11.1 A Deliberate and Disciplined Approach

In mid-March 2009, at the World Cup finals in Åre Sweden, Lindsey Vonn did something remarkable: She won both the downhill and super-G, Alpine skiing’s glamor speed events. Vonn finished the World Cup season with 1,788 points, a decisive 384-point margin over second place Maria Riesch. Vonn didn’t just defend her overall World Cup title, she put the skiing world on notice: She wouldn’t settle for business as usual. Over the next 10 years, Vonn rewrote Alpine skiing’s record book, securing her place as one of skiing’s greatest competitors.

Vonn’s 2008-2009 season was remarkable for another reason: She started racing on men’s skis, an unheard of technology shift. Men’s skis are longer, stiffer and potentially faster, but much, much harder to control (the reason women don’t use them). Vonn embraced the risk—a bold move calculated to shave fractions of a second off her race times. With results decided by tenths or hundredths of a second, Vonn’s decision proved a game-changer. You must be just as bold—and calculating—as you make the technology choices that will define your supply chain capabilities. Your margins for error aren’t much bigger than Vonn’s.

Now, a little backstory to stress why you should read on. In August 2008, the US Ski Team trained in New Zealand. Skiing slalom next to Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety in super icy conditions, Vonn couldn’t get a grip. She was sliding all over. Conversely, Ligety was crushing it. In typical Vonn style, she asked, “What are you using?” and then, “Can I try them?” Baffled, Ligety replied, “They’re men’s skis.” Minutes later, on Ligety’s skis, Vonn carved through the gates effortlessly. Her take: “It was the easiest slalom I’d ever had. They were so much faster.”

What happened next? At Levi, Finland, the season’s first World Cup slalom, Vonn put the men’s skis to the test—and won! Three weeks later, Vonn won downhill at Lake Louis. Vonn recalls that rumors quickly spread that she was testing men’s skis. Rivals thought, “She’s insane. … She’ll never be able to make the turns.” As Vonn racked up wins, the chatter changed to “Wow!” You can guess what happened. Other women tried to make a go on men’s skis. They couldn’t, however, make the turns.

Can you relate? Do you operate in an intensely competitive industry, where rivals monitor, and copy, each other’s tech investments? In our 30 years’ experience working with SC leaders, we’ve frequently met managers who lamented, “Our industry’s technology arms race is keeping me awake at night.” Their anxiety: We can’t afford to fight tomorrow’s competitive battles with yesterday’s technology. The perceived need to keep pace has led many companies, like Vonn’s rivals, to invest in tech that just didn’t work for them.

The timing of Vonn’s technology shift may also resonate. Hit hard by the 2008-2009 financial crash, Rossignol, Vonn’s sponsor, cut one-third of its global staff and slashed skiers salaries 50%. This economic threat spurred Vonn to find a better ski. This too may feel familiar. Economic pain has rocked most industries, forcing decision makers to rethink their companies value-creation capabilities. The go-to response: Turn to tech for a solution.

With Vonn on the market for a new ski and a new sponsor, Head Sports GmbH made a calculated play. Head’s CEO, Johan Eliasch, met with Vonn to seal the deal. His pitch: “I have a technician for you.” Knowing Vonn valued talent—and teamwork—he offered Bode Miller’s “ski man,” Heinz Hämmerle. Vonn couldn’t resist. No technician on the slopes could get more out of a pair of skis than Magic Heinzi, as Vonn called him. With the right skis and the right team, Vonn was ready to chase Alpine skiing greatness.

Vonn’s realities likely parallel yours. You both face fierce rivals intent to keep you off the podium. And you both rely on technology to stay in the mix. Vonn, however, made sure her approach to tech elevated her preparation and delivered remarkable results—likely two of your goals. Vonn’s secret: She recognized that tech either distracts or enables. By being deliberate and disciplined, she made tech work for her. Her approach follows six principles that define the fall line to successful technology adoption. Before we explore Vonn’s approach, let’s consider why so many companies ski out on the slippery slope of technology.