Realities of Implementing Virtualization
Many companies already embrace a collection of tools to operate on a day to day basis, but are they really operating efficiently or collaboratively?
Whether it’s Outlook combined with Google docs, Salesforce, Microsoft Project, and Fogbugz, or another set of tools and technology, the pattern at most companies is often the same: the infrastructure was built in an ad-hoc “as needed” fashion, and while it can work, the structure is not a true unified planned-out collaborative system.
When companies state “multiple tools are better” and “we like our current system” but cannot make such claims as “we reviewed the latest technology in collaborative work systems last month, and found our system is just as efficient, and our company’s productivity grew 33% last year” it reflects a “comfort” mentality that is not indicative of a leading edge business philosophy.
The biggest mistake a company can make is to forego process and optimization reviews because the stance is “don’t need to fix what works just fine”. This is why we have banks and other large institutions still utilizing technology from the 80’s and 90’s; and their customers end up paying the price when reasonable requests of taking certain actions are made, and the business responds “our system can’t do that. But it works!”
Virtualization isn’t just about client interaction, it’s about understanding, collaboration, and efficiency. Any company that does not conduct regular reviews of enhancing their systems will never be able to operate as efficiently as possible.
Running a company isn’t about what is comfortable; it’s about making the best decisions for the future of the company. Given technology is driving the global economy and having a massive impact on our society, why is it companies are so hesitant to review and when it’s productive, embrace new technology, methods, and systems?
Everyone is influenced in one way or another. Leaders provide guidance, and those who do not lead, follow. We often find company leaders operate in their comfort zone, whether or not it’s a development manager, or a CEO; they do what they know and they do what they’re comfortable with. So how does a company ensure they are always operating as efficiently as possible? Simple. Every company needs to have at least one technology, process, and procedure expert. One or more people everyone else counts on and respects who can go out, review the available technologies, and have the proper level of visibility and implementation responsibility allowing a company to grow in method and process. This is more than an IT expert, this individual is a Technology Integration Specialist. Very large companies may have an entire team of these individuals, and they are worth their weight in gold.
How many times have you gone over to a friend’s house and seen something you thought could be taken care of in a certain way and commented on it, and your friend responds “wow, I didn’t think about that. Thanks!” Simply put, most people who are working very hard at companies don’t make the time to pursue things like Virtualization; this is why they need to either hire somebody or appoint somebody to lead in such processes, and the results can be monumental.