When work isn't done, when deadlines are missed, or when processes and procedures fail, it's common for companies to look to technology for the solution. As a result, organizations spend billions of dollars implementing new computer systems, upgrading software, and creating various spreadsheets, checklists, and flow-charts. They put all their available resources into the newest technological "cure" ... only to have the same problems surface again. They have, in effect, paved the cow path-they used technology to cement a process that was ineffective to begin with.

In organizations of all sizes, IT takes the blame for many issues. But it's not always technology's fault when something goes wrong. In fact, as much as 70% of the time you're really dealing with a people issue; only 30% of challenges are truly technology related. But most managers try to avoid the people issues because they tend to be complicated. They instead turn to technology as the issue because technology is easier to deal with-they can simply buy a quick fix.

So what's the real solution? Organizations need to take a realistic, holistic view of day-to-day work if they want to build the most effective and efficient processes and systems. Unfortunately, most people operate within silos of the organizational structure, and when challenges occur, they don't look past their own vantage point. For example, suppose the challenge is that shipping is always late. The natural tendency is to look at the shipping department to uncover the problem. Managers then start tweaking processes in the shipping department, upgrading computers, and doing more training. They bring in Six Sigma consultants to study the shipping department to the minutest level. But the problem persists.

Taking a holistic view means pulling back the lens and looking at the organization as a whole. It's about seeing how each department interacts with and affects each other. When you do this and look at how work flows from the time the salesperson first talks to the customer to the time the product ships, you may well find that the salespeople are making some unrealistic promises. In other words, you often discover that the problem in shipping has nothing to do with shipping. The real problem lies somewhere else in the organization, and what you're observing is merely a symptom of the underlying issue.

The bottom line is that bad processes and systems breed day-to-day problems between people and departments-problems that technology simply can't fix. So if you're ready to stop spending so much money on technology fixes only to have the same core business challenges remain unsolved, it's time to consider a new approach to organizational problem solving that puts people first. The following guidelines will help.

Ditch the organizational chart.
Rather than view the company in terms of an organizational chart, which doesn't accurately show how work gets done, think of work in terms of a network or web of people coordinating, communicating, counting on, and committing to each other with the shared goal of the larger organization. Why is this important? Because all work happens as a result of someone having a need and someone else promising to fulfill that need. In effect, work is about people making and keeping commitments to each other. People, trust, ingenuity, and dedication produce the results. Therefore, seeing the connections between departments and how work really flows will help everyone understand the big picture.

When designing processes and workflow, focus on the coordination of relationships and day-to-day interactions.
Rather than ask department managers how they would create a process, ask the people doing the work about what they experience and how they think the process should be developed. This is especially important when the interaction is across departments, divisions, or organizations. For example, you may find that two departments who depend on each other are being measured on different things in the workflow, which is why work is late or isn't done. One department may be measured and focused on controlling costs, while another has no idea of costs and is measured and focused on quick delivery. No wonder one department gets frustrated at the other for overspending, while the big spender wonders why the other department triple checks every penny and slows down the process. However, when people know these things they can work out a solution. Therefore, it's imperative that you get people aligned by having them communicate about what each wants, what they're measured on, what their expectations are, etc. This is the best way to get all levels of employees organizationally focused rather than just departmentally focused.

Consider the holistic set of issues discovered and sort out what people issues need to be resolved first, what other organizational steps it would take to make significant improvements, and what technology will really fix. You'll find that implementing technology comes much later in the process and should not be a first step to resolving challenges. That's because any technology you implement should be shaped to support the people in the work you're asking them to do. Creating new technological solutions based on past things the company did (i.e.: "How we've always done it") is simply paving the cow path-it's paving over a meandering, ineffective, wasteful process that causes people to fight and be miserable. Additionally, you'll often find that when you clear up the people issues, the technology issues go away because people are finally able to work effectively. Ultimately, any technology you implement should not be a bandage; rather, it needs to have the processes, functionality, and systems to best support people in the work they do.

Align Your Technology with Your People
Ask yourself, "What am I doing to meet the goals and initiatives of the company?" From a holistic view, you should know that about everyone, from the newest frontline worker to the CEO. How is each person contributing? Unfortunately, most people aren't clear about that and don't see how they connect with or contribute to the organization. But when you bring everyone to the conversation, you can see where people are having problems with business processes, and you can get to the root of the challenge and eliminate it for good.

Getting this holistic view is the unexplored sweet spot to discover both savings and improvement. It's also a key communication and decision-making tool, one that connects both leaders and technology creators to the reality of day-to-day work, at the right level of digestible information for decision-making and action.

Ultimately, when you implement these suggestions, you gain clarity, transparency, decreased costs in all phases of the IT lifecycle, and increased savings through improvements. It's the best way to create an organization where the technology supports people and more directly impacts the overall mission ... and the bottom line.