Why the ability to connect management with technology matters more than ever

Let us consider something as simple as changing the price of a product. A retailer increases the price by ten rupees. Demand patterns change and the analytics system detects the shift.

The inventory team adjusts its reorder quantity. The logistics team receives a different pickup schedule. A customer expecting delivery on Thursday now receives it on Monday.

It can be seen that one small pricing decision affects many parts of an organisation. This happens because modern organisations are highly interconnected. It is an example of how management and technology interact inside organisations. Today almost every important business decision has both managerial and technological consequences.

Decisions made in one part of an organisation can often influence several others.

Businesses have always depended on specialists. Engineers developed products. Finance teams managed money. Managers coordinated operations.

For much of the last century these groups could work largely on their own. A decision in one department rarely had an immediate impact on several others. However, that situation has changed. Organisations are becoming more connected. Data and digital systems have reduced the boundaries between departments. Work no longer follows traditional organisational boundaries.

Specialists remain important. However, organisations increasingly need people who can connect different areas and bring teams together. They need professionals who understand both management and technology and can communicate across disciplines. The pace of technological change is increasing this need. Employees spend more time coordinating with others than working within a single department. As technology handles more routine activities, the ability to work across functions becomes increasingly valuable.

Modern organisations often struggle not because they lack technical expertise or business ambition. They struggle because different teams fail to understand each other. Managers approve technologies they do not fully understand.

Engineers communicate risks that business leaders cannot easily interpret. In many cases the technology itself is not the problem.

The problem lies in coordination and communication across functions.

In this context, a different kind of professional is becoming increasingly important. Such professionals understand both management and technology. They know how to connect business goals with technological systems. They understand how decisions made in one area influence other parts of the organisation.

They may not be the deepest experts in every field. However, they understand enough to communicate across disciplines. They can interpret analytical results, appreciate technical trade-offs, and explain complex problems in simple terms. Organisations increasingly value analytical thinking, systems thinking, and the ability to bring together knowledge from different domains.

Education is also responding to these changes. Programs that combine management, technology, and analytics are emerging because organisations themselves are changing. Employers increasingly seek graduates who understand markets, systems, and technology. As organisations become more connected, people who understand both management and technology are likely to be in greater demand.

The writer is an Assistant Professor at the Centre for Technology Foresight and Policy (CTFP), IIT Jodhpur; Views presented are personal.