I am a technology fanatic; I am that guy who loves to see the newest release of hardware or software of something, and I used to be the one to always want to implement the new technology just to see it work as advertised. However, after many years of experience of rolling out technology onto a project, there is one definite thing that I have learned:
“Technology is a wonderful thing, until you have to implement it on a project.”
Not only have I experienced this, but I have heard this from so many people who have had the responsibility of implementing or working with technology based on the purchasing decisions of people who will neither work with the product, or do not have an understanding of the work process of how the product will be used.
The one thing we have to keep in mind regarding technology is that it is a tool, and the tool alone cannot resolve all of our issues. Tools are enablers to a work process, and a good understanding of the work process will enable individuals to make informed decisions in determining the right technology to use on a project. This is not a quick decision process, and the challenge is not to put your organization in a position to make rash decisions, which could impact projects in a negative way.
The spoon and the shovel analogy is a good example of this. The spoon is a wonderful tool to scoop things with, and so is the shovel. Both tools can perform the scooping process; however, the spoon can technically be used to dig a ditch by scooping dirt out, but it will take a lot longer to dig the ditch than using the shovel. The shovel can technically be use to scoop food up with, but the ability to eat with the shovel would be difficult to operate when eating, and could end up being unsafe and wasteful. Just like the spoon and shovel, there are technologies that are fit for purpose; however, some organizations will force the use of the technology where it does not fit due to the lack of understanding the technology and work process. As a result, the technology has the opposite effect than what was expected, and in most cases, the technology will be blamed for the results.
Here are some helpful tips when you decide to implement technology into your organization:
1. Start Early
Don’t wait till the project is about to start to implement a technology on a project. There is a high probability and high risk that the technology will impact the project’s productivity and budget in a negative way. Make sure all stake holders on the project understand the technology, and know what to expect from the technology as it pertains to the execution work process.
2. Communicate with People Who Will Be Using the Technology and Who Understand the Work Process
The challenge that decisions makers have in determining what technology to implement is that in most cases they make informed decisions based on their own understanding of the work process and technology, and technology vendor guidance. Communicating and involving in the decision process should include selective project personnel who understand the work process and will be working directly with the technology. By doing this you will not only get buy in from the project team, but it will also give the team a sense of ownership to the process. The result will be less resistance to change, and more commitment to making the technology implementation a success.
3. Do Not Force the Use of a Technology Where It Does Not Fit
The phrase, “Do more with Less”, seems to be used quite often when implementing technology. To maximize the investment of a technology, some organizations will try to use the technology where it does not fit. Careful consideration should be taken when a technology is implemented to make sure that it will not cause more work, or impede productivity to a project. The right tool for the task should take priority in the decision making process.
4. Interoperable vs Proprietary Technology Implementation
There is a plethora of technologies that organizations can choose from to implement, but the challenge for the most informed decision maker is in determining not only what technology to implement, but how well the technology will integrate with other technology solutions on a project. The trend in most organizations is to find technology solutions that integrate with each other and minimize those proprietary technology solutions that do not integrate well. In the past technology vendors tried to keep most technology closed to maintain a strategic position in the market place so the customer would be forced to continue to invest in the vendor’s proprietary solution. Interoperable technology solutions should always be a consideration in determining what technology to implement.
5. Define the Expectations to Achieve When Implementing a Technology and Put in Place the Processes to Measure the Results
Although technology implementation involves a financial and personnel resource investment; putting in place a process that will measure the results of the implementation of the technology is critical in determining if the investment added value to the project. Being able to measure results (e.g. Eliminating or combining tasks, identify time savings, determining cost savings, etc…) will provide the means to determine if the technology delivered what was advertised.
These are just a few general helpful tips that can help decision makers in choosing, and implementing technology on the project. The take away from this is that technology alone cannot solve all the issues, and it never will. It still requires the thoughtful process of knowing the What? How? When? and Why? Organizations that follow this simple process will recognize that it is worth the time and investment to do the job right.
This blog post is by Matthew Craig. Matthew Craig is the Business Development Consultant at Assemble Systems. Matt has over 35 years of experience in the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) sector within the oil and gas and chemical industries. Matt’s primary focus for the past 20 years has been in dimensional technologies (i.e. survey, laser scan, photogrammetry, etc…) that capture as-built conditions of existing facilities.
If you enjoyed this post, please help it spread by emailing it to a friend, or sharing it on Twitter or LinkedIn.
Comments are closed.