Shiny New Things
HAPPY 2020!
It’s a new year, and a new decade, so I thought “shiny new things” would be a great topic to tackle for my first post. I don’t mean it in the context of jewels or glitter. I am referring to the best new technology solution since the invention of the interwebs, the solution to all your business problems, hopes, and dreams – BLING!
Shiny new things are exciting. They exude innovation and all the possibilities. And digital commerce is a constant stream of shiny new things. Anyone who has been a part of the industry for any period knows that it moves at the speed of light, and the only things you can count on are change, and shiny new things.
The problem with shiny new things is that in order for them to deliver value to your business you still need to have a solid foundation for them to work off of. Whether it’s data, processes, knowledge, or human resources (i.e. time), investing in new functionalities and applications makes sense when the supporting infrastructure is there, and there is a human who’s ready, willing, and able to own it. Digital technologies are rarely of the “set it and forget it” variety, and they don’t work on their own.
This is particularly challenging for start-ups and small businesses with limited staff and budgets, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t invest in new or enhanced technologies. It just means that in order to avoid new applications becoming costly shelfware, companies need to be more deliberate about the ones they choose. Doing the due diligence up front, fully understanding the business challenges that are sought to be solved, defining the requirements, evaluating internal capabilities, and selecting “right-sized” technologies will significantly improve the chances for your shiny new thing to deliver results.
