It is not that I am very frightened about technology but I am a bit inhibited when it comes to considering it. New technological inventions and processes have come a long way over the last century. Fine new devices have developed along with their accompanying software, but I often ask myself why I am not prepared, at least to embrace, not just this new technology but all of it.
I am afraid to write about it. I am from an older generation were more impressed with Knowledge for the professional kept mum about new ideas. My peers would laugh at my ignorance when I expressed an interest in establishing myself in the computer world, but I don’t feel that retains itself or even me.
New ideas or technologies usually come in waves. By this time Apple, for example, already seems to have conquered the market with the iPod, iPhone and now, the iPad. What was a market five years ago may not be still around today. Most companies do not even have an exhibit on display at an expo. At a recent technology show, thousands of new devices were on display with the largest display area in the entire hall. The biggest concern for those involved in computer technology is not new products or technology that is even considered in your office, but a simple and effective way to display them and manage your potential customers. With the iPad, Apple has succeeded with a less expensive initially solution.
Technology is like the weather. Always change, never static. You don’t have to keep all of your business investments the same. Think and adapt. A few years ago I read a travel magazine that I read every week discussing countries altitude ratings and fault weather conditions. It gives the average weather conditions for a country and also has general temperature and humidity information. You can also get information on the differences in temperature. An interesting idea but a far cry from today’s recent findings.
The good news is, there are many open markets where these temperature reports are freely available. The problem is most companies do not know the energies temperature changes. We now happened to witness what might be the forecasting of the trend – the sunset and we immediately saw the temperature in the West drop ( Jose, warnings sneak increases globally and from this point one day). That was a wake-up call. Those that have not irritated themselves because of the data, will soon.
Technology, particularly in some areas of business, can help make some aspects of your business more efficient. The question is, do you do anything. When the office is running efficiently you are encouraged to make a decision that saves you money, yet even when the company is not machines know how to deal with it right away or how to increase sales or production.
I have considered market information for technology as a way to help my company be more successful. The results of in-house market research are critical to a company’s ability to compete (e.g. Southwest Airlines) or to find new growth areas after an upgrade. The companies that use data research and change look like the companies that survive and thrive. So take advantage of what tools like trade intelligence are out there and do not discount the benefits of acquiring the data they will provide you, lest you miss the boat and miss out on a big opportunity.
One of the software solutions that we use is Sumo. This software allows groups to share data quickly. Sumo gives you an idea of how workflows from your company. It is a great tool for you and your company to better understand what projects are being delivered to your clients. Additionally, Sumo allows for easier collaboration between tasks, vastly improved their ability to manage financials. The challenge is, Sumo is important for you too. This tool also complements your company’s overall visual data. You can have different views of the same piece of data while you can see different parts of that data.
When you combine these tools, technology and people you can truly understand opportunities. Make sure you combine your data along with your knowledge and skills to determine the implications of data. We recommend that you be innovative and use the big picture innovatively (not competitively) make your projections with facts on the spot and effectively communicate the why, how and how to your company’s leaders.
One thing I would recommend is to bring some people to the table. Bring marketing, IT, contract professionals alongside their products or services. Develop solutions, form teams that understand what you have to offer and how to track the data that they need to update the organization’s snapshot of the market. The cost of doing business today is defined by the services that you bring to the table. You cannot be your competition whereas your competitors are the only ones who want to know and provide data. Hire and train the right people and you will know it.