Welcome to My World: An Interview With Keith Satterfield of Kodak

Author:

February 2008

What is your responsibility at Kodak? And what is the relationship between you and Kodak’s corporate IT office?
The Kodak Dayton facility is one of several acquisitions made over the past several years that today makeup Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group.  As a member of the Corporate IT organization my responsibilities continue to evolve as we continue to drive efficiencies and alignment in support of Kodak business strategy.

My current responsibilities are twofold. Locally, I have overall responsibility for Information Technology at the Dayton location.  From a corporate standpoint I have broader responsibility for Global Application Support across the Graphic Communication Group.  A large part of that role involves improving operational efficiencies through the implementation of common support processes, insuring agency compliance and improving application reliability.

How did you get that position?
In general, my career progression has followed a somewhat traditional path.  Beginning as a programmer I was on the team that implemented the company’s first integrated erp system.   I held management positions in operations and application support and then led the project to replace the existing system with a more robust system before moving to a management position in accounting.  After several years in accounting I took the IT Director position where we assembled the team that selected and implemented the current Oracle 11i system.  As the company expanded, applications and IT support were extended to locations in Asia and Europe and I was named CIO.  The integration resulting from the Kodak acquisition led to my current position.

What is the IT environment at Kodak? Do you build or buy?
There will always be a need to build specialized applications or functionality, but as a general rule we buy whenever possible.  The IT environment in Dayton is rather uncomplicated consisting of primarily Oracle, HPUX and Wintel.  However, the global environment across Kodak is spread across a very large number of technical platforms and applications.  We are addressing this complexity through Application Portfolio management and simplification which, in combination with the strategic application roadmap, is providing the information needed to make better investment decisions and eliminate applications that are no longer providing value or benefit.

What will be different about Kodak Dayton IT operations next year?  In 3 years?
The one thing that has been constant throughout the time I have worked here is there has always been change and the next few years will be no different. Later this year we will launch a project to move away from the Oracle Suite of Applications currently in use in Dayton and onto the global SAP system.  While it is clear that this will represent a major change, I don’t think anyone can predict the full impact it will have on the business or IT operations in Dayton.  We do know that there will be many new challenges and opportunities for everyone.  There will be opportunities to take on new roles, learn new skills, rise to new challenges and leverage the knowledge gained from our past experiences to create value.  For many of us these are the precise reasons we chose a career in IT.

What have you learned from networking with your peers in the Dayton region?
The best thing I have learned from other IT professionals in the Dayton area is the similarity of problems we share.  We often assume that our businesses are so unique that they require unique IT solutions, but while there may be differences in the applications and infrastructure deployed, many of the issues we face are really quite similar.  We all have challenges of managing complexity, agency compliance and delivering solutions that align with business strategy.  Organizations like the Greater Dayton IT alliance provide a great opportunity to share successes and failures with people who have similar experiences.