3 reasons why IT leaders need to create a ‘smart environment’

We all know that the world of technology is advancing extremely quickly and at an even more rapid pace than most experts could have predicted.

This matters a great deal for business leaders, including CTO’s (Chief Technical Officers) who always need to stay on top of key trends in terms of how their customers and their competitors are using and taking advantage of new technologies.

Even if you don’t understand all the nuances of the technologies involved, it’s important to keep an eye on the broad developments so that you don’t get left behind.

Keeping up to speed on technological advancements goes a long way towards creating a ‘smart environment’ within your workplace, which can contribute significantly to the appeal and, ultimately, the sustainability of your business.

Looking ahead

What’s particularly crucial for businesses is that they don’t let ‘tech innovation’ become a checklist activity but that they anticipate future technology changes and are fully aware of the value and benefits of such innovations

You don’t only want to be implementing the latest technology - you also want to be aware of what’s around the corner in the next 5 years because the survival of your business might very well depend on it.

In this article, we will be looking at three key reasons why IT leaders need to stay on top of technological advancements as much as possible and create a smart environment in their workplace if they possibly can.

The Benefits of creating a ‘smart environment’

1. It makes your company a more appealing place to work

To ensure that your business benefits from the new technologies you need to have staff that understand it and can use it. At the end of the day it’s just a tool but if your workforce doesn’t know how to use those tools and haven’t been trained properly in doing so then your business doesn’t benefit.

In many ways, investing in quality IT systems and software should be seen as a ‘retention strategy’. Many professionals in just about any field today decide who to work for, in part, on the basis of how well a business deploys and utilises technology.

Using the very latest technology and being a business that is forward thinking when it comes to creating ‘smart environments’ can be a major source of attraction for people who could be a real asset for your company. Therefore, it’s important that your HR department is aware of this and understands the importance of it and how it can make a difference in their recruitment processes.

Increasingly for businesses across all sectors, creating ‘smart environments’ is no longer a ‘nice to have’ but actually a necessity when it comes to attracting and retaining great people.

2. Competitive advantage

If you don’t implement new technologies that are widely available, then your competitors will. They will be able to serve their customers faster, produce products faster and deliver on their promises faster as a result. Plus, they will, in all likelihood, be able to do all of this while saving the client money in the process.

If you don’t stay properly abreast of the latest technologies and understand what you need to do to successfully implement and integrate them into your business operations, then you could quickly find yourself at a serious competitive disadvantage.

By contrast, if you are the one implementing new technologies earlier than your rivals, then you stand a very good chance of outperforming your competition in important ways. But bear in mind there is a difference between being an early implementor of proven technology and being an early adopter of technology, whose value and effectiveness has yet to be proven.

Being an early adopter can, if you’re not careful, mean you are testing out tech that isn’t right for your business or that ultimately has a negative impact on the way you work because it causes delays and confusion.

So it’s important to be quick to spot trends and adopt proven technologies early but not to be a needless risk taker unless you can afford to take those chances or because it’s a strategic decision that’s been taken for good reason.

3. Smart use of tech keeps you relevant

Everyone knows that a business has to evolve in order to survive and those businesses that stand still for too long will eventually die. In the end, if you don’t implement new ideas and new technologies then you will become less relevant to your customers and also to your employees. 

This is because your customers will be buying and receiving goods and services from companies and suppliers who are implementing new technologies that serve a worthwhile function.

It could be something as simple as them being able to order supplies using an app on their phone or check the delivery status of a product. Tracking technologies are maturing quickly. It could be they expect to search for frequently asked questions on your website which is being fed by artificial intelligence and big data that has come from other feedback that your customers have given you. Another huge area of growth is marketing automation tools (which can consolidate marketing messages and conversations across a number of channels) and the integration with such tools across the business.

Integration of these types of technologies will keep your business relevant to your customers and the latest tech can also assist you in significant ways when it comes to your product development.

Adaptation is essential

Even if a business is doing incredibly well now, if it rests too long on its laurels then it can soon find itself in real trouble.

We all remember the demise of Kodak who for so long was the world’s leading photographic film company. Unfortunately for them, their business leaders thought that digital camera technology was not of a high enough quality so they didn’t feel it was going to rival the products they were offering.

Kodak decided for years that it would stick with film until eventually, it started to produce its own version of a digital camera but by then it was too late as the competition had all-but eliminated Kodak from the market.

The case of Kodak is a high-profile example of how a lack of a smart environment can lead to a business being left behind in a big way. It is becoming increasingly important for all businesses to ensure that they spot the tech-driven trends that will matter most to their customers and to their workforces so that they keep pace with all that’s going on and avoid being left behind.

If you’re interested in the types of technology transformation that could move your business from follower to leader, feel free to connect with me here on LinkedIn.