Consulenza strategica sulla rivoluzione digitale

Digital technology is continuing to advance at a rapid pace, presenting opportunities and threat in equal measure to companies in almost every sector.

From advanced smartphones connecting everyone at every time, to Cloud Computing offering unprecedented processing power and data storage for low prices, there is no denying the power of digital technology. Still, many companies and many executives are in denial, thinking that somehow they are immune to these powerful disruptive forces. Make no mistake; no one is immune. All industries can fall prey to commoditization and obsolescence.  And no one is moving fast enough to outpace threats and take advantage of opportunities. 

La disruption viene spesso definita come “uno spostamento della redditività relativa da un modello di business a un altro”. Anche se recentemente ciò è stato in genere guidato dalla tecnologia e dall’innovazione digitale, non è sempre così.

La rivoluzione digitale nella mobilità e nei pagamenti

Prendiamo una delle storie di successo più rivoluzionarie della nostra epoca: Uber. La tecnologia alla base di Uber non era di per sé dirompente. Ogni elemento tecnologico che abilitava il loro prodotto (pagamenti mobili, GPS, ecc.) esisteva già. Ciò che è stato dirompente in Uber è stato il modo in cui hanno sfruttato quella tecnologia in un nuovo modello di business che ha sfruttato l’aumento della gig economy.

According to Bill Gates, we have a tendency to overestimate the amount of change that is possible on a 2 year time frame, and greatly underestimate the amount of change possible over a 10 year time frame. Successfully navigating disruption requires a balance. It requires a balance of short and long-term thinking, and a balance of reactive and proactive action.

Quando si parla di rivoluzione digitale, il successo genera altro successo.

This success is characterized by Positive Feedback Loops, Zero Marginal Cost or significant Economies of Scale.  Take social media as an example. The more users there are on a platform, the more revenue that platform can generate through advertising. Additionally, the more users there are on a platform, the more likely others are to join.

Più utenti attirano più utenti, il che attira più entrate.

This positive feedback loop can be seen in several industries, whether its social media networks, PC operating systems, smartphones, ride-sharing applications, and others.  Per avere successo è necessario raggiungere una massa critica, un livello chiave di volume.

A volte interrompere significa eliminare gli intermediari, ma non sempre.

In some cases, cutting out the middleman doesn’t work at all. For example, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) weren’t successful when they tried to cut out the “middlemen” of universities. However, companies like Coursera successfully partnered with the universities to provide a disruptive service in education.

Examples of Digital Disruption are everywhere, in any industry you can think of, and everyone from New York City to Silicon Valley is talking about it. In a business context, the term has become so prolific since Clayton Christensen first introduced it in 1995 that many have complained that is has transformed from a revolutionary concept into an empty buzzword. While the word might have become a bit overused, the idea of disruption—as well as the dual threat and opportunity it provides, is bigger today than ever.

Torna a controllare il nostro prossimo articolo sull'interruzione, “Strategia e leadership snella nella rivoluzione digitale”.