Editorial: An Old Order Eye on IT

When it comes to technology adoption, few groups in North America come as close to shunning the concept than the Old Order Mennonites who live near Waterloo ON. But these tech skeptics could teach the modern world a thing or two about value. The Mennonites consider value well before deciding to adopt new technologies – be they IT or farm implements. The Mennonites ask themselves: will this gadget help me work faster? Will it improve the results of my work? How will it disrupt my existing work processes? Is the result of my implementing this technology worth the disruption – does adoption spell a net gain? And if my current problem is the result of an earlier technology, does it make sense to implement more technology as a solution?True, such scrutiny has put many a Mennonite farmer in the technology Dark Ages. Nonetheless, enterprises would benefit from a touch of the Mennonite mindset.Before buying into new information technology concepts, for instance, businesses should ask: how will this improve the company? Do the positive effects offset the costs and headaches of implementation? Does it solve a problem, or compound it?These questions come to mind after reading an Accenture press release. In a survey, the business consulting company learned that middle managers in many companies spend too much time sifting through useless data before finding what they need and getting on with the job. Accenture says the problem seems to stem from the overwhelming number of data sources. Hard drives, databases, email inboxes… There are just too many places for data to hide.Accenture suggests companies could use intranet portals and beefier search engines to better collect information, make it easier to find. In other words, use technology to solve a technology problem.Does this make sense? Technology managers would be wise to wonder. They should ask such questions of every IT "solution." It’s the best way to ensure new technology provides genuine value.The opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Decima Reports.

Editorial: An Old Order Eye on IT

News | February 1, 2007

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