Question: We're under management pressure to
outsource application development and to cut staff, but I'd rather get more
value from our existing staff, who know our business. How can I broaden their
skills?
Our advice: We would recommend
broadening their skills in four areas:
First and easiest, make sure the team is well-trained on a really good report
writer, such as Crystal Decisions
. Better reporting and trend analysis are always great ways to leverage the
unique knowledge your people have.
Second, train a strong Web-site team. Customers don't see your sales
order-entry, inventory-control, or other "back-room" applications, so those
won't get you differentiation. Customers do see your Web site and will
judge you accordingly.
Third, train a team in collaboration. It's no longer just for forecasting.
There's collaborative planning, collaborative replenishment--even, in joint
ventures, collaborative budgeting. Big customer intimacy impacts can be gained
here with a relatively low investment.
Fourth and finally, train a team in using a good process manager. Many of the
opportunities for cost reduction internally ? and improved customer response
externally ? lie not inside your standard applications but in your human
processes before, between, and after your applications' work. (Note
that collaboration and process flow control interact very positively.)
One last suggestion:
Ask yourself whether you would lose any competitive advantage if an application
were identical to one used by your worst competitor. In fact, there's no way to
get competitive advantage from a payroll application or a general ledger
application. And so, if a generic application can be used without damage to the
business, you can buy a package or contract development to Bangalore. However,
there will be applications that provide customer services (or business
insights) that can set you apart from your competitors, and your people should
continue to drive those.
-- Wes Melling
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