Open Source Tech – Donald Hjelm

As a techpreneur, you always have questions to answer. It can all feel pretty overwhelming, but luckily, there’s a fantastic resource you can use to solve an abundance of entrepreneurial problems: open-source technology.

It all began in the ’90s when there was a big push to create operating systems to make using new computer technology more efficient. Companies saw the value in these operating systems and acquired creators such as Linux to write the code.

Then, when the code was written, databases were created to store the information that was relevant to the company. Finally, the era of applications that execute functions within an operating system began, which brings us to open-source software.

Open-source software allows you to customize applications to suit your business’s needs. Companies can take a developer’s open-source environment and build on top of existing platforms to create a customized solution at a relatively low cost.

Gauging open-source software. With 80% of companies in non-technical segments adopting open-source software, it’s pretty clear that it can be leveraged to benefit your business. However, as with any new technology, you should always understand the pros and cons of utilizing it before making any decisions.

A big advantage of open-source software is that it reduces supplier risk.  But with open-source software, your customers know that your product and community will endure.

What’s more, open-source software saves you money because many are entirely free.

Not only is open-source software free, but it’s also readily available. This may seem like a good thing, but remember the code is available to everyone, your competitors included. Economically, however, it’s still a better choice, and it’s just as effective as the licensed software that costs an arm and a leg.

Lastly, like anything in business, you need the right people. If you’re going to leverage open-source software, you need team members who really know how to use it and understand your business’s needs. If you don’t have the right people to customize and build on open-source tech, you’ll simply be moving in circles.

Which path will you choose? After you’ve looked at the pros and cons, you have to decide how you’re going to leverage this great resource — and don’t be afraid to get creative.

1. Open-source tech can be used to help you execute what you already do and assist your preset processes to become more efficient as a whole. Think of it like using an HR or customer-relationship management system to better manage the company structure you already have in place.

2.  You can also use open-source tech as a foundation for building your own apps or creating a new product. This allows you to make money off of existing tech by using open source as a key ingredient with which to build a software model. A word of caution, though: Using open source as a business model only works if you keep building and adapting the tech.

Whether you use open source as an enabler or a business model, it’s a gift. Use open source to differentiate your business or simply to get your business up and running quickly from a relatively advanced stage.

Donald Hjelm on Change-Centric Culture

Organizations face a constant barrage of change, whether they’re grappling with shape-shifting technology, avalanches of data, or the relentless demands of global integration. It’s no wonder that this constant fire drill makes it difficult for even the most forward-thinking companies to manage the constant pace of change, let alone think strategically about it.

Yet, being able to anticipate and make the most of these disruptions is what distinguishes market leaders from followers. How do organizations compete–and even thrive–in a world where the business of business keeps shifting? How do you make change work, when the work keeps changing?

We learned that the organizations that make the most of disruption are embracing three critical building blocks:

1. LEAD AT ALL LEVELS

Why do most companies struggle to manage change successfully? Because they don’t cultivate a change-centric culture.

Change has to start at the top, and it needs to include the entire organization.

Whether it is top or middle management, change must become a personal responsibility. Change-leadership activities and skill building need to be included in personal goals.

Companies that harness disruption also consistently engage employees communication channels and collaborate.

Finally, they recruit emerging internal leaders. These new leaders, with their collaborative networks, can have thousands of followers internally, giving them more influence over employees than many top managers.

2. MAKE CHANGE MATTER

It’s crucial to create a clear vision of the importance of change within an organization. Yet, 87% organizations say not enough focus is put on change management in critical projects. And most invest only 5% or less of total budgets in change management activities.

Study respondents point to five barriers that create a discrepancy between the financial resources allocated and those needed, ranging from a lack of understanding of the benefits of change management to little understanding of how change management roles relate to one another.

It is critical that top managers establish the right organizational context by making change a priority. They must create this vision, reinforce the benefits, and inject change management into the corporate culture.

3. BUILD THE MUSCLE

The accelerating pace of disruption is accompanied by difficulties to keep up with shortage of resources, process changes, and IT. It’s the job of change professionals to manage and direct highly skilled, enterprise-wide resources to mitigate these risks.

But the demand for change capabilities is outpacing the efforts by organizations to address it. Most companies report that the average amount of in-house change management experience is six years or less. Companies need to attract, retain, and develop change professionals and build up internal knowledge and skills. They can’t wait to address these needs by reinventing activities and roles on a project-by-project basis.

Change leaders know this. They’re formalizing change expertise and systematically building enterprise-wide change capabilities.

Disruption today is a constant. Despite the fact that many companies have solid know-how in making change work, they haven’t gotten better at actively managing it. By understanding the gap between themselves and change leaders, they can start to close it.

Donald Hjelm ,

Don Hjelm