How do you move from an intention to innovate to truly high-performing adoption?
There is no shortage of technology solutions available today. What’s missing is structure.
Today, organizations have access to a wide range of technologies: Big Data, generative AI, robotics, IoT, digital twins, CRM/ERP systems, and more.
Yet on the ground, one reality remains. Technology adoption is still complex, slow, or too often disappointing. Not because of a lack of innovation, but because of a lack of method.
Tech adoption does not start with a tool. It starts with a clear understanding of business needs.
What field expertise teaches us
By working closely with local technology experts and startups, one observation keeps coming back: adoption challenges are not purely technological.
They arise when business thinking lacks clarity. In practical terms, issues emerge when:
- needs are poorly defined, too generic, or overly constrained
- priorities fail to reflect operational realities
- solutions are chosen too early, without exploring the full range of options or running pilot projects
One recurring point from field discussions: ROI is rarely explicit for the requester.
In addition, the current state of knowledge is often unclear. Before discussing technology, a simple question should guide the process: How is this need being addressed today?
By documenting the current situation (time spent, manual steps, pain points, errors, delays), it becomes possible to translate an operational problem into real cost — in hours, money, or lost opportunities.
It is from this potential performance gain that ROI truly makes sense. Without this step, technology adoption relies more on perception than on informed decision-making.
Before talking about solutions, you must first clearly define your needs based on the current state.
Defining needs: a 4-step approach
1. Visualize the full range of opportunities
To surface as many needs as possible in a limited time, the Adoption Tech team relies on the business functions wheel. Simple but powerful, it helps:
- map an organization’s core functions (administration, HR, operations, marketing, etc.)
- contextualize recurring pain points and bottlenecks
- avoid a technology-first mindset and instead focus on use cases
When used collaboratively, it creates a shared language and ensures a comprehensive yet concise understanding — much like a mini service blueprint.
To go even further: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/service-blueprints-definition/
2. Prioritize high-impact elements
Once needs are identified, using a simple impact/effort matrix helps to:
- target concrete short-term opportunities
- focus efforts where business value is highest
- avoid launching overly complex or oversized projects (these can instead be broken down into smaller components)
- identify the right stakeholders from the outset
This step is key to moving into action.
3. Synthesize an executive, testable brief
Prioritized needs can then be translated into short executive briefs using simple, structured wording.
For example:
“As a [role], I observe that [problem], which results in [impact].”
Ideally, these briefs should be validated with the users concerned — whether it’s an employee on the production line, an HR officer, or a procurement manager.
To go further: https://hbr.org/2016/09/know-your-customers-jobs-to-be-done
4. Develop a Customer Value Proposition (CVP)
Final step: all this information enables you to clearly define your value proposition.
But beware of the trap of aiming for a 100% perfect fit. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, you must innovate — and your objective should be to find the solution that generates the greatest real benefits. If a solution addresses 80–90% of the need, that may be more than sufficient. Waiting for the perfect match can result in significant delays.
To go further: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/empathy-mapping
What comes next?
Structuring needs is an essential first step.
But once clarity is achieved, another strategic question arises:
Should you buy, integrate, or build your technological solution?
In the next article, we will explore the three tech adoption models and the Core vs. Context rule to help organizations make choices aligned with their competitive advantage.
Discover Adoption Tech services and the “I Adopt Québec’s Tech” movement: https://quebectech.com/en/adoption-de-techs-quebecoises/
Samuel L. Audet
Manager, Technology Adoption Initiatives
Québec Tech