The number one fear of change was the impact that new, more efficient technology would have on people’s job security, along with concerns about increased risk of redundancy.
Job security worries were closely followed by a general assumption about the ‘hassle of switching’ to a new system, which made second place on the list of technology fears. Managers revealed they were either tied into long contracts, were at risk of paying a penalty should they wish to change, or were unsure how to go about it.
The third most popular reason for avoiding change was the impact that a new technology system would have on budget and spend.
Jerry Brand, MD at Caternet isn’t surprised by the findings of the report: “It’s a pretty common phenomenon: the fear of change. So, no great revelations there. But what is perhaps a little more unsettling is the contrasting view between business survival and a fear of being ‘too efficient’ and risking jobs as a result. Yet, ironically, the failure of one will surely lead to the certainty of the other.
“The whole switching ‘fear’ also needs demystifying. I’m not saying there aren’t companies out there who make it incredibly difficult or costly for businesses to ‘switch’ to a different technology, but managers should be looking to systems that take that into account and don’t ask for upfront capital, but instead are happy to work on a pay-as-you-go, fair-charging basis.”
Only 15% of F&B managers were confident enough to say they had no fears at all about changing technology. Other concerns highlighted by managers were linked to a lack of understanding of IT generally, time spent on training staff on new systems, and a philosophy that when it comes to change, your current system may not be perfect but ‘it’s better the devil you know’.
“The speed at which technology is progressing can be frightening, but when all is said and done, businesses simply want to use systems that work,” said Brand. “This conservatism or fear of change, however, does lead to many businesses operating with poor or old technology for too long, and that means the business loses money and spends more time than is needed on expensive administration.”
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