Adaptability is the New Currency of Work with Dallas Counts

1 00:00:02,959 --> 00:00:06,080 SPEAKER_01: Welcome to the HR Chat Show, one of the world's 2 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:09,599 most downloaded and shared podcasts designed for HR pros, 3 00:00:09,919 --> 00:00:13,439 talented, tech enthusiasts, and business leaders. 4 00:00:13,679 --> 00:00:16,879 For hundreds more episodes and what's new in the world of work, 5 00:00:17,039 --> 00:00:20,719 subscribe to the show, follow us on social media, and visit 6 00:00:20,719 --> 00:00:22,480 hrgazette.com. 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,559 SPEAKER_02: Welcome to another episode of the HR Chat Show. 8 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:29,199 Hello, listeners. 9 00:00:29,359 --> 00:00:31,679 This is your host today, Bill Bannham. 10 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:35,200 And in this episode, I'm delighted to welcome Dallas 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,640 Accounts, Chief Operating Officer over at Vendormint. 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,399 For those who don't yet know, Vendormint specializes in 13 00:00:42,399 --> 00:00:45,840 helping retail suppliers recover lost revenue by managing and 14 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,600 resolving invoice deductions, streamlining compliance, and 15 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:54,000 strengthening supporters supplier retailer relationships. 16 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:57,679 Dallas has a strong background in retail operations after years 17 00:00:57,679 --> 00:01:00,320 at Walmart, Sam's Club and beyond. 18 00:01:00,479 --> 00:01:03,679 He's now leading operations, solution delivery, and client 19 00:01:03,679 --> 00:01:05,359 success at Vendomint. 20 00:01:05,599 --> 00:01:07,920 So in today's episode, we're going to cover everything from 21 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,120 tariff impact and how that drives supplier and HR 22 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,599 strategies to mindset and leadership in times of 23 00:01:13,599 --> 00:01:18,319 adversity, plus broader HR and people considerations in this 24 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:22,159 constantly evolving retail transportation space. 25 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:23,840 Dallas, how are you doing today? 26 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:24,480 Welcome to the show. 27 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,159 SPEAKER_00: I really appreciate you having me on and excited to 28 00:01:28,159 --> 00:01:32,799 dive into this uh very complex environment that we're in and 29 00:01:32,799 --> 00:01:34,159 some of these great questions that you have. 30 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:36,480 SPEAKER_02: Well, I appreciate your time. 31 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:37,280 So thank you. 32 00:01:37,359 --> 00:01:40,159 Um based on your work at Vendabint, Dallas, and your 33 00:01:40,159 --> 00:01:43,280 prior retail leadership, how would you characterize the 34 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:47,280 current pressure on suppliers from tariffs, chargebacks, and 35 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:48,480 operational complexities? 36 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,079 And how does that translate into HR or people leadership 37 00:01:52,079 --> 00:01:52,879 consequences? 38 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,359 SPEAKER_00: First, to kind of hop into that, it's let's let's 39 00:01:55,359 --> 00:01:57,519 frame up a little bit about what you talked there, the actual 40 00:01:57,519 --> 00:01:57,920 pressure. 41 00:01:58,079 --> 00:02:01,920 So, you know, I I did work uh at Walmart for 15 years in Sam's 42 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:03,920 Club, and you know, I was in the merchandising organization. 43 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:06,400 And if you go back to when I started, which was almost 20 44 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:09,919 years ago at this point, to be a supplier, it wasn't as 45 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,039 complicated uh from managing your trade and how you would um 46 00:02:13,039 --> 00:02:14,319 manage your PL. 47 00:02:14,479 --> 00:02:16,719 But today, it's very complicated. 48 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,680 I used to ask for the lowest possible cost, but now the 49 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:22,080 lowest possible cost is not the only thing you have to invest 50 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:22,240 in. 51 00:02:22,479 --> 00:02:26,639 So as a supplier to retailers now, you have retail media that 52 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,319 you didn't have 15 years ago. 53 00:02:28,479 --> 00:02:31,039 You still have your promotional and trade allowances, uh, you're 54 00:02:31,039 --> 00:02:33,840 being asked for more markdowns, you're having to buy data that 55 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:36,479 you didn't historically have to buy, which there's a lot more 56 00:02:36,479 --> 00:02:39,199 data today because of the e-com boom. 57 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,199 Uh, and so as you as you look over those last 15 to 20 years, 58 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:45,360 the the pressures just keep mounting. 59 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,240 And obviously, in this last year, one of the biggest ones 60 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:51,439 that we've had in a while is the addition of tariffs, adding 61 00:02:51,439 --> 00:02:54,080 additional margin pressures onto those suppliers. 62 00:02:54,159 --> 00:02:57,439 And so today, when you're managing your PL, instead of 63 00:02:57,439 --> 00:02:59,759 only needing to look at a couple lines, you're looking at a ton 64 00:02:59,759 --> 00:03:00,159 of lines. 65 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,240 And so that makes it really complicated. 66 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:06,960 Um, I would also say the uh addition of e-commerce in a big 67 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:09,120 way has changed channel strategy quite a bit. 68 00:03:09,199 --> 00:03:11,840 And so when you're when you're looking between a brick and 69 00:03:11,840 --> 00:03:14,319 mortar, a brick and mortar Omni, where they're doing online and 70 00:03:14,319 --> 00:03:18,080 in store or just a digital footprint, being able to blend 71 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,639 those lines of how you go to market is significantly more 72 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:21,120 complicated. 