We recently sat down with Jesper Kehlet, Founder and CEO of the Hoalani Group, parent company of CuroGens and Eleqtus. Those of us that have worked with Jesper for some time have inevitably heard him say, “don’t pee your pants to stay warm.” It’s very…Jesper. So, we decided to dig in a little deeper about this favorite expression, and ask him how it relates to business here at the Hoalani Group.
Q: You say this phrase kind of a lot. Where does it come from, and what does it really mean?
A: It’s an expression that means there’s a short-sighted solution. It keeps you warm for a moment but then it cools off and you know, that’s just pretty nasty. I grew up hearing the phrase in Denmark. It’s just one of those things everyone says there.
Q: What is the exact phrase in Danish?
A: Som at tisse i bukserne for at holde varmen.
Q: How does this line of thinking dictate what you do on a daily basis?
A: I always try to look into the future and be more careful about not doing something that can come back and bite me later. It’s a way of life – I’m always trying to think about the actions I’m taking today and how they will affect the future.
Q: How does it play into what we do here at the Hoalani Group?
A: We want to ensure that everything we do is made for longevity. From customer relationships to offering solutions that optimize business outcomes for the future. Every action should be geared towards creating things that stand the test of time.
Q: Along this line of thinking, what would you tell customers that are essentially peeing their pants to stay warm? What can they do differently?
A: It’s essentially about not using stopgap measures to get a quick win. Often times, short-term solutions carry technical debt. We need to remind customers that they have to build for longevity. For example, a company deciding to build a solution with Excel spreadsheets carries technical debt. Employing automation would be better instead for longevity. It’s that constant hunt for a better solution long-term. By the way, the term technical debt has been extensively explored by a man named Alan Williamson, and I highly recommend that people review his technical debt guide. He shows an example of a bridge over a stream that’s breaking, which is patched up, but it keeps breaking. It really needs to be built again with a solid foundation. It’s the same for us in our world – technical solutions will break down eventually – in the long run it will come back to bite you.
Q: It sounds like this thinking would apply to a customer that continuously fixes an outdated ERP system, correct?
A: Exactly. To put it in layman’s terms, it’s like the person who has their water heater break down over and over again. They pay extra money to have it fixed multiple times, sometimes on a weekend or holiday when it costs extra. At some point, they’ll pay the same money they would have spent to replace the water heater with a modern, more efficient version. Companies are spending more money fixing outdated systems not only because they’re paying for the specific fix, but also because they’re losing potential cost savings due to efficiencies a new system could bring. It’s the longevity conversation again.
Q: How about ECM customers? Any examples?
A: Here’s an example of something that could fit. In the EU, there’s a mandate that by January 1, 2025, all government entities have to process all inbound AP invoices electronically and automatically. Private sectors will have the same restrictions shortly thereafter. I recently heard of a company that decided to use the built in D365 AP invoice scanner automation. This seems like a great idea, except that OCR is a very manual process and requires a great deal of intervention. It’s not truly an automated process. This is a classic example of peeing your pants to stay warm because there’s a bunch of technical debt that goes along with that. Instead, they should use a solution like Exflow, which does supply an automated process.
If you want to learn about more popular Danish phrases, or about what we do at the Hoalani Group, drop us a line at info@hoalani.com