Managing Technology in an Organization

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:33:12 +0000

Today integrating technology is the buzzword, business leaders across the world can’t stop discussing about how technology will transform our present business environment. How tech savvy companies will extinct the rudimentary one. Learning from late nineties dotcom bust, we know technology is no one pill panacea for business problems but a tool which make our management efficient and effective. Technology enables us to have more information to take our decisions but it can’t take our decision. The decisions still has to be taken by humans behind it.

Management faces some real time difficulties in managing technology – the foremost among them is – when is the right time to invest in technology. Most business fear to invest at present stage as they believe that technology is changing so fast that investment made today will become rudimentary in the near future and the investments might not able to realize the total cost incurred in it.

Secondly when and how to move to the next stage – Apart from going ahead with investing in technology for the first time, the company has to chart out a detailed plan on how it will phase out the present technological level to move to next level. Gradual transformation over the period of time holds the key in managing technology both on the shop floor and on the balance sheet.

Technology is not only changing paradigm of how to do business but it also taking it to the next level where most industry player will not only look at technology just to cut costs but also to drive innovations and efficiencies.

By: Andy Mann

New Technologies Change Things

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:11:30 +0000

New technology and software solutions, especially large-scale solutions, generally mean changes to operations, business processes, employee learning, reporting, and even how a business engages its client-base.

If your organization is faced with significant change, you might want to consider undertaking a change facilitation process to help ensure that everyone affected can play a role in making change happen effectively and efficiently.

Effective change facilitation requires optimal involvement of users, especially regarding how their particular roles and responsibilities will be affected by a new application or business process. Our facilitation of change begins with ensuring the right people are at the table reviewing business requirements and working together to determine appropriate user Interfaces, reporting requirements, help screen requirements, and learning needs.

We believe as well that line users require appropriate involvement in adjusting business processes, where required, to best utilize the new system.

Executive leadership is paramount Employees look to executive management for leadership and inspiration when faced with major change in the business environment. While the CEO and other key management staff do not necessarily have to be leading the facilitated change process, they should be clear with their employees and other stakeholders about the objectives and intended benefits of the changes. The role of executive leadership should include articulating the vision, leading group meetings at key milestones, ensuring that ongoing communication channels are in place, and providing clear guidance to those who carry responsibilities for the design of change.

Identify concerns and aspirations up front When we engage a client in this work, we stress the importance of working with all stakeholders up front to identify the worries, concerns, resistances, as well as aspirations they have with respect to the many changes coming at them. Such an analysis helps to create an appropriate change strategy.

The stages of a change project A change project occurs over stages, from the identification of business needs all the way through project implementation. For those affected by the change, they need to be “helped” along the change path, first by increasing their awareness of the need to change, which is typically best accomplished by involving them appropriately in the initial stages of the project or initiative.

This involvement builds their desire to find solutions to their needs and challenges. As the project moves through its conceptual stage, their knowledge grows in terms of needs and solutions. They begin learning about what new abilities they will have, which require regular reinforcement well past implementation. An appropriate change process will address these stages effectively and in a timely manner.

The change team Given that the software applications are often implemented in concert with business model changes, we recommend striking a change team that involves key vendors/suppliers and relevant representation from the organization’s staff. This central team is responsible for working with all affected employees and often key customers in order to ensure optimal issues management and to solicit important feedback throughout the project.

For large-scale initiatives, it can be helpful to contract with an external consultant to coordinate, if not lead change management activities.

Communication is key Part and parcel of a stellar change process is regular, informative, and clear communication throughout all phases of the initiative. If a technology initiative is affecting many employees in various locations, it might be prudent to create a website exclusively devoted to the project, where staff and other stakeholders can go to glean the latest news about progress, provide input as required, download pertinent materials as they are developed, and communicate with one another in functional groupings.

By: Mark Holmgren

Technology Innovation » Business Environment

Managing Technology in an Organization

New Technologies Change Things