Opportunities Missed? The "Vision Thing" in Latin America

I had the opportunity to speak with an executive for a major IT systems company headquartered in the USA recently about Latin America. It was a very professional and pleasant conversation, between two people who know the region, speak the major languages and understand how much progress the territory has experienced in the past few years (and decades). The result of our conversation? A bit of sadness, a bit of frustration and a lot of head-shaking as to "why?"

What caused these reactions? After all, this was a conversation about a well-established company that has major activities in the USA, Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. This is a leader in serving customers with sophisticated and complex technology services, and doing so with a great deal of excellence, commitment and long-term staying power. Well, the reality is that somehow, the company is nearly uninvolved in Latin America.

To be fair, the firm does have some projects in the region, and has bought into some existing operations in different parts of Latin America. Nonetheless, when a particular deal came along that would have opened up new capabilities, delivered a strong client portfolio and was to be had at an attractive price, involving two of the most vibrant economies in South America, the judgement was made by a CFO to "kill the deal". The reason? It was in Latin America, plain and simple.

While this discussion went on to other elements about why Latin America is such a strong regional opportunity for high-tech firms (and many others), it remained on my mind, causing just a bit of consternation. After some thought, it seemed apparent to this writer, that the company in question simply has a problem with the "vision thing" (to paraphrase a recent leader of the free world and a leader of a major computing company known by its initials). Latin America is just a "rounding error" in the total numbers generated by this particular IT company. It's not a vital piece of future business, nor is it an essential element in the strategic growth of the organization --- yet. Could that be ready for a change or will this reticence continue and multiple opportunities be missed?

Evidently, at present, they just don't seem to register the phenomenal growth, quarter-to-quarter going on in Brazil, the excellent economic security that has been re-established in Colombia, the strong growth in Peru, the stable, steady-eddy performance in Chile, and even the re-bound in Caribbean nations, and yes, Mexico, too has begun to recover from its dose of swine and economic flu in the past two years.

A key question then, is what is the "vision thing" and what does it take to make a business sit up and take notice of Latin America? Well that's perhaps a post for another time on this same blog, but suffice it to mention that based on my many years of experience in the region, there is a lot of business to be found, profits to be generated, and plenty of customers (and partners) who will commit deeply and for the long-term to your business just as soon as you show your seriousness, commitment, persistence and willingness to work with the "locals". It's a matter of seeing the forest and the trees, or perhaps better said, having "vision" and being willing to use it to see the brilliant future in doing business in Latin America.

Want to learn more about doing business in Latin America? Contact me: DCabrera@TopExec.org

Want to comment? Please do so on this same blog (below).

Thanks for reading.

(c) Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2010.

The Buzz from Brazil, As I See It

Having recently taken a new job that gives me responsibility for marketing high tech solutions for network security throughout Latin America, I have the chance to travel from time to time in the region. As of this writing, I am in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where I have been working for four days, interacting with multiple professionals associated with my employer's product line.

What does the world look like from Brazil, on the eve of Carnaval (which starts on Friday, February 20th and runs through Tuesday, February 24th)? Well, in the big city part of Brazil, represented by Sao Paulo, it looks reasonably good. The newspapers and TV news all report dutifully and with significant interest on the news pouring from the USA about economic crises, and multi-billion dollar solutions for the auto industry, the home mortgage meltdown and various other challenges. Brazil, meanwhile, toils away with its own share of challenges, and the government continues to commit significant purchasing power to helping its citizens deal with fallout from up north. Globalization being what it is, however, there is no escape from the forces of demand and credit drying up, all the same, as one of Brazil's premiere companies, Embraer, announced today it's laying off 20% of its workforce, due to a drop in worldwide demand for its airplane product offerings.

Additionally, the buzz in Brazil seems to be about the 30-60 day wait to buy (and receive shipment of) a new car. Even those wanting to buy a used car have a period of time to wait, due to demand outstripping supply. Restaurants appear busy, but mostly during the lunch hour, not so much at night. People seem to be complaining that money is tight, yet you can't find a ticket for entry into the Sambodromo (where Sao Paulo's Carnaval celebration is held) for less than $800 (USD).

Folks that are aligned with high-tech product offerings appear to be forging ahead with growth plans across the board. Their main concern is the fluctuation in the US$/R$ exchange rate, which causes their customers and themselves concerns about exactly how much they'll be paying to their US suppliers when the bill comes due. Nonetheless, as off-shore HQ offices tell them to gird themselves for "economically challenging" times, they respond by gearing up for more usage of technology, such as video conferencing, on-line chat and presentation services, and the security solutions that are needed to make sure business (on-line) is not interrupted by connection failures, security breaches or other QoS (Quality of Service) problems. This is a good market for my employer's offerings, and I'm happy to be engaged in serving the clients and partners that we have in Brazil.

In brief, the buzz from Brazil (at least from a "macro"cosm of the economy, like Sao Paulo) is positive, but not 100% so. It remains to be seen how deep the macro economic problems of the world at large will affect this land of extreme potential and tremendous human and natural resource potential. Stay tuned, and thanks for reading. As they say in Portuguese, "Até mais!"

© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2009

Amazing Digital Capabilities in Brazil

Call me a technophile or just someone interested in free markets, but either way, the following anecdote shows some of the innovations going on in our world today. In a recent phone conversation with a dealer/reseller of Wi-Fi Broadband products in Brazil, he described one of his solutions:

For the second largest container/shipping company in the world it is imperative to have maximum efficiency in the handling (loading and unloading) of containers that carry the world's commerce inside gigantic, seagoing ships. To do this the old-fashioned way, the company has to have on-board staff (humans) that tell the crane operator where a particular container is, how it's stacked, and in what order (two levels down, etc.). Using two-way radios this can be done, albeit with some delays as the human staffer has to make his way through the ship to identify and locate a particular container (with its unique ID number).

By using Wi-Fi technology that is linked to each container, the crane operators can easily identify the container, know whether it's vertically or horizontally positioned and find out other important details for loading or unloading. With the cost of labor reduced and the rate of efficiency increased, these shipping operations can move at maximum rates, minimizing the time and cost of having these behemoths of the seas in port any longer than necessary.

This, like many other examples from Brazil (voting on-line, paying taxes on-line, etc.), shows a country that is in the vanguard of technology usage to sustain its amazing rates of growth, its incredible (positive) balance of trade and other leading indicators throughout their economy. What do you think? Do you have an anecdote from domestic or international shores about amazing digital capabilities?

Thanks for reading, and pass it along!

© Daniel A. Cabrera, TopExec.org, All rights reserved, 2008