A Principle Centered Approach To Technology
May 6, 2008
We get calls all the time from people wanting merely to “replace” their existing technology. This most often happens when there is equipment that has gone “out of service”–a fancy way of saying there are few parts available for it.
Recently, I was asked by a prospect about our approach to this and we talked about 3 principles that govern any recommendation we make.
1. Complete and Utter Analysis. We have something we call SPA, Systems and Procedures Audit. It’s a way for us to be “on target” with what we recommend. In other words, we want to make darn sure we’re solving the right problem. If you’re merely looking to replace what you have, you may be solving yesterdays’ problems and not preparing yourself for tomorrow’s.
2. Business Application. Part of this Audit is to understand the business drivers. Yes, we will want to know more than ‘how you answer your phone.’ We’ll want to know your plans for growing your business. It used to be that technology was a convenience–now it can be a “competitive advantage.” So for us NOT to ask those questions could rob you of future market advantage.
3. ROI. As far as we’re concerned there needs to be a financial ROI on your investment. If there isn’t, then you shouldn’t spend any money. This ROI is divided into Hard Costs and Soft Costs. Hard Costs are easy. But Soft Costs is where the real financial windfall comes. We will ask you many questions so that our recommendation makes financial sense for you.
Do other companies do this as well? Of course. But if you’d like to see our SPA (audit) then call us and let us know if you want to go through it.
Pete DiPaola is the Chief Executive Officer of G3 Technology Partners and a contributor to this site. He can be reached at pete.dipaola@g3tp.com
Change Management. A Big Deal In Implementing Technology
May 2, 2008
In the following audio podcast, Ray Hoffman, G3 VP Operations, discusses change management throughout a technology journey. He says there are four things you really need to think through: “What is your vision?” “Do I have the right people in place?” “Are they going to help me get my business where it needs to be?” And “How much change can your organization withstand?”
- How to know when there is too much change
- Get acceptance from user community prior to going to phases two and three
- Technology is never ending - there will always be additions
- Must have a change control process - more important now due to many converging forces
- Why people want to fight change - negative energy
- With implementation of technology, there will be some level of temporary productivity loss for a few weeks.
Other Areas
- Senior management must have buy in and “believe” that there is an ROI
Make sure you have the right people in place - understand the “vision.”
Select correct technology, and the right partner, so you can quickly get to productivity gains - How we used to sell technology - strictly phones. Today, this is not so.
Now, we find we deal with C-level execs on health of business, marketing and sales department heads, inventory control people, IT, database people. Each one must be committed to change.
Technology today is about interaction - not telephones. The question is, “How do your customers want information so they may utilize it best?”
Ray Hoffman is the Chief Operations Officer of G3 Technology Partners and a contributor to this site. He can be reached at ray.hoffman@g3tp.com
Increasing Billable Hours By Better Tracking. How One Law Firm Increased Revenue.
April 29, 2008
To a legal firm, communications with clients mean billable hours. Tracking every phone call, voice mail, e-mail and fax that crosses a desk generates potential revenue. Optimizing your invoices to clients, however, requires managing each type of communications media accordingly.
1 Tracking
Most law firms look for the tools to supply cutting-edge connectivity between their attorneys and clients and can overlook the lost billable hours they spend with each interaction.
Your ability to accurately capture the quantity of your billable time directly affects the total amount of time you spend working. Your ability to accurately describe the quality of your billable time will allow your firm to craft timely, persuasive bills that stand the best chance of achieving every lawyer’s ultimate goal in every billable matter through each interaction, phone, fax, web, and wireless mobility.
We’ve helped numerous law firms overcome this by providing the tools to track all interaction through technology.
Technology has evolved during the last decade into dynamic business ventures designed to meet today’s fast-paced business environment. Key to this change has been the effective use of technology in providing our clients with additional value.
2 Disaster Recovery
Your Disaster Recovery Plan is the most important item in your business portfolio. It is what you will turn to if there is indeed a disaster or other serious incident.
Having a back-up communication platform will allow you to continue serving your clients. With most Law Firms communication is the core of their business. Hopefully, you will never have to use it, but if you do, it can be the difference between the loss of your organization and its survival. It is therefore absolutely critical that it is workable. How you continue to operate day to day will help guide you through the crisis.
That’s what we do at G3 — help you plan a communication platform that will provide the communication interaction you will need during a disaster.
3 Attorneys Well-Connected With Clients
Your law firm could be using state-of-the-art technology to promote collaboration between your clients and attorneys. Not only will you be delivering outstanding customer service, but you will be better able to bill appropriately. Your Clients benefit in many ways, including efficiencies in attorney and staff productivity.
Pam Ottinger is a specialist with G3 Technology Partners and a contributor to the blog. She can be reached at pam.ottinger@g3tp.com
Saving Lives By Being Wireless
April 18, 2008
As a technology specialist, everyday I see the power that technology can have in helping a business grow and helping people become much more productive—both of which potentially lead to a financial impact.
I was talking with one of our most recent health care clients last week and I posed the more serious question,
“Can proper use of technology help save lives in a hospital?”
He’s a rather profound thinker so it made perfect sense to him to explore the topic. As a note, we recently installed a wireless communication system at his site. The list below came as a result of a total diagnostic that his site went through prior to the selection of a wireless solution. Obviously, every facility is different and recommendations vary on a case by case basis.
Yes, because of faster reaction times and increased staff availability.
In diagnosing his situation (pre-sale), we found that his staff didn’t feel mobile. They felt tied to their unit. Consequently, they believed quality of care suffered because of that. With a wireless system, their mobility increased—they could perform their jobs from anywhere in the hospital. A nurse there told us a story about a common situation that used to take 3-5 hours to resolve. And that with the new communication system, she coordinated the exact same result in less than 30 minutes. Over the course of 400 nurses and 2300 patients, that two hours turns into tens of thousands of hours of productivity advancement.
Yes, because of paging delay elimination between doctors, nurses and staff.
Under the old system, nurses spent less time taking care of patients directly and personally, and more time with admin details. They all felt like patient care was a casualty. With their new system, doctors have all critical information and direct access to nurses and staff. Doctors also spend much less time on hold which allows them to do what they do best—administer care.
Yes, because more and more people are involved in patient care, which can create errors in the handoffs.
The information flow is greatly increased. (More here on patient info flow. Think about a story like I have in the prior paragraphs.) For example, it used to be when someone wanted……this happened. And it caused….
Conclusion
The basis for this argument is that hours spent with the patient instead of running people and information down—or waiting for information-will lead to better patient care and thus better referrals to the hospital. Has it saved a life yet? Well, not that we know of. But the time will come when an hour saved will be the difference between life and death.
Discovering Opportunities to Drive Competitive Edge
April 2, 2008
We caught up with Lisa Hill last week. Lisa is our VP Sales and is quite involved in helping clients identify the major issues they’re trying to solve with technology solutions.
Lisa and her team have a unique way of handling customer meetings and the sales process itself. We thought you’d like to hear it in her words. This may help you know what to expect when you ask G3 in to discuss your goals and issues.