Managing technology so that it can work for you - Part 1 – 20/20 technology upgrades
How do you manage your technology? For me, a better question is “How can I make my technology work for me instead of against me?” Over the next few months, I plan on answering this question from a number of vantage points inside an organization.
In my experience, business technology purchases can fall into two traps: the near sighted and the far sighted purchase. Let’s walk through an example of each, and see what a 20/20 upgrade might bring to the table.
Near Sighted
Growth in the company has been good and in order to fill the increase in business, two people are hired. The word comes down that two computers need to be ordered (with all the bells and whistles needed). So, two new computers come in, and the two people are ready to go.
Easy - right? Maybe, and sometimes this is the right thing to do. But, is the easy solution best for the company? Who are your users that need the most horsepower for their work? Can their machines be repurposed, and the fastest computers go to the people who need them most? Does adding two users cause other problems, such as taking up the remaining ports on the network switch? Would this be a good time to do some minor infrastructure upgrading? Are there other maintenance tasks that could be done at the same time as setting up those two computers?
Far Sighted
In looking at server upgrades for the future, two things become clear: 1) more storage will needed due to paperless migration policies, and 2) the mail server is having problems keeping up with the current client base. To solve the problems, a pricey network attached storage (NAS) is purchased that will keep up with projected storage needs for the next three years, and a new mail server is purchased.
Again, clear - right? Well, let’s think about what just happened. One machine (the old email server) is now not being used. Is it fast enough to be a storage device if you add additional storage to it (either internally or externally)? Or, could another machine get extra storage space to manage the growth for an extra year? This storage could be repurposed into a hard drive backup when storage needs exceed the new capacity.
Alternately, is there another server that could have been upgraded, leaving a machine behind to become the email server? Would that new server be able to handle more of the storage needs, reducing the immediate need for storage capacity?
20/20 Upgrades
Create a short checklist that goes beyond solving the immediate problem to save time and money in the long run. Ask the what-if questions and look for other options. Hold a group session that looks at existing needs or potential needs that you may not realize are part of the immediate problem. Talk to people who know the network, but may not be directly involved with implementation. You may come up with solutions that work for the short and long haul.
Technology years are like dog years – the equipment you buy now will not fit your needs before you know it. Planning a second purpose for new technology purchases, or looking at the real needs of the company can stretch your investment, and can give you a better handle on the pulse of data in your business.