How AI Changed the Game for a Global Manufacturer

When Coberg, Germany-based Kaeser Kompressoren started on a journey to improve its data quality, little did it know that artificial intelligence (AI) would become a major game-changer for its business.

With a workforce of around 8,000 and a global sales and services organization operating in more than 140 countries, Kaeser is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and providers of compressed air solutions and services.

Together with SAP, Kaeser wanted to improve data quality and optimize its core business processes.  “AI was on our radar screen back then, but it wasn’t our starting point,” recalls Dr. Norbert Enge, chief business consultant for SAP Business Transformation Center.

The proportion of SAP Business AI in Kaeser’s data project rose from less than 10% in the first year to over 30% in the third. Today, the team is now 100% focused on SAP Business AI and has developed 12 specific use cases targeted at adding value for customers.

Discover more at the Fast Company article.

AI and Its Impact on Work

You have an idea for a new AI tool. Now what?  Two Northwestern Kellogg researchers offer tips on how to get AI development right. It's a podcast but a transcript is available, too.

Be careful how you approach this.  You don't want a rush to nowhere.

AI Picks in 2025 from MIT Technology Review

For the last couple of years MIT Technology Review had predicted what’s coming next in AI. A fool’s game given how fast this industry moves. But they're on a roll, and they've done it again.

So what’s coming in 2025? We’re going to ignore the obvious here: You can bet that agents and smaller, more efficient, language models will continue to shape the industry. Instead, here are five alternative picks from the MIT Technology Review AI team.

Strengthen Your People

To seize opportunities in an evolving global order, leaders will need to build geopolitical resilience by investing in three domains: insight, oversight, and foresight. There is, however, a fourth dimension that, without fail, arises in our [McKinsey's] discussions on geopolitical resilience with CEOs and board directors: people. The questions that come up include the following:

• How should I talk to my employees about sensitive geopolitical topics?
• How do I balance transparency with confidentiality around the work our company will not do in a market—a stance that, if it became known publicly, may jeopardize our organization’s operations, people, and reputation in that market?
• How should I upgrade our processes, from employment background checks to internal controls on unauthorized access to data, amid growing stakeholder and regulatory expectations and requirements?
• How can I strengthen unity within our organization and signal that we are committed to being global and inclusive in a changing world?

The question becomes:  How you plan to strengthen your people in 2025?

To learn more, access the entire article here.

From WPO Chicago, Let's Go 2025!

Peace.  Good health.  And joy.  May 2025 be filled with prosperity and phenomenal growth!  Best wishes from WPO Chicago.

Happy Holidays from WPO Chicago!

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays From WPO Chicago II Chapter (12/12/24)

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Happy Holidays from WPO Chicago I Chapter (12/5/24)

©2024 Laurel J, Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Outlook for Women Business Owners Is Optimistic in 2025

As 2025 approaches, entrepreneurs remain optimistic about growth despite economic uncertainties. According to EY’s Entrepreneur Ecosystem Barometer, many entrepreneurs who experienced strong revenue growth in 2024 anticipate a stronger market next year.

Business owners are pursuing growth even in uncertain times.

One Million People Joined in a Day: Bluesky Rises

©2024 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

In early November, 1 million people joined Bluesky in a single day. Now, a live counter shows over 20 million users as of earlier this week. With 10-11 people joining per second, the social media startup seems to have no limit. Here’s what to know about the social media platform scaling faster than anyone expected.

Many point to multiple factors, rather than a random rise in popularity, for the success of Bluesky. X has been dealing with mass exoduses, the largest of which involved 115,000 people who left after the election.

The surge has coincided with not only the election month, but also a change in the X user agreement that went into effect Nov. 15, which includes legal ramifications.

I [Laurel Delaney] am on Twitter but I have also setup an account at Bluesky.

What would you do if your business took off?  Are you ready? 

How Do You Know When You've Made It As a Business Owner?

While more and more women have been opening their own businesses, women entrepreneurs still face challenges when branching out on their own and moving up in professional settings.

Fast Company spoke with six women entrepreneurs who have created thriving small businesses. Some of these businesses add a dash of beauty to the world through flowers or jewelry, some offer joy with artisanal treats, and still others make life easier for new moms through the cutest kids PJs or functional breast pumps.

But they all have commonalities that began when the women first turned their passion projects into viable incomes. 

Here, they share the stories of founding their businesses—and the moments they knew they’d made it.  It boils down to:  What does success as an entrepreneur look like? 

Passion. Collaboration. Community.

Passion, collaboration and community are key to running a successful business. That’s according to a recent survey of women business leaders as part of PNC’s bi-annual Economic Outlook Survey.

“Women entrepreneurs are leading with passion for their business, confidence, and optimism for the future,” Peterson-Sheptak, head of Business Banking at PNC, said. “We need to make sure we have the resources and people to support their success.”

APCO's Margery Kraus Offers Top Strategies for Women Founders

Margery Kraus (pictured), a globally recognized master storyteller and communications innovator, is the founder and executive chairman of APCO, a global advisory and advocacy consultancy headquartered in Washington, D.C.  She is also the former WPO Board Chair.

She has deep expertise in providing strategic counsel on issue-based communication, crisis management, market entry and corporate reputation across diverse industry groups.

Margery founded APCO in 1984 and transformed it from a company with one small Washington office to a multinational consulting firm in major cities throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Read the interview with Margery conducted by Vanessa Ogle at Medium.  Rich in detailing and incredible insights are shared.

From Succession Planning to Building a Leadership Factory

Leading a global organization in today’s fragmented world is difficult—perhaps more difficult than ever.  Difficult times demand great leaders.

