In previous issues of Smart Business,
members of MIS Group, one of the
nation’s premier software and technology service providers, have discussed the importance of developing an intentional approach
to the integration of business and technology. They also covered the need for every
company to develop a superior business
strategy, one that is continually updated to
reflect changes in the business environment.
“IT spending is a more significant part of
the corporate budget than it was in the
past,” says Chuck Reeves, MIS Group’s vice
president of Technical Services. “The rising
number of innovations and options allow
leaders to better exploit technology to
achieve the dramatic, competitive successes they seek.”
Smart Business asked Reeves about the
applications that best support and enable a
savvy business strategy.
How is emerging business technology shaping a company’s competitive advantage?
A company’s IT function has to be in line
with the way its leaders think about competition and emerging threats and opportunities. If the right technology is put in place
and properly synchronized to fit the determined business strategy, it’s like having the
precise mix of fuel in a high-performance
engine. When an engine is fueled correctly,
that engine will go farther, faster and have
fewer breakdowns. The right technology
also gives a company more business options.
What specific options can technology provide
to move a business forward?
In the book, ‘Winning the 3-Legged Race:
When Business and Technology Run
Together,’ the authors use the example of
the old picnic game to describe how business and technology, running together, can
help a company win the race. In the three-legged game, two players run with one leg
free and with the other leg tied to that of a
teammate. The team that comes out ahead
is the one that is the most coordinated.
The authors of the book give a great jumping off point for a discussion concerning
how technology enables business options
through its four strategic roles:
- Automation — By automating its
transactions and work processes, a company can increase productivity and slash overhead. At the same time, the customer is
more likely to do business with a company
that simplifies his or her life through automated processes. By integrating systems,
such as customer relationship management
(CRM) and accounting, pertinent information becomes available to end users wherever they are and whenever they need it. In
addition, the clunky processes that once
hindered workflow (like duplicate entry and
offline processing) are eliminated. - Empowerment — When technology
supports every aspect of an enterprise, it’s
easier for team members to make fast and
accurate decisions. For example, if a field
service worker has access to a customer’s
full account information via a mobile device,
that worker can promptly and efficiently
handle the majority of customer issues. - Control — If operations are monitored
to ensure accuracy and if data is controlled
to maintain validity and integrity, every
part of a company’s decision-making
processes is enhanced. Alerts can be issued
and checks and balances established so
that there are no unauthorized expenditures or approvals and fewer unnecessary
mistakes. - Transformation — Innovative IT tools
can provide new opportunities for facilitating farsighted executive vision. The new
wave of technology solutions, like managed
network services, virtualization or centrally
hosted software, are just a few of the tools
now being used to maintain business agility
and ward off competitive threats.
How can an executive decide which of these
four elements is most critical?
These four roles have different priorities at
different stages of a business life cycle. For
example, sometimes technology enables
business strategy. Other times it acts as a
forerunner, leveraging an organization for
future business opportunities. Though each
of these four elements falls under the
umbrella of information technology, not
every IT professional is qualified to address
each role equally. So it’s important to develop the relationships and resources that will
enable a sound IT strategy.
How can you tell if an IT strategy has been
properly instituted and implemented?
When a business strategy and the technology needed to support that strategy are
adeptly deployed, it becomes difficult to distinguish one from the other. It’s not unlike
the symbiotic relationship that has to develop to win a three-legged race — the
entwined limbs will propel a team forward
but only when the two function as one.
In the next issue, we’ll focus more on the
specific tools that can be used to catapult
your business toward the finish line.
Hoque, F. (2006). Winning the 3-Legged
Race: When Business and Technology Run
Together. Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Prentice Hall.
CHUCK REEVES is vice president of Technical Services for MIS Group. Reach him at [email protected] or
(866) 467-4181.
