Where’s the peanut butter?; managing technology system change
Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 07:57AM
The state of Minnesota’s judicial branch has changed some information systems. The pushback has not been positive. I sympathize with those that manage information systems, especially when needed changes are made to them. But I also sympathize with the end users.
According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, a number of legal workers are not happy with a change in information access systems here in MN. An editorial (Restore justice partners data access, Dec. 13) took Minnesota's Judicial Branch to task and a Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and the state court administrator responded (Online records transition necessary, orderly, December 19, 2023.) by writing:
While these [replacement] programs may not offer the one-stop-shop functionality of Odyssey Assistant, they absolutely provide our partners with the information they need to do their jobs, maintain public safety and ensure access to justice. To suggest otherwise is simply inaccurate.
The judicial branch recognizes that some of our justice partners have struggled to adjust to these newer, less familiar electronic tools.
Many others have been successfully using these new tools for quite some time now.
As a technology director for two public school systems over a 28 year span, I had the responsibility for overseeing quite a number of technology changes. Student information systems, special education systems, financial systems, email systems, and, of course, personal computer operating systems each changed multiple times over the years. And each change brought a degree of distress to the end users despite trainings, reasonings, and careful planning.
One especially difficult transition was from the TIES Student Information System to a commercial system around 2017. TIES was a consortium of primarily metro area schools that, among other things, created and maintained a highly customizable information system for its members. It was great since it was made to support the export of data required by the state, of course, but If a school district decided it wanted a button to be red instead of blue, TIES could make that happen. It was a long used and familiar set of programs.
But when TIES dissolved and schools were forced to adopt a new system, the users found it distressing that the national company didn’t really care if they wanted the buttons to be blue or red. And of course, buttons, tabs, and menus were all in new places in the new system. A task that may have taken one click, now might have required three clicks! That this system was used in over a dozen buildings by teachers, administrators, secretaries, as well as district office personnel, somewhat complicated matters. And the data it managed - attendance, grades, schedules, contact information - were critical.
During each change process, I always tried to remember the old innovation adoption theory: with any new technology there would be innovators, early adopters, late adopters, and laggards. The theory certainly seemed to hold true among school personnel. I remember getting the stink eye from some staff months after a system change.
An Apple representative once shared an analogy regarding technology change. He submitted that changing a computer system was like moving to a new house. Just after moving, you become frustrated because you can’t find the light switches, you forget which cupboard holds the peanut butter, and you don’t remember if you turn left or right in the bedroom hallway to get to the bathroom. It takes some time before you become familiar with the new place. Until then, it is hard to remember why you moved in the first place - more space, nicer location, better layout. Likewise, adjusting to a new computer system takes some time.
So to both the administrators and the users of the judicial system databases, remember that the transition, while painful, will be temporary. You will eventually learn where you put the peanut butter.
Reader Comments (3)
Right now I wish my school would update to a new system - I would love to lose my peanut butter!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Doug.
I so enjoy that you share your experiences and insights. Thank you!
Sincerely, Stephanie
Thanks so much, Stephanie and Kenn for your thoughtful notes!
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.
Doug