As 2020 wraps up, I think we can all let out a collective sigh. We’ve been through a lot. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done as we enter the New Year, but one thing that remains consistent and maybe even provides a bit of comfort, is that this time of year brings about reflection. We always look back at the year that is nearing its end and we think about all the events that have led to this very moment. We think of what we hope for in the year to come and we might even create some New Year’s resolutions, all to the (somewhat annoying) tune of All I Want For Christmas Is You…whether we want to or not.
This time last year we were getting ready to launch our new website and announce our new brand promise: KnowNow. I am sure you’ve seen this promise throughout our site, in social media posts, and maybe even heard it a time or two from members of our team (we really love it). But what does it mean? American painter Kenneth Noland said, “for me context is the key—from that comes the understanding of everything.” In marketing, it’s hammered into our heads very early on that “content is king,” but is that content any good without context? Maybe that’s what Noland had in mind when he made his comment about context—in actuality, context’s the one that’s king and it reigns supreme over content, because without it, content is lost.
So, let’s put KnowNow into context. Why did we choose this to reflect Terso Solutions? In the broad sense, knowing leads to actions that can enable businesses to run more efficiently and ultimately create greater business value. Knowing helps to reduce costs of production and distribution, increase margins, and create better business processes through optimizing inventory. On the other side of this, the context was found from our personal experiences. We work with a lot of customers who all have unique challenges. Some are looking to track inventory in one location and would like full visibility of the inventory and who is accessing it at any given time. Others might have a more complex issue that they are trying to solve with RFID technology, such as tracking inventory in the field, moving from one location to the next via field representatives. We help software vendors, healthcare facilities, and laboratories track things like pharmaceuticals, tissues and biologics, surgical loaner kits, reagents, implants, and the list goes on. All of these items require a certain level of care which is unique to that piece of inventory. But the common theme, no matter who is trying to track inventory and what inventory they are trying to track, is that they want to know now. They want to know instantly where an item is within any building, whether this is a hospital, lab, or pharmacy. They want to know immediately that a product is nearing expiration. They want to know when a freezer door has been left open and that they still have time to act. In fact, they need to know all of this information and more without delay because it could mean the difference between life and death, between a scientific breakthrough and a scientific breakdown.
But even more than that, we wanted something that also transcended the boundary between customer and team member because when it comes down to it, we’re one in the same. We are all working toward a collective goal—providing the best technology to enable healthcare heroes and scientists the ability to do their jobs without having to spend time worrying about inventory. We wanted something that our team believes in and can stand behind. I knew we had accomplished this when a team member reached out and said that when working on Stratosphere’s software features, they were inspired by KnowNow. Even a minute delay in inventory stats wouldn’t do because that’s not knowing now.
Heading into 2021, knowing now seems to be even more relevant. We can all agree that working remotely has posed a lot of challenges, both in our day-to-day and for our big-picture projects. Being able to have a high level of visibility across the supply chain makes it easier to do business despite the many obstacles we are facing. For example, field reps that would normally drop-in on-site, can see shared data in real-time, allowing them to provide the best service and support to the hospitals they help stock with high-value medical devices.
Not to mention, as hospitals are inundated and scientists are working tirelessly on creating a safe and effective vaccine, having the proper cold chain tools for correctly storing this life-saving drug and the visibility it requires across the supply chain will be essential to manufacturers, distributors, and hospital staff alike. Of course, there are many different use cases, workflows, and needs that can’t be summed up in one blog post, but what we can see, is that no matter the circumstance, we are all asking the same questions:
Is it the right quantity?
Is it the right quality?
Is it the right time?
Is this the right source?
Is this the right price?
We all want to know the answers to these questions, and we all want to know them now.
When we were entering 2020 I said, “the evolution of Terso as a company is undeniable. We are changing and growing at a rapid rate and because of this it was important to look at our brand holistically. Our story should evolve with our company.” Even more than that, our story should evolve with our customers and their needs, and as we ring in the New Year, our brand promise still rings true. Our New Year’s resolution is to continue to contextualize KnowNow. To frame it so that it makes sense. To put it into action each and every day because actions speak louder than words. So, as we try to put KnowNow into context, look for the solution that’s behind this phrase. Whether it’s our devices working hard to keep inventory where it needs to be, software that gives you the real-time visibility you need, or our team showing up when it matters most (and even when it doesn’t), that’s the context.
Here’s to the New Year and all the possibilities it may bring.
