Karl Pfister-Kraxner in “The Paradox of Innovation in the Tech Sector” states that you should put the end customer – not the technology – at the heart of the creative process. He states that there are three key elements to successful innovation:
First, you need a deep understanding of the end customer and the evolving market landscape. You need to be able to cut through the noise to capture where your potential customers and the market are heading.
Second, you need to craft meaningful and relevant propositions that resonate with buyers within your segment. Even the most original idea won’t succeed if it doesn’t meet a genuine need.
Third, you need to bring your proposition to life using “experience design.” Be sure to create a meaningful and memorable experience for customers.
Legal clients are calling for innovation and greater efficiency in the legal space. Searching for ways to use technology to deliver innovative and lower-cost services (while preserving your profit margin) is one area ripe for change.
Kevin Casey in “How to Innovate in a Low-Tech Industry” looked at new tech in an old-fashioned foundry casting business – one that is not well known for its early adoption of information technology. In Bremen Castings, he found:
“It’s all part of an organization where IT is very much woven into the corporate fabric... Three generations of family ownership have treated tech as a priority rather than an afterthought. “The owners are very technically savvy people,” Sweet said. “It’s not just networking and computers and whatnot – we also have video security, passcard access systems, electronic timeclock systems, and that type of thing. [IT] isn’t just for production manufacturing. Technology is permeated throughout the entire company, and that’s primarily owner-driven.”
Amanda C. Kooser in “How does Technology Improve a Business?” states that there are several areas where technology can improve how a business operates. Communication, Marketing, Productivity, Customer Service, Telecommuting and Teleconferencing are six “low-hanging fruit” areas where technology innovations can benefit a business and improve operations.
© 2017 David J. Bilinsky