Friday, December 7, 2007
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Okay, I lied...
I do have something to blog about. Actually a question to ask. I just read an article (www.cio.com/article/140750) from CIO magazine where Dawn Lepore (a former CIO turned CEO) "tells her own CIO that all IT investments should be customer focused".
Now, on the face of things, I agree whole-heartedly with that statement. In practice, though, it's not as easy as it looks. If my company were a financial institution, a utility, a retail company, etc., identification of the customer is fairly straight forward. What about other companies where the customer is not as clearly "defined"? For example, at my company, a Pharmaceutical company, who is the customer? Is it the person (or group) that pays for our medicine? Is it the person (or group) that prescribes the medicine? Or is it the person(s) that use our medicine? The problem is that 99% of the time none of those people are the same person and they all have an impact on the company. So what does IT focus on? Ultimately, the company needs to protect the consumer (the user of the product) from a safety perspective, and IT can help to streamline the payment process between companies and health insurance or prescription plan coverages, and even help the sales force to improve their dialogs with the doctors to show our products' benefits. But that's still a three headed monster and don't get me started on the regulatory requirements, or even the global environment that the company works in...
Thoughts?? I know, I know, emerging tech (at least in my opinion) is much more fun to discuss... :)
Hit the comments. You know where.
Jim
Now, on the face of things, I agree whole-heartedly with that statement. In practice, though, it's not as easy as it looks. If my company were a financial institution, a utility, a retail company, etc., identification of the customer is fairly straight forward. What about other companies where the customer is not as clearly "defined"? For example, at my company, a Pharmaceutical company, who is the customer? Is it the person (or group) that pays for our medicine? Is it the person (or group) that prescribes the medicine? Or is it the person(s) that use our medicine? The problem is that 99% of the time none of those people are the same person and they all have an impact on the company. So what does IT focus on? Ultimately, the company needs to protect the consumer (the user of the product) from a safety perspective, and IT can help to streamline the payment process between companies and health insurance or prescription plan coverages, and even help the sales force to improve their dialogs with the doctors to show our products' benefits. But that's still a three headed monster and don't get me started on the regulatory requirements, or even the global environment that the company works in...
Thoughts?? I know, I know, emerging tech (at least in my opinion) is much more fun to discuss... :)
Hit the comments. You know where.
Jim
Oh the pressure!!!
Hmm...since Dr. Ahmad hightighted this blog on her blog, now I feel kind of obligated to say something profound...
Yeah, not coming to me. Sorry. :)
Anway, if you want to know what I'm keeping track of lately, check out the following (note/warning: blantant geekness may become obvious in the following links):
Speed Racer the movie pics: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-12-05-speed-racer_N.htm?csp=34
('Tis the Season) PacMan Christmas Tree: http://technabob.com/blog/2007/12/05/pac-man-christmas-tree-hits-madrid/
Fake Enterprise CG Picture thought to have come from the new Star Trek movie (can't wait to see the one they actually use): http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/poll/new-old-enterprise-revealed-while-star-trek-fans-faint-all-over-the-world-330238.php
(End of an Era): CompUSA going out of business (and I thought I had been keeping them in business for years): http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/05/rumor-compusa-going-out-of-business-in-january/
Smartphone (Windows Mobile 5&6) users get iPhone like touch keypad (free until Saturday): http://www.cootek.com/index.html
That's it for now. My car's in the shop, so I'm a bit distracted, but those should keep you busy for a while (BTW, when I see an interesting posting, I usually share it so that it appears in the "Jim's Shared Items" list on the right and down a bit...)
Jim
Yeah, not coming to me. Sorry. :)
Anway, if you want to know what I'm keeping track of lately, check out the following (note/warning: blantant geekness may become obvious in the following links):
Speed Racer the movie pics: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-12-05-speed-racer_N.htm?csp=34
('Tis the Season) PacMan Christmas Tree: http://technabob.com/blog/2007/12/05/pac-man-christmas-tree-hits-madrid/
Fake Enterprise CG Picture thought to have come from the new Star Trek movie (can't wait to see the one they actually use): http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/poll/new-old-enterprise-revealed-while-star-trek-fans-faint-all-over-the-world-330238.php
(End of an Era): CompUSA going out of business (and I thought I had been keeping them in business for years): http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/05/rumor-compusa-going-out-of-business-in-january/
Smartphone (Windows Mobile 5&6) users get iPhone like touch keypad (free until Saturday): http://www.cootek.com/index.html
That's it for now. My car's in the shop, so I'm a bit distracted, but those should keep you busy for a while (BTW, when I see an interesting posting, I usually share it so that it appears in the "Jim's Shared Items" list on the right and down a bit...)
Jim
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
