As a Consulting CIO, I’m called on by clients to assess the fit of their technology to the business. Quite often this follows a change in company management, a significant change in the business model, or both. At this point, the relationship between the technology staff and business management can be under strain. Typically, business management believes they have worked to align their technology staff with the business’ needs to little or no avail. That’s when company management reaches out for help.

As you might expect, these assignments begin with discussions where company management expresses their dissatisfaction, confusion, and frustration with the performance of their staff. They then ask me to render an opinion on how the technology staff engages with the business, on the staff’s workload, and on the fit of the staff’s skills to business needs.

The good news is that we’ve typically found the staff to be conscientious and focused on providing support for the business to the best of their ability. Our disconcerting finding is that those responsible for managing the technology are disconnected from what business management wants from the department.

An important step in our process is to interview the staff to determine what they think their responsibilities are, what management expects from them, and how they are evaluated. The same questions are asked of management and the business function owners.  The answers quite frequently paint pictures so far apart that you could legitimately ask if both groups came from the same company.

How can this happen? Both business and technical management speak English, so why is it so tough? In some respects, it seems that those responsible for managing technology just don’t believe the business side is serious about evolving the business. This is the challenge: just when is management truly pursuing change? It’s a bet-your-job question.

When we’re invited to consult, business management is actively seeking an open and informed dialog. But the discussion is not about technology; it’s about management, processes, and user needs. Not servers, databases, Agile, or any specific technology. Business management seems to be willing to trust the technical decisions to the technology staff. Is it unreasonable for company management to want a conversation with technology management and staff that gives them the confidence that their business needs and direction are understood, accepted, and being addressed? I don’t think so.

Jason Kuhn, CIO at RSA Corp, explains how the benefits of a Disaster Recovery Plan and a Business Continuity Plan vary depending on the individual organization. Can there be value to one without the other?

Episode #20 – Jason Kuhn, CIO of RSA Corp, discusses how a business can improve their processes using the technology they already own right there at their fingertips.

Jason Kuhn, CIO at RSA Corp, addresses the common misconception regarding business continuity and disaster recovery by clarifying the different aspects of a business that each plan pertains to.

Episode #8 – Jason Kuhn, CIO of RSA Corp, explains possible difficulties in purchasing technology and what companies can do to avoid these problems and get the most out of their new technology.

Sometimes purchasing new technology for your business can be like embarking into alien territory. A copy machine doesn’t just make copies anymore. What happens when the bells and whistles you bought don’t work right?

Here are some things to think about to make buying small business technology a little easier.

What makes technology purchases different from other business purchases?

Typically the types of items purchased aren’t a component of a company’s revenue generation model – printers, copiers, phones. Consequently, there’s little internal knowledge about all of the issues and decision points. Many of these items involve multiple decisions on how they will be installed and configured, and their purchase is often treated as an afterthought.

The office manager or employee designated to investigate these purchases will usually rely more heavily on the salesperson to help them make the best decision. The ROI on these types of technology purchases doesn’t often justify bringing in a consultant to conduct an investigation into what would work best for the company.

Getting what you want requires thinking through how the new technology will fit into or impact your business processes.

What technology might a growing business purchase?

Examples of these items would include copiers, software applications, PCs and telephone systems. Using a copier as an example, decisions concerning whether to include faxing, scanning or network printing must be made. Then, more decisions must be made concerning user configuration.

What kinds of problems are encountered with new technology?

Problems can occur with configuring these technologies to fit within your business processes or understanding the opportunity for improving existing processes.

• Using the fax capability of a new copier – Find the proper method for handling inbound faxes, given how you currently do work. Options include whether to deliver the fax to an e-mail, paper, a network share, or some combination. All employees need to be trained to use the new copier and its process.

• Software applications – Make sure the implementation will support existing business processes. If changes to business processes are necessary, work them out in advance or find out after-the-fact that there’s a problem and then manage the solution under pressure.

• Telephone system – Make sure the quotes from the phone vendors include the capabilities they demonstrated to you. Phone systems include a multitude of capabilities and associated options, resulting in significant variations in cost. It can be problematic if the vendor does not engage to understand how you do business and how you need to use the new system to communicate.

How do you avoid these problems?

The best way to avoid problems is simply to understand your needs and the impact specific technologies can have on your business. Ask for help if you’re not getting straightforward, easy-to-understand answers. It helps to visualize what you want your world to look like after the technology is installed. Communicate that clearly to your vendors.

When dealing with vendors, it is important to understand that they are in it to close the sale, not to spend a lot of time on the installation/implementation.

How many of you have thought this?…The copy machine is supposed to copy, print, fax AND scan? How do I set THAT up?

We are so accustomed to hearing discussions and presentations on how technology is an enabler. It seems no matter what you need, someone is there to enthusiastically explain how this or that technology can assist with your need or make the problem go away. In many instances, the judicious usage of technology can significantly improve the situation.