73 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:23,680 And those have added more cost to the retailers, which the 74 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:26,479 retailers then ask for more price concessions from the 75 00:03:26,479 --> 00:03:29,039 suppliers so that they can pay for their costs as well. 76 00:03:29,199 --> 00:03:33,520 So it's really gotten complicated and uh and uh very 77 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,400 difficult to manage for these suppliers to work with this, and 78 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,000 it has caused a ton of pressure. 79 00:03:38,159 --> 00:03:40,400 And that pressure ends up hitting the PL. 80 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:43,599 And when the PL gets hit, uh obviously your leadership gets 81 00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:46,240 more involved in what's happening, your finance team's 82 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:48,639 more involved, so that puts pressure on your operations 83 00:03:48,639 --> 00:03:51,360 team, and ultimately your HR team is going to be involved 84 00:03:51,599 --> 00:03:54,560 because if all these costs keep going up and you can't figure 85 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:57,520 out how to operate in that environment, there's only one 86 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:00,960 lever that's easy to pull to quickly reduce costs, and that 87 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:03,280 typically comes to wages, which is really complicated, right? 88 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,759 And that's that's a lever that no one really wants to pull if 89 00:04:05,759 --> 00:04:06,719 they don't have to. 90 00:04:06,879 --> 00:04:10,159 Um, and so I think during these times, you know, leadership is 91 00:04:10,159 --> 00:04:12,719 just really important and how you manage from an HR 92 00:04:12,719 --> 00:04:16,480 perspective uh can really help accelerate your company and win 93 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,079 in the environment, or it might have the opposite impact where 94 00:04:20,079 --> 00:04:22,959 it could actually you know hurt your culture and you might have 95 00:04:22,959 --> 00:04:23,920 more churn. 96 00:04:24,079 --> 00:04:28,319 Um, because how you react to this pressure and how you uh 97 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,920 lead through that with your teams, it will show up, right? 98 00:04:32,079 --> 00:04:34,800 Because under pressure, you can either turn into a diamond or 99 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:35,920 you can fall apart. 100 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,480 And ideally, we want everybody to kind of turn into that 101 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:40,079 diamond and figure out a way through that. 102 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,040 So uh, you know, I think for me, some of the principles that are 103 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,759 just really important uh as leading through that from an HR 104 00:04:45,759 --> 00:04:50,240 versus leadership or and a leadership perspective is uh a 105 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:51,839 high degree of transparency. 106 00:04:52,399 --> 00:04:55,920 What do you need to accomplish for the company to be 107 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:56,319 successful? 108 00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:58,959 And if you've been really transparent with that and you 109 00:04:58,959 --> 00:05:02,240 can align your goals so that everybody is marching towards 110 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,839 that transparency uh and to that to that goal, it can turn you 111 00:05:05,839 --> 00:05:06,959 more into that diamond. 112 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:13,120 I think also uh sharing to a degree the outcome that you need 113 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:17,920 to achieve as a company for success helps with the burnout 114 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:19,680 and churn and blame loops. 115 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,319 Because there is this, you know, when you get pressure, sometimes 116 00:05:22,319 --> 00:05:25,120 people get defensive and it's uh you start getting finger 117 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:25,439 pointing. 118 00:05:25,519 --> 00:05:28,319 And instead of doing that, like how do you foster that culture 119 00:05:28,639 --> 00:05:32,079 of learning and working together to solve the problem versus he 120 00:05:32,079 --> 00:05:34,160 said, she said it's their fault, not my fault, because 121 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:37,040 everybody's worried about if the company's under pressure, maybe 122 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:38,160 my job's on the line. 123 00:05:38,319 --> 00:05:41,920 And so really focusing in on that transparency, very clear 124 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,560 goals, and how you get there, I think is really, really 125 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,480 important for the HR and leadership team. 126 00:05:46,639 --> 00:05:50,000 So those tariffs adding that extra bit of pressure this last 127 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,959 year has really been putting suppliers through that test 128 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,199 where they're, you know, they need to either turn into a 129 00:05:55,199 --> 00:05:58,000 diamond or maybe they're seeing some of the cracks forming in 130 00:05:58,000 --> 00:05:59,040 their foundation. 131 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,560 Um, I don't know if that answers fully what you were asking, but 132 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,920 uh I think that's kind of my lens and how I think through 133 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:06,240 this. 134 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:07,360 SPEAKER_02: It certainly does. 135 00:06:07,439 --> 00:06:09,199 And I think actually it answers the next question I was going to 136 00:06:09,199 --> 00:06:10,959 ask you, so I'm gonna skip to the following one. 137 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:14,399 But before I do that, um maybe it's because I've been living 138 00:06:14,399 --> 00:06:16,480 under a rock or something, but I've never heard that that 139 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:17,199 saying before. 