Technology for All Generations

With older workers staying in the workforce longer, many companies have to “rethink their approach to training.” This includes a large portion of practicing lawyers, accountants, and professionals. In fact, according to the ABA Lawyer Demographic statistics, 68% of practicing lawyers are 40 years old or older, with the median age rising since 1980 to 45.

For us Gen X and Gen Y workers, we have no problem adapting to new technology. It seems to come natural to us. We grew up with our Ataris and Nintendos clicking buttons until our thumbs were sore. Now, we click here and click there on computer screens until we have mastered, or think we’ve mastered, software in a few hours.

A vast majority of our older counterparts just aren’t as inclined to pick up new technologies as fast. Many, if not most, of them recognize the benefits of keeping their business up to date with technology, but the learning curve for many technologies do not translate to hours as it does to us younger workers. Rather, they see it as another frustrating learning curve that doesn’t justify the benefits associated with the technology upgrade. As a result, I have witnessed many older workers very content working in their Windows 95 operating system and their massive filing cabinets, rather than upgrading to more effecient web-based tools because they don’t want to learn something new.

Kicking the Learning Curve to the Curb

ConXPoint’s Business Center provides a solution that kicks the learning curve to the curb. It incorporates cutting-edge technology with a familiar easy-to-use interface, giving you all of the benefits of today’s technology without difficult software installations or hardware purchases. This makes both Gen Xers and Baby Boomers happy.

The Business Center uses a familiar folder tree structure similar to the Microsoft folder structure. So, older workers don’t have to learn something new. Plus, a “Wizard” approach to executing workflows makes it easy to keep track of what you are doing so you don’t get lost or question what to do next.

The Business Center also incorporates the latest web conferencing tools to share desktops, and collaborate in real time from your home office, airport or hotel room.

The proof is in the pudding, and we’d welcome an opportunity to demonstrate how easy the Business Center can work for you. For more information or discuss other ways ConXPoint services may help you economically meet your customer service priorities and cost reduction initiatives, contact us by calling 866-907-6686 or by emailing service@ConXPoint.com. The ConXPoint web site (www.conxpoint.com) offers a brief 3‐minute movie providing more information and an option to sign up to participate in a 30‐minute interactive Web presentation called “Coffee with ConXPoint.”

e-Signatures

When I told a relative that I work for a company that provides electronic signature tools to firms seeking a secure, paperless, contract workflow she said, “how do they know who signed it.” This is an old way of thinking from people who often resist technological change. I think forgery suspicion and lack of understanding are primary reason many companies have yet take advantage of this time/expense saving eSignature technology.

The real question is, “how do you confirm who signed handwritten signatures?” I’m sure many people have signed documents for their spouse or their boss. I guess in order to confirm who actually signed it, you could hire an expensive scribe expert to compare signatures.

Upon mention of e-signatures, many may think of the process they go through at a department store when they sign for a credit card purchase. After swiping the card, they pick up a gadget that looks like a pen and make their mark on an electronic pad confirming their intent to buy. Even this process may have seemed strange 30 years ago, but we now know it is no different than signing your name with ink on paper. They are the same because the commonality between all signatures is threefold:

• You must have access to the document
• With the ability to make your mark
• Confirming your intent to sign

Hundreds of years ago, people would use stone chops and wax seals to make their mark and confirm their intent. Today, the Federal E-Sign law and subsequent state UETA laws proclaim that contracts and electronically signed documents cannot be denied based solely on this medium.

Benefits of e-Signatures

e-Signatures are nothing more than electronic substitutes for instances when handwritten signatures are impractical. If you do business with people outside the four walls of your office, then eSignatures enable you to close deals in minutes online, without spending money on postage and without waiting for clients to drive to your office to sign in person.

e-Signatures also provide an added level of security by enabling documents to remain in an encrypted environment, rather than floating around the office for faxing and mail packaging. This helps ensure client confidentiality and privacy, and may even help your company comply with regulatory standards.

If you’re the suspicious type who doesn’t think you can confirm who signed electronic documents, take a look at the last signed contract you received by mail or fax and ask yourself, “could this be my client’s paralegal’s, secretary’s, or spouse’s signature?”

Quality e-signature services require a PIN be typed before signing; the same requirement banks use to allow people to take money out of an ATM machine. They also track the email address the e-signature request was sent to, and the date and time it was signed. If this isn’t enough, an IP address can also be obtained from the person signing the document.

It may be a matter of time before companies fully accept this technology. However, those that embrace eSignatures sooner rather than later will be ahead of the game.

Changing the Way We Work

Practically every small business or firm relies on some sort of computer technology. Whether it’s a simple desktop office program or a complicated network with remote access built on layers of security, companies rely on technology to perform their daily routines.

Trends in technology have created opportunities that change the way we work and the way we think about work. A simple desktop office program no longer provides efficiency gains necessary to keep small to medium-sized companies competitive with large enterprise companies. For example, the U.S. workforce is increasingly becoming home-based and large companies can enable their employees to connect to their company’s network from anywhere at anytime via a VPN. However, is it really feasible for small businesses such as CPA and law firms to invest in an intranet network with VPN access?

Many small to medium-sized businesses have to this point been unable to take advantage of this technology because it just isn’t cost effective to hire a large IT staff required to manage it. As a result, many small to medium-sized business have fallen behind on the productivity and efficiency curve compared to large companies with huge enterprise IT budgets.

Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks

Most small businesses have managed to make due with what they’ve got, and many are comfortable in their current business routines. Granted, the efficiency level isn’t as high as it could be, but they have contrived daily processes that enable them to get work done. However, the changing state of the economy is twisting the arms of small businesses, squeezing every last penny from them by way of intangible expenses, such as increasing gas prices and postal fees.

New technology is available that has created opportunities for small businesses to avoid increasing costs to do business and achieve the efficiency gains of an enterprise company, but they must be willing to learn a few new tricks.

ConXPoint’s mission is to bring everyone into the digital age by providing a solution that demystifies technology and inspires small companies to use the internet to take advantage of cutting-edge tools without extensive learning curves and massive IT expenses. We understand that everyone on your staff may not be as tech savvy as the next, and we believe cutting-edge technology doesn’t necessarily have to equal a huge learning curve or a huge IT investment.

When we designed our web-based office solution, we considered that everyone embraces technology differently. So, we created an intranet solution that uses familiar browsing schemes that makes finding files easy. We integrated all of the necessary tools that enable small businesses to increase efficiency while reducing costs, such as our esignature tool that lets you send contracts electronically rather than through the mail. No huge IT investment is required, but an open mind to how technology can change the way you do business is a must.

We look forward to using this weblog to share our ideas about how small businesses can embrace new technology in order to stay competitive, as well as provide a forum for small business owners to discuss their challenges and needs. We look forward to hearing from you.