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Star Trek

“Very funny Scotty, now beam my clothes down!”

I know you hear anything about “Star Trek” and think; oh boy he has really lost it on this one. Hear me out, give this chance and then if you don’t agree, you will at least understand why so many cherish every episode. I am not a huge Star Trek fan. I don’t collect the memorabilia, or go to conventions hoping to beam up. I don’t even watch the newer shows; I just appreciate what Star Trek represents:  People embracing IT as an acceptable part of everyday life and decision-making.

You won’t see anyone rebooting on the show, and the system rarely ever crashes. They don’t get viruses or need to upgrade every 6 months. What you will see though is, in my opinion, the true future of technology in the workplace and even the home. They don’t spend hours laboring at screens like we do today, it’s more like they just consult the computer and then decide what to do. Most of their interaction with the computer is voice based, or just a few key combinations. The computer analyzes tons of information, breaks it down and reports the significant events to the analysts.

What we do today is the reverse. We input tons of information in the computer after breaking it down into known parts, (Marketing, Accounting, Customer Service or Work Orders) each person doing their part to automate, and then we analyze what we just did.

This is why departments don’t talk. They are too busy breaking information apart so that it fits in the applicable hole. If the IT department buys a computer, that’s a purchase record that goes to accounting. It’s also a warranty card that might be handled by admin. The computer has to be set-up and that will be done by IT. Of course, the computer is for a new employee, so they call HR and ask what his or her name will be for access privileges.

The new employee will also need a phone, maybe a pager, an email address, a desk, a chair, benefits, parking space; the list just runs on forever. And this guy hasn’t even started yet. What does all of this have in common? The information (A new hire in customer service) is sent in 20 directions and affects several more processes.

It seems like we could simplify that. HR hires someone and poof the computer sends the notifications out to the affected departments. Everyone is instantly aware of the new person and they have a detailed list of what he will need from them. They can even reply back when it is all completed. The computer will then advise the HR manager on matters of concern. The new guy does not have a desk yet. Another employee is due for a review and hasn’t gotten one. You can see how the computer does the tracking, and the HR manager simply refers to it and then makes a decision. This is only the beginning of efficiency.

What about voice controlled systems? Will they ever be more common? I’m sure they will, but not soon enough! Wouldn’t it be nice to be sitting in a meeting and have all of the information in your company waiting, ready to be retrieved at your beck and call? A sales person or consultant asks, how many phones do you have? You speak in the air, repeating the question and the system answers you immediately or prompts you to be more specific. “Did you want the number of pay phones with that?”

You have to see that the computer is going to become more important but less visual. Who really wants to sit and type at a desk all day? Wouldn’t we rather be solving problems or creating ideas to make the business better?

When the captain of the ship on Star Trek, needs to decide a course of action, he almost always asks questions first. How many of these do we have? How far is that place? When will arrive based on our speed? He uses the computer for all of 5 minutes a day, and the rest of the time he is making decisions.

When we learn that embracing technology, programming a computer to be a tool rather than an end to a means, we will take the first step forward.

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