Instant Gratification vs. Collaboration
I admit that I have an addiction to social media and the ability to access an unlimited amount of information with the click of an app or swipe of a screen. Surely it's safe to assume that this is the case for most people in today's connected world. We thrive off of our ability to have access information right at our fingertips, and a driven to incorporate that same level of instant gratification to our professional careers.
When I first decided to start my consultation company, I was overwhelmed with the "ease of use" applications available to me to ensure that I wasn't going to fall into the "trap of inefficiency." The turning point for me is when simple tasks that I used to manage using spreadsheets in the past can now be accomplished through a subscription based application that not only captures the information but creates the reports that I had spent countless evenings and weekends getting ready for the big meeting come Monday. It was at this point I realized the potential downfall of our constantly evolving corporate world, we're losing the human touch.
For example look at today's marketplace. The entire world's inventory of products is available through a simple search engine query and a few clicks on an online store. As a result, the conventional brick and mortar businesses are condemned to failure, while letting companies like Amazon to thrive. But, as I said before, I am guilty of having the need for instant gratification when it comes to my shopping, as I would much rather enjoy the comfort of my home and pick out my wish list of items, without the pressure of the in-store sales representatives. However, in business, I have seen a trend that has started to integrate this same ease-of-access to business to business transactions.
Companies exist for the sole purpose of providing a product or service to meet the demands of a particular market. So why are we so eager to remove the internally developed subject matter expertise that has become inherent in our organization. As a business who is seeking the services or products of another company, you are likely looking for a solution to your problem. Now should you problem be so simple that an off the shelf product can meet your needs then, by all means, procure it, but if you are looking to solve a complex problem would you not require the skills and attributes of your suppliers to help create a solution for you? I believe so.
It is in my opinion that the future development of industry is driven by the vendor/purchaser relationship, as it fosters the continual growth of innovation, invention, and expansion of thought as it relates to issues. Companies need to open the doors of communication with their suppliers to create an environment of collaboration which will, in turn, generate the innovations need to improve the performance of their company.
