Headlong into an Abyss
July 17, 2008
Right before the 4th of July, my phone rang. A very enthusiastic person had to speak with me. I hate the phone. Since February 2007, my hearing has gone downhill.
The chipper caller explained that a major organization had a problem. In five minutes, I learned that this outfit had three content processing systems. Each system was a search system, a collaboration system, and a content processing system.
The problem was that no one could find anything. Right after the holiday, I opened by mail program and there sat several plump PDF files stuffed full of baloney about requirements, guidelines, billing, and other administrivia. The problem was boiled down to a request for suggestions about making the three systems work happily together so employees could find information.
I thought about this situation and sent an email message telling Ms. Chipper, “No bid. Tx, Steve”. I do this a lot.
In this essay, I want to run down the four reasons I want to steer clear of outfits who are ready to do a header off a cliff into the search abyss.
Too Many Toys
The organization has money and buys search toys. No one plays with the search toys but there is a person who thinks that the organization should play with the search toys.
Source: http://www.tgtbt.com/images/atozvictoriatoys50pc.JPG
Buy, Try, Buy, Try
Organizations unable to get one system working just buy another one. The reasons range from a change in management so any organizational intelligence about search and content processing are lost. One big drug company got a new president, and he mandated a new system. Who really knows how to make a search system work? No one, so buy another one. Maybe it will work. I call this crazy procurement, and it is a sure sign of a dysfunctional organization.
Silo Wars
Multiple search systems can also be a consequence of units that refuse to cooperate. If unit A wants one system, well, unit B wants a different one. This baffles me, because neither system allows a user to access content in one query. When a person tells me, “We need federated search,” I know that this is a silo war situation. Somehow finding a way to take one query, send it to three or more separate search systems, and return concatenated results will save the day. Not likely. The silo barons will find a way to keep their information, thank you.
Fear of a Vendor
An organization has a search system that doesn’t work or that people don’t use. Instead of telling the vendor, “You’re fired”, the organization keeps paying the bills to avoid trouble. So, a different search system comes in the door, doesn’t deliver what users want, and the organization sidesteps a nasty confrontation over a license termination. The cycle repeats itself. If you ask, “Why do you guys keep system X,” the answer is, “We don’t want to make waves.”
Trend Surfer
The boss delegates. Buffy the search engine surfer snags whatever is hot and trendy. The organization functions like a crazed collector on the Antique Roadshow. When the budget crunch comes, the CFO prods the boss into mandating a fix. Not a chance.
Observations
- Calls for help with search before holidays are a tip off that the caller’s organization is not on the edge of an abyss. The organization’s search system is falling toward the rocks below. Gravity usually wins.
- The proliferation of search systems is endemic. Getting these systems to work is easier than resolving the political environment that permitted the acquisition of duplicative enterprise applications.
- Those who believe that a consultant can provide a silver bullet is a dysfunctional optimist. Search that works is essential. Multiple systems can coexist if each is focused on solving specific problems. Multiple systems that are not focused are a symptom of an organization that is unable to decide what problem is to be solved.
Now I avoid these projects when one of these flashing yellow lights starts blinking.
Agree? Disagree? Educate me.
Stephen Arnold, July 17, 2008
Comments
One Response to “Headlong into an Abyss”
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I agree with the “Fear of Vendor” – I’ve seen it in journalism A LOT when it comes to editorial and archival systems. They will rarely update to a new vendor because they’re concerned about alienating the old vendor who is already difficult to get support from. Then we end up with three archive systems with varying levels of search (but all still clunky and bad), and none of them are cross-content, text or photo. Ouch. I won’t even go into backups.