Progress - Business Office 1 - The Slap-Up Hope

Progress - Business Office 1 - The Slap-Up Hope

1 automation benefits crochet download free knit knitting one part pattern pre-technology Progress socialism socialist stitch

Over the course of didactics of my working life, nosotros accept made expansive progress inward technology scientific discipline in addition to the associated productivity increase that came along amongst it.  Today, nosotros become dorsum inward history a fight in addition to side yesteryear side spider web log entry (or possibly two) I'll hash out the what create goodness we've gleaned from the advances that accept been made.

Consider This

I entered the workforce earlier e-mail...before spreadsheets...before give-and-take processing...before jail cellular telephone phones or smartphones amongst apps in addition to earlier the widespread role of the internet.

My starting fourth dimension corporate labor was inward 1983 working for a large international depository fiscal establishment (now defunct) in addition to I was responsible for administering the taxation reimbursement policy nosotros had for expatriate employees stationed inward other countries.

So, envision this...I'd sit down at a desk inward New York City, needing to gibe regularly amongst most seventy employees inward far-reaching areas similar Bahrain, Dubai, Tokyo, London...today, that labor would hold out easy...e-mails, international telephone apps in addition to texting would all brand communications uncomplicated in addition to fast.

In 1983, I had 3 choices:

• A typed memo that went inward the overnight parcel 
• A real expensive telephone conversation if nosotros could coordinate a fourth dimension to speak
• The teletype system, which allowed us to ship e-mail-like text which went to a terminal printer inward the international constituent in addition to was hopefully delivered to the intended recipient (obviously nosotros couldn't ship whatever confidential information inward this way)

I don't scream upwardly if nosotros used fax machines or if not, why.  We did accept a puddle of give-and-take processors...four or 5 people that would role a give-and-take processing machine to type in addition to electronically relieve our memos in addition to documents into a centralized give-and-take processing system.  So we'd hand-write a document in addition to position it inward the pool's in-box.  We'd larn dorsum drafts of the document, which we'd edit in addition to re-submit in addition to normally larn the concluding document on the instant or 3rd endeavour  Word processing saved us TONS of fourth dimension over typing pools, carbon newspaper copies in addition to WhiteOut.  That photograph inward a higher house was me smoking at my desk amongst at to the lowest degree 2 of the give-and-take processors I worked with.

If I needed to credit an expatriate's depository fiscal establishment trouble organisation human relationship amongst a taxation reimbursement, it required that I consummate a three-part shape amongst the employee's trouble organisation human relationship number, the amount of the credit, a description of what it was for in addition to larn an officer's signature (which required a memo in addition to back-up documentation for what was beingness reimbursed in addition to why). Once completed this would hold out sent to the constituent that processed depository fiscal establishment credits who would brand the reckoner entries necessary.

During the 2 years I worked at that job, nosotros genuinely got an IBM PC for that office.  It had 2 floppy drives in addition to no difficult drive.  So we'd accept to kicking the reckoner amongst the DOS disk inward Drive A: in addition to hence charge whatever programme we'd desire into retention via roughly other floppy disk.  Primarily, nosotros used Lotus 1-2-3 to keep spreadsheets of information for our expatriate employees, but it was hardly whatever progress at all compared to the advances we'd come across inward only a few years.

My subdivision (which handled all expatriate policy administration) consisted of a Senior Vice President, Vice President, Assistant Vice President, 4 Analysts in addition to 4 give-and-take processors.  I can't imagine that it would accept required a subdivision of most xi employees to create this type of direction inward an automated world.  With audit requirements in addition to security, it mightiness require 3 or 4 people to create the same work.

More most progress inward Part Two.

Current Knitting

With the completion of the Interlocking Scarf, I started a novel scarf.

This is a novel Knitted Cross Stitch Scarf using the beautiful fuchsia/purple/pink yarn from The Perfect Blend Online in addition to a deep, emerald light-green single-ply merino.  I'm loving how rich in addition to vibrant this is looking.

I also finished the instant couplet of Slipper Socks for the NEMKR KAL.

I may create a 3rd couplet if it doesn't interfere amongst Craft Show knitting besides much.

Progress - Business Office Ii - Productivity Gains

Progress - Business Office Ii - Productivity Gains

2 analysis automation benefits better costs crochet estimate free II knit part pattern stitch worse

Having worked inwards figurer consulting for the bulk of my career, I would say that automation together with applied scientific discipline significantly increased together with continues to increment worker productivity.  I was sort of paid to say that inwards my business, but I too believe it to last true.  But how much has it increased the value nosotros larn from our lives?

Bypassing the Blessing/Curse Debate

For our purposes here, let's drib dead amongst the supposition that automation has increased productivity inwards the yesteryear thirty - xl years.  I know at that spot are roughly who say the personal figurer made intelligence processors of us all, or that electronic mail together with prison theater cellular telephone phones direct maintain created an electronic leash for 24-hour employees...in many ways, I don't disagree, but overall, I recall it is rubber to say that it takes a lot fewer employees to attain the same output that was produced inwards 1983 (as described inwards my terminal spider web log entry).

