The Case of the Vanishing Technology

Are you vulnerable to the hazards and expensive problems of Vanishing Technology?

The first hint of trouble...
Actually, it was a far too typical scenario.

About 18 months ago, I visited a successful high-tech company. Sales were down.

But, management viewed the situation as temporary. Besides, they were designing new products - they had "strong hopes" for either getting more venture capital or being acquired by a rich company.

Meanwhile, they had to "downsize" because of declining sales.

Then things got worse!
Sadly, in less than 1 year, they terminated 68% of their employees and friends.

Worse, they lost much more than "just" people! They lost their technology plus the money spent to develop their technology.

Why? Because their technology walked out the door with each employee terminated ... thus, without those particular employees - and what only they knew - they were disorganized, literally out-of-business and didn't even know it! (Yet, they still had hundreds of employees!)

Typical of many companies, much too little of their technology was organized and written down. Nobody could pick up the ball when people left!

Without product documentation, without written standards and procedures (and technical processes, strategic plans, etc.) - without adequate documentation they were faced with reinventing their own "wheel!"

(Sound familiar?)

Little did they know what was about to happen!
They struggled for months trying to recreate their lost technology. Were they able to reinvent their wheel? NO.

They tried to sell the company or get acquired by another. Were they able to sell the disorganized company with its undocumented technology? NO.

Their building now stands empty, another needless casualty of what I call, "Vanishing Technology."

They, like many, discovered that the hazards of inadequate documentation are an even BIGGER hazard when times are tough!

Why Vanishing Technology happens over and over again...
(Article continued in my next blog. )

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Mike Hayden, Principal/Consultant
Your partner in streamlining business.

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