Technology For the Sake of it.

A lot of business leaders say, "let's not do technology for the sake of technology". What I think they mean is let's not spend too much money on technology. I know there are many IT professionals that thrive on early adoption and that can create many challenges inside an organization. You know what they are; training staff, support service complexities, upgrade issues, and the list goes on.

On the other hand, I feel very strongly that you need someone in your organization that keeps abreast of the ever changing and evolving technology landscape. To me that means you need an early adoption team - one that can explore the possibilities and determine if the ideas can help drive business results.

I know one such person, he has more energy and creativity than just about anyone I know. I often get messages in the middle of the night that start with - "did you see this..." and of course it is accompanied by a link to the new widget.

It is people like this that keep the ball moving...they help you see what it possible and prevent you and your firm from becoming a parked car. I joined a firm a few years back that was like stepping into a time warp. Can you imagine a firm in the new millennium with no web based mail access and no company sponsored support for PDA's?

This mindset led to stagnation in its service offering and high frustration amongst the employee base; a firm sponsored survey confirmed this. Once on board, we introduced the idea of user-centered design. We started by doing extensive field research and uncovered technology issues that could be easily remedied. We presented a plan to executive management that showed the pain that our employees felt in the field while serving clients.

The end result was funding for a lot of things that were simply ignored in the past. Things that were perceived as technology for the sake of it. We instilled the notion that you have to imagine the possibilities.

You need someone on your team that can ask "what if...". Someone in your firm has to be on the look out for stuff that can make a difference. You don't have to be early adoptors but at some point you will have to adopt. And don't be too eager to jump on the "technology for the sake of technology" band wagon. At the very least find a firm or someone on the outside that can shed light on whats coming.

I have worked with an individual for many years that is the epitome of creativity and has an insatiable appetite for technology. He follows it and has the unique skill of finding business driven ways of leveraging new technology in firms. He is someone to watch. His name is Kevin Farner and you can follow his blog at http://www.gomolldesign.com/blog/.

For more in-depth information , contact Northfield Technology for a consulation.