Key Takeaways:
- CIOs must carefully balance the risk and reward of emerging technology deployments
- A three-step process can help CIOs assess the feasibility of launching emerging tech: identifying the organizational persona, evaluating technology use cases, and assessing organizational readiness
- Understanding the organization’s persona is crucial in determining the risk appetite for deploying new technologies
- CIOs must evaluate use cases for a particular technology and balance feasibility with business value
- Assessing organizational readiness requires examining technical and financial feasibility, vendor viability, and organizational readiness
Introduction to Emerging Technology Deployment
The deployment of emerging technology can be a daunting task for CIOs, as it requires careful consideration of the potential risks and rewards. According to Gartner Analyst Gene Alvarez, CIOs must take a structured approach to assess the feasibility of launching emerging tech. This approach involves a three-step process that helps CIOs determine the business value that the emerging technology will deliver. By following this process, CIOs can make informed decisions about when to launch new technology and ensure that it aligns with the organization’s overall strategy.
Understanding Organizational Persona
The first step in the process is to identify the organizational persona, which refers to the company’s risk appetite for deploying new technologies. Alvarez notes that this is not always a straightforward task, as different stakeholders may have different views on the company’s risk appetite. To determine the organizational persona, CIOs should discuss the company’s risk appetite with colleagues and determine if they share the same view. The organizational persona can be categorized into three types: pioneers, fast followers, and late adopters. Pioneers have a first-mover advantage and are willing to take high risks, while fast followers take medium risks and late adopters take low risks.
Evaluating Technology Use Cases
Once the organizational persona is determined, CIOs can begin evaluating use cases for a particular technology. This involves balancing feasibility with business value, as Alvarez explains. CIOs should compare the feasibility of deploying a technology with its potential business value, using a framework that assesses the potential for success. For example, if a technology has low business value, it may not be worth deploying, even if it is feasible. On the other hand, a technology with high business value and high feasibility is a strong candidate for deployment.
Assessing Organizational Readiness
The third step in the process is to assess organizational readiness, which requires examining five areas: technical and financial feasibility, vendor viability, organizational readiness, and external feasibility. CIOs should determine if the technology can effectively address the use case in question and if it has capabilities that can be applied to other use cases. They should also assess the cost versus value of the technology and decide how much to invest in it. Additionally, CIOs should consider the vendor’s viability, including its funding, market presence, and potential for consolidation.
Addressing Organizational Resistance
Even if a technology is feasible and has high business value, it may still face resistance from employees. Alvarez notes that organizational readiness is critical to the success of emerging technology deployments. CIOs should assess the organization’s ability to adapt and accept new technology, and take steps to address any resistance. This may involve reskilling the workforce or providing training and support to help employees understand the benefits of the new technology.
Tracking Emerging Technologies
Finally, CIOs should keep an eye on external feasibility, watching market trends and external factors that may impact the technology’s success. Creating an "emerging technology radar" chart can help CIOs track emerging technologies and classify them as critical, urgent, important, or watch. By tracking the potential impact of emerging technologies, CIOs can determine which ones are worth investing in and when to deploy them. As Alvarez notes, CIOs need to answer the questions of what, how, and when to determine if a technology is right for their organization and how to use it to bring back business value.
