Managing technology

Oliver Wendell Holmes is given credit for the thought, "Man's mind once stretched never goes back to it's original dimension." That thought is ever so true when it comes to technology. We all know technology has changed how we do things, but until we stop and think about it, do we realize just how much it has?

Are you old enough to remember when the office manager was the person who made sure you had enough of paper for the typewriter, and file folders to file the completed paperwork? In many cases are you now working for a company that has an information manager that makes sure you have enough hard drive space to store your files. No matter what you do, information is the heart and soul of your business.

The key is to start thinking information flow not a  paper trail.  Information is all those scraps of paper you have reminding you to do things, all those notes cards, file folders full of paper, telling you all about your customers and products.  Paperless does not always equate to more efficient, but stretching your mind to look at getting organized in ways you never have before.

As we go from paper pushers, to technology pushers, tools of the past and present get muddied into the technology of the future. How long will it be before carrying cash is a thing of the past?  The banking industry has taken us from bank by mail, to bank by phone to bank from home computer. There's electronic filing of tax returns, and our own governments hope for reducing paperwork.

Stretch your mind, and think where can this technology take you. Think about information out there in the cloud, information for a job hunter looking for a job or an employer looking to hire. What about all those books and references from a library across town , the library of congress, or a large university library across the world, now available to your desktop anywhere.

Or let's get practical here, the restaurant across town can update their menu regularly and never print a paper copy, you can access it electronically, and e-mail your order for a tuna sandwich on whole wheat.

Technology, what a concept!

The small business and technology series on technology management is not solely to educate aspiring technology professionals, but to create a better understanding of technology issues from various points of view.