Ahhh, the wonders of technology! I can sit and write this blog whilst waiting for an RAC man to fix my broken down car, stranded as I am, on a London arterial car park. Whatever happened to the boast that we would all be rescued from roadside boredom within 40 minutes?

The ‘ever-so-helpful woman’ from the comfortable call centre in Cardiff reassured me that someone will be with me within 90 minutes. Just enough time I suppose to consider how fantastic it is that ‘Sarah’ (she gave me her name and phone extension to call if there were any problems), knew exactly where the mechanics in my area were operating.”Is there anything more that I could do for you sir”? said Sarah, as she completed the sign off from her customer satisfaction training course. Well Sarah, you couldn’t do anything about my rumbling stomach and desperate need to get home from work could you?

Sarah has the technology to stare into the future and tell me that “yes, tonight does seem to be pretty busy in your area, and if you keep your mobile free [that is, get off the phone and stop giving me a hard time], you will receive a call from the mechanic when he is on his way to you”.

The lesson to be learned? The success of technology will only ever be measured by the way it supports and strengthens successful business processes. In my case…I’m not interested in your real-time view of breakdowns in the London region. Why am I waiting so long for the mechanic to arrive?

And then…along comes Mike. A seasoned veteran of the breakdown patrol team. Just when out of frustration I was ready to pack up my IT bag and hang up my keyboard, Mike produced ‘the killer laptop’. A laptop so powerful, that if only he could find the socket in my car to plug it into, would have revealed every facet of the makeup and history of my trusty steed. Notwithstanding the age of my car, and lack of apparent connection point, Mike diagnosed the situation. The news was not good.

Luckily, Mike was forced to admit that the problem facing my car was ‘nothing I had done’ (Ever heard that before?), and with my vehicle in tow, we enjoyed a good chat in his van as he proceeded to take me home. This proved a chance for him to relate how his movements were constantly being monitored from a call centre in Cardiff. Did he know Sarah I wondered?

In IT terms, what redeemed the situation was this killer laptop which had since been transferred to the dashboard of the van. Now acting as a GPS and communications systems, Mike really was in constant connection to HQ, the call centre in Cardiff, and a wider support network. The technology really did support his role and the business processes in which he was involved. He could not perform an electronic diagnostic on my car, but he had all of the background data and specifications that made him very efficient at his job.

What for me started as a reminder of how technology is not some universal panacea for life’s ills and troubles, ended with the affirmation that IT really can make a difference. Ahhh..the wonders of technology!