The Critical Factor In Tech Investment ROI

Consulting
Written By Rick Watson

DHL has been in the news recently for planning to invest about $9B in its IT systems, improve data analysis and analytics, etc.  It's pretty simple these days - let me break it down.

If you are not great at technology and software innovation, including data, you are falling behind.  Every single day.  It doesn't matter if today you are investing $500k or $1M or pick any number into R&D.  If the spend is behind the times or ineffective, no amount of self-congratulation for how much you spend will save your market share.

How many executives say: "we can't afford to spend more, we already spend $2M on this".    All the while, every single employee knows how effectively it's being spent.  i.e. not very.

Digital leaders need to have ideas for what to do next, or what to do instead, not just point out the problems and call out another group because it justifies their layoff policy.  You are just putting the company in a death spiral.

Employees see it, but many executives don't, or perhaps they aren't able to do anything about it either.  Strong CEO and management leadership is needed to change this.  Yes as a CEO you need to care about how you are investing in technology, and who is deciding those investments.  Not just how much you invest.

Rick Watson

Rick Watson founded RMW Commerce Consulting after spending 20+ years as a technology entrepreneur and operator exclusively in the eCommerce industry with companies like ChannelAdvisor, BarnesandNoble.com, Merchantry, and Pitney Bowes.

Watson’s work today is centered on supporting investors and management teams incubating and growing direct-to-consumer businesses. Most recently, in partnership with WHP Global, Rick was a critical resource in architecting the WHP+ platform, a new turnkey direct to consumer digital e-commerce platform that powers AnneKlein.com and JosephAbboud.com.

Watson also hosts a weekly podcast, Watson Weekly, where he shares an unbiased, unfiltered expert take on the retail sector’s biggest players.

In the past year alone, Rick has spoken at many in-person and virtual events as well as podcasts on topics ranging from retail/ecom to supply chain/logistics and even digital grocery including CommerceNext IRL, ASCM Connect, and Retail Innovation Conference.

https://www.rmwcommerce.com/
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