Technology planning means looking ahead.
Brightstone doesn’t possess a crystal ball, but we do know how to peek ahead and get a sense of what’s coming. A lot of this exploration happens for our own sake, in the never-ending R&D churn that takes place in our offices in Portland, Oregon. It’s not by accident, or because we have extra time on our hands. Rather, it’s baked into the way we’ve done things since we started in 1990, including technology planning.
Three of the most critical elements of technology planning include the following:
Remaining as agile as possible (and encouraging clients to do the same).
Looking for people-centric solutions (because technology solutions are tools that should help keep things simple).
Staying open to new opportunities (in other words, exploring options with an open mind).
How come these three ingredients matter so much? In short, the future has never been knowable, and never will be. Once you accept that basic premise, it frees you up to an even bigger idea: Just because something is unknowable doesn’t mean you can’t plan for it.
We came of age as certified Apple consultants at a time when Apple was creating breakthrough products and solutions that millions of people across the world rely on every day.
We knew that if we wanted to keep up with Apple, we would have to look as far into the future as possible. By doing so, we could get ahead of presumptive challenges or issues our clients might eventually face. This agile mindset, coupled with a willingness to explore new technologies, is a model we still follow as we solve technology challenges for businesses and individuals throughout the U.S. and beyond.
The world, like technology, is always going to change.
As it does, the tools, platforms, and solutions we rely on will continue their slow march toward obsolescence. That doesn’t mean that your business needs to always be on the lookout for ways to reinvent itself. However, sometimes reinvention finds its way to you when you’re not looking. Just look back at recent history, and consider the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Prior to COVID, a number of enterprise-level businesses had remote work policies in place. many smaller businesses did not.
Now, nearly every business (not to mention schools and non-profit organizations) have implemented work-from-home or remote work protocols that take into account various aspects of flexibility, scheduling predictability, security, safety, infrastructure, and many other issues. The ones that had already built a base of understanding around these challenges had an easier time adjusting.
Sadly, many businesses that hadn’t begun to explore creating remote work protocols prior to the pandemic lockdowns are no longer in business. It’s not easy to prepare for disruptions, or to plan for an unknowable future. However, it’s not impossible. That’s why the three elements we mentioned above (agility, staying people-centric, and exploring new opportunities) remain at the core of our own operational model when it comes to helping clients with technology planning.
This also underscores another point that’s at the root of how we do business: technology isn’t something to implement just for the sake of the technology itself. Instead, technology must solve challenges, and make things simpler for people—whether for a business, or in a home setting.
When we help clients plan their technology steps, we make sure the solutions we suggest and implement help solve challenges (without creating new ones), and set the stage for a more flexible, adaptable future.
Brightstone encourages a tech planning mindset that builds around a sense of stability, regardless of disruption.
Where are you planning to take your technology next? Better yet, where would you like your technology to help take you? Get in touch with Brightstone, and let’s start a conversation about tomorrow today.