The role of technology as a facilitator, a conduit to successful business activity, spans across almost every enterprise organisation, including healthcare, education and government. While the applications of technology vary across industries, the benefits – when successfully implemented – are pervasive. Ultimately, organisations are faced with only two choices: adapt and maintain pace with the rate of change, or risk being left behind.

This two-part series contains commentary from Data^#3 leaders on tomorrow’s challenges, with insights on how businesses can best position themselves for what lies ahead. Today, we’ll discuss Technology: The Growth Quotient and Adoption and Change Management. In part 2, we’ll cover Managed Services and Data and AI.

Technology: The growth quotient

Gone are the days when technology represented only a single component of innovation or progress. Today, technology and its capabilities are interwoven into every facet of an organisation, from foundation platforms to productivity software to AI.

Intrinsically tied to the future direction and success of an organisation, “The successful use and application of technology will be at the forefront of business strategy,” said Data^#3 Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Laurence Baynham.

The growth benefits driven through technology differ across organisations: in general, scalable applications underpinned by sound network and connectivity architecture with software integration capability, sets the necessary foundation.

A focus on superior user experience, functionality and support ensures the technology is adopted and the business investment realised. When widespread adoption of the right tools is paired with innovation and new technologies such as PaaS and AI, a formula for growth is created.

“Technology is no longer just being viewed as the plumbing,” said Peter Jarrett, Head of Operations for Business Aspect, a Data^#3 company. Both Baynham and Jarrett emphasise that technology very much comprises the fabric for any modern enterprise organisation.

Regardless of location or sector, organisations that can effectively merge technology with their business priorities are the ones that will emerge as future frontrunners. However, to do this requires holistic evaluation of the tools and platforms available.

“This involves considering how technology will enable the entire business,” said Brad Colledge, Executive General Manager for Data^#3.

A shift is evident, as the focus continues to heighten on outcomes driven through technology rather than on the tools alone, said John Tan, General Manager – Infrastructure Solutions for Data^#3.

“In our discussions with customers, we are very much seeing a shift from evaluating just the technology to asking ‘What capability does this avail to my business? How are we differentiating and attaining further market advantage as a result?’”

Speaking to the true needs of the customer, grounded in outcome-based deliverables, is where the market appetite lies, said Tan. “The focus on outcomes is how partners like Data^#3 is able to differentiate and influence results for our customers, throughout the customer’s entire lifecycle.”

“Organisations need to be asking themselves, how will this technology support business processes, increase operational efficiency, and simultaneously deliver top line growth?” said Colledge. “To achieve all of these considerations in a secure, agile environment is critical to future business success.”

Part of the holistic evaluation, technology success and utilisation boils down not to the tool itself, but its linkage to business strategy, said Baynham.

Alignment between technology investment and overall business strategy is integral to this complete view.

“A key success factor of any tech in an enterprise is the ability of the organisation to adopt and evolve it. This applies to either their internal systems or their business offerings,” said Michael Bowser, Executive General Manager for Data^#3.

This alignment requirement extends beyond the enterprise, and into institutions such as healthcare and education.

“What we continue to observe in many schools and institutions is a lack of alignment between the investment in technology, and the broader business and learning objectives,” said David Wain, National Sales Manager – Education for Data^#3.

Conversely, institutions with mature, robust ICT strategic planning processes in place typically have a much higher return on their technology investments.

“There is a significant opportunity for leaders to become more involved in the technology planning process to ensure that investment is inextricably linked to business and learning goals,” said Wain.

With the current velocity of change, an integrated, layered approach should be applied to the future strategic direction, supported by technology enablement and sound governance, said Jarrett.

“If you don’t know where you’re going, how can you effectively govern what you’re doing? If governance is applied without considering future scenarios, it’s simply applying governance to the status quo.”

Adoption and Change Management

While it may sound simplistic, further extending this linkage to human interaction is all too often neglected by organisations. “The technology alone is never the solution in and of itself: how does it meet the human or organisational need?” said Baynham.

Lack of adoption and failure to implement adequate change management can cost organisations millions. Approximately 70% of business and healthcare initiatives fail to achieve what has been promised on time and to specification.

“We’ve seen, especially through recent events, how technology has taken centre stage, across all facets of our lives. Technology is now more relevant in work and everyday life than ever before,” said Tan. “Driving adoption of the evolving capabilities in this space should be one of the most important priorities for all business leaders.”

Organisations well-versed in successful adoption and change management were identified through the early days of the pandemic. Those with strong collaboration processes and maturity in adoption management were at the forefront of the transition, and in most cases were able to migrate and maintain operations with ease.

Extending even beyond business continuity, this strong ability to adapt quickly also increases the return on technology investment.

Tan maintains that the success of technology is rooted in enablement. “It’s about speed and flexibility. It’s never only about the tech, it’s how we enable it and support it throughout a customer’s organisation.”

In the future, organisations will take an active position on maximising technology and platform capabilities in full. With budgets shifting and the heightened expectation to maximise investment value, the challenge will be balancing cost while delivering performance to stakeholders.

To maximise return, ensuring alignment of business requirements, the technology and adoption across the entire organisation will become simply too important to ignore.

Join us at JuiceIT Digital 2021

In 2021, Data^#3 brings you JuiceIT Digital. The Future in Focus: The Journey to resilience and adaptability. JuiceIT Digital is a unique opportunity to learn first-hand how your organisation can become stronger, more adaptable, and more resilient. Successfully harnessing technology advancements to drive change in 2021 and beyond will be challenging, but full of exciting advancements for technology professionals.

Join us for a 2-day digital event, with sessions from Data^#3 and world-leading technology vendors including Microsoft and Cisco – as we discuss insights on the future of technology, and how to prepare for what lies ahead, technology intelligence, data governance, risk and compliance and workforce talent of the future, among many other topics.

To learn more or register today, visit: www.data3.com/events/juiceitdigital2021