Entrepreneurs often think that investing in a modern platform for conducting business operations will solve the problem. But the leadership skills of the managers who manage the employees using the said software are equally or even more important. The article cites opinions that for managers with insufficiently developed soft skills, the necessity to use management tools may result in decreased performance.
Investments under control
IT departments are created in companies to ensure that they do not buy unnecessary tools and do not excessively develop their systems. They also try to prevent further investments, when the existing solutions are lying fallow.
The article also compares applying technology wherever possible to increasing engine power and designing an ever faster car while disregarding the skills of the driver. That is why the human factor in building IT infrastructure is so important.
Implementation is just the beginning
Business digitization has become much easier since sellers started offering IT as a service. The client buys a subscription and receives access to a system. They are not interested in its expansion, development, or maintenance. All this is done by the operator. If a fault occurs, the supplier fixes it within a few hours. If they fail to do so, they incur losses, because the user only pays when they can use their digital assets without any disruptions.
The Future Thinkers survey cited in the text indicates that 70% of the survey participants assessed the activities related to digital transformation as ineffective. Managers too often place their hopes for success in IT, forgetting about administrative or communication competences. Technologies are an important condition for the existence of any company, but they are not sufficient for its survival, let alone development. Every company needs a leader who will make good use of digital tools, but sometimes also make do with analog methods.
