Gamechanging or Incremental Improvements? What I Have Noticed in 12 Months.

Looking back to when I purchased the iPad, it is hard to believe it has been over 12 months. The device, and the way I have become accustomed to doing things, has simply become "the way to get things done". The ability to access information, and efficiently accomplish tasks that are required in my professional environment, has risen to a level I could not have imagined was possible just a short time ago. In my mind, that is one of the truly amazing realizations of working with an iPad.

The key to successfully leverage the iPad in any routine (business or personal) is behavior change! If you use an iPad, and simply approach things the way you always have, very little will actually change. However, if you open your mind to approaching things in a different way, the iPad will fundamentally change how you perform many functions.

I thought it would be useful to explain just a few of the areas in my professional life that have been impacted by this new platform. As I state in the title, the changes have been both dramatic (gamechanging) and incremental. By incremental, I mean a process that may not have fundamentally changed how I do things, but were minor changes that have accumulated to have a dramatic impact. In this post, I will discuss the Gamechangers - any one of which I believe is reason enough for any business executive to use an iPad.


Gamechangers

When I talk to executives about the iPad, I tend to focus on the big opportunities, which all fall into the "gamechanger" category. These are, in no particular order,

1. Content Management,
2. Information Portal,
3. News Management, and
4. Business Intelligence.

Content Management. This application, or use, was the main reason I purchased an iPad. I have operated in a digital environment (i.e., PDF) since 2003. I saw a compelling need to have a device that would house and organize ALL of my PDF reference documents (books, articles, etc.). The iPad was the first device that satisfied, in a simple fashion, that need. Within one week of owning the iPad, I had created a virtual "library" of content utilizing the GoodReader app. And the library is not just PDF's, it contains any form of content that I have (consisting of documents, audio files, pictures, video files, etc.). All content can be used within the app, which is simply stunning.

Of course, since all documents are digital, content is easily searchable by name, and by a variety of other methods. Once inside a PDF, searching within a document could not be any easier. I can review and annotate (highlight, write notes, paste text boxes, etc) easily within a document. In fact, I rarely have a need to print a document. I routinely receive, review, provide comments, and route marked documents back to the original provider through a completely digital process using the iPad.

However, as I look back, I now view that capability as minor relative to the other capabilities the iPad has provided me. And, obviously, I had no idea that other additional benefits existed when I started with an iPad. Not until "dots started connecting" did I see substantially greater opportunity.


Information Portal. I use the term "information portal" to merely describe using the iPad as a means to access content stored somewhere in the "cloud". Information can be links to websites, document storage platforms (Google Docs, Dropbox, etc), or just about anywhere data is stored and can be linked to. The key link, of course, is to provide a simple user interface (or "front-end") that makes it seamless for the user to utilize. This can be done a number of ways, but I have primarily used the RoamBI app (and publishing tool) or other documents (e.g., PDF's) that are linked directly to the desired content.


News Management. This is a big one! I no longer use a PC to monitor news, whether the sources are social media, news "magazines" (which are one of the nicest features of news on an iPad), or my various RSS feeds. Zite, Flipboard, and Pulse, which fall into the news magazines category, are each customizable by the user based on the content you select to receive.

Instapaper, a "read it later" tool, has become one of my most used apps. Admittedly, it takes a little time (and behavior adjustment) to fully appreciate its functionality, but once it clicks, you will wonder how you got by without it. In addition, I use Instapaper to create customized news "repositories" and content libraries. Thornhill Financial created a custom library for use by all of the firm employees. Content is simply emailed to a common Instapaper account - a library of this content is "published" weekly to a web location that employees have a link to.


Business Intelligence. BI reporting, in my opinion, is an area of huge potential and opportunity with the iPad. Historically, true BI reporting and data visualization tools were limited to fairly large and more sophisticated companies, which had ERP systems and the resources to implement these tools. However, the tools available for the iPad have the potential to bring this reporting capability to any size organization, at a relatively minimal cost. Thornhill Financial has already completed several BI related projects and businesses are only starting to become aware of this opportunity.

As mentioned above, incremental changes along the way have accumulated to some significant wins along the way as well. I will discuss some of the most noticeable areas in an upcoming post.