If something has always worked, there is a notion that creeps in that says we don't need to improve it, stick with the tried and true. Unless we are concerned that it will fall out of favor or fail to provide us the benefits from when it was first acquired.
When put into the context of technology we enter into tricky territory, trading off new functionality for stability, or stability for new functionality depending on what camp you call home, Development or Operations.
Consider the paradox when vying for limited IT resources from a highly scrutinized capital budget; too small to do it right but too big not to.
Using the end-user-experience (EUE) as a yard stick to measure application performance helps provide the needed visibility to create tangible metrics for strategic decision making.
Communicating in terms of the EUE provides a focal point that allows IT to make a connection to the business and speak to them in a language they can appreciate. It doesn't matter if every system dashboard is green, if the end user has a perception that the application is slow, then it is slow.
We are only limited by our beliefs and the perceptions we have of what is real and what brings us value. The end users of our critical business systems are no different, and with the convergence of technology finding its way to their own personal devices, meeting the expectations of a quality customer experience for everyone is much more difficult.
Consider using the Application Performance Management (APM) framework as a reference when working to improve the Customer Experience. The framework puts the EUE at the heart of it all and creates the necessary focus point to help make that connection to the business.
Understandably, the technology saga in how to extract the most meaningful end-user-experience metrics that the business can relate too, can leave even the savviest IT leader perplexed about what tools they should use and what processes they should follow.
Before you select a tool-set or roll out a new process, I recommend starting with a simple APM methodology focused on the EUE. On SlideShare: Click here
You can contact Larry on LinkedIn.