Technology in the workplace allows businesses to do many things. It improves communication, aids in the acquisition of human capital, increases efficiency, and ultimately, affects the bottom line. The wrong software or even outdated software can be a source of frustration, error and lost revenue, both in time and money spent trying to make an imperfect solution work perfectly. No one can argue that technology is needed in order to run a successful business today. But with thousands of apps and programs available to us, choosing the right one for your business can be time consuming and daunting.
It doesn’t have to be. My experience as a business owner of a technology company suggests that the process of choosing software can be quite formulaic. Below is a process we’ve implemented for many companies in the energy services industry, that has helped them resist the “shiny”, trendy software and determine what they really need to run their business.
The impetus to implement new software or apps typically stems from a business problem or inefficiency we desire to fix. As such, the first exercise I suggest you and your management team undertake, is to list all the business problems and/or missed opportunities facing your business. As you examine this list, you will realize that not every problem or missed opportunity needs to be addressed with technology. Remove these from the list at this point.
The second step is ranking the issues that are left, the ones that can be addressed by technology, in order of priority, recognizing that priority is largely driven by financial cost. Something may be very important, but if it is cost prohibitive at the moment, it’s priority on the list may fall.
Now, you should document the current state of your technology and infrastructure. Take the time now to list every piece of software used in your business and what it is used for.
The next step is a little fun – at this point, stop and dream a little to determine what you want your desired, future state to be. In a perfect world, how would you operate?
Then, with your management team, build a road map that takes you from current state to that desired state, taking notes and getting feedback from those affected or involved along the way.
Now that you have your ordered business needs and a detailed map that takes you from your current state to the future state you dream of, you are ready to start selecting the software, apps and technology to get you there.
The final step, choosing the actual software that gets you to that future state, should be based on three equally weighted criteria as mentioned above:
- the fit based on the business problems cited
- the resumes of the people implementing the software
- the needs of your organization and your ability to meet them
If you follow this process, you will get to your future state faster and realize financial gains, faster.
Thanks for reading.
Jory Lamb
