Man vs. Machine – Why can’t we all just get along?
I received a great compliment from somebody in our technology company, Gould Tech Solutions recently, (I took it as a compliment anyway). And no, it wasn’t related to my recent weight loss but thanks for noticing, two pounds to be precise! This person told me that, following a heated discussion on the subject, I had managed to convince him of the importance of integrating manual processes with fancy new automated solutions. He had been adamant that automation was always the superior option; I don’t think I can take all the credit for his sudden change of heart, apparently his computer had crashed earlier that day wiping three hours of work.
Technology is integral to every part of our lives: in the home, around the office and on the move thanks to mobile devices and the new wave of tablets led by Apple’s iPad. My personal reliance on technology was highlighted last week when the movement-sensitive lights in my back garden decided to stop working while I was watering the plants. This resulted in me wandering around in the dark, bumping into trees, trapped in a painful game of human pinball.
Automation itself tends to split people into two camps: the technology-savvy crowd, often the younger generation who are totally comfortable with new gizmos, automated processes, and were tweeting before they could walk. Then there are the purists, aka the “If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” brigade.
It is true that automation is at the centre of everything we do at thebigword, enabling us to constantly innovate our service offering and remain at the forefront of the industry. By staying ahead of the game we can continue to provide unbeatable services at unprecedented prices with our online platform LanguageDirector® 3 set to raise the bar once again later this year.
Advances in technology in areas such as face-to-face interpreting have transformed this side of our business into one of our most exciting, efficient, and profitable services. We have reduced the number of manual steps required from 29 to 11 and are always looking to streamline this service even further.
We are particularly proud of thebigword’s online Marketplace where our translators can quickly and easily bid for projects via an auction platform. However, this is a project that has reiterated the importance of retaining good old-fashioned manual processes to ensure that, for example, translators’ standard rates are negotiated prior to entry into the Marketplace in order to ensure competitiveness.
The bottom-line is that thebigword is always looking for innovative ways to use new technology in helping people to communicate around the world, but the robots haven’t taken over just yet. There will always be an important place for manual processes as both an irreducible part of some services and as a contingency plan for others. We should recognise that there is still a fine balance to be struck between the purists and the techies - at least for the foreseeable future.
Have a great weekend!
Larry
Technology is integral to every part of our lives: in the home, around the office and on the move thanks to mobile devices and the new wave of tablets led by Apple’s iPad. My personal reliance on technology was highlighted last week when the movement-sensitive lights in my back garden decided to stop working while I was watering the plants. This resulted in me wandering around in the dark, bumping into trees, trapped in a painful game of human pinball.
Automation itself tends to split people into two camps: the technology-savvy crowd, often the younger generation who are totally comfortable with new gizmos, automated processes, and were tweeting before they could walk. Then there are the purists, aka the “If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” brigade.
It is true that automation is at the centre of everything we do at thebigword, enabling us to constantly innovate our service offering and remain at the forefront of the industry. By staying ahead of the game we can continue to provide unbeatable services at unprecedented prices with our online platform LanguageDirector® 3 set to raise the bar once again later this year.
Advances in technology in areas such as face-to-face interpreting have transformed this side of our business into one of our most exciting, efficient, and profitable services. We have reduced the number of manual steps required from 29 to 11 and are always looking to streamline this service even further.
We are particularly proud of thebigword’s online Marketplace where our translators can quickly and easily bid for projects via an auction platform. However, this is a project that has reiterated the importance of retaining good old-fashioned manual processes to ensure that, for example, translators’ standard rates are negotiated prior to entry into the Marketplace in order to ensure competitiveness.
The bottom-line is that thebigword is always looking for innovative ways to use new technology in helping people to communicate around the world, but the robots haven’t taken over just yet. There will always be an important place for manual processes as both an irreducible part of some services and as a contingency plan for others. We should recognise that there is still a fine balance to be struck between the purists and the techies - at least for the foreseeable future.
Have a great weekend!
Larry
