Oh boy.  I have to admit to being perturbed this morning.  See, I’m a bit of road cyclist. I’ve traveled over 600 miles so far this season and there I was this morning on one of my favorite country roads and don’t you know that between last Friday morning and now they have torn up the road to prepare for resurfacing.  ARG!  And I should have expected it, because a week or two ago they were working on another of my routes. Having grown up in the big city, there is a large part of me that thinks these roads really didn’t need resurfacing for years yet.  But, left alone, roads deteriorate.  Or in the case of my particular path, increasing population density has made old specifications no longer adequate.  No matter the rationale, I’m forced to deal with a ruined ride and disruption for weeks to come.  These rides are supposed to reduce stress – but I found myself quite unhappy today.

But here’s the thing: I’ve already been back on the road they resurfaced earlier this spring. I already know that my average pace on that road is up by nearly 1 mph – that is by about 6%. After putting up with the disruption and chaos, I actually do enjoy that road more and my work along that path is more productive.

Perhaps you can tell I’m gearing up for the transition from cycling to project management.

Seriously, the status quo rarely works for long. The key to corporate success in our economy has long been innovations that improve productivity.  Whatever we are used to doing, even if it has “always been fine” may no longer be optimal.

Similarly, if your software is not being enhanced and upgraded and re-implemented, or if the IT infrastructure doesn’t stay current…. then eventually productivity is no longer what it could be,  what it *should* be.

Review your infrastructure and processes from time to time.  Take advantage of the occasional demo just for the opportunity see how what’s out there compares with what you’ve been doing.  Pay attention to feature upgrades in the software you already have. And, in the case of a deeply functional system like the Spitfire Project Management System, periodically review if you are using that software to your best advantage and getting the most out of your investment.

In the long run, you’ll be happy you did.