Category: Solutions
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Make my day – delete those records
Clutter of a different kind
Think Smaller, Deeper and Wider
Collaboration – Group Chat vs Workflow
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Please, not another username and password!
Vision Influences the Purchase Decision
Want better software ROI? Hug a risk taker.
From Ethereum to Hadoop via Bitcoin. What?
Millennia Group is all about documents; document scanning, document workflow, document management systems, etc. That means we are always interested in what is next and the future of the document management industry.
So it was interesting to see AIIM.org having a conversation about Hadoop (a framework to support distributed data storage and analysis) and also hearing from one of our developers about Ethereum (a distributed computing model for digital currency and digital “smart contracts”). Both of these models definitely look to the future.
It was intentional that the word “distributed” is used to describe both models. In fact, the distribution of data is part of the Cloud movement and it has some clear advantages like lower cost and higher security. Most companies want lower cost and more secure applications. Beyond the concept of distributed data, it is more difficult to make the two models connect, but they can.
The Hadoop model uses intelligent applications to distribute the data, find the data and process the data in the most efficient method. Yahoo searches don’t happen on one big server looping through a bunch of web pages. Instead, a Yahoo search could run on any one or combination of 50,000 servers, all communicating, anywhere in the world and the result is back in seconds.
Ethereum is based on the block chain concept, probably most recognizable as the model used by Bitcoin. Essentially the block chain model is a single ledger of every transaction. The key is that the ledger is public and replicated (distributed) on every server that is part of the chain. Therefore, a user can’t fool the system because the ledgers all have to be in sync and the anomalies get kicked out.
The Ethereum model allows for the creation of digital contracts to exist within its ledger. Therefore, if you create a digital contract with another user, both users are bound by that contract and it is fully supported by the ledger. And the contracts, because they are programmable (think a collection of fields with data, not a Word file with nothing but text), can be very intelligent.
For instance, you can have a contract that requires one company to sell 10 office chairs for $500 to another company. The digital contract can include the FedEx package ID so that when the chairs are delivered and accepted by the receiving company, it triggers an auto withdraw of money from the bank account (also pre-entered into the contract). All recorded in a public, distributed and verified ledger.
It is a lot to digest and some of it is long way off from being tried and true, much less mainstream. The models could change the method of document management on both the front end and certainly on the back end. You might be able to build a document management system based on the Hadoop model that seamlessly allows you to “find” your documents in an Ethereum ledger or on some server in the Cloud. If your brain hurts, join the club. But it is fun to think about the possibilities.
If you would like to explore these ideas in more depth, please contact us at info@mgdocs.com, (630) 279-0577 x122 or visit our website – www.mgdocs.com.
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Fear of change is okay, if it only lasts 5 minutes
Today, manufacturers and businesses of all types are struggling to meet the new era’s requirements and challenges including personalization and on-demand. The only way to manage in this environment is to have a workforce and applications that embrace and smooth the way for change – in 5 minutes or less.
Unfortunately most employees, even younger ones, fear change. The fear comes not only from having to learn something new, but also from a break in routine or loss of time. With the crazy busy schedules that most employees have today, it’s the potential disruption in their perfectly calculated day that they fear the most.
It’s not news that applications designed with a consumer look and feel are gaining the most traction in the business world. It’s also applications that promise to make life easier and save time, that seem to do well. Consumer apps that can be downloaded and running on your phone in minutes succeed. This means flexible, easy to use applications that are also extremely fast to implement – install it at 9am and be fully utilizing it by 9:30am. That is what is demanded.
Here are a few tips for businesses looking to implement new software. Chose a flexible application so that users have options for how they configure it to match their work processes. Show them that it cannot be broken or destroyed if they make a mistake. Training will always help reduce the fear of change. And be sure to walk them through the implementation plan and how much it will impact their day. Less is more here. Show how it will immediately help.
We have discovered some of these things in watching as our clients started using our CollectDocs online checklist application. A checklist in CollectDocs can be set up any way the user wants, it’s very flexible. It is also easy to use and a familiar concept; create a checklist, attach documents or check items off. But it is also the fact that it can be setup and actually producing results in 5 minutes that has users giddy.
If you are exploring or investigating new software, keep these thoughts in mind. This is not an easy task for enterprise wide type applications like an ERP or CRM. However, if the user interface is familiar, the impact felt immediately and the time away from doing their job is short, it will succeed.
For more information on Millennia Group or CollectDocs, contact us at info@mgdocs.com, call us at (630) 279-0577 or visit our website – www.mgdocs.com.