the ipad - don’t conform, transform!...mui, (co-author of unleashing the killer app) defines the...

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THE BIRTH OF A “KILLER PLATFORM”?by Scott May, Mike Melia and Dave Sutton

Does the introduction of Apple’s iPad mark the arrival of yet another

consumer electronics fad or does it signal the beginning of a transfor-

mative era for business computing? With over 3 million units sold in

the first quarter after launch, the iPad is clearly a consumer adoption

success of unprecedented proportion. However, if the iPad takes off

with businesses, we may be riding the front edge of a tidal wave of

transformation.

We believe that the iPad and other new tablet technologies have the

potential to create entirely new customer experiences that no one has

envisioned; to monetize the assets of a business in new ways never

thought of before; and to solve complex, intractable business prob-

lems. The iPad represents much more than a personal productivity

improvement device; it’s a “killer platform” that market leaders will use

to enable new business strategies, to create sustainable competitive

advantages, empower customers and perhaps to transform businesses.

The iPad - Don’t Conform, Transform!

2

Sure, there are a number of interesting business-use cases floating

around that have garnered some attention: law firms substituting

an iPad for the lawyer’s laptop; car dealers using an iPad on the

showroom floor to initiate consumer credit approvals; and doctors

analyzing X-Rays and CT scans on the iPad’s high resolution screen.

These are certainly clever uses of the technology that will undoubt-

edly result in productivity gains for certain types of businesses and

their people…. but not exactly revolutionary stuff.

INTRODUCTION

Since the formal announcement in January 2010 by Apple CEO

Steve Jobs, much has been written on the breakthrough mobile

computing power of the iPad, the huge number of applications

available at the App Store and the stunning features and functions

of the device itself. With unit sales now in the millions and growing

every day, the iPad is well down the path to winning the hearts and

minds of the general population. Not convinced? Do a quick scan

on YouTube and you’ll find countless stories of consumers from 2½

years to 100 years of age whose lives have literally been transformed

by the iPad. There is something fundamentally different about this

device and what it represents.

But where does the iPad stand with business people as a tool for

marketing products and services more effectively, addressing com-

plex operational challenges and generating real business value?

Consider that to this day, the iPhone is still playing catch-up to the

RIM Blackberry for share supremacy in the smartphone category for

business users… so what about the iPad? Not surprisingly, many

business people view the iPad as merely the larger cousin of the

iPhone – and perhaps a more pleasing form factor for sending email,

playing games and reading content. In fact, very little has been

written about the impact the iPad can and will have on businesses.

It is important to note that less than 5% of all iPad apps currently in circulation are business apps

Of course, people are citing how

wildly popular these iPad business

apps are. For example, Citrix

Systems claims to have over

145,000 downloads of their free

iPad app for accessing corporate

programs. Citrix “Receiver for

iPad” provides users with access

to virtual desktops, applications

and data on their corporate

systems.

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3TopRight LLC & The Melia Group copyright 2010.

iPad users can interact with Windows 7 apps and docs with confidence that com-

munications and information are not stored on the device but kept secure on your

corporate network.

These capabilities may seem impressive, but do they really reflect a transforma-

tion in the way companies are approaching media-rich, mobile computing? Or, is

this type of business app just an example of what Michael Hammer – co-author of

Reengineering the Corporation - would describe as “paving the cow paths”. Em-

bedding outdated processes in silicon and software and conforming to traditional

data processing paradigms rather than “obliterating them” as Hammer would do

and designing the process around dramatically different customer experiences with

breakthrough performance improvements.

What we’re really interested in and curious to find are the cases where the iPad

has created an entirely new customer experience no one had envisioned, mon-

etized the assets of a business in a new way that was never thought of, or solved a

complex business problem that was thought unsolvable. In short, where does the

iPad have the potential to enable new business strategies, create sustainable com-

petitive advantages and perhaps transform businesses and customer experiences?

Unlike the launch of the iPhone - when many business users were skeptical and

discounted the device as lacking in enterprise capabilities – this time around,

savvy business and technology leaders have emerged as iPad early adopters and

experimenters… and we’ve been speculating on just what they may be up to!

Could the iPad - and its tablet platform descendents - represent the next “KILLER PLATFORM” for business?

