Skyline IT Management - Edmond, OK 405-594-9282 Mo-Fr 8am - 5pm
From The Blog
Graphic displaying the words “BUSINESS NOT BINARY” in large black text over a background of blue binary code. On the right, a colorful bar chart with red, orange, blue, and green bars increases in height from left to right. A large blue upward-curving arrow rises above the chart, symbolizing growth and progress. The image conveys the idea that business success involves more than just data and technology.

The Dance Between Business Needs and Technology

Like most IT nerds, I tend to be logical and like order. Ours is a binary world of 1’s and 0’s and we like it that way. If one character in a command is wrong or out of place, an error results. That is why Microsoft drives us crazy when there is more than one location in an interface to do or find something.

Then, there is business which runs on technology and people. And, with the exception of our accounting and engineering friends, is more nuance than logic. So, conflict, major or minor, can result. Conflict isn’t necessarily bad, but it needs to be addressed so that technology and business work together to produce the best possible results. Technology is more vast and complex now, which also complicates the situation.

Much of the time, business and technology conflicts are the result of old technology versus new. Sometimes, new technology is forced on a business by a vendor or provider. Sometimes it is forced on a business by a regulating body or evolving threats. Since, business is not binary, there are no easy solutions here. In general, I think the answers lie in good communication, cooperation and compromise between all of the business and technology parties. Not just leaders, but everyone in the organization.

To be more specific, though, here are some assumptions and tips that can be helpful.

  • Patience is required
    • Working through changes may be a little frustrating or take time trying a couple of options to see which works best
    • Something that may have worked yesterday may break because a vendor or software developer made a change and it can take time to resolve it.
  • Money needs to be invested
    • Relying on old or out of support devices or applications results in poor performance and makes a business vulnerable
    • Technology funding should be budgeted ahead of time, not only “as needed”
    • Needs should be properly assessed
    • But, consult your IT provider and discuss with staff to avoid “shiny object” purchases
  • Carefully evaluate risk and business outcomes based on what is best for your business
    • Completely eliminating technology risk would make it unusable. We have to strike a balance between security and functionality.
    • Your business may opt out of a particular best-practice recommendation because the risk is low and it hinders servicing your clients
    • Your IT Team might have to work with a technology option that they don’t like because it is the best option for your business right now
  • Change may need to happen
    • If change is required, resistance or bad attitudes only make it more difficult
    • Don’t blame the messenger
      • Having to set up MFA isn’t your IT team’s fault, cybercriminals are to blame
      • Your company needs to switch applications due to growth, management isn’t trying to make your life difficult

The balance between technology and business is rarely effortless, but by making informed decisions and carefully weighing both technical and business considerations, you can greatly increase the likelihood of a successful outcome.