Purposely Disorganized - The Advantage of Fluid Organizations Amidst the AI Revolution

As a practitioner of Kaizen, streamlining operations, simplifying workflows and automate processes to reduce waste, errors and improve performance is an always on mindset.? Unfortunately, I've become somewhat allergic to new technology or software tools perhaps from my experience as an IT consultant sorting through my customer's tech debt all day.

I try to remind and humble myself by saying, Stephen, you are running a straightforward business when you consider that in comparison to the complexity of a software development company, healthcare provider or manufacturing business for example.? ?You are not Elon Musk and this is not Tesla or Space X.

Even still, there is no shortage of alluring applications to choose from for even the leanest of businesses like mine.? We all strive for efficiency and want to make our lives easier and businesses operator smoother.? But at what cost was always the question I would ask myself before choosing to adopt a new platform.? Am I really going to need Salesforce to remember to call my customers once a month or can I push the limits of outlook or excel to create a system of reminders? Do I need to use Slack in addition to Outlook and text and should I integrate a project management tool as well to keep track of service delivery and implementation milestones or can I create a tracker in excel and use a standard form punchlist?

The way I look at my business is like a circuit breaker.? Every time we accept a new tool or integration, we add complexity and the possibility of blowing a fuse.? I was heavily influenced by some of the concepts in a book called “Rework” which is a series of essays or learnings from a software development company called 37 Signals.? In a nutshell it cautions business operators from overcomplicating things for the sake of appearing sophisticated, automated or streamlined.? Another strong influence came from a book called “The Toyota Way” which explained the philosophy of Kaizen as it applied to a manufacturing facility or assembly line which I’ve written about in previous articles.? In short Kaizen is the process of continuous improvement through small incremental change across all levels of the organization.

So, at EvoStream I chose to simplify—favoring tools like Evernote and Microsoft Excel over more structured alternatives. Our philosophy? Keep it uncomplicated, ensuring that our operations remain agile and adaptable without succumbing to or burdening employees with the often-overwhelming nature of complex systems.

At our core, we prioritize straightforward, effective solutions. By utilizing basic tools and maintaining clear, concise standard operating procedures (SOPs), we've fostered an environment that thrives on minimalism and efficiency. Instead of navigating through the myriad of features that sophisticated tools offer, we employ free-form punch lists and intuitive logic trees in our file storage systems. This approach not only makes our workflow more direct but also enhances our team's ability to adapt quickly to changes and challenges.

Incorporating Kaizen principles, we focus on continuous improvement and value iterative processes over the allure of 'sexy' UI/UX designs packed with bells and whistles. This methodology has proved effective in maintaining a lean operation but has not been without its challenges.

What’s the catch?? The simplicity of our systems sometimes makes certain tasks more manual and slower.? Now, this can be good and bad.? If you peel back a few layers there is meaning and enrichment that comes from doing things manually especially when it comes to fostering a culture of creativity but that is a topic for another day.? The challenge we face is that in some situations when data needs to be retrieved quickly or organized, we sacrifice flexibility for speed.? Curation, analysis and forecasting of data require some additional effort and depending upon the nature of your business this traditionally could be a deal breaker and force you to subscribe to more structured tooling.

Enter artificial intelligence and custom Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPTs). AI and machine learning are game changers for businesses like ours that operate on fluid models. Custom GPTs, in particular, are poised to revolutionize how we manage and interact with unstructured data. These technologies can automate complex data analysis, enhance decision-making, and streamline operations—all while maintaining the simplicity of our chosen tools.

Imagine a scenario where an AI seamlessly integrates with Evernote, scanning through notes and organizing them based on thematic relevance, or a custom GPT that processes Excel data to predict trends and generate reports in real-time. These advancements can significantly reduce the time spent on manual tasks, allowing our team to focus on strategic initiatives and creative solutions while maintaining our less structured approach to everyday tasks

As we look towards the future, the integration of AI and custom GPTs into our business operations seems not just advantageous, but essential. For companies like ours, these technologies promise to bolster our fluid operational models, making them even more dynamic and agile. For those who have steered clear of technological debt and embraced a simpler tech stack, the advent of AI and custom GPTs could very well be the breakthrough needed to stay competitive in a fast-paced world.

This vision of a streamlined, efficient, and tech-savvy future is not just a possibility—it's within reach, promising to transform the very fabric of how agile businesses operate. I believe digital transformation will take on new forms and the organizations that opted for fluidity and avoided unnecessary tech debt will be the best positioned to leverage AI, data science and advanced microservices that are coming.