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Some organizations undertake technical projects without really planning to address the more fundamental issues of process, resourcing, and staffing. Technology-based projects need to be viewed holistically as human-technology systems, where evolution and adaption in one area precipitates change in the other as well. Investing heavily in new technologies without also revisiting and revising the processes and human components can result in dysfunction and entirely new inefficiencies.

Even though business process review and change usually makes its way into these project (explicitly or implicitly) out of necessity, it is common for organizations to resist the resourcing and staffing adjustments required to support a new system. New technology requires new skills, training, and in some cases new hires — all of which translate into additional costs. It is important to remember that these investments will reap long lasting savings and save innumerable headaches. Technology poorly implemented, executed, and supported can be horrendously counter-productive.

When there is training and/or hiring involved, there are likely to be questions about how to retrain and repurpose existing staff. In many cases, reporting structures and hierarchies need to be re-examined and reworked as well. These are difficult and politically charged questions that have very tangible impacts on staff, but if they are not addressed, the long term success of the project will be jeopardized. If everyone in an organization goes into a technical project realizing that such changes may be necessary, it can minimize the drama that this type of change can cause. Planning and preparation is the key (as always).

Keeping these things in mind can make your projects less painful and more successful. In the long run, your organization will be much better offer going into technical project with both eyes wide open, fully prepared for all that the work will entail.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 5th, 2008 at 9:40 am and is filed under Business Strategy and Process. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.