As the adage states, “the only thing that remains consistent is change.”  Therefore, the time to prepare for change is not when it happens.  This preparation also includes building a foundation which can move with the business.  And, a business built to evolve as conditions change.

Technology is only one part of creating this ability.  It is just as important to have a clear understanding of the business down to its fundamentals.  And, to have the best practices and methods to execute. Each culture is different and knowing the right practices to pursue at the right time can make a critical difference to your success.

To stay relevant, a company needs to build revenues and gain market share.  This requires gaining more customers, as well as retaining your current customers.  And, the best way to achieve both is delivering value quickly.

Technology can enable a business to build new products or provide new services.  Consequently, without a solid platform all efforts to deliver something new will be futile at best and disastrous at worst.   It is critical to create a platform with the business knowledge baked into its core.   This takes a strong understanding of enterprise architecture and best practices.

The first step to improving a business is to understand how it operates on a detailed level.   I sort out your processes to identify where to improve how your company functions.  Then, I determine the best opportunity to apply technology as well as where it might simply get in the way.  The result is an increase in efficiency and a reduction in cost.

However, the art of building an efficient organization is getting the most out of its people.  Automating mundane processes can free up people to make decisions best left to humans.  The key is to provide the right information at the right time to make decisions quickly and intelligently.  This will create an empowered workforce with a greater level of productivity.

Creating something new can simply be filling an unmet need.  Or, it can be something completely disruptive to a market or industry.  This can provide a company both revenue growth and cost reduction.  Thus, technology has quickly become the great means to level the playing field when it comes to creation.

I started developing software before I could drive a car.  Therefore, I am comfortable designing a complex system across an entire company.  Or, simply reviewing a current effort or project for a team.  Either way, I have had the great pleasure of fostering innovation.   Most of all, it requires strong technology skills and a positive culture.