Start with assessment:

Assess the situation- Take stock of what you have for technology.    How old is the technology you are using.  How long has it been since anyone has performed an audit on the technology?

Assess yourself and your practice- Is the technology used by all people in the company or just some?  How much does your company rely on the technology?

Move on to Evaluation:

Evaluate your current technology –Is it easy to use? Is it letting you assess your clients in aggregate and individually?

Evaluate your conclusions – Do the answers from above require you to realign yourself and your firm’s technology needs?

Make a plan:

Outline a communication plan – Share specific talking points internally regarding your technology needs.  Be honest about where you are and where you need to be.

Decide where to focus your energy – Prioritize and commit to the more important parts of the project so that progress can be achieved.

Begin the process:

Execute a “Call to Action”- Pull together all of your efforts listed above into a plan that includes all members of your firm and your key external partners.  Only including some members of the firm will not allow you to achieve complete adoption by the entire firm.

Measure your progress – A project is only as good as its milestones so make sure you are keeping track of what is working and what isn’t so that you achieve your ultimate goals in a timely manner.

Now, with the right technology in place working as it is supposed to across your firm you are able to deliver accurate and timely information to your clients on a consistent basis.  Isn’t that what technology is all about?

MaryAnne Rode is Manager of Sales & Marketing at UNAPEN, Inc.   (What’s a UNAPEN?)