How to Navigate Digital Disruption (Your Organization’s Version)
Let us go back in time, all the way to the distant history: the 90s. For a time that was only a few decades ago, it still seems like a whole other world in terms of technology. Back then, you’d go to a video rental store to get a movie to watch on a Friday night — now you browse through one of the many video streaming services before settling for a film to watch, all from the comfort of your own sofa. Before you’d go to a supermarket of some sort to get your groceries, now you can order them online and even get them delivered by a robot! Much has changed, in the world in general and in business, and there is one word for it: digital disruption. Okay, that’s two words, but you get our point!
Digital disruption can be described as the transformative effects of emerging technologies on established industries and business models. So, for example, that video rental store that you used to frequent, has probably been driven out of business by other companies, utilizing newer video streaming technologies. These kinds of changes are happening all around us, all the time, and what this means is that keeping up with the newest technological developments is more crucial than ever. From AI to cloud computing and more, new technologies are emerging faster than you can say “wait, how does this one even work?”.
For businesses, navigating digital disruption should be both a necessity and a strategic choice. Those who fail to embrace change and new technologies, risk becoming forgotten relics of a bygone era.
Even through the more challenging times we’ve been living through, the software industry has been growing in Finland. According to Technology Industries of Finland, the software industry was the only one of their looked-into industries that experienced growth in their turnover from January 2023 to January 2024.
Tips for navigating digital disruption
Foster a culture of innovation! Enable your team members to use their creativity to come up with innovative solutions and experiment with new technologies.
Invest in continuous learning. Whether it be training programs, webinars, or other learning opportunities, give your team the opportunity to learn and update their skill sets.
Stay up to date on research on new technologies. New technologies emerge all the time, but not all of them might be beneficial for your organization. For example, Gartner’s hype cycle details the maturity of some emerging technologies.
Aim to be adaptable! Agility and adaptability in your daily operations can help you react to changes and market shifts more quickly.
However, we understand that when dealing with the ever-evolving nature of digital disruption and new technologies, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There is no rule book to follow, that could guarantee optimal results. Your business is unique and has unique business needs! We are here to help with those needs, and to help you on your way to utilizing software in the best possible way: to become what we like to call a Software Organization.
What is the next step on your software journey? How will you deal with the challenges and opportunities that digital disruption brings? Get in touch with us and we can help!
