Jargon is Holding Singaporean Businesses Back from New Technology Investment, says Epicor

Jargon is
Holding Singaporean Businesses Back from New Technology Investment, says Epicor

Global enterprise software specialist calls for
vendors to engage with customers in business language, instead of tech
buzzwords

One-in-four Singapore business leaders admitted
they had heard of, but were not familiar with, common technology terms such as
big data (28%) and cloud software-as-a-service (23%). This is despite the fact
that many technologists moved on from talking about these as trends years ago,
and are now exploring the strategic use of innovative technologies such as
artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, and conversational systems. 

“Businesses are tired of playing buzzword bingo and
we believe that it’s time vendors and the technology community did more to
engage with distributors, manufacturers or retailers in their own language. Talking about
the business benefits that new technology can bring will help organisations to
make critical decisions for the future.”

Celia Fleischaker

Chief Marketing Officer

Epicor Software

Applied AI, advanced machine learning, and
intelligent things made the ‘Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2017’[1] published by
Gartner, yet the Epicor research suggests Singaporean users are even less
comfortable with these terms than cloud and big data. Around one-in-four, for
example, admitted they are unfamiliar with the Internet of Things (22%), 3D
printing (29%) and machine learning (24%) and many had never heard of these
innovations at all.

A prolific amount of jargon in the fast-changing
technology world might account for the fact that so many business professionals
are unfamiliar with the key innovations affecting their sector, as they happen,
despite recognising the important role technology has to play in business.

Although they find the jargon baffling, business
professionals do recognise the importance of technology investments for driving
the growth of their businesses. The same research found that 88% of
fast-growing businesses consider IT investment to be a high priority, compared
to just 41% of businesses experiencing weak growth. In addition, half (47%)
agree that IT will help their organisations overcome future challenges in the
market, inwork more efficiently (38%) and plan better (33%).

“It appears that many businesses are convinced of
the importance of technology investments—and many are reaping the rewards. Yet
some are not fully aware of the latest technologies available to them, and it’s
possible that the complex terminology and fast-changing landscape could be
factors here,” said Celia Fleischaker, executive vice president and chief
marketing officer at Epicor Software. “This is concerning because if business
leaders cannot tell their AI from their IoT, or see the potential of a smart
and connected factory, they may hold back from investing in the latest
technologies. Businesses are tired of being baffled by buzzwords and jargon and
we believe that it is time vendors and the technology community did more to
engage with distributors, manufacturers or retailers in their own language.
Talking about the business benefits that new technology can bring will help
organisations to make critical decisions for the future.”

John Preiditsch, president at Six S Partners Inc.
said, “The customers we work with on a day-to-day basis are more concerned with
the business outcomes of the technology we sell, rather than the precise
details of the technology itself. Businesses need to justify every investment
in new technology, and talking in jargon or technical terms can put decision
makers off and make that justification challenging when there is a disparity
over language. During my last 30 years in the ERP market — 10 years as an
Epicor value-added ERP reseller partner — I’ve found that talking the language
of business and about the impact and payback of the investment, rather than the
language of AI, IoT or technical terminology, is much more effective when it
comes to helping our customers fully embrace and envision the use of the latest
technologies.” 

About
Epicor Software Corporation

Epicor Software
Corporation drives business growth. We provide flexible, industry-specific
software designed around the needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail,
and service industry customers. More than 40 years of experience with our
customers’ unique business processes and operational requirements are built
into every solution―in the cloud, hosted, or on premises. With this deep
understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions manage complexity, increase
efficiency, and free up resources so you can focus on growth. For more information, connect with Epicor or visit www.epicor.com.

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