Process or Technology?

A few readers thought my post yesterday (New Mantra for Technology) was too anti-technology. I don't see it that way, but in case I wasn't clear, let me elaborate.

The important point is to really understand the job at hand, and the process you need to put in place to handle that job. For my purposes, job and process are two completely different things. The job to be done dictates the process to be used. That in turn dictates the technology needed to support the process to perform the job.

Yeah, we can get a little lost in the terms at times, but the idea is straightforward: figure out what you need to do (the job), figure out the best way to do it over and over (the process), and pick the tools to support the process.

My goal is to help you maximize the money you spend on technology. If Define Your Process Then Pick Your Tools turns out to need more employee training than technology, that's the way it goes. If it turns out you can automate the steps a trained employee follows, then put the technology in place. Employees leave, forget processes, or help your business more by working directly with customers.

I'm not anti-technology, I'm pro-process.