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KILLER PLATFORMS AND EMERGENT KNOWLEDGE

In his ground-breaking 2006 paper entitled Killer Platforms, Chunka

Mui, (co-author of Unleashing the Killer App) defines the term emer-

gent knowledge as “categories of business information that were

previously impossible, or at least impractical, to use on a regular

basis but now are made feasible by advances in information technol-

ogy”. He went on to assert that: “Leveraged well, emergent knowl-

edge about product and process conditions, customer preferences,

and other environmental factors could spark numerous innovations.”

The key categories of emergent knowledge that a killer platform

must leverage are portrayed in Figure 1:

There is something fundamentally different about this device and what it represents

FIGURE 1: CATEGORIES OF EMERGENT KNOWLEDGE

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We believe that the tablet platform, led by the iPad, just may be the KILLER PLATFORM

that Chunka Mui envisioned for leveraging emergent

knowledge and sparking innovation in many types

of businesses. Mui’s approach was to map catego-

ries of emergent knowledge that a business must

harness to achieve competitive advantages against

enabling functionality. In applying that approach to

the iPad (see Figure 2), we conclude that the tablet

platform’s transformational potential results less

from the individual components and more from a

unique convergence of technologies, a compelling

form factor and overwhelming user adoption.

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Unlike the smartphone and the laptop, the iPad clearly has the

potential to leverage emergent knowledge about business capabili-

ties, customers and competitors, and fundamentally transform the

business. However, to get the most out of this tablet platform, a

business must turn it into a sustainable information advantage.

Let’s face it, user productivity gains are nice, but they’re easy for

your competitors to replicate. After all, anyone can buy an iPad,

browse the App store and download one of the thousands of apps

promising many-fold productivity gains. Those seeking transforma-

tion and true innovation must strive for custom iPad apps or solu-

tions that can’t be easily replicated. Or, create custom iPad apps

that enable your organization to innovate more quickly than the

competition.

So, just what types of business applications may be ripe for transformation leveraging tablet technologies like the iPad?

FIGURE 2: MAPPING THE iPAD TO EMERGENT KNOWLEDGE CATEGORIES

A Potential Killer Platform

Emer

gent

Kno

wled

ge

Technical Enablers

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4ENTERTAINMENT& EDUTAINMENT

3TALENT DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING

2COMPLEXSALES

1CUSTOMEREMPOWERMENT

In developing our ‘top five’ list, we filtered through a wide range of business process scenarios that would benefit from custom iPad solutions.

Again, we focused on categories of applications where leveraging emergent knowledge about the business, its products, services and custom-

ers might serve as a source for sustainable competitive advantage. Our top five list includes:

TOP 5 BUSINESS APPLICATIONS RIPE FOR TRANSFORMATION

5VALUE CHAINOPTIMIZATION

Now, let’s review each of these scenarios in a bit

more detail and explore a few hypotheses about

how the iPad may have a transformative impact.

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For many categories of products and services, customers

already control how they want to engage with a brand and

the iPad offers a vehicle for the customer to “take the

reins” literally and experientially.

In a business or consumer setting, consider how the iPad

can be customized to provide a more personalized, con-

venient and immersive experience. What we have found

is that the iPad enables a unique brand-to-customer

bond, allowing the customer to feel empowered and more

likely to behave in a manner desired by the brand. The

customer empowerment scenario is enabled on the iPad

through the convergence of visualization, self-guided

experiences and payment processing.

1CUSTOMEREMPOWERMENT

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VISUALIZATION

As point-of-sale evolves from transactional to more interactive

and experiential, iPads will play an increasingly prominent role.

Tablet technology allows the consumer to view a product and

immediately visualize how it might look on her or in a particular

setting. Furthermore, it gives the customer a chance to visual-

ize choices in context – such as seeing yourself in a chair and

viewing the piece with different fabrics or accessories surround-

ing you… even placed in a particular type of room and color

palette. An iPad app offers the ability to save or freeze the

images for comparison and to enhance the experience by sharing

through email or social media hooks. The consumer could save

information and images for future reference – in-store or through

a personalized micro site at home – and the merchant could use

that data and behavior as part of their relationship marketing ef-

forts. This experience could be offered in-store as self-service or

facilitated by a store associate.