But what happens next? By that I mean, you bought…and implemented…the whiz-bang solution that was supposed to bring you residence in Shangri-La.

Now…how do you keep it running?

How does it morph to support you as your needs grow?

How do you train new staff on how to use it?

The true report card on success comes once the consultants leave, and you’re on your own. Only then can you clearly assess the quality of the implementation, whether all necessary processes and procedures have been implemented or modified, whether your staff has been adequately trained, and how well your new processes have been adopted.

Less than adequate in any area will result in workarounds. What an oxymoron…workarounds as the “solution” to your problem!

Think Through the ENTIRE Process

In many instances, the group selling the solution has a specified test that signals successful implementation. Does the proposed test reflect what you consider successful?

Technology isn’t the point. Success comes from the processes and procedures you establish and implement for using technology, which address your problem.

I’ve been subjected to more than my share of the latest and greatest, all enthusiastically touted and sold as solutions to real business issues. I’ve had some pleasant surprises, avoided some quicksand, and, in most cases, bought with my eyes open.

The real challenge to getting my money’s worth has been performing the tough due diligence to assess how the solution will actually be operating in my world six to twelve months after the vendor has handed me the keys.

There are some great solutions being sold. Just remember, the person talking to you is selling…or drinking the Kool-Aid. It’s up to you to determine how to assess what needs to happen for you to achieve the promised nirvana.

For another thoughtful and interesting view on this topic, check out Someone Else’s Problem, by Bob Lewis – a consultant and industry pundit who’s been studying and writing about the problems in managing technology and its practitioners since the mid 1990s.

Small and medium businesses face challenges with evaluating, implementing and supporting the technologies required by their growing companies. They often turn to an IT partner to address these challenges. Just like an author tells a story, so should an IT partner translate technology into business value. However, many partners try to sell a solution composed of features and presumed benefits without really understanding the needs and culture of the business prospect.

I see this issue at every level, whether it’s network/server administration or application development. Over the years, I’ve developed an analogy to explain the disconnect.

All of us have learned to read and write, to one degree or another. However, this doesn’t mean we can write exceptional novels or short stories. The skills required in writing novels, short stories and technical documents are over and above the writing skills many of us possess. Simply put, while command of language and writing is a prerequisite for being an author, it doesn’t make you an author. The addition of talent and storytelling skills make you an author.

This is exactly the problem business owners and operators encounter in dealing with technologists. They need someone who can understand their business needs and translate those needs into the mix of required technologies. Just because someone specializes in technology, doesn’t mean they can translate it into terms that a business owner understands.

It requires a discovery process to uncover the business pains and areas where technology can make a difference in efficiency, workflow and process. Someone has to bridge the communication gap between that which exists in the world-view of the business operator and the minutely detailed, technical world of the technologist.

I’ve found that technical people who grasp this difference are better able to adapt to the needs of the business and develop the ability to communicate more effectively. Those who don’t grasp or engage with this difference seem to continue to struggle with delivering the results the business needs. It’s almost as though in developing tools such as EXCEL, WORD, ERP and the Internet, we’ve lost the ability to understand what the business needed those tools to do.

I’ve had more than one conversation with a client that started like this…“Oh, by the way, we’ll be moving our office in two to three months.” This should be music to my ears since we’re in the business of supporting our client’s technology needs. However, office relocation can easily become a painful experience. We often encounter issues with the availability and variety of data communication providers at the client’s new location. In spite of the perceived availability of high-speed data communications, it isn’t always that easy.

Case in Point

Hurricane Ike convinced one of our clients that a proper disaster recovery plan required moving all servers and the PBX to a colocation facility, so as to not disrupt the company’s worldwide operations and other processes. To support both immediate needs and future plans, it turned out that the required bandwidth was more than could economically be provided by bonding a couple of T-1 circuits.

The problem we encountered was provisioning the appropriate high-speed circuits between the company’s new office location and its colocation facility. In spite of the fact that the new location is an office building more than twenty years old, it was never provisioned with anything other than copper circuits.

We researched and located multiple carriers who offered the necessary bandwidth at attractive rates.

The problem?

Right of Entry.

It seems the building owner was reluctant to provide authorization to any new carriers to install the necessary fiber circuits. Five months into the negotiations between the carrier and the building owner, it now looks like a deal is imminent.

Why is it taking so long? I’m sure some of it is on the carrier’s end, but it appears that far more of it can be attributed to the building owner.

The Lesson Learned

Data communications availability is every bit as important as the included allowances for electricity and air conditioning. In spite of the seeming ubiquitous nature of cable and fiber, not every building has been provisioned or “on net,” as the various providers call it.

Knowing the vendors already in the building and the types of services they have provisioned goes a long way towards avoiding considerable pain later. Particularly since this information allows right of access to be negotiated with building management and the building owner along with the underlying office space.

Consider all aspects of a move while in the planning process to avoid being left disconnected.

What are some of your war stories from office relocation?