Top 3 Reasons Solution-First Organizations Fall Short
Organizations that focus too heavily on solutions or specific technology without first taking the time to understand their customers' needs, the desired outcomes, and the flexibility to find the fastest path to value are more likely to struggle to achieve their objectives.
Here are three of the main reasons why this approach may fall short:
👉 1) Lack of Outcome-Oriented Approach:
Starting with a solution or technology without knowing the outcome or success measures, how would you track progress and confirm when desired outcomes have been achieved?
An app or technology is not an outcome. It's what you can achieve for the customers and your business when implemented. What metric did it need to move to help the organization get closer to its vision? How does this solution compare to others in achieving those success metrics?
👉2) Failure to Solve Customer Problems (External or Internal):
When searching for a problem to solve with a solution or specific technology, teams are building and trying to sell a solution instead of solving customer problems, which leads to a high rate of failure.
In an organization that is customer-obsessed versus solutions-first, knowing the customer's needs, desires, and pain points provides teams with a focus on creating the most effective solutions enabled by digital technology.
This approach allows teams to rapidly test assumptions, reduce risk, and make data-driven decisions that drive them toward solving customer problems that will deliver value and produce the desired outcomes.
👉3) Lack of Flexibility:
Getting caught up on a solution or using a preferred specific technology can limit the team's ability to find options better suited for solving the problem and achieving the desired outcomes.
Teams that have autonomy, are aligned with outcomes and success measures, are more likely to move quickly and discover the fastest path to value. They have the flexibility to learn and rapidly iterate versus being constrained to one idea or technology.
If you want to accelerate your organization's ability to create and deliver solutions enabled by digital technology, move from a Solutions-First organization to one focused on customer needs, outcomes, and success measures.
You can unlock the agility and flexibility of the team's finding the fastest path to customer and business value that solves the most pressing customer problems (external or internal), achieving desired outcomes so the organization can thrive.