My company is a nationally known industrial distributor that, until about four years ago, did not staff a single IT person. Today, I am the lone IT worker for our five locations in Texas, Georgia, Utah and California. Because we are so spread out, we need a centralized data infrastructure that is reliable, yet readily accessible remotely via an Internet-based Virtual Private Network (VPN).

So it may be surprising to learn that we are still using an IBM AS-400-based “green screen” system. Although I feel the pain of being tied to a somewhat antiquated system, over time I have discovered that our old database is every bit as sophisticated and useful as a shiny, new Graphical User Interface (GUI). The trick lies in knowing how to manipulate it—it's all about the data.

I could have any programmer come in and write a snazzy new interface for the same system we've been using for 10 years. But my support calls would go through the roof, and for what? It would be like putting a new, uncomfortable saddle on the same old horse.

In the end, IT is more about the “I” than the “T.” Here are a few words of advice for IT managers looking to improve their department, hopefully without a complete system overhaul:

n Look at manual paper processes. Go to the different departments in your business and observe what forms they use and how they flow. You'll soon discover ways to make many of those processes paperless by wrapping a technological solution around them.

n Whatever database system you have, find out if it is compatible with Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)—a standardization that allows any software to communicate with any database, regardless of type. If it is ODBC-compatible, get a copy of Microsoft's database application, Access, and a copy of the book, “MS Access for Dummies.” You can then begin linking tables and poring over the data. (You may want to set your ODBC Connector to “Read Only” at first, until you feel completely comfortable around all of that mission-critical information.)

n If your database is not ODBC-compatible, find out if there are upgrades available to make it so. If not, it might be time to dump all that data into Comma Separated Value (CSV) files and start shopping for a new database solution. CSV files are simply plain text files with data values separated by commas.

n Never discount anything. Older technology was developed by some pretty smart people—in fact, it's likely that the older the technology, the smarter the person who developed it. They say invention is the child of necessity, but invention has many children as well. Your older technology might be hiding untapped capabilities that are just waiting for you to discover them.

n Understand what your company does, down to every department's needs. Cultivate good relationships with department heads, as well as the people on the floor.

n The best question you can ask is, “Why?” You need to know why things are done a certain way. If the “why” doesn't make sense to you, but is important to someone else, present your case to them by developing a demo solution, mapping out exactly how you think you can help.

In our case, the key was realizing that our old horse of a database held all the information we needed, then discovering how to best use that data to improve the productivity of every department. A change in philosophy is every bit as good as a change in infrastructure. Of course, sometimes it takes both.