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Tech Trap No. 9 — Thinking a Project is 100 Percent Complete
Editor’s Note: Following is the ninth of our ten part series called “Technology Traps
and Mishaps,” by Fred Ode, CEO, chairman and founder of Foundation Software.
A great philosopher, comedian
and actress Lily
Tomlin once said, “The
road to success is always
under construction.”
Okay, you may not want to take
advice from the woman who brought
us “one ringy dingy, two ringy dingy,”
but if you think about it, these wise
words (in the first quote) can apply to
just about every aspect of your life.
In fact, regarding new technology, I
would say Lily is 100 percent correct.
Thinking a project is 100 percent
complete is one of the most common
pitfalls that owners and managers
succumb to after investing in new
technology. In my fifth tech trap
topic, “Enough Time and Resources
Have Been Allocated,” I talked about
how easy it is to underestimate all that
needs to be done when implementing
new technology—the weeks and
months following a new technology
investment is the critical period for
getting your new technology product
up and running efficiently.
Now, let’s assume you’ve had that
new technology product for a year
or two. You’ve long finished hardware
configuration, data conversion,
implementation and initial training.
And users of your system say they are
working much more efficiently today
than ever before. Are you finished?
Not exactly, because chances are
good that the technology product
you are using has layer upon layer
of feature-rich applications. And
chances are, you are merely scratching
at the top layer. Research studies
have shown that the typical software/technology user employs only a fraction of a system’s overall capabilities.
Why? Well, it’s not because we
couldn’t benefit from additional time
and money-saving processes. It’s more
likely that we just stopped learning.
Take, for example, a contractor
who has invested in a vertical software
application, such as construction
accounting. Initial training sessions
were devoted solely to getting the
program up and running smoothly.
New users, some of whom had low
levels of computer experience, are
happy to have learned new functions
in AP, AR, payroll and job costing
because they are accomplishing much
more in less time. But now it has come
to the contractor’s attention that
several project managers continue
to export data to spreadsheets even
though these reports come standard
with the system. Or, the contractor
learns that his bookkeeper is manually
calculating indirect and administrative
costs despite the fact that the
software can automatically allocate
overhead costs to jobs. Or worse, these
time-consuming inefficiencies continue
on without anyone discovering
that there is a better way.
Learning Is an Ongoing
Process
The business world and the world of
construction are constantly changing.
The only way to stay ahead and
stay competitive is with continuous
training and education. Contractors
who wish to make the most of their
technology investment will continue
seeking ongoing technology training.
And most technology vendors have
plenty of educational opportunities
available to clients, including online
training, customized consulting,
seminars and user conferences.
To those who think they have
learned all they need to know about
their technological products, feel dissatisfied
with some aspect of their
system or perhaps feel perfectly
content, my advice remains the same:
Call your vendor and ask questions.
Tell the developer what you are doing
now, and ask how you can do it better.
Unless your technology is old and
antiquated, chances are you will discover
deeper levels of functionality
and efficiency.
Technology Is Forever
Changing
More so than any other industry, computer
software and hardware companies
must adapt to changes and innovations
or die trying. That means that
the technology product you purchase
today will not be the same package in
three or four years. Users must keep
themselves educated about updates,
feature enhancements and even
program fixes if they are to make the
most of their investment.
As much as we hate to admit it, no
technology project is ever 100 percent
complete. We must think of successful
technology adaptation as a road
always under construction. In order
to continue gaining the benefits of
improved productivity and efficiency,
we too must continue to dedicate our
time and resources to our technology
solutions. To this, Lily Tomlin’s Edith
Ann character would surely say, “And
that’s the truthhhhh.”
Fred Ode is the CEO/chairman of
Foundation Software, developer of construction
job cost accounting software
called FOUNDATION for Windows. For
further information on FOUNDATION
for Windows, visit www.foundationsoft.com.
Fred Ode can be reached directly
by phone at 800.246.0800 or e-mail
fred@foundationsoft.com.
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