I recently viewed an old IBM commercial (circa 1960s) in which the characters spoke repeatedly about the evils of “paperwork.” Not that there’s anything wrong with that (you’re welcome, Seinfeld fans), and we casually toss the term off even today.
But we shouldn’t. Not anymore. And not for a while now.
Yes, paper can be evil, for reasons of which we all are well aware. But at this point in time and technology, shouldn’t we be focusing on the “work” instead?
To my mind, the work is the work, and doesn’t change much from generation to generation. But the tools certainly do – and the best tools don’t disturb that work except to make it more efficient.
So while reducing or eliminating paper from the flow is often an immediate and dramatic outcome, so is saving time / saving money / bettering compliance / etc. So let’s stop emphasizing the “paper” and concentrate more on the “work.” Because, really, that’s where doing information right pays the greatest dividend.
– Want to make your work flow better? Give me a shout and let’s talk it through! –