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Over the last decade, and even since the bursting of the technology bubble, pundits, consultants, and thought leaders have argued that information technology provides the edge necessary for business success. IT expert Nicholas G. Carr offers a radically different view in this eloquent and explosive book. As IT's power and presence have grown, he argues, its strategic relevance has actually decreased. IT has been transformed from a source of advantage into a commoditized "cost of doing business"--with huge implications for business management. Expanding on Carr's seminal Harvard Business Review article that generated a storm of controversy, Does IT Matter? provides a truly compelling--and unsettling--account of IT's changing business role and its leveling influence on competition. Through astute analysis of historical and contemporary examples, Carr shows that the evolution of IT closely parallels that of earlier technologies such as railroads and electric power. He goes on to lay out a new agenda for IT management, stressing cost control and risk management over innovation and investment. And he examines the broader implications for business strategy and organization as well as for the technology industry. A frame-changing statement on one of the most important business phenomena of our time, Does IT Matter? marks a crucial milepost in the debate about IT's future. An acclaimed business writer and thinker, Nicholas G. Carr is a former executive editor of the Harvard Business Review.
"Offers a practical, close-up examination of how a manager or executive can best determine whether a new technology expenditure is justified by a business need." - cover.
Users have become an integral part of technology studies. The essays in this volume look at the creative capacity of users to shape technology in all phases, from design to implementation. Using a variety of theoretical approaches, including a feminist focus on users and use (in place of the traditional emphasis on men and machines), concepts from semiotics, and the cultural studies view of consumption as a cultural activity, these essays examine what users do with technology and, in turn, what technology does to users. The contributors consider how users consume, modify, domesticate, design, reconfigure, and resist technological development—and how users are defined and transformed by technology. The essays in part I show that resistance to and non-use of a technology can be a crucial factor in the eventual modification and improvement of that technology; examples considered include the introduction of the telephone into rural America and the influence of non-users of the Internet. The essays in part II look at advocacy groups and the many kinds of users they represent, particularly in the context of health care and clinical testing. The essays in part III examine the role of users in different phases of the design, testing, and selling of technology. Included here is an enlightening account of one company's design process for men's and women's shavers, which resulted in a "Ladyshave" for users assumed to be technophobes. Taken together, the essays in How Users Matter show that any understanding of users must take into consideration the multiplicity of roles they play—and that the conventional distinction between users and producers is largely artificial.
Banking is under threat. Despite access to fast-paced technology known as FinTech, an antiquated business model and internal organizational paralysis do not allow for the creation of a truly beloved brand and are stifling change. To survive and thrive when their competition is catching up, banks must understand the principles behind Emotional Banking—a cultural change concept that brings the consumer to the center of rethinking banking products and delivery. This book starts with a history of the space then moves into an overview of what FinTech is. After discussing the state of banking today including stories from the biggest names in the industry, the concept of Emotional Banking and Brand are introduced as an answer to the problems outlined above. It concludes with examples of best practices and a hands-on approach on how to change the inertia, become a brand and make customers fall in love with their bank. Some of the questions this book tackles include: · Why don’t banks “care”? · How many banks will survive? · What is FinTech and why does it matter? · Can Banks become beloved brands and find their way to the consumer’s heart? · Why is there a disconnect between what we say and what we do in the industry? · Is inertia in banking a result of broken internal culture? · Which big brand or challenger will be at the top in 5 years?
Every company's ability to innovate depends on a process of experimentation whereby new products and services are created and existing ones improved. But the cost of experimentation often limits innovation. New technologies--including computer modeling and simulation--promise to lift that constraint by changing the economics of experimentation. Never before has it been so economically feasible to ask "what-if" questions and generate preliminary answers. These technologies amplify the impact of learning, paving the way for higher R&D performance and innovation and new ways of creating value for customers.In Experimentation Matters, Stefan Thomke argues that to unlock such potential, companies must not only understand the power of experimentation and new technologies, but also change their processes, organization, and management of innovation. He explains why experimentation is so critical to innovation, underscores the impact of new technologies, and outlines what managers must do to integrate them successfully. Drawing on a decade of research in multiple industries as diverse as automotive, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and banking, Thomke provides striking illustrations of how companies drive strategy and value creation by accommodating their organizations to new experimentation technologies.As in the outcome of any effective experiment, Thomke also reveals where that has not happened, and explains why. In particular, he shows managers how to: implement "front-loaded" innovation processes that identify potential problems before resources are committed and design decisions locked in; experiment and test frequently without overloading their organizations; integrate new technologies into the current innovation system; organize for rapid experimentation; fail early and often, but avoid wasteful "mistakes"; and manage projects as experiments.Pointing to the custom integrated circuit industry--a multibillion dollar market--Thomke also shows what happens when new experimentation technologies are taken beyond firm boundaries, thereby changing the way companies create new products and services with customers and suppliers. Probing and thoughtful, Experimentation Matters will influence how both executives and academics think about experimentation in general and innovation processes in particular. Experimentation has always been the engine of innovation, and Thomke reveals how it works today.
In this funny sci fi adventure with heart, a girl with a name no one can pronounce properly finds out she never does anything important with her life, so she has no impact on the timeline whatsoever - and thus she is free to travel time and space and have amazing adventures with heedless abandon.
Nanotechnology! Genetic engineering! Miracle Drugs! We are promised that new technological developments will magically save us from the dire consequences of the 300-year fossil-fueled binge known as modern industrial civilization, without demanding any fundamental changes in our behavior. There is a pervasive belief that technological innovation will enable us to continue our current lifestyle indefinitely and will prevent social, economic and environmental collapse. Techno-Fix shows that negative unintended consequences of technology are inherently predictable and unavoidable, techno-optimism is completely unjustified, and modern technology, in the presence of continued economic growth, does not promote sustainability, but hastens collapse. The authors demonstrate that most technological solutions to social and technology-created problems are ineffective. They explore the reasons for the uncritical acceptance of new technologies, show who really controls the direction of technological change, and then advocate extensive reform. This comprehensive exposé is a powerful argument for why we can and should put the genie back in the bottle. An insightful and powerful critique, it is required reading for anyone who is concerned about blind techno-optimism and believes that the time has come to make science and technology more socially and environmentally responsible. For more information, please visit technofix.org .
Discover the secret to productive IT-business alignment In The Technology Doesn’t Matter: Prioritizing the People in IT Business Alignment, veteran IT executive Rachel Lockett delivers an engaging and insightful discussion of how to turn around IT departments struggling to effectively collaborate with their business counterparts. In the book, you’ll explore the proven and established People-Process-Technology framework and break down innovative approaches to IT-business alignment in a clear and accessible style. The author explains how to “manage up” and “manage down” to create inter- and intra-departmental synergy, as well as: How to identify the four types of business leaders, and the ways they can contribute to an effective IT business alignment Practical solutions to even the most seemingly intractable technology alignment problems Hands-on professional development guidance for IT and business leaders An essential and original resource for executives, managers, directors, founders, entrepreneurs, and other business leaders, The Technology Doesn’t Matter will also appeal to tech leaders and technology service providers seeking to better communicate with non-technical professionals. It’s also a practical handbook for business leaders who want to better understand, relate to, and collaborate with their IT colleagues, improve engagement and retention amongst IT employees, and align the interests of technical and non-technical professionals.
An eye-opening adventure deep inside the everyday materials that surround us, from concrete and steel to denim and chocolate, packed with surprising stories and fascinating science.