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Technology News You Can UseMay 2008 – Issue XXXVIn This Newsletter
Letter from the Editor, Paul O'Bannon, Stillwater O’Bannon GroupYour Technology Council works very hard to bring information to help your business each and every month. This issue of the newsletter is no exception. Inside you’ll find out not only how to choose and recruit the right IT person, but how to break down walls of communication with them. You’ll be brought up to date on VoIP progress. Marketing, establishing expertise and overseas business opportunities are also included! I certainly hope you find the nugget of information you need in this issue. Most who read the Technology News find something every month. Coming soon, please look for a survey feature to be included. We truly need your input on how we can make this more valuable to our readers. If you have ideas for topics you think would be beneficial to the Chamber membership (if you think it is a good topic for you, someone else will probably want to know also), please share them with us. Send me an email with your suggestions, and I’ll find you an expert to write about it. Top
Porter's Five Factor Model of Market Profitability, Jon Morse, The Center for SuccessThe role of marketing in technology is huge! We see it everywhere. Does it just occur? Of course not. It is carefully and thoughtfully planned and implemented to produce the most effective “bang for the buck.” What are the greatest marketing efforts in your mind? I can recall having Mikey try cereal, just doing it with Nike, pop pop fizz fizz and many more. A firm might get lucky with a brilliant idea; however it is more likely that the executive was involved in a process known as strategic planning. This process involves articulating a vision, mission and values and then the development of strategies through the SWOTT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats and Trends) process. My corporate background is heavy in the planning, information technology and development arena. Many corporate executives and marketing personnel came and went with wonderful marketing ideas. Unfortunately they were soon ushered out of the company because they did not understand the primary mission, market segment and risk averse nature that the company believed in. I felt that some of those ideas were brilliant, however they did not apply to the restricted market segment of our firm. You might have run into something similar in your business experience. What is the plan? Where is the direction? Who is in control? Where are we going? The strategic planning process should provide you with the answers. If you are fuzzy on those areas of your company, I would invite you to ask your employer for copies of their vision, mission, and values. Perhaps a discussion with your chief marketing officer would reveal a significant discussion and even enhance this learning experience. One of the more prolific commentators and experts on market factors is Michael Porter. In his classic five factor model, Porter focuses our thoughts on the impact of:
In the strategic analysis and SWOTT processes we should addresses each of these five factors. You will note that the five factors are primarily focused on external characteristics of analysis. You may find that they apply best to opportunities, threats and trends. The strategic plan should provide brief reference points for the reader and move through the logic and conclusions very quickly. That alone, is a difficult task. Sorting through the volumes of material to support your arguments is a very valuable skill set that will definitely apply itself to the real life business environment. You may have experienced those who present their conclusions with no factual reference or those who are at the other end of the spectrum and go on forever with justification. Tearing Down the Wall: Improving Communication between IT and Management by Marci Parrish, Technisource, A Division of SpherionIt’s time to end the great divide between IT and management. Too often, they are locked in a standoff. Both sides feel unloved and misunderstood. The company pays the price in lost productivity and low morale. IT feels unfairly blamed when things go wrong. At the same time, managers and executives wonder, “Just how hard can it be to make our systems function?” But it doesn’t have to be that way. The key to turning around the dysfunction is the development of shared goals and a common language, and an ongoing communications strategy. With virtually every business now technology-dependent or technology-enabled, it’s critical that IT and management work together as a harmonious whole. Pulling together around common goals How to do it? Like most undertakings, the first step is the development of shared goals. With some variation, the goal of most enterprises is to serve their customers. IT and management must align their efforts toward this end. With this new mindset, IT and management become business partners. This is all to the good. It clears the way for IT to step out of the shadow of reactive problem-solving and become proactive leaders. IT leaders who understand the business, technology, users and customers are extraordinarily valuable. Everyone benefits when their skills are fully utilized. Management must do its part, too. Many managers and executives look to IT to solve specific problems, often in a vacuum, and step in and save the day when there’s a crisis. That’s too little, too late. IT must be involved in strategy, planning and purchasing. Further, management must clearly articulate its expectations and be sure IT has adequate resources to meet those expectations. Creating Strategic Partnerships
