Lottery winners who lived dissatisfactory lives are rarely changed for the better by their newfound wealth. In many cases, their capacity to indulge in unhelpful activities is amplified. They may be able to mask the symptoms more effectively for a while. But the fundamental issue, unless directly treated will remain.
The same underlying principle can be applied to organisations.
There is a famous quote from, Bill Gates which articulates this well.
“The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency.”
This statement, as true as it is, was uttered some time ago. The proliferation of powerful technologies, implemented bottom-up, outside of core IT systems, now represents a greater opportunity for band-aid solution to efficiency issues. And while this may work for current state problems, partially mitigating the amplifying effects of automation, the question remains, to what scale? With what implications for security? With what second-tier effects?
And crucially, what underlying issues are a band-aid solution obfuscating by masking the symptoms?
Questions worth asking when looking for ways to automate and scale for growth.