Technology Adoption Hinges on Ecosystem Engagement, Expert Says

Michael Lewis, chief technology officer (CTO) at Management Controls, highlighted the critical role of ecosystems in technology adoption during his address at the CIO Association of Canada Peer Forum in Ottawa. Lewis shared insights from nearly two decades of experience in software development for industrial clients, illustrating how a single misstep can jeopardize the successful implementation of technology.

Understanding Ecosystem Dynamics

Lewis emphasized that success in technology implementation extends beyond features alone. It requires the active participation of owners, vendors, and end-users. He stated that this collective buy-in is essential for technology to be embraced. “A single wrong turn doesn’t only waste resources, it risks adoption altogether,” he said.

To mitigate risks, Lewis advocates for structured feedback mechanisms. He recalled a scenario in which his team developed a mobile timesheet tool that initially appeared flawless. However, it failed when tested by customers in remote locations. The wisdom of an advisory board helped avert a costly rollout, demonstrating the necessity of rigorous checkpoints in product development.

“Without that checkpoint, we would have spent calories building a solution that wouldn’t have worked well in the market,” Lewis explained. His team’s approach includes quarterly advisory board meetings that aim to reduce bias and ensure that ideas are grounded in real-world applications.

Learning from Missteps

Lewis candidly discussed the importance of acknowledging failures. One notable setback involved a nine-month evaluation of a reporting tool that ultimately led to a reversal when users determined that Power BI was a superior option. The uncomfortable admission at a leadership meeting underscored a critical lesson: sunk costs do not justify retaining ineffective systems.

“We’re going to live with this solution for a really long time,” Lewis noted during the meeting. “Unless I come in and tell you guys this and we switch, then we’re going to be living with this pain for years.” His experience illustrates the importance of being willing to pivot in the face of new evidence.

Lewis also discussed how generative AI has enhanced their ecosystem. His team developed a chatbot that provides real-time support for vendors, allowing them to query contract terms efficiently. This innovation addresses a significant gap where procurement files are often difficult to access.

“At first, I thought we were just doing it to do it,” he said. “But then when you understand the business problems you’re trying to solve, it adds a lot more meat to what you’re delivering.” This chatbot not only earned his team a CIO 100 award but also illustrated how AI can resolve specific business challenges rather than merely following trends.

Revising Contracting Approaches

Further success has come from rethinking traditional contracting methods. Lewis described a lump-sum project valued at $600,000 for an estimated 10,000 hours of work. Upon reviewing the data, his team discovered that only 4,900 hours had been logged, effectively doubling the hourly rate.

The procurement teams lacked leverage without hard evidence. By leveraging generative AI to reconcile contract language, workforce data, and market benchmarks, Lewis’s team provided leaders with much-needed transparency. “We’ve gone through and figured out that your blended rate should be $61 an hour, not $122.45,” he explained, offering clarity on costs and helping both owners and vendors understand their positions better.

In summary, Lewis’s insights reflect how ecosystems amplify both risks and rewards. He reiterated that products succeed only when multiple stakeholder groups are on board. CIOs must establish processes to identify friction early, embrace failure when it occurs, and ensure that new technologies address genuine problems faced by users.

“When you have an ecosystem-type product where it takes multiple user communities, the importance of these items gets amplified,” he noted. The message for leaders is clear: discipline in the face of error is not bureaucracy but rather a safeguard against wasted effort.

As ecosystems continue to evolve, the stakes for every decision rise. A feature that benefits one group but fails another can lead to a system breakdown. The lesson is straightforward: admitting a mistake early is less costly than enforcing the adoption of ineffective tools. Leaders who navigate these complexities effectively build credibility by prioritizing evidence over ego, ultimately leading to more informed decision-making.

Digital Journal serves as the national media partner for the CIO Association of Canada.