A practical way to promote cooperation is to create partnerships between IT and a company’s divisions or business units. For example, perhaps accounting or human resources or purchasing would benefit from having an IT representative who could analyze and make recommendations based on the department’s specific needs. Also, since cost is often a sticking point, IT and management should establish a structured, ongoing process to ensure that technology investment and business goals are in alignment. Communication is Key
Finally, both IT and management must communicate better. From the top, company leadership must emphasize IT’s new role as a business partner, as well as its expectations for an empowered IT department. For its part, IT must communicate broadly its strategy and plans and solicit input. Some helpful communications vehicles include short, focused meetings; informational e-mails and use of a company intranet. The important thing for IT is to explain how the technology can be used to achieve specific goals, rather than getting bogged down in technical explanations. The focus must be on the employee, customer or vendor. By staying one step ahead of each other’s needs, management and IT can create a more seamless relationship and foster true respect and appreciation. And the barrier, once seen as impenetrable, will come crashing down. Chennai: New Partnership, New Opportunities by Cynthia Coss, City of San Antonio International AffairsChennai represents one of
Doing business with Chennai can be a great way for local
Ultimately, what this reveals about the nature of this
Among the various similarities between these two sister cities we find a hunger for growth and progress and an eagerness to cooperate. A small amount of time dedicated to research on the feasibility of your product or service in outside markets is worth the potential discovery of new prospects and reaching new levels for your organization. IT Recruiting Firms: The New Wave of the Future, Ryan King, Accounting Principals/MODISAs a Resource Development Manager an IT consulting firm, I have seen that a new way of hiring IT specialists is evolving. IT professionals are becoming increasingly competitive, trying to gain the most knowledge and experience in their field. At the same time companies are becoming more cost driven and are employing the use of technology applications to improve efficiency. So how does a company, large or small, find the right IT professional to fit their needs and their budget? To begin, companies’ first need to understand that technology is ever changing and IT specialists are now a necessity in any competitive market. When a company decides to implement a new program or upgrade an existing one, the time and money it would take to train a current employee to do the job is unrealistic. In addition, many IT professionals are moving to contract work, allowing for more freedom and more experience in the field. IT specialists’ and corporations can mutually benefit from contract consulting to bring more experienced specialists for just the amount of time necessary to achieve a business’ goals. Recruiting/consulting companies sole purpose is to match up the perfect IT candidate with the company in need of a specific set of skills. These recruiting firms can negotiate contracts of any length or can help fill a permanent position. Contract-to-hire is a third option for companies as well. This type of contract allows the company and the employee to “test drive” each other without making a commitment. Another important benefit of using IT recruiting firms is that these firms take the responsibility and resources needed to find potential candidates, handle all payroll processing during the contract period, and act as a middle man if the employee does not work out and needs to be terminated. These roles played by the consulting firms allow both the professional and company freedom to terminate a contract with minimal losses, especially in the recessive economy of today. In my opinion one of the most exciting aspects that using IT recruiting firms allows for is diversity. There are IT specialists, both nationally and internationally, that have diverse backgrounds with the same set of skills. Skills can be learned through courses and certifications, however, experience can not be taught. For example, two possible candidates can both be skilled in Oracle, however, the first candidate may have implemented Oracle in five different corporations while the other candidate has only implemented it once. In a job market with limited resources and budgets, recruiting firms have the resources to find IT gurus that will bring fresh, new ideas to any type of corporation. As we all know, new ideas are crucial to survive in competitive markets. With all of the bonuses of using recruiting firms and contracted IT specialists this different way of hiring seems to be the new wave of the future. Change after all is inevitable, especially in the IT field. A motto I have learned to live by in my field was stated by Jim Collins in his book Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, where