Why is technology so difficult to implement and manage?

Résumé du document

No one can deny the impact of technology as a source of competitive advantage for a firm. The introduction of a new technology or the development and the commercialization of a new product or service are done with the aim of increasing business benefits. They allow costs savings, and improve the productivity and the efficiency of the organization. They also allow a better allocation of resources within the firm and this rationalization of the means of production benefits the customers too. However technology is not simply a black box. The implementation and the management of technology within a company may sometimes fail. Implementation was defined by Swanson as "a decision-making activity that converts a design concept into an operating reality so as to provide value to the client". Besides it is worth saying that implementation is an iterative process that has an impact on many aspects of the firm. The cultural and organizational aspects have to be taken into account as well as the technological issues.

Extraits

[...] Moreover it is generally good to hire some consultants. They can have an external and, thus, more objective point of view. They can compare with similar experiences. As they do not belong to the firm, they are not influenced by the culture, the tradition or the struggle for power Even if this solution is expensive and presents some drawbacks as well, two advice are always better than one. The necessary involvement of all the stakeholders Finally a key to a successful implementation is the involvement of all the stakeholders. [...]

[...] But technology is not simply a black box: the implementation and the management of technology within a company can fail. The implementation was defined by Swanson as decision-making activity that converts a design concept into an operating reality so as to provide value to the client”. Besides it is worth saying that implementation is an iterative process that has an impact on many aspects of the firm: the cultural and organizational aspects have to be taken into account as well as the technological issues. [...]

[...] According to Leonard-Barton and Kraus[6], this team must include a sponsor makes sure that the project receives financial and manpower resources and who is wise about the politics of the champion”, who can solves the problems arising during the implementation's process, project manager; who oversees administrative details and an integrator” who manages conflicts and communicate about the technology. Of course, being enthusiastic about a technology is not enough to succeed. The firm's structure has to be ready to welcome the technology; scarce resources have to be allocated in order to prepare the introduction. [...]

[...] A deeper analyse of these factors is necessary to understand why technology is so difficult to implement. The implementation is an expensive and uncertain process general uncertainty of technology means that different views may be held and the situation is typically one of advocacy and political debate in which project estimates are used by interests groups to buttress a particular point of view Freeman (1997), p.263 First of all the introduction of a technology within a company is expensive. Let us use the example of manufacturing technology. [...]

[...] If the firms needs a guide for the implementation it is better using the RAP-3 framework developed by Boddy and Buchanam. This framework focuses on three areas: purpose, people and process; it presents some advantages: it deals with the most crucial factors that have an influence on technology projects. It considers the decisions, the actions as well as the consequences. However the cultural and organizational aspects are more or less neglected. As a firm is not isolated and has to face competitors, the SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) is helpful. [...]