Thoughts on Strategic Technology Assessments

September 13, 2011
By Lisa Rau

I never cease to be surprised by our technology assessment process. I am most surprised at how much the organizations we work with know exactly what is holding them back IT-wise, and in many cases know clearly what needs to be done.

We are the catalyst to get it all out, organized and presented back in terms of a specific plan of action. Moving forward seems to be much easier with a consultant – perhaps in part because it is difficult to bridge that gap between the conceptual knowledge of what to do and the pragmatic, “who does what, when” next step.

There is also a lack of confidence when it comes to technology. Our clients suspect they may not be fully aware of all their technology options, and want an expert to help ensure they are making the right decisions.  This causes me to be surprised as well – by how much we know from having been doing this for so long – and how valuable that expertise is.

I am surprised by how open staff are in our group interviews – telling us all kinds of things!  One individual called it “technology therapy sessions.” I find it fascinating the way the entire culture of an organization and the primary areas of potential improvement emerge and take clear shape as we hear from everyone and review how business is done.   We see the same issues over and over again. As Confluence President Jeff Sullivan said, “each individual problem an organization has, we have seen before – it is the specific combination of problems that is unique.”  Typical issues include the messy shared server drive – files and folders accumulating over years, email overload, data systems that tend towards entropy, issues with IT support and management, remote access or a new strategic software system that needs to be selected. More often than not, the solutions change but the problems remain the same.

Too often we see organizations receive technology assessments that focus on the infrastructure. These days, the real opportunities to leverage technology to improve mission and achieve efficiencies in operation are not about the hardware and network, but about information systems, roles and responsibilities, and staff technology capacity building as examples.  When you think about a strategic technology assessment for your organization, think big – and be surprised.