Episode 328: Hit Promo's Amy Rabideau and Jon Norris Are Making Big Changes

7 Nov 2024 · 30 min
Episode

7 Nov 2024 · 30 min

0:00

In this Skucast episode, host Bobby Lehew interviews Amy Rabideau (Hit VP of Product) and Jon Norris (Hit Chief Strategy Officer) about Hit Promo’s new ConnectedPlus integration and its electronic purchase order (EPO) workflow. They explain how ConnectedPlus creates a unified data language between Commonsku and Hit, delivering real‑time pricing, decoration options, and inventory allocation, which cuts order‑entry communication by 50‑70%, reduces errors, and speeds order throughput by up to two days. The conversation moves to the scale challenges of handling over 5,000 daily decorated orders, the goal of achieving 95‑97% hands‑off processing, and the complexities of ship‑date calculations. The guests then update listeners on Promo Standards, noting a new website, an upcoming 2025 tech summit, and two draft standards—order‑status/shipment‑notification and remittance‑advice—aimed at moving the industry from basic transactional data to actionable workflow resolution. A substantial portion of the episode is devoted to change‑management philosophy. Amy shares that fear of the unknown, job security concerns, and lack of clear communication are the main barriers to technology adoption. She advocates for transparent, multi‑modal communication, listening, and “brutal honesty” about how roles will shift, drawing on Stoic ideas of courage and promptness. Jon adds that timing of communication and avoiding premature exposure to incomplete plans are critical. Both guests warn against over‑customization: just because a system can be tweaked doesn’t mean it should be, as excessive tailoring hampers integration and ROI. They also highlight Hit’s internal culture—deep expertise across functions, a strong sense of community, and collaborative “yes‑culture” that encourages curiosity while setting realistic expectations. Finally, Jon discusses AI’s emerging role in the promotional products space, citing low‑hanging‑fruit search improvements, AI‑assisted PO data processing, and especially dynamic, AI‑generated graphics that personalize marketing assets. Amy mentions her current reading of Ryan Holiday’s Discipline Is Destiny and Jon’s habit of listening to the AI Daily Brief. The episode wraps with promotional plugs for SKUCon and Commonsku.

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