以下文字节选自历年真题，划线部分为结合案例进行分析的部分，未划线部分为通用文字（需要熟练掌握），考试时结合案例进行具体分析。

颠覆性科技的定义：

A disruptive technology is a new emerging technology which unexpectedly displaces an established one with the outcome of ‘re-shaping’ that industry, or indeed, creating a new one.

The challenges posed by disruptive technologies

Flexibility

The hosts advertising with Rent-a-Room have the flexibility to be able to offer a wide range of services, such as individually tailored breakfast requirements, local on-site knowledge to offer up to the minute recommendations for highlights of the city, or providing introductions to local contacts which can get customers the best up to the minute offers. This provides guests with a far more customer-focused and individualised service than a ‘homogeneous’ service provider like HiLite could ever hope to successfully or economically provide.

In addition, the majority of hosts in this online ‘space-sharing’ environment, are likely to have high speed internet and web-movies for their own use, so those benefits can automatically be included in the price to guests, which is often considerably less than a hotel room, due to the significantly lower overheads incurred by host providers. Therefore, these alternative hosts are not only challenging us on product offering, but more importantly, on price. As we are a low-price focus business, our whole basis of competitive advantage is being challenged by disruptive technologies.

Wider choice of product offerings

The comments made by the finance director at the recent board meeting demonstrate a clear and realistic understanding of the challenges faced by HiLite from disruptive technologies. We must not be complacent and think that our customers will be satisfied with what we offer and will not be tempted by the offerings of disruptive technologies. We must be aware that disruptive technologies such as Rent-a-Room can create some novel product offerings and as the number of these offerings grow and the choice becomes wider, the more the traditional mainstream hotel user will be tempted to try out these offerings.

Personalisation

For a homogeneous product offering such as ours, we are likely to face significant challenges in being able to personalise our customer experiences. For Rent-a-Room hosts, personalisation of customer experience is significantly easier, as they are only dealing with one customer at a time, making the process straightforward. However, HiLite manages 46,000 hotel rooms across 510 hotels, meaning that personalisation of customer offerings is not only likely to be logistically difficult but also very expensive. Our hotels run with low levels of staff, albeit staff who are highly trained in customer services, but offering such high levels of personalisation will be a significant challenge.

Smartphone technology

Disruptive technologies do not only take the form of alternative product offerings such as Rent-a-Room. The use of smartphone applications in a range of ways from customisation through to door entry technology is a major development in the industry and one which we must consider.

There is also the problem of universal access for all of our customers, as many may not use smartphone technology. Implementing new door entry technology will also be expensive with the need for multiple entry and access systems including smartphone access and key card access. Managing multiple access methods adds unnecessary operational complexity for us which is likely to be a major barrier.要考虑成本

Potential for application of disruptive technologies 

We could consider some less expensive adaptations of disruptive technologies. There are opportunities for personalisation in the form of smartphone apps capable of providing information to…

Overall, we should look into the possibility of offering an online and mobile interactive concierge facility for our guests which provides the facility