The Datamax Thinking Blog

Those who embrace change in the way they conduct business every day, across an evolving digital landscape - from automating tasks to taking a firm stance on data and network security – will produce measurable business value and soar ahead of the flock. 

Former General Electric CEO Jack Welch once said, “change before you have to.”

Innovative leaders understand well the idea of change as the rule rather than the exception. In mid-flight, they do not hesitate to travel beyond the flock of the industry companions around them, even if it means flying solo.

Technology plays an intimate role in the potential innovation of businesses, particularly in seeking a competitive edge and a notable advantage in productivity. Those who embrace change in the way they conduct business every day, across an evolving digital landscape - from automating tasks to taking a firm stance on data and network security – will produce measurable business value and soar ahead of the flock. Assuming, of course, they do so strategically and with a partner that understands and thoughtfully considers their core business objectives.

The dedicated team of scribes here feel that through collaboration, we can strategically identify technology challenges and properly disseminate our carefully crafted ideas on overcoming them. 

Perhaps without coincidence, our top read blog for 2018 was on the topic of “effective collaboration.”

Collaboration:  It’s a key word in defining how the Datamax Thinking Blog operates. We remain committed in our pursuit of  “educating, collaborating, and sparking ideas for maximizing the technology that matters” - be it office equipment, document workflow, network security and many business technology initiatives in between.

The dedicated team of scribes here feel that through collaboration, we can strategically identify technology challenges and properly disseminate our carefully crafted ideas on overcoming them. 

One can only tip-toe over network and infrastructure insecurities for so long before the surface beneath you cracks.

For ice fishing enthusiasts embracing their favorite winter pastime, the warning from officials is abundantly clear: don’t tread on thin ice! In fact, Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources recommends ice at least 4 inches thick for foot travel.

A measurement any less than 4 inches could result in disaster.

The technology footpath that you tread across every day bears inherent risk. The cybersecurity climate is volatile, forcing organizations to be consistently mindful of the environment surrounding them. The solid technology foundation you create determines how confidently your organization can navigate with necessary tools to conduct business efficiently day to day.

“Changing out vendor solutions means dealing with challenges and attitudes I’d rather avoid... There's got to be a better way.” — Kenneth V., CIO

Renowned business leaders often exhibit oddball behavior with specific strategic intent. As an example, Michael O’Leary, CEO of Ryanair Airlines, dressed as the pope when Ryanair opened up a new route to Rome for the simple reason of eliciting more publicity.

There’s a method to their madness.

My current vendor takes no ownership of my total cost of ownership." - Jim S., CFO

My great aunt’s Cajun gumbo maximized flavor. A south Louisiana native, she’d spend hours and hours in the kitchen stooped over the stove top, committedly tending to the simmering pot in front of her.

She never even put a recipe to paper. But her return on culinary investment was ten-fold. Earned by decades of tweaking ingredients and improving her methods, her results were always raving.

Account reviews only occur when I scream for a persistent problem to be resolved." - Bennett F., IT Director

Account Review, Quarterly Business Review (QBR), Business Review Meeting, Executive Business Review, or the periodic “Let’s Do Lunch” Corporate Schmooze; the practice of ongoing customer relationship management takes on many names, many meanings, and many forms — provided it happens at all. 

When you are a major account managing an entire fleet of copiers and printers, it must happen. And it must happen regularly to proactively review current service performance, and maintain hyperfocus on the landscape of our joint venture ahead. 

"My current vendor doesn't understand that just showing up on time isn't enough." - Davin G., IT Director

Legendary NCAA Basketball coach John Wooden once said “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

Known as the “practice coach,” Wooden was notorious for focusing on intricate details of “the process” —not just the game itself. His teams practiced everything: Putting their socks on correctly to avoid blisters, how to carry oneself before and after a game.

“Understanding, auditing, and correcting our invoicing wastes a ton of time — mine.” — Katie A., Purchasing Manager

An older relative of mine, a former cattle rancher by trade, used to proclaim he was “scattered from here to breakfast” any time things seemed in disarray.  The phrase’s origin refers to a herd scattered so far that it would take all night and until breakfast the next day to round them up.

Purchasing managers, painstakingly depicting invoice details from their technology provider, can often feel the same – completely scattered.  Large accounts forced to manually round up pages and pages of listed equipment ID#s, with devices spread across multiple departments and office locations, can become a simple exercise in futility. Whether invoices coming in are inaccurate, inconclusive or inflexible to your specific key account preferences, the processes of reviewing and auditing them can put a burr in any purchasing manager’s saddle.

“How can I create - or run - a game plan if I can’t even reach my account manager?” — Lauren R., Office Administrator

In the study of ancient civilizations, the keystone represents more than just architectural eye candy.

The keystone, the wedge-shaped piece at the summit of an arch, is often noteworthy for its structural beauty and artistic significance (SEE: the Temple of Hadrian inside the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, above). But the ornately crafted stone atop arches also represent the final piece placed during construction and, more importantly, the piece that locks all the stones into position.

The keystone is regarded as the stone that holds all others together.

“Our current vendor has done very little to help us manage our print spend from day one.” — Frank K., COO

Soon after President Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, he wanted to investigate and better understand the more than 828,000 square miles of land recently purchased west of the Mississippi River.

He called the expedition – famously led by Lewis and Clark – the Voyage of Discovery.