Wednesday 15 August 2018

Make It Real


If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy
or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy


Rappers & musicians often spend time trying to keep it real. We all should, because before long we will be found out. When that happens, nobody feels good.

In terms of keeping it real, I am very keen in procurements we always see that too. What is sold, should be what is experienced. Why would we want anything else? Of course, consultants who just do procurements, would not see that at the sharp end of getting these things in & working.

I had a conversation recently with a good mate of mine, who has just bought a new BMW. His beef was that pretty much everyone wants metallic paint and it will always be a £650+ bolt on to the eventual cost. Spookily enough as will be ‘head up’ displays and lots of other bolt-ons.

I said, “You are lucky Mike, if you were procuring software, and that was a car, I regularly get offered models at great prices, but with only 3 wheels. We all know we need at least 4 wheels to have anything drivable, but that will be some additional hidden cost, further down the line. Just a spot of change control, we will all have to swallow. Of course, at the sale, the commercial chaps will argue until they are blue in the face, that you will be quite sound on just three wheels.

Of course we remember only one three wheeler, that one from ‘Only Fools & Horses’. Are our Social Housing suppliers touting the 21st century implementation equivalent of the Reliant Robin, in some cases?

It kind of feels like that to me when any supplier suggests that two test data conversions and a go-live one is all you will ever need, and by inference, that only has been costed in. Don’t get me wrong, but my six years plus, implementing various sites and working on that practical side recently, as well as procuring solutions, has taught me otherwise. Maybe these sales people are uninformed, deluded, mistaken or just dishonest?


Clearly, many suppliers work very differently in that respect, particularly where its necessary to keep customers, that need to go from their own legacy system to their new one. At my old shop, many years ago, it was possible to migrate a whole system in just ten days. We did it once, for over 30,000 units. If a well planned process had been engineered well enough, it would be fast, accurate and efficient. Also, honed & improved at each customer migration. No end of lessons that can be learned to speed up the process and make it smoother, better. That was my philosophy anyway.

Clearly, not improving data migration processes, in the interests of the customers, leads to dissatisfaction that soon gets around. Rather than regarding the act of staying with your existing supplier, maybe upgrading to a newer, shinier jalopy, as low risk, its actually a driver to look at whatever else might be available. If you are up for it, go where the grass is greener, rather than suffer apathy or complacency with the supplier you know.      

Of course there is more wrong with the differences between sale & implementation than that, more on that blogged about here.

If you are considering self-service, see you in October, at a new special conference

Related Post: Your software suppliers may be more charitable, than you think! 


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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

The Scorpions – Make It RealThe Scorpions – Make It Real.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


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