Highlights from AIIM

This year was incredibly informative year AIIM! We learned how vendors and end users are both positioning to adhere to GDPR guidelines, robotic process automation will take over a lot of the tasks that make work life weary and there was a lot of talk about corporate culture and empowerment. These were topics of discussion in both the special interest group, "Women in Information Management" (WIIM), as well as a main theme, especially with regard to generational gaps in technology utilization. 

The conference started off with an amazing collaborative workshop with, "The Ultimate Keynote Session." 
That was actually the name of it. Led by Anna Wilson and Monty Powell, two amazing artists from Nashville, we wrote a song. It was an equalizer in a room of folks with different backgrounds. AIIM attracts records managers, attorneys and technologists from a wide variety of backgrounds. There are service providers, end users, strategists and analysts, and invariably you can go from feeling like you are on top of the industry to, "I've still got so much to learn", in a few hours.  Using music and songwriting as a way to bridge the gaps in everyone's learning curve was a hilarious way to get the conference started. Along the way, they offered some general rules of engagement in collaboration that were transferable to the rest of the sessions in the conference. The chorus went like this:

Intelligent information management

If you ain’t pointing the way, you’re just a Luddite intransigent

Because as different as we all seem

We all rely on technology

And at AIIM our aim is to lead the way. . .

YES! We actually got to use the word "intransigent" in a song!

The Solution Showcase

In the solution showcase, the most apparent difference was the lack of hardware manufacturers in the standard document scanning line. I saw two specialized (high volume) vendors, and two desktop models, but the general mid-volume/workgroup space wasn't well represented at all. This is one of the fascinating things about AIIM to me. It operates anywhere from two to seven years ahead of widespread adoption. While there is still plenty of work to do in the paper conversion space of general businesses, understanding what's coming at us as predicted by the information habits and patterns of people will ensure a growth path that will lead to later success. It also helps us to evaluate solutions as they become available, long before they are commoditized. 

The Sessions: GDPR, Analytics, and Culture
GDPR was a huge focus, especially for international companies. Essentially, this formalizes the protection of personal data of Europeans and aims to give control back to citizens and residents over their personal data. The fact that this coincided with the Zuckerberg testimony to congress made it even more relevant. GDPR was adopted on April 27, 2016, but goes into enforceable effect on May 25, 2018, so international companies need to ensure that there is now a single set of rules that apply across the board if they possess any information about any European citizen. According to the European Commission, "personal data is any information relating to an individual, whether it relates to his or her private, professional or public life. It can be anything from a name, a home address, a photo, an email address, bank details, posts on social networking websites, medical information, or a computer’s IP address."¹

In addition to all of the data protection,  companies are starting to use data analysis instead of document analysis where possible. Mortgage companies that offer online applications and eforms have more insight to how you answered a question, rather than simply what your answer was. For instance, not only will they know if you answered "single" or "married" for your marital status, but they will know how long it took you to answer that question. In this scenario, underwriters have found a correlation between the likelihood of defaulting on your mortgage and how long it took you to answer if you were married or not. 

 
In social media, search engines, and media sites, you can see these predictive analytics at work with targeted marketing based on preferences.  All data can be used to create a series of rules when certain criteria are met. If you buy cereal, you will likely need milk, so the rules or algorithm would present milk ads to cereal buyers. This can be applied to business logic, too. Computers can now learn how to do repetitive tasks so that humans, the most sophisticated organic computer, can be optimized to only deal with situations that can't be programmatically resolved. Humans were presented as the most powerful organic computer processor in existence. Using humans to do these repetitive tasks is an inefficient use of computing power. This translates into moving toward "designing" work instead of "doing" work. This will continue to underscore the need for companies like ours to be involved in business process mapping. 
 


On the final day, the keynote was presented by Mike Walsh, a futurist speaker, who advised that these changes aren't optional. Without going into a discussion about electronic devices for children, he eluded to the fact that predictive engines are already serving up the next video on YouTube, and so on, which is going to create a culture that expects information to be presented to them. It's rare that these kids channel surf to find something to watch. Pertinent and meaningful items are presented to them based on their recent choices, and that same level of intelligence is going to be expected in the workplace.²  

"The next generation, shaped by AI, will expect companies to predict their needs, make their interactions more personal, and be persuasive about their behaviors."

 — Mike Walsh

On a professional side, the idea of creating this kind of work environment for both our company and our clients is daunting, but doable. All these things map back to some very specific cultural components that are critical to evolving our company into its mature state.  When combined with the corporate culture exercises that I've been doing in order to grow my team, the time is right to assimilate these ideas into the framework of what Deau is.

On a personal side, I’m going to get my kid off of his iPad before he expects me to predict what he wants for dinner.

Thanks for reading!
 - Eren

 

Resources: 
¹ From <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Data_Protection_Regulation>
² From <https://www.dropbox.com/...preview=20180412+AIIM+San+Antonio+Summary.pdf>
www.AIIM.ORG

http://www.mike-walsh.com/

http://songsessions.com/

  

The elevator ride that lifted me to "work 'smarter every year'"

It may have been some time since you last heard from me, but I'm working on a plan to make up for it along with a refresh and revamp of our marketing content. I'm excited and hope you enjoy your front row seat as we share this journey.

While Women’s History Month has come to a close, as a part of our pledge to #PressforProgress on International Women’s Day, we’re planning on continuing the celebration of successful women in information management throughout the year.  My journey into this industry began with the late Nien-Ling Wacker, founder of Laserfiche, so we found it fitting to begin by honoring her.

