Since graduating from college and embarked on my professional career, I have always looked forward to the start of a new year. Regardless of the previous year’s results, good or bad, I have always enjoyed wiping the slate clean and starting over fresh. Coming off a strong year always provides momentum transitioning into the unknown of a new year. If the previous year was not memorable, the new year always provides optimism of what lies ahead.
This is also an excellent time to reflect back and learn from both your accomplishments and failures. To clear your mind and set new goals based on the changes you experienced the previous year. Be creative, be bold, be unpredictable…but never be complacent. It is not often that we get to start over. Life has a way of forcing us into routines, that by human nature, we begin to feel comfortable with.
But alas, the calendar has other ideas. Time stops for no one and if we ignore the future, rather than embrace it, we become lost in mediocrity. In our industry, document management, the goals that we and our clients have set over the years have evolved. There was a time when going paperless was at the top of everyone’s list. And, although many organizations still shuffle paper, the advent of multi-function devices has put a scanner in everyone’s office.
So, if you have control over your paper what is next for your documents? For many, it is process improvement. Adding intelligence and workflow to your daily tasks to become more efficient. For others, it may be business intelligence. The ability to mine data from the many databases you use as a tool to make better and more intelligent business decisions. Another item on the list may be records management, the automating of how long to retain a document and information associated to that document before destroying it. The use of predictive analytics has empowered users and managers to better understand their roles and how individuals interact within the workflow process. Yet possibly another thing to consider, and maybe the one thing gaining the most interest, is the use of artificial intelligence, or A.I. to have your system understand your information and make decisions based on that understanding.
Whatever your needs are, this is a great time to re-evaluate your systems to determine if they are meeting your strategic needs. If they are not, this is a great time to set new goals and initiatives in order to take advantage of the changes in document management, improve your processes and become more efficient. Doing these things now will lead to a more satisfying and memorable year end in December.
Happy New Year!
Jack Arnston is a Principal at The Priton Group. He can be reached at jarnston@pritongroup.com.