I love technology. I’ve seen how its proper use can transform a process and create valuable efficiency. I’ve seen it impact my life in very positive ways (I’m not sure I could keep things straight without my Blackberry).
I’ve also seen it derail a system and make things more difficult or at a minimum get in the way of its own success. Too often people/organizations gravitate toward a technology for its promise of the good life without really examining how the features will fit into their life/process. Technology is meant to enhance a process, it can rarely replace one perfectly. I have yet to find a process that will replace my lovely manual to do lists for example. No one system seems to really understand the way I think. There are systems out there which purport to mimic my mind and thought flow but to date none of them have convinced me to change my behavior completely. And who can blame the software? I don’t think you can successfully implement a software solution if you don’t understand your process to begin with and my mind still has its mysterious elements. I will never be able to make the most of those slick systems until I understand how to map out the process of my thinking. That will take time and multiple iterations for me to achieve success. But, I like my paper process and my wall size to do list. I can’t help it. I’m not ready to let it go. So while on the one hand I will happily help companies think through their implementation and integration strategies and put them into play, my inner ludite will likely be with me for a long time.
