Why we need Business Technologists

Back in 1998, I started branding my IT Teams “Business Technology Groups.” We needed to move past the stereotypical view of IT as technicians to the much broader skill set that is required to exploit the potential for technology to fuel business growth. In the years since, it's been great to see the term "Business Technologist" emerge across the industry.

Short of growing up on Mars, it's impossible for any of us to be unaware of the commercial impact of technology over the last 25 years. But I would argue that the pace of tech evolution has out-stripped our ability to exploit the commercial benefits available.

While the tech/ IT industry focus remains heavily slanted towards technical skills and solutions marketing, more sophisticated skills are required to marshal the right technology investments at the right time and pace and to ensure the adoption essential to success.

Consider, for example, the six core competencies of effective technology investment:

- Business design - Change management - Technology implementation - Risk management - Operations - Know your Customer

I'll be writing much, much more on these themes over the coming months. If you would like to know when future posts are published, please sign up for my Newsletter here . Each week I’ll send you a single, pragmatic, actionable email newsletter where I’ll give you the tools and knowledge to replace misdirected, over-run and failed technology projects with flawlessly-executed initiatives that drive dramatic business results.

I hope you enjoy the content!