Here’s an overview of traits and practices required to succeed as a leader today and a look at the factory model that can help aspiring managers ascend.

What to Do When You Have to Deal with a Toxic Employee?

We often talk about how difficult it can be when you have a toxic manager. At Fast Company, they've shared plenty of advice on how to handle a micromanager, or what to do when your boss is absent or neglects to give you important feedback.

But bosses, too, can face their own share of challenges navigating tricky relationships with people they manage. So what do you do when you have to deal with a toxic employee?

Read on.

Be There Fast, Be There First, and You Win. WRONG.

©2024 Laurel Delaney.  All rights reserved.

From thought leader Jim Collins:  "I recently [2000] met with the CEO of a hot Internet company who described his concept for competing on the Web: “It’s a big land rush,” he explained. “It’s all about being the first to build critical mass and create a brand name.” Then, in a bizarre twist, he admitted that his company’s Web site didn’t work all that well and that customers might be disappointed by their early experiences. “But it doesn’t matter,” he said. “The whole game is to stake out your territory.” His strategy hinged on one simplistic idea: be there fast, be there first, and you win."  

When Jim asked to explain what would protect his company from the inevitable assault by huge companies with deep pockets and vast preexisting customer sets, he said: “Inertia! Our competitive advantage is their inertia. By the time they wake up, the game will be over, and we will have won.”

WRONG.

Jim states:  "It doesn’t really matter who gets there first, so long as you figure out a way to produce a better solution, doggedly persist in bringing that solution to the world, and continually improve. And if you happen to have the misfortune of being first, of being the early leader in market share, then keep in mind that someone—right now—is learning from your mistakes."

Read the full article here for context and understanding.

What Happens When You Always Want to Look Perfect?

“I had this crazy idea,” says Kim Kardashian. “My stylist is always like, ‘Don’t wear a bra!’ and I’m just like, ‘I can’t.’ I want to feel comfortable and secure. What if one boob’s over here and I’m dancing, you know?” she said with a laugh. “I just always want to look perfect.”

Thus the creation of the Nipple Bra, which the company released alongside a campy faux-educational climate video starring Kardashian, and a pledge that a one-time donation of 10 percent of sales would go to the charitable network One Percent for the Planet. The then $62 bra went viral and sold out in less than a month.

This is how you come up with an idea and launch.  Mind you we are not Kim Kardashian but we can still come up with great ideas and execute them.  Why just look at all the successful WPO members!

Read the entire article here.

Ensure Your Team Can Meet Challenges Head On

How do you ensure your team is prepared to meet challenges head on or even before they happen?

Here are four lessons leaders can take to guide their teams when disaster strikes.

How to Create Value Consciously For All Your Different Stakeholders

Whole Foods founder John Mackey said Whole Foods should have died in its first year due to a once in a hundred-year flood at his first store, and he didn’t have the words for it back then, but now he does: the stakeholders saved him. His customers, his team members, his suppliers, his investors, the bank, the community that he was a part of didn’t let him die.

He goes on to say, "I realized that we were an interdependent network of relationships. And they cared about us. They didn’t want us to die. It changed Whole Foods forever, because from that point onward, we began to take seriously each one of these different relationships and to try to do right by them, to create value consciously for all these different stakeholders."

Read the full interview here.

Super Success: 21st Annual WPO Chicago Summit 2024!

21st Annual WPO Chicago Summit 2024

WPO Chicago chapter members had a wonderful time networking and learning about what it takes to scale a a business, "Hyper Growth:  The 5 Phases to Scale Your Revenue, Profits and Team," from keynote speaker and CEO Allison Maslan (pictured in front row/center).

Allison Maslan, CEO of Pinnacle Global Network (https://pinnacleglobalnetwork.com), was recently named “One of the 10 Women Entrepreneurs to watch in 2023”, by Forbes Magazine. She is the Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author of, Scale or Fail, which is endorsed by Daymond John and Barbara Corcoran of Shark Tank. Allison’s built 10 successful companies over the last 40 years.

Here's what we learned from Allison:

Scaling doesn't come from working harder. It comes from thinking and acting strategically. 

If you, the CEO, are still rescuing projects, deadlines and micro-managing team members while chasing after clients, you are not going to be able to scale. Instead, you are choking the growth of your company.

It is critical that you become 'un-required' in your business and build a team-managed company that can flourish without you there. It is also important that you expand to a more scalable model that can multiply your impact, profits, and the number of people you serve.

In addition, she showed us:

• What Scaling Phase your Company is in right now and what needs to happen to elevate to the next level
• How to Hire for Growth so that each team member more than pays for themself
• How to Build a Team-Managed Company that can flourish without you in the day-to-day
• 15 Scalable Models that the most successful companies utilize to multiply their growth

I'd like to thank Foley & Lardner for hosting us – especially the extra assistance from Partners Lauren Loew (and Ellen Wheeler) along with their assistants Lorri Kilavos (and Cynthia Bailey).

Our Steering Committee members get a big shout out for their help:

1. Kim Robinson, President, FrontlineCo (Chicago I)
2. Angel Li, Founder & CEO, RISE Education (Chicago I)
3. Margo Jacquot, Chief Care Officer & Owner, the Juniper Center (Chicago II)
4. Nasutsa Mabwa, President, ServiceMaster by Simons (Chicago II)
5. Lauren Loew, Partner, Foley & Lardner (Chicago II chapter member)
6. Laurel Delaney, President, Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global (Chapter Chair)

Huge thank you to Allison for sharing her experience with us.

Gratitude to all for achieving a super success at our 21st Annual WPO Chicago Summit 2024!  A few photos can be found here.