Some of the real big mistakes & show stoppers companies do by ignoring signs of change...

1. IF you think like this, you should rethink the situation ….
by
NINO MESSAOUD
You really THINK, business continuous like the past
years / decades?
While the world’s changing faster- and faster…

2. The Situation in 2,3 examples…
• Rules & Influence of Business partners do change
• In many industries, suppliers decide already whom
to deliver under which conditions. They expect
digital customers to ease the processes and
forecasts. It’s not any longer the customer to make
the supplier happy…it’s meanwhile vice-versa and
it’s increasing
• Employees – War for talents
• You must create a brand… your organization… to
be attractive for talents.
• And more…
• More & more people expect the “amazon-feeling” in
daily business
• This does not mean “shopping feeling” but having
100% digital & smooth processes.
• It’s not any more sufficient to deliver products to your
customers
• Beside products & services you must become a
solution provider to your customers & suppliers.
• This protects you from being out sorted by pricing

3. Mistake 1 – Your industry is safe
• The nature of „Digitalization“ as well as the
„Digital Transformation“ is to question the status
quo. There are dozens of companies & industries
which thought, they are safe, and no change can
hurt them…. What a fatal mistake!

4. If big players are questioning & adapting their business models,
why do you think you don’t have to?
• Amazon
• Microsoft
• Oracle
• VW, BMW, Mercedes etc.
• And many more…

5. Companies which thought that they are safe…
• Kodak
• Falk Maps
• Yahoo
• Quelle
• Nokia
• And many more…
A company, that was listed at stock exchange prior
1970, had a 92% chance to exist 5 years later. One
decade later, the chance dropped already down to
88%. By begin of 21st century and the begin of digital
transformation, the drop was significant and went
down to 63%. In 2018 it was already 58%.
(Source: Tuck School of Business (New Hampshire by querying 30.000 companies between 1960 – 2009)

6. Mistake 2 – Your competitors
don’t change either…
• Your competitors are your benchmark? Do you
want to follow footprints of others, or do you want
to leave footprints and make others to follow you?
Competitors should be one (out of many)
benchmark, but not the key indicator.

7. Mistake 3 – Your product / service
can’t be replaced that easy…
• One example: In manufacturing industry, customers have been
asked about their “next machine” major requirements. It was
not the color, the speed or the price. Number ONE requirement
is the smooth integration of the machine into their IT to have
digital processes. Requirements are changing. Customers
replaced machines by changed top requirement.
• Everything can be replaced. If a competitor integrates a product
or service into your customer’s processes, you are probably
sorted out.

8. It is essential to become a solution partner
instead of being only a product provider…
• A modern & flexible IT is the perfect framework for state-of-the-art
customer services
• A modern & flexible IT DOES NOT cost millions and you don’t have to
sort out your existing IT. A modern IT migrates your existing
environment

9. Mistake 4 – We have best price…
• The price is not any longer the dominating key criteria. If you
want to avoid pure price discussions with your customers, you
should offer advantages of your products / services beside the
price.
• Value-add services to make your customer’s life easier is
increasing customer loyalty.

10. You must avoid to be sorted-out…
• The price is not any longer the most important criteria. More & more
industries & suppliers look for companies which do ease the
collaboration
• The more digital & smooth integration you provide, the less price
discussions you’ll have

11. Mistake 5 – Not to invest into
people…
• Only good educated & top motivated teams do guarantee
ongoing success!
• No industry is changing faster than IT. But if knowledge does
not extend by training, how should your business benefit from
the IT?

12. Conclusion…
• Business & requirements are changing faster and faster. No one could seriously
question this. If you take this as a fact then,
• Why don’t you really question your current business & market? If you investigate your
business, your customer expectations, your suppliers etc. the answer could be “everything is
perfect”. But I’ve never seen that outcome. Don’t oversleep the coming changes.
• Is your IT really ready to provide best possible services to your internal (users)- and external
customers?
• Is your IT ready to react about tomorrow’s requirements? Do you want an IT which reacts, or
do you prefer an IT to act by itself?
• Make your IT a business enabler. This is not a technology discussion… it’s shift of the Mindset.

13. NO Mistake at all !!