Before Engaging Tech Firms

Most tech firms aim to steer clients towards their solutions or to those of their partners. This is no secret, and yet inexperienced leaders are consistently led up the garden path to a particular type of software which might not be the best solution for their company. If you approach Banana Data Solutions for advice, it's safe to assume that you will eventually be presented with a strong case that tries to convince you that the Banana Data solution is is the best way for you to achieve your transformation goals. My name is Rob Llewellyn and as you know, companies need people with the right capabilities to manage and lead transformation. As you know, orchestrating successful transformation isn't that easy, and I mean innovative transformation which creates a new future without the constraints of the past. Which is why I hope that what I share in this episode will help you get better equipped to perform at your best as a manager, leader or consultant. If you want to learn more, go to studythrive.com it might seem logical to first turn to a technology solution provider for digital business transformation guidance, particularly as they're all offering advice on digital transformation, but doing so comes with a risk. There is a right time to engage the likes of software suppliers and system integrators, but it certainly shouldn't be during strategy. Because if you do engage them before you know what you want to achieve, you can be sure that every effort will be made to steer you in the direction of their solution by the end of the process, whether it's the best choice for your company or not. When you've reached the stage of knowing what business objectives you need to achieve and roughly how you'll achieve them, then it's time to start evaluating what the most suitable technical solutions might be to help you achieve your goals. Let's face it, there are usually multiple solutions that might be the right choice for you. There's rarely only one to choose from. Next, you consider who's best suited to help you implement that solution if you need external help. Since tech companies and their partners began aggressively selling licenses, the interests of the clients are often put in second place behind the interests of selling licenses and consultants to the client. Even when advisors and account managers from tech companies want to put the client's interests first, they are quickly reminded by those to whom they report to focus on their key performance indicators and perhaps with a hint of what missing those KPIs could mean for them. For more than 20 years I've operated alongside some of the world's leading technology suppliers, and while they're all very different companies with some excellent technical capabilities Their account managers all have KPIs and expectations placed upon them. I've even had executive advisors from some of the world's biggest tech companies approach me with their personal frustrations about being expected to put their KPIs ahead of their clients interests. While tech companies are very knowledgeable about technology, their structure is so that clients are strategically steered towards their solutions or to those of their partners. This is no secret. And yet naive leaders are consistently led up the garden path to a particular type of software which might not be the best solution for their company. In a way, we can't blame these account managers because after all, they're only doing their job. But if you approach Banana data digital solutions for advice, it's safe to assume that you'll eventually be presented with a strong case that states that a Banana Data digital solution is the best way for you to meet your objectives. There have been too many organizations sold inappropriate technical solutions by sales hungry account managers for smart leaders to still make the mistake of not being independently equipped to be able to make certain decisions themselves. But the uninformed will continue to cost their company's money in this way because they succumb to the grooming techniques of the sophisticated sales folk that have been trained well to persuade the client that their solution is the best thing since sliced bread. Technology solution providers and their partners are very useful, but you should engage them at the appropriate time and transformation leaders have a responsibility to their companies to be capable of leading transformation without having to turn to tech providers to guide them on strategy, only to get led up the garden path to use their solutions. Good transformation leaders will establish strategy and goals long before technology suppliers are involved because they are able to stand on their own two feet and to think independently and impartially with the support of their team around them. We cannot innovate, digitize and transform without digital technologies and the companies that create them. But always keep in mind that a technology solution is only a small component of digital business transformation, which means that while solution providers have a place in transformation, they have a time and a place and shouldn't be allowed to steer your transformation business in their favor. Structuring your transformation initiative in the right way can protect the company against the influence of account managers that aim to sell technical technical solutions. One approach is for the company to appoint a two to three year position to a transformation executive. They might be equivalent to the COO or the cfo. Another approach is to form a functional transformation group which is not driven by technology thinking. The functional transformation group should be business transformation focused, not technology focused. It is a transformation think tank with perhaps the support of impartial external transformation advisors who do not represent any technology firms. The very reason for this group is to enable transformation strategic counsel and to protect against the influence of the many technology firms that are trying to influence the likes of the cio. The fact that you've enrolled in this training is testament to the fact that you want to be able to work independently and to be capable of making key decisions yourself. Impartial decisions that put your company's interests and first. Regardless of the approach you take, you should be very mindful of protecting your company's transformation strategy and direction against the influence of individual technology solutions. If you want to take your transformation capabilities and credentials to the next level, go to Study thrive dot com.