Upgrading: How to make
the Decision Easier

There's no question about the fact that choosing the right time to upgrade technology is one of the toughest decisions a manager has to face. Unlike many unenviable dilemmas in the workplace, this one touches all the bases - time, money, and personnel. A wrong decision can have lasting consequences. As I pointed out in my last column, technology is developing so rapidly that managers are often left without a choice. While the technology they recently invested in seems like "brand new," much of today's hardware and software can become obsolete after a matter of months. That's a fact of life that speaks to the current state of computer technology. How then can thoughtful managers lessen the pain of decision-making? A good place to start is to weigh the pros and cons of upgrading versus constantly repairing a fading system. Here are a few tests to help make the decision easier.

The first questions managers can ask themselves are, "What happens if we don't upgrade?" and "Are we in the best possible financial position to do it now?" These are reasonable questions and the answer might be another question: "Are we putting ourselves at a competitive disadvantage by putting off the inevitable?" Companies that want to meet the competitive marketplace on an even footing must stay current in a wide range of areas such as electronic record-keeping (a process that can reduce costs and create more operating efficiency) and internal and external networking to improve communication between the company and its employees, clients, and the marketplace-at-large.

Another test for managers is to reevaluate the amount of down-time the company has suffered, either from damage to its equipment or from over-loading it to meet increased demands. In either case, managers must ask how much frustration the company is willing to accept from unwarranted down-time and how many more visits they want from their computer repair service.

If managers can answer these questions to their satisfaction and are ready to explore the next step - upgrading, either incrementally or in a more major way -- they should be prepared for a few stumbling blocks. The first is the reaction of some of their employees, especially the ones who live by the motto, "We've never done it this way before." Upgrading computer equipment to meet current state-of-the-art standards will involve a certain amount of operational change and many employees are often slow to accept new ways of doing business. Employee discomfort isn't to be minimized, but at some point they have to be introduced to the realities of today's workplace.

Upgrading means that managers must expect to do a certain amount of training to bring employees up to speed. According to the Workforce, one of the top ten occupations in southwest Florida is clerical with advanced computer skills. The report states that employers anticipate upgrading the computer skills of current employees over the next twenty-four months, with an emphasis on keyboard skills, word processing, spreadsheets and database skills. They will also look for these skills in new applicants. Since companies have to upgrade employee skills, they may as well update the technology.

Employee reorientation is just one part of a larger plan needed to anticipate the rapid change of technology before obsolescence sets in. By carefully integrating a technology plan into their overall business plan, managers can more sensibly manage new expenses and other operational demands.

If managers can get by the first step in the process - accepting the fact that new developments in technology have a direct impact on how quickly companies must adapt in the modern information-based world - they're ready to upgrade. But having a technology plan and retraining employees are only the beginning. Managers still must make an informed decision about the right way to proceed with their upgrading plans. If the company isn't in the technology business per se, how do they know the right thing to do? In my next column I'll discuss how to keep the upgrade under control.

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