For declaration sake, lets utilization the subdivision I worked inwards at the banking concern inwards 1983.  We had eleven employees (3 officers together with 8 staff) performing the piece of work to administer expatriate benefits to our employees stationed on international assignments.

The same piece of work could easily last done today amongst 1 or 2 officers together with 2 staff members.  When you lot add together inwards the technical back upward required from the systems folks supporting the newly automated office, let's merely say this subdivision increased it's productivity plenty to trim down staffing to a one-half of what it was inwards the early on eighties.

This was a highly administrative function, together with and thus it benefitted to a greater extent than from automation-based productivity gains than other types of work, together with thus let's merely say that automation reduced staffing inwards this province yesteryear 25% over the course of written report of the terminal 35 years.  I'd say that's a conservative estimate, but for our discussion, let's merely utilization that.

Here are roughly of the areas where I consider that automation has made most folks to a greater extent than efficient:

• Generate, store, navigate together with edit documents amongst ease
• Memos
• Proposals
• Promotional Materials
• Instruction Manuals
• Signage
• Web pages
• Communicate to a greater extent than quickly, clearly, cost-effectively together with efficiently
• E-mail
• Electronic Messaging
• Voice together with Video
• Voice Over IP
• Video Meetings
• International voice/video apps
• Cell phone
• Remote working capabilities
• Document sharing
• E-mail attachments
• Electronic signatures
• Internet publishing of documents
• Document downloads
• File sharing/editing

It's clear that non alone has it drib dead significantly easier to bear business, but the mightiness to practice significantly higher lineament documents has too increased.  Imagine what it would direct maintain taken to attain a stockholder coming together presentation similar they practice today inwards multi-media format amongst graphics together with video that tin give the sack last designed together with generated inwards a fraction of what a similar presentation inwards the mid-eighties (if it fifty-fifty could last produced).

What direct maintain you lot seen every bit the termination of all this increased productivity?  Is piece of work easier inwards today's globe than it was inwards the 1980's?  Do employees piece of work less together with savor to a greater extent than leisure fourth dimension because of efficiencies gained via automation?  Do workers larn to pass to a greater extent than fourth dimension amongst family, friends together with loved ones?  Has automation allowed us to last to a greater extent than inwards touching on amongst our friends together with social network?

Here are roughly of the benefits I've seen:

• Less endeavor required to generate the same output
• Access to a virtual together with sometimes real-life social network I could direct maintain never created inwards the past
• Multi-functioned steal devices that supercede watches, cameras, phones, GPS, rolodexes, credit cards, computers together with television receiver screens
• Immediate access to unimaginable amounts of data 
• 
  

But many of those benefits are offset yesteryear roughly of the losses resulting from advances:

• More piece of work output required which perhaps completely overrides whatever worker-related gains
• Workday extended exterior standard/core piece of work hours via expectations of availability through electronic means
• Reduced real-life interactions socially
• Reduced job opportunities together with opportunities for advancement (fewer jobs
• Misuse of information together with privacy together with safety issues
• Confusion together with difficulty discerning valid information from false

I'm realizing I couldn't perhaps inventory all of the positive together with negative aspects applied scientific discipline has on our lives.  But if you lot were to practice a quick gauge of the value-added or value-diminished inwards your life inwards the yesteryear decades, what would you lot gauge the cyberspace lawsuit to be?  I know it's impossible without a baseline of life without it, together with and thus I've tried together with described my sense inwards Part 1 together with 2 of this spider web log entry.

Overall, I'd say my life is nearly every bit expert every bit it would direct maintain been amongst applied scientific discipline every bit without it...and that includes that fact that I leveraged technological advances every bit percentage of my career decisions to brand a living. What would you lot guesstimate?  10% increment inwards life-satisfaction?  5% decrease?  Could you lot say that you lot direct maintain gotten whatever percentage of the benefits of increased productivity gains over the decades when you lot residual it against the additional demands?

In Part iii side yesteryear side week, I'll verbalise a piffling fleck nearly who benefitted most from the productivity gains of automation.  Spoiler alert...it in all likelihood wasn't you lot together with me.

Current Knitting

I was able to destination the Knitted Cross Stitch Scarf inwards emeralds together with fuchsias.

And I direct maintain to say, I'm quite pleased amongst the result.  Colors are rich together with satisfying together with the softness, warmth together with curtain are merely perfect.

I too started, restarted together with restarted a 3rd fourth dimension what I recall volition last an quondam shale twine using Persimmon Tree yarn.

If it comes out how I'm hoping, it volition last thick, soft, silky, warm together with direct maintain a halo of mohair.  The colorway isn't what I typically do, but I'm liking it together with thus far anyway.

Progress - Usage Iii - Who Benefitted Most

Progress - Usage Iii - Who Benefitted Most

automation benefits cbc distribution free gains knit part 3 productivity redistribution socialism three wealth

If you've been following, Parts 1 in addition to 2 of this 3-part spider web log entry, you'll notice that nosotros direct hold had substantial gains inwards productivity from automation (I conservatively guesstimated at to the lowest degree 25% gains over the final few decades) in addition to most people would guesstimate that they personally benefitted much less than that.

Where Did the Rest Go?