Here are a few retail categories where we believe iPad apps or other

tablet technologies may start popping up to empower customers:

• Apparel –business suits to couture to wedding gowns and formal wear

• Accessories and watches

• Furniture

• Home improvement/renovation – kitchens, bathrooms, flooring

• High-end luxury products

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SELF GUIDED EXPERIENCES

Customers respond to messages and information that are timely and

meaningful. The iPad combined with GPS and 3G/4G accessibility,

could enable relevant messages; promotions and recommendations

based on the consumer’s general in-store location and/or established

profile.

This concept certainly has been tested – via kiosks, online shopping

carts and at retail checkout aisles – but not with the form factor and

capability to leverage emergent knowledge that the iPad brings.

Just consider this scenario: you’re shopping at a large home im-

provement store like a Home Depot or Lowe’s. Instead of wandering

the store, an iPad or tablet computer is available for you to explore

what it might take to put a deck on the back of your house. After

making a few selections on the touch screen, providing inputs on

square footage and reviewing the construction plan, you are pre-

sented with a list of materials you need, directions to the items in

the store, product reviews, comparisons and a running total. As you

move through the various departments, the tablet suggests comple-

mentary product suggestions – cross-sell and up-sell alternatives.

The initial design process could be self-serve or facilitated by an

associate. Furthermore, materials in the store could be collected by

an associate on your behalf and delivered to the checkout or loading

dock. Either way, this scenario illustrates not only a highly efficient

engagement opportunity for the merchant, but also a compelling

shopping experience for the customer.

Use cases for this type of iPad application could range from grocery

and big box retailers to large specialty stores and sports stadiums…

even hospitality venues and restaurants. For example, consider how

iconic Atlanta steakhouse, Bone’s, uses the iPad to enhance the

wine selection experience, grow advocacy for premium wines and

generate incremental revenue for the restaurant (see Figure 3). We

view Bone’s success as a best practice case for how the iPad can

enable immersive, relevant experiences that strengthen the bond

between brand and customer.

A relevant, timely, location-specific offer activates customer purchase intent and

creates powerful business results.

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It was important that the restaurant’s wine buyers could add new vintages, track the number of bottles left with notification to the customer (i.e., if there were three or less bottles available) and make other updates daily. To accommodate these needs, we de-signed the iPad app to auto-update over a wireless network within each restaurant from a wine inventory database called Cellar Control, which just happened to be developed by Richard and his group. The interface was designed and tested. Adjustments for type size, color and sub navigation were added and the iPads were ready for launch.

Results over the first month were truly surprising. Customers young and old were laud-ing kudos, pointing to the “cool” factor and great information that broadened their horizons. They only needed the shortest of tutorials and their use of the iPad only extended order time by less than a minute on average.

The best news of all is that customer spend was up an average of 10% more on wine purchases when using the iPad.

We’ll drink to that!

iCellar iPad Experience For Liberty House RestaurantsWhen Richard Lewis approached The Melia Group to create a customer wine buying experience on the iPad for his iconic steakhouse, Bone’s (and another of his well-known restaurants, Blue Ridge Grill), we didn’t really know how customers would react. Would they be disinterested or would they be too interested and extend the table stay too long? Would the Bone’s older demographic enjoy it or not find it easy to use? Would the iPads walk out the door? All of these elements were considered, as we designed the experience.

Bone’s has a wine cellar of over 10,000 bottles; so, it was critical to give users a num-ber of ways to search the wines. Bone’s has a clientele of very informed wine buyers; consequently, we expected that reviews, labels, stories and limited selections would enhance and validate their experience. The iPad design had to fit with the Bone’s brand, work well in low light, yet not be too bright to distract other diners. We also didn’t want to take the waiter or the wine buyers out of their direct interaction with the customer. So, we did not consider automatic order placement (which could be done over a wireless network for other applications).

FIGURE 3: INNOVATIVE iPAD USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN

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RETAIL“How-to” for do-it-yourselfers, in-store shopping list and navigation.

RESTAURANTWine selection, order management, “Daily Specials”, integrated reviews and menu

recommendations (e.g. Yelp, Zagat).

HOSPITALITYProfile-driven in-room guest service; information and special offers; conference

announcements and activities.

