5 Surefire Ways to Bring Your Business Objectives Full Circle with Technology

All small to mid-sized company owners want to know where their dollar is being spent when it comes to computer technology in their organization. The challenge is for them to get the information they need to make the right purchasing decisions. 'Tell me in English why you think we need this technology in our company?' That question goes through every company owner's mind and mouth. Getting the answer that makes sense to them is another story. How can the people in charge of your company understand what the value is of specific technology if their computer support people cannot articulate why it is so important?

This guide will assist every company owner in understanding how to communicate with your technical consultant so technical recommendations are applied, understood and the full potential of technology is realized throughout the company. After all, your technical consultant wants you to appreciate what they do. And you will not be able to appreciate it until you understand how it effectively applies to you.

Company Objectives- Understanding your company objectives is not a one way street. This information cannot be kept with upper management. Share it with your technical consultant. "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Big picture- Your technical consultant must understand how the company functions as a whole. They must understand the duties of the different departments. How else will the company be able to apply technology to the business's everyday processes if those processes are never articulated?

Changing with the times- Just because a technical consultant has worked in an environment for 'a couple years' does not automatically mean they are aware of changes to the intricacies of the company's business functions. Just like technology, business strategies change. It's important to consistently keep them in the know when these changes occur at the business level.

A picture is worth a thousand words- Tell you're technical consultant to chart out why they recommend a specific technology. Managers love colors and charts. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

Define; Measure; Analyze; Improve; Control. As long as every project is measurably articulated in the following order, upper management will have no issues understanding what is being recommended and how to proceed in the future. None of the steps above should be skipped. This is very important. The clearer the projects are defined quantitatively, the easier it will be to control processes going forward.

Anthony Licate is the President of Spidernet Technical Consulting, LLC (http://www.spidernetconsulting.com). The company provides technical computer network, ecommerce and wireless enterprise data services in and around the Philadelphia area. He has worked with multiple types of businesses to strategize, re-align and implement technology. He can be reached at aj@spidernetconsulting.com or by phone at 215.508.1036.

---

Service Level Agreement (SLA) Boot Camp

Service Level Agreements, or "SLA's" are tricky but useful mechanisms... Read More

Executive Performance -- Whos to Blame for Incompetent Managers?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal raised the... Read More

Dont Get Caught With Your PR Down

Why risk the embarassment when with a little basic PR... Read More

Bosses Are Out ? Managers As Coaches Are In

There is a new trend taking hold in business today... Read More

What We Have Here Is A Failure To Communicate

Today's successful organizations are the ones which carry on open... Read More

Invoice Factoring for Goverment Vendors

Assignment of Claims Act of 1986"....What does this mean for... Read More

Getting Information From Prospects

You're at a networking function and you've made that all-important... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Ideas for Everyday Training

This article relates to the Training competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More

Does My Bum Look Big in This?

If a good manager asks his workforce for their opinion... Read More

The Paradox of Job Enrichment

Ellen was a clerk working for a large insurance company.... Read More

Eight Key Steps to Building B2B Major Account Client Alliances

Audiences who saw the fabled Broadway musical, Chorus Line, marveled... Read More

Think Before You Talk

What you say to other people can make or break... Read More

The Dog That Didnt Bark

A few weeks ago, after consultations with others in an... Read More

Travel the World - for Free!

I have been very fortunate to travel to several countries... Read More

Making a Decision to Outsource: Driving Factors

Most executives view offshore outsourcing most of all as a... Read More

A Facilitators Guide to Running a Stakeholder Analysis Workshop

This facilitator's guide to running a stakeholder analysis workshop is... Read More

Give Yourself a Boss Day Gift, Part 2: Are You the Position or the Person?

Are you the position or the person?Bosses can lose their... Read More

Innovation Management: The Time Factor

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Innovation Management ? what are the practical impediments?

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Spirits in the Corporate Boardroom.......Oh, sure......

There is a growing movement in the spiritual... Read More

Plans & Goal Setting - Kicking winning Goals

Kicking Winning Business Goals The competition for business... Read More

Build Your Business (On A Shoestring): Hire a College Intern

Starting up a new venture or business can be one... Read More

Selecting A Collection Agency

If you run a business, you are sure to have... Read More

Lets Make Training More Interesting!

Many HR managers believe that by sending their workers to... Read More

The Seven Cs: Partnership Danger Signs - Conflict Becoming the Norm ? Part 1

A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that... Read More

Setting Clearer Performance Expectations

The annual performance review.Stating this phrase guarantees some reaction for... Read More

Keeping and Motivating the Best Employees

Keeping and Motivating the Best Employees ... Read More

How Bad Communication Can Hold You Back and How to Break Free of It

The reason jobs are often not done right and employees... Read More

A Leadership Screw Driver: The 90 Day Improvement Plan

I was talking with first-line supervisors in a utility company... Read More

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Training is in the Eye of the Beholder

This article relates to the Training competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More

A Journey of a Thousand Miles

You can't build a reputation on what you are "going"... Read More

Time Management and Team Development - The Yes and No of It

Sometimes.In fact making some small changes to the circumstances when... Read More

Getting the Most from Appraisals

Does your organisation have one of those annual 'occasions' that... Read More