Organisations are under huge pressure to evolve. And with the rapid evolution of technology, they can’t afford to stand still.
Disruptive tech, like GenAI and edge computing, have highlighted the importance of technology. But at the same time, they’ve become a distraction from effectively achieving businesses’ digital tech strategies.
Many organisations are struggling to leverage tech platforms, such as CRM, to their full potential. And with 53% of CEOs saying that their digital transformation is only just starting or is less than half done 1, there is more to do.
There are three key design decisions you can use to evaluate your current platform strategy successfully.
Three ways to make smarter design decisions
1. Iterative or upfront design?
First, you need to understand your business needs – do you prioritise flexibility or structure in your design and implementation process?
Iterative design embraces agility, allowing for continuous feedback and adaptation. This flexible approach enables teams to refine solutions as they go, responding to changing business needs.
Upfront design focuses on defining all requirements and business needs from the start. It provides clear direction and reduces ambiguity during implementation, but can be less adaptable to new insights mid-process.
2. To buy or to build?
Next up is deciding whether to buy an off-the-shelf solution or invest in building your own platform. This depends on your organisation’s architecture principles, timelines, capabilities and strategic goals.
Buying a solution provides a reliable, out-of-the-box solution with standardised capabilities, quicker deployment and predictable costs.
Building a solution provides specific customisation and the potential for competitive advantage by tailoring it to the organisation’s needs. Building requires a high initial investment in developing resources but could result in greater economies of scale in the long term.
3. Gold-plated platform or value-driven alternatives?
Should you choose top-of-the-line or less well-known but more affordable alternatives? Both options offer unique advantages and trade-offs, but it’s about working out what is right for your organisation.
Gold-plated tech providers and industry leaders deliver advanced capabilities with proven reliability and comprehensive customer support packages. But their high costs (and long-term contracts) often include unnecessary tools and features.
Value-driven solutions and challengers focus on core functionality, flexibility, and lower cost. They prioritise integrations and are usually designed to complement wider technology landscapes.
So, how to approach a significant platform transformation?
Considering these design decisions, we recommend a three-step approach to better leverage your technology platforms, creating foundations for future growth and higher value from your investments.
1. Technology diagnostic:
First, conduct a high-level platform diagnostic against key strategic drivers (business alignment, business value, flexibility, cost, complexity and risk) to assess strengths and gaps.
Considerations: Does the platform continue to meet the business requirements? Do the business requirements need to evolve? Is the total cost of ownership too high? Is the technology too complex, or is the opportunity to scale being compromised?
2. Technology design and planning
Once you’ve chosen the technology platform that meets several of these strategic drivers, it’s time to evaluate the best course of action for the platform to meet business goals.
Option 1: Optimise and adapt: Make minor modifications to the platform without altering the platform’s core behaviour, such as introducing new features or reconfiguring workflows to place customers at the core.
Option 2: Redesign: Modify the code of the platform’s features to adopt a new architectural model (e.g. modular architecture). This will enable the system to take advantage of modern capabilities and allow smoother feature integration.
Option 3: Upgrade or replace: Replace the platform entirely with a new solution that better fits current business needs and requirements.
3. Technology delivery
Finally, deliver your chosen option through iterative technology implementation and adoption.
- Understand the full extent of your organisation’s landscape (including key relationship dynamics between the business and technology) and identify how to integrate all areas for an impactful delivery.
- Determine the approach and roadmap of successful change management and plan the transition.
- Roll out and embed the initiative seamlessly into the organisation, maximising adoption and usage.
- Adapt to evolving needs through continuous improvement and change management interventions.
THE REWARDS OF STRATEGY
Adopting a thoughtful and strategic approach to your tech platform strategy can unlock significant value and lay the groundwork for future growth. By making smarter design decisions and following a structured transformation process, you can align your technology platforms with business objectives, drive innovation and remain competitive. The journey doesn’t have to be complex, and the rewards of a well-executed platform strategy are clear.
1 Gartner®, 2024 CEO Survey – The Year of Strategy Relaunches, Mark Raskino, Kristin Moyer, Stephen Smith, Gabriela Vogel, 8 May 2024
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