Discussion

By Adam Witek on Oct 07, 2020

Great article Jen. Very wise input.

By Robert Godwin on Oct 10, 2020

Jen,

Your viewpoint and advice are derived from practical experience. The issues you raise are so basic, so important, that they often do not get the level of attention required for a good decision. Barry Schwartz's essay on the Paradox of Choice parallels the hurdles software implementation presents. As any software architect will tell you they can build anything, but:

1. How much of what you want NEEDS to be done

2. How much time can realistically be spent developing the solution before the solution itself is outdated

3. The software performs thousands of processes, which three do you actually need.

The choices an implementation presents are most often an elimination task rather than a selection process. The Paradox of Choice suggests more choice leads to more confusion, and ultimately fatigue. That is the fail point. Take the time allotted but don't get lost in the process. Software is never done, and perfect is the enemy of good.

By Jennifer Matt on Oct 11, 2020

Robert,

The first sentence if your comment makes me laugh and then makes me really think about something that has been so pivotal to me in this industry. I ONLY offer advice from real life experiences that I personally experience. My company works with printers daily to solve challenges with software and every single day a new "topic" rears its head and makes me go "I bet others are struggling with this too."

My advice only resonates if you embrace reality; this digital transition of your business is nothing like how it's sold; there is no easy button. For those print businesses who truly undertake it - they have a TRUE differentiation which cannot be matched simply by buying the software they have or hiring someone from their team. The hard work of making all these decisions is a true competitive advantage.