How do you define the best solution?

Business Solutions should meet the needs and requirements of the business, bring return and create a firm platform for growth and increased productivity.

Do the solutions you have actually meet the requirements and demands of your business? In many cases the answer is a wobbly "maybe" or "I think so" or even worse "my IT Guy says so".

I don't quite know which is worse, not knowing or be told you know. In fairness most solutions be they hardware or software will meet a good percentage of your business needs, somewhere between 60% and 80% would be about normal in 90% of businesses. But it is not difficult and nor is it really that much more costly to achieve 95% or even in rare circumstances 100% of business needs.

"How can I get as close to 100% as possible?" is most certainly your next question. The answer is fairly simple with 2 don'ts and 2 do's - double "D" as I refer to it.

Don't Number 1

Don't Believe Everything you are told by your IT Guy or even the vendor of a product - they are selling themselves and a little white lie is often said by sales guys to get the deal.

Don't Number 2

Don't just get a solution because ABC company and XYZ company use it - your needs are and always will be different!

Do Number 1

Do look at your business needs first - establish metrics that can measure the effectiveness of any solution, product or service!

Do get independent advice - all IT companies have a bias find a company that has no particular allegiance to a brand but has a solid knowledge of the problem at hand or the eventual need.

How to move forward?

Basic Business Principles will always say do not linger in the past. To move forward draw a line in the sand and start to measure your technology value in your company - is the technology paying you or are you paying technology?

For Free Scorecard Template drop me an email - a very simple spreadsheet that starts to ask the basic questions. This is how IT companies sell to you!