The Importance of Technology in the Great Lakes Region: An Interview With Plante & Moran’s Doug Wiescinski
Universal Advisor, 2007 Issue No. 1

Please also read the companion piece, "One Client's Perspective: RouteOne on the Importance of Leveraging Technology"

A variety of experts have proclaimed technology to be Michigan’s economic savior. This was also reflected regionally by Plante & Moran’s Great Lakes Mid-Market Business Survey, where respondents in Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois cited “innovation and technology” as reasons to be optimistic about our future. But how optimistic should we be? Doug Wiescinski, leader of Plante & Moran’s Technology Consulting & Solutions Team, recently shared his thoughts on the current state of technology, its inherent obstacles, and why he “remains bullish” despite the softening economy.

What kinds of technology challenges are organizations currently facing?

Primarily trying to do more with less. The challenge for most companies is that their customers and suppliers demand enhanced technological capabilities, yet management demands that the IT budget be reduced. You have to be creative in coming up with solutions.

What advice do you have for organizations who are struggling to maximize their existing IT resources?

It’s important to assess the effectiveness of IT staff, existing vendor contracts, and telecommunication costs. Are the right people in the right positions? Oftentimes we find highly qualified staff such as network engineers doing simple tasks like hardware repair — it’s not a good use of their time or an organization’s money.

In terms of vendor contracts and relationships, make sure you’re getting the best value. This includes hardware, software, support, and consulting. A lot of clients simply renew their existing relationships without doing an independent assessment of viable alternatives. Some even pay maintenance costs on systems they’ll be retiring in a year — it’s counterintuitive. The same goes for telecommunications. Consolidation may make sense; carriers give significant discounts for doing so. Bottom line — it’s important to have a long-term strategy. You have to keep your eye toward the future while managing your budget today.

Speaking of the future, technology has been touted to be Michigan’s economic savior. Do you agree?

It’s a matter of perspective, as the traditional definition of “technology” has been very narrow. It’s evolved from data processing to information systems to information technology; people with an IT background think of technology as a tool to help run a business. And it is — but it’s also much broader than that.

How so?

Think about it — technology related to automobiles has nothing to do with the information systems necessary to run a business but everything to do with running a car. Technology’s broader definition has a meaningful impact on our economy, as we have a number of talented engineers here in Southeast Michigan — as many as in Silicon Valley or Route 128. Given the softening of the economy, we’re being adaptive and applying that technology expertise to other industry segments. It’s a growing trend that, I believe, will contribute to our region’s long-term success.

Take Delphi, for example. They’re taking patents initially developed for the automotive industry and applying them to the medical industry. They’re inserting GPS-like systems into the human body so that, should a medical emergency occur, your care provider can dispatch someone to your aid whether you’re capable of asking for help or not. These systems have been available in cars for years, but now they’re being leveraged in new and creative ways.

There’s also a lot of research and development in the region, and while it was historically geared toward automotive, today it’s being conducted in other sectors. Philosophies like lean — techniques that grew out of the auto industry — are being applied to anything one might manufacture. There’s a lot to be optimistic about. Tough times often precipitate the greatest creativity. I believe that through this creativity, new long-term opportunities will emerge.