One of the biggest frustrations an executive faces in establishing an organization's technological competence is the rapid rate of functional obsolescence of computer equipment and software. Technology changes too quickly for association budgets and staff to absorb, which results in what I call a "Domino Effect". Regardless of whether an organization is operating in a DOS, Mac or Windows environment, the seemingly simple move to a single new version of an application can create a series of head ache-inducing situations.

When an organization desires to modify an existing application on a worker's station the upgrade creates the need to upgrade the Operating System which then creates the need to upgrade all other programs as well. Before you know it, the entire network is affected because one user required a new application which led to an Operating System upgrade which led to upgrades in applications across the board.

Unfortunately, in our current stage of technological evolution, we are unable to handle the mix of old technology with new technology in a cost-effective manner. It can either require a little extra money or time or it can require a great deal of extra money and time, but there is little an organization can do to avoid such technological growing pains. One example which illustrates this problem is the need many association publication departments face to keep up with current desktop publishing programs. The Association purchases a new version of Pagemaker, but the program requires an Operating System upgrade. The new OS requires additional memory from the workstation, but the computer is not equipped to handle additional memory. In addition to that, all other programs will now require upgrading because of the change in Operating System. In addition, the user can no longer share files with other stations because the network can no longer handle the new technology associated with the station.

This scenario is a common one and is the source of frustration among users and consultants. The best advice to deal with this problem is to maintain the following rule at all costs: Never give one user a new version of their Operating System that is more than one generation ahead of everyone else's.

It would be nice if every organization could anticipate the precise effect of a particular upgrade on their system. Unfortunately, this kind of foresight requires skills only a psychic possesses. A good way to anticipate these effects is to be mindful of the following factors.

1. Is any of your equipment more than two years of age? If so, how much of it?
2. Does the next version of your desired program upgrade require or "recommend" a new operating system?
3. Is the upgrade item used by more than one staff member?
4. When you last bought your hardware or software, did you purchase an older tech or "disabled version" to save dollars?
5. Have you been trying to avoid spending dollars on technology since your last major purchase?
6. Are there any parts of your system that you haven't paid attention to in years that will cause the "Domino Effect" when their life becomes troubled?

Now that the problem has been identified, it becomes necessary to offer a solution. The best way to avoid the problem at all is to maintain the most current equipment. Budget annually for upgrades in software and try to stay within one generation of the newest technology. Secondly, determine, to the best of your ability, the potential domino effect of any upgrade and then budget for the project accordingly. The more conservative your estimate, the better off you will be. Finally, if you have a limited budget, decide what will be least disruptive to your organization - postponing your upgrade until you have the money or manipulating the budget from alternative sources.

When evaluating the decision to upgrade your computer system, it is important to consider the long run effects of your decision on your organization. The most important consideration for an organization is the long-term effect of inaction in the short run. Technology is moving fast, so be sure to work with your computer vendor, your Board and your Staff to construct a long-term plan and budget for maintaining technological efficiency for your organization.

- Jaculin Thompson