Door: Edco Wallet 28-8-2023
'Hey neighbor, can I borrow your ladder for a minute?' Who doesn't know it? In our daily domestic life, we find such a question quite normal. As soon as we put on our business attire, the world suddenly seems to be structured differently. Then we want to do everything ourselves, keep everything to ourselves, and we start looking hard for that one specific expert whom we then want to employ permanently for forty hours a week. The current shortage in the labor market forces us to think more broadly and turn challenges into opportunities through a different approach. In this blog, Edco Wallet, co-owner of OptimaData, advocates knowledge sharing.
We all need a ladder from time to time. For that one job on the roof, to clean the gutter or to clean the attic window. Do we buy our own ladder, which we then hang unused in the garage for over three hundred days? Or do we borrow the neighbor's ladder? On our street, one neighbor has a top ladder. Wonderful thing. And the neighbor is also very convenient. We live in a village where the barn door doesn't have to be locked yet, so we can just grab the ladder. The thing is used almost weekly. Fine for us and the neighbor regularly enjoys yet another beer package. Only thing is to make sure we don't all want to clean the gutter at the same time. But trust me, that has never been an issue.
In ICT, individual experts often have in-depth knowledge in a specific area. In our field of databases within ICT, specific expertise is very scarce, but also very much in demand. Many companies want to have such a specialist in-house full-time. Because 'you never know'. Then we think of all kinds of extra work that 'he can also just pick up'. If you do that, you do not use the full power of his specific knowledge, you make unnecessary costs and you deprive the rest of the Dutch business community of this knowledge. After all, the specialist is stuck in your company. Companies can also collaborate by using individual experts on a part-time basis. By using one person's expertise together, both companies can save costs and still benefit from this person's expertise.
In ICT, innovation is essential to stay competitive and provide the best solutions to customers. Collaborating with part-time experts from different backgrounds, companies or industries allows teams to generate new ideas and perspectives and arrive at innovative solutions. It also allows teams to experiment with new technologies and implement them quickly. In addition, collaboration at this level within ICT can lead to greater efficiency. After all, you only call in the expertise when you need it. Just like the ladder that no longer lies gathering dust in the garage for most of the year. By combining the expertise of different specialists, teams can optimize and speed up processes and workflows. This can lead to faster project delivery and better quality of the end result.
Because an expert with specific knowledge serves several companies part-time at the same time, these companies can learn from each other's processes, mistakes and only have to reinvent the wheel once. In turn, the teams in these companies can much more quickly absorb new insights and technologies that the specialist brings. By pooling this expertise together, teams can achieve in-depth knowledge and specialization. This enables teams to tackle complex problems and arrive at innovative solutions that might not otherwise be possible. In this way, we learn from each other and raise the overall level of knowledge.
This can lead to better decision-making and risk management. For example, teams can jointly analyze risks and take proactive measures to reduce those risks. By working together, teams can better anticipate future problems and prevent them before they occur.
The benefits of this type of collaboration are clear. Companies can save costs by using one expert instead of hiring multiple full-time experts. Experts can gain more experience by working with different companies and organizations. In addition, companies can work together to provide better solutions to their clients, which can lead to greater success and growth for all parties involved.
By sharing specialized knowledge, companies can enjoy the benefits of a larger pool of knowledge and expertise. Instead of relying on one person's knowledge, companies can access the combined knowledge of a group of specialists. This can lead to better solutions, innovation, efficiency and in-depth knowledge and specialization.
Another benefit of sharing specialist knowledge is that it can lead to new opportunities for collaboration and partnerships between companies. By collaborating and sharing knowledge, companies can get to know each other better and discover new ways to work together to create value for their customers.
Moreover, sharing specialized knowledge can reduce the cost of hiring full-time specialists. By jointly sharing costs, companies may be able to obtain specialized knowledge that might not otherwise be available or affordable.
There are, of course, some drawbacks to this type of collaboration. First, it can be difficult for individual experts to manage and keep track of multiple projects for multiple companies. They must be able to manage their time effectively and ensure that they spend enough time on each project to deliver quality work.
In addition, potential conflicts may arise between the companies the expert works for. For example, this can happen if the expert works on projects that conflict with each other, or if the expert works for competitors in the same industry. It can also be difficult to strike a balance between sharing knowledge and protecting intellectual property and confidential information. Companies should therefore make clear agreements about the expert's duties and responsibilities to avoid potential conflicts.
Sharing specialized knowledge between companies thus requires careful planning, collaboration and communication. It is important to make clear agreements on how the knowledge will be shared and how it can be used, and to ensure good communication between all parties involved.
Sharing specialized knowledge is a smart way to address the challenges associated with labor market scarcity. Companies can enjoy the benefits of a larger pool of knowledge and expertise, while reducing the cost of hiring full-time specialists. Sharing specialist knowledge can also lead to new opportunities for collaboration and partnerships between companies, thereby accelerating our innovation strength in the Netherlands.
Sharing knowledge and our expertise is in our DNA. Using our specialty part time? We can walk with you as a trusted advisor. Building a pool of specialist expertise together? We'd love to get in touch with you!