I recently worked with a client preparing for a major opening. The stakes were high. Expectations were high. Timelines tightened late.

Our team moved quickly to get systems, connectivity, and equipment ready. The opening was a success.

But the experience reinforced something I see often.

Fire drills do not help anyone.

They increase stress. They compress decision-making. They introduce risk at the exact moment teams are least equipped to manage it calmly.

Fire drills usually happen when technology is brought into the process too late. Everyone is aligned on the goal, but critical information does not flow early enough to shape the plan.

The fix is rarely complicated.

Include your technology partner earlier.
Share timelines before they become urgent.
Understand that last-minute changes carry real cost.

When technology teams are involved early, they can help identify constraints, sequence work properly, and reduce surprises. When they are involved late, they can still deliver, but the path is narrower, and the pressure is higher.

The organizations that experience fewer fire drills are not the ones with fewer changes. They are the ones with better communication.

They treat technology as part of planning, not just execution. They recognize that urgency does not create clarity. Preparation does.

If there is a goal worth setting this year, it is this. Bring your technology team into the conversation before the fire starts.

They will appreciate it. And you will get better results.