Its that time of the year when we, AIIM Market Intelligence, finalize our editorial calendar for 2008. Key among this is selection of topics for the Market IQs. We have targeted Enterprise 2.0, Findability, BPM - Process Efficiency and Outsourcing, and On Ramps and Off Ramps to ECM (i.e. authoring, capturing, and distribution). Today, we began to double-guess ourselves, especially concerning BPM - Process Efficiency & Outsourcing, and On Ramps and Off Ramps (capture authoring/distribution). Have these topics been covered enough already? Has enough changed in related technologies and best practices to warrant another look? Is there still a need to enlighten users?
Once again serendipity came to the rescue and provided the answer. Both Dan Keldsen and I were also under deadline today to provide speaker verification and AV requirements for a trade show (that shall remain nameless to protect the innocent - but it should be noted that the show is highly ECM-focused) we are both speaking at next year.
The degree to which the process and the document creation/capture were flawed was unbelievable. First, we noticed that they required us to print out the form and sign it and then fax it back. A simple speaker verification form - and yet there was still a reluctance for anything other than ink-on-paper signature to show agreement, and of course, not an original signature, because we were instructed to fax the form back. (BTW, has anyone seen my fax machine? I seem to have misplaced it 5 years ago.)
But OK, maybe there is some good reason why they need a signature in this format. The confirmation form required that I complete my name, address, etc.. No problem, except for the fact that they already had all this information - when I submitted my proposal - electronically. Heck, all the required information was in the e-mail message used to transmit the form to me. Yet, I was asked to handwrite it onto this form. (Do any of you see the lunacy and gross inefficiency of this? I can only imagine the end result - someone keying this information again.) Couldn't these forms have been dynamically personalized for me?
It gets worse. I had to fill out 2 more sheets - 1 for each presentation I am making. Yup, I had to supply name, company name, etc. - yet again, along with the title of my presentation, date and time (which THEY ASSIGNED TO ME), and again, all of this information was in the e-mail message used to transmit the form to me. Couldn't these forms have been automatically personalized for me? Couldn't the process have been more automated?
Forget the personal inconvenience to me. Think of the increased time spent re-keying (forget trying to OCR my handwriting) all of this data. Think of the multiple points of potential error. OK - now think of the inconvenience to me - not as a speaker - but as a customer. Is this scenario much different from situations we find ourselves in when completing medical claims, accident reports, mortgage applications ...
If a tradeshow company that prides itself on being technology savvy can continue to "function" this way, chances are there is still a need for Market Intelligence on the state-of-the-industry with regards to On Ramps and Off Ramps, and BPM - Process Efficiency. So, the topics remain on our editorial calendar for the coming year. We promise to address the issues raised in this ranting, and go far beyond, to some very cutting edge techniques and best practices.
Stay tuned ... (and thanks for letting me get that off my chest.)
