Understanding Technology: What it does, not how it works

Understanding how technology works is hard. Understanding how all technology works is impossible. Luckily, you do not need to understand how a technology works in order to understand its potential benefits for your business. But you DO need to understand what technologies can do—or your business will suffer. This is because non-technical folks can leverage technology even without understanding the details! This is similar to how you can use an iPhone without understanding how it works.

Rather than drowning you with complex technical details, I prefer to use analogies to explain the functionality of technology. Analogies refocus us away from the complexity of the technology and let us concentrate on how we interact with it and the impact it has on us.

In the DX: Bridging the Divide series of articles, I discuss the key technologies that companies should consider incorporating as part of their technology-enabled business strategy. I originally focused on the communication between technical and business leaders during Digital Transformation. But in reality, pretty much all strategic and execution discussions should have a technology component.

These articles give non-technical folks the ability to engage in technology-related discussions with their technical counterparts. (They also enable technical individuals to explain the functionality of technologies in relatable terms.) It is important to note that the aim here is not to include every available technology. Instead, I will concentrate on a concise list of the essential technologies that you and your team should consider:

• Cloud: Including cloud/multi cloud/hybrid cloud (Part 1, Part 2)
• Data: Not the asset itself, but the technologies used to govern, manage, etc. (Part 1, Part 2)
• Analytics: Including artificial intelligence, predictive, machine learning, etc. (Part 1, Part 2)
• IoT & Empowered Edge: Using all sorts of devices (Part 1, Part 2)
• Automation/Robotics/RPA (Robotic Process Automation): Letting the technology do the work (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
• Cybersecurity: Including Zero Trust

I’ll also discuss two categories that are hyped enough that you should know what they can (and can’t) do:

• Blockchain: Not just cryptocurrency
• Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality: Not just the Metaverse

Before you dive in, it is important to acknowledge two caveats:

1.???Depending on your specific business niche, there may be other technologies that you need to consider.

2.???Technology is constantly evolving, meaning this list will continue to evolve as well.

It is critical that everyone in your company understands enough about what technology does to be able to think about how to use it. Growth companies have transformation cultures. They are transforming their businesses using technology, rather than merely transforming their business’s technology.

Taking Action

What do you do next?

• If you don’t know technology: Read these linked articles and then share this list with five people from your company who would be your collaborators on Digital Transformation
• If you do know technology: Read the articles, and then share this list with five people from your company who would be your collaborators on Digital Transformation
• Once folks have read the articles, kick off your first Digital Transformation collaboration session

Focusing on what technology does instead of how it works gives us the foundation to collaborate effectively on Digital Transformation.

Brigid McDermott is the author of?DX: Bridging the Divide, a substack newsletter about the business benefits and requirements of Digital Transformation. She believes that technology can make life better for everyone—if more people focus on what the technology can do, rather than just how it works.

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