Idealized Design for Technology Deployment in Micro-retailers

Implementing digital technologies in businesses presents significant challenges, including knowledge barriers, a lack of shared vision regarding the business need, and a focus on short-term benefits. These challenges are especially pronounced in micro-retailers, businesses with between 2 and 10 employees, who often opt to ignore or exclude technology from their business model due to these difficulties. Moreover, traditional implementation models for information systems are based on assumptions and tools that may not be accessible to these types of businesses. To address these issues, the authors developed a methodology based on Russell Ackoff’s idealized design. The authors surveyed 124 micro-retailers in Puebla, Mexico, and applied the methodology to four different business models. This article presents the results of this process, as well as the lessons learned from the experience