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What separates the merely ordinary organization from the extraordinary? According to a new study released by IBM, quite a lot.
IBM surveyed nearly 300 global executives to find out what characteristics separate outperforming organizations from their peers. In the end, the study determined that outperforming companies distinguish themselves in the way they work, the way they respond to change, the way they gather information, and the way they use technology.
In the aftermath of the recession most companies are still focused on stabilizing their businesses, gaining operational efficiencies, or at worst, hunkered down.
In stark contrast, the study found companies that are significantly outperforming within their industries are positioning for growth. They are less worried about operational efficiency (perhaps because they already excel in that area) and are instead concentrating on innovation and expansion. Their current focus revolves around introducing new products and services and addressing regulatory requirements, which also relates to their expansion into new geographies and markets.
Outperformers are equipping their organizations for growth by adopting smarter working practices. IBM found that three times as many outperformers have extensive implementations of dynamic, collaborative or connected working practices.
In general, outperformers were much more likely to have adopted technologies to address smarter working practices. Outperformers were more likely to have adopted service-oriented architectures by a factor of nine. Nearly four times as many were likely to have adopted collaborative spaces. In fact, across every technology area tied to working smarter, their adoption rates were consistently higher than their peers.
“This research demonstrates the value of working smarter,” the study concludes. “We learned from the leaders that motivation behind smarter working practices is not just for efficiency, but also for growth – having the capability and technology gaps that are hindering greater agility.”
Given IBM’s Smarter Planet campaign – and the fact it sells software and services related to smarter working practices - many of the conclusions do not come as a surprise. But at the same time it’s hard to argue with their findings. Simply watch what’s taking place among the industry leaders at the moment. Companies like Cisco, EMC, and Apple are hiring aggressively, rapidly expanding into new markets, and building out new product lines. They’re not worried about the lingering effects of the recession; they’re pushing ahead with their game plans.
That’s working smart, not just hard.
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