Hank-Yu, CEO, Freedom Systems
In today’s market, businesses that embrace advanced technologies and build a culture of innovation are the ones that are successful. An organization must not only ride the wave of change but also be proactive and have a strategy for change. Thinking long term, choosing the right partner and implementing the right solution that are in line with the company’s purpose and business model is crucial.
We talked to the CEO of Freedom Systems, Hank Yu, on this changing business landscape and how his company is helping businesses in Taiwan adopt new technologies and cope with the rapidly evolving market. Established in 2008, the company exists to provide value to its clients by approaching its service delivery from the customer’s perspective. This means their primary concern is not developing and selling advanced products with rich features but identifying the core issues and building solutions around them in line with the client’s long-term interest. “We approach things from the customer’s perspective rather than just focusing on the product itself,” says Hank Yu. With this model, the company is making a significant impact on clients by reducing overall business operation costs and improving business output by creating an efficient IT landscape.
Freedom Systems entered the market offering cloud technology solutions with a limited scope. However, driven by wider market trends and customer needs, the company has expanded its technology offerings and scope significantly. “As trends and customer demands evolved, we have broadened our service offerings to include subscription-based device management, cloud management, cybersecurity management, and project management in specific domains,” says Hank Yu.
Back in 2008 when cloud technology was emerging and relatively new in the market, the company saw the potential and the rising need for skilled professionals. They quickly positioned themselves as experts to serve clients in Taiwan. This careful analysis of market trends and understanding of the areas where customers need help the most has been the driving factor of the company’s inception and expansion.
Building Trust through Service Excellence
Like many startups, one of the initial challenges for the company was gaining trust from the market. Additionally, corporate clients in Taiwan at the time did not fully appreciate the value of professional IT services. In response to these challenges, the company invested a lot in educating clients, and strengthening their IT expertise while providing services beyond clients’ expectations.
With increased client base and resources, the next step for the company was recruiting more talent and investing in better management of software. Partnering with international hardware and software companies, obtaining their service qualifications, and consequently receiving more referrals was also a major strategic initiative that helped the company gain trust in the market.
Success is often measured by the size of the client, yearly revenue, and profits, and goals are set accordingly. However, for Freedom Systems, pursuing excellence and the provision of quality services that add real value for clients has always been the top priority. “When we could promptly and professionally resolve client issues, our reputation improved, fostering a positive word-of-mouth effect,” explains Hank Yu.
When asked about the ingredients of a strong team, Hank Yu points out clear and honest communication, trust among team members, smooth collaboration, creativity (thinking beyond boundaries) and desire for excellence as important elements. For Hank Yu, having a creative mind that challenges existing patterns and traditional concepts is the key to avoiding missing out on opportunities. On complacency, he says, “When you think you are good enough, growth stops.” He further elaborates on the company’s philosophy of excellence by saying, “We uphold the philosophy of pursuing high standards, constantly surpassing ourselves, and raising the standards of how we review matters and processes and the quality of service, thereby challenging the limits of growth.”
Recipes of a Productive Entrepreneur
Running a competitive company in the most efficient manner demands a fit mind and body. Hank Yu takes this seriously and invests heavily in it not just for him but for the rest of the team as well. His hobbies of reading, exercising, and practicing martial arts enabled him to maintain good mental and physical stamina to carry out his responsibilities in the most efficient way.
With the belief that fit mental and physical health creates the most productive team, Freedom Systems encourages employees to find a good work-life balance by providing work flexibility, software and other resources for remote work arrangement. Additionally, they offer a sabbatical leave program. This allows them to rest and recharge.
We live in an era where lack of opportunity is not the challenge, but figuring out which specific field to choose. Hank Yu believes that an aspiring entrepreneur should pick a field where they are willing to work hard and remain dedicated. But most importantly, to succeed in the most genuine manner, one must have the spirit of serving people. This has been the story of Hank Yu and his company. It is the willingness to help and create values that make the company succeed in the market. The essence of a spirit of service he explains is “proactively solving clients’ problems.” Hence, team training to think from the client’s perspective to understand their real issues, and not just consider the company’s own interests, is a major investment for the company.
Poised for Further Expansion
Having proven in Taiwan as a reliable partner, Freedom Systems, under the leadership of Hank Yu, aims to become a world-class IT service company. Starting with Asia, service expansion to Europe and North America is on the roadmap of the company. “We are currently making strides towards this goal, starting from Asia,” says Hank Yu.
Today, the company has positioned itself in the market as an expert in the evolving IT landscape to provide the necessary knowledge and services for clients who want to take advantage of the latest technologies and know-how. With a mission statement of “We believe that information technology should be easily accessible, enabling us to embrace the endless possibilities of the uncharted world,” Freedom Systems with its hands-on implementation knowledge is making a valuable impact for its clients. Hank Yu is optimistic about the future of the company if they continue to stick by their mission and philosophy and remain dedicated to the clients.