Comment Re:Create a business plan (Score 2, Insightful) 408
I agree with the parent; if you can take some time to put together a business plan, you are more than halfway there. Some suggestions to help you along the way:
* Identify a "champion" in upper management and work together to get approval for the plan. If you don't have a higher-up who thinks what you are doing is worthwhile, you will continue to be a voice in the wilderness.
* Tie your project to a pain point. You and your champion need to identify something that's bothering the CEO and CFO, and figure out how to fix it. Most CxOs don't care if the receptionist's PC is running Windows 95 and takes more time for you to fix it. They will care if you can accelerate revenue (ship product faster) or reduce expenses (reduce time inventory sits in the warehouse).
* An alternative is to improve the decision-making ability: deliver more accurate information or deliver information faster. This gives a business the basis for a competitive advantage.
* Start small. Keep your project's scope simple and discrete. Grand plans to integrate systems don't fly; things to eliminate redundancy or repetitive data entry work better (wireless inventory updates from the warehouse, for example).
It's tough to see this situation when you are a person who cares about the job they do, can see how to improve the network, and yet can't get the initiatives approved. As others have pointed out, you may be working for a company that is a late traditionalist / very late adopter. If they think things are running "good enough" they will resist change in spite of evidence to the contrary.
In that case, go to where your years of experience are appreciated. Get your resume together and get another job.
* Identify a "champion" in upper management and work together to get approval for the plan. If you don't have a higher-up who thinks what you are doing is worthwhile, you will continue to be a voice in the wilderness.
* Tie your project to a pain point. You and your champion need to identify something that's bothering the CEO and CFO, and figure out how to fix it. Most CxOs don't care if the receptionist's PC is running Windows 95 and takes more time for you to fix it. They will care if you can accelerate revenue (ship product faster) or reduce expenses (reduce time inventory sits in the warehouse).
* An alternative is to improve the decision-making ability: deliver more accurate information or deliver information faster. This gives a business the basis for a competitive advantage.
* Start small. Keep your project's scope simple and discrete. Grand plans to integrate systems don't fly; things to eliminate redundancy or repetitive data entry work better (wireless inventory updates from the warehouse, for example).
It's tough to see this situation when you are a person who cares about the job they do, can see how to improve the network, and yet can't get the initiatives approved. As others have pointed out, you may be working for a company that is a late traditionalist / very late adopter. If they think things are running "good enough" they will resist change in spite of evidence to the contrary.
In that case, go to where your years of experience are appreciated. Get your resume together and get another job.
