Part of my job as a Business Systems Consultant is to experiment with as many of the new ideas that I can lay my hands on. Of course, a business systems consultant is a pseudonym for an ex-techie who actually hates technology, having wasted his or her life trying to get the "stuff" working for clients. So in true techie tradition, I've started my own web page for my company. Actually, this is version 2 of this web site system, with hopefully, a better layout. 

One of the myths that has been perpetuated by the techies of this world (I think his book was called Business@The Speed of Thought) is that, once you have mastered this wonderful piece of technology called a computer, the world just has to beat a path to your door. Well guess again, Mary Jane, many businesses go broke because they use computers to solve problems. 

After nearly fifteen years of consulting work, my most successful clients are those that invest heavily in their people. Yes, you do have to spend money on resources such as computers, but computers are not intelligent machines. They only produce meaningful results when intelligent hands and minds operate the keyboard or mouse. 

So how do we achieve this? - with an open mind, a vision and faith - an open mind to try any new ideas, a vision of where you want to go with your company and staff, and faith to persevere and to trust those with whom you work. 

If you have trouble with these notions, don't despair - you will eventually get the idea. Many MBA boffins think that if you've got the computing power, anything is possible. Its funny, you know, I still prefer to buy my meat from a real butcher (I still can't fully resist my cannibal instinct), my veggies from the green grocer, and my clothes from a real live sales man or woman. 

Many problems I've encountered with computer systems are not technical - they're social. What are our business goals, how do our people work best, how do we choose our technology? The purists may say these are all technical questions, but I beg to differ. If you are always stressed at work, have ill-defined business goals and don't have faith in your staffs' concept of their need for resources, then your problem is social. 

So where to from here. As a young electronics engineer in the early 70's, the electronics world lay at my feet. Any technology solution would work. In 1982, I started managing a manufacturing company and within three years, my technology dreams lay in ruins. My staff didn't like my computer solutions. After many a consulting job, I returned to university for an IT degree - and guess what, the notions of mixing technology solutions with social systems is starting to be taught. It is an elective subject so most Computer Science graduates aren't even aware of the notion but at least Information Systems graduates know the notion exists. 

Which almost brings me to the current time. I started applying some social theories to my clients businesses - with concepts of business goals, people power and selecting appropriate technology. As silly as it seems, I just thought that they were plain common sense. I started discussing the ideas with some friends and they suggested I write a book about these heretical ideas of mine. Well, the book's still in the pipeline but many of the basic notions are at least now down on paper, or in cyberspace. 

So, to the left are two links to a collection of ideas which I've put together - PC Networking and Managing the Small Business Computer Network - an Introduction. PC Networking was written five years ago so it's not always consistent in its grammar. However, as time permits, a more coherent pattern will be developed. The other links are hopefully self explanatory - please enjoy ! 

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