Helping businesses make better technology decisions

The Problem

Business people often make inappropriate technology decisions because they don’t understand the capabilities and limitations of a technology, or because they don’t foresee the impact that a technology will have on its users. Often the few people who fully understand the technology are not very good at communicating it to others.

The reverse is true as well. Technology professionals often make poor business decisions on IT projects because they don’t fully understand the current and future business circumstances.

Technology misunderstanding is particularly harmful during certain key phases of a technology life cycle, when old systems are being considered for replacement, or when a business is looking at new technologies and systems. There is also significant risk during mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, when technologies and systems have to be blended together or split apart.

Most technology consulting companies try to make decisions for you instead of explaining things so that you can make an informed decision yourself, taking into account your own particular business situation. No specialized help has been available to demystify the issues surrounding the major technology decision points, and the choices available at each decision point.

The Solution

I address this need by providing advice, clarification, and facilitated communication among technical and non-technical people. Working together with a company's executives and its IT staff, I add a new perspective to IT decisions by ensuring that all aspects of a decision -- technical and business, strategic and operational -- are discussed and considered appropriately.

Here are just a few of the ways in which I can add value:

• Holding workshops to improve communications between IT people and business people
  
  
• Refocusing an IT organization to provide greater business value
  
  
• Preventing technology surprises in merger & acquisition due diligence (e.g., a system won’t handle planned business growth, or two systems won’t integrate)
  
  
• Getting a "runaway project" under control (i.e., a project that continues to grow and eat up resources with no apparent end in sight)
  
  
• Clarifying the distinctions between a company's successful and unsuccessful IT projects, so that the organization can increase its rate of project success in the future
  
  
• Determining the best ways to communicate a new technology to potential investors
  
  
• Improving IT productivity and morale by rallying the IT organization around objectives that support overall business goals
  
  
• Arbitrating a technology-related dispute, within or between organizations (e.g., a disagreement over a technology choice, or a dispute with a technology vendor over whether or not the vendor performed adequately)

Why it works

The key to my success is a combination of listening, business experience, technology knowledge, common sense, trust, and patience. Most technology misunderstandings are the result of people thinking they have communicated when they really haven’t. This miscommunication is bad enough in ordinary business, but the confusion of technology terminology makes it much worse. I am totally dedicated to improving communication and making IT more successful.

Next Steps for You

If you would like me to help you make better technology decisions, or if you just want to discuss your situation, please contact me.