Ian: “Good Morning, David”
David: “Good Morning, Ian”
Ian: “Regarding recent UK press coverage: were you surprised to learn that only 21% of companies are strategic adapters of information and communication technology?”
David: “No, not really Ian. There’s always a situation in any technological change where you get early adapters and those who follow. And ICT is not necessarily close to the heart of many people who are running smaller businesses. They come from a generation that hasn’t grown up with computers, so their adoption of computers can often be something they go into quite reluctantly.”
Ian: “OK. So, what impact would it have if more people thought strategically about ICT?”
David: “I think the evidence shows that those companies who do adopt ICT and put it right at the core of their business efforts gain significantly with incremental sales. I think the key issue really is that ICT enables you to put your customer at the centre of absolutely everything you do and in this way your business can grow and become stronger.”
Ian: “OK, have you got any quick wins for any companies thinking about ICT?”
David: “Yes, I think technology has moved to the point that you can gain additional insight into your customers through a clever use of ICT. Also, there are situations, for example if you are running a consultancy or a B-to-B business then I think it’s absolutely strange that you don’t harness the power of the internet. If you’ve got a new product, or a new idea, and you want to get quick understanding of what you’re doing, there’s no better or cheaper way than really putting yourself in front of a video camera and getting your short video clip on the internet, on You-Tube and on your own website. And many, many consultants, many, many web-developers don’t actually do this themselves, so that to me is a very easy quick win.”
Ian: “Thank you very much.”
David: “Thank you.”