Nowadays, the key success factor is people with extensive knowledge, service skills and creative use of advanced technologies,” says Beata Drzazga, entrepreneur, founder of Poland’s largest medical company BetaMed S.A. and owner of Drzazga Clinic, Dono da Scheggia, BetaNest Electronics and BetaInvest LLC.
In today’s world, where technology is widely available, how do you build a sustainable competitive advantage?
In today’s world, where technology is widely available, building a sustainable competitive advantage is becoming increasingly difficult. The widespread availability of technology makes it a standard. To achieve a sustainable advantage, it is necessary to look for factors that are unique or difficult to copy. While investing in modern and efficient technology can provide an edge in some areas, it is important to remember that many companies have access to the same tools and solutions.
As a result, the paradox is that in the digital age, success depends more and more on people’s knowledge and creativity than on technology itself. In the past, in the analog world, efficiency achieved through technology was the key to success. But nowadays, it is knowledge and creativity that are becoming the key factors that can ensure long-term competitive advantage.
In your opinion, is investment in people crucial to a company’s success, more so than investment in technology?
While technology may be available to many companies, it is important to remember that people are the real key to achieving a competitive advantage. We may have the same technological tools, but it’s how our employees use and develop them that makes the difference. Our influence on people, through recruitment, training and building a corporate culture, can bring benefits that cannot be faked. Moreover, taking care of our customers’ feelings is equally important. Unlike technology, we cannot standardize people. Attempts at this approach faded with the end of the 20th century. Employers are increasingly realizing that creativity comes from diversity, and that teams are often more effective at solving problems than individuals, even with simple techniques such as brainstorming.
Can it be said that competitive advantage is based more on knowledge of technology than on technology itself?
Nowadays, the key to success is people with a wide range of knowledge, able to use advanced technologies effectively. This is why project management has become one of the most important skills for modern organizations. Code writing is outsourced to countries where it can be done cheaply, while the headquarters of global corporations employ specialists in translating the needs of the organization into the language of technology. It is this kind of process that allows you to build a competitive advantage through the use of technology. However, it is important to understand that this kind of competence is not cheap. These people are extremely valuable, hard to get and easy to lose, and sometimes working with them can be challenging. Therefore, the ability to take care of employees has become more important than ever before.
We are still witnessing the fact that people play a key role in business, not technology. Regardless of digital advancements, many businesses continue to be successful, although they remain in the so-called “digital divide.” “pre-digital world” and for some reason they are so comfortable.
The use of modern technology has many extremely important functions. Automation makes it possible to perform a variety of tasks faster and more efficiently, supports learning processes that translate into better performance, and fosters the implementation of the organization’s strategy to achieve a competitive advantage. For this reason, we must not abandon the use of modern technologies, because the competition will certainly take advantage of them.
The implementation of digital technologies in a complex organizational structure involves difficulties, requires a change in the way of working at all levels. In order for digital transformation to succeed, qualities such as the continuous development of employees’ competencies, especially in digital skills, the ability to assess risks, the ability to work effectively as a team, and a focus on customer needs are essential. Today, digital technology is the foundation of an organization’s success. In the language of management, it facilitates the processes of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling. It is through the use of technology that we unleash the full potential of our employees.
Source: Manager Report