Choice-o-phobia

I was setup up a wireless router for my Dad the other day. It was one of the newer models that touted "a new easier to use interface that you can setup in minutes". Ahhh, not quite.

I've been in the IT industry for quite a few years now and it still took me 25 minutes to set up the router so that it would work properly for my Dad (who is now in his seventies and is not a 'computer person'). The thing that struck me the most was in an attempt to make it simpler - they made it more complex with options and choices. What type of wireless network? where you connecting to an ADSL line? Did you want encryption with that?

And I still don't remember how I found the reset password page.

This was not the first incident of this either. I have done similar setups with co-workers because they were over-whelmed with the slick looking wizards that would only work if you entered in exactly the information they wanted and not what you had on hand. So much for having it your way.

We have come to a point where we have so many options and choices that its more confusing than ever, and what we end up with tends to be less that what we wanted in the first place. But its not just our technology that has this problem, it's everywhere. Retail stores, car dealerships, and especially restaurants. Consistently, the best places I have ever eaten had less than 5 main courses. The big multi-menu, multi-choice places - not so good. Do a couple of things and do them well.

Less is more. Yup it's a cliche but the thing about cliche's is that they are usually true.

Be good and have fun.

Strategies and Tactics

How many of us are doing today what we thought we would be doing back in high school? Probably only a small percentage of us. For the rest of us, our end goal is probably still the same (or close to it), but our path to get there is radically different (IT and coaching were not on my tactics list).

You can get lots of advice on 'what' you should do (strategy) or 'how' you should do it (tactics), but rarely are they presented together to show their real value. A strategy will only work if it is executed properly. Tactics without a strategy is wasted energy. The trick to understanding these is that they are not restricted or set in stone in any way. In fact, the opposite is true.

A successful strategy is one that can change and adapt to a situation while still keeping the end goal in mind. The resultant tactics used will determine the success (or failure) of the strategy. Only with constant evaluation and testing of the two, can you truly know how you are doing. Not every tactic will work, but having multiple tactics for each element of your strategy, will increase your chances of success.

Have a goal, have a set of actions to achieve the goal, and be prepared to change those actions at a moments notice. Oh, and don't forget to enjoy the trip along the way.

Shifting Ground...

Notice the trend to have the word or concept of 'shift' in marketing lately? Seems everyone is changing to a 'new way' of doing business.
Yes there is an obvious change in the 'delivery' of products and services but the goals remain the same - quality products and services, satisfied customers, profitability.

Some companies have tried to adopt this approach to their business with varying degrees of success. One major flaw in almost all the cases is that they attempt (or are expected) to be and do everything for the customer. Given the nearly infinite variations in human nature this is a daunting task. I argue that the responsibility is on both sides - the company's and the consumers.

We in the tech industry are partly to blame for this for the promise that technology would change the world and make our lives easier (marketers will hate me for this). Well, we have been saying that for over 30 years, and frankly it hasn't really happened yet (still waiting for my Jetson's car!). We have lead consumers to believe that technology is easy and will provide them with greater productivity and more free time. What we have ended up doing is making life busier, more complicated, and having less free time.

From consumers perspective, yes there are some aspects of technology that have improved our life (communications, automation, etc), but technology is a tool - not a means to an end. It is a screwdriver or a hammer. You wouldn't buy an electric drill if you didn't know how to use it. What should technology be any different?

Of course I'm speaking from a technology perspective but this really applies to all areas. As consumers, we can't be experts in all things, but we do need to put some some effort into understanding what it is we are buying and using. As providers of goods and services, we need to ensure that we accurately communicate and deliver on what we can do.

If there is a shift that needs to happen then it is one of mutual responsibility for what we buy and use.

Is it Plugged in?

There is no single solution for a technical services/operations group. Like most professional disciplines, there are basic fundamentals which in turn can be adapted to a particular situation. Unfortunately, there is an inconsistency in how (and if) these fundamentals are taught to technical staff. More often than not, it is the technical persons' own personality and initiative that determines their technical proficiency level. This makes it very hard for organizations to measure performance when evaluating or hiring new staff.

These core fundamentals are the basis for any technical professional to have although the implementation of theses will be different based on a persons skill and experience level. They do however provide the basis for where to start and what the key points in the methodology.

Fundementals:
o Know the system/environment that you are working in
o Identify and document the problems/symptoms (when possible distinguish between a problem and symptom) as they are reported
o Stop and think
o Identify what changes have made recently (there are always changes made - weather they are known or not)
o Look for obvious alerts and/or errors that may indicate the problem
o logs, alert messages, signals, external system failures, etc
o Identify/isolate the system(s) involved and each of their components
o Identify the process flow for the system(s) as it should occur
o Map the problem/symptom to the ‘working’ process flow to narrow down the point of failure
o Test each component of the system in the failure area, in the proper order of the process flow, to identify where the failure occurs
o utilize common tools or ‘specialized features’ of the system to test each step in the process flow
o Test the failed component/process to verify and identify the actual problem
o identify the input and compare the actual output verses expected output
o Once the problem is identified, develop a solution. This may include the following:
o Adjustment to the process or inputs
o Replacement of a failed component
o Putting a temporary workaround in place until a solution can be provided
o Test and verify the solution has resolved the problem
o Document the procedures to identify the problem, fix it, and verify the solution (so this procedure can be used again)


What happens without the fundamentals:
o Bias assumptions are made not based on facts
o Inadequate or limited knowledge of the system/process results in false conclusions (Treating symptoms as problems – miss-diagnosis or failure to resolve the true problem)
o Not fully utilizing tools and resources at hand to properly identify and resolve the issue and thus missing obvious indicators of the problem
o No documentation to support the identification/solution/fix to an issue (Unable to or accurately identify the same issue at a later date)
o Longer time to resolution (problem keeps coming back)
o Frustration on part of the technician/customer/management, etc
o Confidence and motivational drain on staff and customers (results in many false-positive solutions e.g. this might work)
o Lack of clear ownership and responsibility to the issue
o Technical Staff Under pressure to produce results quickly (Time/pressure limitations) thus rush and implement an inferior solution or fix


What happens with the fundamentals:
o Separates problems from symptoms
o Consistency in delivery (same or better procedure is used if the problem occurs again)
o Shorter time to resolution (fix it right the first time)
o Could result in a better re-design/implementation of the process/system
o Maintain/build customer trust and confidence
o Strengthens the personal and professional development of the technical staff/team as well as partner/vendor relationships


It is natural to look for the 'quick fix' to problems, but they will typically result in repeat problems and reduced customer confidence and satisfaction. Do your work upfront and you will save in the long run.

The Family Jewels

Your technical services group are apart of your front line staff that interact with customers. They generally tend to be viewed by the customers as the 'experts' and are trusted more than any other group within the organization. They also play a dual role; they represent the organization to the customer and they represent the customer to the organization (i.e. customer advocate).

This group tends to be under valued and under resourced (except for the most technically centric companies) even though they provide some of the most important services to your customers. It is a mis-conception that technical operations/services group is a 'cost center' of an organization. It is true that there is a cost to operating a quality services group, but it can also be a source of revenue (either directly or indirectly) if structured and managed properly.

I'm not trying to imply that services are more important than other group within an organization, but certainly they have a role in the success of a company and by leveraging them to support the efforts of Sales and Marketing, can be shown to have measurable results.

Seeing and treating your technical operations/services group as a strategic/tactical advantage can not only improve your services and customer satisfaction, but provide a competitive differentiators as well.