Top Mistakes Clients Make with Tech Suppliers and How to Fix Them

We sat down with information technology thought leader?Jim Ditmore?to discuss the top mistakes customers make with their suppliers and how to fix them. With decades worth of experience as an executive, Jim has the inside track on what suppliers and clients need to know to guarantee successful projects.

The Silver Bullet Problem

Chief among the challenges both suppliers and their customers face is the notion that there is a “silver bullet” solution. The silver bullet is the single technology solution that will solve any (and all) problems in an operation.

Be wary, Jim advises, of the vendor who promises “the next big thing” that is the answer to every question you ever had. On the client side, too, Jim cautions against being on the lookout for that elusive silver bullet that is right around the corner, able to solve every problem you ever had.

The Hype Cycle Challenge

Jim points to Gartner’s idea of the?Hype Cycle?similarly. In the “Hype Cycle”, the latest technology is often overestimated and not mature enough to adequately solve typical enterprise structural issues. While the latest technology can be applied to solve specific problems, practically speaking, in most cases, he explains, there will always be a range of issues that one technology alone cannot solve.

Why? Because medium and large organizations over time introduce technical debt, often have inadequate process discipline, or organizational culture or agenda mismatches,?resources shortages, and other issues, that together create layers of complexity that make it impossible to leverage one technology alone as a solution, enabling rapid, easy improvement.

This is why as a client, you should be wary, when consultants or vendors say “all we need to do is introduce this one piece of new technology and you will be first to market, you will immediately beat all your competitors, etc.” Falling into the hype cycle trap often leads to problems in the supplier-client relationship. And those problems threaten project success.

Read more to learn what strategic planning includes and how to avoid top mistakes that customers make with technology suppliers.