The other day, I overheard two young editors (heck, everyone seems young these days) talking in technical jargon that made it sound like they were conversing in a secret code.

There were words such as pdf, jpeg and the like, and as one would say something, the other one would slowly nod in agreement. I was going to join in the conversation and ask them if they had listened to the latest Moody Blues CD, but decided against it.

Don't get me wrong—I'm not computer or software illiterate. I use e-mail and understand most operating systems. But I admit that I'm not as well versed in technology as I should be.

And apparently, I'm not alone. At a recent industry seminar, the keynote speaker asked attendees how many of them were taking full advantage of the technology available to them within their company. Only a few people raised their hands.

In talking to some of the manufacturers and distributors in attendance, many said they spent huge amounts of money updating their systems, yet weren't taking advantage of all that those systems offered. And worse yet, many of them didn't even understand the full capabilities of their systems.

Some software providers have told me as much. Potential customers, they say, often tell them that they only want the best, with all the bells and whistles. In many instances, customers buy more than they need.

I visited a distributor many years ago who admitted to me that he had spent a "considerable" amount of money on a new system, but never got it to operate properly. As a result, he continued using the old system. He isn't alone.

If you are considering updating your system (and many of you are, according to our 58th Annual Survey of Distributor Operations, which will be released next month), take the time to talk to your staff and determine exactly what you want your system to do. Do you want an ERP system, or do you simply want to better manage your inventory and some financials? Don't be "bullied" by your IT staff.

As for me, I'm signing up for a computer course.