By: Dave Gilmore Chairman, StrongCord Systems Making successful technology selections is a matter of intentionality. With all that’s in the marketplace to choose from you had best be armed with a focused intention and articulated objectives. Far too many Owners and Operators move into the selection process unprepared and they walk away either confused, overwhelmed, or worst of all, taken advantage of.
So how do you go about making successful technology selections? We offer the following highlight advice as a framework for success:
- Start with a stated business goal. Ask yourself and your team, “What are we attempting to achieve for our business? Where do we see ourselves three to five years from now?” The responses to these questions will identify several facets of the business you’ll want to consider.
- Market Share – The number of Customers or size of marketplace you are targeting to hit.
- Offerings – The menu of offerings (products and/or services) you see yourself taking to market.
- Geographical Footprint – The number and placement of physical locations you aspire to. This may also encompass virtual locations as the Internet and its application breadth becomes more a part of your business.
- Functional Capabilities – The capacity to do more with less. The ability to achieve outcomes unthought-of before.
- Financial Growth and Profitability – Growing both the top line and the bottom line of your business.
Technology plays a measurable role in each of these facets but technology isn’t the goal; rather it can be an enabling factor to achieve your goals.
- Strategy purposes People that are empowered by good Process that is enabled by Technology. Strategy is the beginning. It sets the plan in-place and lays out the blueprint for your business. Without a guiding strategy you’re no better off than a random leaf on a stream going wherever the current takes you. In other words, you’re not in control and that most often results in failed outcomes. Strategy places boundaries for intent, action, and measures.
People need strategy to bound their efforts. As one wise guy said along time ago, “Without a vision (i.e. strategy) people are confused.” People crave the security of known parameters to give them purpose and measured affirmation. Good strategy attracts effective people. Your most valuable asset is your people so don’t underestimate them while over-estimating technology.
Process, business and functional, sets a context for getting things done. Day-in and day-out the work performed by your business is accomplished through process. Whether formalized or the stuff of historical activity, process is the science of “doing” which moves your business forward. By formalizing your processes you can better predict the outcomes of what your people are doing. Technology is no substitute for process; it’s simply an enabler through automation and measurement.
- Consider the business challenges you hope to resolve before selecting a technology. In other words, don’t choose a technology solution for a loosely identified problem. “No prescription ought be offered for an illness undefined.” Know your business then choose your technology.
- When considering a technology solution, separate the “nice-to-haves” from the “have-to-haves”. Far too many technology selections are made based on the nice to have features of a product rather than the fundamental functionality businesses have to have to succeed. Go into the selection process with a defined list of have to have functions that automate your business processes resulting in more and better production output from your people. Anything else will leave you unsatisfied and frustrated.
- Ask some straight questions of the Vendors promoting their products or services as the right choice. Are they willing to share the risk of the selection by structuring a deferred payment arrangement until the solution is proven? Will they credit back a portion of the purchase if the offered solution doesn’t meet documented expectations?
Responses to such questions will tell you the type of Vendor you’re dealing with. If they stand behind their offering, bounded by a responsible contract, then you have a true technology partner. The devil’s in the details of the arrangement you make and you also have to step forward with reasonable responses but the ultimate outcome is well worth it. Your selection will be safe because you’re in it together.
StrongCord believes that the best technology choices are ALWAYS made under the umbrella of sound business strategy, relationship strength, and shared risk & reward. We “put our money where our mouth is” when we bring our offerings to market. This allows us to say with confidence what we promise .
. . .Strong and Safe Customers for Life!
