“AOL Keyword ‘Anant.’”
Years ago, an advertisement ending with this phrase would have made our company modern (and potentially famous). Today, the expression is a bit ‘antiquated,’ to say the least, but it also shows how technology and business have evolved. A modern business, or a “modern enterprise,” survives on the ones and zeros coursing through the air and wires all around us. Many people make use of Google, Facebook, LinkedIn or similar cloud-based services everyday. Each of these sites has evolved to provide a service to us and has delivered it to us via the internet – a process often called “software-as-a-service” or SaaS for short. The ability to leverage internet-based technology to both improve and operate a company is vital to almost every company in business today. While the examples above are well-known, many business specific SaaS products are now available to help businesses meet both their needs and their customers’ needs.
As a company (hopefully) grows and begins to mature, the intricacy of its operations and composition can increase in complexity, necessitating a tweak in approach or outside help. A critical step when asking for help is to identify what you ultimately want to do; and diagnose what is, or what will, hold your company back (the “problem”). An issue many companies run into on their way to becoming a modern enterprise is copious amounts of data and process flows, but in different systems that don’t talk to each other or users who don’t fully comprehend what can be done with the information at hand. It is the companies who make the proverbial transition to a modern enterprise, the ones who connect their information and systems to their people and processes, who will survive and thrive. This evolution will impact all aspects of a company; finance, sales, services, operations, management and research; and it is important to understand what can be accomplished and with what tools.
The concepts and tools at play are relatively simple for in-the-know technologists and internet architects, but can be challenging even for some of the most technologically savvy around. It is a bit much to delve into today, but in the coming weeks we want you to better understand these foundational precepts.
To help, we’re providing free in-person presentations, online webinars, and explanatory postings in the coming months focused on these technological concepts and their impact on business. We look forward to helping your company become a modern enterprise as the new year approaches.
If you are interested in learning more about how you can apply the modern enterprise approach to your work today sign up for one of our 30 minute free consultations here! You can also tune in to our webinar later today (10am EDT) or catch up with us on 9/30 for a big data focused strategy breakfast.
Modern Enterprise Series
- Is Your Business a Modern Enterprise?
- Modern Enterprise: Modular Business Practices
- Modern Enterprise: Planning & Discovery
- Modern Enterprise: Design & Development
