Digital Disruption: What Software Dev & Delivery Competencies Matter?

The team and I have been testing a hypothesis for the past year while meeting with business and IT leaders in large enterprises, agencies, and smaller firms and I’d like your input. My working hypothesis is this…

In this age of digital disruption and a society empowered by software-fueled technology, firms that can cultivate competencies in software development & delivery will establish competitive advantage as they will be better equiped to meet, and exceed, the engagement & experience needs of its customers, its employees, and its constituencies.

Why competencies in software development & delivery? First look at today’s digital disruption, which as Forrester analyst James McQuivey notes, is more swift and deadly than prior disruptive forces. Its faster, turns historical assets – e.g. supply chain strengths – into liabilities, and it can come from anywhere. Second, look more closely at today’s digital disruptors. What makes them different? James’ research points out they:

1. Harness the power of digitally empowered consumers…basically they tap into the empowered socieity.
2. Generate more ideas, faster, by focusing on the customer and ‘what’s next’, taking a very outside-in approach to their business.
3. Deliver total experiences by employing digital technology, fueled by software, to redefine products and services.

Digital disruptors aren’t just startups or new social and entertainment firms. You can find them across industry. While they cultivate many competencies, one seems to stand out – they view software development & delivery differently than the industry at large. They view specific aspects – e.g. design, architecture, algorithm/Analytics development, and engineering – as core, something they cannot persist without, part of their product DNA, and essential to how they engage with their customers.

Our research shows not all aspects of software development & delivery are core or essential, but blanket assertions that development’s a commodity are being called into question by many leaders. Those questions introduce big changes for what you might do internally, and how you work with partners.

With the above in mind, questions I have for you and ask you contribute to our community discussion http://community.forrester.com/thread/8880?tstart=0:

1. How does your firm, your executive leadership, view software development & delivery? Do they view it as providing competitive advantage?
2. What’s keeping your leadership from viewing software dev & delivery as a competency?
3. What actions, if any, has your firm and leadership taken to cultivate new software development & delivery competencies?
4. What aspects of software development & delivery do you view as core or essential to your firm? By extension, what’s commodity?

Join us this October in London and Orlando to discuss and share in person with analysts and your peers.

by Kyle McNabb