Here I sit at the Doha Marriott, enjoying the view, reflecting on the past week and looking to the week ahead. Fully connected and executing those activities I need to carry out in relation to my job, all the while, thousands of miles away from home and the corporate offices. This is the land of Enterprise 2.0 where I can leverage technology for the greater benefit of the business, enhance my role in the organization and even stay in touch with my wife, family and friends.
When I first entered this industry in 1984, working in research and development for Wang, this was a goal and dream we were able to demonstrate but not able to execute effectively due to connectivity issues, transmission speeds, the proprietary nature of information systems and a host of other issues too numerous to mention here. Suffice to say, proof of concept was there but not practicality. Today, these no longer exist and thus I now have the ability to access the information I need 24/7 from anywhere on the planet. Even more recently I can now maintain connectivity as we soar through the air globetrotting from place to place using in-flight internet services provided by the airlines. Anytime, anywhere is a full reality that has and continues to change the face of business and the global economy. Employees, consultants, and many other segments of the workforce working with information and communications technology no longer need be tied to the physical office. The virtual workplace is here! But are we ready for it?
In my view, this is a wonderful thing and as it evolves, the potential benefit increases exponentially. Multinational corporations such as those I have had and continue to have the good fortune of working with and training are recognizing the advantage of assembling project teams that span the enterprise and globe, working in collaboration to achieve a goal, all the while, never physically leaving their country. They connect online exchanging knowledge through shared workspaces, wikis, and video conferencing. Virtual meeting rooms are rapidly becoming the new reality controlled by supporting technology founded in the land of ECM. Document management, imaging workflow and BPM all come into play to manage information and process in ways we could only imagine even a few years back. It is here and growing at a rapid pace. Is your organization and are your employees ready to embrace it and move ever further into the present?
The Earth is such a tiny planet when it comes to technology and there is no longer a reason to hold back in building your virtual workplace. Evaluate, train, plan and implement your future today, here in the present because the present is fleeting and the future rapidly becomes the past. When you look back you want to be able to say I did that, not I wish I had.
What say you? Do you have a story to tell? What are your thoughts on this topic? What is on your mind? Do you have a topic of interest you would like discussed in this forum? Let me know.
Bob Larrivee, Director and Industry Advisor – AIIM
Email: blarrivee@aiim.org
Twitter – BobLarrivee
www.aiim.org/training
www.aiimcommunities.org
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