By Patrick Schmidt
There have been some famous procrastinators in the world. One, according to an oft-repeated legend, was supposedly the famous architect Frank Llyod Wright. What we know for sure is Wright had been commissioned by a Pittsburgh department store owner named Edgar Kaufmann Sr. to design a home in 1934 near Mill Run, Pennsylvania.
According to the tale, Wright visited the land Kaufmann had selected, asked for a survey of the area, and then did nothing for nearly a year. It was only when Kaufmann phoned to inform the architect that he would be visiting Wright’s Wisconsin studio, Taliesin, he got to work.
So, as the story goes, Wright and his staff spent the next two hours sketching his arguably most famous home, Fallingwater. Was the structure, a National Historic Landmark and a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, really designed in just two hours? I suspect not, and neither do the experts.
Franklin Toker, author of Fallingwater Rising: Frank Lloyd Wright, E. J. Kaufmann, and America's Most Extraordinary House, is skeptical and said, “We want to believe drawing up Fallingwater needed only two hours, just as we want to believe—despite massive contrary evidence—that Lincoln scribbled the Gettysburg Address on the back of an envelope…” And, apparently, reports are that one of Wright’s assistants remembers the architect and Kaufmann discussing plans months before the visit that day. Rather than a rush job, Fallingwater seems to have been meticulously planned.
So, why a famous (and dubious) story about procrastination? Each year we float along through Summer until Labor Day when back to school time reminds us that we are in the home stretch and all those maintenance contracts we renew at the beginning of each year need to be addressed. Sooner than we want to believe, leaves will be falling off the trees, we will stuff and eat Turkey, and Santa will begin vacation on December 26th. Tempus fugit – time flies.
Whether we call ourselves procrastinators or not, one of the great lies we tell ourselves is that we have plenty of time. We usually don’t. Projects sneak up on us and we are constantly dealing with “urgent” requests that get in the way of adequate planning for next year’s maintenance renewals. Wouldn’t it be great if those renewals did not end up as one of those urgent items in the waning weeks of December?
Perhaps you have taken items out of productive use and no longer need coverage. You may have moved or consolidated equipment and need to update location information. Or, production equipment may have exited warranty and is currently uncovered, waiting to cause a midnight crisis. No matter what the situation, it takes time to make changes. Fortunately, there is still time before December 31st.
With almost four months left before the end of the year, now would be the ideal time to get a handle on where you stand for year-end renewals. Through a specialized process called the Technology Lifecycle Management Review, we inventory, analyze, and look for ways to optimize your hardware, software, and services to meet the needs of your business.
With a Technology Lifecycle Management Review, many hands do make light work. Our team collaborates with you and take the “heavy-lifting” off your plate with a deep dive into your assets and contracts no matter what your situation. Before the clock strikes midnight and the new year rings in, we can help you save time and money and put you in control.
Still feel like waiting? Consider what English actor Christopher Parker had to say, “Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”
Let’s get started. Fill out the form below and we will connect you with one of our lifecycle management specialists who will schedule a time to meet.
About the author
Patrick Schmidt is a Technology Lifecycle Management Specialist with LRS IT Solutions. For more than 21 years, he has been helping customers get a firm grasp on their asset and contract management with a combination of comprehensive service level analysis and lifecycle management best practices.