Investments in infrastructure are expensive. For the most part, technical infrastructure especially and the changes that need to be made from time to time, are seen as a burden; an unnecessary evil; to a certain extent, they are unnecessary.
This has little to do with the fact that changes need to be made, but the fact that most companies do not invest in the teams and resources who continuously work on process optimization, product development and infrastructure.
Fact of the matter is, most companies see infrastructure investments as one off cost. When projects are “priced” (budgeted), maintenance cost are including in the planning, but development resources are barely taken into account.
Continuous development can save money
When iterative changes are made, improvement cost are more manageable. When it is time to change the legacy website, POS- or ERP-system, odds are it will be a big effort to: do a proper inventory of the status quo, document the necessary changes, evaluate solutions, possibly implement brand new systems and tools, as well as the need to train employees on the new environment(s).
Incremental changes, can not only lower the cost of legacy-infrastructure development, but also have a positive effect on the way change is perceived within the organization. When change and development are (a regular) constant within a company, employees tend to be more open to working with new tools.
In our experience, a constant investment in optimization (help employees work more effectively) is perceived to be something positive. It allows a worker to question his or her own ways of working and what they have at there disposal to do a good job.
Embrace infrastructure development as an organization
Large organizations, such as a Daimler or BMW, have in-house consultants who do nothing else than support the employees in their daily doing. As an organization becomes more complex, the need for consolidation of tools, keep the interdependencies between systems efficient and the amount of legacy systems low, grows.
However, smaller companies and teams can benefit even more greatly from continuous investments in change. Legacy systems exist more frequently, when change is seen as “a bad thing”, within an organization.
Companies in which c-suite management communicate openly, that personal development and the improvement of tools go hand in hand, run a lower risk of burdening the organization with legacy systems.
Hence, it is important to plan ahead and create a budget long term development of resources who work alongside the teams to improve the environment they work in. These resources are an investment in the future, an investment in a healthy and flexible organization; one that is open to criticism and development. An organization that is open to change and personal development.
If you would like to take a close look the state of your organization and “future proof” your teams, feel free to reach out to us using the contact form.
