Introduction
Technology is one of the most important aspects that are being adopted by organizations and businesses today. It lies in the heart of almost all organisations, is used in the process of making a product and is also part of the product itself. Organisations and companies which are in need of bringing a new product to the market should ensure that the existing technology is well assimilated into their system. They should also anticipate the impact that the external technology may bring on their businesses.
Challenges that need to be addressed during the appropriation of technology from external sources
There are various challenges that are faced by organisations when they want to acquire an external source of technology into their businesses. These challenges should be addressed by the management and the organizational large before the adoption of the external technology to avoid problems that may arise as a result.
One of the challenges faced is resistance to change by the organizationand the employees. In many organisations employees have adopted a way of doing their work and it is usually very hard for them to change and adopt another way of doing the same work, they may take it as a disruption of the already established skills and work approach. Organisations need to ensure that the technology being adopted in the business is dynamic so as to support the dynamic environment in the business. It should be able to meet the organisation’s goals otherwise if the technology is not precise; it can end up being used in unanticipated ways which can cause inconsistency between the way the technology is designed and the actual use and outcomes. (Poppo & Zenger 1998).
An organizationprior to adoption of an external technology should ensure that it is safe to avoid security problems. The organizationshould also ensure that it brings better outcomes compared to the previous, the technology should create expertise in the work being done and bring motivation to the people using it. (Webb & Cleary 1994).
Another challenge faced when adopting external technology is the rapid change of technology that is taking place in today’s world making the technology obsolete. This means that new skills need to be adopted frequently by employees. The organizationshould therefore be aware of such changes and ensure that the external technology being adopted will be long-lasting to avoid any inconsistencies in work or a need to keep on adopting new technologies and learning new skills which may lead to poor output.
According to (Barr & Thorsen 2003), an organizationshould be keen to adopt a technology that brings equity to the organisation, the employees and the society at large. Therefore, it should be ensured that its adoption does not bring any gaps between the ‘haves’ and ‘don’t haves’ in any manner.
An external technology being adopted should be able to identify the needs of the business, its mission and highlight the functional and non-functional requirements in the organisation. Therefore, an acquisition plan should be developed based on a strategy that describes the key drivers and the risks involved in adoption such as cost and the performance of the technology. (Boehm 2006).
Another challenge is the skills that need to be learned to ensure good adaptation of the external technology. There may be a need to learn new skills in case the technology being introduced in the organizationrequires special skills and knowledge. The organisations should therefore adopt a training session for the employees where they will be trained on how to use the technology and have the skills required so that the technology does not bring failure. Lack of skills required to operate and manage the technology may result in conflicting diversity and requirements between the external technology and the users since total understanding of the technology by the users may come way after acquisition of the technology resulting to slow production in the organisation.
Another challenge is the cost of adopting the external technology. The organizationshould ensure that the costs are reasonable and can be met by the company otherwise a company may result in financial crisis if they use a lot of resources to adopt a technology that may not be profitable.
When is it most logical for a firm to choose external sourcing over in-house development?
There may reach a time when managers of an organizationwill be in need of external sourcing over in-house developments.
One of the instances, when an organizationneeds to adopt an external technology source, is when the current technology does not hold up to the many changes taking place in the technological world. The organizationwill therefore need to get an external source to assist in the work being conducted so as to prevent collapse of the system.
An organizationcan also adopt external sources of technology when it wants to improve its performance. This is because it brings with it greater efficiency in the firm as well as improvement in performance. Therefore a firm that is pressurised to produce better results for its clients should choose external sourcing because it uses fewer resources and produces faster and better results with fewer time risks involved. External sourcing is also reliable for an organizationthat requires speed when marketing its products. (Samsons 2000).
According to (Paap 2000), external sourcing brings a new way of thinking and doing things as compared with in-house development. It has the ability to pursue innovation internally and is efficient in overcoming challenges. The technology is also able to collect information on emerging technologies and markets therefore helping in risk and resistance management.
An external source is usually preferred over in-house development when an organizationwants a reliable technological source. This is because it fits in its category well and is reliable especially when an organizationvalues reliability and wants a technology that fits perfectly to its use.
External source of technology if more flexible than in-house development; organisations that require flexibility in their operations should therefore opt for external sourcing because it brings several support options in its operations such as development, licensing and distribution.
The reasons for replacement of technology in an organisation
An organizationcan decide to replace the current technology being used in the organizationdue to various reasons:
One is due to change of technology with time; in recent past there has been an experience of rapid change in the technological world which has brought a necessity to change with time. The technological world is rapidly developing which means that an organizationneeds to keep up with the same pace; an organizationthat resists change may find it hard to compete in the market and may end up producing substandard goods into the market. Examples of technologies that have been outdone by time are typewriters and phone booths (Suzuki 2003).
(Shamus 2007) said that replacement of technology can be done in an organizationso that employees can have more and greater experience in their work. New technology in an organizationhelps employees to have a better and diversified experience in their work hence they are able to be more successful and achieve their goals in time. They also feel motivated and more comfortable especially when the technology is user-friendly and more efficient compared to the previous one.
Conclusion
In conclusion, organisations should put into consideration the factors that may affect adoption of external technology to ensure that it fits and runs well. Factors such as cost, skills required, its durability and the effect it will have on the organizationoperations should be considered. This will result in efficiency, reliability and better results and overall success of the organisation.
Bibliography
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