Process before technology

A rant against edicts (and idiots)

I recently posted a rant on LinkedIn about a story I saw on the BBC News Site. At the time of writing, my post has been viewed 692 times. The reason for my irritation? The story purports to be about technology, but in fact, it’s about a political idiot issuing a political edict for purely political gains.

The story is about the use of Fax machines within the NHS and the Secretary of State’s instruction that they should be replaced with ‘new technology’.

Brilliant!  I’m all in favour of new technology – that’s how I’ve made my living for the last 34-years. Except this decision is stupid. And here’s why.

Picture - Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health
Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, Secretary of State for Health, is (in my opinion) ditching fax machines without understanding how they are used.

Half the story

The Secretary of State (Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP) is reacting to half information. He doesn’t know what these fax machines are doing or being used for. He just wants them thrown away and replaced with something new.

He isn’t aware (for example) that they were used as an emergency back-up by the Blood Transfusion Service during the WannaCry cyber attack on the NHS in 2017. He doesn’t know how simple it is to transfer hand-written notes between hospitals and locations compared to a computerised ‘scanning’ system. He hasn’t thought about how quickly a fax machine can transfer information between two teams working with systems that are not compatible or not fully integrated. He has forgotten that in the NHS, staff are massively over-burdened with work and need a simple, reliable solution, or that time savings can be measured in lives.

And for those reasons, he doesn’t know what they should be replaced with. He just knows they are old technology and is embarrassed that the NHS is the UK’s biggest user of fax machines. And he has therefore added in a vote-driven rush yet another example of half-baked government stupidity that will implement unnecessary technology badly.

Process before technology

I’ve been writing case studies and articles about technology for 26-years. Coupled with my experience as a technician and technical author, it is obvious to me that technology in itself has never ever made anything better and never once improved someone’s life. But what DOES make things better is the way that technology is used and applied to specific problems.

In other words, analyse the problem, design a solution for that problem and THEN go out an look for technology that will help you implement that solution.

Computers came about because people were trying to solve specific problems. Later, various types of computer application came about because there was a problem that could be solved in a way that a more generalised computer could enable. But none of them came about because of the computer itself. The same applies to telecommunications. And to digital printing and scanning. And even to the fax machine.

And this is exactly the case in the day-to-day operations of the NHS. Fax machines were introduced to solve a problem that already existed. So if the Secretary of State wishes to replace them he should first find out what they are used for and what can solve that problem as simply and elegantly.

I would be very interested to hear what you think about this story, this issue, or even this Secretary of State for Health. Please contact us via email to chris@precisionpr.co.uk or call 07432 189 149.

Evaluating new technology

Photo - IBM 5150 PC

Good afternoon – I’d like to buy a computer:

How should dental practices weigh up cost and performance when investing in new technology? Always a tricky question, but here’s how I would do it.

Why do you need to invest in technology?

Because something takes too much time or resources, costs money or doesn’t make enough money. Alternatively, a 3rd-party (the NHS) mandates a technology.

Work out the problem you need to solve, then you can work out the return needed on your investment.

What are you going to buy?

Examine constraints, such as:

  • Will the new technology work with your existing equipment, systems and processes?
  • Will it cause compatibility problems that will require further investment?
  • What external systems does it need to work, and what standards should it meet?
  • What is actually available and where can you find information about possible solutions?

 

Where are you going to put it?

  • Do you have space and services (power, water, cooling) the technology needs?
  • If it is a portable device, can it be stored safely and securely?
  • Where are the suppliers and installers based, and can they provide a good standard of support from that location?

 

When will you install this new technology?

  • Does that date allow for any special training you or your team need?
  • Will your facilities be ready by then?
  • Can the supplier guarantee delivery and completion dates (so you can manage your appointment book)
  • When will you need to pay for this new technology?
  • Length of warranty and support contract?

 

How are you going to choose?

  • Draw up a list of questions and organise them into ones for you to answer, ones for the supplier, and ones that require collaboration.
  • Ask colleagues and friends if they can make recommendations of suppliers who can solve the business problem you identified.
  • Research the names recommended to you, but also find alternatives.
  • Remember – the biggest supplier doesn’t always have the best product, service or deal for you.
  • Select about six suppliers – call them and discuss all your questions with them.
  • Invite three of them to submit a quote.
  • Go back to the top of the page and check that the solution solves your initial problem.

 

Congratulations. You are now able to choose.

Getting digital marketing right

Don’t shout – whisper

Digital PR and marketing apparently provide businesses with some distinct advantages over traditional methods. People will tell you that you can reach a bigger audience. Well, you sort of can, sometimes. But traditional media still has a massive reach.

They will also tell you that, you can more easily reach a better-targeted audience. Well, that’s true also true to an extent. But trade papers are by definition, read by people in the trade, and local papers by people who are local. So so don’t dismiss them as a targetted communications channel.

However, the biggest advantage of digital PR and marketing is ‘trackability’. They allow you to easily find out who you’ve reached and what effect your message has had. And this is the point.

Many people spend a great deal of time and money gathering data about who has seen their online marketing efforts. Some will then spend further time trying to work out what this means. However, the real key to success with digital marketing is continuously responding to the data to build your reputation and improve your marketing activities.

What to do

Tailoring your message to match the market is really difficult. It is too easy to believe that your vision is perfect and become so invested in it that you cannot make adjustments. You can have the best product in the world, but if your audience doesn’t understand what they will gain from buying it, then they won’t.

Success comes from cutting through the noise with a message that addresses the needs of the individual. So if your message doesn’t mean something to that individual it’s just part of the noise.

Let’s face it, you don’t really care if your competitor on the other side of town has a beautifully designed website. What you care about is getting more new customers or patients, and existing ones spending more money with you for premium services.

So work out what you need to do to let people know why they should trust you. In other words, what do they want to hear from you?

Show people that you are the expert in your field. That doesn’t mean just telling them – it means giving them reasons to believe. In other words, tell them something they will find useful.

Show them that you care passionately about your industry and profession. Let them see that you have pride in your work. In other words, demonstrate meaningful innovation and understanding of new developments.

Show them that you care about them. Focus on their needs and look at your business from their perspective. In other words, think how you would react to your message if they were sent to you by a competitor.

Show them others who you have carried out work for. Let them identify with those people and see that you are the right choice for them as well. In other words, put emphasis on testimonials and case studies that explain what you deliver.

And above all, don’t ‘sell’ to them. Digital marketing lets you cut to the sale so easily. But resist the temptation – give them space and time to ‘buy’ from you. In other words, people will only become happy customers or patients if they see real value in the products and services you offer.

In a world of shouting, the clearest sound is sometimes a whisper.