Digital White Papers

I L T A W H I T E P A P E R | T E C H S O L U T I O N S 26 The Co-Pilot There was no doubt that introducing new technolo would be one of the critical milestones along our journey. There was also no doubt that we could not navigate that leg of our journey on our own. We needed a co-pilot—a partner who understood our challenges and what we hoped to accomplish and had the technical chops and creativity to help us. Armed with our strate document, we surveyed the market. We met with consultants and software companies. We participated in demos and Q/A sessions. We saw products that did a nice job tackling one or two aspects of the relationship lifecycle, but no single solution checked all of the boxes. There was one that seemed to have more potential than the rest, so we gave it a shot. They were our first co-pilots. We worked closely with this vendor, painstakingly making our way through data mapping and configuration checklists. The entire team, both internal and external, gave it their best effort. After a few months, we took stock of where we stood and how much more road there was to travel. As we measured our progress against our master strate document, one thing became very clear. We had made a wrong turn somewhere along the way. This technolo was not going to get us to our destination. It was not anyone's fault—there are some things you just won't know until you roll up your sleeves and get into the details. This was not the solution for us, and it was time to find a new co-pilot. Now what? The market had not changed. There weren't any new players in this space. Building something ourselves was not a practical option nor was commissioning a custom, one-off solution. As I sat with my boss in his office, commiserating over our shared disappointment that we were stalled, an idea occurred to us. Yes. The proverbial light bulb switched on and lightning struck. We had been working with a startup on an early version of a task and project management tool they were building. We both had some history with this team and knew they had the technical talent, business acumen and creativity we needed. At nearly the same moment, my boss and I spontaneously shouted, "If anyone can figure out how to do this, these guys can!" So, we began lobbying them. We explained our challenges and encouraged them to talk with leaders at other firms who were wrestling with similar issues. We shared our vision of success and how that extended well beyond any one department or function with the potential to reach across an entire firm. We sent links to articles and presentations. (Thanks, ILTA!) Basically, we became real pests until they agreed to consider the possibility. They conducted their own diligence and became convinced there was a real opportunity to be seized. We had our new co-pilot. "Basically, we became real pests until they agreed to consider the possibility."

• Cover