Every product, service, and/or technology has its place and time. While Gartner has its "Hypecycle" on technology maturity, here are a couple "rules of thumb" in helping to determine if something is ready for a business while the salesperson gives their pitch.
1. 10/25 Value Rule--Does the new product offer a compelling value proposition over current solutions? Is it faster, better, and/or cheaper? If yes, by how much? If it is less than 10%, wait; if it’s greater than 25%, seriously consider it. If it is between 10-25%, consider other factors and priorities.
2. Ready-Fire-Aim-Fire--Most new technology and/or products have dependencies on other products, people, and/or processes. Be quick to explore, test, and pilot new technologies and/or products (Ready-Fire), but prior to a big rollout, make sure all the underlying support, integration, processes, and people are in place (Aim-Fire). Ready-Aim-Fire can slow down innovation and Ready, Fire, Aim can put something in place before the organization is ready.
3. Simplicity--Does it do the basics well first before all the bells and whistles? Is it easy to install, configure, maintain, and support?
4. Evolution vs. Revolution--Is the new product a small step, or a giant step, towards an end vision? Evolutions are a lot easier than revolutions, thus revolutionary products should be given a lot more time.
5. References--Reference accounts showing working examples in scale, features, complexity, availability, and performance. It is OK to be on the leading edge, but is there a business requirement that mandates being on the bleeding edge? Sometimes being a fast-follower is as good as, or better, than being the leader/guinea pig.
6. Proprietary--Is there something proprietary about the product? If yes, this should be a flag. The value from IT is the system, which should be composed of standard/commodity products/services. Exceptions to this rule should have extra compelling value propositions.
7. Barnes & Noble--Does Barnes & Noble (or other book supplier) have a book on this product? Having a professional author that can articulate how to design, build, and support a solution is critical to the successful implementation and a good gauge of its maturity.
8. Vendor Viability--XYZ product may be the best thing since sliced bread, but if the company folds or gets bought out, there is a high risk that future enhancements will be delayed or non-existent.
Are there other "rules of thumb" that you use?
This is a public forum. CMP Media and its affiliates are not responsible for and do not control what is posted herein. CMP Media makes no warranties or guarantees concerning any advice dispensed by its staff members or readers.
Community standards in this comment area do not permit hate language, excessive profanity, or other patently offensive language. Please be aware that all information posted to this comment area becomes the property of CMP Media LLC and may be edited and republished in print or electronic format as outlined in CMP Media's Terms of Service.
Important Note: This comment area is NOT intended for commercial messages or solicitations of business.
