I often hear and see so many assumptions that buying new technology with ‘better this’ and ‘better that’ will solve a whole host of problems in one fell swoop.
“Everything will be so much better when we get our new technology in place!”
For sure you have hit what could be a defining moment; but in reality, this is the point at which your real challenges start and where you should categorically live and breathe truly transformational behaviour making sure all your angles are covered!
As a buyer of new technology, sales people will make it their goal to sell you the vision that by signing on the dotted line you will magically solve all your problems. Good sales people will figure out your pain points and align all their functionality to meet those ends. Clever presentation techniques will then persuade you to buy the tech. Job done!
There is nothing fundamentally wrong with this approach…it’s their job right? And more often than not their solution scenarios will be bang ‘on the money’.
However, these intelligent sales pitches often overlook fundamental elements such as the people you need to manage your new technology, your plan to integrate it seamlessly into your business and the skill sets required (internally and externally) to truly maximise your investment.
…but how you then use and integrate it into your business to make genuine change and drive true incremental value is a challenge of even greater proportions.
After the hard yards of integration, post ‘go-live’ it’s natural to think…
BUT this is where the real challenge starts and the point at which so many businesses get it wrong! More functionality and better tech doesn’t always mean the same or less people.
With more capability you need to think more and make change more. There is more to develop, roll out, test and measure…
You may need to evaluate your business processes and/or how you work as a team. You may need to recruit a new type of resource to maximise specific elements of new
functionality that align to different skill sets. As well as the people element you also need a clear robust roadmap that tackles HOW you will get there and by WHEN.
All too often short-term ‘quick-win’ thinking takes over! Never lose sight of your initial vision and stay true to that – set up your medium to long-term planning directly alongside your quick-wins workstream.
Having the right people with the best skills for the job, combined with a resolute well thought out plan will beat buying new tech ‘bells and whistles’ any day of the week. So never lose that foresight when buying into new tech moving forwards.
Never think of ‘Go Live’ as ‘Day 1’…it’s day 365+1 when you’ve fully embedded your new technology and maximised all its functionalist and potential.
The investment isn’t just the tech it is everything else around it. This is where you will really find those ‘golden nuggets’ we are all searching for…day in day out!
Luke Ibbetson
Managing Director
Horizon Powered By XCM