140 00:06:17,279 --> 00:06:20,160 Uh, under pressure, you either turn into a diamond or into 141 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:20,480 dust. 142 00:06:20,639 --> 00:06:21,360 But I really like it. 143 00:06:21,519 --> 00:06:22,560 I think that's cool. 144 00:06:23,040 --> 00:06:23,839 So I'm gonna use it. 145 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:25,040 SPEAKER_00: I like some good analogies. 146 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,279 I feel like it, you know, it helps with the communication to 147 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:28,160 the teams. 148 00:06:29,439 --> 00:06:33,279 SPEAKER_02: So in companies where revenue is being lost via 149 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:37,120 uh invoice deductions or supply chain inefficiencies, Dallas. 150 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,720 What what what are the what are the most common talent culture 151 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:45,360 related root causes rather than purely technical or or process 152 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:45,920 causes? 153 00:06:46,399 --> 00:06:48,399 SPEAKER_00: Yeah, this is a this is actually a really I really 154 00:06:48,399 --> 00:06:48,879 like this question. 155 00:06:48,959 --> 00:06:49,759 We haven't been asked this. 156 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:50,480 I'm surprised. 157 00:06:50,639 --> 00:06:52,639 Um, I think this is a really good question. 158 00:06:52,879 --> 00:06:57,360 Uh so when you're looking at losses and deductions, etc., 159 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,240 these teams, right, their accounting teams, their AR 160 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:02,480 teams, these are not new teams. 161 00:07:02,639 --> 00:07:04,720 This is not a new division that just got stood up. 162 00:07:04,879 --> 00:07:07,519 These are teams that have been around since the beginning. 163 00:07:07,759 --> 00:07:10,800 They have practices that have been around since the beginning. 164 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,800 And so you tend to have very tenured associates in these 165 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,480 roles, um, and you tend to have a high level of scrutiny on 166 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:19,920 these because they're finance, right? 167 00:07:20,079 --> 00:07:21,920 Like no mistakes allowed, etc. 168 00:07:22,079 --> 00:07:26,000 And so uh one of the things that you know that I see as a bit 169 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,639 sometimes of a barrier that we need to work through with our 170 00:07:28,639 --> 00:07:32,480 clients is it's okay to change in this space. 171 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:36,319 Um many people that are in here are a little bit resistant to 172 00:07:36,319 --> 00:07:38,800 change, uh, just because it it is, right? 173 00:07:38,879 --> 00:07:41,439 This is a very sensitive area of your business and you're doing 174 00:07:41,519 --> 00:07:44,399 your invoicing and your receiving, et cetera, of all of 175 00:07:44,399 --> 00:07:45,040 your funds. 176 00:07:45,199 --> 00:07:47,199 And so there's a bit of a reluctancy. 177 00:07:47,279 --> 00:07:50,800 Um, and so the ones that I think are seeing some of the best 178 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,920 success are the ones that are willing to embrace and have the 179 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,040 conversations of how do you continue to improve this 180 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:57,519 process. 181 00:07:57,759 --> 00:08:00,879 Many of these companies are on old systems and maybe migrating 182 00:08:00,879 --> 00:08:01,519 to a new system. 183 00:08:01,759 --> 00:08:04,639 So when you throw in deduction management and maybe working 184 00:08:04,639 --> 00:08:07,120 with a new company, it starts to get a little bit scary. 185 00:08:07,279 --> 00:08:10,240 Also, there's this aspect of your relationship with your 186 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,959 retailer and how does this potentially change that? 187 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,240 And so you see a little bit of reluctancy to want to lean in 188 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:16,399 there. 189 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:21,360 So if you're fostering a culture that empowers these teams to be 190 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,759 able to uh to work through this change and they're not opposed 191 00:08:25,759 --> 00:08:27,920 to it out of the gate and they're willing to have some 192 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:30,959 conversations, we're seeing people start to realize there is 193 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:34,720 opportunity to um one, receive money back, but even more than 194 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:37,120 that, like one of the things that we we really like to do 195 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,840 with our companies is not just just get the revenue back for 196 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,799 them, which is a big part we do, but it's fixing problems. 197 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:47,919 Um, and the rate of technology change that has happened uh in 198 00:08:47,919 --> 00:08:50,320 the industry in the last 15 years, again, these tend to be 199 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:53,279 older tenured teams that are doing these practices is 200 00:08:53,279 --> 00:08:53,919 significant. 201 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,240 Um, and so that is often a hurdle uh is the retailer's 202 00:08:58,240 --> 00:08:59,360 technology has changed. 203 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,159 How do you make sure that that team is also keeping up with 204 00:09:02,159 --> 00:09:06,480 that technological advancement and making sure that they're not 205 00:09:06,799 --> 00:09:08,639 providing friction to that process? 206 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:13,120 And so um from a talent and culture standpoint, that's kind 207 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,799 of what I see within this space. 