Many will know the famous Hamlet soliloquy. Applying it technology is a bit a fun but with a serious underlay.

Many organisations find themselves in a place of having many systems with lots of data, but little consistency. The lack of consistency makes it hard to connect data across the systems. This is compounded when organisations work in consortiums with other organisations.

So what do we do.

Generally there is a choice between two options. Do you want to be tech agnostic or not? Sometimes referred to as – do you want to be McDonalds (a chain restaurant) or a Michelin Star restaurant? Both achieve consistency, but a different type of consistency. Everyone must use this system. Or everyone can use whatever system they wish as long as it meets these standards.

There are pros and cons to each approach and your organisational culture will have significant impact on which you choose. And there is no right answer. But, it IS important to make a conscious choice and a consistent one. Saying you are tech agnostic, but then not doing the hard work of defining the standards leads to frustration. Saying you want everyone to use one system but not being willing to enforce this approach also leads to frustration.

And so here’s the rub. To be tech agnostic or not to be is only half of the question. The other half is are you willing to be consistent in applying, implementing, and enforcing your choice.

What will you choose?

Photo by Niver Vega