A great tool won’t fix your bad process
It’s amazing how often people think that simply implementing a new tool will solve their problems. If there is something to be solved, a computer can surely do it, right? The trouble with this conclusion is that technology is just a piece of the solution. More often than not, the better approach is to spend time understanding your process by defining what you are trying to achieve and determining how the process fits in with the company’s goals. I suggest fixing the process prior to adopting a new tool instead of trying to fix it with the tool.
The need for a new tool may be the catalyst an organization needs to revisit their processes, but usually most people are focused on implementing the tool, not fixing the processes.
It has been my experience that good processes benefit from new tools while bad processes are made worse. If a company starts with the presumption that whatever they do can be done better, then they will learn from the exercise of selecting the tool. First, map the “as-is” process or remap it if it does not match documentation, then step back and figure out why the process was put in place in the first place (what is the goal of the process?). Brainstorm on how it can be improved by taking out unnecessary touches, automating segments, and even eliminating parts which add little to no value.
Once you understand what you intend to improve with the new tool, you will be able to subjectively analyze the potential candidates. Your questions to the vendors and their references will be more specific and you will be able to create demonstration scripts for the vendors to follow as they present their tool as it would work with your processes. Their ability to make your process more efficient will lead you to the right tool for your company.
Throughout the selection and implementation activities you must fight the urge to customize the tool. If the tool does not do what you want, you have two options; change your process, or change the tool. I usually presume the tool is right. After all, most of the time you won’t be the first to implement the tool, so best practices are probably already baked in. The questions to ask yourself are: “Is our process world class?”, ”Are there others using this tool without customization at a similar company?”, ”Are we holding on to sacred cows?”
More often than not you will find that your company is not the model for the Malcolm Baldrige award. Your processes can always be improved. If others are using the tool without customization, how are they doing it? Are there other areas of your organization that need to be improved first? Be willing to slaughter your sacred cows and don’t incorporate poor decisions made on other processes into your new and improved process. Customization means more time and money and most likely it will yield less return than improving more fundamental issues with your company.
This inevitably will mean a longer analysis and selection process, but it will expedite implementation and in the end, the tool will indeed improve your process because you took the time to improve the process along the way.
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Fri, 30th Jan 2009 7:37 AM
[...] are improving their processes. Technology alone does not solve process issues as I mentioned here, but with a good process, the right technology can mean the difference between modest and [...]
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