Those looking to save money, increase productivity, and stay competitive have no choice but to embrace automation.This may seem easy, given the rapid technological developments and innovations promising efficiency. Everyone is jumping on the AI bandwagon. Yet, despite good intentions, many companies' engines are sputtering. Therefore, I advocate for the role of the technology coach, a position that aligns all efforts and bridges the gap between technological innovations and operational reality.
Organizations aim for efficiency with fewer resources as labor costs rise, the job market tightens, and competition increases due to new technologies and geopolitics. Automation is essential.Every company should strive to become self-sufficient, making the journey to becoming a full-fledged autonomous enterprise that applies AI and automation throughout the organization, thus being agile in responding to market or internal changes. However, many organizations struggle significantly with the practical implementation of this. They are either small and unaware of advancements in automation or larger and capable of investing but unmanageable to create momentum.
A significant hurdle is the gap between business and IT. Business often lacks precise knowledge of available applications, although this does not concern them as long as the technology provides a solution to their problem. IT, on the other hand, has a clearer view of the range of technologies but sees multiple solutions for the same problem.Depending on which IT specialist receives the request, a different solution isoften suggested. This arbitrariness is one of the causes of the fragmentation of technologies and applications that thrive in many workplaces. Rarely do technologies permeate organization-wide, preventing sustainable scaling.
Many, if not most, organizations would benefit from technology coaching. This dedicated role within the organization, whether on the payroll or freelance, combines analytical skills and strategic insight with an in-depth knowledge of the technology landscape to bridge the gap between business and IT. A technology coach can quickly grasp the structure, pain points, and processes of a company to assess which technology best fits the organization's DNA and how it can be integrated into daily operations. Agility requires not only the ability to respond quickly to changes but also a deep understanding of the opportunities and challenges new technologies bring.
To make technology scalable, you need to identify where to implement it, and the best way to do this is by encouraging people to come up with ideas themselves. This is not a one-person job.Therefore, a technology coach does not hold all the reins but acts as a catalyst. When use cases emerge in the operation, the coach knows how to involve the right people in the automation process, creates positive sentiment, and does not merely give a demo of a technology. What is the challenge? Where lies the efficiency gain, and through which technological avenues can we achieve it in an accessible manner? At that moment, the coach can suggest specific applications that the organization members do not consider simply because they have no experience with them.
A technology coach is a guide in this rapidly evolving landscape, assisting not only in implementing concrete solutions but also in cultivating a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the organization. Thus, technology coaching becomes an integral and indispensable part of the growth and success strategy for organizations aiming to evolve into an agile and scalable autonomous enterprise.
