How do you add more value to your organization when new supply chain technology changes the game?

Making Technology Work For You

We think of automation as a threat to jobs on factory floors and in customer call centers, but most people – 65 percent of Americans according to a recent Pew survey — believe automation is coming for almost everyone eventually.

Job displacement is an old problem for people who work in technology, of course. Globalization means tech staffers often have to fight to demonstrate their value to the enterprise over a captive center or third-party vendor. Integration projects are risky all on their own; half fail, and often cost people their jobs. Moreover, IT staff can view a successful upgrade as a job threat. This can put IT staff at odds with innovation. A system that suddenly requires half as many software engineers or database administrators can present disincentives to adoption.

This isn’t a technology problem. It’s a management problem.

Enterprises should be looking for ways to derive maximum value from their staff. A software engineer would probably add more value to the organization by developing new applications than fixing code. A database administrator might help the team more by enabling Big Data analysis than simply making sure the servers are up and running. Adopting something new, like a cloud-enabled logistics service, can provide breathing room for staff to align their work more closely with the things that make money.

Insights

• Mobility – Due to the increasing reliance on mobile devices, it would be preferred if as much functionality as possible is available in the mobile app (compared to the web version) so users can complete their transactions in the app rather than having to switch in mid-process.  
• Sharing with Peer Groups – Provision for establishing affinity groups for sharing information.
• Trending – Indicators for vendors that have been recommended or shared.