“Automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the INEFFICIENCY”
As Bill Gates once said, applying automation to inefficiency will yield a magnified inefficiency. Too many times have I seen this happen to unsuspecting business owners that try to grow their business. Growth in business has to be organic, otherwise it will eventually become unsustainable. To achieve growth organically, you have to go within.
”Know Thyself” - inscription on the Temple of Apollo in Ancient Greece. This philosophical axiom is typically aimed toward individuals, but it should be applied to business just the same. Knowing your business, and more importantly, NOT knowing your business, can be the difference between your success and failure.
How can you not know your business? Well, it’s a little more complex than it sounds on the surface. Let’s take a look at two concepts: Technical Debt and “Shadow I.T.”.
Technical Debt - the implied cost of additional work in the future resulting from choosing an expedient solution over a more robust one.
Let’s use a non-technical scenario that may sound familiar..
Imagine you're building a house. You have a deadline and a budget.
Scenario 1: Doing it the "quick way" (Incurring Technical Debt)
Instead of building a solid foundation right away, you decide to use a slightly less sturdy but faster method to meet your move-in date.
Maybe you opt for cheaper, less durable piping behind the walls because it's quicker to install.
You tell yourself, "I'll fix it properly later when I have more time/money."
This is like incurring technical debt. You've chosen a faster, easier, or cheaper solution now, knowing it's not the best long-term solution.
What happens next? (The "Interest Payments")
That less sturdy foundation might start causing small cracks in the walls sooner than you expected. Fixing them takes time and money.
The cheaper pipes might start to leak, causing water damage that's expensive and disruptive to repair. Now, not only do you have to replace the pipes (the original "debt"), but you also have to fix the damage (the "interest").
Want to add a second story to your house later? That "quick" foundation might not support it, requiring a much bigger, more expensive overhaul than if you'd built it stronger initially. New projects become harder and slower.
So, in simple terms:
Technical debt is like taking shortcuts when building something (often software or hardware, but the idea applies elsewhere). These shortcuts get you a result faster or cheaper in the short term, but they create extra work, costs, and problems down the line. Just like financial debt, if you don't "pay it back" by fixing those initial shortcuts, the "interest" (extra problems, delays, and costs) keeps growing, making everything harder in the future.
It's often a conscious decision – sometimes you need to get something out quickly. But it's important to remember that this "debt" will eventually need to be addressed, or it will continue to slow you down and cost you more in the long run.
Shadow I.T. - systems deployed by departments other than the central IT department to bypass limitations and restrictions that have been imposed by central information systems.
Imagine your company has an official set of tools and equipment that everyone is supposed to use – like approved software, specific computers, and official ways to share files. The IT department manages these tools, keeps them secure, and makes sure they work correctly for everyone.
Now, imagine an employee, let's call her Sarah, needs to get a task done quickly. The official company software for sharing large files is a bit slow and clunky for her liking. So, Sarah decides to use her personal cloud storage account (like her own Dropbox or Google Drive) to send a big presentation to a client. It's faster and she's familiar with it.
That's "Shadow IT."
In simple terms, Shadow IT is:
Using any technology (apps, software, devices, online services) for work that hasn't been approved or isn't managed by your company's IT department.
Think of it like this:
Bringing your own tools to a construction site: The site manager (the IT department) has provided specific, safety-checked tools (approved software). But a worker brings their own power saw from home because they think it's better or faster. This saw hasn't been checked by the site manager, might not meet safety standards, and if it breaks, the site manager isn't prepared to fix it.
Unofficial shortcuts or "desire paths": You know those dirt paths that form in parks where people cut corners instead of using the paved walkways? That's like Shadow IT. Employees find what they think is a quicker, easier way to do their work, even if it's not the "official" company path.
Why does it happen?
Usually, it's not because employees are trying to cause trouble. It's often because:
They want to be more productive and find a tool that helps them do their job faster or easier.
The official tools might seem outdated, too complicated, or not available quickly enough.
They might not even realize they're doing anything risky.
Why can it be a problem (even if it seems helpful at first)?
Security Risks: The IT department hasn't vetted these "shadow" tools. They might not be secure, could have vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit, or could lead to company data being leaked or lost.
Data Control Issues: If company information is stored in personal accounts or unapproved apps, the company loses control over it. What happens if that employee leaves?
Compliance Problems: Many industries have strict rules about how data is handled. Using unapproved tools can break these rules, leading to fines or legal trouble.
Wasted Money: Different departments might end up paying for similar unapproved tools, when the company might already have a solution or could get a better deal on an official one.(Consider some of those big line items that the Department of Government Efficiency recently uncovered)
No Support: If something goes wrong with a "shadow" tool, the IT department might not be able to help.
So, while Shadow IT often starts with good intentions (getting work done efficiently), it can create hidden risks and problems for the company because these tools operate "in the shadows," outside of the IT department's view and control.
I hope this shed some light on what were some unknown variables that you did’t know you had. Armed with this new knowledge, I ask you to consider Bill Gates quote once more, and ensure that you are well equipped for the future by future-proofing your operation. Take the time to build that solid foundation. Take into consideration that your employees may be trying to give their best work, but they may be held back by your current I.T. infrastructure and just need an optimized solution that will benefit them AND your company in the long run.
Schedule your technical consult or infrastructure analysis with Monadic today!
-Josh