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Buying Technology: Understanding What You Need & Why You Need It. www.wisejargon.com. Would You Combine New Technology with Old Processes?. www.wisejargon.com.
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Buying Technology: Understanding What You Need & Why You Need It www.wisejargon.com
Would You Combine New Technology with Old Processes? www.wisejargon.com
Too many companies view the technology buying process as a way to buy plastic and steel connected by wires to do what they’ve always done. www.wisejargon.com
Without a Vision, the People Perish • Arbys “…is committed to deliver a ‘Cut Above’ restaurant experience to the customers.” • Answer Two Questions: • What Business Am I Really In? • Why do Customers Buy From Me? www.wisejargon.com
Define Success Vendor Choice Criteria ID Areas to Improve Armed With Answers Process to ID Products www.wisejargon.com
Technology Decision Stakeholders Finance/ Accounting CEO Sales/ Marketing Purchasing/ HR Operations/ IT www.wisejargon.com
Three Technology Traps • They Buy On Price • They Delay Decisions For Fear of Making A Mistake • They Hire A Consultant to Blame if Things Go Wrong www.wisejargon.com
So You’d Like to Buy Technology – To Do What? Answered Two Questions: What Business Am I Really In? Why do Customers Buy From Me? Third Question: What are the Areas I’d like to Improve? Must know how presently organized. www.wisejargon.com
Some Questions to Ask About Your Business • What are my sales & marketing strategies? • Are there ways to streamline my paperwork processes? • What are “best practiced” techniques? • Why do my competitors win/lose market share? www.wisejargon.com
Question 4: Do I Have a Clearly Defined Objective? In a time of economic downturn, customer service is critical. New methods are emerging to unify phone, computer and internet technologies to enhance how you serve your customers. www.wisejargon.com
How will this Technology Impact My Business? • Will it help me generate more revenue? • Will it enhance my image with my members? • Will it make my employees more productive; my business more efficient? • Will this technology increase business security, and provide stability for my staff? www.wisejargon.com
When Meeting With the Vendor: • Are You Interested in a Quote? OR • Are You Interested in a Profit Generating Partnership? www.wisejargon.com
Guidelines to Select a Product, and Vendor to Buy From • Create a Business Plan • Measure How You Achieve Your Business Goals • Calculate Current Costs for Existing or Similar Services • Estimate a Return on Investment from This Technology. • Establish Criteria to Determine the “Best” Vendor www.wisejargon.com
What Some Applications You’re Evaluating for Technology Enhancement? www.wisejargon.com • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________
Planning for How To Use Virtual Communities • Decline of Community • Growth of Association Web Sites • The Problem: Having a Vision for How to Use Web-Based Solutions to Build Community Through • Content • Distance Learning • Newsletters www.wisejargon.com
Virtual Communities: Travel Cruises Golf Resorts Safaris Core Travel Comm. Mountain Climbing Europe Core travel services provided to communities of travel consumers.
Who Are Your Communities? www.wisejargon.com • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________ • ___________________________
Using Virtual Communities How Do You Attract Members? How Do You Promote Participation? How Do You Build Loyalty? How Do You Capture Value? Visit www.authorsonthenet.com www.wisejargon.com
COMMENT: You’ll see a screen that looks like this. Click on Files to see what has been loaded up. www.wisejargon.com
To Initiate Distance Learning • How Do We Presently Use Distance Learning? • What Technology Tools Are Needed? • What Are the Potential Barriers to Using Such Tools? • Are the barriers primarily: • People related? • Technology related? • Who Are the Stakeholders? Benefits / Risks? • What Processes Need To Be Changed, If Any?
About David Lantz • Author of Buying Technology: Understanding What You Need & Why You Need It. • University of Phoenix “Faculty of the Year”, 2005,Indianapolis Campus. • Visit www.findingcommunity.net David can work with organizations to train them in the “high touch” process of leading online discussion forums. • Also, visit him at www.wisejargon.com 317-670-8060 www.wisejargon.com