Should you wait for a complete plan before launching an IT initiative?
Information technology drives innovation, and innovation is the path to commercial success. Business reform has the same impact as steam during the Industrial Revolution. Technology in the workplace is a growing requirement. As time goes by, the business world inclines more and more towards him, making it almost impossible to separate the two.
Innovation begets business, and since technology is part of it, we can understand here that business needs technology to be sustained.
It’s fair to say that the concept of enterprise has existed since the dawn of man. Even if it only began with the simple barter system, a company would not be the same as it is today without technological improvements. All major industries would fail catastrophically if technology were removed from the enterprise, because the preponderance of business operations and transactions somehow includes the use of technology.
The role of technology in business has generated considerable growth in trade and commerce. Ideas and business models have been revolutionized by the advent of technology. Indeed, technology has provided a new and better approach to the way we do business. It offered a faster, more convenient and more efficient way of conducting commercial transactions.
Whatever their size, companies are constantly looking for ways to increase their productivity, efficiency and performance. As a general rule, this can be achieved by implementing new technologies. However, while the introduction of new technologies is crucial to running a successful business, the way we want to add these technologies can make or break their fortunes.
An MIT Sloan Management Review study publishes that 63% of managers feel that the pace of technological innovation in their workplace is too slow, with the most cited obstacle to digital transformation being a lack of seriousness. They also feel that the benefits of the new tools are poorly communicated. The need to continually increase productivity is often accompanied by pressure to find the right technology and combine it quickly.
Here are a few tips to make the most of your next technology deployment:
-
No need to wait for a plan
-
Start with quick wins
-
Carry out a digital audit of your company
-
Creating value
-
Adapt as they progress
No need to wait for a plan
As a leader, you don’t have to wait for an implementation plan because you know what you want to achieve. The idea or concept is clear in your mind as to what you want to gain by introducing technology into your organization. You want to stay competitive, cut costs, be more efficient, hire quality employees, improve your customer experience – and you want to achieve all this via the implementation of an IT initiative. If you wait to see everything in advance, you may never get started on anything, and you’ll be behind your competitors!
Start with quick wins
you know where you want to go and achieve, you can start by winning quick wins and learning where you can get the best value for money quite quickly. The idea is to know the exact areas from which you can achieve faster results by implementing IT and reaping the benefits and ROI. This will boost your confidence and encourage you to take more initiative.
Carry out a digital audit of your company
Many small business owners feel that they are already using digital technology effectively, as they have a website and a Facebook page. But there are many other ways to use digital technology to improve your business results. Carrying out a digital audit will help you determine whether your company is a digital novice, digitally active or digitally advanced. A report entitled “ The digital advantage: how digital leaders outperform their peers in every sector “can shed some light on this area. The report indicates that there is a significant financial benefit to adopting digital strategies and technologies, as well as reinventing processes and people to take advantage of the digital trends that are being introduced every day. The research divides the two types of digital transformation areas, namely:
- Invest in technological programs to change the way the company operates;
- Essentially describing the leadership skills needed to drive digital transformation in an organization.
However, the most interesting part of the analysis can be stated as dividing the two types of digital transformation into 4 types of digital maturity:
- Companies that are lagging far behind in adopting advanced digital capabilities, but may be using legacy systems such as ERP or e-commerce.
- Companies that have implemented or tested numerous innovative digital applications – some generating value, others not.
- This group prefers vision to innovation. While they understand the need for a strong digital vision, they haven’t yet fully accepted the ideology.
- These are the companies that are light years ahead of the rest. They not only understand how to increase value through digital transformation, but also combine this with the right leadership, governance and culture to accelerate their work with digital technologies.
The clear message conveyed by this study is that digerati companies are far more mature in both dimensions, and far outperform their competitors. The research shows that digerati are:
- 26% more profitable than their peers
- Generate 9% more revenue from employees and physical assets
- Create 12% higher market valuation ratios
In simple terms, digerati collaborate with digital intensity and transformation intensity to achieve higher performance than either dimension can generate on its own.
Creating value
Communicate openly with employees, discussing the organizational benefits of the new process and describing the reasons for the change. Discuss what might be at stake if the implementation fails, giving possession to everyone collectively. Highlight the direct value of new technologies for workers, and trust them to invest in their success. Value their feelings by taking the time to gather and respond to feedback.
Adapt as they progress
“Adapting to the way we work today while keeping the long-term vision in mind” is my personal mission and vision. As a leader, you don’t need to know everything in advance, but the end goals must be clearly defined and communicated to employees for an improved experience.
The most visionary CEOs can stay one step ahead not only of their competitors, but also of their customers. Anticipating needs and pivoting to respond to consumers at precisely the right moment is what separates the disruptors from the rest. You may not be able to rush straight to your computer and develop the code that changes the path of your business, but if you have a hunch that something needs to change, communicate your ideas to your team so they can match IT with the concept. Being honest with yourself and your technical limitations is the best way to ensure that they don’t stand in the way of your success.
The more you’re able to stick to your vision, and tap into the digital expertise of the right people when needed, the more well-rounded a leader you’ll be. Always keep in mind that it’s better to start sooner than to find out you’ve been left behind!!!!
