Uptake Technology

• Do you continuously explore new technologies that could change your business?
• Is technological change an input to your strategy development process?
• What are you doing to maintain or recreate an entrepreneurial atmosphere in which business and technology integration occur naturally?
• Are you shaping the technology agenda in your industry or following it?

If you have answered ‘yes’ to these four questions you are probably using technology well to enable innovation in your business.  If you are not, technology can accelerate innovation and enable it.  It can play a key role in new products, services, channels, market-entry strategies, operational transformation and industry-altering business models.  It can also support other innovation activities such as collaboration.

Whilst businesses should not fall behind in the use of technology, businesses should not be “wowed” by technology and should utilise new technology aligned with strategic focus, business operations, products and services.  For example, some companies have very successfully used social networking tools to consult with customers about their needs and wants and gain rapid feedback on prototypes.  Others have used technology to effectively communicate daily performance against critical numbers to employees in remote locations to assist in maintaining focus.

Links to subsections of this topic

Leadership and Culture
Build the right team
Plan for Growth
Business Model
Monitor Performance
Uptake Technology
Programs and Services