The Right Information is Key
Our guest today Gorazd Čadež is involved in driving digitalization improvements at M Sora. His work covers a wide range of areas—from managing the entire IT infrastructure to digitalizing customer relationships. M Sora is a company that manufactures high-quality windows and panoramic glazing. A significant part of their business also includes the wholesale of building hardware.
A successful business story today is essentially a mosaic, made up of numerous interrelated pieces. One of the key elements is customer relationships. How do you view these relationships in your company?
This is an area we focus on heavily in our company. We don’t see sales as a one-time transaction; instead, we build long-term relationships with our customers—primarily through offering service support, additional assistance, and a sustainable approach. We understand that a good recommendation or word-of-mouth from an existing customer is extremely valuable.
What trends do you observe in digitalization?
In the long run, digitalization is a process that no one will be able to avoid. At the same time, we must recognize that digitalization follows trends. Artificial intelligence is currently in the spotlight. At various conferences, we see numerous examples of AI applications. Many tools now carry the "AI" label. However, it often turns out that theory and practice are two different things—what works in concept may not necessarily translate seamlessly into real-world application. Sometimes, it’s difficult to precisely measure the actual impact of certain tools. Ultimately, everything depends on the company’s field of activity. Artificial intelligence plays a vastly different role in analytics compared to its use in manufacturing.
You have also taken a step forward in digitalization when it comes to employee rewards in your company. Can you tell us more?
As part of our business, we operate three Spar franchise stores. In the past, our employees in these stores could use gift vouchers. We sought ways to modernize and digitalize the entire rewards process. We considered various possible solutions and presented them to Spar. They advised us to connect with your company. Jurij Triller introduced us to the solution that was initially developed for Supernova shopping centers. We quickly realized that this tool was a perfect fit for our needs. That’s how our collaboration began.
Digitalization, as mentioned, is present in many different areas. However, many people still prefer traditional solutions. What advice do you have for those who hesitate and have not yet decided to modernize their processes?
I see digitalization as a mindset. It’s about what we discussed at the beginning—progress. If you don’t continuously work on improvement, there’s a high chance that your story will end poorly. I believe education is the right approach. People need to get the right information. This is, of course, also crucial within a company. Employees need to understand the benefits of new technologies. As a result, their work will become easier and less complicated. Often, things seem more difficult than they actually are—especially at the beginning. As I mentioned, it’s a process. However, once this transition is complete, the benefits of digitalizing processes become fully apparent.