208 00:09:14,879 --> 00:09:17,759 Um, some of the newer suppliers I feel like breeze into this 209 00:09:17,759 --> 00:09:19,120 because they don't have that history. 210 00:09:19,279 --> 00:09:21,519 But the ones that have been around for a while that have 211 00:09:21,519 --> 00:09:24,480 that baked-in process, they're the ones where you start to see 212 00:09:24,480 --> 00:09:25,679 a little bit of this struggle. 213 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:31,200 SPEAKER_02: I wonder for HR pros outside of retail supply chain, 214 00:09:31,279 --> 00:09:34,720 so for example, services or manufacturing, what what lessons 215 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,320 from your supplier retailer context translate most strongly 216 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:40,240 into their worlds, into their sectors? 217 00:09:40,639 --> 00:09:43,600 SPEAKER_00: The winning companies tend to really embrace 218 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:48,080 that transparency, clear decision rights, and a level of 219 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:48,960 discipline. 220 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:53,360 Um, and then similar to my last question, uh it's embracing the 221 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:58,960 new technology and leaning into it and uh not being afraid that, 222 00:09:59,039 --> 00:10:01,679 you know, mistakes can happen there, but you can fix them, 223 00:10:01,759 --> 00:10:01,919 right? 224 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,000 Like sometimes feel like you can't fix these mistakes, but 225 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:05,120 they are they are fixable. 226 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:10,080 So moving with speed into that technology um embracement, you 227 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:12,879 know, one that I think is huge, that actually kind of surprised 228 00:10:12,879 --> 00:10:13,679 I haven't said yet. 229 00:10:13,919 --> 00:10:17,039 AI coming into the fold, it changes a lot. 230 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:19,519 And I also think, you know, I didn't mention this in the first 231 00:10:19,519 --> 00:10:22,720 question, but that also changes the perception of people's fears 232 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:23,679 for their job. 233 00:10:23,919 --> 00:10:26,639 And so I think that also is a little bit of the resiliency, 234 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:30,000 kind of going back to that last question a bit, is you know, I 235 00:10:30,159 --> 00:10:31,200 want to control my job. 236 00:10:31,279 --> 00:10:32,879 I've been here for 30 years. 237 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,759 If I can keep AI away, it won't impact me. 238 00:10:35,919 --> 00:10:38,240 But it's more about how you embrace it to make you more 239 00:10:38,240 --> 00:10:38,799 valuable. 240 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:42,799 Um, and so I think uh what stands out in some of the 241 00:10:42,799 --> 00:10:45,279 companies you know that we're seeing really be successful here 242 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,519 are the ones that are embracing that uh AI technology change. 243 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,480 They're they have the clear goals of being very disciplined 244 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,840 and clear decision rights uh as well, I think is a big one. 245 00:10:56,639 --> 00:10:58,480 SPEAKER_02: Okay, I can't believe we got through about 10 246 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,639 minutes of this conversation without mentioning AI. 247 00:11:00,799 --> 00:11:03,039 So thank you there for bringing it in. 248 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:05,759 Uh it seems like we can't we can't record an episode of this 249 00:11:05,759 --> 00:11:08,000 show these days without Yeah, absolutely. 250 00:11:08,159 --> 00:11:10,080 SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm surprised we lasted that long as 251 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:10,240 well. 252 00:11:11,519 --> 00:11:14,799 SPEAKER_02: So when when implementing complex systems, um 253 00:11:16,879 --> 00:11:20,000 ASNs, deduction dashboards, compliance platforms, etc. 254 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:23,279 How how do you approach change management and team readiness, 255 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:27,279 especially with cross-functional teams, logistics, finance, AR, 256 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:28,559 sales, and so on? 257 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:32,000 SPEAKER_00: The big piece here, and you you kind of hit on it, 258 00:11:32,159 --> 00:11:35,279 is uh change management uh is critical. 259 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:37,919 What does change management mean? 260 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:41,919 Um I think starting with who your audience is, internal, 261 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,879 external, getting plain language, easy to understand uh 262 00:11:47,039 --> 00:11:51,279 objectives on what you're trying to accomplish from the outset is 263 00:11:51,279 --> 00:11:51,840 critical. 264 00:11:52,159 --> 00:11:57,120 If if I'm working with an uh you know accounts receivable clerk, 265 00:11:57,360 --> 00:12:00,399 if she can't you know understand what we're trying to accomplish 266 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,279 um and she may not be operating at the high level, then we're 267 00:12:03,279 --> 00:12:07,279 not gonna get the uh the buy-in and the engagement that you need 268 00:12:07,279 --> 00:12:09,600 in order to be successful with that change. 269 00:12:09,759 --> 00:12:13,679 So I think it really just starts with that what problem we're 270 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:15,519 solving and being very clear. 271 00:12:15,759 --> 00:12:19,679 And again, like I like to use um, you know, this maybe sound 272 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:23,279 silly, but I like to use my kids as my test subjects. 