Among other products, CANBERRA sells fixed and portable devices for detecting radiological threats. What’s it like selling a product that nobody hopes ever has to be used to its full potential?
Nobody wants a nuclear incident, but our products are used to their full potential every day. I am proud to say that our homeland security line of products is used every day by first responders who bravely protect our country and its borders. These products allow them to safely and effectively do their jobs. However, this is only one market for Canberra. We also provide nuclear measurement solutions to nuclear power plants and laboratories worldwide.
You’re responsible for IT activities in the U.S., France, Benelux, England and Canada. Has the Internet made the world a smaller place or bigger?
The Internet allows us to truly understand how large the world is while exploiting the endless business potential. It’s amazing how easily information can be made available from a global perspective. We are always looking at methods to better leverage the Internet, whether through Web site development or Customer Relationship Management initiatives. In the end the biggest advantage is utilizing the Internet as a vehicle to increase global visibility and improve customer satisfaction.
How does globalization work in this field when nuclear power is an energy source not widely embraced in your corporation’s home country?
It’s truly a non-issue for Canberra. In the U.S. and abroad we provide solutions for multiple industries including homeland security, and although nuclear energy is not prevalent in the U.S. at this time, there is obviously a growing need for non CO2-emitting energy sources so this is likely to change in the future. Canberra is truly a global company and nuclear power is prevalent throughout Europe. For example, France derives nearly 80 percent of its electricity from nuclear power.Â
You’re a chief information officer. What is this position’s value to an organization?
For years IT (including the CIO) has been viewed as a necessity for operational activities, i.e printers, email, data backups, etc. In today’s technology-driven companies like Canberra, operational excellence is a given. The CIO is expected to translate and transform technology into an enabler for financial growth and, yes, cost savings. My staff and I work closely with our business members to align information technology with business goals in very creative ways to increase performance.
Short term, what does the future hold for Canberra in terms of information technology?
Systems and application planning has certainly been our main focus over the last year with regards to our Enterprise Resource Planning. Our business and IT members are fully dedicated to enhancing the system to its fullest potential. We also utilize Microsoft Sharepoint extensively to complement SAP. It ties in well and acts as a secure repository for needed information across the organization as well as a tool for business workflow processes. I see great potential for Canberra with regards to Customer Relationship Management software but that discussion could truly take up its own article.
Â
BIO BOX:
Name: Roger J. Czuchra
Age: 38
Company: Canberra Industries, Meriden
Position: Chief Information Officer
Birthplace: Ansonia
