Do your homework before you do yourself in: before you decide that desktop is the solution, you need a clear definition of the problem

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, Sept 1, 1991 by Lynn Crimando

I've lost track of which computer wave" we're in, but each week seems to bring yet another piece of breakthrough desktop technology. Colleagues ask whether they should "go desktop." They are concerned that if they buy the new technology it may not work, but if they don't, they'll leave money on the table.

Although it's impossible to generalize about whether any publication is ready to revamp operations, there are simple criteria with which to measure upgrade readiness. The questions below are operational and address the big picture. If you can answer each of them, you may not be ready to upgrade your production system-but you're on the right track. If you can't answer, hold on to that checkbook What is desktop publishing? This may sound silly, but it's more important than you might think. The term "desktop,, conjures an image of compact equipment sitting on a desk quietly humming toward perfect output. But as any desktop-revolution veteran will tell you, some of that stuff is bigger than a desk and as noisy as a lawn mower. And getting various devices to communicate smoothly with one another can be downright Kafkaesque.

So, how do you define "desktop publishing"? It doesn't matter. The key question is whether you can find publishing tools that offer significant improvements over what you've got. To know whether that's possible means analyzing your needs. Sound difficult?

Imagine you're replacing your desk. Before shopping, you'll measure the room, choose a color, and figure out the space necessary for the telephone, calendar, etc. Now that you know what you need, you're ready to shop. New equipment is exactly the same: You figure out what you need and then look for it.

During that process you may indeed discover a desktop solution that fills a production need. But you may also find that it's not the equipment, but the organizational structure, that doesn't work. Take a good, hard look at the nuts and bolts of your current operation. Can your copy flow be described in one paragraph or less? If not, chances are work does not progress smoothly-in which case replacing the technology now could be worse than unproductive. It could bring things to a dead halt. No computer system will fix an inefficient work structure.

Does work get stuck at certain stages? Are there many last-minute revisions? Is overtime out of control? Problems of this nature indicate trouble in the organization of work and should be dealt with independently of the technology. On the other hand, if you experience frequent delays caused by an overburdened computer system, it's a technology issue. So how do you figure out what the problem is?

You could hire a consultant or management firm to do an analysis, but that can be an expensive and lengthy proposition. Besides, you've got to know the operations stuff cold if you're going to replace the tools. If possible, do the homework yourself. There are several good ways.

One approach is a staff survey. Develop a set of basic, open-ended questions about the current system and operation. Talk to as many people-from supervisors to secretaries-as time permits. A sample question might be, "If you could change any part of our system, what would it be?" Individual perspectives will vary, but global problems will emerge. For example, the third time you hear that someone is confused about the deadlines, your late press charges will start making sense.

A similar method is to run a series of small focus groups, where employees from different areas get together for discussion and brainstorming. If an informal setting is more comfortable, do it over lunch.

Spending time in each department also provides plenty of data. Ask each person what he or she does and how long it takes. Develop key contacts in every area (not just supervisors) off whom you can bounce ideas. And be sure to flush out the techies. These folks can help you when it's time to integrate the new technology,

By the way, if you can't describe the copy flow because you're not familiar with it-and you are shopping for a new computer system-two small points: You are not qualified to make a decision; and you are asking to be assassinated.

The following story is, unfortunately, true:

A friend of mine on the vending side worked for several months designing a computer network for a national publication. The project manager at the publication spent a good deal of time with my friend reviewing deadlines, system capacity, and so on. Based on that information, my friend prepared a proposal that the project manager approved. A presentation was made to the publication's management.

About five minutes into his pitch, my friend became painfully aware that the project manager had not consulted a single soul at his publication. My friend was interrupted constantly with cries of, "You don't understand our needs at all!" Needless to say, the presentation ended early with the project manager on his way back to the drawing board.

New technology means much more than equipment and cables. Don't assume you've got a handle on needs just because you have a closing schedule. You'll leave the users-who may already resent you for having excluded them-to figure out that the system you designed doesn't work.