Sophisticated Users Cost More

September 20, 2018
Carl Stoddard

For my many years of working with various tools and software, I have seen what I consider an incorrect correlation that increasing the quality of the tool will alone increase the quality of the result. All too often, it doesn't because the user skill is unprepared or under-trained to use the software.

Let's start with a few examples :

Would you invest in an expense piano, guitar or other instrument and expect it to make you play beautifully without training?

Would you purchase an expense road bike, tennis racquet or golf club and expect it to make you competitive without training?

I could list thousands of examples, but I think you will understand this simple axiom.

"Sophisticated tools require sophisticated users"

Let's take a quick look at the visual representation of this below. As the tool quality increases, good users can take advantage of it as long as their skill is equal to the tool. When the tool surpasses, them there will no more gains without training whether it be formal or informal.

This graph is more universal that great results can only be expected when great skill is matched with great quality tools. What is not shown, is that the prices increases for both the user in the form of training and salary for a higher skill set and the same is true for the quality of the tool.

Now with the two examples given, we all know that mastery will not come from one time training, it is constant week after week of training. When I see doctors, dentists and other health professionals purchase software with the expectation that it will improve results with out constant training, well it won't!

Doctors CFO offers analysis, consulting and training to medical, dental and other health related practices in the United States. Please reach out to us to see how one of our programs can benefit your practice.

[email protected]
(208) 269-1959