Does Technology Enable Or Delay Transformation?

By Aly Pinder, program director, Service Innovation & Connected Products, IDC Manufacturing Insights

The race to implement the latest platform or build an application to manage a process within service or just move from paper to something mobile has transfixed the service world. Technology has become the primary focus of much of what we read about and captures much of our budgets as we look to transform.

Now, let’s be clear: I am a research analyst who covers technology, so I know the value, the potential impact, and the predicted promise of the digital transformation that organizations large and small are attempting to achieve. However, I continue to hear about failed rollouts, delayed implementations, or underutilized technology. It makes me wonder if technology is enabling change or if it is hindering our ability to transform within service. I fall within the former camp. But we just may be doing it all — or at least partly — wrong.