273 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,200 If I can run something past my kids and they can understand 274 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,080 what I'm trying to accomplish, then I feel like I've probably 275 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,360 got a really good uh communication that will be uh 276 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:34,399 received by the team. 277 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,120 Everybody in the team, no matter what level you are, will 278 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,200 understand the problem and what we're trying to solve and how 279 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:39,840 we're trying to do it. 280 00:12:39,919 --> 00:12:42,720 And so, you know, I think again, kind of going back to that 281 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:44,799 transparency and communication, just making sure it's really 282 00:12:44,799 --> 00:12:46,399 easy and clear for everybody to understand. 283 00:12:46,879 --> 00:12:52,000 Um, from a culture perspective, that transparency I believe 284 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:54,159 helps drive adoption. 285 00:12:54,399 --> 00:12:57,679 But from your onset on your hiring practices, did you hire 286 00:12:57,679 --> 00:12:59,679 people that are you know adaptable? 287 00:12:59,919 --> 00:13:02,960 That adaptability characteristic is probably gonna be the number 288 00:13:02,960 --> 00:13:05,519 one characteristic you almost need for almost any new 289 00:13:05,519 --> 00:13:08,399 associate as you again kind of go back to AI. 290 00:13:08,559 --> 00:13:11,919 The world that we're moving into is gonna be so vastly different 291 00:13:11,919 --> 00:13:15,759 than where we have been for the last, you know, 10 years, even 292 00:13:15,919 --> 00:13:16,080 right. 293 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:19,840 I mean, you could say 20, 30, 40, 50, but it's so different 294 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:21,519 pre-COVID, COVID. 295 00:13:21,679 --> 00:13:25,840 Now, you know, AI is kind of the new you know generation of uh of 296 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,360 change, and that's gonna continue. 297 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:29,840 It's gonna be in everything, every job role, every job 298 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:31,919 function, whether it's working behind the scenes or on the 299 00:13:31,919 --> 00:13:32,240 front. 300 00:13:32,399 --> 00:13:35,120 And again, I know we we we waited 10 minutes, but now we're 301 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:36,000 getting really deep into that. 302 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,759 So that from a change management perspective, that very clear um 303 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,399 product launch mindset, what we're trying to accomplish, 304 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:44,720 who's gonna be impacted, how they're gonna be impacted, how 305 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:46,799 we're gonna do this, the scenario training, the weekly 306 00:13:46,799 --> 00:13:47,360 reinforcement. 307 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:51,039 So that consistency, that discipline, don't let off of 308 00:13:51,039 --> 00:13:52,879 that is gonna be really, really consistent. 309 00:13:53,039 --> 00:13:56,000 So um I think the other big thing within this is what's the 310 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:56,960 feedback loop? 311 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:02,559 Give the team the ability to um give feedback without fear, 312 00:14:02,639 --> 00:14:02,879 right? 313 00:14:03,039 --> 00:14:06,240 Sometimes people don't feel like they get that ability to provide 314 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:06,799 their feedback. 315 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:11,919 You've got to give them a way to provide feedback um where it's 316 00:14:11,919 --> 00:14:15,039 like, you know, no question, no thought as a bad thought or a 317 00:14:15,039 --> 00:14:15,840 bad question. 318 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,960 And no one's gonna be upset that you ask this question. 319 00:14:19,039 --> 00:14:21,840 Like everything needs to be able to be well received so that you 320 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,320 can come back with really good answers as part of that 321 00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:27,120 communication and being that transparency. 322 00:14:27,279 --> 00:14:30,159 So I think that also provides validation for the team that's 323 00:14:30,159 --> 00:14:32,879 gonna be impacted through that change management, which is 324 00:14:32,879 --> 00:14:35,200 really, really important because if you feel validated, you get 325 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:35,679 buy-in. 326 00:14:36,320 --> 00:14:40,799 Um, so it really that that whole package around change management 327 00:14:40,879 --> 00:14:43,840 step by step and how you walk through that is so critical. 328 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,519 Uh, a lot of people are scared right now that how AI is gonna 329 00:14:47,519 --> 00:14:48,480 impact their job. 330 00:14:48,799 --> 00:14:51,600 Got to be transparent about this, in my opinion, up front. 331 00:14:51,759 --> 00:14:55,200 Um, don't you know keep it behind the scenes, and then 332 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:58,879 three months later you impact somebody, like then your morale 333 00:14:58,879 --> 00:15:00,799 across the rest of the organization is gonna take a hit 334 00:15:00,879 --> 00:15:03,039 because they're like, well, they said it wasn't gonna impact 335 00:15:03,039 --> 00:15:05,519 anybody, now it's gonna impact them, and then now all of a 336 00:15:05,519 --> 00:15:08,639 sudden we've got those people fearing for their work, uh, for 337 00:15:08,639 --> 00:15:10,480 their job, and their productivity falls. 338 00:15:10,639 --> 00:15:12,960 So, like being very clear with what the intention is. 339 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:16,320 I also think from an HR perspective, I know it's not 340 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,360 quite part of this question, but just another general principle 341 00:15:19,519 --> 00:15:22,879 is we all know AI is gonna impact all of our companies. 342 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:28,240 The diligence on who you're hiring, what their role is, and 343 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,080 what's the longevity of that role. 344 00:15:30,320 --> 00:15:36,879 I think one of the things that I try to balance with is uh not 345 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,320 overhiring and maybe living under a little bit more stress 346 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:45,120 in the present to help alleviate the pain of potential layoffs or 347 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:47,120 other wage impacts down the line. 348 00:15:47,279 --> 00:15:48,960 Um, you know, there's balance there. 