Stacy's Tech Blog

As a consultant, I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing and assessing technology infrastructures.  Usually this is a site readiness assessment for a specific technology or service implementation, but sometimes it’s a request by an executive team to provide a report card on staff or infrastructure to ensure that they are getting the best “bang for their buck”.

I have noticed a few things along the way.

One is that many businesses have quite a variety of hardware and software technologies in place and it appears, at first glance, to be a complete hodgepodge of barely integrated technologies that supposedly support a specific task for the business.  I call this phenomenon “Ad Hoc Networking”.  And most organizations have such a network.

In fact, I’ve frequently left a client site asking how much time, effort and money is spent managing such a network? 

Managing a network is much like owning a garage.  It’s intended purpose is to provide a place to park your car.  But often, you begin to store things like gardening equipment, holiday decorations, etc.  After a while, it becomes more difficult to open the car door and if left unchecked, you eventually find yourself parking in the driveway because it’s just easier to get in and out of your car.  You then spend a great deal of time searching for something that you know you stored in the garage, but can’t seem to find.  Sound familiar?

I also hear many of my peers tell stories of such networks also, complaining and making fun of the client.  In some cases, the neatness of the network’s physical components (or lack thereof) offends aesthetic sensibilities since many IT guys are borderline obsessive/compulsive when it comes to that.  I happen to agree with some of these since a neat network is easier to troubleshoot.  But not the point of losing sight of the big picture.

What causes this phenomenon?

Not a simple answer for that one.  One could blame the hardware and software manufacturers’ penchant for insisting that you upgrade your systems that you just installed 8 months ago to the latest version.

One could blame a “technology happy” IT Manager, who likes to play with the latest and greatest technologies, regardless of the lack of necessity for the business.  They just want it because it’s cool.

One could also blame the sales guy who comes calling, touting the plethora of benefits that come from buying a solution or technology from them.

But ultimately, the business owner must take responsibility and realize that purchasing the latest and greatest technology is not always the best for the business, no matter what the sales guy, IT guy or manufacturer says.

As a business owner, how do you mitigate against “Ad Hoc Networking”?

When trying to prevent “sprawl” and ensure that your business maximizes any investment in technology, it’s best to ensure that you’re as educated as possible.  If you’re not technical, then make sure you have a technical advisor that you trust along for the ride.

What will follow is a series of posts to help a business owner make better decisions when deciding to invest in IT.  Hopefully, this will help you be a better consumer for your business.