debacle: Ungrowth in M&A | The Ungrowth Show by TrellisPoint

In this episode of "The Ungrowth Show," we explore the infamous AOL and Time Warner merger, a $182 billion deal that aimed to revolutionize the media and internet landscape. The merger, announced in 2000, sought to combine AOL's digital prowess with Time Warner's extensive media empire.

However, the integration faced numerous challenges, from technical incompatibilities to cultural clashes, ultimately leading to one of the most significant corporate failures in history. We dive into the complexities of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), highlighting key lessons from the AOL-Time Warner merger. Discover how technical hurdles, cultural discord, and the bursting of the dot-com bubble contributed to this debacle. Learn about the importance of thorough due diligence, effective integration planning, and adaptability in navigating M&A processes. T

his episode also includes insights from our experience in helping companies successfully integrate diverse businesses into a cohesive and efficient operation. Without mentioning specific clients, we discuss best practices and strategies that have proven effective in avoiding the pitfalls experienced by AOL and Time Warner.

Key Topics Covered:

- The impact of cultural differences in M&A

- Technological challenges in corporate mergers

- Financial risks and market impacts on M&A success

- Strategic missteps and lessons learned

- Best practices for integrating people, processes, and data Show Notes:

- The importance of people, process, and data in M&A

- The state of technology in 2000: dial-up internet and AOL's iconic "You've Got Mail"

- M&A as a growth strategy: motivations and risks

- The critical role of data management in M&A

- Addressing duplicate data and software integration challenges

- Navigating cultural differences and organizational change management in M&A

- The impact of external factors, like the dot-com bubble, on business integrations

- Future-proofing M&A success through meticulous planning and adaptability

Learn More:

- TrellisPoint - https://trellispoint.com/

- What is Ungrowth? - https://trellispoint.com/blog/what-is-ungrowth-definition-why-it-sucks

Join us as we dissect the AOL-Time Warner merger and extract valuable insights for companies looking to avoid the pitfalls of ungrowth in their M&A endeavors. Don't miss this episode full of crucial lessons for business leaders and strategic planners!