349 00:15:49,039 --> 00:15:52,559 Uh, but really trying to walk that line of being thoughtful, 350 00:15:52,639 --> 00:15:55,840 uh, because you know, the none of no leader that I've ever met 351 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:58,240 wants to impact a person, right? 352 00:15:58,399 --> 00:15:59,600 Like they don't want to do that. 353 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,440 So really putting the stress on who are we hiring, what is their 354 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,559 role, how has that evolved in the next three, six, twelve 355 00:16:06,559 --> 00:16:10,639 months with the new changes that are coming in in our industries. 356 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:12,879 SPEAKER_02: Okay, very good. 357 00:16:13,039 --> 00:16:16,240 Uh, I've got an image in my mind now of you uh standing in front 358 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,440 of your kids presenting on the latest and greatest of uh 359 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:20,879 deduction dashboards. 360 00:16:21,039 --> 00:16:25,759 Um I don't think my five-year-old son would uh would 361 00:16:25,919 --> 00:16:28,960 would sit around and listen to to my musings. 362 00:16:29,120 --> 00:16:31,759 Um one thing that you mentioned there was the feedback piece. 363 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,320 For someone to truly feel safe giving feedback, does that 364 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,080 feedback need to be anonymous? 365 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:41,759 SPEAKER_00: You'll give them the election of how they can do it. 366 00:16:41,919 --> 00:16:43,840 If they want if they want to do it anonymous, give them the 367 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:44,879 ability to do it anonymous. 368 00:16:45,039 --> 00:16:45,440 Absolutely. 369 00:16:45,519 --> 00:16:47,600 I think that's a a key opportunity. 370 00:16:47,759 --> 00:16:49,600 Um, and maybe if they don't, they don't. 371 00:16:49,679 --> 00:16:52,799 And you know, so I agree, like that anonymous aspect is is 372 00:16:52,799 --> 00:16:54,960 really important in that feedback loop because not 373 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,039 everybody's gonna feel comfortable, you know, raising 374 00:16:57,039 --> 00:16:59,120 their hand and being seen by everybody, especially depending 375 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:00,799 on how big or small your organization is. 376 00:17:00,879 --> 00:17:02,879 Like that definitely changes things. 377 00:17:03,039 --> 00:17:06,720 Um, but I think giving them the ability uh to submit anonymous 378 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:08,319 feedback is is really important. 379 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:10,079 SPEAKER_02: Okay, very good. 380 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,000 We are flying through these questions today. 381 00:17:12,079 --> 00:17:15,759 Uh, next up, with with the continual change in retailer 382 00:17:15,759 --> 00:17:19,359 policies such as on-time uh deliverables and external 383 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:20,559 factors like tariffs. 384 00:17:20,880 --> 00:17:24,160 How do you recommend that HR leaders build agility into their 385 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,559 workforce and org design? 386 00:17:27,279 --> 00:17:30,799 SPEAKER_00: You know, you always have a set of skills or soft 387 00:17:30,799 --> 00:17:35,440 skills or um or competencies that you see within an 388 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:36,000 individual. 389 00:17:36,079 --> 00:17:39,119 And I think, you know, historically we've had a set of 390 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:39,359 those. 391 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:41,440 I don't know that those necessarily change, but maybe 392 00:17:41,440 --> 00:17:45,599 emphasis on certain ones has uh risen more than it used to. 393 00:17:45,759 --> 00:17:49,359 Um that adaptability that we talked about earlier, I think is 394 00:17:49,359 --> 00:17:54,559 just is is critical uh in that we are going to be in a state of 395 00:17:54,559 --> 00:17:56,079 change permanently from here on out. 396 00:17:56,160 --> 00:18:00,240 We've been talking about change for you know decades, but it's 397 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:01,039 just speeding up. 398 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:02,240 It just keeps speeding up. 399 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,200 Technology advancement keeps speeding up, the industry keeps 400 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:05,759 speeding up. 401 00:18:05,839 --> 00:18:08,480 There's new ways that you're, you know, in our world that 402 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,039 you're engaging with the customer, uh, whether you're the 403 00:18:11,039 --> 00:18:14,240 retailer or you're the supplier, whether that's through media, 404 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:17,200 how you're appearing there, or it's the way someone's shopping. 405 00:18:17,279 --> 00:18:18,960 It continues, we have drone delivery. 406 00:18:19,039 --> 00:18:20,960 You know, I'm here in Bentonville, Arkansas, and some 407 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:25,039 things that I order uh from Walmart, they get dropped into 408 00:18:25,039 --> 00:18:27,039 my yard via a drone. 409 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,680 Like I never in my lifetime would I have thought, you know, 410 00:18:29,759 --> 00:18:31,599 in the last 20 years that that's something that we'd see. 411 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,799 So this rate of change just continues to evolve. 412 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:38,079 Um, you know, if you go out to the the east or west coast and 413 00:18:38,079 --> 00:18:40,799 you have the Waymo's and like you're riding in cars that 414 00:18:40,799 --> 00:18:41,839 nobody's there, you know. 415 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,400 I've talked to my son about he may not even drive a car. 416 00:18:44,480 --> 00:18:47,119 Uh my daughter is currently driving, so that's a whole story 417 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:47,599 in itself. 