The rule: technology is inadequate when it fails to deliver on business requirements.
Let’s think about this.
In our world, technology has become a key element in delivering quality interactions with customers and prospects, ensuring business success and longevity. It wasn’t that long ago when technology was cast in only a supporting role. Times have really changed.
How is your business dealing with this change? Are your call center solutions standing up to the pressure? Well if you haven’t done so lately, now is a great time to evaluate the customer-facing technologies that present the interactive links to your business. Here are three things to consider in your evaluation:
1- How long should technology last?
The old way of thinking demands a CAPEX mentality and extends an investment beyond the purchase to include evaluation, testing, deployment, tuning, maintenance and the people to pull it all off. After such a large investment, companies are compelled to stick with a technology long after the value has diminished – usually 5–7 years. In my experience, change is a constant, and locking into a technology for such a long period of time simply can’t align with ever changing business needs. Dynamic technology models have no shelf life with rolling innovation, thus offering ongoing value.
2- How much should the future play a role in your technology planning?
If the recent past is any indication of how things will be changing in our future, owning a crystal ball isn’t such a bad idea. Smart phones, social media networks, dynamic content and video conferencing is just the beginning of a rapidly changing future and represents a fundamental shift from past business requirements. The speed at which change is occurring demands that a perspective into the future be well represented in your planning.
3- What is the right timing for new technology?
Ripping and replacing the old for the new is just plain risky, and innovating just to say you’re innovative isn’t prudent – regardless of the potential upside. A better plan is to evolve a solution by leveraging existing technology and then freeing yourself from infrastructure overhead to focus on business strategy. There is a big difference between new, version 1.0 technology and new deployment models. Make a point to consider cloud technologies that strike the balance of low-risk, stable additions with dynamic and automated innovation.
I would love to hear your thoughts about technology planning. Do you see a correlation between the swift movement of consumer innovation and the technological requirements your business needs to stay on top of things?
