Think Solution, Not Software Solutions

The more I think about ROI of software, the more I believe that software is being given undue importance. It sure is an important piece of the puzzle, but it should not overshadow other pieces like process, people, and more importantly, it should not overshadow the solution itself. We end up talking about the software so much that there is no bandwidth and budget left to make use of it properly. There lies why most of the businesses still think of softwares in terms of costs instead of investments. And the best way to avoid this is to understand the problem we are trying to solve, devise the total solution, and then think what of it can be automated or done better using software. And no one other than us, the software people, can highlight it better. Build solutions, not software solutions. And if you are limited only to the software, then make sure you demand to understand the solution of which your software is going to be a part.