Author: Rob Broadhead

  • How do you currently solve your business problem?

    How do you currently solve your business problem?

    We must start with our current approach as we continue to delve into a process to solve our business problems better. Thus, we must ask our next question: How do you currently solve your business problem? We started with a definition, but now we assume that there is some current solution. For example, we want fast fulfillment of our products. We are currently fulfilling orders, even if not in the best way, and that is our starting point.

    The Goal of Answering: How do you currently solve your business problem?

    It is not uncommon for us to look at a question like this and think it is either redundant or unnecessary. We know the current approach is not what we want, so why should we spend time on it? The answer is that we often find missing details for our problem definition. You have experienced it if you have tried describing a process to someone and had an “oh yes, I forgot about that detail” moment. We can gloss over important details when we describe a process. That is where a good interviewer will help you nail down specific requirements. They can help break down assumptions and find constraints that have been forgotten or hidden.

    Addressing “We Always Did It That Way”

    There is a story about a congregation that always stood up and faced a blank wall when they said the opening prayer. This was a scene that appeared to have some ritual meaning. Eventually, the new pastor asked why they did so. He felt it was something he was missing that would help him better understand his congregation. It took a while to track down the deeper meaning behind this “ritual.” It turns out they used to have the words of the prayer on the wall. When they got to that part of the service, everyone would read from it. However, the words faded over the years, yet the habit was so strong that it stuck with the congregation. New members just joined the crowd when they stood and turned.

    There are business practices like this. Sometimes they have critical requirements as part of them, and sometimes the original requirements faded long ago. A typical business example is a need to generate a report that no one uses anymore. Another example is a process step required for a no longer-used vendor. These can lead to firm requirements until we dig into the “why.” Then, that digging can show us it is not a requirement.

    Documenting The Process

    The ultimate goal of answering “How do you currently solve your business problem?” is to ensure we have all the steps required to solve the problem and understand each. In addition, we must have the process repeatable before we can automate and tune it. Thus, we need to know the inputs and outputs for each step along the way. That helps us ensure our proposed new solution can match the “correctness” of the current solution. However, we might also improve the quality of some steps by simplifying and reducing opportunities for errors.

    A typical example of this sort of improvement is a shipping/billing address. Many systems have a couple of places where an address is entered into the system, and each entry point is an opportunity for a mistake. There are legitimate reasons to enter the same information again, but those are also areas where systems are improving. Vendors that require a manual entry in a portal now may accept orders via email or other digital delivery mechanisms that your systems can utilize. That can speed up your process and reduce potential mistakes. However, it is not an option unless we know that the “entry via portal” step is not required and the digital option serves the same need.

    Signing Off On This Question

    You want to be sure you have an answer to this question before moving forward. Fortunately, the testing of whether you have one is straightforward. Once you think you have this answer, you will have a series of detailed steps that currently address the problem. Those are the current solution and can be verified by walking through each step with an example piece of data. The results should be exactly what you expect. For example, say that the problem is going from order to fulfillment, invoicing, and payment. Create a test order, walk through each step of your process, and ensure you can go through to the end without error. That may seem tedious or a waste of time. However, it will save a lot of potential issues down the road that will cost time and money that you can spend elsewhere.

    Improve Software Success

    We have an e-book that can help you explore all the steps in building software, including a few templates. All we ask is that you share an e-mail address so we can send you a copy. We add you to our monthly newsletter, but you can unsubscribe anytime. Your data is not shared with anyone else. Learn more about our book here.

  • How Do I Find An IT Solution?

    How Do I Find An IT Solution?

    This post starts a series to walk one through the questions we must answer in finding solutions for business problems. We will focus on IT solutions because so many challenges are best solved through automation. That is where software applications shine. However, there will be situations where your best solution is not found in IT. You will find a path to those other solutions when you answer the questions we explore.

    Start Here

    You can spend a lot of money on software consultants and solution providers. They may or may not guide you to the best solution. Therefore, this free list of questions may be the best investment of your time. It would be best to answer these questions, or at least be aware of them, as you research what works best for you.

    Before continuing, note that the best solution requires investing time and money. A good consultant or provider can guide you, but they must learn how your business works. This is not a summary or overview but will be in-depth. Think of it as building a house. You do not simply say, “I want a house with X bedrooms and Y baths,” there is far more detail you provide. A good business solution is no less complicated. The details will help you find an IT solution that fits you like a custom-tailored suit.

    My Checklist of Questions

    Let’s start with those questions we need to ask. We will explore them in more depth in this and upcoming posts.

    What Is The Problem You Want To Solve?

    This question appears evident at first glance. However, it is often skipped over or not provided the thought it deserves. The challenge in answering this question is to solve a problem and not one of the symptoms. Think of a doctor that treats a fever instead of curing a disease. Unfortunately, that is often what we do in business, particularly in software. An excellent way to approach this is to return to your childhood and ask “why” until you reach the root desire. It is incredible how often this provides not only a better solution but also a far simpler implementation.

    An Example Problem To Solve

    I think an example works best for this aspect. We can start with a customer that wants to be able to copy data from one application to another. The goal is to open application A, do a sort of screen print of data and then be able to paste the data into application B. Awesome, now ask why. They want to paste because they have orders entered into one system and then need to put that data into a fulfillment system. This situation is not uncommon. Multiple systems and data need to flow from one to another.