EDUCATION VENUESGPS / 3G/4G-enabled experiences for university orientations, alumni events, mu-

seum tours, conferences and trade shows.

There is no doubting the iPad’s ability to

empower customers and deliver compelling,

profitable experiences. However, the iPad

customer experience must be planned and

designed very carefully and deliberately.

Otherwise, it may become cumbersome and

actually distract customers from making

purchase decisions. The iPad offers so much

potential for leveraging emergent knowledge,

presenting special messages or offers, edu-

cational information and recommendations…

all based on the user’s location and profile or

preferences. When dealing with customer

experience design, there can be too much of

a good thing. So, there is a need to focus on

thoughtful, relevant and integrated messaging

that will not only enhance the customer experi-

ence but also build loyalty and advocacy.

There are several types of businesses where

iPad apps or other tablet technologies will

enable self-guided customer experiences:

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PAYMENT PROCESSING

For years, associates have been able to perform price and inven-

tory checks at established locations within a store. However, the

use of iPads enabling associates (or even customers themselves)

to perform these checks or take payment anywhere in the store

creates not only an enhanced customer experience but also

notable improvements in efficiencies. Who wouldn’t appreciate a

quicker way to compare prices, review products, check availabil-

ity or check out more quickly?

The “Square” (www.squareup.com), which allows merchants to

take payment wherever there’s an Internet connection, already

has extended their service beyond smartphones to the iPad. The

small unit functions as a credit card reader through a swipe

device that plugs into the headphone jack of an iPad. Copies of

receipts are provided via text message or email.

Applications for such a payment processing solution exist across

the retail landscape: from home improvement to consumer

electronics to general merchandise. Specialty retailers could

loan iPads to their customers in the store as a means of further

empowering them and extending their in-store experience beyond

kiosks and self-serve checkout stations.

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2COMPLEXSALES

Customized iPad solutions could enable a salesperson or

a consumer to conveniently peruse a wide range options

from product configurations and price to financing and

inventory availability. In the business technology sec-

tor, use of the iPad could provide a compelling, always-

accessible solution for evaluating complex configurations

and combinations of products. The device’s streamlined

form, display size and rich visuals, combined with real-

time data update capabilities, provide for a compelling

experience that’s certain to improve customer engage-

ment and sales conversion.

Here are several potential use cases where iPad apps or

other tablet technologies will enhance high-involvement

and complex selling processes:

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LUXURY PRODUCTS Products with a range of visual customization options, such as RVs, private aircraft,

boats, autos and luxury items. Could apply as well to complex industrial vehicles and

technological products. With more to come in the automotive space, Mercedes Benz

and Chevrolet already are testing the use of iPads as part of their showroom floor sales

process.

REAL ESTATE Commercial and residential real estate provide for visualization of properties (interactive

walk-through) led by an agent or broker. On the commercial side, brokers could incor-

porate visualization of finished space and cost analysis of various build-out options.

Customer could view off-site or on-demand when at a property location.

MEETINGS AND EVENTSEvent/catering firms, restaurant, hospitality. Visualize space design, food stations,

meeting room configurations.

TECHNOLOGYSolution demonstration, complex configurations, cross-sell and up-sell components,

product catalogs, sales support tools and pricing.

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3TALENT DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING

Effective development and training of people is a critical

success factor in practically every type of business. Get-

ting outside the traditional classroom setting and deliver-

ing just-in-time, on-the-job training can be a difficult and

costly endeavor. However, that is just what the fast-

paced, competitive world of business requires. Three-ring

binders stuffed full of materials and trainers beaming

Powerpoint slides just won’t cut it for companies seek-

ing to continuously improve and develop their people at

the “moment of truth” with customers. Several features

of the iPad make it an ideal platform for developing and

training people anytime, anywhere:

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• Large enough device to handle most training needs, yet lightweight and portable

• Interactive, tactile and easy-to-use

• Rich media capabilities (graphics, video, sound, etc.)

• Accessible anywhere, real-time communications (e.g., 3G/4G, and Wi-Fi connectivity)

• Dynamic, easy to update content

• Role-based permissions

• Flexible platform, manageable, secure

Although applications are far-reaching, most prevalent use likely will occur in companies

with complex products or solutions and those that sell through multi-tier distribution chan-

nels. Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications

and technology appear most likely to benefit. Taking advantage of “un-tethered” 3G and

Wi-Fi networks, training programs could benefit from real-time updates, live demonstrations,

“consult an expert” and interactive Q&A sessions. Future camera and camcorder capabilities,

combined with improved storage, will only enhance the rich media learning experience.

