The Questions That Matter Most
Family businesses have always operated with a long-term view. Decisions are shaped not only by commercial outcomes, but by legacy, relationships, and stewardship for future generations.
As we move through 2026, technology is increasingly influencing how effectively family enterprises can uphold those values while remaining competitive, resilient, and well governed. What was once considered a back-office function is now closely connected to strategy, succession, risk management, and culture.
For many family businesses, the challenge is not a lack of technology, but a lack of clarity around how it should support the business as a whole.
Rather than focusing on specific tools or trends, the most productive starting point is to ask the right questions.
From Operational Support to Strategic Enabler
Historically, technology investment in family businesses has been viewed primarily as a cost, necessary to keep systems running, protect data, and avoid disruption.
In 2026, this perspective is no longer sufficient.
Technology now plays a direct role in how efficiently a business operates, how well it understands its performance, and how confidently it can plan for the future. When treated only as an operational expense, technology can quietly limit growth and increase risk.
Family businesses should be asking:
· Is our technology helping us execute our strategy, or simply maintain the status quo?
· Where are inefficiencies accepted as “just the way things are”?
· Are our systems supporting the size and complexity of the business today, not several years ago?
A shift from cost management to capability building is often the first step toward more intentional use of technology.
Understanding How the Business Really Operates
Many family businesses rely heavily on long-tenured staff and informal knowledge transfer. While this can be a strength, it also creates hidden dependencies.
In 2026, it is worth asking:
· Which processes rely on individuals rather than systems?
· How well are critical workflows documented and understood?
· Where are manual processes creating unnecessary risk or delay?
Technology should help make work visible, clarifying how tasks move through the business, where bottlenecks occur, and where improvement is possible. This is particularly important as businesses grow or prepare for leadership transition.
Decision-Making: Insight, Not Just Experience
Experience and intuition are powerful assets in family enterprises. However, as businesses become more complex, relying on instinct alone can limit visibility.
Modern technology makes it possible to access timely, relevant information across the organisation, supporting more informed decision-making.
Questions to consider include:
· Do we have a clear, current view of financial and operational performance?
· Can leaders easily access information without relying on ad hoc reports?
· Are we using data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities early?
Better insight does not replace judgment. It strengthens it.
Managing Risk in a Digital Environment
Cybersecurity and system resilience are no longer niche concerns. They are now fundamental aspects of business risk and governance.
Family businesses should reflect on:
· How prepared are we for a cyber incident or system outage?
· Do we understand what data we hold and how it is protected?
· Are our controls appropriate for our size, industry, and regulatory obligations?
Strong risk management is not about avoiding technology. It is about using it responsibly and ensuring the business can continue operating under pressure.
Supporting Succession and the Next Generation
Succession planning remains one of the most critical, and sensitive, issues for family businesses. Technology plays a significant, though often overlooked, role in this process.
Important questions include:
· Does the next generation have visibility into how the business operates?
· Are systems enabling transparency and accountability?
· Will future leaders inherit platforms that support innovation, or technical constraints that limit progress?
Well-designed systems can support smoother transitions by making information accessible and reducing reliance on informal knowledge.
Automation, Artificial Intelligence, and the Role of People
Automation and artificial intelligence continue to attract attention, often accompanied by concern about their impact on jobs and culture.
For family businesses, the focus should be on augmentation rather than replacement.
Questions worth asking include:
· Which tasks consume time without adding significant value?
· Where could automation reduce administrative burden?
· How can technology support people to focus on higher-value work?
When introduced thoughtfully, automation can strengthen engagement and sustainability rather than undermine them.
Governance and Ownership of Technology Decisions
In many family enterprises, responsibility for technology decisions is unclear. This can lead to fragmented investment and missed opportunities.
In 2026, clarity matters:
· Who is accountable for aligning technology with business strategy?
· How are technology decisions reviewed and governed?
· Is there a shared understanding at board or advisory level?
Effective oversight does not require technical expertise, but it does require strategic alignment and clear accountability.
Preparing for an Uncertain Future
No business can predict exactly how markets or technology will evolve. What can be controlled is readiness.
Family businesses should consider:
· Do we have a technology roadmap linked to our long-term vision?
· How adaptable are our systems to change?
· Are we building flexibility into the business?
Future-focused technology planning is about creating options, not locking into rigid solutions.
The Importance of the Right Conversations
Perhaps the most important question is not technical at all.
Are technology issues being discussed at the right level within the business?
In 2026, leading family enterprises are ensuring that technology is part of broader conversations about strategy, risk, growth, and succession, rather than being addressed only when problems arise.
The quality of these conversations often determines whether technology becomes a constraint or an enabler.
Looking Ahead
Technology will never replace the values that define successful family businesses. However, it increasingly shapes how those values are expressed in practice.
By asking better questions about capability, risk, people, and the future, family businesses can ensure technology supports not just operational efficiency, but long-term stewardship and success.
Majestic Computer Technology is a Digital Innovation Advisory and Consulting firm, that works with senior leaders, helping them embrace the most appropriate technologies to optimise operations, retain great talent and attract beneficial relationships. Majestic delivers outcomes across IT managed service, business automation, cybersecurity, software development and AI, to practically every industry sector. In addition to being an FBA partner and an Australian Family Business, Majestic is also the IT service provider for FBA.
