Technology Accelerators

According to Jim Collins[1] in Good to Great, “great” organizations all employ technologies that enhance their competitiveness. He calls them technology accelerators. Circuit City, for example, pioneered the use of sophisticated point of sale technology for big-ticket retailing. Collin’s work also confirms the role that technology can play if you don’t keep up. You can’t remain a (technology) “laggard” and hope to continue to be great.

Making or buying and deploying the right technologies is really about making customer and producer outcomes easier to achieve. This latter statement might serve as a simple definition of innovation. Note that we are using the term “technology” in its broadest sense. On the one hand it might be about web-based communications and computer tools to support on-line shopping; in another case, it could be about using noise abatement materials to help hotel guests get a good night’s sleep. This all begins with a thorough understanding of customer expectations. Easy to say, but rarely accomplished.