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4ENTERTAINMENT& EDUTAINMENT

Intuitively, we know that people want to be entertained,

stimulated and inspired – it’s an innate human desire. Mar-

keters have known since the beginning of the advertising era

that a clever jingle or joke will go a long way towards captur-

ing customers’ attention and getting them to buy products

and services. To this day, entertainment and advertising are

synonymous in many categories of products and services

from beer and fast food to cars and car insurance.

The early adopters of the iPad attest to the fact that the

device is an amazing vehicle for entertainment, education

and information sharing. Whether you love books, movies,

music or interactive games, the iPad offers a rich media

entertainment experience that engages you unlike any other

previous device.

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And when you need to not only grab attention but also to educate your customers on the benefits

of a product or service, the iPad’s ability to leverage emergent knowledge allows entirely new

ways to connect with a target audience. We refer to this scenario as “edutainment” – where

engaging education meets compelling entertainment.

Savvy business owners and marketers are already thinking about ways to entertain and “edutain”

their customers through rich media experiences enabled by tablet technologies like the iPad. For

example, sport properties, teams and venues offer fans a compelling experience through smart-

phones today: real-time scores, game broadcast access; replays and highlights. With the iPad,

the experience can be enhanced even further with in-stadium live experiences with personalized

camera angles; special access to team stats, one-on-one interviews with players and custom

views of the game tailored to the fan’s unique preferences. From their stadium seat, fans can

have remote access to food and beverage menus - ordering without leaving their seat. The fan

could even receive personalized merchandise, food and beverage, ticket offers and “behind the

scenes” experiences based on his/her specific preferences stored on a team’s loyalty program.

And consumer research – polls, surveys, and sampling – already common at sporting events,

could break new ground as a result of the iPad’s tactile nature, screen size, rich graphic capabil-

ity, Wi-Fi and 3G/4G connectivity.

The sky is truly the limit when it comes to how companies and their marketing

team can transform customer experiences and deliver dramatic results by using

the iPad as a vehicle for entertainment or edutainment.

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5VALUE CHAINOPTIMIZATION

While maybe not as “sexy” as our other top iPad business

process scenarios and applications, enabling functional

efficiencies and effectiveness up and down corporate value

chains could emerge as the most quickly adopted areas of

usage for the iPad and other tablet platforms.

Consider that many specialty retailers like Best Buy, Bass

Pro Shops and Abercrombie & Fitch have beaten competi-

tors and won customers by recognizing the need for unique

offerings and more engaging customer experiences than

those found in the big box retailers and discounters. By

doing so, they escaped the black hole of price competition.

But that isn’t nearly enough to avoid death by discounting.

Retailers need a killer platform to support and sustain their

strategy, specifically, expertise in these core processes:

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PRODUCT DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT

Creating unique offerings means heavy investments in product

design and development. Protecting those investments requires

accurate demand forecasting for goods that may have little

precedent. Because suppliers assume more risk as well, retailers

must work much more closely with them (and even their sup-

pliers’ suppliers) in demand planning and synchronizing orders

and production calendars. The iPad and tablet technologies are

well suited to help retailers gather insight from their customers

in the store and design products that they know will delight their

customers. Furthermore, the iPad can leverage this emergent

knowledge and help retailers collaborate much more strongly with

their suppliers in design and development

for the benefit of all players in the value chain.

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INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Generally speaking, it is better to be conservative with orders and

maximize inventory turns - even going so far as to force stock-

outs as a strategy for driving demand for very fashionable or high

demand merchandise (a strategy successfully deployed by Apple

with the original iPhone). When a retailer has excess inventory, it

cannot negotiate a return to a vendor or ask for markdown money.

This is to say that if the retailer doesn’t manage these and other

supply chain issues well, its margin on popular products can

quickly go from positive to negative. And even if margins are

positive, an inefficient supply chain will whittle them down. Us-

ing an iPad to track and monitor inventory levels dynamically and

to share this emergent knowledge up and down the value chain is

a no brainer.

