Following a technology-agnostic approach means that as a business, you are unbiased towards the use of any specific technologies to solve your business problems.
Being technology-agnostic supports the notion that there is no ‘one size fits all’ for a particular problem. There are many ways to skin the cat (so to speak).
It may sound strange for a company deeply engaged in the technical side of business to advocate for taking a non-technological approach to solving a problem. But sometimes, that’s precisely the right thing to do. It is easy to get swept up in the multitude of fantastic tools that have been developed to make modern businesses run smoothly. With access to more and more data, it’s inevitable that a horde of technology companies will race to build flashy tools, all vying for your attention. It’s tempting to mold business processes to fit into whatever tool the organization decided to buy and implement. This can be a big mistake.
Ultimately, technology is a tool. Just like you wouldn’t use a hammer to drive screws or a screwdriver to hammer in nails, you need the right tool for the job. In technology, it’s often more nuanced than hammers and screwdrivers. It’s in that minutia that there are opportunities to improve your business processes.
When asked to describe the process they follow to get work done, many employees will reference the software they use. They may not truly understand the process they follow at all. On its own, that isn’t particularly troubling; employees don’t always need to be aware of the big picture. However, when our task is to look at the big picture, it’s important to disassociate the business process from the technology platform currently supporting it.
Here are three key reasons to separate process from technology – at least temporarily.
- Hidden Inefficiencies
Many times, decision makers tweak business processes to fit the software that drives them. Often obsolete we maintain business practices to keep the system running. When you can look at each step of the process through the technology-agnostic lens of what the business needs rather than forcing things to fit your tool, you can identify potential improvements to the process.
- Innovation
When you want to shake things up and look for new solutions and marketplaces, it’s important to dive deeper into the business reasoning behind the process without the constraints of what’s possible with your current tool. In doing so, you are free to imagine all of the possibilities without wondering how the tool can accomplish it.
- Opportunity
When you free yourself from the bonds of “we’ve always done it that way,” exciting new opportunities present themselves. Maybe you’ll discover a unique product opportunity or a new market that you can serve.
What does that mean for me?
Ultimately, you will almost certainly end up wanting to partner this refashioned business process with technology. By spending time looking at the raw purpose of the process you may discover that there is a better tool for the job. Maybe you discover an opportunity to create a new tool altogether. You won’t find many people arguing for removing technology from the workplace entirely. Removing the mental blockade of viewing processes through technology, and instead, viewing technologies that fit your processes is a very valuable exercise.
“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.” – Bill Gates
At Advisicon, we’re in the technology-agnostic camp. Essentially, this approach is what allows us to choose the best technology for the job. In every project, we use the technology that best fits the client. We are problem solvers, never limiting ourselves to just one tool to solve the complex problems we encounter every day.
If you’re ready to start working with a company that uses the right tool for the job, get in touch.
