Technology changes the way in which we work, live our lives, and have fun. Technology can empower businesses with improvements in productivity, faster development and production cycles, superior decision making by employees, and enhanced customer service. But deriving these benefits from incorporating new technology is not at all times an easy process. Technology is usually, initially, disruptive before it becomes empowering.
Even though ideas developed in this informative article might have general applicability, they’re mainly designed to relate solely to the incorporation of new information and communications technologies into business processes. Information technologies involve computers and their peripheral equipment along with the info flow across local area networks. Communications involve any voice and video activity including calling system and related equipment along with the communications pathways creating the wide area networks.
Technology Changes Business Processes
Every action conducted within a business is part of one process or another. Sometimes the processes are typically defined and readily observable, as in the road of a purchase order. At other times, the procedure is not clear but still it still exists even though by default.
New technologies are introduced into business to:
- Increase existing processes
- Extend the capabilities of existing processes
- Change the processes
In changing the processes, the brand new technologies will often allow new means of conducting business that were not previously possible.
Other than simply speeding up existing processes, new technologies will undoubtedly be disruptive when first introduced.This results from having to change patterns of behavior and/or relationships with others. When disruption occurs, productivity often suffers initially, until such time as the brand new processes become as familiar as the old ones. At this time, hopefully, the target has been achieved of reaching an increased degree of productivity compared to the level of which it started ahead of the introduction of the brand new technology.
Therefore a common cycle that develops with the introduction of new technologies includes:
- Disruption
- Lower productivity, and, finally,
- An increased plateau of productivity compared to the starting place
The obvious goals for introducing new technologies are to:
- Minimize the disruption
- Minimize the time it will take to boost productivity
- Maximize the gain in productivity
In achieving these goals it is helpful to comprehend the:
- Context in which the processes operate, that’s, who will undoubtedly be impacted by changes in the specific processes affected
- Democratizing potential of technology
- Kinds of people which will react in completely different approaches to new technologies
The processes where a business operates and the introduction of new technologies don’t exist in isolation.Both these exist within a context that may be an integral part of and affect
- The social relationships in a organization and possibly with companies with whom you conduct business
- Political (power) structures in a organization
- How individuals view themselves and their abilities
Technology can be democratizing. If it’s used to create and disseminate information helpful to the mission and goals of the business enterprise, it could be a great equalizer between “levels” of management and staff. The main element word is “disseminate.” technology If use of the info is decentralized, and easy communication of the info is allowed, then “front line” workers can improve the amount and quality of decisions they make and never having to involve layers of management.
Kinds of Folks from a Technology Perspective
From the perspective of introducing new technology into your company, you might find it helpful to comprehend these four types of people:
- Innovators/embracers
- Enthusiasts
- Acceptors
- Naysayers
Innovators/embracers will investigate new technologies on their own. They’ll sometimes be beneficial to introducing new technologies that would otherwise not have been known to the company. They’ll sometimes be considered a “thorn” in pushing for new technologies they believe will undoubtedly be useful (or just “neat” to have) but do unfit the company’s agenda or objectives. These folks will embrace new technologies when introduced by others, will often be the first ones to completely incorporate and take advantage of it, and may help others to completely utilize new technologies.
Enthusiasts will accept new technology enthusiastically. They won’t usually seek it out but will undoubtedly be eager to incorporate it to their processes where appropriate. As a result of the openness, they’ll often readily discover ways to use the new technology and may also be useful in assisting others through the training process.