One size does not fit all: just because a technology solution works for one company, doesn't mean it's best for yours. the key is tailoring the tools to fit your needs - Business Technology

Black Enterprise, March, 2002 by Holly Aguirre

WHETHER YOU ARE JUST STARTING OUT IN BUSINESS OR need to upgrade your equipment to accommodate growth, it is imperative to have the tools and resources necessary to get the job done--and get it done well. Manufacturers, retailers, and service-based companies all have unique equipment, needs, but there are five fundamental tools required by any business: telephones, computers or word processors, printers, tax machines, and copiers. But even among comparable businesses, there is no right suite of equipment that will ensure success. So just how do you determine what tools you need? Surprisingly, one of the best resources may be the competition. Don't be shy about asking competitors basic questions such as, what equipment they use, who supplies their equipment, and what works for them. The key is taking what can be learned from those and other sources and asking one question: "Will it work for me?" Ultimately, the nature of your business will dictate the type of equipment you'll need.

A GET THE BALANCE RIGHT

WHEN JAMES McNEIL, CEO OF MCNEIL TECHnologies Inc., needed his office with the proper technology, he decided to first brainstorm with his staff. "Our management team has a considerable amount of experience, so we started with our own ideas about what we wanted to use technology for and the functional roles we wanted technology to play in our business, both in terms of internal use and in supporting the development of various products and services," he explains.

Based just outside of Washington, D.C., McNeil Technologies is a 16-year-old management consulting company that employs some 400 people with a specialty in program-management support and language services for government agencies and private corporations.

From the start, McNeil knew that in order for his company to be successful, he would have to develop a sound business plan that addressed the firm's structuring needs. He did not hesitate to look to other companies for ideas. "We looked at how similar businesses were set up, the technologies they used, and the functionality and benefits they hoped to achieve," he says.

And since the company also assists the Department of Energy with locating alternative energy sources, McNeil studied businesses he felt were trendsetting. "We looked at companies pushing the envelope. This helps us refine our thinking about how we want to employ technology productively and cost-effectively."

McNeil Multilingual, another arm of the company, translates Websites and provides language assistance in training sessions, seminars, meetings, negotiations, and business transactions. It also provides cultural training programs for government agencies and corporations.

REALITY, LINE ONE

With such a large business undertaking and limited resources, "we are continually assessing priorities and new technologies to implement," says McNeil. "The most painful reality is that cash and cash flow control the development and implementation of the technology [we use]."

McNeil says he's often tempted to implement the "latest and greatest" simply because it's available, although not always economical. "One of the hardest things to do is to decide to keep a proven system that's working well in our scheme when there's a hot new something on the market." The keys for us, again, are functionality and cost-effectiveness."

The company currently spends about 3% of its operating budget on technology. That percentage stays about the same each year, but as McNeil Technologies' budget continues to grow, the amount of money allotted to technology increases. For example, five years ago, the company spent about $20,000 on technology. Last year, that figure rose to about $300,000, with third-quarter figures totalling $228,000. Most of the allotted funds are spent on software and specialized software tools. A portion is budgeted for employee training. "We probably initially spent $10,000 to put together a working environment and approximately $4,500 a year, thereafter, to keep employees' skills current," says McNeil, who explains that given the company's complex technology, investing in yearly training is worth the money.

In addition to traditional Internet, PC, and network technologies, the company also uses specialized hardware and software, particularly in its language-translation services. "We use translation Workbench products that help our language translators speed up their ability to translate literally anything--like text, graphics, databases--into multiple languages."

Unlike some businesses that choose to lease equipment,-McNeil Technologies buys its hardware and licenses its software as needed. "We [also] license our foreign-language-research products and technologies to other entities, both for research and commercial purposes," says McNeil. "For example, we license our digitized dictionaries and reference material technologies to Systran and other companies providing instant-translation sites on the Web."

Initially, McNeil chose to outsource much of the company's technological needs. Today, the firm's technology-related operations are managed by in-house staff, who refer to outside sources to address highly specialized situations.