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The Number 1 Tip to Ensure Returns on Your Firm’s Digital Strategy

N2Growth Blog

We must be able to discern what role we are expecting digital technology to play within the business. It is only with this understanding that we can establish the necessary linkages required to inform digital technology direction-setting. Indeed, it is not enough to have a vivid and compelling business strategy.

Strategy 191
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IBM at 100: How to Outlast Depression, War, and Competition

Harvard Business Review

At its 100-year milestone, IBM shows us what it takes to outlast depression, war, and intense competition in order to remain a market leader in the midst of ongoing technological innovation. Know your customers intimately. Here are several lessons worth sharing. Be nimble and quick to adapt in a world of disruptive change.

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How Location Analytics Will Transform Retail

Harvard Business Review

By leveraging connected mobile devices such as smartphones, existing in-venue Wi-Fi networks, low cost Bluetooth-enabled beacons, and a handful of other technologies, location analytics vendors have made it possible to get location analytics solutions up and running fast at a minimal cost. We are in the Age of the Customer.

Retail 9
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Invest in Proprietary Data for Competitive Advantage

Harvard Business Review

Without such data it is simply too easy for competitors to let you do the hard work of innovation, then copy your insights and erode your competitive advantage. There, he introduced the contrasting notions of "infrastructure" and "proprietary" technologies. This logic applies directly to data.

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How IBM, Intuit, and Rich Products Became More Customer-Centric

Harvard Business Review

We have shifted from a competitive landscape in which companies are more exclusively focused on external forces affecting their industries and sectors, to one that has become significantly more customer-centric. Consider the battle waged by IBM’s software development teams between competing methods for getting closer to customers.

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The Potential of Geolocation for Revolutionizing Retail

Harvard Business Review

New technology promises to allow retailers to beat online players at their own game, transforming the customer experience and dramatically improving their positioning. One of the most exciting areas of development is the marrying of mobile apps, location sensing technologies (e.g., However, this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Retail 8
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Can Anyone Stop Amazon from Winning the Industrial Internet?

Harvard Business Review

Customer intimacy. Industrial giants have well-established brands, built strong customer relationships, and signed long-term service contracts. They’ve won the customer’s trust, which is why customers are willing to share data. Not, really.