Technology barriers

In the 1957 movie “Desk Set,” engineer Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) is charged with computerizing a TV network office. Department head Bunny Watson (Katharine Hepburn) fears computers (also called “electronic brains” throughout the film) will replace her. Almost 70 years later, some people still have that fear.

Other barriers that may prevent companies from adopting new technologies include cost, compatibility and complexity. Besides thinking of the initial costs to implement new tech, identify the costs of not adopting it.

In his article for Big Think, Charles Orton-Jones writes about strategies for adopting new technologies. He says to overcome inertia with help from the “nudge theory.” By applying the principles of nudge theory, it’s possible to persuade holdouts. Sonya Dineva, a business psychology lecturer at the University of East London, told the Harvard Business Review that “many of these techniques play on core facets of human programming, such as the human fear of missing out. For example, comparing commercial progress or digital strategy with competitors can be an effective method to highlight the cost of inertia. It’s also important to make it clear that tech-driven strategy is the new standard. Instead of asking, ‘Do you want to adopt technology?’ the question should be, ‘Which technology do you want to adopt?’” 

Orton-Jones also says to fully integrate and adapt.

“Even if your implementation of a new technology is correct, the financial metrics may move in the wrong direction, temporarily,” he writes.

He cited a University of Cambridge study that suggests “only after technology [in this case robotics between 1995 and 2017] is fully integrated into the business model could its power to develop new products and drive profits be fully exploited. The bottom line: be agile and adapt your business model concurrently with the adoption of new technology.” Read his article at bigthink.com.

In this month’s cover story on page 18, we meet the new Vineland Research and Innovation Centre’s director of horticultural technology solutions, Brian Lynch. See how he approaches automation and new technology research with his team and the grower community. Next month, we’ll introduce a technology that’s been deployed in cannabis operations but is also applicable to ornamental growers.