CompTIA’s YouTube series, “The Doctor Is In”, offered insight from MSP/solution provider leaders and executives in IoT, AI, and blockchain. Here is their advice on how to successfully implement new technologies. It is not easy to integrate a new technology into your offerings and then communicate with customers successfully. It takes patience, time, and money to start.
CompTIA’s Communities & Councils YouTube channel has just completed its first series highlighting companies that have made significant business transformations. Each episode of “The Doctor is In” featured Dr. Georgette FraserMoore, CEO at Atlanta-based Transformation Lead, and a member on the CompTIA board of directors. She shared practical advice about how to leverage emerging technologies to solve real-world business challenges.
These guests included MSP/solution provider executives, vendor executives, and executives with expertise in IoT, cybersecurity, and AI. Here’s a look of the advice they gave fellow CompTIA members during the series about how to transform your business:
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
It is not uncommon to be afraid of trying something new and should not be underestimated. It is important to take the first step, and ask yourself some big questions.
“First, for leaders of the organizations: Why are we doing what we do? What’s the problem? Fear is often what stops us, and I believe we are not the only ones. This is something we are not trained for. Okay, get trained. Now, think about how to plug that gap. Ciaran Kenny (managing director of Macnamara ICT in the UK) said that you should look two years ahead to plan how you will plug that gap at end.”
Macnamara realized that its lack of security prowess meant it was not fully serving its customers. So it invested in training and enhancing talent to become a total technology provider. Kenny stated that it has paid off. The company can have more mature conversations with clients and attract more people than it could without security skills.
He said that they are confident enough to pursue these larger businesses. “It took some time for our marketing speed up, but we are hitting the clients that we always dreamed of.”
Use your existing network to generate new ideas
TerraHub Technologies, a Calgary-based developer of blockchain-based business solutions, spent five days brainstorming ideas with each other. They also shared their past customers, business partners, and any other people in their social networks. According to Elena Dumitrascu (CTO of TerraHub) and a member CompTIA’s Blockchain Advisory Council, the conversations generated great ideas, positive momentum and a willingness for us to move forward.
“Don’t be shy to reach out. Look around and see if there is anyone you haven’t spoken to in six months, a year. Dumitrascu stated that someone in the tech industry or outside can give advice. “The creativity that resulted from the five days of conversations with our network was amazing. It’s amazing how many people are willing to help and how much they want to help. We are all continuing to seek ways to help one another.”
Identify your goals and risks, then take action
Mike Hanauer, chief revenue officers at SKOUT Cybersecurity, says that identifying what is important to you will help to chart a path to get there.
He said that it was similar to our approach to security, where you identify the most important data and then work out how to get it. “Business transformation is about identifying what is most important to you and what you believe has the greatest negative consequences for you. It could be your company’s culture. It could be your customers. Concentrating on the most important impacts. Look at the greatest positive and negative impacts. Find the intersection and work your path out.
Fraser-Moore agreed and said that businesses should seek out quick wins that could help accelerate further success.
She said, “Look for things that can be seen some progress towards and document some metrics towards. But also being able document both the positive as well as negative risks out there so you’re ready for them all.”
Instead of focusing on the technology, focus on the business problem.
It is a common mistake for technology to be used just to make it easier and then expect to succeed. Instead, you should focus on solving the business problem in order to achieve successful outcomes, said Robert Forget (CTO at Aware360) and cochair of CompTIA’s IoT Advisory Council.
“Focus on the problem, not the technology.
