The Distrupter

Innovations that shake the marketplace.

When a technological innovation improves a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, it is considered a disruptive innovation. Mobile technology changed the landscape of how we communicate and do business and, therefore, is a perfect example of a disruptive innovation.

By definition, disruptive innovations threaten the balance of power. They challenge market leaders; they challenge organizations. They are the harbinger of change.

One of the key areas we examine when we begin a new project is how mobile technology may change an organization. People react differently to change. For some, it is indeed a threat to the balance of power. Others view it as a way of staying ahead of one’s competitors. We probe to see if it is a natural evolution of the operation or if it would be a disruptive innovation to the status quo. For change to work, you need to be cognizant of how much of a disruption it may create.

Spending to Save

Leveraging technology to save money.

The economy. By now, all of us knows what that means. Despite the current climate, businesses still must operate. We have visions; we have plans. How do we execute when budgets are on life support?

According to a recent Forrester Research survey, 77% of IT execs have been asked to use technology to cut costs. Managers must seek solutions, ones that can be executed quickly, implemented correctly and have short ROI cycles, all while staying true to the long-term goals of the organization.

The pressure is on for results. Server virtualizations, automation, mobility; companies are looking beyond their existing relations, seeking new ideas and solutions. Those who can rise to the challenge will be well positioned when the recovery arrives.

Anchors Away

Tracking the assets of the fleet.

A daunting challenge: track over 11 million assets. In the wake of Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, the Department of Defense realized that it did not have adequate means of identifying and tracking its seemingly endless stores of supplies and equipment. They needed to act.

Our client, Horizons, Inc. of Cleveland, was contracted to help. They produce durable two-dimensional barcodes, photographically printed on small aluminum ID tags. The DoD retained Horizons to produce asset tags to affix to various components within Naval vessels. The tags not only identify each component, but provide a unique ID for that unique item--one of the 11 million.

Horizons retained DXY to produce a software-hardware solution to help them track the assignment of each of these tags to a database of assets onboard vessels. With our software, Horizon team members can work deep within the bowels of a ship, knowing that each tag affixed to an asset will be properly recorded.