The Paperless Bureaucracy .

Writing and revising memos
Originally uploaded by mac steve.

'Paperless office' is not a new buzzword. It has been a buzzword for years. But it is only now that the offices are achieving complete (100%) paperless targets. And it is at this time that I see a new type of bureaucracy emerging. The Paperless Bureaucracy.

First let me clarify what this is all about. I am restricting to the processes where data is collected (for example feedbacks or surveys) and where a sign-off is required. (eg. approvals, vouchers etc.).

I would not go into the benefits of electronic processes, as I know there are many. I am not a 'Paper' fanatic. It is only that I don't believe paperless concept should be taken to extreme. There are a few processes where paper-full or a combination of paper-electronic would be more helpful and efficient. So I will concentrate on benefits of paper and how it could be helpful in some processes.

Feedbacks / Surveys:
A feedback or survey is typically taken on voluntary basis. It cannot be forced, as it could affect the true comments from the person giving feedback. It is something that has to be coaxed out. This is where the paper scores more than electronic. and this is why.

1. People do not normally resist the person handing down you a paper to fill the survey. They may leave many portions blank, but don't ignore the survey outright. It is much easier to ignore the feedback sought in emails or over the web.
2. It is more convenient for the feedback giver to put the check-boxes on a paper and write a few sentences (unless you are expecting an essay) than to seek out a website or a feedback form and fill in.
3. There is no guarantee of anonymity on electronic form. Typically, to avoid multiple feedbacks from one person, there is some authentication required in electronic form. And this gives away the identity. Whereas, in paper form, no such authentication is required (because feedback forms cannot be 'easily' copied / duplicated / edited / hacked)

Single / multiple signoffs, Approvals etc:

This is where I see most of the problem. The manual processes that used to take a few hours are now taking weeks to close.
1. Paper is synchronous and electronic is asynchronous process. For those who don't know the meaning, a synchronous process is where different actions are done in a chain. One action starts after another is completed. Whereas, in asynchronous processs many actions can start at one time.
So the problem is seen here when there are multiple signoffs required and one signoff depends on another. Paper gets this done automatically, as there is a single sheet of paper that has all the listing. It collects the data and also shows the 'state' of the processes (ie how where are you right now in the process). Although this can be captured in web applications or email chains, it is not normally done very efficiently. It is left to the people who are going to do signoff to find what and when they are supposed to do, and that too by going to a particular web page. People are not daemons (for example programs running in system tray) that they would check for their workflow inboxes every 2 minutes.
Also, any notifications given on email are normally ignored for the following reason.
2. You cannot ignore a paper on your desk as much as you can ignore an email in your inbox.
Although this depends on each person, this is what is probably typical for a particular person. I can also say, you cannot ignore a person standing in front of you with a request for signoff or a person on phone requesting you to signoff. These are not in any way related to paper. This can be done even for electronic processes. However paper just makes these things convenient. Imagine a person going to different persons' office to get their sign-off, but the sign-off is to be done in electronic form. In this case the person will have to tell the state of the process (that is which signoffs have already been done) to the person and then get his signoff. This can be more conviniently done if the person simply shows the paper to the person doing signoff.

Paper vs. Tablet PCs/laptops/handheld.
The things I said above have a common thread.
Don't expect the person giving feedback or the person signing-off to do on his own computer. Instead take the computer (or paper) to him.
So there lies the solution. We now have 2 options.

1. Use a good and networked tablet PC/laptop/handheld to take to the person from whom you want the feedback or approval or signoff. 'Network' is required only if your process data is so large that it cannot be accomodated on one computer/handheld. Actually here the only use of computer is as an input medium. If we can get cheap tablets that serve only as input medium and don't require lot of processing & data storage that will be great.
2. Use paper instead and take the minimal pains of entering the data back in the system. Throw away or recycle the paper immediately to avoid other paper problems. Or else, take a easy recyclable medium. Which incidently is a agian a slate (or tablet with its true ancient meaning) :-).

Let the magic begin...

Blue
Originally uploaded by trayser.

The first problem I face in blogging is where to start.

It starts with the writer's block about what to write
This is then followed by thinker's block that I shouldn't start anything without knowing what greater goal it is going to achieve.
This is then followed by my perfectionist's block that I shouldn't start anything till I have perfect and pretty material. This is followed by skeptic's block on whether to publish this on blogger (what if blogger suddenly goes down and stops its service !!!) or publish it on my own private site.
This is then followed by monetary block that I don't want to shell out money to buy a webhosting space unless I am sure what I am gonna write
This takes me back to block #1 ie writers block.

These blocks go in circles and have stopped me in starting any meaningful and consistent blog till now.
So better start writing and think later.
I am also making a resolution not to delete this first post, irrespective of how foolish it looks like.

So, I say to myself.. Let the magic begin.