What’s more fun – buying new software or making it work? How often do we think about our next iPad, Android or Kindle purchase? Obsolescence with the tools we use is happening at a dizzying speed. It’s easy to buy technology. Actually, “addictive”, would be the word.
The marketing and hype works. When someone is holding technology, they feel empowered. There is an illusion that having the tool, gadget or software means something special. The truth is that after the novelty wears off, and your tech is not about entertainment, it is about making it work.
Typically, the goals are:
- Save time
- Make money
- Make money
These are really simple metrics which cut through the noise and emotional high. Did your Facebook ever lead to a sale? Did your CRM increase revenue? Are you saving head count by using cloud computing?
The key is ascribing purpose to your technology. There has to be a return on time and money. There’s a lot of mediocre stuff out there, but if it doesn’t help you grow your business strategically, then wasted cycles can quickly follow.
Why do I write this? Too much experience walking into these scenarios. There’s a lot of money spent on tech, but very little on strategy and execution.
We all have access to the same tools. Now it’s about who is smart enough to make ideas happen, get things done and take the ambiguity out of a tool and laser focus it for winning.
Take inventory. Now that the novelty has worn off, what do you need to commit to making work?
