As easy as changing a baby's bottom
4 February, 2003
This is my first full week back at work. For the past year, the biggest decision I've had to make is what brand of nappies to buy. Now I'm being asked to advise on how we can best leverage on existing LDAP and XML initiatives to meet some strategic business objectives.
You might think this sort of work requires a major leap in thinking from being a stay-at-home mum. You might assume that you need a lot of skills and experience in the business world to do this job. But you'd actually be wrong. Because when it comes down to it, any reasonably intelligent mother could manage a technology implementation project. You just need to know how to speak the language.
Allow me to use nappy changing as a metaphor, where the baby is the organisation and the nappy is any technology solution of your choice.
First, we ask — What is the business need? Is there a business need? Well, in this case, sure there is. If we don't have a nappy then there's shit everywhere, which we have to clean up over and over again. So, the business driver, if you will, is to contain the shit.
Then we ask — What are the minimum functional requirements? What does this nappy need to be able to do to meet that business need? Obviously, at a minimum it needs to contain and absorb. What are the must-haves, and the would-be-nice features? Do we really need a 3-Layer Design or a Breathe Dry Cover? Are stretchy grip tabs essential? [yes they are essential — Mike, a key stakeholder who does most of the nappy changing around here]
Once we've identified our requirements, then we look at the range of nappy solutions. There are, of course, cloth nappies. And then there are the Big Two in the market place — Huggies and Treasures. And there are a range of lesser-known products. All do essentially the same thing, but with some variation. Do we even need a nappy? Could we use, for instance, the handheld Dust Buster that we already own? Would that do the job? Probably not.
Then we do a little cost benefit analysis of the different solutions. Treasures cost more, but Huggies don't fit quite as well. We need to look at the capital investment, the return on that investment, and the fit with requirements. We need to look at the longer term — perhaps the baby is at the right stage in its development to consider upscaling to the enterprise version — the toilet. The initial outlay in training pants, underpants, and staff resources may be quite high, but the overall management costs will be significantly lower in the longer term.
So, after all that analysis, we've chosen a solution that meets our needs. Now what? Well now comes the hard part. Now we've got to wrap that nappy around that baby's ass. The baby is very focused but uncoordinated. Its various parts are squirming all over the place. Its left hand doesn't know what its right hand is doing. All the different parts want different things, with very little central control. Getting a new nappy around this baby is not as easy as it might seem. There will be lots of gnashing of teeth and complaining in the process, but hopefully the end result will produce a happier baby.
This stage is where good implementation skills are crucial. These include, but are not limited to:
- Good governance structures — everyone knows who's in charge here.
- Good risk management — what happens if the baby moves?
- Good communication skills — reassuring the baby.
- Good resource management — do we need a bum wiper as well, and how long do we need the bum wiper for?
- Good project management — is the nappy being changed on time and to budget?
- A good post-implementation review — does the nappy do the job now that it's on? Could we have done it better?
So, you see, don't be put off by your lack of obvious experience. You could take this model, and swan into just about any technology implementation project, and you'd be doing just as well if not better than the big hotshot consultants that get wheeled in and paid exorbitant amounts of money. In fact, you probably could become one of those big hotshot consultants.
Hmmm... now there's an idea.
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