Are you ready for the next phase in your company’s technology strategy 35mlundentechcrunch? If so, this article is for you! If you’re like many companies, you may have been getting ready to roll out a new software or digital product release when suddenly there’s a pinger going off. Something seems amiss. The push comes to shove and it becomes clear that something didn’t meet expectations. There are some very obvious reasons why this might be so: Someday, it will all make sense but for now, let’s take a look at what the inevitable consequence could be. You see, as many of you know by experience, bad news can hidden anywhere and everywhere. It can distract us from our main project or drive us into every corner to find out what the problem was before we could fix it. That being said, it’s not always easy to pinpoint exactly where the problem lies — especially when there are so many variables involved. This article lists 29 potential triggers of new key pivot points in your technology strategy and how they affect your company’s ability to hit them all with one punch. If your company has questions or needs answers on how to best respond to these potential pivot points, give us a shout!
New product development milestones
When you create a new product you want to sell, you get, for the most part, a budget for the first phase of development: development of ideas and early concepts. However, in most cases, the budget also includes some level of support for the team who will be working on the product. The types of assistance you’re likely to get in this regard include hiring a development team, hiring a marketing team, or acquiring a customer service team. As time passes, you’ll likely come to realize that the support you were getting isn’t always there. Some of these support could be, but not necessarily be, moving parts. For example, they might not be able to support your product due to financial constraints or regulatory requirements. You may not be able to get approval from your customers or partners for the products you’re developing. And worst-case scenario, you might not be able to get a certain project wrapped up in the same timeframe you’d like. All these could prove to be ‘trigger points’ in your company’s technology strategy.
New company culture change
When your company enters a new phase, it’s not just about capitalizing and growing — it’s about looking and sounding the part. If you’ve been living in a red shirt for the last few months, it’s time to take it off. It’s time to become your own brand. If you’ve been wearing a hat for the last few months, it’s time to take it off. It’s time to be your own man. If you’ve been playing bridge for the last few months, it’s time to take it off. It’s time to be your own wife. Your new company culture is going to affect your entire business model, your product, and your customer service — all big wins in the long run.
Defective platform
This might seem like an odd thing to list, but the truth is that many tech companies fall into the trap of having too many PR problems and not enough solutions. Every company has had a PR problem, and probably more will arise as the company moves through its paces. But the real problem isn’t with the company itself — it’s with the way it’s being used. If a company’s product name is ‘One-Handed’, it rarely gets a second chance at success. It gets written all over that name that it’s not one-handed at all, but two-handed.
Customer service crisis
Customer service is a critical component of any business. Whether you’re handling a complaint or an issue with a customer service representative, they’ll be there to help. You’ve probably seen cases when a company has had to cancel planned product events or events with corporate sponsors because of customer service issues. Customer service is a huge part of any business and is often identified as the root cause of a problem. It can also be the biggest victim of technology change. If a customer service representative becomes unavailable, your customers have less than 24 hours to find someone else to take their complained about issue.
Company culture stalemate
This might seem like a great opportunity to list the good and the bad, but we’ll do better than that. Company culture change is a potential pivot point in your technology strategy. If your company follows the example of companies like Google and Facebook, each taking a series of large-scale ‘natural’ pivot points, you could see your company moving in a more forward-thinking direction. Facebook’s bet on ‘natural’ — that is, not an artificial or contrived result — paid off by driving more traffic to their services than if they’d focused solely on ‘human’ changes.
Company restructuring
Most technology companies go through major product or service changes at some point in their life. These changes might be due to significant public investment, a mergers and acquisitions, or even a planned restructuring. If you’re one of the companies going through this, you’re probably thinking about how you can best respond to these potential pivot points in your company’s technology strategy. There are a few things to keep in mind the next time you see a great opportunity to pivot your company in a significant way. Make sure you have the right people on staff. Make sure you’ve got the right budget. And most importantly, don’t miss this opportunity!
Potential new product launch or product launch delay
New product launches are always tricky, and far moreso when you’re first getting involved. Sometimes it’s because you’re just getting started, and other times it’s because your company is just trying to grow. Sometimes it’s even because you don’t have the time to get it right — especially if it involves a lot of work and has a short life-time. When it comes to new product launches or product launches, be sure to keep the following in mind: First and foremost, don’t let a small problem get in the way of a big problem. If you need to solve an issue with a huge impact on your business, take it to the next level and look into a large-scale problem. This might seem like a steep challenge, but in the end, it’ll be worth it. Second, make sure that the product is both useful and interesting. If it’s a product that you’re passionate about but has no chance of success, it’s unlikely to make the leap to a large-scale market. And it’s very difficult to create a product that’s both useful and interesting when there aren’t many brands or brands to choose from. Third, don’t wait for the other guys on the team to finish their work. Remember, you don’t know everything, and you can’t control everyone’s actions. But you can control your own actions, and when you follow these three rules, you’ll be fine.
Bottom line
It’s easy to get overprepared for potential pivot points in your company’s technology strategy. You simply have to make sure that the potential pivot points are huge enough to make a difference and are worth the effort.