Our business would not be where it is today if Nien-Ling had not developed her idea of a simple, elegant document management system into a successful enterprise. I also owe some of my personal success to this visionary woman.

Over the years, I had many encounters with Nien-Ling as we connected on many fronts. She was always very warm to me and loved that I had left the corporate world to work with my father. I have many fond memories of her, but my most memorable was a 60-second elevator ride.

As I recall it, during this elevator ride she leaned over and asked:

"Tell me, will I see you on the cruise?" (The Winners Circle cruise for top resellers was scheduled to take place immediately following the conference)

"No ma'am, but we are close."

"Close?" She questioned.

"Yes. I've been working with an industry association, and Tom's been busy with the hotel."  This was his other business at the time.

She backed up in the elevator (which was packed because the annual conference had outgrown its space) and looked at me squarely in the face and said, "Laserfiche is not a hobby. It's either all you do, or not what you do."

I froze as I scoured my mind for the reason why we hadn't made it to the winner's circle yet. In that moment, what she said stung and brought tears to my 30-year-old eyes. However, it also sparked a passion in me that has been a driving force ever since. You better believe we have achieved winner's circle ever since, too!

So, here's to the woman whose name means "smarter every year" in Chinese, and to all the women in our histories who have challenged us to become our best selves. I look forward to sharing our new content as we Run Smarter.

See you later this week at the AIIM conference!

~Eren

Reaction from a Tweet . . .Clarification on Paperless Office

Today I was going through my saved twitter searches. As one of them is "paperless” I am often bombarded with everything from "I haven't used a pen in a year", to bank statement errors after someone switches to new “paperless" billing, to today's find, which may be my favorite.

"A paperless office makes about as much sense as a paperless bathroom"

Seriously? SERIOUSLY? This leads me to another favorite quote.

"Try being informed, and not just opinionated."

Perhaps that was harsh- perhaps not, regardless, it does indicate that more education is needed in the "non-scanning geek" sector.

And the biggest problem here is that the concept of "paperless", while useful for a myriad of reasons, is more about the authoritative record of a company, and less about saving trees- though, properly implemented, reducing the resources consumed is an ancillary benefit, as is space-saving, and reduced risk of loss.

Ultimately, the paperLESS office is just that. .. LESS paper- as it relates to corporate information and records. This should not be confused with paperFREE offices, which might, as AfantasyDiva contends, be as useless as a “paperfree” bathroom. (I’m sorry, we don't accept cash/ checks for payment- we're paperFREE here. . ..)

There IS a place for paper, even in a "Paperless office". . . paper has some benefits, including portability, and that the only hardware requirement is your eyes. Incoming documents are often paper-based, and cannot be controlled, which contributes to the existence of paper whether a paperless office system has been implemented or not.

In continuing on my "twitter journey" I see that many people complain about the proliferation of paper, which seem to worsen after implementing electronic routines to replace formerly paper routines ( ie, email instead of a letter, or an e-form instead of a paper form). Some companies have implemented “mailroom” scanning, where every incoming paper document is scanned, and routed electronically. While it's true that this can reduce the risk of loss, it is also easier to recreate these documents in paper format, which means that discipline becomes the key to a successful "paperless" initiative. (There is no reason to look for the original copy if you can simply press "print" and recreate a duplicate of the original.)

So how does one control the amount of reprinting that takes place when it is often faster to simply print a copy than seek the one you know you already have?


We have implemented two different methods to address this:

1) Restrict the amount of paper they are allowed to use within a certain time period, or

2) Restrict the print function

At one large client, we implemented a system to capture and manage emails that were formerly printed and filed as a part of a client record. While this addressed the issue of retention and completeness in a customer record, the old habits of the employees of printing the emails to read them were hard to break. Finally, we offered the following solution. Each employee gets 500 sheets of paper per year. They can use it at will, however, once they have used that, they are responsible for bringing in their own. The unnecessary waste stopped once the employees felt the pain in their own pockets.

The second option, restricting the "print" function, stemmed from privacy regulations, such as HIPAA. Because of the sensitive nature of medical records, if a record was going to be printed, it could only be printed for certain reasons, such as a need for insurance reimbursement. While it would be simple to restrict all users from ever printing, this left no room for exceptions. With an advanced audit trail, anyone printing a record is prompted for their reason for printing. Because they have logged in, the system can report the users who are printing electronic documents, and their reasons for doing so.

Initially, this functionality was an advanced audit trail function, which could cost a significant amount of money. With the advent of all inclusive BPM products such as Laserfiche Avante, and Rio, this functionality is now included at a more reasonable price point, reflective of the number of users in the system.

Doing this requires planning, processes, and procedures- acceptable reasons for printing must be defined, and users must be trained to be comfortable with an on-screen replication of what they used to be able to hold in their hands. This can take time, however, is rewarded by easier user adoption of a completely new way of doing business.

Ergonomic advances, including double monitors, resolution, and magnification can be used to ensure a user's ease in transitioning to this. As with any change, involving the users, understanding concerns, and setting expectations are all among the more critical pieces of a successful "paperless" initiative. Expounding on the benefits to the users, and "selling them" that changes to their ways of working will be beneficial to them personally, will all assist, and keep the amount of redundant paper down, hopefully, resulting in a win for everyone, a more productive office, with fewer wasted resources.