May 2022

Are your tech problems really tech problems?

Are your tech problems really tech problems? RfM Transform’s Lead Digital consultant, Mark Thwaite, explains why the solution to your tech problems probably isn’t the obvious one.

Many small businesses are faced with the same "tech problems" or, better, problems which look like they need a technical solution.

But what if the solution to your tech problem isn’t actually a technical solution at all?

It’s over 25 years since computers became ubiquitous. And, these days, finding someone in business who doesn’t have a smartphone is pretty much impossible.

Over the course of the last couple of decades, business has been offered countless different hardware and software ‘solutions’ to all the daily challenges they face.

While it feels impossible to do business without any of these solutions (imagine your working life without desktops and laptops, tablets, smartphones, email, spreadsheets, databases and CRMs, websites or Social media) it also feels like many of these solutions are now becoming problems in their own right.

When once they simplified, now they bring complexity. When once they saved time, now they take ages to maintain. When once they were secure, now they bring security risks. Tech doesn’t solve headaches, it brings them on.

Over the years, when one solution has been found wanting, another solution has been added into the mix. Alas, none of the solutions work well together; so the dream of a paperless office remains unrealised and previous piecemeal tech implementation prevents effective new solutions from being adopted. The idea was sleek, digital success; the reality is Heath Robinson!

It's time to think about tech differently

Digital and tech are not ends in themselves, they are simply tools. Tools that can automate processes and improve workflows, reduce paper, increase efficiency.

Tools that will only work for your business if you have a clear goal.

If we were all starting from scratch, we’d know what to do: first, be clear about what you want to achieve; then, secondly, the right tech solutions will follow.

The sad reality is that, after twenty years of digital, businesses find themselves stuck with legacy systems: partial take-up of conflicting systems that do some things well but don’t offer an wholistic solution. All this leads to inertia.

When previously a company might have been bullish about digital, now they fear change. They fear a new solution will just add more complexity. They are afraid the fix will be worse than the current problem.

So what’s the solution, if not more tech?

We don’t call ourselves technologists. We don’t think all solutions come out of a box.

We understand processes, we fix workflows, we work closely with clients to understand their culture, their pain points, their capacity… and only then will be able to help them find the right tech solution.

If you’re tech is in a mess, or your digital is getting you down, speak to a digital expert who speaks the language of business.

Transform Digital Technology
Make the most of digital technology

RfM’s digital transformation experts are only interested in one thing: helping your business to grow and prosper through the best use of digital technology. They will do this by giving you the answers to the questions you should be asking: