You would think every integrator would have solid, proven standards. It’s logical, and engineers are logical, right? The problem is engineers love to create. This often results in re-creating the wheel on a project to project basis, a lot of times when the previous wheel worked just fine.
Great integrators don’t do this. Great integrators have a culture of consistency coupled with continuous improvement. They understand the best approach is most often the consistent approach. This doesn’t mean things stay stagnant. On the contrary, they channel the engineers’ need to create into improving the company’s collective standards and best practices.
This culture means that:
- Good designs are evolved to spectacular designs.
- Bugs have been found in code.
- Fatigue points have been found in mechanical systems.
- There’s an increased efficiency by the integrator and therefore reduced cost to the end user.
- Better support – since everyone knows the standards, everyone can support it. This means interchangeability of resources. When you call at 2AM on a Tuesday and the person who did your project is on vacation, you can get support from someone else within the company, because they understand the standards that were used.
Best practices and standards don’t just apply to technology. This culture pervades every aspect of the business including billing, project management (costs, scope, schedule), HR and customer service.
An environment where people have to think brings with it wisdom, and this wisdom brings with it kaizen [continuous improvement]. -Teruyuki Minoura
