MCKINSEY GETS IT – DO YOU? BENEFIT FROM TECHNOLOGY TRENDS REQUIRES UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNOLOGIES, THE BUSINESS IMPLICATIONS, AND MANAGEMENT CHANGES
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The January 2008 McKinsey Quarterly Newsletter (requires free registration to see the full article, also available as a podcast) includes an article by James M. Manyika, Roger P. Roberts, and Kara L. Sprague highlighting eight technology “trends to watch.” These are their eight, but I have used more familiar language in some cases:
They include excellent summaries and links to further reading. I will not summarize further as the full article is so well done. I will say that what caught my eye (I subscribe to their emailed newsletter) was where they say “to benefit, companies must understand not only the technologies but also their business implications and the management changes they require.” This parallels a common theme in this blog, that technology outcomes are the result of the technology, the combination of particular features used, and the organizational practices surrounding their use. Proactive management is key (e.g., The Over Use of Teams entry).
- cocreation (think Linux)
- use consumers as innovators
- elancing (freelancing via electronic means)
- tech enabled productivity gains – for example, through wikis by getting greater value out of interactions
- expanding automation given greater networking and access
- unbundling production from delivery
- putting science into management (e.g., evidence based management; using vast data collected by systems to make better decisions in general -- great blog, great book)
- making businesses from data (love the term “exhaust data”)
They include excellent summaries and links to further reading. I will not summarize further as the full article is so well done. I will say that what caught my eye (I subscribe to their emailed newsletter) was where they say “to benefit, companies must understand not only the technologies but also their business implications and the management changes they require.” This parallels a common theme in this blog, that technology outcomes are the result of the technology, the combination of particular features used, and the organizational practices surrounding their use. Proactive management is key (e.g., The Over Use of Teams entry).
