Step 4: Get Buy-In

Ninety-five percent of power sector respondents agreed that “Digital transformation is a top strategic priority at my organization,” according to research by Deloitte.

Whatever the reason you’re considering (or reconsidering) your tech stack, it can be difficult to figure out what tools to use and how they fit into your organization. So we talked with utility experts to outline where opportunities for improvement might lie, how to evaluate new technology, and how to ensure smooth integration into your existing technology.

Step 3 Recap: Evaluate Solutions

Now that you know, in general, what problems you're trying to solve for—and have ideas for tools that might help—get an outside perspective to help you think through other areas of impact, how to best solve them, and how it can all fit together with the right tech stack. “The vendor will look at your process and advise on ways to improve it,” says Kristen Ellerbe, Vice President of Technology at PrecisionHawk. “The options are endless...they’re only as limited as your desire to change.” 

Step 4: Get Buy-In

You’ve analyzed your operations and processes, discovered opportunities for expanding your tech stack, found the right vendor, and are ready to pull the trigger on your new technology solution. But first, you need to get key stakeholders on board—from operations leaders to the CIO.

Know Your Spiel

“Make sure that the whole team knows the ‘elevator story’—that is, the high-level messaging to capture the interest and attention of key executives,” suggests the software development and consultancy Engines. To gain support from both individuals in the C-suite and the team as a whole, first, offer your elevator story verbally to key stakeholders one on one, and then share it with them as a group.

Give An Example

A powerful way to get buy-in is to have the vendor give a demonstration of the technology in the actual environment it will be used in. “We’ll say, ‘Give us an image and we’ll run some AI on it,’” says Ellerbe. “Send us out to some poles and we’ll show you how the data can be better...how your data can be valid so your decisions can be valid.”

Share The Numbers

Everyone wants to know that a new technology solution will save them money, but you may be able to get more buy-in by sharing other financial benefits as well. “I'm seeing more and more that sales are financially driven,” says Kristi Perry, Vice President of Enterprise Software at PrecisionHawk. “So we’ll not only give them the total cost of ownership example, but will also offer examples of how we've empowered customers to reallocate resources, and the types of vertical expansion opportunities we have to create efficiencies across multiple areas.”

For example, if Perry is working with one branch of a utility that has a presence in multiple regions of the country, she might show how the utility could leverage the relationship financially by working with PrecisionHawk in its other locations as well.

Learn the five steps to Evaluate and Integrate Your Tech Stack; to pinpoint gaps in your tech stack, evaluate new solutions, and work with vendors to integrate the tools into your existing technology.