Bootcamp & Battle Scars – the great integration situation
In our second episode of Bootcamp & Battle Scars we catch up with two thought-leaders from the innovation sector. Who work for frontier firms - those out there doing the mahi, making innovation happen.
Change is constant, it’s not about doing one big change and going back to normal, if COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that there is no normal. Constant change is the norm now. Being too focussed on long-term innovation means you’re less likely to be able to adapt to changes and opportunities that crop up. Conversely having your focus on only short-term innovation means you’re not going to be able to make those key infrastructural changes that can move your business forward. So, how do we find the balance?
Mark Jaffray, GM of IT at Fletcher Building, and Michael Tapp, Director at Cyma Ltd, share their learnings and perspectives on how strategy and technology must be linked to survive and prosper in this ever changing world. Organisations doing innovation well have the technology function integrated throughout the business and, most importantly, have it sitting at the strategic table.
“A lot of businesses have always done a good business strategy and then after they nail the business strategy along comes the IT strategy to help enable it. It’s after the fact and wasn't considered at the right time, at the right level” says Mark.
“So, they now need to be merged and done as one strategy. I think the change with COVID, the pace of digital transformation, what's happening in the market is starting to draw that together. We’re seeing a lot more of the right conversations happening at the right level, which is really encouraging, and IT and technology has got more of a seat at the table.”
Mark and Michael both stress the importance of having a framework for innovation. Without a framework, ideas for innovation can come in at break-neck pace, only to bottleneck at the technology department, which is likely already busy making sure the business-as-usual operations are ticking along. Identifying the need for a framework and putting one in place, to receive requests, review and prioritise them, allocate resources, and most importantly, fund them, will result in a flow of innovation that is manageable and ultimately leads to outcomes.
Being able to articulate this framework is also integral. We need to be able to talk about it, to change it and improve it. “What we're really talking about here is not just continuous improvement in the sense of your core business production, but continuous improvement in the supporting framework that allows you to change on an ongoing basis as well,” says Michael.
“Without a way of improving that framework. We get stuck in something that worked yesterday but may not work down the line” agrees Adrian.
Engaging in robust and challenging conversations across different functions will ultimately result in technology and innovation becoming embedded within organisations. Mark goes so far as to encourage a bit of disagreement, “what you need is to bring the challenges from the technology teams or from the business together with those senior technologists, create that tension and have robust discussions, that might feel bit awkward at some stages, but you're going to get the right outcome, and you just need to continually evolve. We can't sit still anymore, the pace of change is going to be rapid, that's not going to let up.”
Check out the full episode to hear some more ideas on how to find the balance. Bootcamp & Battle Scars is available to listen on Spotify or to view on YouTube. If you or your organization are keen to join the Bootcamp and Battle Scars conversation or you have a question for any of the team, drop us a line at [email protected] and we'll be in touch!
What our clients have to say
I’m enjoying the journey working with IMS Projects and we’re seeing real engagement with innovation and change across the business. As we continue to transition to a world with rapidly changing energy systems, we are looking to IMS to ensure we take a dynamic approach to strategy and implement
Ray Ferner
Managing Director, Rinnai
Not only do we have a more involved and committed workforce but have achieved a 20 to 30% improvement in productivity… within just 18 months. I cannot recommend IMS highly enough; a life changer for us.
John Metcalf
Managing Director, Lowes Industries
IMS were quick to understand the root cause of the issues we were facing and helped us to design and implement practical solutions that really work for all the team and the many different cultures in our workplace.
Matthew White
Managing Director, H&E Water
I’m really impressed! We’re challenging some people that can go a long way at Fletcher Building and this programme is allowing teams to dedicate time away from business-as-usual to think about the bigger picture.
Mark Jaffray
General Manager, Fletcher Building
Really amped on what this is going to do for us. We’ve set a big target this year but I reckon we could smash that out of the park if we can get some of these actions in place here in the team.
Ben Bodley
CEO Teknique
Working with IMS has revolutionised the way we operate our business.The improvements are visible and ongoing, the principles and disciplines learned are constantly being refined to improve our business. Many thanks.
Andrew Moon
Managing Director, Baker Boys
IMS have helped us develop our ability to think creatively, take the best ideas forward, and quickly turn concepts into products that customers want and generate sales.
David Selway
Managing Director, Argus Heating Limited
IMS Projects provided a way to set goals and motivate our team to solve problems we didn’t think we were ever going to be able to deal with. This has helped lead to a culture change and as a result we continue to reap the benefits from the Programme.
Matthew O’Brien
CEO, Kiwicare
IMS’s customised approach has successfully wrapped the manual around each business rather than the business around the manual.
Sam Bailey
Business Growth Manager, CDC