We live in unprecedented technological alteration, and there is often a fear of being left behind or losing instance-mover advantage. However, good technology management is less about how much or when you buy it. Good technology management involves proper matching and alignment with business needs. What should our strategy be if we want our business to thrive in such an environment? And more specifically, what must we do to survive? I asked my colleague Andrew S. Baker to help me with some thoughts on this topic. He has a lot of experience assisting companies in developing strategies to implement the latest technologies in a way that reaps great rewards. Andrew is the President and Founder of BrainWave Consulting. Which provides cybersecurity and technology consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses. Here are some thoughts he share with me that I have found helpful for my business and the companies we work with.
The rapid pace of technological change.
Technology is advancing so rapidly today that experts are concerned about the potential for misuse of technology that many of us haven’t even directly implemented yet. Above all businesses than ever are totally and utterly dependent on the implementation and use of technology for their success. Today’s technology management must care about how, where, and why (and IF) to implement cloud computing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), extensive statistics, blockchain, and more—other fashionable concepts. Every new technology is seen as the next big thing, that tremendous paradigm shift that will be a game changer for the industry or the market.
However, success in technology management is not just about making circuits. It’s not so much the rollout of the next big thing that guarantees success. It is the proper alignment of the technological solutions used with the objectives and needs of the company.
In technology management, the little things matter
There are smaller and more subtle strategies, methods, and activities that have a more significant influence on an organization’s ability to manage its technology assets and deliver value to the organization. We regularly hear about the big technology decisions organizations make. But behind the scenes, other vital elements aren’t discussed but are far more critical to success:
- Alignment with vision/goals/business plans.
- Supported strategy on how to buy, implement and maintain technology.
- A reasonable and transparent model of government.
- Foster a culture of planning, testing, and training.
- Excellent communication throughout the organization.
- Let’s take a look at each of these key elements in turn.
Alignment with vision/goals/business plans
An organization can’t be effective in procuring, deploying, and managing its technology assets and solutions if the people responsible for technology, those responsible for purchasing, and those liable for business objectives are not all on the same wavelength…
Every employee must understand how their activities relate to the organization’s goals and why they do what they do (at some level). There are things about technology refresh cycles, implementation costs, and purchasing approaches that can affect the effectiveness of a business plan. What CTO hasn’t been on the wrong side of a custom server request that was need “just like yesterday”? Because the person who needed it didn’t know how long it took to specify and request a non-generic server?
The solution is not to have more tech-savvy entrepreneurs but more communication-savvy entrepreneurs. When business plans involve all possible components as early as possible in the planning phase. Many logistical and pricing issues can be mitigat or avoid.
Business Strategy for the Technology Lifecycle
Organizations must make a critical decision about obtaining or managing technology in one of the following ways:
- Get out-of-the-box (OTS) solutions and use them with little customization.
- Come out of the box solutions (OTS) and count on a significant amount of customization.
- Build or assemble moderately/highly customized solutions.
Each of the above strategies has pros and cons, and organizations and their leaders are advise to understand these pros and cons before choosing an approach. There are important implications, particularly for staff, in the choice. Therefore, switching modes every few years is not a good idea. Organizations that focus on creation/customization will tend to need more staff and more specialized staff than those that rely on off-the-shelf solutions. OTS solutions do not necessarily offer organization-specific technology advantages but provide more opportunities for outsourcing and using external vendors.
This strategy must be aligned with the business at the highest levels. Otherwise, the industry will not understand staffing requests, and the ability to provide timely solutions will be significantly hamper.
A reasonable and transparent model of government
Those who have worked in the tech industry for a long time know there can be religious fervor toward platforms and products. Many people are very confident in their technology choices, while others will use whatever seems to do the job. There is approximately to be said for the best of breed, and there is also something to be whisper for the consistency of technology platforms.
Ultimately, using the extreme version of whatever works will cause integration headaches and rarely allow an organization to take advantage of economies of gage in cost or personnel. Likewise, using the extreme version of a consistent platform. Can lock you in quite negatively to a single vendor or ecosystem, making it difficult for your organization to make the business adjustments demanded by the market.
Evaluating, testing, selecting, and re-evaluating technology solutions and platforms should be well-understood and fairly transparent within an organization. Getting people to adapt to change is hard enough without the specter of the perceived backdoor and favoritism.
Transparent and well-documented technology governance will also respond more effectively to business needs, making every purchase more likely to add value.
Foster a culture of planning, testing, and training.
In my experience, organizations that provide time and space for their technology staff to properly plan and test what they deploy get much more out of their solutions. There are fewer deployment issues, fewer incidents of over- or under-purchasing licenses or features, and better integration with existing solutions.
Employees with the time to train, which doesn’t have to be formal external training, generate more value for their organizations and make better decisions.
Excellent communication throughout the organization.
There is no area where good communication is an obstacle or an inconvenience. None of the following items discussed would be possible without good communication, but it is critical enough to deserve special mention.
Good communication from business leaders and communication within technology teams will help ensure that good decisions are made and that people are well-motivate in their areas of responsibility.
Understand your goals
So what really matters in technology management is a clear understanding of what the organization is trying to accomplish at any given time and how various technology solutions and platforms can work together to achieve these business goals.
Successful organizations that focus on building custom solutions understand that they need a slightly larger technology team aware of the business goals. They have enough time to plan, acquire, test, and implement the solutions that support or drive the business.
Successful organizations focusing on turnkey solutions understand they can rely on a minor internal technology team. However, they need to trust external partners who know the business goals and have enough time to plan, acquire. Test and implement solutions that support or drive the business.
Planning and testing time can never be overlook unless success is not a goal.
It is not the novelty of technology that will ultimately triumph. A team with slightly older technology but clear business mandates and an effective schedule for planning and testing will win almost every time against a team with access and funds for the newest technology available but lacks alignment with the company. .
And in the long run, it’s not even a contest. Those who are well aligned will always win against those who lack communication, a coherent technology management strategy, and time to manage projects.