Information Technology has made profound differences to the way we do business. It used to be obvious – computers enabled staff to be more productive than paper-based alternatives. Today, its not so simple.
In the good old days, 10-15 years ago, the brochure was being replaced with a website and direct mail began moving to email campaigns. The Web has exploded into life and has been rapidly evolving ever since. The rate of adoption by everyone has been spectacular. So has the rate at which online users are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
At the same time, traditional computing environments have been maturing. Administration and security overheads are changing the cost/benefit equations. The benefits from upgrading software applications are less pronounced than the initial changes from manual to computerized systems. Today, businesses have to consider multiple internal systems, numerous online options, and choose between many communication channels. Adding to the complexity, the flow of information has turned into an avalanch.
Technology now provides the world with a constantly expanding, splitting, evolving environment in which businesses need to invest and plan. The simpler days when the latest big thing led business changes are disappearing. So what role does technology play today?
Technology is now the great enabler. There has never been a better time for businesses to get creative and use technology to customise their commercial and operational activities. Businesses are now only limited by their imaginations.
Therein lies the challenge. Technology used to restrict options, making investment and planning decisions simple. In a world where technology is constantly expanding and anything is possible, how does a business decide what to do?
The answer is to call Innovise! While that is definately a good idea, the real answer starts with businesses really understanding themselves, the eco-system that surrounds them, and what is driving them. The question then changes from: “what do we do with technology?” to a more focused “what technology will enable us to do xyz?”