In an era where businesses are running to digitize every aspect of their operations, there is a delightful irony: sometimes humbust equipment is still doing better than its high-value digital counterparts.
From sticky notes to project management suites from whiteboard to data visualization dashboard, lower-tech options are quietly proving that expensive is not always effective.
Idender Champion: Sticky Notes vs. Project Management Software
The cost of Arabs in the era of Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, and Digital Transformation initiatives, an entertaining countertend rarely makes the headlines: surprisingly simple, low-technical solutions keep performing better than sophisticated enterprise software in specific contexts.
From Fortune 500 companies to government agencies, these “primitive” approaches sometimes give better results than their expensive digital counterparts.
Permanent power of paper
Despite the predictions of the paperless office, dating in the 1970s, paper remains remarkably flexible in an important atmosphere.
2019 study by American College of Emergency Physicians It was found that the paper tracking system in emergency departments improved electronic systems during large-scale casualties, in which paper-based hospitals process patients about 26% faster during simulated disaster scenarios.
Similarly, NASA still depends Physical backup process For important space operation.
When the International Space Station experienced computer failures in 2019, astronauts came back into paper checklists and manual calculations which proved to be more flexible than their digital counterparts.
Spreadsheet domination
Microsoft Excel, first released in 1985, performed better than special software solutions costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A 2020 survey Ventana Research found that 70% of large enterprises reported to use Excel with dedicated financial planning software, showing 43% that the spreadsheet approach was more effective for some analytical functions.
Perhaps in the most famous example, JP Morgan’s main investment office developed a detailed Excel spreadsheet to manage the risk, which eventually contributed to “” “”.London whaleTrading Loss.
Despite access to some of the most sophisticated risk management software in the world, traders manually rely on the adjusted spreadsheet, allowing it to be impossible for adaptation in standardized enterprise systems.
Whiteboard Revolution
Digital cooperation equipment has exploded in popularity, yet physical whiteboards are stunningly effective.
A 2021 study It was found from the University of Washington that software development teams using Physical Old Boards completed 24% faster projects compared to teams using digital project management equipment.
Researchers attributed to an increase in visibility and improved team engagement.
In Toyota manufacturing plants, despite investing in billions of automation, physical Endon board (Visual management tools) and paper cards still coordinate production flow.
When Toyota tried to digitize these systems in many plants, the productivity decreased, leading to a hybrid approach that preserved many manual processes.
Index Card: Simple yet effective
The humble index card continues to use in a high-day environment.
Dr. Atul Gavande’s famous surgical checklist, which has proved to reduce more than 35%of surgical complications, was deliberately applied as a physical card rather than software integration.
Follow studies showed that there were digital versions Less effective Paper from origin.
In the era of sophisticated customer relationship management (CRM) system, some sales teams still maintain “hotlist” on index cards.
Study by 2018 by Sales benchmark index It was found that top-performing pharmaceutical sales representatives often maintained individual card systems with company-lead CRM software, with 67% manual system helped them to close more deals.
While digital changes are important for modern business success, these examples remind us that technology should serve business processes – they should not determine. Sometimes the most effective solution is refreshed, even cheerful, simple.
As organizations invest millions in enterprise software, cloud services and artificial intelligence, it is worth remembering that a well-designed paper form, a thoughtful whiteboard, or even a pile of index cards can still be the best equipment for some jobs.
The true sophisticated approach is not to adopt visually the most advanced technology available – it is selecting the right tool regardless of technical complexity for each specific challenge.
In Einstein’s words: “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simple.” For many professional processes, the sweet space of simplicity is far less technology than software vendors.
odds and ends
Here are some other examples of low-technical solutions that still perform better than expensive commercial software:
Physical filing cabinets
For some businesses, especially physical documents or a limited amount of important paperwork, well -organized physical filing cabinets can still perform better than expensive enterprise material management (ECM) systems. Immediate physical access, lack of dependence on technology, and established processes can be surprisingly efficient for specific records.
Paper order form
Think of a busy market seller or a food truck. While tablet-based order systems provide digital tracking and payment processing, sometimes a simple pad of paper and a pen are sharp and more reliable in chaotic environment. There is no concern about battery life, software glitter, or dropped internet connection.
Handwritten log
A maintenance worker can place a daily check and a handwritten log of repair on a simple notepad. While digital tracking software provides more sophisticated analysis and reporting, immediate, no-tech entry of information can be more practical in their routine.
A bulletin board for announcements
For important company-wide announcements or upcoming events, a well-placed physical bulletin board in a high-trafficking region can sometimes be more effective than relying on an internal intranet that employees cannot do regular checking regularly. Visual prominence ensures that everyone sees information.
