How a 3-Legged Stool Is Your Best Technology Model
Most businesses large and small have problems that can be solved through investment in a technology or software solution. Many companies will make the mistake of determining that it’s just a matter of getting the best price, install the solution and presto...they are one step closer to profit, right? Well, its not quite that easy...
Business technology solutions are really a well planned marriage of three things - People, Process and Technology. Think of this as a three legged stool. You need to balance the size and strength of all three of these legs in order to serve as a structurally sound stool. If one leg is weak, too long or too short, your stool is wobbly and may crash to the floor.
Businesses that only consider the purchase of a technology solution to solve their problems, without considering the People and Process side of the equation, are often disappointed in the results. These same companies spend lots of time looking for just the right technology then they commoditize it by negotiating the price down to bare bones before they purchase. The typical result is that development cycles lengthen beyond expected norms, the cost creeps up over budget and deployment becomes sluggish. All are things that rob these companies of focus and profits.
If you are going to invest in a technology improvement to your business...take the time and the effort to consider all three key vectors in your decision. The results will be more effective and your customers will be happier.
Be sure to employ a business development company that can help your business understand its primary and secondary objectives, the audience the technology will be interfacing with, and the processes that are affected or involved. This might cost a bit more than just purchasing a solution but the right firm will make all the difference in how fast and how large your profits are realized.
Running a great business has more to do with knowing what you don't know, when you don't know it, and knowing how and when to obtain that knowledge from the right sources. Identifying your ultimate business objectives and the technology solutions needed to meet those objectives is typically a place many businesses are overconfident in understanding on their own. We recommend taking an inventory of these items before you take on your next technology project.
John Ernst is CEO of the John Ernst Corporation - Website and Software Designs Company.
www.johnernstcorporation.com
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