Dave's Top 10 things NOT to say to your Surgeon or your Computer Consultant

By David Boos

Many times when discussing computer related issues with our clients and prospects we talk about the similarities between the software business and medical practice. Both are extremely complex, both have many facets that must be ‘examined’ before a proper ‘diagnosis’ can be offered, and many issues require a ‘procedure,’ followed by a ‘re-exam,’ another ‘procedure,’ and sometimes ‘exploratory surgery’ before finding the cause of the issue. And in some cases, the answers may never be found at all! Hardware and software must all work together just like the organs of the body, so considering the complexities of both and the fact that the computer systems you are running are truly the ‘heart’ of your business, it is important to take care of them just as you would your physical body. However, sometimes things do go wrong, and if you were to find yourself in need of a critical heart bypass surgery or a computer system malfunction or update, there are indeed many similarities. In this context there are several things that might be important to consider thinking further about before saying to your heart surgeon or your computer consultant things like:

10. Let’s let my nephew Ricky do it; he has read up a lot on the procedure.

Indeed there are some VERY Good Medical journals and lots of websites online that detail heart surgery procedures, but do you REALLY want your nephew Ricky doing the job? Heart Surgeons have years of education and closely supervised training, and hopefully years of experience in dealing with the issues you are facing. Thus there is a GOOD chance that they MIGHT know a little more about the procedure than your nephew Ricky does. The same is true in the hardware and software business. Hopefully the people or company you trust your computer support to are also well trained and have years of experience. The doctors and surgeons don’t always get it right, and many times additional ‘procedures’ have to be done, but they ARE professionals and this IS what they do for a living. In the same way, your computer support team should be trusted to handle hardware and software that are at the heart of your business. Now if your life insurance is paid up and your kids have all been through college, then go ahead and have your nephew Ricky do your heart surgery … or your computer system repairs. Both could have the same result.

9. I am pretty sure I can do this myself… is there a manual?

Those same medical manuals and online Wiki videos showing how the procedures are done might be interesting to watch, but heart surgery and computer hardware and software maintenance are typically not good DIY ( Do it Yourself ) tasks. Seriously, do you REALLY even know WHERE your heart is exactly, and would you recognize it if you saw it in the mirror once you got in there? Do you REALLY know what computer “source code” looks like and do you REALLY want to go changing it even if you found it? The manuals might be great, but it might be wise to heed the admonition “Don’t try this at home!”

8. It REALLY can’t be that hard. You can do it in 15 minutes or so, can’t you?

The Health Channel on Discovery TV makes it look so simple: just make a little incision, take out what you don’t need and sew things back up! It shouldn’t take THAT long now should it? It is amazing that often things that look so simple could actually be so complex, but many times they are. Most understand that medical procedures are not accomplished in 15 minutes, but in matters that in some cases are equally as complex, such as software and technology, most expect the ‘experts’ to ‘fix’ the issue in 15 minutes or less. Really?

7. Can you give me 3-5 references of people for whom you have done exactly the same procedure?

Considering that both the medical community and hardware/software engineers do the same work day after day, week after week and year after year, is it possible that two situations are exactly the same as the ones done previously? In some cases Yes, but in many cases No. It MIGHT come as a surprise to most of us that age/gender/pre-existing conditions MIGHT make things different on the operating table, but SURELY all hardware and software issues are the same? Right? It SHOULD be obvious that ALL Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail, Financial and Medical hardware/software implementations would be exactly the same as the others, now shouldn’t it?

6. I am going to send out an RFP (Request for Proposal) for this procedure, can you reply by tomorrow?

MOST hardware/software companies just LOVE getting RFP’s! Imagine sending one out to a number of surgeons who you might be considering for that open heart surgery. SURELY they would LOVE spending countless hours working on the details and answering the 200 questions in order to become ‘considered’ on the list to do the procedure! Especially when the chances are that their answers will be used only to justify the decision you have already made to use the ‘other guy.’ Oh, and we need it by tomorrow!

5. What do you mean you can’t do this immediately?

Those darned schedules! Isn’t it amazing that the medical community nor the IT community are not just sitting patiently by the phone waiting for someone to call so they can jump into action and start the ‘procedure’ immediately? Just the fact that there has been conversation for 6 to 9 months on the subject SURELY would have warned them that the event was going to happen some day, and that they should clear their schedules of any other obstacles and wait tolerantly until the final word has been received. As just a point of reference, a recent survey by Entrepreneur.com revealed that of 63 companies with annual revenues ranging from $12 million to $63 billion, the average implementation cost was $10.6 million and took 23 months to complete. Hopefully your heart surgery won’t take that long or cost that much!

4. There is really no need to spend time analyzing this, just do it!

Who would think of walking into the Surgeons office and telling them that they are having chest pains and would like Open Heart Surgery before doing any xrays or tests? The outcome might involve a body bag and a toe-tag, which might not be the desired result. Computer hardware/software issues might also have the same results unless a proper diagnosis is performed, but if it just MUST be done “Now” then “Be Prepared” and make sure you have a Backup.

3. YOU touched it last, so YOU must have broken it.

Maybe people should try this one with the surgeon. “I was feeling FINE until I came to see you; now I need surgery!” In the IT world it seems that the last person to touch it must have been who broke it. And of course the issues could NOT have come from the manufacturer either. Reuters reported, on just ONE Day, September 12, 2010, Microsoft released 16 patches to address at least 49 known issues identified within its products; and there are HOW many days in a year?

2. You know, there are a LOT of other people around town who do what you do.

Could you imagine saying this to a highly-skilled heart surgeon with more than 30 years of experience? This should certainly make him or her jump into action and beg for your business. While getting a second opinion is never a bad idea, would you want your doctor to think you didn’t have ANY faith in their skills? Would you tell your doctor that the only thing you cared about was the price of the procedure? When selecting a doctor or ERP provider based upon pricing, unfortunately “you’ll get what you pay for.” When you need a doctor to help you stay alive, or want IT professionals to provide you with software and services that will make your business healthy, basing your decision on price just might not work in your favor.

1. You aren’t going to CHARGE me for that are you?

Might just be me, but don’t most people get charged every time they go to the doctor? Aren’t they also required to pay for any medicine that is prescribed? When they leave the doctor’s office don’t they instantly feel 100% better? When doctors provide people with valuable health-related services and procedures, it is surprising, but they are required to pay.

In the same context, when IT professionals provide businesses with the software and technology necessary in order for the company to remain stable, viable and healthy, payment for services rendered is not just a suggestion, it is required.

About the Author
David M. Boos, CEO of Cornerstone Consulting has almost 40 years of experience in the computer industry. Dave began in 1983 servicing the PC based accounting software market. Cornerstone has since grown from a one-man operation to current operations in Tampa, Florida, Atlanta, Georgia and Los Angeles, California. With added divisions of accounting and E-commerce software sales, custom programming, website design and Internet hosting. Dave is Novell and Microsoft Certified and is an Authorized Dealer for a wide variety of products including Microsoft, Sage and SAP Software. You can reach Dave at www.cornerstone1.com.