A business process or business method is a collection of related, structured activities or tasks by people or equipment which in a specific sequence produce a service or product for a particular customer or customers. Business processes occur at all organizational levels and may or may not be visible to the customers.
As brands and consumers develop a deeper awareness of the importance of protecting their data, the idea of sharing less is becoming a more prudent, preferential, and effective approach to governance. In fact, in domains like privacy, content management, and application development, data minimization has become a dominant design strategy.
It was a pleasure providing an overview of collaboration and videoconferencing tools including CourtCall, Zoom, GoogleMeet, and Microsoft Teams for Execusummit Online earlier this month. Here are slides from the deck, a link to the presentation, and a transcript of my prepared remarks.
Thank you for that introduction Mark. And welcome everybody to this, the second session of today’s Executive Summit program. It’s an honor to be with you all and kick off today’s event with a timely discussion about the collaborative technology that is really dominating the way we all have begun to work and collaborate. It’s a paradigm shift perhaps not initiated by the COVID crisis but certainly cemented by it.
The people have spoken and our article, “7 Ways to Prepare Data in the Age of Privacy and Information Governance,” has won 1st place in the 2019 Information Management Today MVP Awards Other category! Thank you to all of our subscribers! Article reprinted below! Content may still be king, but now the rights to some… Read More »We’ve Won! 1st place in our 2019 Information Management Today MVP Awards
Forget your elder’s sage advice on maintaining a good work-life balance. There’s a new, grossly misleading and patently absurd approach (promoted here by the time-strapped PhD’s at Berkeley Haas), and it’s spreading like wildfire throughout the business world. They call it… “Work-Life Integration!”
By Rafael Moscatel
The extent to which any organization can reduce its dependency on paper is largely determined by laws and the industry regulations it faces, the technology available to it and how well its leaders manage change, internally as well as for customers.
Here are some thoughts on how to begin solving the paper problem around your office:
Understand the affordances of paper – One of the most thorough examinations of the issue of paper and its role in our lives and workplaces came in 2002 when MIT press published The Myth of the Paperless Office. The book’s findings make a case for the “affordances of paper” and stress that to reduce paper production and consumption we must understand the underlying habits and processes driving how our clients and colleagues work.
Attorneys for example often require a contextual or “case at a glance” perspective that a chronological or issue focused file offers… a “story telling” approach to presenting information which can’t always be matched even with the best software. Similarly, auditors or project managers will often work with and create aggregated records which serve a specific purpose for which imaging might be overkill or too costly. And contrary to popular belief, there still exist quite a few scenarios where it remains more affordable, practical and efficient to even store information in paper form. Conversion costs and risks required to maintain the digital lifecycle of infrequently referenced documents and avoid bitrot* can often exceed those associated with retaining the same materials in paper form.
Make the right policy changes with executive level support – Every Records or Information Governance policy initiative or project your business undertakes should have senior level executive support and reflect the best practices within your industry.
Here are some policy and procedural ideas to consider that can act as catalysts for change.
It’s been 12 years since I first read Abigal J. Sellen and Richard H.R. Harper’s book, The Myth of the Paperless Office. It remains one of my favorite no nonsense analysis into the subject.
This bold and insightful analysis by two Microsoft employees into the psychological and practical reasons why certain business processes continue to rely on paper remains relevant even a decade after its publication. The book is especially helpful for records and information governance consultants more intent on providing their clients with a true understanding of the nature of their processes than selling them software solutions driven by buzz phrases including “The Paperless Office.”Read More »The Myth of the Paperless Office – 12 Years Later