In the current B2B technology landscape, the difference between a transformative tool and an expensive decoration is not the technology itself—it’s how you use it.

It’s telling that 81% of B2B tech buyers feel purchase regret, even after intensive buying cycles spanning an average of 17 months. As Gartner found, “The product is less important than the buyer’s ability to evaluate, purchase, and adopt it. The product is a means to an end, a vehicle to an outcome.”

Technology, while pivotal, only achieves its true potential when it’s tied to measurable business outcomes, when the processes are in place to implement and adopt it, and when the individuals using and promoting it are invested in extracting the most value from it. 

Having been in this business since the 1990s, I can say without a doubt that there’s a pattern to which investments fail, and which reach the objectives they were purchased to achieve.

How to identify red flags in technology adoption

Here are three common red flags I see in tech adoption: 

1. Lack of stakeholder buy-in. If leadership buys a new technology without seeking adequate input and endorsement from the daily users, they’re likely to suffer resistance and low levels of adoption. On the other hand, if individual teams invest in a product without engaging an executive-level champion, proving value and securing enablement support will be an uphill battle.
2. Absence of clear metrics. Any tech investment should be made with specific and defined business goals. Without clear goals to measure against, you won’t know whether it’s providing the ROI that you expected so you can address issues as they arise.  
3. The “set-it-and-forget-it” fallacy. Companies that buy tech with the expectation that it will achieve its objectives without ongoing enablement, measurement, and support will not get the most value out of their investments. 

Case study: Gen AI implementation

Strategic implementation is especially relevant now, as organizations plan for how they’ll use generative AI across their operations in the coming year. 

But as leaders consider plans, employees are already jumping in—and that could cause problems in the long run. A recent survey from The Conference Board found 56% of workers are using Gen AI on the job already, even though only 26% say their organization has developed a policy for its use.

With Gen AI solutions being deployed in this slipshod manner, organizations are bound to suffer from redundancy, inefficiency, and poor adoption.

Organizations that get ahead of Gen AI adoption by embracing the three tenets outlined below will save costs, improve efficiency, and ensure that the investments they’re making now will pay dividends in the long run.

Blueprint for strong technology implementations

There are three pillars of successful Gen AI adoption: First, the technology itself; second, the people who evaluate, select, and adopt it; and third, the processes that are put in place to ensure that it’s used to its fullest potential. 

Technology

When evaluating new technology, it’s important to take a whole-systems, strategic approach. Assess alignment with current needs, including existing operational challenges and how the new tech addresses them. 

Next, consider the company’s product road map to see how it corresponds to your future goals and growth expectations. 

Finally, consider your existing ecosystem. Do any of your existing systems have functionality that overlaps with the product you’re considering? Are there add-on options that could fill the same need without purchasing new? If not, does the product you’re considering complement, enhance, or seamlessly integrate with current systems? Is it compatible with your data architecture, security protocols, and workflow processes? 

Combining these considerations into a cohesive evaluation strategy ensures the investment is not only beneficial in the short term, but also as you plan for future objectives.

People

Technology is only as useful as people make it. As I mentioned earlier, implementations go sideways when teams and executives don’t agree on expectations. Every purchase should have an executive sponsor to bridge the gap between the tech and the business goals. 

The day-to-day users need to be committed to and supported in enablement. That means they should be incentivized to learn from ongoing education like webinars, training certifications, customer conferences, and customer communities. Many tech companies have vast customer success resources that can make the difference between a purchase that gets used and one that sits on a shelf.

Processes

Effectively implementing new technology hinges heavily on the right processes—most notably defining and tracking KPIs aligned to your business goals. For example, if you’re rolling out a new customer relationship management (CRM) system, you might track customer engagement rates or response times. 

Then it’s essential to “inspect what you expect.” Regular reviews of these KPIs ensure that they remain relevant and provide insights you can act on. This creates a culture of continuous improvement across the team. You may even want to encourage this mindset by using interactive tools like leaderboards or incentives to engage your team. 

By focusing on relevant KPIs and fostering a proactive culture, you create a robust framework that maximizes the benefits of your technological investments.

Catalyze change

As a leader, you can make a big difference in how successfully technology is implemented by considering the holistic ecosystem in which it operates. When people and processes are aligned with the right technology, it ceases to be a mere tool—it becomes a catalyst for transformation. 

Jason Zintak is CEO of 6sense.