The 5 Stages of Tech Adoption: Where Does Your Organization Stand on the TIC Model?

I've personally navigated multiple major technological shifts, from the initial rise of the internet to the current AI revolution. Through these experiences, I've consistently observed a similar, repeating pattern in how organizations adapt to each new paradigm. From these observations, I developed a simple framework I call the Technology Integration Capability (TIC) Model.

Purpose: A Simple Framework for Assessment

The TIC Model provides a straightforward, jargon-free way to assess the stage of an organization's capability relative to a specific technology or innovation. It moves beyond buzzwords to define measurable stages of adoption, from outright avoidance to full strategic integration.

The Five Core Stages of the TIC Model

Level 0: Averse | {technology}-averse

The starting point. The organization is either completely unaware of the technology or trend, or it is actively averse to it. Decisions are made to restrict its use for any number of potential reasons: data security/privacy, environmental concerns, or moral objections.

Level 1: Aware | {technology}-aware

The organization recognizes the existence and potential strategic relevance of the technology or trend.

However, there is:

Adoption is fragmented, experimental, and driven by individual "champions" in siloed teams.
No formal strategy or budget line item.
The overall business process remains unchanged.

Level 2: Enabled | {technology}-enabled

The organization moves from passive awareness to active, defined use.

Tools are adopted to solve localized pain points.
This leads to a few successful, but still largely siloed, projects.
Processes are repeatable within a single department or project, but they are not standardized across the organization.

Level 3: Enhanced | {technology}-enhanced

The technology is standardized and operationalized across critical business functions.

Adoption is consistent.
It is used to enhance existing products, processes, or services, leading to measurable efficiency or quality gains.
The focus is on making the current business more efficient or more competitive, etc.

Level 4: Embedded | {technology}-embedded

The technology is embedded into the organizational strategy and culture.

It is not just used to enhance existing functions, but to create new business models, products, and competitive advantages.
The technology becomes a core asset that drives continuous innovation and is the foundation for strategic decisions.

Level	Stage Name	Focus/Key Action	Outcome
0	Averse	Active Avoidance or Unawareness	No digital activity; risk of obsolescence.
1	Aware	Fragmented Experimentation	Siloed "champions"; no formal strategy.
2	Enabled	Localized Tool Adoption	Repeatable process within a single team/department.
3	Enhanced	Standardization and Operationalization	Measurable efficiency/quality gains; optimization of existing business.
4	Embedded	Strategic Integration & Innovation	New business models/products; technology is a core competitive asset.

Applying the Model: Technological Eras

To describe how the TIC Model works, let's look at how organizations have progressed through three distinct technological eras: The Internet, Data, and Artificial Intelligence.

1. Web Technology (Digitalization)

(From before 2010 to present)

What each of these levels mean is constantly changing over time. Currently, it can be defined as general web based technologies, products, services and processes. It can include an organization's use of internal web tools, an organization's web presence, and/or industry specific technology.

Level	Stage Name	Example
0	averse	Relies exclusively on physical documents and in-person communication; actively avoids or lacks any official web presence or digital tools.
1	aware	Relies on traditional marketing and processes. May have a static website but hasn't integrated technology into core processes.
2	enabled	Comfortable using third-party software (CMS, CRM, project management) for various functions. Has a dynamic web presence updated by an internal team.
3	enhanced	Actively incorporates web technology to enhance and transform its core business activities, using 3rd party services and tools to overcome technical challenges.
4	embedded	Technology is integrated throughout the company's strategy and operations, fundamentally transforming its business model, products, and/or services as a driver of innovation.

2. Data Technology

(From 2010 to present)

How is data being used by the organization? This includes collecting, transforming, aggregating, staging, analyzing, visualizing, sharing, etc. What the stages represent can vary depending on the type and size of the organization and the organization’s industry or domain.

