A Focused way to look at Technology.. How has technology changed your business? How is it perceived by your employees? How is it looked at by your Executive Suite? Far too often, technology is seen as evil. It's seen as a "Cost Center", not a "Profit Center". It's going to "Take my Job!" or it "Never Works!!". OAC's aim and focus is to provide products and services that will change peoples perceptions of IT. Not an easy task, by any measure. In order to accomplish this, we need to do several things that, at first look, are quite contradictory... Make the technology "Disappear". Many years ago, one of Office Automation Consulting's founders owned an office equipment dealership. Copier's were part of the product line and servicing those copiers was a major focus of the business. He was amazed to discover that companies that made ten's of thousands of copies a month, "percived" that the copier was "Always broken" when they had fewer than 3 or 4 service calls in an entire year! The technology "disappeared" until it wasn't working! Get management to acknowledge the Technology. A common thing we see in companies is that management often sees technology as strictly a "Cost Center" or expense that doesn't generate revenue. These preceptions are starting to change but, we still hear that a secretary who's "Just Typing" doesn't need a faster machine or a larger monitor. In many cases, we've seen companies where upper management doesn't even use computers! Reassure and train employees. People can be easily threatened by technology they don't understand. We have a simple answer for this one. Help them understand it! We have done many, many seminars and in-house classes for companies teaching their employees how to use the tools being provided to them. Make it Reliable. While it's exceedingly difficult, and costly, to create a "5 Nines's" environment, making the systems reliable, goes a long way towards instilling employees confidence that their million dollar quote isn't going to vanish in the "Ether". All of this is quite doable and it won't take the Department of Defence budget to make it happen. Just planning, a commitment and our experience. Together we can make it happen.