Can you remember the days before e-mail? Pagers? Computer spell-check? It seems like ages ago, but really, these technology tools became mainstream only within the past three to four years.
While PR professionals are glad they have learned how to use these and other productivity enhancing tools, keep in mind that enhancements and outright new tools are popping up practically every day. Indeed, technology's dazzling powers and hyperspeed change can overwhelm.
Organizations need to evaluate technology tools within the context of their overall plans. Keeping up with every enancement or breakthrough ultimately is beyond staff's ability to absorb information, and your budgets to pay for it.
Moreover, you must allot time for training - without which you probably won't gain the full benefits of the latest and greatest breakthrough.
Technology's Benefits
What are the benefits of technology?
"More timely communication and increased productivity," says Mary Jeffries, managing director of Shandwick Minneapolis, who leads the technology planning and budgeting process for Shandwick Worldwide.
And if you choose not to stay current with technology - you might find yourself with obsolete or unpopular systems that your customers, suppliers or employees can't use or don't understand. But spending money on technology that may become obsolete is not a concern of Bill Werfelmann Jr., corporate VP/media relations, New York Life Insurance Co.
"I'm more concerned about gaining a competitive edge" through adopting the latest technology, he says.
Part of the justification for staying abreast of technology depends on a company's customer base, says Jerry Corbett, head of corporate communications at Hitachi America Ltd. This is especially the case when you are talking about Internet technology.
"The key driver is, what is your customer base? If your customer base is Internet saavy, and your marketing can be done more efficiently on the Internet, I'd say, allocate budget for it."
Planning/Budgeting for It
Computing and communications technology has become too complex to purchase on an ad hoc basis. Jeffries' advice is to create a technology plan on the same time horizon as other strategic plans in your company or department: "Create a plan, allocate resources, execute on it, and update it."
Like many corporations, New York Life's information services group provides computer and information services hardware and support to corporate departments, including PR and corporate communications.
But many times, departments are on their own when it comes to specific hardware or software needs - say a high-quality color laser printer or desktop publishing software. New York Life's Werfelmann says corporate communications' budget allocation for technology tools and services such as online services has risen 15 to 20 percent over the past two years.
At Hitachi America, Corbett says that his budget for technology is up - but the increase has been offset by reduced costs for outsourcing of certain tasks, such as graphic design. Unlike corporations, PR firms can expect no corporate godfather to cover the costs of technology.
After going through an extensive strategic planning program, Shandwick's Jeffries says the company committed to spending $10 million on computers and communications technology for the 2,000-person global firm in 1996 and 1997.
That averages out to about $5,000 per employee. For some employees who need high-end equipment, the cost is higher; Jeffries says the company's spending for employees in its Internet and new media groups averages $10,000 to $12,000.
Shandwick's planning for technology also encompasses employees' needs for home computers or docking stations for laptops, and wireless communications devices such as pagers and cell phones.
Shandwick's investment also has included the cost of bringing on more information systems staffers.
At Dallas PR firm Bustin & Co., expenses and capital expenditures for computers and computer-related expenses normally run about 10 to 15 percent of the general/administrative and capital expenditures budget, says Greg Johnson, the 34-person firm's controller. In the current fiscal year, that number will run about 33 percent of an $800,000, budget, because the firm has converted from Macintosh to Windows PCs, he says.
Don't Forget Training
While technology tools may simplify or even eliminate certain tasks, these tools offer maximum benefit only when they are used properly. This means that some training of staff must be planned and budgeted for. "I think it's a bigger portion of the budget than it used to be," says Hitachi's Corbett, whose company already has begun using Microsoft's Office 97 software suite for Windows 95, which was introduced in February.
At Shandwick, the company organizes in-house training. In most offices, conference rooms were equipped with networked PCs for the initial rollout of the new system using Windows 95. Each staffer took three to six hours of training. The company also made training videotapes available for those who missed sessions or needed a refresher.
(Bustin, 214/720-3721; Hitachi, 914/333-2903; New York Life, 212/576-7000; Shandwick, 612/832-5000)