One size does not fit all
While an information strategy leverages all of the same components for each client, it is not a cookie-cutter approach. All clients have different needs based on their strategic vision and business processes. They also have core technology stacks that should be leveraged when possible. We feel that it is critical to focus on the client’s needs and not with what their vendors may be pushing as the next hot technology. There are times that it makes sense to be on the cutting or bleeding edge but fundamentally that is driven by a true business need and not just a change in technology.
We have spent many years fixing or replacing solutions implemented by other system integrators that fundamentally did not work for the client. Many of these failed solutions were based on the previous vendors’ standard approach that was easy for the vendor to implement, but did not meet the short or long term needs for the client. The clients struggled to understand why the solution did not work because they did not have the in-house knowledge or experience that was required to drive the solution in the right direction.
It is paramount when looking for an information strategy and solution, that you really understand why it works for your organization. Some solutions come as part of your enterprise resource planning (ERP) tool suite. There are benefits to this approach. If you have very little customization and the ERP solution runs your entire business, this is typical for most clients that we work with. These integrated solutions can clearly play a key role in part of your information strategy but it is important to recognize that they are generally not a solution in themselves.