Monday December 15, 2008

The times, they are a changing

by Johnny Pitts in Article

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“The times, they are a changing”.
-Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan, who I always thought was a bit overrated as a musician, but not as a songwriter, wrote a song back in the 60’s with that title. Still appropriate today, we find ourselves in the middle of an economic tsunami that will have long-lasting effects. However, it can also be a time to embrace the changes and plan for the future.

“We fear change”.
-Garth Algar, “Wayne’s World”

Garth Algar, one of my favorite TV and movie characters from Wayne’s World provided this quote in the movie. A meek, and mild-mannered character, Garth didn’t like anything changing his routine. Well, if we aren’t constantly trying to change, then we will get left behind or worse, be doomed to a future of mediocrity. Our vision for the User Experience team at EMC Consulting is one that might be questioned based on the economy, but I think the strategy is right on the money. We are taking another look at how we approach UX in the marketplace, with what I believe to be one of our most credible differentiators. Our hope is to make investments that secure our longevity in the market and build a Center of Excellence second-to-none.

We already have a team of extremely talented UX folks within EMCC; so how do we take that next step? I think the answer is to build a studio environment that supports and encourages our people to continue to provide superior services to our clients. Now, the “studio” idea is not new; agencies have been doing it for years, but it is a bit rare in the IT consulting world. All the more reason we should be doing it. One of the guys on my team, Mark Kraemer, has been appointed as the National Practice Lead for the UX Practice within EMCC. Mark has a passion to build this studio concept and take the Practice to a new level. He has the talent and the support from above to make this a success.

“If you ain’t first, you’re last”.
-Ricky Bobby, “Talladega Nights”

Laugh if you want, but I happen to believe that Mr. Bobby’s mantra isn’t completely off-the-mark. His point is that you have to do whatever you have to do to stay in first place. That is what I think we are doing with the studio concept. We will strive to implement changes that help us achieve our goals. Shake-n-Bake, baby.

“There’s no place like home”.
-Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz”

With the economy and corresponding downturn in an uproar, our consulting business has changed a bit. More and more of our folks are working on projects away from home. They are making personal sacrifices for the good of the business and to ensure we keep people working. Another benefit of having a studio will be offering an opportunity for our UX team to stay at home, in the studio, and work in a collaborative environment that I am sure will produce even more awesome results for our clients.

No one knows what 2009 will bring in terms of our business and the economy. But, I know we will give it everything we have to get through this difficult stretch. To the entire team at EMCC, specifically the folks in the Mid-Atlantic/South Division, I say thanks for all the hard work and your continued effort to make this a place you want to work.