The debate rages — is there, will there ever be, a paperless office?
The politically correct response is, “no silly, it's less paper, not paperless.” My answer is the paperless office is already here and those who refuse to admit it are deniers. In the end, we’re all simply debating ourselves, expecting different results; academic insanity.
As I consider the denier position of print volume is increasing or holding steady, I wonder why HP is experiencing so many challenges and why did International Paper shuttered A4 paper-making plants? I can imagine many carriages and buggy whip manufacturers feeling the same way and expressing similar arguments the year automobiles started replacing horse-drawn carriages en masse: 1913.
Note: Buggy whips are actually a humane product used to lead horse-drawn buggies, making snapping noises to encourage them to speed up and not meant to ever touch or harm the horse.
There was a time, long ago, when men rode horses, coffee was brewed and mail was delivered by hand.
Remembering is romantic and foretelling.
We stand at the precipice of the paperless age. Like the steam engine, postal stamps, cigarettes, and the horse, paper will be regarded with nostalgia and a twinkle in the eye as you tell your grandchildren how you once read email on a sliver of dead trees.
The move into managed services is well on its way and traditional copier reps are getting caught in the middle between selling boxes and selling services. Pundits and consultants lament "copier people cannot sell managed services" unless they attend a day of specialized sales training.
It is true, I've seen plenty of managed services or IT sales destroyed by copier sales reps - from Cali to N.C. I've written about a couple of instances.
The thing is, for all the challenges and failures, the rep is not to blame. We train them to always be closing, find pain and twist, to hunt, take-down, close, trap and "increase share of wallet" - armed with this mentality, its a miracle anybody sells anything, let alone a nuanced offering like managed services.
So, as a copier rep, what can you do to secure more managed services contracts/agreements? Should you heed your sales manager's advice and treat help desk like a fax board? Does your OEM offer any clues? How about a few days of off-site training followed up with a phone blitz?
First published Oct, 2014, on WorkIntelligently, Ricoh.
Thenew world of work looks a lot less like the traditional corner office.
Today, the idea of mobile workers is commonplace.
But it hasn’t always been that way. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and see where the idea came from — and from there we’ll look at where it’s headed in the future.
SkyNet was a fictional representation of a robot Apocalypse - robot drones occupy the skies delivery humanity to the brink of extinction.
This isn't that.
Recently uncovered footage shows a hawk downing what could be an Amazon delivery drone.
What first appeared as random attacks, is thought to be results of a secret training program. Eye witness accounts of birds attacking innocent, privately owned, 'quad-copter' drones around the world point to one possibility: Avian Skulduggery.
Just outside Memphis, TN, FedEx World Headquarters, locals have been noticing an increase in "Bird-nappings" - pet hawks, crows, canaries and even Canadian Geese have been reported missing at a alarming rate.
"The other morning, I was feeding the geese. I had to get more feed. When I came back out, all 20 of 'em were gone. Without a trace. It's the damnedest thing...its like they just flew away...", reports Jimmie Casey, the neighborhood goose wrangler.
GoPro and QuadPod enthusiasts say their drones are under attack. Hawks, crows and geese appear to have a singular mission; attack, maul and negate mechanical intruders.
Flying birds are not the only recruits. Recently released NSA footage shows field training of a FedEx recruit, pestering a UPS driver.
Warning, the following footage may be too intense for some viewers.
There's more.
Obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, footage shows a foul-recruitment technique designed to entice American Bald Eagles. Locals refused to answer any questions regarding 'attack Eagles' on camera. But un-named sources close to the project said,
"It's a mess out there. It's like they're being trained to eat fish and attack pickup trucks. I don't like it."
More Rumors -
Internet groups like Next Day Delivery and online forum, Package Shipping are filled with whispers of a secret program, named 'Drone: Attack, Maul, Negate'(DAMN). This program is believed to the brainchild of either Elon Musk, Sir Richard Branson or Meg Whitman. Perhaps all three are forming a triad.
More details as our investigation continues...for now, keep your eyes to the skies and watch The Birds.
Click to email me.
* Do I need to mention that the above is a work of fiction, fantasy and fantastical?
