Fix the process before adding technology

October 15, 2026. 2-minute read.

Broken processes don’t magically improve when you add technology.

Technology amplifies their impact, good or bad.

Your goal is to amplify the POSITIVE impact in your enterprise.

In my latest article, I call this the Technology Trap: giving new tools more attention than the people and processes required to make them useful.

Consider a purchase approval requiring six signatures, duplicated data entry, and unclear ownership.

Adding AI to chase approvals might reduce follow-up time. The unnecessary approvals, duplicate work, and accountability gaps remain.

Start by asking why those steps exist.

This principle predates AI.

Michael Hammer’s 1990 Harvard Business Review article challenged leaders to rethink work before automating existing processes.

The lesson remains relevant.

McKinsey & Company’s March 2025 research identified workflow redesign as the strongest contributor, among 25 attributes studied, to explaining self reported financial impact from generative AI. The finding shows an association, rather than proof of causation.

Before selecting technology, ask:

What real business problem are we solving?
Which steps create value, and which create delay?
Where do errors, rework, and unnecessary handoffs occur?
Who owns the outcome across departments?
What result would prove the process improved?

Then redesign the work.

Remove unnecessary steps.

Clarify decision rights.

Address data quality.

Establish a baseline for time, cost, and accuracy.

Use technology where automation, better information, or faster decisions improve the outcome.

My takeawaydon’t put technology ahead of people and processes. Find a real problem, improve the work, and apply technology with a clear purpose.

Which process in your organization needs redesign before another technology investment?