Читать книгу Digital @ Scale - Swaminathan Anand - Страница 8

Even though no one expects managers to develop psychic powers, the example of the erstwhile global brand Kodak shows what happens when the company’s management refuses to accept digital change. Blessed with creative developers, Kodak Labs presented the world’s first digital camera as far back as 1975. However, the management put the brakes on the project, fearing that this novelty might adversely affect the highly profitable business with Kodak films. Instead, rivals from Japan did so in the 1980s. When Kodak finally started making digital cameras, it was too late and their early advantage was lost. By 2012, Kodak was bankrupt and its market value of $35 billion was gone.

In the meantime, even the market for digital cameras has become a niche market, but who knows, had Kodak taken the bold step into the digital age in 1975, maybe a learning curve like that of Apple would have been possible. Perhaps then the first iPhone would have been built by camera manufacturer Kodak and not by the computer manufacturer Apple.

QUESTIONS MANAGERS SHOULD ASK THEMSELVES: WHERE ARE YOU?

• What is the phase and degree of digitization in your industry?

• Where is your business model most vulnerable?

• How quickly do changes take place, and how big are they?

• How do you react to these changes – with a lot of small, short-term initiatives or with larger, long-term initiatives?

• Do you know which digital investment(s) deliver the greatest benefit in your industry?

• How much change do you need to survive?

• What are you doing yourself? Where do you need partners or acquisitions?