Week 5 – No tool, a tool, the right tool!

There are 100s of modernization tools in the market today, with more launching every week. In such a crowded field, how do you make sure you pick the right one??

Step #1 Define what you are trying to accomplish. This sounds like a logical first step, but you will be surprised how many organizations start evaluating tools with only a vague idea of what is needed. I have even seen organizations that have no objective, no scope, and no plan. They have spent years in a project going in circles, until someone has the great idea to suggest using a tool. The project is paused, and an evaluation cycle begins to look at some of the most promising tools in the market.?

I am the first proponent of being informed; in a crowded market it pays to understand what options are available for what. But going back to our hammer example, you need to put things in context to understand the options and choose the right one. Let us further explore the scenario where we need to hammer a nail, how many of you have tried to hammer a nail with your fist? Is it really that ridiculous? I have seen it done firsthand, when hanging a picture on dry wall, depending on the nail and the drywall, it might be feasible to do it. Even if it is feasible, is it advisable? What is the opportunity cost of going to the toolbox for a hammer vs the potential benefit/speed/quality of trying to do it with your fingers???A pro will always use the right tool - from their carefully curated set of tools - most likely already on their belt; an amateur will try to use whatever is easiest without fully understanding the implications and potentially paying a much bigger price later.?

Going back to our organizational example, the demos go great, the people get excited, they want to bring the tool in house. Management approves it, procurement buys the tool, engineering installs it. Everything is ready to go and then… someone asks the big questions: how will using the tool change the project plan? How will the tool productivity be reflected in the timeline; how much earlier will the business case be achieved it???I have seen half the tools being abandoned at this point, better cut your losses, and say that the tool did not work rather than facing the reality of the situation. So how to avoid this?

Step #2, Clearly articulate how the tool will support/align/enhance the goal & objectives to accomplish and answer these questions during the evaluation process. If possible, plan a couple of steps ahead and visualize how things will work differently once the tool is installed. Ask the vendors to articulate the tool output and your team to present back to you how they utilize the output in their daily activities. Ask your team to do scenario planning and consider the different paths the project could take (e.g., with and without the tool).?

Re-usability also comes at play, it is a lot easier to go through the effort of learning how to properly use a tool if you are conscious you will continue to require the tool for multiple projects to come rather than just a one-off exercise.

Step #3, Make sure you have a viable training plan for your team to get certified. Numerous studies point out that well trained and certified teams have less failures and significantly more productivity than inexperienced teams using tools for the first time. Motivate your teams to learn and pass external (ideally proctored) certification tests that can fully demonstrate mastery of the concepts as well as practical experience (you definitively don’t want them learning in the production environments).?

Step #4, validate the tool ecosystem. Given the specialized nature of tools today, most of them leveraged an integrated ecosystem of vendors that work well together to accomplish a particular task. Compatibility guidelines are a good reference to understand if you will be able to plug the new tool as part of your processes and will have the appropriate fit without the need for significant rearchitected or re-engineering.

And last, but not least, Step #5 Leverage a partner. Some modernization problems are highly complex and require industry & technology experience. There is nothing like having the confidence that you are speaking with someone who has been there, done that, and can help you avoid the most common (and uncommon) mistakes.?

Revisiting our hammer example one last time, do you know that there are at least three types of hammers (claw, ball pen and club), and there are probably more than 100 different models sold across multiple stores. Further, how do you know if you even need a hammer? If the project is large and complex, you might be better off with a nail gun.