The year 2017 will be remembered as a year of change, change on a scale not seen since the industrial revolution.
Our comfort zones were stretched.
More has been expected with less.
Our new reality is that change is constant. We were told “Learn to be flexible.” “Get with the flow.” “Adapt and embrace.” “Broaden your comfort zone.”
In 2016 we were advised to prepare for the Digital Tsunami… …In 2017 the wave hit.
We are now surfing that wave. As it takes us into the unknown we need resilience, we need to be master navigators and read the currents for a safe landing.
We have learnt to take risks to achieve our goals. We need all our confidence to ride high.
We have learnt to know our competition and be bold, taking a strong stance to achieve and succeed.
This is the year the newscasters debated the rise of the machines and artificial intelligence.
It is the year we were awed at the massive inroads made in neuro intelligence and robotics.
It is the year we began to use artificial intelligence for process managing within records management, and liked it.
With all this change, the question remains “Is it for good?” or “Will it be our undoing?”
Ever the optimist, I like to think we have the intelligence to make it work for us positively.
The machines can free us up from the mundane to enable us to focus on more add value activities. We can focus on being true knowledge workers to deliver tangible, measureable value to our organisations. As data becomes the “new oil”, the “new currency”, data management expertise has become more valued. This is our moment.
We have always been the information custodians. We have always been the ones with a handle on the past, present and future value of our organisation’s wealth of information. Where some of us have lacked has been in self promotion, and marketing the asset we are to the organisation. The time has come to emerge and promote ourselves, each other and the profession.
Records Managers have the foundational expertise to be the new data custodians, data analysts, establish the data governance structure and control, teachers of the new artificial intelligence, and trainers across their organisations. We are the language experts in this space and are able to guide our internal and external data contributors (general internal staff and external customers, service providers, partners and agencies) to effectively build the wealth of knowledge that will deliver the business intelligence and insight needed to be effective, sustainable and trusted through the next decade.
Did you know, you are already likely to be supporting the building of knowledge assets by using your iPhone, android, Facebook, Twitter account, Linked-in account and other social media?
That is one form of artificial intelligence at work. While there are some 33 forms of artificial intelligence https://simplicable.com/new/types-of-artificial-intelligence
social media is one we most often forget is artificial intelligence, and we use most often. The linked article provides a basic description of AI.
According to the December 2017 – January 2018 Image & Data Manager article “Workflow Automation” (see page 20) it is the “Rise of the Knowledge Worker”.
I quote “As the generational shift is occurring, so too is the definition of the employee altogether. Rather than employing workers with a generalised skillset, organisations are seeing an increase in demand for specialised knowledge workers.”
“In fact, the past three decades have resulted in more jobs tailored to knowledge workers than ever before. As noted by the Wall Street Journal in May 2016, “While routine jobs have gone nowhere over the past three decades, the number of people in knowledge work jobs has more than doubled, and there are no signs of that trend slowing. This strongly suggests that even though technology is eliminating some jobs, it’s creating even more in different fields. In fact, knowledge work occupations have been adding more jobs than any other since the 1980’s – about 1.9 million per year.”
Records Managers, take heart.
On a lighter note the article below draws a line in the sand…
I THINK OUR FUTURE HAS ALREADY ARRIVED
Hello! Is this Gino’s Pizza?
No Sir – it’s Google Pizza.
I must have dialed a wrong number. Sorry.
No sir, Google bought Gino’s Pizza last month.
OK. I would like to order a pizza.
Do you want your usual sir?
My usual – you know me?
According to our caller ID data sheet, the last 12 times you called you ordered an extra-large pizza with three cheeses, sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms and meat balls on a thick crust.
OK. That’s what I want.
May I suggest that this time you order a pizza with ricotta, arugula, sundried tomatoes and olives on a whole wheat, gluten free thin crust?
What? I detest vegetables.
Your cholesterol is not good, sir.
How the hell do you know?
Well, we cross-referenced your home phone number with your medical records. We have the result of your blood tests for the last 7 years.
Okay, but I do not want your rotten vegetable pizza! I already take medication for my cholesterol.
Excuse me sir, but you have not taken your medication regularly. According to our database, you only purchased a box of 30 cholesterol tablets once at Drugsale Network 4 months ago.
I bought more from another drugstore.
That doesn’t show on your credit card statement.
I paid in cash.
But you did not withdraw enough cash according to your bank statement.
I have other sources of cash.
That doesn’t show on your last tax return unless you bought them using an undeclared income source which is against the law.
WHAT THE HELL ? ! ! ! ! !
I’m sorry, sir, we use such information only with the sole intention of helping you.
Enough already! I’m sick to death of Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and all the others. I’m going to go to an island without internet and cable TV, where there is no cell phone service and no one to watch me or spy on me!
I understand Sir, but you need to renew your passport first. It expired 6 weeks ago.
Have a wonderful break over the holiday season with your families, friends and loved ones.
See you in the new year