A recent article over on State Tech Magazine boldly stated that State Procurement Offices Should Carefully Avoid Tech Fads. And the headline, and author, was right. But it’s not just the public procurement offices that should be avoiding tech fads, the private sector offices should be avoiding them too. But more on this later.
The author noted that Artificial Intelligence is everywhere these days, and that news, advertising [and marketing] may leave you feeling [more than a bit] pressured to join the crowd and be an early adopter. But, as the article points out, and as THE REVELATOR would also be quick to point out, successful IT procurement inolves engaging with a comprehensive list of stakeholders, conducting thorough research and careful implementation planning, and, as THE REVELATOR reminds us on a regular basis, understanding what you need in the first place.
As the author notes, emerging technologies often present unforeseen challenges and novel issues that procurement offices must be aware of and prepared for. Failure to do due diligence can lead to embarassing or costly results. Not only do you have the extremely high failure rates with advanced tech projects, exceeding 85% according to Gartner, but, as the author points out, in the public sector technology breakdowns can have much more consequential impacts. The Air Canada lawsuit is just the first example of what is to come from the inevitable failures of AI not ready for prime time.
It’s not about the hype, it’s about the value the solution will provide, which includes, as the author notes, the total cost of ownership and longevity. The solution must fulfill the organizational need, not the hype. Otherwise, the total cost of ownership is high as no value is delivered while the longevity will be very limited.
But this should be just as true in the private sector. After all, a solution that could get you sued if it fails, that doesn’t solve the problem, that is worthless from the minute it is implemented, and that will paralyze you until a replacement is found and implemented is not something you should ever, ever want in private industry either. So don’t fall for the hype, and stay on the course that’s right — real solutions that solve real problems.