Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1529988
DECEMBER 2024 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 33 so you are more resilient and have less fragil- ity." It can't be one size fits all, and it can't be one-off. Generally, this helps to have a proac- tive approach because a partner is constantly and reliably keeping their eyes on the ball to make sure things aren't dropped. Seems that type of communication must happen consistently on both sides of the relationship. Yes. Both organizations must be constantly improving and communicating. It can't be a project-based "set-it-and-forget-it" transac- tional relationship. Our business is focused on being that partner that stays in touch. We seek to constantly improve processes, tools, people, and skill sets. is allows you not just to sur- vive but go forward and thrive. In our opinion, we need people, and this touches on sustainability. It's not so much "We've got to save the world" as it is about change management. For example, right now, renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuel energy. So, if you're trying to stay with fos- sil fuel energy it's likely due to some resis- tance to acknowledge the compelling nature of that sea-change. Having someone as a partner means being able to address constant change. Sustainability, technology, politics, and econo- mies are all constantly changing aspects of real- ity that need to be acknowledged, assessed, and addressed. at said, you can't stick your head in the sand; you must have an answer for this just to survive. I agree that the human touch, that person-to- person relationship, is unique to doing your business well. What tools do you use to assist with that effort? Are you bringing software into play at Stellar? Yes, quite a bit, but I'm purposefully not focusing exclusively on that. Technology will undoubtedly influence everything about how people work. My layman's understanding is that machine learning and AI are trained on historical data. But we'll still all have to depend on the human mind to deal with anything unanticipated and new. Anything truly dis- ruptive or innovative will come from humans. And the only way to adequately deal with that change is with humans. We only have to look back at recent history to see how much change we've already experienced. Take, for example, the decision to open the internet for commerce and the simultaneous introduction of browsers. Head- lines proclaimed whole professions would collapse. Yet the browser became simply a new user interface with which to access the data that's out there. When everything settles with AI, it will be seen as yet another user interface into the data set. I think that's completely correct. I don't want to discount it. It is definitely a different tier. But for the most part, the necessary changes will be accommodated by smart people dedi- cating their resources to constantly answer- ing the question, "How can we address this?" " Our business is focused on being that partner that stays in touch. We seek to constantly improve processes, tools, people, and skill sets. "