Section 03 · Build · How should the work be designed?
Technology
7 modules · Choosing and using systems that fit the operating model.
Part of the BUILD curriculum. Access all BUILD modules: USD 118.80. See BUILD access →
Systems were bought one at a time to solve urgent problems. Together they don't fit the business.
Why it mattersTechnology should follow the operating model. A simple strategy, stating what each system is for, which system is the source of truth for each kind of data, and in what order to invest, prevents the expensive mistakes that come from buying systems one urgent problem at a time. The strategy also shifts the question the business asks. Instead of asking which system to buy, it asks what the business needs to know and do, and where the current landscape fails to support that. The answer is frequently not a new system at all.
You leave withA systems map and a sequenced technology roadmap.
Related: M26 ERP: What It Can and Cannot Fix · M29 Integration · M30 Data · M09 Diagnosing the Operating Model
Open M25 →A new ERP was supposed to fix reporting and stock. A year later, staff still keep spreadsheets alongside it.
Why it mattersERP is one of the largest investments a growing business makes, in money, in management time and in disruption. Understanding what it can and cannot fix, and preparing processes and data before implementation, largely determines whether the investment pays off.
You leave withAn ERP readiness check, or a fix plan for the ERP you have.
Related: M25 Technology Strategy · M30 Data · M12 Process Mapping · M06 Symptoms vs Problems
Illustrative teaching case: The ERP That Didn't Fix Anything
Open M26 →Every lead lives in someone's phone. When a salesperson leaves, their customers go quiet.
Why it mattersA CRM is valuable when it enforces a clear sales and service process. It then protects customer relationships from staff turnover, because the history belongs to the business rather than to the individual. It makes performance visible, because conversion and response times can be measured.
You leave withA pipeline design ready to run in a simple CRM.
Related: M48 Pipeline Management · M47 Sales Architecture · M14 Workflow Design · M29 Integration
Illustrative teaching case: WhatsApp Is the CRM
Open M27 →Skilled staff spend hours re-typing, copying and chasing. The work is routine, but no one has designed it away.
Why it mattersWell-chosen automation frees capacity, reduces errors and makes processes consistent. The capacity freed can be redirected to work that requires judgement, which is generally more valuable and more satisfying. The key is selection. Stable, high-volume, rule-based work should be automated first. Work that changes frequently, depends on judgement or occurs rarely should not.
You leave withA prioritised list of automation opportunities.
Related: M14 Workflow Design · M29 Integration · M31 AI for Business Operations · M13 Standard Operating Procedures
Open M28 →Orders are entered in one system, re-typed into another and reconciled by hand at month-end.
Why it mattersIntegration means that data is entered once and flows automatically to wherever it is needed. It saves time, it removes a whole category of errors, and it makes timely reporting possible, because the data is already combined.
You leave withAn integration plan for your most costly data gap.
Related: M25 Technology Strategy · M30 Data · M28 Automation · M26 ERP: What It Can and Cannot Fix
Open M29 →Reports disagree because the same customer, product or supplier is recorded three different ways.
Why it mattersReliable data is the foundation of management information, of automation and of any serious use of artificial intelligence. Each of those depends on the data beneath it, and none can compensate for its deficiencies.
You leave withData standards and owners for your core records.
Related: M41 Management Information · M26 ERP: What It Can and Cannot Fix · M29 Integration · M40 Dashboards
Open M30 →AI is promised everywhere. Few businesses know which of their processes it can safely improve.
Why it mattersUsed well, AI tools can speed up drafting, summarising, classifying and answering routine questions. These are real gains in businesses where such work consumes significant time.
You leave withA shortlist of practical, low-risk AI uses in your operations.
Related: M28 Automation · M30 Data · M25 Technology Strategy · M55 Business Risk
Open M31 →
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