INDUSTRY INSIGHT but the final scope changed late in the day. In this environment, being too rigid with product plans can backfire. Companies that begin development too early may waste time building the wrong thing, while those who wait too long risk scrambling to meet compliance deadlines. Even after a decade, MTD continues to face delays and last-minute government changes, creating real challenges for software providers and their clients. research report, Balancing the Human Touch in the Age of AI, revealed that while 65 % of business leaders trust AI to support finance and accounting, an even greater 79 % said guaranteed access to human-staffed support would make them more likely to adopt financial software. For us, the takeaway is that innovation must never lose sight of the human element.
We closely monitor regulatory changes and build space into our roadmap to react quickly when necessary. It’ s not always about having the answer straight away; it’ s about having the capability and team culture to shift direction when needed.
This way of working requires strong communication across teams and a product culture that embraces change, not fear. When done right, it turns compliance from a box-ticking exercise into an opportunity to improve and future-proof the platform.
Innovation that never ends
There’ s a temptation in tech to think of innovation as something you achieve after a major release or when a new feature goes live, but that mindset misses the mark. Innovation is not about launching for the sake of novelty. It’ s a process of listening, learning and improving, shaped by human insight as by technical capability.
Our focus isn’ t just on what we can build next, but on how it will help real users thrive. Our
This principle underpins how product development must be approached – evolving software based on real user needs and retaining the flexibility to adjust course when human insight points to a better way forward.
Most often, innovation means listening to users, understanding their day-to-day context, and asking,‘ What’ s next?’ Staying relevant means more than keeping up means keeping ahead. And that requires building flexibility into everything you do.
Build with purpose, evolve with insight
The technology landscape will continue to accelerate, customer expectations will rise and regulations will continue to shift. In this kind of environment, a fixed roadmap is a sign of control rather than rigidity.
Staying ahead means building adaptability into your culture from day one and seeing every customer request not as an inconvenience, but as an insight. Above all, it means making room for continuous innovation, not just when it’ s convenient, but as a core principle. x
NOT ALL CHANGES ARE DRIVEN BY USERS. SOME COME FROM EXTERNAL FORCES THAT NO BUSINESS CAN AFFORD TO IGNORE. www. intelligentcxo. com
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