4 things to consider before introducing technology into your PDS management
/I talk to people about PDSs daily, and that often includes PDS technology. Unfortunately, technology is often seen as some kind of panacea. To be clear, this is simply NOT the case. For a few reasons.
Technology will amplify what you already have in place. Have a tight process, engaged stakeholders, decent risk management, quality documents? Great! Technology can be used to make that even better.
But if you have any of the following, you need to make some changes before you consider technology. Some of the issues we regularly encounter follow. None of these are insurmountable but they do need to be worked through first. Which we can help with of course.
A loose process
If it’s not 100% clear who is responsible for what and exactly how the PDS process works, then technology will makes things worse, not better. Why? It will highlight everything that’s currently problematic. And god help you if you try to implement some kind of automated workflow when there isn’t agreement about exactly what that workflow is.
Recalcitrant stakeholders
If the people who are supposed to review/sign off PDSs are incapable of doing so without 14 emails and eventually bribing/threatening, then you are in trouble from the get-go. Don’t be fooled by promises of ‘automation’, technology is much easier to ignore than a human. Now to be clear, your stakeholders may well be lovely people who just have WAY too much on their plates but the end result is exactly the same.
Documents not quite where you want them
We’ve realised over the past six months that PDS managers are often looking for a ‘fresh start’ when they talk to us. They want to rewrite all the documents (often understandable!) and commonly want or need to update the visual design too.This is fantastic. But you do want to get everything sorted before you introduce technology into the mix.
Minimal IT proficiency
Sometimes we see businesses where the people who are going to be using the PDS technology are frankly a bit scared of it! If your PDS manager is a master wordsmith but, er, not great with ‘the computer’ then you just need to factor in extra time and effort around training and change management. Same for any of your key stakeholders who are going to interact with the tech that you’re considering. If this is the case, start the change management early. Like, get them involved during the buying process. Often, the people who struggle the most to start with will go on to be your biggest allies, so it’s worth putting the time and effort in up front.
Don't give up!
I hope the above list hasn't put you off considering technology for your PDS management. None of these are unfixable, but they do take time and effort. Having said that, it’s well worth it. You’ll end up with a better outcome all round, including happier colleagues, time savings for the business, and you’ll have a more enjoyable time at work. And if that ain’t worth some effort, I don’t know what is! Got any good stories of tech going horribly wrong? Or right of course! Join the conversation in the comments below.