Greg Beyer With JDC Group

Intro: [00:00:04] Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s time for Atlanta Business Radio brought to you by onpay Atlanta’s new standard in payroll. Now here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:25] Lee Kantor here, another episode of Atlanta Business Radio, and this is going to be a good one, but before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor on pay. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories today on the Atlanta Business Radio. We have Greg Beyer with JDC Group. Welcome, Greg.

Greg Beyer: [00:00:42] Hey, Lee, thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:44] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us a little bit about JDC Group. How are you serving, folks?

Greg Beyer: [00:00:49] Well, I’ll tell you what, it’s an exciting story. Back in 2005, our founder, Yohannes George, who had been in the Sapp ecosystem for a long time back in the 80s and 90s, he decided it was at the Atlanta area, was was ripe for an opportunity to start a staffing firm around SAP. And so JD, see, you know, they they they focus primarily on SAP opportunities and then expanded from there and to staffing around business transformation. And that’s where we are today, right? Strong relationships in the South and mid-Atlantic areas, primarily around Atlanta. And now we’re expanding that footprint to include SAP is consulting and advisory services.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:33] So now, as part of the evolution, has it been kind of primarily driven by your clients demands or is this something that you’re seeing and ahead and you’re ahead of your client?

Greg Beyer: [00:01:44] Yeah, absolutely. I would say to you that what’s what’s really the market forces for me are creating an opportunity that are are more expansive. And by that, I mean, it’s its customers today need, I would say, a three pronged approach to to support in their IT infrastructure. Their business challenges require sometimes prime implementation work where they have consulting firms come in and advise them and help them consume their software. Other times they they do direct staffing where it’s maybe project based and then then real expertize by individual right solution architects, business process experts, things like that. So really, it’s the market that’s driven this opportunity.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:28] Now are you finding that just more and more major enterprises are kind of choosing SAP and that because of that inherent demand is just really kind of helping your company grow?

Greg Beyer: [00:02:43] Yeah. So, you know, obviously I have a bias here, right? So I’ve been on the SAP ecosystem a long time since the early 90s, in fact, even before I had email. But but I would tell you that SAP is really a leader in digital transformation. Their tools and their applications and the software that they provide is really unparalleled in terms of arrival. And by that, I mean, they also expand out into the hyperscale world. So they’ve got cloud relationships with Google and AWU’s and Microsoft. But in terms of customers, really, I think that the interesting thing around SAP is they’re all hyper focused on on process efficiencies. And this is, I would say, namely due to supply chain issues and challenges around manufacturing as you see them today. And then also there’s labor force issues, right? It’s hard to find good people today. And so SAP can help our customers maximize values, maximize their value, whether that’s doing more with what you have or implementing best in class solutions. And as I mentioned before, the real the real final touch or icing on the cake is, is their relationship out in the marketplace with the hyperscalers and cloud based solutions?

Lee Kantor: [00:03:57] Now, when you’re working with your clients, how does kind of what’s kind of the initial point of entry and then how does it kind of expand once they see the depth of your knowledge and services?

Greg Beyer: [00:04:09] Right, so we we normally engage with customers in the revenue, you know, I would say our sweet spot is three billion and below in terms of revenue, and that’s because these types of customers, we either number one, have an existing relationship with them, supporting them in SAP or non sap I.T. areas. The second thing is they’re looking for a partner to come in and provide them guidance. And what makes us uniquely qualified for this is our ability to be flexible and tailor our delivery model for our customers. So for example, if a customer wants more direct guidance in terms of how to consume their software, whether it’s an architecture question or really a three to five year roadmap, we can provide that assistance. Other customers already have SAP expertize, and so they don’t really want that direct guidance. They want an adaptive model where they can get access to solution architects and specialty services, and we provide that as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:05:07] Now you mentioned talent earlier. Can you talk about your the backgrounds that your SAP team members have and how do you continue to have a pipeline of quality talent?

