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 Freshly
arrived in the new millennium, we continue our relentless
foray into the information-based culture, driven
by technology. The information age is definitely
here and it's changing the way business operates
- forever. To succeed, companies must re-think their
information systems and redefine how their data
will flow throughout the business.
Most
executives recognize the need to make information
and data easily accessible and available throughout
the organization. The more we move our businesses
to a totally electronic information base - what
Bill Gates refers to as the "Digital nervous system”
- the more we can make use of the data available
to us.
Companies
who have already made this transition are finding
more and better uses for their customer data, faster
turn-around times for manufacturing processes, better
purchasing systems, reduced operating costs and
more. Companies who have digitized their information
are more easily able to share ideas and data throughout
the company. This contributes greatly to employee
empowerment, facilitates better communication and
creates more knowledgeable workers. Contributions
from information workers are encouraged company-wide.
This
is all well and good; however, how does one accomplish
this building of the digital nervous system? While
Mr. Gates makes a compelling case in favor of doing
this in his book, Business at the Speed of Thought,
he does elaborate on the process of actually doing
it. Perhaps this is because the implementation of
a digital conversion process is not so simple and
requires a company-wide commitment in order to succeed,
not to mention a substantial effort.
One
important fact that was pointed out by Mr. Gates
at a recent breakfast meeting is that only after
businesses replace paper documents with electronic
information will they be able to take advantage
of the digital age and optimize corporate knowledge
both internally and externally.
One
of the many challenges facing companies is how to
handle the mountains of paper we've accumulated
up to this point. Unfortunately, we can't just roll
them up and slide them into a slot in the front
of the computer. They must be scanned into the system.
Sadly, the problem does not end there. If all you
do is scan the pile of documents, what you will
end up with is a "digital" paper pile.
Taming
the Digital Tiger
Once
you have your information in digital form, you still
need a way to access it. You must still tame
the digital tiger. Perhaps the best way to
do this - and the method of choice for the IRS,
FDA, EPA and several other government agencies,
as well as most major corporations - is the Adobe
Portable Document Format, PDF. While there are other
ways to accomplish the task, none offer the flexibility
and technological advantages of the PDF format.
PDF files can be indexed, hyperlinked, bookmarked
and searched, making your data more accessible.
Most important, PDF files retain your original design.
The
only problem with PDF is the lack of software tools
to make all of it an efficient process. Fortunately,
this is changing with the recent introduction of
tools, developed by third-party companies, to facilitate
the use of the PDF platform.
One
example of the power of PDF software tools was the
work performed by one of our strategic partners
for a pharmaceutical client. They were able to complete
the conversion of one million pages of Case Report
Tabulations with five million bookmarks within one
month by one person. The client was quite impressed.
In another case, they produced 1.5 million pages
of Case Report Forms in one three-month period and
are currently producing some 50,00 pages per day.
The final output is one PDF file per patient, fully
bookmarked by visit and domain. These files are
then accessed via the client company's Intranet
with patient table of contents pages linked to the
individual patient file.
Another
benefit to be gained from digital conversion is
storage. Consider that an 8GB hard drive will hold
approximately 200,000 pages of scanned images -
the equivalent of 16 file cabinets! The National
Center for State Courts has estimated that, when
you include the cost of finding and retrieving files,
the annual cost of document storage is $500-$700
per square foot.
However
you choose to go about it, the benefits realized
from developing a digital infrastructure far outweigh
any expense associated with its creation. Making
this decision now will give you the ability to use
information as never before: expanding your marketing
efforts, strengthening relationships with your customers,
enhancing your internal processes, improving communications
with your employees, streamlining your ordering
process, and positively impacting your bottom line.
While it may look like an unwieldy beast at first
glance, once tamed, the digital tiger can become
your most powerful information ally.
Copyright
©2000 Jim Donovan
Jim
Donovan is a strategic marketing consultant, author
and professional speaker, specializing in new technology.
He can be reached at: http://www.jimdonovan.com
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