We are approaching the end of another year, the perfect time for a technology assesment. Yes, it has flown by, and now we are in the 4th quarter of every year, when we should be looking ahead to the year ahead. That makes this a great time for review and planning. However, we are starting into a new wave, and it is more important than in recent years to assess where you are and where you should plan to go.
We call that plan a technology roadmap. Every business should have one. Even more, that roadmap needs an annual review at least. Technology and the related solutions move too fast not to. However, this does not need to be a scary or even an expensive process. You need to spend some time reviewing where you are, what is causing the biggest headaches, and where your business is aiming in the year ahead. You might notice that none of those steps require any knowledge of technology. Therein lies the greatest value of a technology assessment, a review of how your business operates.
Business Over Technology
Too many businesses and technology advocates push a solution or “the latest hot tech” rather than starting with your business processes. A technology assessment views those processes through a specific lens. However, the strengths and weaknesses of those processes should be the focus (or the “why”) of any assessment. That is where even a technology-focused assessment can provide value before getting to the assessment recommendations.
Most, if not all, of us benefit from talking through problems and challenges. That is why counseling is such a beneficial activity. We might pay a counselor for exactly that service, or we gain counseling by sharing our time with friends, family, and confidantes. A proper technology assessment provides that opportunity to talk through our daily and weekly routines in a way that helps us identify more details. Our focus allows us to identify and document some of those “muscle memory” tasks that we otherwise overlook.
A Technology Assessment That Serves Your Needs
Once we have those steps outlined on paper, we can use them as a guide for leveraging the latest technology advances, upgrading our systems, and adapting to changes from previous years. Thus, the assessment is not pushing the latest offering from a vendor, nor the hottest new thing. Instead, the assessment should be technology agnostic and business needs-focused. The recommendation and plans should conform to your specific needs and situation rather than vice versa. That is a common mistake I see in small and mid-sized businesses. They followed recommendations over the years, but the recommendations were not based on what is best for the business. The recommendations were driven by a narrow view of the world limited by experience, vendor agreements, and the needs of those making the recommendation.
This mindset has led us to create a short (roughly a week of elapsed time) and tightly defined assessment that can provide you with the first steps for your technology roadmap. We wanted something that we could offer that has no strings attached and allows you the freedom to make decisions based on an unbiased assessment. We can assist you with the nextsteps, or you can proceed with the roadmap on your own. If any of this has moved you to consider an assessment, then reach out to us for a call or check out our offer at https://rb-sns.com/product.php.
