When do you stop telling people what to do. And start showing em? by Pamela C. Barker

Do you remember days earlier in your career, in your wild enthusiasm to make a difference, you started telling everyone you met at the company that you had an idea that could change the way they worked, save them time and even save the company money? Here, it will only take a few minutes you said. And can you recall how dumbfounded you were when, most of the time, no one really listened? I recall working for a large insurance company, in a group which was planning to introduce a commission system to streamline workflow and increase worker productivity. My job was to diagram the flow of work through the department and the processes that touched the commission payment process. The department consisted of analysts who calculated commission payments based on variables such as years of service, product line, etc.

Manage by Exception The math was straightforward, except when there was a break in service or another variable which made it an exception . Exceptions meant analysts hunting through paper files and file cabinets, making phone calls to field offices, verifying hire dates, etc. If our paper-based employee data had been converted to images, the right information would have been easily and securely accessed, saving time and increasing productivity. Outsourcing the imaging and indexing of complete employee files, including work history, would have dramatically speeded up the commission payments process.

The Role Gets More Interesting With automation, almost all manual work items are treated as exceptions . Standard commission payments are automatically calculated in the system. Employee time is freed up to work on more strategic projects like responding quickly to agent's inquiries. Getting answers fast can demonstrate real benefits to the employee and their internal customer. A more interesting job and happier customers will lead to higher job satisfaction which increases enthusiasm for the adoption of digital solutions.

Payback Now I work for a company whose proven practices in information management have helped companies streamline processes as well as better manage their information with digitization. According to a recent AIIM Survey, companies adopting paper-free processes report a payback within 18 months. Now, I am able to show companies new ways to increase employee satisfaction and improve business process. They can truly leverage the value of their information.

To learn more about ways you can partner with us to gain full advantage from your information http://www.ironmountain.com/Knowledge-Center/Reference-Library/View-by-Document-Type/Infographics/R/RIM360-Digitizer.aspx

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2014/uncategorized/when-do-you-stop-tell...
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