In 2014 Kinetech posted a blog about Embracing Analytics & IT. In this short blog, we highlighted a [then] recently written article that talked about how many companies when looking for new solutions or software or diving into the world of analytics, would misstep by starting too big and suffering from scope creep, would ignore or not understand the numbers and data they had, and were too afraid to think outside the box or go beyond the status quo. As I reviewed this article, it was clear that this advice from 2014 is not only applicable today, but may even be more important now than ever.
Michael Mink’s blog in Investor’s Daily from 2014 has aged beautifully and holds up ten years later, which in the tech world feels like an extremely long time. His advice was boiled down to a handful of bullet points:
- See the numbers.
- Exercise patience.
- Start small.
- Understand the stakes.
- Go beyond.
- Be open.
Allow me to take this advice and bring it up to date. In 2024 I would venture to say that all of these points are still applicable.
See the numbers.
At Kinetech, we understand that some level of reporting, big or small is invaluable to an organization. Expert Mendix Developer Kyle Kunzer recently published an article about embedding PowerBI into Mendix and said, “It is a typical requirement for applications that they should contain some level of reporting, whether that is achieved simply with tables or with gorgeous dashboards filled with visualizations of your data.” Today, seeing the numbers is an expectation. That is it. It must happen.
Exercise patience.
Like Michael Mink said, with more data comes the possibility of being overwhelmed and needing time to process that data. That remains entirely true. The more data you have access to, the more likely you will need specific folks to understand that data and act based on it, which can be a learning curve. Give your organization time to adjust, learn, and implement.
That said, when it comes to technology or software development what if I told you that you could be a little bit impatient? With Siemens' leading Low-Code Platform, Mendix which we leverage at Kinetech, applications can be delivered at lightning speed. Giving users a composable application that fits 100% of their needs in the same or less time - and at the same or less cost - than most off-the-shelf solutions that check perhaps 80% of the boxes. Gone are the days of waiting years for a solution that will not truly fit your needs. Welcome to 2024!
Start small.
This very well may be one of the best pieces of advice. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The same approach can be applied to Analytics and IT. You do not need the big bang approach, the most sustainable and successful solutions are often those that start smaller. Take time to understand your needs, perhaps solve a few of the smaller issues to build trust with your IT solutions provider, gather data over a few months to ensure the numbers match the assumptions, and then tackle the really big things one bite at a time. A building block approach that low-code solutions offer is ideal for this. You can start with a smaller application or module, and grow from there. Limiting scope creep, allowing for budget, and ensuring you are going in the right direction.
Understand the stakes.
We live in a world where knowledge is everywhere. Data is everywhere. Analytics are everywhere. It is how you use that knowledge, data, and analytics that will set you and your organization apart from your competitors. The biggest household names such as Amazon, Walmart, and Unilever, are gathering immense amounts of data and basing decisions on it to leverage themselves in the market.
Go beyond.
IT and analytics allow us to do more today than we ever thought possible. We have insights into just about everything that we do so why not go beyond? A great example of this is that Kinetech recently attended the Jack Henry Connect Banking Conference. This event was dedicated to Jack Henry Banks and was about innovation and problem-solving within the industry. What we found, is most of the people there had never heard of low-code or had assumed that it was out of reach even though this technology has been a market leader for the last five years according to the Gartner Magic Quadrant. This happens beyond the world of banking too, be that extending your PLM system in manufacturing or helping with citizen housing in governments. It’s simply “not the norm” or was once too expensive or simply wasn’t on their radar. What we find is that going beyond the norm or beyond what we think we know, is that there is something not only accessible in terms of cost and applicability, but it may even be the better choice than the old frameworks we once operated within.
This leads me to...
Be open.
The world is changing rapidly and we are constantly disrupted by new technologies and approaches. IT and analytics are the tools we need to stay relevant and ahead of the curve. It is up to us to decide to either be a leader and pave the way for others or to fall behind. Be open to new, to different, to exciting. It just may surprise you.
Ready to begin? Contact Kinetech today
