I’m sure at least a few people already think this is crazy, especially in light of the 45-60 days of disruption, but hear me out…innovation isn’t for everyone! Tag lines about “constantly innovating” and “innovation in every delivery” are great for sales and marketing, but how many organizations are actually ready for it to happen within their walls? Let me be clear, I’m not saying that every engagement shouldn’t bring significant value to the company, as a matter of fact that is one of my cornerstones when it comes to aligning our firm with potential clients – it has to have a great business case with a clear ROI, but what I am saying is that as a team, I encourage our consultants to bring tried and tested solutions to the table rather than “innovating” and reinventing the wheel on the customer’s dime.
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Innovation Isn't For Everyone
Chelsea Sauder • May 12, 2020
Let’s consider a couple of scenarios:
Case Study #1:
An organization needs to identify and implement a solution to reduce the number of SLA breaches on requests which are frequently submitted via a paper-based or email-based process. During their analysis, they consider a highly “innovative” approach which leverages custom development using the latest frameworks. A team member that had previously been part of a custom development project, identifies that while it allows seemingly limitless flexibility, it typically comes at a much higher cost than alternatives with additional long-term support requirements to consider. Rather than focused on being “innovative”, another team member recommends that they assess what commercially available and/or in-house tools could be "repurposed" and meet the majority of their requirements. Through that process, they uncover tools like SharePoint and the Power Platform which are extensible and will easily accommodate their core needs. This solution isn't based on a new innovation, but an innovative approach to accessible tools. As a result, rather than spending tens of thousands of dollars on a bespoke application, they can use tools and patterns that are already invested in by their organization.
Case Study #2:
A smaller organization is struggling with managing expenses which are billable to their clients. This process includes everything from the capture of the expense details, the capture of the receipt, and the assignment to the proper client. Now, these receipts come from workers in the field and have been stuffed in wallets, cup holders, pockets, and more. Looking at the ROI for automating their expense process, they identify the opportunity to save upwards of 15 working DAYS per month
from one of their administrative staff – this is certainly a project worth executing. That said, this isn’t a project where they needed a bunch of innovation to achieve significant savings. Our team has worked with numerous expense platforms, from commercial products like Expensify and Concur, to no-code/low-code platform templates. We didn’t need to help them reinvent the wheel, we instead brought our knowledge and expertise to the table to help select the right platform and implement it successfully.
In almost every department within an organization we find that process automation and/or digital transformation may be radically beneficial, but it certainly shouldn’t be confused with “innovation”. Additionally, knowing which thing you’re asking for is critical to getting the outcome that you expect. Our team works with you to elicit the details and validate the success criteria for every engagement, from a simple implementation to a complex process optimization supported by a technological enabler.
Whether you’re ready to avoid innovation or embrace it, we can help.
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