People, Process and Technology: An approach to technology projects within an organization



I'm a proponent of user engagement throughout the SDLC. I think you should be too.

Taking a people first approach to understand key stakeholders, their workload, workflows and processes today is a foundational piece of any technology project at the enterprise level. 

People are an organization's greatest resource and, thoughtful engagement and utilization of your human capital is essential to your organization's growth and sustainability.

After you take care to understand the current state of affairs and its various inputs,  you can effectively partner with an organization to due-fully plan, chart, organize and execute a technology initiative. 

Critical to this phase is understanding what you wish to change: what works today, what doesn't, and what may be made more efficient or beneficial. Where does your organization want to be?

A beneficial approach here is to take a step back and look at processes from a Pareto Optimal or Lean approach: who inside the organization does this process affect? Is it negative or positive? Is value added along each step of a workflow? Can it be considered ineffective or inefficient? Is it business critical of necessary? Are all parties not at detriment by the proposed change?

Understanding why the organization is at the point they are at is equally as critical. Taking the time to understand their key performance indicators, metrics, and vision, as well as day to day operations will help inform you in the quest to improve the business.

In gathering requirements and conceptualizing a solution, one must consider the stakeholders again. How can their workload be improved, released, eased and simplified, helping them tackle the real problems? How can you increase engagement? 

Further, what training or effort will be necessary on their part? How will this benefit their careers?

Next, what POSITIVE effect will this change have on these stakeholders? What changes or improvements, what needs will be met? 

Finally, how will you invent or create excitement around this initiative? Who will be a champion? How can you guarantee adoption? How will you prioritize this initiative amongst other internal interruptions, distractions or workloads?

Asking these questions and challenging yourself to involve, organize and build "together," will allow you to truly put pen on paper and execute your strategic objectives. 

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