    Rethink Your Process

    We have a few jumping-off points. However, we will focus on the back end. What happens with the fulfillment system? Why enter data in that? The answer is that the order is printed out and handed to the warehouse for pick and shipping. The shipping information is printed and sent to someone to enter into the fulfillment application. Then, they repeat the process with application A. Then, an order is marked fulfilled, and data is entered into system A to show it was shipped. We can see where there are duplicate entry points and the opportunity for data entry errors. Fortunately, it is not uncommon for us to see a system’s flaws when we walk through it step-by-step. While some organizations require printed forms and data, that is becoming rare. Instead, the case is often that “we always did it that way,” and the challenge is changing rather than a business need. However, you can find an IT solution with less cost than you think.

    Find The Right Perspective

    The example also provides an error in perspective. Too often, we focus on a single problem or pain point and fail to step back and analyze how we got there. In the above case, the problem is not getting data from system A to system B. Instead, it is getting data from a customer through shipping, invoicing, and fulfillment. Software projects can struggle due to a change in scope or focus. The original problem is shown to be insufficient once the project starts. That can lead to many challenges we can avoid by starting with a better handle on our final goal. Instead, we find an IT solution before knowing how to solve the problem correctly.

    The First Question To Answer

    Any successful journey has a starting point and a destination. Every project is the same way. We will improve our chances for success substantially by assessing where we are and where we want to go. Therefore, you must first answer, “What is the problem you want to solve?” There is no need to find an IT solution until you have that answer. While there are consultants that can help you refine your answer or answers, you will be hard-pressed to find the best resources or approach until you have a solid solution to start with. We are available to help you in your journey. However, you can often do yourself a huge favor by asking yourself, “why?” a few more times before you search for someone to solve your problem.

    Improve Software Success

    We have an e-book that can help you explore all the steps in building software, including a few templates. All we ask is that you share an e-mail address so we can send you a copy. We will also add you to our monthly newsletter, but you can unsubscribe anytime. Your data is not shared with anyone else. Learn more about our book here.

  • Contingency Planning And Disaster Recovery

    Contingency Planning And Disaster Recovery

    There is nothing like a crisis to help us focus on important things like planning. Topics like disaster recovery suddenly become much more interesting. The Coronavirus is all over the news, and this has caused a wide range of reactions. Some of these have included things like cancellations and workers staying home. Unfortunately, all of these can cause your business to be disrupted or even ground to a halt. Granted, this is not an earthquake, flood, or other events that bring down the infrastructure we rely on. However, it is an example of why we need to plan for business continuity and disasters.

    The first step in levels of preparedness is converting staff to remote work. This situation can crop up multiple times a year and without much warning. Some examples are heavy snow or similar weather, hurricanes/tornadoes, and even terror/crime events that cause a lockdown of a building or area.
     

    Common Concerns For Disaster Recovery

    There are many things we take for granted when considering a continuity plan. Thus, those functions are easy to overlook. Here are some typical business functions to consider to help you build out that list of concerns.

    • Communication – Phone and other forms like email. MS Teams or Slack may be the cure for a lot of this.
    • Non-digital communication – Printing and mail. This area can include essential things like invoices and payroll.
    • Customer interaction – Your customers may not be impacted and still need to contact you. Do you have alternate options for face-to-face communication?
    • Line of command – This concern is more about handling outages and errors. When people are not in an office, will you still be able to address and escalate issues adequately?
    • Meetings – We may enjoy skipping these. However, some meetings are critical and must be maintained even in bad times (maybe more so).
    • Online Access – Businesses are doing more to secure their environments. Do you have a plan that allows people to VPN into your network or access resources when not in the office?
    • Grapevine – Do you have a plan for pushing communication out to everyone? This can be internal and external communication. For example, letting staff know the office is closed or canceling public events.
    • Digital Access – Although similar to online access, do your employees have access to the proper version of the files they need? Do your processes include a bias towards saving daily work and placing it where it can be accessed anywhere?
    • Backups and DR – Does your plan include a way for employees to back up and store data when not in the office? Your disaster recovery processes may be oriented towards office staff and network staff.


    Getting Started

    When you look at the above list, there might be some items that cause you discomfort. Your reaction may be to address that right away. The thing about DR and continuity planning is that we do have non-essential items in our daily business. One can ignore these items for planning purposes.

    A good example is payroll processing. When you use an outside vendor, this probably becomes something you push on that vendor. Make sure they have a good plan and that will cover you.

    The Cloud has helped with many of these areas. These challenges disappear as organizations move to MS Azure or Amazon AWS and use more SAAS (software as a service) options. Ok, not completely away. However, you will have a vendor that will provide you with most of what you need for your continuity or DR needs. That is just another value outsourcing can bring.


    Learning More

    There is a wealth of DR information on the web. You can start with a search for “disaster recovery planning” to see a long list of vendors and guides on this subject. I recommend starting with an overview such as this one. You can find examples with excellent backgrounds at places like the Gartner Group, Harvard Business Review, and Forrester. While you can hire consultants to help with your specific plans, I find it much better to go into this process with your eyes open. Of course, you can always send an email to rob@54.197.223.3 if you have questions.