The word “disruptive” usually brings a negative connotation – troublesome or undisciplined. Disruptive technologies, on the other hand, has a completely different meaning attached to it which is innovative and groundbreaking. The term is becoming increasingly popular as it is transforming the way businesses go about their daily work.

Read more: How Grab uses data analytics to refine new products

Disrupt or be disrupted?

In other to stay competitive, organisations must modernise in both the way people think and the way advanced technologies are utilised.

When you are managing a multi-dollar enterprise, you obviously can’t risk being interrupted in any way. But when a digital strategy is done right and you have carefully prepared your staff for the upcoming transformation, you can break free from the rigid, outdated processes that are no longer relevant to today’s market.

Read more: Digital transformation - a 7-step road map for success

Disruptive technologies ensure a smooth workflow, seamless connection between you and anyone in the organisation as well as your suppliers and the extended supply chain. Establishing cross-functional teams not only play a crucial role but can also help ease the transition process.

The need for adopting disruptive technologies is even greater when more and more Millennials starting to join the workforce. As we all know, Millennials are tech-savvy and the primary users of today’s latest technology. Therefore, incorporating the use of mobile devices and social sharing into the daily business operations is not redundant but in fact is just a natural move of how digital revolution works.

A typical example of this disruptive technology trend is cloud computing, a high-impact, multi-functional technology that embeds in our daily routine. Nowadays, enterprise systems can be easily deployed, managed, updated and monitored in the cloud, a process that merely takes months instead of years like before. Cloud computing is a perfect model of being disruptive and not at all disrupted.

Read more: How can cloud computing benefit small and medium-sized enterprises?

How to make the technologies work for you?

The process of digital transformation for your business does not need to be expensive or abrupt. It can first start out by replacing some repetitive, mundane tasks such as data entry.

There are 4 critical aspects you need to take into account when implementing a digital strategy.

• Mobility - Gaining access to data anytime, anywhere can’t be of any more crucial than now. How often do you check your work email while on vacation/ at home? Do you use laptop, PC, or mobile devices to check your social newsfeed? The easier you can get your message across, the higher efficiency you can experience.
• Visibility - In the past, once the shipment left your precinct, you were in complete darkness how its condition would be until it reached the final destination. This is no longer acceptable today. Manufacturers are in definite need of complete visibility at every step of the supply chain.
• Usability - The disruptive technology does not have any meaning if it is not usable, more specifically, how user-friendly the new technology is, its capability to help you accomplish a task more efficiently, and most importantly, how well does it fit with your industry.
• Agility - Organisations that can maximise these disruptive technologies, match them with their strategic visions and goals are more adaptive to changes happening in the market. Technical agility can and will result in business agility.

Read more: 7 questions a CEO should consider before starting an ERP project

Disruptive technologies when implemented correctly with a well-designed plan can benefit every individual and organisation. Adopting the right type of disruptive technology will present your organisation as innovative, collaborative, more responsive; you are also able to reduce the time products or services introduced to the market, and your customers will be more likely to cooperate with you.

The question is, when will you start your digital journey?

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