Of course your systems restrict innovation
/Of course your systems restrict innovation - that's how you built them.
Anticipation is the key to flexibility.
Businesses run on transactions. We find a customer, strike a deal, deliver the goods and get paid. Day in, day out.
Business systems are the embodiment of the rules we define. Ways that we want the business to handle these transactions. The steps required to complete specific processes. Rule books are drawn up, and technology may be used to provide tools to help everybody follow those rules. The technology is useful if it enables scale, quality, efficiency and knowledge.
That's great as long as we get the rules right.
But things change. We learn better ways, create new products that require different transactions and processes. Customers demand something different. Maybe we need to raise the bar on our competitors. We often refer to this change work as "innovation" - designing new rules, then changing the technology to support those new rules.
The fewer rules, the more flexibility. But less control, and less scalability.
For this innovation to happen at a pace and cost that is viable for our business, we have to anticipate the need for flexibility. The challenge arises when the system becomes an impediment to change. If the innovation requires expensive modifications, we're less inclined to try it.
If the "system doesn't let us do this", it's worth remembering that can only be for one of three reasons:
The need for "this" was never foreseen.
"This" was foreseen and prohibited, for whatever reason was right at the time.
"This" was foreseen but did not make the priority list for implementation.
How much flexibility do you need?
Does your business benefit more from rigid processes or the flexibility for change?
Are your current systems designed to constrain or enable flexibility?
On balance, is your system enabling your business or slowing it down?
What changes do you need to make?
Trusting Technology is a book about forming ideas, exploring opportunities with customers and colleagues, and building your future together. Order you copy here . This article is also available in hardcopy as part of my 10-minute Reflections series of exercises—order volume 1 here and volume 2 here.