what's wrong with my technology team?
TRANSCRIPT
What’s Wrong with my Technology Team?
(…and how did they get this way?)
Presented by
Kris Shenk
Owner, KMS Technology Consulting
3/19/2013
For Michele McDonough and the
Women’s Power Circle
Intro
• I hear it all the time…. My vendor does this…my IT department does that….we never get what we want…. The software is terrible…..IT stinks….
• IT and vendors have terrible reputations! (if your IT department or vendor is great then you’re definitely one of the lucky ones!)
• There are a million reasons why having technology can become a frustration for a direct selling organization (or any other organization for that matter)
• One of greatest challenges we face is not actually with technology itself, but with the whole aspect of communications surrounding technology
Why?
• Why does everyone struggle with technology in this business? • The long held philosophy in DS, although changing, is that
technology plays a subservient or support only role in an organization (Think Microsoft, Google, Dell as counterpoints)
• There are companies today who still do not believe technology is at all critical in an inherently “belly to belly” business
• This philosophy in the industry has driven some of the frustrating behaviors: – Technology in a support role invents or innovates little (This explains
why most DS technology is still rooted in the 80’s) – Vendors come to rely on what’s called ‘client driven development’…
Nearly nothing is done that a client hasn’t specifically asked for or paid for
The ‘Secret Sauce’ Effect
– Additionally, every company in the DS industry has their own “secret sauce” when it comes to technology
– That “secret sauce” platform concept does two things: • Creates an inability to build a true “off the shelf” experience with
the software (the more customized, the harder to support)
• Causes vendors try to support that niche as well as trying to be all things to all people and “own” the entire relationship
– There are nearly 15 vendors in the DS space, all with varying degrees of success, but all struggling to provide both innovation and high quality support
– With 15 vendors, market share is diminished, margins are eroded and the ability to provide quality support further decreases with the margins
What Can Help?
• Know what you want and how you want it to work! • Keep an ongoing wish-list
– set priorities…Is it urgent, important, cool – Create a description of what you want – Put them in order – Add to it often – Use tools like Evernote, Trello, SharePoint, Nozbe or even Outlook
• Know what you want and write it down, describe it! (Take a look on my blog for more information about how to describe software features.)
• Submit to IT or vendors for a “t-shirt size”….is this a small, medium or large effort (which equates to a development cost). Getting this sizing allows you to decide if you want to pursue the project or not
• Consider that iterations are FUN! Expect a few iterations for a t-shirt size and a lot of iterations for a full quote
• Put the projects in order and decide how they should line up on the calendar based on your budget
What Can Help?
• Top things to do to improve support…. (Remember: The best time to negotiate these items is before you sign the contract)
1. Get a dedicated account rep….someone to call when you have questions or issues 2. Buy blocks of account management time (good for everyone with bigger price breaks) 3. Get a service level commitment. (Answers questions in 2 hours or less, fixes website
problems in 4 hours or less, etc.) 4. Find out how you make after hours contact and build it in to the contract 5. Don’t settle for email only support – mission critical systems 6. Get the escalation tree when there is an emergency 7. Every time you talk to someone at the vendor site, find out who they are, what they do and
write it down. Use the info when you have to. 8. Know the President and call when you have to. (but don’t cry wolf) 9. Build your own ticket system and track responses if the vendor doesn’t. Create your own
knowledgebase 10. With vendors, establish a relationship so that key support staff are treated like in-house
staff 11. Have your own system administrator or business analyst who bridges the gap between
business and technology
What Can Help?
• Consider treating technology a little differently and add a training program for both sides of the business equation: – Set standards and train the IT staff on how to communicate and better
serve and work with end users
– Set standards and train the business staff on how to better communicate with the IT staff to get what they want
– Require the IT staff to do regular presentations on either software projects, features or on some technology background
– Require your business staff to attend these sessions
• (Give me a call if you need some help putting together a training program for either side)
Wrap-up
• This has been a very brief look into some of the frustrations that technology applications can play within an organization
• There are so many more ways that you can help support and make your technology experience better both for you and your end users
• Please feel free to visit my blog for some ideas or contact me for more information
– Website: http://www.krisshenk.com
– Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/krisshenk
– Twitter: krisshenktweets
– Email: [email protected]
– Phone 949-922-9832
About Kris….
• Kris Shenk is a 30 year technology veteran with a Masters Degree in Information Systems
• She has devoted the last 16 years of her career to helping companies drive technology forward in the Direct Selling industry
• She’s done work for over 25 DS companies ranging from start-ups to some of the largest international direct selling companies in the industry
• She has experience in both technology and operations as a successful Direct Selling and Consumer Packaged Goods CIO/COO
• She is an accomplished author, speaker and trainer based in Southern California
• To contact Kris, please visit http://www.krisshenk.com or Linkedin at http://www.linkedin.com/in/krisshenk