The Technosis ailment

The unseen problem affecting integration projects

by Tim Egenes

When considering the major issues facing most integration projects, one can make initial assumptions that appear to be reasonable at first. One such assumption is the customer actually comprehends (and can articulate) how he does business and therefore must know what a new system should do to support those requirements.

Upon closer examination, consistent methods and standards that define how the client conducts business do not actually exist. As a result, the description of how a new system should look and the goals it should achieve is vague and inconsistent.

The syndrome
Integration/implementation specialists frequently respond to this ill-defined set of system requirements in a manner that compounds the initial problem. By building what amounts to technological Band-Aids, we tend to mask rather than address an inherently flawed business process.

Any subsequent technological development based on the original continues to mask the basic problem, making it increasingly more difficult and unlikely that the flawed business process will ever be corrected.

The term “Technosis” was coined to describe this condition.

Technosis: tek∙no∙sis
Function: noun
Definition: The repeated act of developing and implementing technical answers as tactical solutions to problems encountered as a result of inadequate, non-existent or misunderstood business requirements.

The symptoms
Technosis often occurs due to several reasons, including lack of time, infinite capability, unarticulated vision and lack of interest.

Lack of time – These conditions persist in the business world because of a misunderstanding of time. There never seems to be enough time to review and reconstruct a flawed business process. Therefore, businesses develop methods that identify errors and/or anomalies after they have been created, and make any necessary adjustments sometime later in the process. This usually results in procedures that are complex, inefficient, time-consuming and costly, and add no apparent value to the end product.

Infinite capability – The existence of tools that allow us to create elaborate and sophisticated technical solutions in a relatively short amount of time also adds to the problem. The simple fact that we have the technology created the illusion that all problems can be solved with a technological approach. 

Unarticulated vision – In any activity that involves change, those conducting the activity must understand not only how the changes will work, but also why those changes are being made. However, in most cases, an articulated vision does not exist. Those tasked to implement changes are not necessarily required to understand the original problem; they are simply asked to develop a solution defined by someone else. Without this vision, it becomes difficult to maintain focus on the original problem, and a tactical rather than strategic solution results.

Lack of interest – The tendency of most individuals is to pursue only those things that hold more interest or are more stimulating to them. This includes the use and development of technology, which seems a more exciting activity than the mundane functions of business process review. So we continue to throw time, attention and money toward holding back the flood rather than repairing the dam. Again, the result is the continued development of technological Band-Aids for the symptoms that result from a potentially flawed business process.

The cure
Curing the problem of Technosis requires several simple steps: a review of business processes, the development of best practices and managing change control.

Business process review – Successful development of a strategic technical solution requires comprehensive review of all underlying business processes that effect or are affected by the system being implemented. This requires an exhaustive and complete review of all business processes no matter how insignificant they may appear.

More importantly, the review of these processes should be conducted with the participation of all functional organizations. A complete understanding of how any organization impacts a process cannot be obtained without the direct involvement of that organization in the review process and change control management.

Best practice development – Apply the principles of best practice development and continuously support and defend those principles. The establishment of functional requirements must be driven by these concepts. Moreover, the development of any solution must be guided by a consistent and well-founded methodology that demands that best practices be employed.

Change control management – The establishment of clear and consistent change control procedures must be imposed during the implementation process. This includes the establishment of clearly defined roles and responsibilities within the core implementation team. In addition, comprehensive business rules must be institutionalized to ensure that changes made to the system conform to the principals and objectives set down at project inception.

We develop and implement a technological system in order to produce efficient, cost-effective solutions and capitalize on opportunities. The end customer must be held accountable to support the implementation specialist in this process. The most important responsibility of the customer is to detail the fundamental requirements the system will be expected to support, including full description of the business logic they intend to follow. In parallel with that, business process documents that define the specific methods employed to accomplish that logic must be produced and agreed upon. 

Tim Egenes is a principal consultant at MRO Software, where he is responsible for the development and integration of business processes that facilitate the control of assets assembled to deliver products and services. He joined MRO Software in 1992 after more than 20 years of experience in the aircraft maintenance industry.

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