418 00:18:47,759 --> 00:18:51,519 But um, building that agility really comes, I think, starts 419 00:18:51,519 --> 00:18:55,680 from are you hiring the people that allow you to have the 420 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:56,319 agility? 421 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,759 And it's not something that every candidate's gonna have. 422 00:18:59,920 --> 00:19:02,400 There's varying abilities, adaptability and agility and 423 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:03,279 being able to move. 424 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:07,279 Um, some people want stability in a lot of those jobs where 425 00:19:07,279 --> 00:19:10,400 they just come in and punch the clock and get to work the same 426 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,880 thing from you know nine to five. 427 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:14,720 That's rapidly changing. 428 00:19:14,799 --> 00:19:16,720 There's not a lot because most of those roles are gonna be 429 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:18,559 impacted by technology in a way. 430 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:22,640 So that adaptability to learn new skills is gonna be important 431 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:26,480 from the person that's uh hiring to the person that's applying. 432 00:19:26,559 --> 00:19:29,519 Um, I think to the audience that's listening that maybe is 433 00:19:29,519 --> 00:19:32,240 looking at how do they think about the workforce, they're 434 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:34,720 entering it, um, whether they've been in it or they're new into 435 00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:38,000 it, the ability to pivot and make changes and understand your 436 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,759 skill set, learn something new, lean into a new technology is 437 00:19:41,759 --> 00:19:44,720 gonna become even more pivotal than it's ever been. 438 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,839 Um, you know, I when I was hired, I used to put things like 439 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:50,720 I'm proficient in you know in Microsoft and PowerPoint and you 440 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,400 know, maybe some specialty systems. 441 00:19:52,559 --> 00:19:55,440 The number one proficiency going forward is gonna be AI. 442 00:19:55,519 --> 00:19:56,559 Are you proficient in AI? 443 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:57,440 Do you know how to use AI? 444 00:19:57,519 --> 00:19:58,960 Do you know how to lean into AI? 445 00:19:59,119 --> 00:20:02,720 That's gonna become one of the things that's gonna be critical. 446 00:20:03,039 --> 00:20:07,680 Um so uh I think then within that, you know, you hire those, 447 00:20:07,759 --> 00:20:11,759 that helps you start to build that culture uh of agility 448 00:20:11,839 --> 00:20:14,319 because you've got the right people that are able to move. 449 00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,079 Um, and then we go back into a little bit of that trust and 450 00:20:18,079 --> 00:20:20,400 transparency lens of where are you moving, how are you gonna 451 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,559 get there, what are you gonna be leaning into, those clear 452 00:20:22,559 --> 00:20:23,359 priorities. 453 00:20:23,599 --> 00:20:27,599 Um so again, that technology aspect really impacts people. 454 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,400 But I don't think tariffs are going away, right? 455 00:20:30,559 --> 00:20:33,359 So we've we've, you know, I think that's something that's 456 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:34,400 probably here to stay. 457 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,079 Um, you know, whether it's the president or Congress or whoever 458 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:41,759 that is the ones enacting them, going forward, that's gonna be a 459 00:20:41,759 --> 00:20:43,279 political stance from here on out. 460 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:48,000 Um, and our evolution with our surrounding countries, as uh, 461 00:20:48,079 --> 00:20:50,319 you know, the United States or you're another country, if 462 00:20:50,319 --> 00:20:52,960 you're you know living anywhere, like tariffs are gonna become a 463 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:55,839 bigger conversation for everybody and really understand 464 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:57,359 and really shape the global dynamic. 465 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,440 And so I think that's gonna continue to be a big piece. 466 00:20:59,519 --> 00:21:01,440 And so that's gonna require flexibility. 467 00:21:01,519 --> 00:21:04,000 And that that stems all the way down to if we get out of the 468 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:05,839 software conversation to manufacturing. 469 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:08,720 So from an operations perspective, like where do I 470 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:10,640 have my you know manufacturing facilities? 471 00:21:10,799 --> 00:21:12,720 Are they onshore, offshore? 472 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:15,279 You know, is there if I'm a textile company, what are the 473 00:21:15,279 --> 00:21:17,039 different areas that you can have textiles? 474 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,200 You know, there's areas that specialize, whether you're in 475 00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:23,119 the Middle East versus uh over in the you know the Asia, Asian 476 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:23,839 countries. 477 00:21:24,079 --> 00:21:28,400 Um that ability to think more dynamically is going to be 478 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:28,799 critical. 479 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,279 And you might have to make some really tough decisions in order 480 00:21:31,279 --> 00:21:32,079 to stay competitive. 481 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,880 So there's that agility and ability to move even within your 482 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:37,519 general operations that historically, like you could 483 00:21:37,519 --> 00:21:40,079 have a manufacturer for 30 years and not have to worry about it. 484 00:21:40,319 --> 00:21:43,680 Now you're having to worry more about um how you're sourcing, 485 00:21:43,759 --> 00:21:45,039 where you're sourcing from. 486 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,519 Uh, and then your retail partners, you know, they're 487 00:21:47,519 --> 00:21:48,400 moving faster. 