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January 2, 2026
December 6, 2023

Four Pillars of Modern Business Technology

The four pillars of Modern Business TechnologyPeople, processes, data and applications.

In this article:

Four pillars

People, processes, data and applications form the core of modern business technology. Each of these pillars plays a decisive role in the success of companies in various sectors. This blog delves deeper into each of these four themes and shows what impact avoiding them can have on your organization.

people

The people pillar includes the human aspect of business technology, including employees' skills and expertise, as well as their ability to adapt to new technologies and processes. People are vital to the success of technological innovations because they are responsible for implementing, maintaining and using the technology.

When companies avoid focusing on this pillar, they can face challenges such as a lack of qualified staff, reduced employee morale, and resistance to change. A lack of qualified staff can lead to failure to achieve technological goals, while low morale can reduce productivity. Resistance to change can lead to hesitation in accepting new technologies.


Processes

The process pillar refers to the business processes and workflows that are made possible by technology, such as supply chain management, customer service, finance, and human resources. Processes are critical to the success of any business technology because they determine how technology is used to achieve business goals.

When companies don't focus on the process pillar, they can face challenges such as unnecessary duplication of work, non-standardized processes, dismissal and unclear responsibilities. Inefficient processes can result in a waste of time and resources, reduced productivity and increased costs. Missed opportunities can lead to financial losses and competitive disadvantage.


Dates

The data pillar refers to the data that is available within the organization and systems are used to guide business decisions. Data is a crucial source for providing insight into customer behavior, market trends, and business performance.

When companies don't focus on the data pillar, they can face challenges such as inaccurate or incomplete data, limited insights, and data breaches. Inaccurate or incomplete data can lead to poor decision-making and missed opportunities. Limited insights can result in a lack of understanding customer behavior or market trends, and data breaches can cause legal consequences and reputational damage.


Appliques

The application pillar refers to the software and applications that are used to enable business processes and workflows. Applications are critical to the success of any organization because they provide the tools and functionality needed to achieve business goals.

When companies don't focus on the application pillar, they can face challenges such as limited functionality, poor integration, and security vulnerabilities. Limited functionality may result in applications that do not meet the needs of the company and its customers. Poor integration can lead to inefficiency and data silos, and security vulnerabilities can lead to data breaches or other cyber threats.

Final thoughts

The four pillars of modern business technology are essential to the success of companies in various sectors. By focusing on people, processes, data and applications, companies can achieve numerous benefits, including improved efficiency, a better customer experience and positive business results.

Your organization can achieve the best results by organizing these four pillars in the best possible way. Our consultants are there for you and are happy to advise you on how to make the most of them to take your business to greater heights.

Want to know more about the four pillars of modern business technology? Don't hesitate and schedule an appointment with one of our consultants.

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Why are the four pillars essential to modern business operations?

The four pillars form the foundation on which every digital transformation rests. People ensure adoption and continuity, processes determine agility and efficiency, data makes control possible and applications are the technical tools that support processes. When one of these components receives insufficient attention, the balance is disturbed and there is a direct impact on performance, costs, capacity and ability to innovate. An organization that takes an integral approach to all four pillars is building scalable and future-proof business operations.

What happens if we invest too little in our employees within technological processes?

Without attention to the human pillar, there are deficiencies in skills, resistance to change and lower adoption rates of new technology. In practice, this leads to delays, errors and the absence of return on digital investments. Employees who are not included in work process changes are more likely to become overloaded and insecure. By investing in knowledge, competences and guidance, an organization is created that not only implements but actually uses technology.

How do you recognize that processes are not properly aligned with technology?

When processes are not standardized, there are many manual actions, inconsistencies, and inefficiencies. Teams then often work side by side, duplication of work increases and responsibilities become unclear. This translates into delays, higher costs and a loss of quality. Good process design ensures that technology does exactly what it needs to do: support, accelerate and simplify. When processes are clear, logical and streamlined, applications and data immediately gain more value.

Why is data quality a structural focus within these four pillars?

Without reliable and well-structured data, companies cannot make informed decisions. This leads to wrong assumptions, missed opportunities and strategic errors. Low-quality data undermines dashboards, analyses, and any form of automation or AI application. By managing data centrally, consistently and securely, a solid basis for insights, reports and optimizations is created. Data quality is not just a technical discipline, but an organizational foundation.

How do you ensure an application landscape that does support rather than opposes it?

An effective application landscape is tailored to processes, reduces overlap and communicates seamlessly with other systems. When applications are outdated, do not integrate properly, or offer insufficient functionality, silos, inefficiencies, and security risks arise. By regularly evaluating applications, optimizing integrations and replacing or consolidating obsolete systems, a landscape is created that is scalable, secure and future-proof. This makes it possible to introduce new technologies such as AI and automation without friction.

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