New Technology; Old Infrastructure
Organizations gain the most growth by mergers and acquisitions, which generally mean new systems and processes emerge with every new company acquired. The actual merging of companies can be overwhelming from an infrastructure perspective, but the benefits of streamlining process usually pays out. That being said, arguing the benefits of replacing systems for the sake of new technology is a bit tougher. The payoff is longer-term and with projections, comes uncertainty.
Sometimes an organization can implement large infrastructure changes, but a lot of benefits can come from small changes and challenging the status quo. As a part of the LOFT: Lab of Forward Thinking at John Hancock, we have the opportunity to test new technology and determine the viability of implementing in core infrastructure. Here are some of the key learnings I’ve found, when thinking of this integration:
Test everything; Implement some
At the LOFT, there is nothing we won’t play with, test, or explore. You never know what will add value until you get a better understanding of what the tech is. The output of the test doesn’t have to be binary: you can trash it, implement it, or shelf it. Some tech may be more interesting or viable in six months and that’s an okay result. There is no sense fitting a round peg in a square hole, because the learnings can be just as important as the final product.
Note: Be careful not to get stuck in a never ending test! Make sure to set boundaries — the easiest one is time. If you have not proved it is worth integrating in X weeks, then it’s not worth integrating.
Shortest path
Once the decision has been made to implement something new, start to imagine the multiple paths to do that. With large organizations, there are multiple ways to get the same result (for instance using a database view or building an API). If you list all your options, you can start to assign time estimates and development efforts. You may even be able to trim unnecessary components.
Note: When taking shortcuts, make sure to keep track of the technical debt for later improvements.
Path of least resistance
Every organization has hurdles and road blocks; some of these are completely validated, while others are antiquated. It is important to make these distinctions and determine how to get around them or work through them. Tasks that cannot be managed within the team tend to take exponentially longer because you are adding an element that is out of your control. If something takes particularly long and seems outdated, raise it as an issue and the proper authorities may help remove it in the future.
Pick your battles
“Sometimes you have to concede the battle to win the war.” Whether or not a blocker is justified can become a matter of opinion and not everything is worth fighting over. Spending time emailing back and forth about one topic can become a waste. The simplest debates can wear down relationships and disrupt credibility over time.
Most importantly: Document
All processes can be improved in hindsight and retrospective, but it can be hard to remember the struggles and the triumphs once complete. If you keep a running tally, it will be easier to point out what went well so you can amplify that next time and remember what can be improved.
Large change can be time-consuming and resource-heavy to implement, but if you focus on small incremental changes over time, there will be a big difference. When you try to make changes, there is also the secondary benefit of process improvement and challenging the status quo. It is never a valid excuse to say, “that is not how we do it here,” or “this is how we have always done it.” Try new things and make a difference in your organization.
Have you implemented something new in your organization? How did it go and what did you learn?