Inventories must be managed tightly to sustain profit margins these days.

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PRODUCT ASSORTMENT & MERCHANDISING

To be sure, having the right unique products trumps everything

else. A streamlined supply chain cannot rescue product and

service offerings that customers find unappetizing. But if its

proprietary offerings are on the mark, a retailer must make sure

two critical capabilities are in good working order: product assort-

ment and merchandising. An optimal store assortment of prod-

ucts in the store does not happen by accident, and it begins long

before the product is ready for manufacture. Coordination of, and

communication between, the different parties involved (design,

development, merchandising, planning, marketing, sourcing

and the vendor) is key. Again, the iPad is an ideal platform for

capturing, analyzing and sharing this type of information between

trading partners up and down the value chain to assure optimal

assortment in the store supported with compelling merchandising

and in-store communications. As we have suggested in previ-

ous sections, the iPad itself can become an integral part of the

customer experience and serve as a

in the store.“Virtual Merchandiser”

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We believe that iPad and other tablet computing applications will go well beyond being “dumb terminals” connected to enterprise re-source planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM) and logistics information systems.

The iPad will become a killer platform by identifying growth opportunities and enabling value chain efficiencies,

effectiveness and continuous improvement initiatives. Custom iPad applications and solutions will integrate

with other corporate systems like ERP, CRM and SCM and become important sources of emergent knowledge for

refining business strategies and creating differentiated customer experiences.

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For example, consider a sales person handing a 5 lb. laptop to a couple in a car showroom to view detailed features as they physically get in and out of different models… really clunky. The iPad at 1.5 lbs and only ½” thick is easily held in one hand, has great screen resolution, plays smooth full screen videos and – through wireless or 3G/4G – can connect to any point-of-sale (“POS”) or database. So the customer and spouse sit in the chosen vehicle and make interior trim, color choices, choose options and compare functionality through video demos. Then, they build their car on the spot, get a price, discuss privately and are able to send their choice to the POS system where the finance and sales person take over.

What makes this POS experience really work, besides the portability of the device, is the iPad interface design itself. Handing the iPad to someone who has never used touch-screen technology, it takes them about 30 enjoyable seconds to discover how to navigate, enlarge and scroll. Removing the mouse from the computing equation changes the whole user experience. The beauty of the iPad interface design is that it enables a common user experience across a wide range of iPad apps - learn it once and you never have to think about it again.

That said, planning for use of the iPad in a wide variety of business environments presents new challenges and opportunities.

The Incredible Usability Experience Of The Apple iPadThe iPad may not seem to be a “sea change” technology at first look, but the quick adoption curve and the rave reviews of the user interface make it clear that something important is going on here.

For those who have never picked up and used an iPad, the first question is always: “Why do I need a larger version of the iPhone or another laptop? The answer is: you don’t know until you hold one and use it even for just a few minutes. A first interaction with the iPad can certainly be a transformative experience for the user.

Most of us are accustomed to laptop computing, smartphones and being “un-tethered” from our businesses, but the handheld size and sheer usability of tablet technology truly opens new doors. The operative term here is usability. In the same way smartphones opened the door to personal empowerment through applications (e.g., “iPhone apps”), the iPad is opening the door to more complex activities including business empowerment through apps and customized user experiences.

1.

Type size and navigation hot spots need to be larger, simpler for touch screen navigation. Also, take advantage of the sharp display and processing speed by using larger visuals. These are some of the biggest differences compared to traditional web design.

2. Take advantage of the built-in gallery, navigation and style scrolling options in the Apple SDK (software development kit), which are fluid and intuitive.

3.

Use video instead of Flash elements that will not run in the iPad platform. Video can also be leveraged in many other ways including YouTube and Facebook. Video formats that run well on iPad include MP4, Quicktime and HTML5 that seems to run the best.

4. Consider the lighting environment you are operating in. The design for screen contrast and color saturation will be much different in a dark restaurant than in daylight.

5.

The iPad already operates on HTML5 but IE will not be compliant until first quarter 2011 (Firefox and Safari are already potentially compliant). When IE catches up, you will be able to program web and iPad projects together with the differences noted above.

