On buying Tiger Wood’s golf clubs…

In a recent article for the BBC Bill Gates made the following point:

‘So if you look at how progress is made and where competitive advantage is created, there’s no doubt that the ability to use software tools effectively is critical to succeeding in today’s global knowledge economy.’

I’m hardly going out on a limb to suggest the ability for an organisation to harness technology will be an increasingly key determinant of success or failure. The key words however in the above quote are use and tools. The acquisition or possession of technology is not sufficient; it has to be applied in a way that creates value.

If I were of a mind to, I guess I could purchase a set of golf clubs just like Tiger Woods uses. I suspect my game might improve a little as a result, but nowhere near as much as it would if I combined the technology with some lessons and practiced more. Too many companies buy the technology (golf clubs) but don’t learn to improve their game by using the tools effectively, probably because shelling out the money is relatively painless, but applying the technology involves considerable sweat and commitment.

The good news is that if it were easy to do everyone would be doing it. For those companies that want to find a new source of competitive advantage in a world where the latest product or service innovation is ‘me too-ed’ in minutes, learning to apply technology can be a powerful source of sustained competitive advantage.

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