IASA 2011: Demystifying Technology for Those on the Business Side

One of the changes businesses are pursuing today is more awareness of the capabilities technology can offer the enterprise. But even though business leaders are more aware of what IT does, Jim Strebler believes that with the exception of a few techies on the business side, knowledge of IT remains spotty for business users.

“They have pieces of it, but not the whole picture,” says Strebler, senior consultant with Robert E. Nolan Co.

Strebler will try to bring IT into focus for those on the accounting and finance side today at 11 a.m. with a breakout session called “Demystifying IT” in the Canal B room of the convention center.

Strebler believes for many on the business side their knowledge of technology is based on their personal use of technology and the things they happened to run across through their business. What they lack is an understanding of the capabilities that IT offers as well as more information on security issues that relate to them and are a threat to the operation of their business. 

“People don’t have the feel for these issues or might not even know they exist unless someone explains it to them,” says Strebler. “They know mobile devices exist and they use those devices, so they have pieces of knowledge but just not a complete piece.”

Knowledge Transfer

Strebler reports some of the topics included in his session include an explanation of software as a service (SaaS), cloud computing, virtual technologies, malware and spyware, Wi-Fi and hot spots; different sourcing options such as offshoring and nearshoring, and security assaults companies have to deal with.

“They may have heard that type of information when they were at work and have a partial understanding of it,” says Strebler. “Hopefully I’ll give them a little more knowledge of the pieces.”

It is easy for people to get lost when they hear some of the technology jargon that comes from IT resources. “Even my head spins with the number of acronyms,” says Strebler. “You sit there wondering what they are talking about. It almost seems like it has become its own separate language.”

Sometimes the information goes right over the head of business users, sometimes they have a minimal understanding of the terms, and sometimes there is a complete misunderstanding.

In his own life, Strebler mentions the acronyms many people use in texting. “I thought LOL meant lots of luck,” he says, laughing out loud.

Understanding IT

There are tools used by many business workers, yet the users don’t have an understanding of what the tools are.

“They are in a mystery situation,” says Strebler. “To be effective in their jobs, I think [business users] not only need to know what tools they are using, but when something new comes out what is it that people are talking about. Can it have a business application? Is it something they should pursue? There is so much information and misinformation available today that I am hard pressed to believe many people have solid objective understanding of what technology should be or shouldn’t be used for.”

Strebler’s objective with this breakout session is to take the attendees through an understanding of terms and also some questions they should be thinking about or asking when new technology comes to their company, such as: What is the business value of this technology? What does it do for me? How much is it going to cost over its total life?

“These are questions that will help them even if they don’t understand the technology,” says Strebler. “I’ll take them through some of that so they will be in a better position to ask those questions.”

 Finance people do get involved in projects many times because of the cost benefit analyses that go on, points out Strebler. 

“I know it seems as if the world is headed for the specialists, but I think there needs to be a general knowledge,” he says. “We can’t work in a vacuum where all they know is the people they are working with. Hopefully coming out of this session people will have a better feel for technology.”