When are equipment and technological advances a bad thing for the awards retailer?

As long as the equipment is used in conjunction with the short- and long-term plans of the business, then it’s a good thing. If new additions are meant to supplant old and outdated processes and ultimately propel the business ahead, then as long as these new additions are mastered, they are good. 

If a business adds new equipment and technology just for the sake of being new, then there is a good chance that the equipment is not mastered and ultimately not producing anywhere near its potential. This creates a strain on the operations of the business, its pocketbook, and probably its personnel. More than that, a business employing this type of philosophy has probably strayed from its course with respect to its short- and long-term plans.

   —Victory