Walls between technology pros and customers are coming down at mainstream companies

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Looking outside the bubble of the technology sector, how close are technology professionals really getting to working with their businesses' ultimate customers? Are they still sequestered within the walls of their IT departments? Or are the walls finally coming down? It seems clear that somewalls are finally coming down, and in the process, technology professionals are learning new roles in design thinking and as educators. 

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The walls between tech teams and end-user customers have disappeared altogether at some mainstream companies. This certainly has been the case at McCarthy Holdings, a commercial construction company. For McCarthy, the ultimate customers are the final occupants of the buildings under construction, says Justin McFarland, executive vice president of information systems at McCarthy. "Our job is to help construction partners work alongside new technologies." 

The company's technology teams work right alongside its project managers to deliver. "That final user experience is critical to us," he explains. "We encourage our technology professionals to get out of the office and onto our construction job sites to gain a better understanding of what the trade and field workers do on a regular basis, and identify possible opportunities for technology to help them in their day-to-day activities. It is critical to observe, listen, and ask questions to ... help deliver a more effective customer experience."

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