Foundation for Success

By Doc Pratt

 For the most part, success in a business does not happen overnight. It takes time, effort and various other elements that work together and that are all positioned on a solid foundation. Webster Dictionary defines a foundation as “that on which anything stands, and by which it is supported; the lowest and supporting layer of a superstructure.”  When you look at a building you don’t see the foundation, but what is holding the building up is a very strong one. Without a strong foundation, the building would never stand.

Many businesses make the mistake of trying to build their success on the wrong foundation. They look at software as being the foundation. Software is as important to success as steel girders are to the building, but it is not the foundation. The software, whether accounting software, contact manager, CRM, or anything else, must be tailored to the business and meet its specific needs. Even with all that, the software is not the true foundation.

So what is the foundation for success? The foundation for success in today’s economy is technology. Well, not just technology, but solid technology that continues to run and does not hamper the business. Have you ever called a business and the person on the other end complained about how slow their computer is, or even said that it is down completely?  Over the past couple of years technology has gone from just being office equipment to being an important tool integrated into the arsenal of weapons that businesses use to be more successful. Technology not only makes a business more competitive but also more efficient and the employees more productive.  The changes in technology occur daily, and any examples of technology mentioned here will be outdated by the time it is read.  Everyone is becoming more easily connected in a wireless world as all of the products become faster, smaller and more efficient. Unfortunately, the exponential changes in technology have outpaced many businesses’ ability to even understand the changes and why they are important. Some CEOs are plodding along in a “business as usual” mode, with their head in the sand when it comes to technology. Jay Conrad Levinson, the author of Guerrilla Marketing, outlined 18 differences between Guerrilla Marketing and Traditional Marketing. Number 16 is that you can’t ignore technology in marketing (or anything else in business): you need to be “techno-cozy;” and if you are “techno-phobic,” you need to see a “techno-shrink” because “techno-phobia” is fatal (to success) these days.  

Almost every business thinks that they have a handle on technology, but that is not necessarily the case. There are three dangerous trends in technology that can have a devastating effect on any business’s ability to be competitive. These trends were a more acceptable practice just a few years ago.

The dangerous trends are: 

1. Trying to save money by using old out-dated hardware. Last year, Intel ranked this as the #1 technological threat to businesses today. The outcome can be excessive downtime, limited upgrades, and substantial security threats. A desktop computer in business should not be used for more than three years, a notebook no more than two years and a server no more than five years. Those are maximum numbers. In order to take advantage of changes in technology, you need to upgrade sooner.
    

2. Relying on ineffective tech support for your computers and network. “Ineffective” can be an employee who has too many other responsibilities, a support firm with too many clients, or just incompetent technicians. The outcome can be unnecessary and excessive downtime waiting to get problems fixed or for someone to show up. Keeping up with technology is a full-time job. More and more tech support people are seeing their skill set challenged by newer technology, sometimes with disastrous results.
    

3. Not having access to knowledgeable and professional technical consulting. It is virtually impossible for anyone to be a network consultant today if they are not full-time in that portion of the industry. The outcome can be making bad decisions or not making any decisions at all. Just as the medical profession has specialists, technology has specialists also. Anyone who is a jack-of-all-trades truly is a master of none and businesses need to make strategic decisions based on the opinions of someone who has mastered that particular area of technology. Making the wrong decision, as well as making no decision, can cause a business to be crippled and fall behind its competition.

All three of the trends were once more acceptable but so was having the “shade tree mechanic” work on your car.  The exponential changes in technology have altered the competitive landscape, and the formula for success as a business has been re-written. On an individual basis I believe that the foundation for success is ATTITUDE, everything else can be acquired. On a business level, TECHNOLOGY is the foundation for success. Even if you have the best employees and the best software, a slow and unreliable network will cause your employees to be less productive and your business to be less efficient. As long as all of your competitors stay the same, you have a level playing field. With mergers, acquisitions and start-ups, there inevitably will be a competitor who jumps ahead with stronger technology and then the level playing field is gone.

The next time you are on the phone with someone and they complain about how slow their computer is and you have to wait; just think about how strong your foundation for success is. What kind of impact does your technology have on the way you serve your customers?  If you asked your customers, what would they say?  How does technology affect your employees, and is it helping them be more productive? Would your employees agree with you?

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