We work with organizations wanting to become more competitive, more innovative, more profitable

We can assist you in 
Managing your Technology by:

• Giving you more time... to do that which you do best... cutting you loose from the "chains" of technology.
• Evaluating your current technology... saving you money by making better use of what you already have.
• Determining your future technology needs... helping you invest in technology based on the needs of YOUR business, without the high pressure sales pitch or your brother-in-law's advice.
• Providing comprehensive training... giving personalized guidance to help you increase your productivity.
• Assisting you with ongoing support... serving as your computer technology specialist... over the phone or "in-house"... without the need of full time personnel.

Imagine... 

Every staff member using computers and the Internet as easily as pen and paper, the telephone, the fax machine. What's more, they understand technology’s potential after having participated in making technology an integral part of their Strategic Plan... and they are excited to test its limits to advance the organization's mission.  

Everyone knows how to use e-mail and to do research on the Internet; access the client databases and get reports from the organization’s contact database about donor history, advocacy actions, information sent and received, and individuals’ particular interests in a program or position on an issue. 

Staff coordinating strategic planning and day-to-day activities through an on-line calendar while participating in videoconferences with colleagues around the state from their desk. All systems — phone, fax, computer, copying machines — are streamlined and work together for maximum efficiency.

When a problem arises... no problem... help is on call.

Cool!

According to Moore's Law... information system technology doubles every 18 months... this explosion of information technology continues to increase the huge gap between those who have and can use technology -- and those who either don't have it or don't know how to use it.

Small and medium sized companies are in danger of falling through that gap. They typically lack the technical resources and skills they need to make the fullest use of computers and the Web... failing to invest the time, money and effort needed to integrate technology into every aspect of operations -- from administration, financial management and budgeting to service-delivery, fundraising and marketing.  Without that investment, you will be left with a organization that lack the tools to do its job.

Technology, in short, offers the sector the opportunity to make itself lean, mean, responsive and EFFECTIVE!. Fulfilling your mission as an organization means you must be effective, efficient and innovative. In today's working world, you cannot hope to function productively without putting technology to work.

Research has shown "that most organizations are hesitant to use technology and are ill-informed about the impact it could have on their work, that decision makers are reluctant to invest in efforts that seem unrelated to product or service delivery, and that the technology assistance providers are ill-equipped to provide the kind of support necessary to transform the organization's use of technology. Also, research indicates that there are disparities in small businesses access to and use of technology. Overall, the fundamental problems causing this situation are lack of knowledge, fragmentation, turf protection, inadequate investment, and lack of skills.

We will help you to:

- Understand the impact that technology can have on your work.

Exploring the possibilities of the wide range of technologies available to you for the asking, including the Internet, electronic publishing, fax-on-demand, video conferencing, etc. We can help you understand how technology can help shape entirely new services and programs... very different from seeing technology as a way of enabling them to do "old" things in "new" ways.

- Treat technology as an integral part of your organization.

In order to have a major impact on an organization, technology needs to be pervasive — used by everyone in back-office as well as programmatic activities, budgeted for appropriately (including training as well as hardware and software), and, most importantly, designed and implemented as part of a comprehensive organizational plan.

- Evaluate your own use of technology.

You need to evaluate your own use of technology against a set of standards. You need to know what "best practices" are being used by your colleagues working in similar kinds of organizations. And you need tools and direction to develop solid and realistic technology plans.

- Access to appropriate and affordable help.

No one — in any setting — can be expected to understand and implement technology-based solutions on their own, especially given how fast technology changes. You need to know what support is available to you to incorporate technology into your workplace.  You need to understand both how to find help and how to effectively make use of that help. You also need to know about the support that is available directly from software and hardware vendors, and about web-based resources.

- Understand and value the "human capacity" aspect of technology.

People make technology work.  Computers do nothing on their own. Your organization must to take into account the many human resource issues involved in successful technology implementation. Senior management and boards of directors need to understand the skills required within their organizations, appreciate the compensation and related aspects of hiring and retaining qualified technical staff.   They must also realize the importance of ongoing training and development of all staff with regard to technology use, and ensure that people with technology-related responsibilities will be included in key organizational decisions.

- Value ongoing learning about the role of technology in your work.

Technology changes constantly. Also, many organizations report that as staff becomes more comfortable using these tools, they invariably find other, new ways to use them. Therefore, every staff member should have the opportunity and the incentive to remain informed about the potential role of technology in their work — beyond merely receiving training on new software programs.

- Share their work with others.

Collaborative work is the new norm... the ability to share ideas, carry on meetings "face to face" without the travel time is saving tremendous resources, both time and money.  Here is where the synergy begins to develop and mushroom.  We can now do more than one thing at a time and be in more than one place

- Acquire appropriate software and hardware.

Nothing can happen without appropriate hardware and software. You  need to be able to acquire these products — both new and used equipment — in ways that are efficient, cost-effective, and supported over time. Most importantly, your organization must assess its needs so that what you acquire is appropriate to accomplish what you want to do.

 

Call 816-246-0399

 E-mail:inquiry@strategic-advantage.com