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As we slowly embrace the ever-growing digitalized economy, we must utilize the technologies available to gain competitive leverage and stand out from the competitive crowd.
With over a decade of expertise in guiding businesses of many different sectors through their digital transformations, we confess that embracing new tech can be a double-edged sword – though novelty may be exciting, it can also be daunting, especially when it involves changing a system your business may already be accustomed to.
But if you’re reading this, you know the reward is worth the calculated risk. The key to a smooth and successful tech adoption is strategic planning from A to Z. This article intends to provide a high-level overview of how you can confidently adopt technology within your business. Let’s get to it.
Before planning the logistics of how your business will incorporate the new technology, the overarching question should be: How does this technology contribute to the company's larger goals?
A great example of this is none other than Microsoft, which implemented the emphasis on a growth mindset led by Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO from his book “Hit Refresh.”. The reason they were able to incorporate technology successfully was Nadella’s persistence in ensuring the company was rooted in a growth mindset, where continuous learning from one another and keeping customers at the epicentre of business decisions was the norm. The results? Look where they are today.
It takes patience and iterations to establish clear communication lines for everyone in the company on why this technology is essential, how it can help the organization move forward, and what it does to do just that. This sets the foundation for whether or not this technology will succeed and serve its purpose.
Remember, any misalignment (no matter how small) can quickly derail and create opportunity costs and a lack of efficiency in managing resources and workforce efforts. So, consider taking your time.
To get from point A to point B, you need to plan out how you’ll get there, what route you’ll take, how much gas you need, and what supplies you need along the way—the same goes for adopting new technologies.
A roadmap should include a clear outline of how your business will get from point A (your current state) to point B (your new state), from assessing your company’s needs, planning how you’ll incorporate the technology to operate, and carrying out the action plan. While roadmaps may vary from one industry to another, it should include three essential components:
Defined milestones. Think of it as a major checklist for getting the technology up and running (e.g., Distributed training manuals to staff, Completed data transfers from the old storage files, etc.).
Timeline. Setting an agreed deadline keeps you and your team on track and ensures your company can get ahead as timely as possible. (e.g., Complete Phase 1 in 3 months and Phase 2 in 6 months and have produce feature available for customers to use in 8 months). Remember, time is of the essence.
Determined roles and responsibilities. This is a crucial component of any successful plan. When delegating tasks and responsibilities, ensure everyone involved is aware and understands what they need to do so they don’t overlap. The last thing you need is time and resources wasted due to double work or unclear roles.
A common and practical approach is pilot programs, where you can implement the new technology in an early phase to a small group of people. This is where you can collect early feedback (the good and the bad) to make tweaks and avoid overwhelming customer complaints for a minor issue that could have been fixed early on.
While this may look different from one company to another, the idea is the same—that is, to detect potential issues and iterate to ensure the final product performs as intended. This enables businesses to move more confidently while building a positive public image.
If you were the movie director, the end user (your customers) should be the main character. According to McKinsey, establishing a user-centric approach can lead to 20-50% gains from the cost base, pinpointing its essence in fitting the puzzle pieces together.
Your company should also ensure that your customers or end users know where and how to get training, support, and resources to ensure a smooth transition through adopting your new technology. There is no point in introducing a life-changing technology if your end users don’t know how to use it.
If there’s one thing you can prepare for, it’s this. People tend to dread change for various reasons, possibly due to the discomfort of learning an entirely different process or simply the fear of being obsolete.
Identifying and addressing these concerns early on is paramount to ensuring those involved in the change can be heard and understood and get the support and training they need to gradually reduce their resistance and eventually embrace the change. This will take time, patience, and empathy but can be achieved with clear communication between all parties.
Technicalities are of the essence. Before fully adopting the new technology, businesses must ensure that their teams can integrate it into existing systems to avoid any unwanted complications in the adoption process. An initial technical assessment and then deciding to go with the chosen technology or opt for an alternative is the way to ensure a prompt, functional use of the new technology.
While some may think it stops here, it never truly does.
Having perfected our expertise in six business domains, we know for sure: adopting new technologies isn’t a fixed point; it’s an ongoing process called continuous improvement. A common denominator that successful companies have is having an engrained mindset and culture for continuous learning and iterations. That’s how they run successful technology adoptions, but more importantly, that’s what keeps them ahead of everyone else.
So, ask yourself, are you ready to develop and implement up-to-day and effective IT-solutions? If you are, we at Lab42 will be ready when you are.