488 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,960 Uh, they're they're sourcing new suppliers faster, they're 489 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:52,480 sourcing new capabilities faster. 490 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:56,319 So there's this level of agility that you need to have, uh, even 491 00:21:56,319 --> 00:21:58,799 just on your operators and how they're looking and working 492 00:21:58,799 --> 00:21:59,759 within their environments. 493 00:22:00,319 --> 00:22:04,160 Um, so that again, kind of going back to that ability to uh to 494 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,799 really adapt to new environments, I just think is 495 00:22:06,799 --> 00:22:08,400 gonna be, I can't stress enough. 496 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:10,240 You know, I'm really ho honed in on that one. 497 00:22:10,319 --> 00:22:13,680 Obviously, there's so many uh core features of an individual 498 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:15,759 that you should be looking at, but I think for the sake of this 499 00:22:15,759 --> 00:22:18,720 conversation, that adaptability is so important for your 500 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:20,079 associate and your culture. 501 00:22:20,319 --> 00:22:23,599 SPEAKER_02: And I would love to continue talking about um 502 00:22:23,839 --> 00:22:28,799 approaches why adaptability is great, mindsets of leaders. 503 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:31,680 You said something to me earlier on which um I really respect, 504 00:22:31,759 --> 00:22:35,039 which was I would rather take on a bit more work than hire 505 00:22:35,039 --> 00:22:37,759 someone new and then let them down because AI is coming and 506 00:22:37,759 --> 00:22:38,880 they would take their jobs anyway. 507 00:22:39,119 --> 00:22:40,400 Um so fully respect that. 508 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:42,720 Um so I had all these other things I wanted to chat to you 509 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:42,880 about. 510 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:44,559 However, we're pretty much out of time. 511 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:48,319 Before we do wrap up today, though, how can folks connect 512 00:22:48,319 --> 00:22:48,880 with you? 513 00:22:49,039 --> 00:22:53,039 So is that LinkedIn, email, Instagram, whatever you want to 514 00:22:53,039 --> 00:22:53,359 share there? 515 00:22:53,519 --> 00:22:56,559 And of course, how can they learn more about Vendormint? 516 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:57,599 SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely. 517 00:22:57,759 --> 00:22:58,240 Great questions. 518 00:22:58,319 --> 00:23:00,559 Um, so if you want to connect with me, feel free to hit me up 519 00:23:00,559 --> 00:23:01,440 on uh LinkedIn. 520 00:23:01,519 --> 00:23:03,759 There's not a lot of people with the name Dallas Counts out 521 00:23:03,759 --> 00:23:05,759 there, so you're not gonna be filtering through a bunch. 522 00:23:05,839 --> 00:23:07,440 Uh, so feel free to hit me up there. 523 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:08,799 Also, my email is pretty simple. 524 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,880 It's Dallas at Vendormint.com. 525 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,440 Happy to you know uh source there as well. 526 00:23:13,599 --> 00:23:15,680 And then for Vendormint, you can reach out to me. 527 00:23:15,759 --> 00:23:16,640 You can go to our website. 528 00:23:16,799 --> 00:23:20,480 We've got a great AI that's also enabled there that can connect 529 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:22,880 you with the right internal people if you're looking for 530 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,240 some uh you know more specific, specific help. 531 00:23:26,319 --> 00:23:29,440 Um, or you can uh connect to anybody through our our 532 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:30,480 vendorment LinkedIn. 533 00:23:30,559 --> 00:23:32,480 We've got a great list of associates that are on there as 534 00:23:32,480 --> 00:23:33,359 well that you can connect with. 535 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:34,480 So a lot of different ways. 536 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,039 Whatever your preferred method is, feel free and we will we 537 00:23:37,039 --> 00:23:39,119 will get with you and we will help you through your whatever 538 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:40,319 challenges you may have. 539 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:41,039 SPEAKER_02: Excellent. 540 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,400 And as always, there will be links in the show notes and in 541 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:46,480 the article on the HL Gazette listeners. 542 00:23:46,559 --> 00:23:50,000 So fear not if you didn't drop those down just now. 543 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,200 Um, and yeah, it is a great name, Dallas. 544 00:23:53,279 --> 00:23:55,759 I feel like you you missed an opportunity to be a newscaster 545 00:23:55,839 --> 00:23:56,960 or something with a name like that. 546 00:23:57,039 --> 00:23:57,759 It's fantastic. 547 00:23:57,839 --> 00:23:58,960 Um that's never too late. 548 00:23:59,759 --> 00:24:00,400 Never too late. 549 00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:01,359 You're right, you're right. 550 00:24:01,599 --> 00:24:04,720 Um, but that just needs me for today to say thank you very much 551 00:24:04,720 --> 00:24:05,599 for joining me on the show. 552 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:06,480 SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it. 553 00:24:06,559 --> 00:24:07,119 Thanks for having me, Bill. 554 00:24:07,279 --> 00:24:08,160 It's a lot of fun. 555 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:11,519 SPEAKER_02: And listeners, as always, until next time, happy 556 00:24:11,519 --> 00:24:11,920 working. 557 00:24:15,759 --> 00:24:18,720 SPEAKER_01: Thanks for listening to the HR Chat Show. 558 00:24:18,960 --> 00:24:22,720 If you enjoyed this episode, why not subscribe and listen to some 559 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,920 of the hundreds of episodes published by HR Gazette? 560 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:30,000 And remember, for what's new in the world of work, subscribe to 561 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,720 the show, follow us on social media, and visit hrgazette.com.