When I was a kid, I got my first pocket knife. I’d use it to cut up apples from the backyard trees, and eventually started whittling. That hobby turned into self-expression—culminating in a small wooden heart necklace I gave to my girlfriend (now wife). Over time, my simple knife evolved into power tools that helped remodel homes and build playsets—tools that created the backdrop for countless memories with my family.

Professionally, I’ve worked with a different set of tools. From calculators and Excel in school to the complex tech stacks we use in relocation today—logistics platforms, APIs, expense processing systems—tools have always promised speed, precision, and scalability.

But here’s what I’ve learned: even the most advanced tools can produce wildly different results. The same systems can empower one team to deliver exceptional service—or frustrate another into client churn. Why? Because tools don’t deliver service—people do.

It’s the same reason a toddler and a master artist can’t produce the same painting with the same brush. The tool matters, yes—but the hand that wields it matters more.
Technology is evolving fast: AI, blockchain, data mining, machine learning. All are powerful, but their real impact depends on how well they’re used. In the hands of the right people, tech can create seamless relocation experiences—empathetic, proactive, and human-centered. In the wrong hands, it can create a cold, confusing mess.

So how do we get it right? Three things matter most:

1. The right tools — not just more tools. 

My friend is a developer for an internet domain registry company. As the wave of AI tools was hitting the market, the company bought a subscription for every developer to CoPilot. You can debate which AI tool is the most user-friendly and/or effective, but in this case, CoPilot was not the right solution. While there were applications that helped my friend, they were cumbersome to implement into the processes that are necessary to produce the final output. Anyone who is a fan of CoPilot would have been excited at the prospect of having a new tool in the tool belt, but in this case, the new tool was inefficient and clumsy with my friend’s approach and the processes put in place with the company. More Powerful tools still need to be the right fit.

2. Teach, train, retrain.

I’ll use myself as an example on this one. I can get very focused on the output rather than the implementation. What that means is that I can get so focused on releasing a stable, error-free version of Insight that I overlook how the users will be prepared to integrate the solution into their process. What this led to one time is a very frustrated consultant (for good reason) calling me because she was unable to do her job, because a piece of functionality I promised was not yet functional. The problem: it was functional! And it had been for months. I failed to communicate, either at the time of the release or in subsequent training meetings, the functionality and how to implement it into key service delivery. Powerful tools without training and application are useless. Tools only work when people know how to use them.

3. The right people in the right roles.

People are incredible and capable of so much. Amazingly, we are all gifted and talented in our own way, and we all have strengths and weaknesses. When the company has the right tools and it has effective training regimen, it is then on the company to ensure that the people being hired to the role have the skills and strengths to wield the technology stack. An example, I knew a consultant who was in a role as an expense processor. This particular individual was the kindest, most social, and empathetic person. They could walk into the room and people would light up. However, this individual was tech-challenged. Think, incapable of opening Excel. They were the wrong person for the expense processor role because, despite a strategically aligned tech stack and ample training, they were not able to complete the role they were hired for. And it was hard, because they did not feel great in an environment where they undelivered. So, this person was asked to either choose a seat that complimented their skills or to find a new role. We loved them and wanted the best for them, and because of that, they were no longer allowed to process expenses. Good news for us and good news for this consultant, they realized they were a consultant and found a great seat at the table as a consultant. A happy ending. Right person, right seat.

I’m not claiming this is a magic formula for tech success. But if your tools aren’t delivering, these three areas are a great place to start troubleshooting.

In a world where new platforms are pushed at us daily—through ads, banners, demos—the temptation to adopt the next big thing is real. But success doesn’t come from the flashiest software. It comes from intentional alignment between tools, training, and talent.

I’ll always bet on people over tech. But when skilled people are empowered with the right tools and a smart strategy? That’s when the magic happens.