Technology Survey Time

My favorite time to do a technology market survey is when we have training class here at corporate headquarters. At xTuple, our target market is the Small and Medium sized businesses. The students that come to our classes are users of the the software and partners mastering the software to help support our customers throughout the world. We get exceptions, but generally the class is full of small business owners and employees.

The students bring their own laptops and I am always excited to see what they bring.

xTuple software runs equally well on Mac, Windows, and Linux computers. We have strived from the very beginning to allow our customers to choose the desktop or laptop tool which works best for them, as well as the server which is the best fit. In this way our customers can actually get more out of their ERP implementations in two important ways:

1. Employees are more productive when they are comfortable. People get used to and comfortable with their computer. Take a Mac user. As a business owner, you are going to get MUCH more productivity from letting a Mac user use a Mac to do their job than you would by forcing them to use a Windows machine.  Forced to used a PC, they will complain all day long (as a Mac user forced to use a PC for years, I speak from experience). This cuts both ways. Try to force a Mac on a die-hard Windows/Excel/PC user. Do you really think your controller will just roll over and become a Switcher? Think again. Let's not forget about that user that started using Ubuntu at home and has gotten to like it. Or the technologist that has fallen in love with the Linux KDE desktop. Don't you try taking that away. 

   Let them be comfortable. ASK them what they are most comfortable with. Let them keep using what they are used to. When it's time for a technology refresh, ask their opinion, and let them chose. It's empowering and satisfying to chose your daily work environment. It's a way to maximize productivity.
    

2. A wholesale technology refresh is expensive. Many ERP solutions force you down a technology path.  In some cases that is going to mean a whole new enterprise server, a new database software license, web server software, report writer software, and probably more. What about the desktops? Can you use the existing computers?  All new computers and all new software for each user of the new ERP can equal again the cost of the software. These are costs you should absolutely pay attention to when figuring out how much an ERP project will cost you.

   With xTuple, you will most likely get to leverage what you have. Choose the server that works best for your company. Depending on which way you prefer to go with technology, your expense could end right there.  No database costs, no new report writer, no web server.  Let's use those XP machines until they are done, and then replace them with shiny new iMacs, or jump on the new (and by all accounts better) Windows 7.  Either way there is a path to leverage existing assets first, and upgrade when necessary.  No wholesale technology refresh required today.

The results of the training class survey are this: 50% Mac laptops, 50% Windows. The Linux users are under-represented for this class. We look forward to working with these customers and partners as they deliver the best business solution for the end users. We can get right into the training and worry about their "technology direction", later. We like it that way, and so do our customers.