Building a Stronger Business with G-A-V: A Framework for Technology Upgrades & Trends

You already know about G-A-V. But maybe you’ve never thought of it as a framework. Once you do, it can help make better decisions when upgrading your technology stack. So, what is it?

Following this simple framework allows you to keep up with the latest technology without getting caught by fading trends. It focuses on three core areas:

G-A-V

Goals: Identify your organization's main business goals, priorities, and future roadmap.

Audit: Conduct a technology audit or reference your technology refresh cycle plan.

Vendor: Research, meet, demo, and compare your technology vendor options.

There's nothing new here. It’s just a reframing. Instead of three separate business tactics, it’s one guiding principle. But it’s about more than a smooth technology refresh. It’s the best way to use technology to build a stronger business.

As a leader in workplace technology, we see hundreds of projects deployed every year. We work with IT teams and technology integrators across multiple markets like enterprise, education, and government.

We’ve seen the technology refresh cycles from both sides of the fence. There are some key areas that stand out within each stage of the G-A-V framework.

Identify Business Goals and Hurdles

There’s a trap that some teams fall into. It's called “doing IT for IT’s sake”.

It happens when things break and need to be replaced quickly. It happens when trendy tech makes all the headlines and we experience FOMO. It’s so tempting as a technology professional to get caught up in the hype or move fast in the moment. That’s when it’s important to stop and ask: Will this trend help us achieve our goals in the next 12 months? Will this quick fix give us extra mileage on our road map? Or is the car going to break down in the middle of a desert highway?

These questions force you to address the big picture. They make you stop and zoom out beyond the problem in front of you. Now, you can refocus on the goals (your north star).

Maybe your company’s goal over the next 12 months is to increase orders shipped by “x” amount. Your team might decide to focus on solutions that syndicate data quickly. Tools like that could help shipping and ordering teams make better and faster decisions. That might lead you to look into different generative AI tools.

If you know your organization is going to start building its AI technology stack, it makes sense to align the rest of your technology strategy.

Then, if your conference room cameras come up this refresh cycle, how can you use your goals to justify a new camera purchase? Maybe you look for camera solutions that will prepare your meeting rooms for integration with AI. We know companies like Microsoft are already beginning to implement generative AI into their meeting room technology. So, you start to look at companies that have native integrations with Microsoft.

Now, it’s easy to justify your camera purchase against company goals. That’s how we move closer to achieving them.

Conduct a Technology Audit or Consult your Technology Refresh Tracker

Can you quickly identify any device that is due for a refresh over the next 12 months?

If not, you need an audit. Either way, it’s not a bad idea. It’s a good way to stay on top of shadow IT practices. Not only does it help mitigate risks, but it’s essential for mapping out your technology refresh cycles. It lets you plan for a refresh instead of putting out a fire.

Again, using the gen AI example above, when planning out any refresh over the next 12-15 months, think about solutions that might align with those larger goals. If you do the simple, rip and replace solution, will that be good enough once gen AI starts rolling out further into your organization? Is that piece of technology going to fit into that gen AI puzzle or is it going to end up being another costly rip and replace down the line?

A refresh is always justifiable. Equipment needs to be updated periodically to keep things running. But your finance and executive teams will feel a lot more confident if you can prove that the refresh aligns with your goals and doesn’t just keep the car running.

Another benefit of an audit is gaining a better understanding of how technology has been used in a space. What do the actual users within your organization expect from technology? You don’t want to simply refresh a piece of gear because its lifecycle is about to expire -- especially if it turns out that no one was using the technology on a regular basis. Speaking with actual users should be an essential step in any technology audit to avoid making expensive budgetary decisions in isolation.

Select The Right Technology Vendor

A temptation creeps into this stage. A tech need is identified. We all agree it will help push us toward the company goals. We want it to make an instant good impression on our teams and leadership. So, we are tempted to fill technology gaps with a solution from a specialty vendor (a vendor that is only focused on one product category).

These vendors claim they can make a better product because they aren’t distracted. They spend their time and energy making the best product they can in one single category. Sounds like a sensible choice.

Choosing a specialty vendor might work out great. But there is a long-term risk with buying technology this way. When your next refresh cycle hits, and you need to replace a different piece of equipment that is integrated with your specialty product, concerns arise. The specialty vendor doesn’t make the new product you need. So, you’ll need to look at different vendors. You need to do your research, compare pricing and features, and book demos all over again. This is time consuming and you have to worry about interoperability.

Sure, most interoperability issues can be solved with custom programming or by using a special piece of gear to bridge the connection. But that adds more costs, more time, and more layers of vulnerability.

That’s why most IT teams we work with tend to opt for a full-stack provider over specialty vendors. It’s about creating a seamless technology ecosystem from a single vendor. It reduces vulnerability and risk. And if/when issues do arise, you have one support number to contact — not a dozen.

Do your research. Identify the top full-stack providers and book a demo. Be clear about your needs and your organization’s goals. Lay out your technology refresh roadmap and look for a vendor that can meet your needs for this refresh cycle and for cycles 7-10 years out.

G-A-V isn’t just a framework for buying technology. It’s a reminder to work together toward a better future where we meet our goals and get to play with the latest tech.

Brad Hintze
Executive Vice President, Global Marketing

Brad Hintze is the Executive Vice President of Global Marketing at Crestron where he is responsible for overseeing and accelerating all aspects of the company’s global marketing efforts, including strategy, corporate communications, media relations, digital marketing, product marketing, and advertising. Brad is focused on driving Crestron’s company vision forward by establishing marketing programs and campaigns that promote the company’s outstanding product innovation, workplace technology solutions, digital transformation strategies, thought leadership, and purpose-driven initiatives.  

Prior to joining Crestron, Brad served as the Vice President of Consumer and Brand Marketing at SnapAV, where he designed and led marketing efforts and strategies for the company following its merger with Control4. Before assuming that role for SnapAV, Brad held the position of Senior Director of Product Marketing at Control4 where he was responsible for directing product marketing strategy and development, and spearheaded key product and program developments within the company.    

An esteemed thought leader on emerging home automation technologies and rapidly proliferating workplace collaboration solutions, Brad has been a featured presenter at countless industry expos and was included in the “Top 40 Under 40” list by Utah’s Business Council and Dealerscope Magazine.