Collins stated, “To be built to last, you must be built to change” (Collins, 142). Establishing Yourself as a Technology Expert, Lara August, Robot CreativeCharge higher rates, get you cited by the media and attract both top notch clients and top notch employees. While it doesn't hurt to have a PhD and inventions to your credit, those are not requirements for becoming known as an expert in your field. Achieving rock star status among your peers is a long road, but even the greatest stars started somewhere. Here are a few ways you can begin. Get involved in Trade Organizations Most trade organizations rely on volunteers. Because they are always in need of help, you will have ample opportunity to get your foot in the door. If you can demonstrate leadership, knowledge and follow-through, you will move up the ranks quickly. Programming committees can be great places to get to know other experts (the speakers), call on sponsors and mingle with prospective customers. As you become more involved in the organization, you will learn more about how it's run, how decisions get made and how you can carve out your own niche. A seat on a board which helps set policy, regulation or standards for your industry would be the ultimate goal. Publish Articles and White Papers The written word is a lasting resource. Writing can educate prospects, customers and referral sources as to your products, services and philosophies before they ever meet you. As you and your company become more clearly positioned, the sales process becomes easier. There are dozens of different opportunities to contribute articles, including: newsletters, magazines and newspapers. These may be on- or off-line, local or international, paid or unpaid, long or short articles. One thing that all publications have in common is their continual need for new, fresh content. It can be easier than you might think to get your work published. Just contact the editor and ask if they accept submissions. Tie your ideas into their editorial calendar, and be ready to pitch 2-3 ideas that you think would be a good fit for their publication. Even if you can't write well, you can hire a ghost writer or editor to put the necessary polish on your thoughts and ideas. If a full length article seems daunting, turn to social media, which has made publication extremely simple. You can start a blog or become a regular contributor to someone else's. Wherever you decide to publish, make sure that you retain the copyright permission on your work and that you can use it in self-promotion. If you aren't allowed to reprint your work, it may have limited value. Actively Seek Speaking Engagements Speaking provides all of the same benefits as writing to position you and your company. But one of the most valuable aspects to speaking is the promotion of the event. Announcements, advertisements and invitations generally make several impressions on an audience in the time period leading up to the speaking gig, and if you have a catchy topic and well written biography, that advertising is invaluable, regardless of how many people actually show up to the event. If you can speak well in front of a group, you can become an automatic expert on your topic. You have the opportunity to dazzle a room full of people who are not comfortable speaking in front of an audience themselves. If speaking in front of a large group seems a little intimidating, begin with a panel discussion or small roundtable session. Also consider joining Toastmasters, which has a great program to help aspiring speakers build confidence and presentation skills. As you speak, gather testimonials and keep track of your experiences so that you can build a professional speaking resume and begin to ask for compensation for your speaking. Once you are on the paid speakers' tract, your speaking talents will be as important as your subject matter. Conduct Research Studies Nothing establishes expertise in an area better than having access to data that others don't. The people with the most in-depth knowledge get sought out for speaking, writing, opinions and contributions. The more unique and deep the information you posses, the further up the expert ladder you will rise. This generally means conducting your own research study. First, look inside your own business and determine whether or not you already have access to compelling data for your industry. If not, consider working within a trade organization or partnering with a publication to conduct the study. Partnering can help provide increased visibility and promotion of the data once the study is complete. Many trade publications also offer "Advertorials", which are articles that you pay to have published. Whatever expert route you decide to take, make sure you do a critical self-assessment to determine your strengths and weaknesses. Mom may love everything you write, but your audience will be more discriminating. Also remember that self-promotion is a critical component. Use every opportunity to shout your message far and wide. And make sure you approve everything that goes out to help maintain a consistent message and identity. You may not wind up with a fan club and groupies, but you might become the person everyone calls for answers to certain questions. © Copyright 2007 Lara August. All rights reserved worldwide. IT focus on Breakthrough Technologies
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