What’s Next?
By Steve Weisz
There’s no doubt that the world of
technology is extremely broad, and that it’s been woven into our day-to-day
lives in countless ways. Consumers now have capabilities at their fingertips
that not long ago would seem futuristic at best and something you would only
see in the movies.
Therein lies a difficult challenge
for our industry. Innovations in technology have created
a higher standard of
expectation that you’re constantly measured by. I am sure that you have heard
something like:
“Why don’t you have
an app to do that?”
“How come I can’t
just do that online?”
“I should just be
able to do that on my phone.”
If your organization doesn’t
address issues such as these, you run the risk of becoming irrelevant in the
eyes of the everyday consumer.
But even if you do address today’s
requests, you get into playing a game of catch-up. This is because customer
needs evolve as quickly as technology develops new applications. Now, more than
ever, companies need to invest an increasing amount of time and resources just
to stay current and often have to forget about trying to be cutting edge.
From a business perspective, technology has been
game-changer, where advancements have given us amazing capabilities and
efficiencies that have allowed our industry to grow in vast and exciting ways.
Inventory management, cost and performance tracking to complex databases where
customer profiles, and vacation habits and preferences are at our fingertips.
These have all moved us into a new generation that has created revenue channels
and efficiencies that just 10 years ago would not have been possible.
If you are like me, you may find that the notion of embracing technology
can often be daunting, but there’s no turning back now. I encourage you to look
for your own ways on how to leverage it in amazing new ways!