Trends and Innovation? Explore what’s next—without losing sight of what matters now.

In IT, it’s easy to get caught up in the latest trends. We spend countless hours exploring new tools, technologies, and ideas—and yes, innovation matters. But if you're not careful, all that future-focused thinking can come at the expense of what really counts: a stable and secure (cloud) environment, productive users, and meaningful day-to-day, incremental improvements.

Not all new technology is going to revolutionize your business. In fact, most won’t. And certainly not overnight. Your users and/or customers don’t expect you to chase every shiny new thing—they want help with the systems they rely on today. I’ve seen far too many teams lose sight of that, only to end up with stalled projects, wasted time, and frustrated clients.

Innovation takes investment—and before exploring something new, customers want to be sure their current solutions are delivering real value. So yes, keep up with what’s happening in the industry. But don’t lose your edge trying to be first. Focus on what you’re good at. Focus on what your users and clients need.

To stay innovative and grounded, consider setting aside time to explore new technologies. One approach I’ve seen work well is to establish a dedicated Innovation Board or Technology Board—a small, focused group that evaluates emerging technologies and decides which are worth pursuing. Done right, it keeps innovation moving without disrupting the core of your business.

I’ve had the privilege of being part of several such teams over the years—sometimes as a member, sometimes as the one leading the charge. In Technology Board meetings, we’d dive into new ideas, assess how they might be applied within our services or customer offerings, and weigh the business case. The next step was usually a Solutions Board meeting, where proposals would be formally reviewed, prioritized, and—if approved—allocated time, budget, and resources.

“While innovation is important, placing too much emphasis on what's new can distract from the day-to-day priorities: maintaining a stable cloud environment, supporting users, and making practical, incremental improvements.”

Another effective structure is the Office of the CTO. This team works closely with the Chief Technology Officer to shape the organization’s long-term vision and technology strategy. Unlike teams that focus solely on experimentation, the Office of the CTO takes a more strategic role: scanning for emerging trends, evaluating innovations, and connecting them back to the business.

Like a Technology Board, its purpose is to explore what’s next—without losing sight of what matters now. By centralizing responsibility for innovation within this group, the rest of the organization is free to focus on execution. The Office of the CTO acts as a filter: testing new ideas, separating hype from real potential, and recommending action only when a clear business case exists and alignment with company goals is strong.

In other words, it keeps innovation intentional—not accidental.

The Innovation Board In More Detail

An Innovation Board is a team or committee within an organization that focuses on promoting, evaluating, and guiding innovation initiatives. Its main purpose is to think strategically about new technologies, products, and processes—and to ensure these ideas align with business objectives and deliver real value.

The board begins by defining a clear mission and innovation vision. This means identifying the organization’s key focus areas—whether that’s improving customer satisfaction, increasing operational efficiency, or developing new products and services. That strategy then serves as a guide for evaluating which ideas and projects deserve attention.

To foster innovation across the organization, the board actively encourages employees and teams to submit ideas. This can be done through brainstorming sessions, internal hackathons, or even something as simple as an online submission form. Ideas are assessed based on criteria such as feasibility, cost, potential return on investment, and strategic relevance.

Many organizations that develop products or services also gather feedback through customer or partner advisory boards, as well as community involvement. Just as you might make an idea submission form available internally, a similar mechanism can work externally as well. You can even cross-reference the insights from both channels to help prioritize which ideas to pursue first.

Why not reach out to companies that didn’t become customers? In my experience, those conversations often yield more valuable insights. Existing customers are already on board—for good reason. They’re generally satisfied with your support and product(s). Sure, you can still learn a lot from them, but they’re unlikely to switch vendors over a single late fix or a missing feature. Non-customers, on the other hand, may provide honest, more detailed feedback about why they walked away—reasons you might not have considered before.

Once ideas are submitted, the Innovation Board evaluates them carefully. That includes analyzing projected costs, ROI, and other expected outcomes. The board also considers risks and how to manage them, along with strategic fit: Does this idea align with the company’s vision and mission? Timing matters too—is this something we act on now, or park for later? Based on these factors, the board prioritizes proposals. Some are selected for further research or development; others are shelved or declined.

The Innovation Board typically manages a budget, and other resources allocated specifically for innovation. Once an idea is approved, the board assigns the required resources—such as funding, staff, and access to tools or technologies—so that the project can move forward with the support it needs.

Beyond funding, the board provides active guidance to the teams executing innovation projects. This might involve coaching, sharing best practices, or facilitating partnerships with external experts. In many cases, the board serves as a sounding board, helping teams overcome roadblocks and stay on track.

Throughout the project lifecycle, the board monitors progress against defined goals and milestones, ensuring timelines and budgets are respected. If a project veers too far off course or fails to deliver on expectations, the board has the authority to step in—or even shut the project down.

When a project succeeds, the Innovation Board helps support its rollout and scale-up across the organization. This involves planning how to embed the innovation into day-to-day operations, so its benefits can be felt company wide.

At the end of each initiative, the board documents key lessons learned—capturing knowledge and experience that can be applied to future projects. This not only strengthens the organization’s innovation capability but helps build a culture of continuous improvement and learning.

An Innovation Board acts as a strategic bridge between creative thinking and business execution. It ensures that innovation isn’t just a collection of good ideas—but a structured process with clear priorities, tangible outcomes, and measurable value. By giving innovation direction, focus, and the right level of support, the board helps turn potential into progress.

AVD & W365

When chasing innovation, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of new tools and platforms. But in the end, users just want systems that are fast, stable, and available—especially when it comes to accessing their daily work environment. That’s where Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and Windows 365 offer the best of both worlds: modern cloud technology without compromising operational stability.

Instead of deploying something trendy just because it’s new, organizations can adopt AVD or W365 strategically—aligning innovation with real, day-to-day business needs.

What do you think?

Available soon, my latest book: Cloud Mastery – A Practical Guide to Cloud Strategy, Leadership & Execution, more on basvankaam.com