Information Technology: The Universal Language isn't Enough
There
can be no doubt that as any business grows and branches out,
Information Technology becomes a critical part of its successful
operation. No matter the size of the company, or the kind
of business they do, the 1) smooth operation of existing
networks and the 2) continuing flow of and access to information
have become key components to a business's ability to generate
maximum revenue. With tens of billions of dollars changing
hands via e-commerce every day, the role of Information Technology
in the management of even the most basic transactions has
never been more important.
The
Internet has created an entirely new business culture - one
that has the capacity to operate virtually instantaneously
- and nowhere is this more evident than in doing business
overseas. Transactions that in the past would have taken
days or even weeks can now be completed in a matter of minutes.
Communicating, strategizing and sharing information with
overseas partners which, in the past, was a slow and costly
process is now simply a matter of downloading files or accessing
shared networks. While certainly not eliminating the need
for some travel and other forms of communication in all cases,
setting up a shared computer network with your overseas partners
can cut the cost of doing business with them by 90% or more.
But
how do you go about setting up a network with your overseas
partners? Are your IT people up to whatever challenges this
involves? Are specialized programs, or software packages,
or operating systems necessary to set up this sort of overseas
network?
Let's
look at the last question first, taking companies in the
European Union as our example. In the vast majority of cases,
the operating systems that run their computers and networks
will be exactly the same (with local languages) as those
that run the systems of your domestic partners - and your
own computers. Virtually every network or operating platform
in every corporation in EU nations runs on either Novell,
Microsoft or Linux systems. The same holds true with the
various security and anti-virus programs these companies
use to keep their networks safe (McAfee, Norton, etc). Once
a network has been established, the lines of communications
will be open, and the transfer of data should progress seamlessly.
The
challenges involved in setting up a shared network with your
overseas partner and operating it profitably aren't related
to their operating systems. Rather, they come from agreeing
upon and then setting up shared goals and platform systems.
Simply being able to effectively interface with your overseas
partner via a shared network is nowhere near all you need
to do to operate successfully. As a matter of fact, it is
only the beginning.
Even
when setting up partnerships with other domestic companies,
it takes lot of time and a lot of hard work to ensure that
both companies are operating on the same page. The reason
for this is that virtually no two companies do things exactly
the same way. When dealing with overseas partners, these
challenges become exacerbated. Differences in time zones
and hours of operation, language barriers, cultural differences
and even business philosophies must all be taken into consideration
by your IT professionals when setting up a shared platform
of operations with an overseas partner.
To
take a basic example, say you are partnering with a German
company. In the culture of your company, reports are generated
weekly, in English. In theirs, reports are generated every
two weeks in German. You bill monthly, while they bill every
two weeks. The list of differences goes on and on and it
becomes increasingly obvious that the platform you operate
on is not the same as the platform they operate on. While
the universal language of information technology is spoken
by all, your two companies are speaking that language in
different ways. To operate successfully and profitably, something
must change.
One
of the difficulties is that companies don't always like change.
Your operating platform has worked for you for 10 years,
why should you have to change it? And your overseas partner
is thinking the same thing. Your members of the conversion
team will fight hard to keep their systems in place, while
the members from your partner will be doing the same thing.
Optimally, the best systems of both platforms should be kept
and merged into one shared working platform, but in all too
many cases, people believe their way is the best way - or
the only way. Add language and cultural differences to the
natural desire both groups will have to hold on to what has
always worked for them and you could very easily be looking
at costly delays in setting up a common operating platform
- not to mention hard feelings at the start of your partnership.
One
time and cost effective solution to these problems may be
hiring an outside consultant or consulting firm which specializes
in designing and building international operating platforms
to oversee your conversion team. In many cases, an outside
consultant will be able to objectively assess the strengths
and weaknesses of both partners' existing platforms and,
working with both sides of the conversion team, merge the
best of each system to create a new system that most effectively
serves the needs of the partnership. As a completely unbiased
facilitator, an outside consultant will have the ability
to impartially analyze each component of the partnership's
operating platform using only optimal functionality and profitability
as their criteria, unhindered by the restrictions of either
corporate culture.
If
you do choose to go the route of using an outside facilitator,
it is crucial that the consultant or firm you hire be familiar
not only with the platform requirements of your partnership,
but also with the cultural and business paradigms unique
to each partner's home country - as well as those of the
nations in which you will be doing business. Just because
the software, cables and monitors are the same does not mean
that the style of doing business is the same. The ability
to understand and incorporate each partner's ethnic, cultural,
and business imperatives into an effective operating platform
is key to a consultant being able to achieve the end goal
of creating a profitable and workable system which takes
its strength from its diversity.
The
challenges of partnering with an overseas company are considerable,
but as success story after success story shows, the profits
can be well worth the challenge. The key is in understanding
that it isn't enough to speak the universal language of Information
Technology. You need to make certain that everyone understands
what you are saying!
by
Stephen D. McLaughlin
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