It’s incredible to think that computing technology in the workplace was brought in to get rid of those messy paper piles and stacks of 3 ring binders. Today, we have cloud technology that is supported by massive data housing buildings, full of sophisticated servers.
However, all this technology can be brought down by a 3-ring binder.
These futuristic data centers are still facing a major issue as their operations teams continue to document their procedures and methodologies via old fashioned ink and paper, and store them in large three-ring binders.
Here is why this is a problem that not enough people are talking about.
Held Back By Paper-Weight
Some people still feel comfortable and enjoy the tactile advantages of having their crucial documents on hand and on-site in 3-ring binders. However, this is just the illusion of organization. A paper-based system is incredibly problematic for a number of reasons.
First of all, these bulky manuals are very detailed and can be helpful. However, most of the time, an Operations staff will waste too much time trying to locate the appropriate information.
This means that many Operations personnel stop using the binders, while the day-to-day data center operation quickly grows experience-based. They don’t end up using these binders until they’re looking to solve a problem they have no experience with, and that is often when time is most of the essence.
Crucial Information Becomes “Trapped”
The second problem a paper-based system presents is you’re now trapping this vital information in 2 places:
- These binders
- The mind of you’re your most experienced staff
If you lose an employee for one reason or another, they take all of this earned and acquired knowledge with them. And if you happen to lose them on bad terms, you may lose this information suddenly and forever. An aging workforce and knowledge transfer are already big enough issues in the data sector.
Even key employees being sick one day or away on vacation can present major problems if something happens while they’re not on-site.
The Solution
If you’re now concerned that your data center or colocation company is dealing with this issue, you should look into it and ask them frank questions about their own internal procedures.
If you’re unsure of which vendor you should trust, feel free to contact a company like Upstack.com to discuss your needs and your options.
You’re putting your information into off-site data centers and colocations to ensure that your vital information isn’t trapped in “one basket.” So, you definitely want to avoid working with a company that is guilty of doing the same thing.
This problem of paper-weight is far from exclusive to data centers. Many leading manufacturing faculties are full of cutting-edge technology, yet those machines are supported by technicians relying on 3-ring binders, and being repaired by a paper-based ticketing system. Also, many of these companies are still using a paper-based system for their crucial safety data.
In today’s marketplace where a few minutes of downtime can cost you thousands (or even millions of dollars), be sure to work with a data facility that’s knowledge sharing and operations are as advanced as the technology they’re housing.