Level	Stage Name	Example
0	averse	Actively ignores or discredits the need for data; makes decisions based purely on intuition and experience.
1	aware	Data is collected or used in an isolated department, but the company as a whole does not use it. Decisions are made without evidence-based information.
2	enabled	Has an individual or team responsible for data, but no universal data strategy. Data may be collected and analyzed, but it is often not valued or used consistently.
3	enhanced	Captures and aggregates data, often through custom or 3rd party tools. Data is regularly used to inform and improve specific operational decisions.
4	embedded	Has a documented data strategy. Data is integrated into the company's strategy and operations, fundamentally transforming its business model, products, or services.

3. AI Technology

(From 2020 to present)

AI technology is an umbrella term for technologies related to Machine Learning, Large Language Models, etc. What is defined as an AI Technology is relatively new and constantly being re-defined.

Level	Stage Name	Example
0	averse	Restricts the use of AI for security, privacy, or moral reasons.
1	aware	Uses AI via a chat interface or as features in 3rd party tools, but the use is limited to individuals and is not a company initiative.
2	enabled	Recognizes the benefits and encourages the use of off-the-shelf AI tools across the company to enable development, analysis, etc. No company-wide AI Strategy exists.
3	enhanced	AI is used to replace or enhance existing tools and/or services (e.g., using generative AI to automate copywriting). It's part of operations, with the goal of saving time and improving competitiveness.
4	embedded	Has a documented AI strategy. AI is integrated into custom tools and services tailored to specific business needs, transforming the business model, processes, products, or services.

Applying the Model: Technological Eras as Phases

I described these technological examples as eras, because of how the model was formed over time. While it’s possible to apply the model to a specific technology, I found that these specific eras can represent a linear progression of technological phases that an organization must progress through.

Web Technology → Data Technology → Ai Technology

AI Technology is dependent on strong understanding of data, which is dependent on a more than surface level of understanding of current web related technologies. Every organization is different and there are obviously exceptions and outliers. I believe that while you can be a successful organization thriving in the web technology phase, if a competitor is in the data technology phase they can have a significant advantage over an organization still in the web-technology phase. Understanding the importance of data and working on leveraging AI can provide an advantage over companies still in the Data phase.

When trying to determine the current phase and stage of an existing or established company, it helps to think about the phases as a linear sequence. While the Web, Data, and AI eras represent a typical linear progression of organizational focus, a mature organization realizes that Data Capability (Level 3 or 4) must be a prerequisite for success at every subsequent stage. Data provides the objective and measurable indicator of progression. Organizations that skip fundamental data mastery for shiny new AI tools often find themselves stuck at Level 1 or 2, unable to operationalize their efforts.

A Note on Model Context and Comparability
I developed this model out of a need for a simple jargon-free way of describing an organization's path related to a particular technology. I refined it independently over many years based on my personal experience. If you are working directly with large enterprise organizations or are looking for a model closer to industry standards then you should check out the Digital Maturity Models or the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). These models are backed by established consulting firms and institutions and include in depth resources, certification tracks and independent research.

Use the TIC Model for Strategy

The TIC Model is more than just a descriptive tool; it's a strategic roadmap. By honestly assessing your organization's current phase and level you can:

Identify the Gaps: Determine what's holding you back from moving to the next level (e.g., lack of strategy, insufficient budget, siloed teams).
Define the Next Step: The path from aware (1) to enabled (2) is about formalizing tools and processes. The leap from enhanced (3) to embedded (4) is about shifting from efficiency gains to core innovation and business model transformation.
Benchmark Competitors: Use the stages to understand where your peers and industry leaders are in their adoption journey.

The TIC Model is more than just a descriptive tool; it's a strategic roadmap... What technological phase is your organization currently in? Web, Data, or AI? What level is your organization at in that phase? Where do you want to be? Use the TIC Model to find out, and start planning your path to the next level of integration.

This article contains original content and analysis by the author. It was reviewed and refined using a combination Gemini 2.5 Flash and ChatGPT 4 large language models (LLM) for clarity, style, and suggested edits.