Innovation without the tech-dept

Technology leaders are always looking for the next innovation to give them an edge over the competition. Yet the pandemic has forced companies to be more transformative and agile than they usually would have been.There are rewards for those companies who innovate as they are likely to maintain their advantages for years to come and as McKinsey writes, innovation can be a company’s launchpad out of the Covid-19 crisis.

In 2020, many technology chiefs splurged on new technology to help their organisations keep abreast of the needs and demands brought about by the pandemic. There was no time for the usual rumination that previously could have taken years.These purchases, however, have not always been the most optimised for their organisations. Technological innovation promises much but comes at a cost, so how do technology leaders define a good investment in technology? And how can they keep these costs in check in order to avoid tech-debt?

Join Charles Ross, Principal, public policy and thought leadership at The Economist Intelligence Unit as he asks 4 technology leaders from a cross-sector of industries what they have done or plan to do to avoid tech-debt and how they are innovating cost-effectively.

Agenda
Key questions that we’ll be putting to the panel:
To what extent should companies break traditional structures to help maintain cost effective innovation?
Where can cost efficiencies be found when refreshing the skill sets of your employees?
Should companies be more receptive to partnering with third parties when driving for efficiencies in innovation?
What needs to be said to the business to justify investment in technology during a period where profit margins are being squeezed?
And how can companies sustain the costs of investing in new technology?