Innovation In "Advisory" Technology : The Well-Documented Enemy

I was recently involved in a discussion about the changing nature of technology in the context of advisory services, particularly IT Risk and Forensic Technology services.

Now I've been in this arena for nigh-on 20 years – and technology is bread & butter to my work so to have a conversation in which one of the first questions I ask is "have you updated to the latest XXX platform", or "What do you think about YYY version", is perfectly normal.

The response I get is often very similar too either "No – we haven't tested it yet" or "Our procedures were written for version KKK".

Innovation in technology risk/forensic services is being stifled by documentation that is becoming ever more detailed and biblical in scale – and users of it are following more "DO THIS, then DO THAT" instruction. Of course, any failure of the output can then justifiably be blamed on the technology (or the computer O/S, random leap-seconds, etc.), not the provider.