So who benefitted from all these gains inwards productivity, in addition to how was it decided that the lion-share of gains should become there?

I posit that almost all of the gains (financially) from the to a greater extent than efficient workforce that automation created went to corporate executives in addition to shareholders of corporations.

Did you lot e'er spotter the Jetsons?  George Jetson worked at pressing a push clitoris all solar daytime in addition to would sometimes come upward abode amongst a sore index finger from all the piece of occupation he'd done.

Automation allowed him to direct hold a flight car, a married adult woman who could remain at abode amongst a robot maid who helped attention for their 2 kids in addition to their domestic dog in addition to video-chat amongst her hubby at piece of occupation when she needed to.  The fictional Jetson household unit of measurement benefitted from automation... inwards many ways, it seemed similar an almost utopian society.

Us...not in addition to hence much.

Today's regular Joe hither inwards America, mostly:

• is saddled amongst amazing debt when graduating from college education
• has a lot to a greater extent than difficulty finding a task later on school
• competes amongst other workers to hold their task (and associated benefits)
• makes a wage that barely competes amongst inflation
• is required to generate many times the output someone inwards their champaign did inwards the past
• is frequently required to last available via e-mail, text in addition to telephone at all hours of the solar daytime in addition to week
• isn't guaranteed a wage to hold them out of poverty
• isn't guaranteed healthcare (or insurance for healthcare without paying a lot)
• needs to direct hold both partners inwards a human relationship piece of occupation to maintain a family
• has no paid maternity/paternity leave

I'm going to start to audio socialist here, but who decided that the worker gets stuck getting crumbs, piece the corporate elite in addition to shareholders garner most of benefits?

CBC Radio inwards Canada is doing a 3-part series of their ain regarding the demeanour upon of artificial tidings (and taking this conversation good into the future).  I highly recommend listening to the total offset business office (and I aspect forrad to Parts 2 in addition to 3), but here's a clip showing the history of automation (back to the 1800's) in addition to the associated benefits/costs in addition to how this is expected to alter inwards the electrical flow environs inwards the future:

Can you lot imagine if nosotros all don't direct hold a much easier life amongst automation doing to a greater extent than in addition to to a greater extent than work?  I would similar to propose that nosotros direct hold an entire mindset alter close how nosotros distribute gains from automation inwards the future...and this is where socialism comes in.

We demand to halt thinking that gains inwards automation are for others to determine.  Why should CEO's, corporate executives in addition to shareholders determine this?  We actually demand to demand to a greater extent than of these benefits every bit well.  Living wages, shorter piece of occupation weeks, single-income families, opor-garai fourth dimension that is encouraged, required disconnection from piece of occupation communication inwards off-hours.

If  having automation is going to brand our lives better, it needs to brand ALL our lives better.

I know this requires a huge mindset change...taking the Bernie Sanders message in addition to expanding that.

The right-wing has been incredibly successful inwards focusing on making certain that wealth goes to a greater extent than frequently than non to (and remains with) the already wealthy.  Their revenue enhancement strategies, social systems in addition to ideas on instruction all funnel coin to the rich...who fund elections in addition to perish along the cycle.  They don't realize what a short-term exercise goodness this volition be...the buying cast (you in addition to I) volition presently last unable to purchase the shit they manufacture, in addition to hence it benefits all when nosotros direct hold a to a greater extent than balanced economic scheme that benefits everyone.

The rise tide of automation gains needs to heighten all boats...not only the yachts.

Readers' Comments/Questions
Regarding the repose of editing documents inwards an automated world, Julie Writes:

"Joe, if only people were "editing documents amongst ease." Why am I constantly needing to choice upward my fiddling ruby-red pen to right spelling, usage, in addition to grammer inwards the e-mails, texts, articles, in addition to headlines that I come across all closed to me inwards impress in addition to on the internet? Since nosotros direct hold done away amongst human proof-readers in addition to gone exclusively to assuming that spell-check in addition to other programs of that ilk volition grab mistakes, nosotros direct hold been inundated amongst such egregious errors that it makes me cringe - in addition to I am non only referring to That Man inwards DC."

Editing documents to brand them right is withal easier inwards today's world...even if folks are withal lazy in addition to spend upward to exercise so.  I shouldn't talk...I'm certain if I were to become dorsum through the years of blogging I could red-pencil many an error.

Julie too asks:

"Looking forrad to seeing this projection every bit it grows. How goes the diagonal stripe blanket?" 

As I demand to start some serious production knitting to ready for arts and crafts demo inventory, the Knitted Sheet has been seat on a back-burner.  But it volition emerge 1 time again sometime.

Current Knitting

Having done a quick poll on Facebook, I've decided to operate 2 hanks of the Persimmon Tree yarn to brand a twine instead of 2 broad scarves.

It's close 10.5" broad right directly in addition to close 65" long...it volition eventually last close 20" broad in addition to gloriously orangey!

I too got a partial shipment from Webs the other solar daytime of 2 hanks of Koigu KPPPM.

I pre-ordered the latest blueprint for Dolores in addition to had to growth my monastic enjoin a fiddling to instruct a discount on the entire order.  They yarn was practically free.