“The phrase ‘farm to table’ is a buzzword referring to food made with locally sourced ingredients. Our society is in a rapid state of technological innovation, which means that we often compromise health and nutrition for the sake of convenience, hence the popularity of fast food and TV dinners. However, a growing number of consumers have started to seek healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives to the processed foods that dominate grocery store shelves.”
Before our current technology era, business ran smoothly. Primary differences involved basing next moves on general experience while running at a much slower speed. Suddenly, the business world was thrust into a continuous ‘shock and awe’ state where gadgetry and basic (insert any programming language here) knowledge ruled supreme. Today, technology is a given and we need to take a step back and direct our attention to: the business. Without the glitz and glamor but showcasing metrics, data and competition. The basics discussed around the big table – of which, technology is one.
I always enjoy reviewing technology trends for the current year about midway in to the year. A great example of spot-on trends, and one that appears to be mostly mirrored across a variety of media, can be found here: http://www.pwc.com/us/en/advisory/10-business-technology-trends.jhtml. The top trends are business analytics, social media in business and the use of mobile followed closely by cyber-security. No real surprises here now in July 2014 and, frankly, no real surprises when released last December either.
When I think of technology and business, my vision expands beyond the basic uses of technology to compliment a business. Yes there will always be a variety of ways in which technology will enhance a business, but beyond the reporting and marketing there’s a more primal and underlying current. Technology facilitates success. Period. There it is. Not unlike a great farm-to-table experience, there is very little more holistic, satisfying and effective than when technology is a priority from the boardroom to the wiring and every level in between and emitted outward. Especially when the end result is better performance (people, product, market), higher profits (sales, savings, efficiencies, revenue) and improved productivity.
Before one takes the ‘farm to table’ analogy too literally, this does not mean that all technology needs to come from in-house magic. This will be discussed more in detail in a future series entry.
For now, it’s imperative to get back to basics. Get back to business. The primary difference is that pre-technology, technology leadership was not at the table. Today, technology runs from farm to table, a benefit every step of the way.
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