Opinion
For those of us born before 1990, technology represents significantly more than computers and digital devices. Things like anti-lock braking systems, satellite communications, microwave ovens, cable television, early robotics, even indoor plumbing all fit in technology discussions. The expectation was that these technologies will work 99.9 percent of the time.
The development and mass-scale entry of cellular telephones changed collective confidence expectations. Suddenly, 85 percent dependability was acceptable. “. . . after all, it is technology,” one cellular sales rep told me in 1993 when I got my first cell phone. “It’s just the way it is,” he said. I’m sure glad automotive manufacturers pay more attention to braking technology so I can count on being able to stop.!
Fast forwarding to 2021, Jonathan Crossfield presents IT technology failures as eminent. Technology is a means to an end, he says. The job isn’t the tech, it’s what we can do with the tech.
Technology breaks. FACT!” – Jonathan Crossfield
Source: Business to Community, February 21, 2021. Link. A sudden technology failure or issue can disrupt even the most productive day. Comparatively minor technical issues can still lead to major disruptions. This is exacerbated because most of us lack the skills to identify, diagnose and fix IT problems without a lot of fiddling and bodging.
Crossfield suggests areas to protect your workflows, productivity and deadlines from being held to ransom by one random technical mishap after another:
- Redundancy
- Automation
- Backups
- Be prepared