Strategy
April 13 2021
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In order for us to succeed with major changes that affect more departments in the business, we need to think about the Golden Triangle and not just focus on the implementation of the strategy itself. Everyone who has worked in IT, Digitization and Business Development has at some point come across these three words; people, processes and technology in the same sentence.
These three words actually have their context and origin from the project methodology ITIL and have been the very basis of the methodology with the so-called "golden triangle". People, Processes and Technology are often referred to as the keys to successful organizational change and project execution.
Doing the right things effectively in an organization requires an approach that optimizes the relationships between people, processes and technology. Focusing on only one or two areas will create an imbalance in your organization.
A very common example is to implement a new system in the organization. With this shiny tool (preferably with the word AI in the name), all problems are guaranteed to disappear and we will immediately achieve the desired effect!
The result is usually that we waste a lot of money, time, and the best people in the company get tired and will probably look for a job elsewhere.
What happened is that we missed the target because; Technology is only as good as the processes implemented around it, and processes are only as good as the people performing them! Therefore, technology will never be the solution to any problems in itself.
People, processes, technology, is it possible to get the right balance in the triangle?
People
Start with the people affected by the change
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It is critical to have a signoff from the decision makers, board and owners. If you don't get the decision makers on board, you will fail even before you start. Don't move forward until you have this critical piece of the puzzle in place.
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Resistance to change is a norm - But it's how you deal with it that will be the difference between success and failure.
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Think about change management - ADKAR is an old recognized and very good methodology. Move people in the business from the current state to the desired state.
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Identify key players, understand what each of them wants to achieve and what they bring to the table.
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Make sure your team is made up of the right people with the right skills, experience and attitude to help you solve your problem. Practical experience is invaluable, too many organizations have only theorists and consultants who get stuck in paper products and PowerPoint presentations.
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Don't see it as additional projects but a journey of change.
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Let go of the focus of what to do and focus instead on how to implement the strategy.
The process
Once you have the commitment, you start to shape the processes.
A process is defined as a series of actions taken to achieve a particular goal. So with that in mind, ask the question: What processes do we need to solve this business problem?
Identify the key steps and paint the broad strokes first. Once these are in place, you can then focus at a more detailed level by looking at process variations, exceptions, interdependencies and supporting processes.
Now review these processes with the stakeholders and touchpoints in the different departments of the business. Make sure everyone is aware of what is expected of them and let them guide you on any gaps and issues. Listen to their challenges and concerns, turn them into opportunities and take them into account when choosing a system solution.
Technology
NOW! Finally, choose the technology!
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With your people and processes in place, you can now look at technologies that support them!
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It is never a good idea to force new technology and then try to retrofit the people and processes around it.
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You need to understand and accept that SaaS means "Software as a Service" and is not the same as custom software development. I.e. there is rarely one solution to fit all.
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Map the technology to your business requirements and if it includes your customers' requirements. Such a thorough job before choosing the solution becomes a success factor. That said, it's about prioritizing and compromising as no solution will be an exact match to your requirements.
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Technology should always be the final factor once the problem is clearly understood and the solution requirements have been concretely defined. This way you get the most out of your system!
This is absolutely nothing new, but it seems to be forgotten again and again.
Ending with the short version:
To get sh!t done! - effectively in any organization requires constant optimization of the relationships between people, processes and technology.
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