"What tool should we buy?" is the question I'm asked most often — and almost always, it's the wrong question.
Software doesn't fix a fuzzy process. It accelerates it — sometimes in the wrong direction. Before any technology recommendation, I help teams map where work actually slows down: double entry, lost versions, manual follow-ups, reports assembled by hand.
Half a day of honest friction mapping often saves months of disappointment after a purchase.
At a glance
- Tool failures usually trace back to unclear workflows, conflicting practices, and undefined success metrics — not budget.
- Map repetitive tasks, time spent, information handoffs, and decision roles before evaluating vendors.
- Four common friction types — double entry, search, coordination, production — each need different responses.
- Process adjustment and existing-tool configuration are often enough; new software is the third option, not the first.
Why technology purchases disappoint
From my experience with operations teams, security, and platforms, failures often look like this:
- The tool promises to "automate everything," but no one mapped the real workflow
- Two departments do the same task differently — the tool only picks one
- Training is minimal; six months later everyone is back in Excel
- Success metrics were never defined
The problem isn't budget. It's lack of operational clarity before the purchase.
Mapping friction: half a day that saves months
Before any technology recommendation, I often suggest a simple exercise:
- List repetitive tasks for the target team (no judgment)
- Estimate weekly time spent on each
- Spot where information enters, exits, transforms, or gets lost
- Identify who decides, who executes, who validates
- Rank by potential impact and ease of change
No fancy BPMN required. An honest table is enough.
The four friction types I see most
| Type | Example | Typical path |
|---|---|---|
| Double entry | Same info in three tools | Integration or single form |
| Search | "Where's the latest version?" | Filing and naming |
| Coordination | Endless manual follow-ups | Automated reminders |
| Production | Reports assembled by hand | Templates and extraction |
Each type calls for a different response — not the same generic platform for everything.
Buy or build? The real question
Once friction is understood, only three options:
- Adjust the process with no new tool (often underestimated)
- Configure what you already have (often enough)
- Add a targeted tool or automation (when the rest is clear)
Jumping straight to the third option means paying twice: for the tool and for cleanup afterward.
What your teams will tell you if you listen
People on the ground know where it hurts. They also know what they don't want to lose — autonomy, flexibility, client relationships.
A good project starts with their reality, not a vendor demo. That's the core of my role as a bridge between operations and technology: translate friction into concrete, measurable, progressive options.
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Ready to map before you buy? Book a slot — we can start with a single process.