If you’ve scrolled through social media at all in the past few weeks, you’ve probably seen friends and family, celebrities, and even some of your favorite retail and fast-food chains participate in the #TenYearChallenge.
Many of them made us laugh.
Some invoked a tasteful sense of nostalgia while pointing to 10 years of stagnancy as a win for all.
Others took the opportunity to make a more politically-charged statement about a dire need for change.
While there were many creative statements made during the ten-year challenge, there was one, seemingly innocent decade-old comparison that made many stop and reflect on how much time has changed the way we interact with the world.
Maybe it wasn’t this exact picture. Maybe it was of a flip-phone versus a smartphone. Maybe a dinosaur computer versus a tablet. In any case, your reaction was probably the same – “Wow! I remember when…”
For example, anyone born before the early 2000s probably didn’t travel unless they a) had the route memorized, or b) plotted the route on a physical map and secured a co-pilot to keep them on track. Nowadays, we simply plug our destination into Google Maps and we’re off! Thanks to GIS integrations, technology will even re-route us if an accident or heavy traffic is delaying the original directions.
I’m not sure whether today’s kids are lucky or deprived for not having to endure hours on the road listening to their parents quarrel over a giant map outstretched on the dashboard.
While many of us put these changes in the context of our daily lives, we probably didn’t connect the dots to how technology has changed our jobs. For government departments, the evolution has been incredible.
Ten Years Ago…
You were still spending your birthday at the DMV (AKA, the Secretary of State’s office) renewing license plate tabs. Leslie Knope just started introducing us to the real struggles of the parks and recreation department. Leanne didn’t know she’d be the star of an “OnBase for Human Resources” series, and #GovTech know-how definitely wasn’t streamed into your daily LinkedIn newsfeed.
Ten Years from Now?
The #TenYearChallenge may have seemed like a gimmicky social media fad, but it actually forced many of us to reflect on how much time changes people, places and processes. What we know as normal today could be a polaroid picture of the past in ten years’ time.
With constituents at the forefront of every operation, government agencies need to keep pace with the changes of the world. Many are hopping on the tech bandwagon and doing their best to stay relevant, but the change will continue as consumers increasingly demand mobility, immediate gratification, and convenience – all of which your file cabinets, manila folders, and snail-mailed paperwork cannot offer. Staying connected to the people, driving community involvement and ensuring responsible citizenship means constantly adapting to and adopting the innovations designed to fulfill those exact needs.
If your department has no records management process, automation or streamlining capabilities in 2019, what will it be like in 2029? You have to walk before you can run, and if your department can’t walk with these tools today, it surely won’t be able to run into whatever the standards are for 2029.
So, what does a government agency that’s up-to-par with societal pace look like in 2019? A 360-degree view of all records and documents in one, secure location. A paperless workflow that gets the job done and in the right hands with just a few clicks. Integrations with the best-of-breed solutions that serve your niche government industry’s current needs and future goals. In other words, OnBase.
We Want to Hear from You!
Where would you like to see your department in ten years?
Answer in the comments section below or on our Government solutions showcase page. We read and respond – promise!