The Pozyx Glocalization Strategy

For those of you who followed the ‘Pozyx Goes West’ blog, our Glocalization concept should sound familiar: Pozyx wants to be a Global player with locally managed offices for location services.

We have been working hard these past years to become a Global Real-Time Location Solutions player, but only recently opened our first local office in the United States. The main goal was to copy/paste the HQ strategy and solutions, and add the local US flavor to it for our US-based partners, customers and prospects.

We believe that the best way to do this, is to onboard a new market with an open mindset, eagerness to learn about local culture and willingness to become a contributor to the local eco-system. At the other hand, we strive to maintain the corporate strategy and values and to become operational and cost-efficient as soon as possible.

Not sure if we did it by the textbook, but I am happy to explain the 4 basic Pozyx steps in a more detail and share our lessons learned with you, since we are celebrating the 1st anniversary of Pozyx Inc!

Step 1: Select the perfect location

Depending on your business model and customers, it is important to make sure to pick the best possible location for your local office. At first, like most technology companies, we started looking at the ‘usual suspect locations’ in the US, but quickly decided they were not the best fit for Pozyx. Most of these business hotspots were too expensive, too crowded or in a too distant time zone, until we discovered the hidden gem Greenville in South Carolina. A perfect match, based on our specific expectations and business criteria. We organized a scouting mission and decided to open the first Pozyx office in The South.

Step 2: Prepare a soft landing

Starting from scratch is very costly and time consuming, so upfront preparation and local alliances with partners and economic development organizations are crucial for a successful launch. The strategic partnership with Pozyx partner Gemba Systems in Greenville and prep meetings with local business organizations enabled a ‘soft landing’. Once we stepped on the plane to GSP airport, our shared Gemba Systems/ Pozyx Inc offices were already open for business and our agendas completely booked with meetings.

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Step 3: Cultivate local presence, embrace global values

Finding a good balance between investing in the local ecosystem and maintaining the corporate values is key. We decided to work with a local partner, hire local Pozyx Inc sales reps but also to send a member of the Pozyx HQ management team to Greenville to lead the local office and start up operations as acting President. I decided to go all the way, leading by example and motivation, so I sold my house in Belgium and moved with my family to live and work in Greenville.

Step 4: Stimulate growth and local leadership

Looking back at this first year, I feel proud of what we achieved together as a team and feel we are ready to take a next step to fully integrate in the local ecosystem. Ryan Graham has proven to be a great choice as the number 1 Pozyx Inc local hire. The collaboration with national partners and business organizations resulted in a very nice funnel and pipeline. The logical next step now is the search for a local leader to manage the Pozyx Inc office, stimulating growth and expansion throughout the country, based on a proven track record, experience and an elaborate US network.

From a personal point of view, I can only say this past year has been one exciting ride on a high-speed rollercoaster! The Pozyx Inc experience has charmed and overwhelmed me! Therefore, once I find and announce our President Pozyx Americas, I am not sure if returning back to HQ as CCO for the Pozyx group is still my preferred choice, since I feel my contribution to the Pozyx Inc episode has not reached an end yet.

But that is another story and probably the topic of another blog in the near future … to be continued.

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