Tech Trap No.10: Taking Technology for Granted

Editor’s Note: Following is the last of our ten part series called “Technology Traps and Mishaps,” by Fred Ode, CEO, chairman and founder of Foundation Software. To read part nine, click here.

As a teenager, my parents used to tell me if I was going to be out late I would need to call home. “Make sure you have a dime for the payphone,” my mother would remind me.

Of course, this was long before the introduction of wireless cell phone technology, and our only means of communicating across distances was through clunky landlines (with rotary dials). And if I did forget to call, my parents would question, “What, you couldn’t find a pay phone?”

Today, cell phones are ubiquitous. They have crept into our lives and changed the way we communicate. And because we have the ability to call others at all hours of the day or night, we expect people to be available at all hours of the day or night. So now, when my teenagers leave the house, they are expected to call or answer our calls. If not, we ask, “What, you didn’t have your cell phone?”

When we become comfortable with our technology products, when they become so ingrained in our daily lives that we no longer think about them, that’s a good thing, right?  Not always. In fact, when the technology products we are using become like an old habit, it is usually a sign that we are underutilizing all that the technology has to offer, or we are blissfully ignorant to new technologies available.

Evaluating Technology Is an Ongoing Job

Chances are, like the entrenched popularity of cell phones, your current technology product is also a favorite among many of your competitors. So what’s to set you apart from them? Successful, innovative companies are those that constantly look for new ways to use technologies to accelerate their efficiencies. Instead of settling for “how we’ve always done it,” they ask, “How can we use our existing technology to improve operations and profits?”

With the constant evaluation of existing technologies, product problems and shortcomings are often identified. It sometimes becomes obvious to users that their beloved, comfortable technology is actually outdated and obsolete. When that happens, change is necessary and the cycle begins again: plan, implement, evaluate…plan, implement, evaluate, ad infinitum.

Technology is Only Part of the Equation

Much like how your car needs its 3,000 to 5,000 mile oil change, it’s important to regularly evaluate your technology processes, people and products to determine if everything is running smoothly. A new technology product that was getting the job done back when it was implemented could mean nothing now. You may discover that one estimator has abandoned the new estimating software for his old manual spreadsheets.  Or you may find that the payroll clerk is doing certified payroll by hand, even though your accounting software is fully capable of automating this function. Or you may discover that your haphazard approach to technology has resulted in a hodge-podge of products, duplication of efforts and inefficient processes.

Businesses are always in a state of flux, and nothing moves faster than technology. As your company evolves, as laws and markets shift, and as your talent and resources change, technology certainly cannot remain stagnant. Regular technology tune-ups will help you identify trouble spots and prevent you from taking technology for granted.

Look at the Processes, Not Just Technology

Too many business owners look at technology as the magic bullet, and a long-term one at that. But just as a new convection oven will not transform a lousy cook into a master chef, new technology products alone will not solve problems or create efficiencies.

“Garbage In, Garbage Out” is an aphorism coined back in the early days of computer programming that many people still don’t get. It refers to the fact that if incorrect data is input into computers the output will be, of course, incorrect data. The most sophisticated and robust job cost accounting system, for example, is incapable of producing accurate reports unless accurate job cost data is input-and that takes the right people and the right processes.

More recently, another term is being used, “Garbage In, Gospel Out” to describe the tendency of people to accept the output from computer systems as the gospel truth. Of course, we all know that people make mistakes and processes are sometimes imperfect.  In addition, we cannot put unquestioning faith into technology with no regard for analysis or interpretation. Failing to understand how the technology works or what we expect to achieve means that we are taking technology for granted-at our own peril.

As comfortable as we become with technologies that make our lives easier and our jobs more efficient, it’s important to always stay vigilant and open to new opportunities. If we remember how far technology has come and how it continues to change the world of construction, we can resist taking technology for granted-and allowing our competitors to pass us by. And if you don’t think that can happen, try finding a pay phone somewhere!

Construction Business owner, April 2007