Greg Beyer: [00:05:22] Surely I can do that. I think what really positions GDC as a specialty, an experienced group, is that we were our main core team is comprised of former SAP employees. These employees have played various roles in their careers in and around the SAP space, including in program delivery and customer care, account management, business strategy and solution architecture. Every one of us shares similar DNA in terms of we’ve all led implementations. We understand how to run efficient teams and build quality products and drive successful outcomes for our customers. And then lastly, to that point, all of us maintain and have existing relationships within the SAP ecosystem, and that includes even within SAP’s product ownership as well as the executives in Waldorf. So we keep keep a close eye on key decisions around products and the direction each of them is going. And we also keep close relationships in terms of how to solve business challenges that we see every day. And to your to your last question, I think what makes us unique is that we can tailor our implementation offering and we can handpick the people that we know that have the expertize that each customer needs. And so having having those relationships in the ecosystem for years and years really gives us that exposure and opportunity.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:49] And can you share a little bit about how you’ve seen Atlanta and the Southeast grow in terms of an area of growth for consulting and services group like yours in and around SAP? Is this are you kind of very bullish about our future now? I would imagine this is a totally different landscape than it was 16 years ago when GDC started.

Greg Beyer: [00:07:12] Yeah, I would say to you that Atlanta is absolutely a major market in the U.S. there are many Fortune 500 companies here. It’s a hotbed of technology, and there exists what I think is an abundance of opportunity to help our customers innovate. And that for me, even in the last nine, 10 years that I’ve been in the Atlanta space, I’ve seen it grow exponentially. So there’s a ton of opportunity and there’s a need. Right. So our customers, our customers are seeking partners that can help simplify the message and help create successful outcomes outcomes with consuming technology. But the other piece to this for me is GDC has long established relationship and many customers in the Atlanta space in the South, but also specifically in Atlanta. And that customer base allows us to to to uniquely position ourselves to have conversations and figure out how to support our customers, depending on what they’re looking for. And so we we look forward to expanding that footprint and with the the growth and addition of the SAP consulting and advisory services, we’re looking for new customers who seek out that type of partnership that GDC can offer.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:26] Now, are you seeing any trends in the marketplace looking forward into twenty twenty two? Are you seeing, you know, with the remote working? Anything that’s happening that is going to contribute to your success?

Greg Beyer: [00:08:41] You know, it’s it’s we have right? And I mentioned earlier. So e-commerce and supply chain challenges have been a huge topic for us. A lot of customers are seeking advice and input in that area. And I really, as far as the remote model goes, you have to be able to provide a core competency in that space. And so for me, your ability to identify and and be able to drive project implementation work remotely is a key to success. And so that means experience really becomes the most important thing in terms of helping customers have success with their implementations.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:21] Now what do you need more of? How can we help? Do you need more clients? Do you need more talent? What do you what do you need more?

Greg Beyer: [00:09:29] Well, I would tell you both, you know, we’re open to opportunities if customers are seeking advice. We would welcome the chance to meet with them and hear what kind of challenges they’re trying to solve every day. And in terms of talent, it is a never ending quest to to seek out and find high quality people. And it is it is something we talk about every day. And you know, you’re you’re some would say you’re only as good as your latest implementations, and we’re looking for well-rounded people that have high emotional intelligence and willingness to be part of a great team. And that’s what JD is all about.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:07] And if somebody wants to learn more, have a more substantive conversation with you or somebody on your team, is there a website?

Greg Beyer: [00:10:13] There is. I can send that to you, but it’s I believe it’s JD.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:19] Yeah, JD Hyphen Group is a website I have here. If somebody wants to connect with you directly, is LinkedIn the best way to do that?

Greg Beyer: [00:10:27] That’s correct. Please have them do that.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:30] Good stuff. Well, Greg, thank you so much for sharing your story today.

Greg Beyer: [00:10:33] Thank you, Lee. I appreciate it.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:35] All right, this is Lee Kantor. We’ll see, y’all next time on Atlanta Business Radio.