FIGURE 4: KEY CONSIDERATIONS IIN DESIGNING THE iPAD USER EXPERIENCE

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WILL THE iPAD BE A KILLER PLATFORM FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

There’s no doubt that the iPad tablet platform has the potential to

be a transformational force in many different industries and busi-

nesses… for the right types of strategies and processes.

The following criteria for success have emerged from our experi-

ence and evaluation of the iPad and related tablet technologies. To

determine if the iPad can leverage emergent knowledge, enable your

business strategy and transform your customers’ experiences, you

must:

But how do you know when the custom use of an iPad is right for your business?

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Establish Measures & Metrics – How would you define and measure success?... economic value, efficiency, satisfaction, net promoter score or other indicators? Could you incorporate a test & learn approach to rollout and measurement?

Deliver Innovative Content– Could a custom iPad business ap-plication help you repurpose content in a truly innovative way? Don’t underestimate the critical importance of the right type and level of content.

Reveal Market & Consumer Insight – Could a custom iPad ap-plication provide behavioral insight that you otherwise either would not be able to obtain or not obtain as easily?

Assure Data Protection, Privacy & Security – How would data be sourced and managed? In consumable bites? Apple has addressed data security concerns and made it easier to man-age for both IT and business users.

Plan For Ongoing Maintenance & Support – Who, how and when?

Follow this criteria, answer these questions about your busi-ness, and you’ll find out if the iPad has the potential to be a killer platform for your business.

Clearly State The Problem – What business problems you are trying to solve? Think beyond the mainstream and don’t limit yourself by traditional approaches. Embrace the potential and use your imagination.

Understand The Behaviors You Are Trying To Elicit –How would an iPad business application significantly enhance the experience and drive certain behaviors of your target audi-ence? Will it “speak” to their interests and attitudes and complement their existing behaviors?

Consider The Market & Competitive Frame – Would the new capability provide an experience or solve problems in a man-ner to set you apart competitively? Would it address or take advantage of specific market trends and influences?

Assure Business Alignment – How would an iPad business application align with and enable your: - Business goals and objectives

- Brand positioning and strategy

- Customer strategy

- Other communication channels

- Data and systems

- Business processes

- Budgets

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Conclusion

What we’ve learned so far is that the Apple iPad,and other tablet platforms that soon will follow, are not so much

personal computing devices as they are conduits for leveraging

“emergent knowledge,” re-engineering business processes and

monetizing information assets – all focused on empowering cus-

tomers and creating entirely new experiences.

In certain industries like media and publishing, transformation is

already well underway as the iPad (and the Kindle and Nook be-

fore it) has disrupted the traditional value chain and now serves

as an “end-to-end” killer platform for distribution, monetization,

information consumption, feedback and social interaction. Don’t

be surprised if future generations liken the publishing industry to

the 20th century’s “buggy-whip manufacturers”.

Much like the wheel and the combustion engine preceded the au-

tomobile, the collection of technologies that make up the iPad and

other tablet platforms are not new. However, the convergence of

these technologies on a high fashion platform with intuitive usability,

and at attractive price points, seeds the perfect storm for business

transformation. In fact, many industries are ripe for transformation

and it will only be a matter of time before specialty retailers, hospi-

tality leaders and innovative health care providers emerge with their

“killer platforms” to win over the hearts, minds and wallets of their

customers.

The Time Is Now.. . SO ARE YOU READY?

®


DAVE SUTTONFounder and Managing Partner of TopRight, a strategic marketing

consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA with offices in Wash-

ington, DC and Chicago. TopRight helps its clients move their

business up and forward in their competitive frame – to corner the

markets where they choose to compete. Bringing prominent man-

agement consultants together with Fortune 100 senior marketing

executives, TopRight delivers strategy, creativity, technology en-

ablement and analytics that drive business performance. For more

information visit www.toprightpartners.com.

MIKE MELIA & SCOTT MAYThe Melia Group, is a unique team of senior marketing, creative

and technology experts who design, develop and deliver meaningful

experiences that bond brands with customers, growing sustainable

relationships and generating real business results. For twenty years,

Melia has produced breakthrough results for clients like National

Geographic, Knoll, Emory Healthcare, Turner Networks, The Smith-

sonian Institute, VH1, Solis Hotels and Resorts and Xerox. For more

visit www.themeliagroup.com.

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