Why Businesses Need to Adapt to New Technology and New Information, Not Get Stuck in the Stone Age
I could remember the problem of having to deal with the older generation that doesn't embrace change. It's often said that the older you get--the more resistant to change you become. I wanted to write this essay about why businesses need to keep up with technological advancement and new information. It's because much has changed from the 1980s to the present. I was born in 1985 which makes me a Generation Y. Generation X people are from 1965 to 1980. That means I've experienced a lot of stuff during the 1990s to the early 2000s which many of those born later wouldn't know.
Remembering the "luxury" of the 1990s that became business necessities today
I remembered how often I wanted a desktop back in the 1990s. Adjusting to change can be very difficult. I remembered how I wanted a desktop not because it was cool to own one. The typewriter was such a hassle, especially with how it was a waste of paper. I really hated using the typewriter because of how hard the keys were, it slowed down my work, one single mistake and I had to rewrite everything all over again. Yet, the old generation tends to say, "Back in your age, I used the typewriter and we made excellent book reports! A PC is more expensive than a typewriter!" Yet, a PC is a valuable investment because it allowed the editing of documents before printing. A paperless office may not be possible but you can think of time-saving it made. A PC made making my reports easier and one can write better reports. It's because stress is lessened, editing is possible, and paper wastage is minimized. I guess the Baby Boomers didn't want to admit that they could be wrong or that times have changed!
Back then, I remembered how we had to disconnect the Internet so the phone can be used. It was that really slow dial-up modem and I used dial-up cards. I could understand the boomer parents' concern about the Internet being used for the wrong reasons. However, the Internet started to become a necessity. Sure, parents can forbid their children from entering inappropriate websites or can forbid them from online gaming. However, they should allow their children to use the Internet with safety filters to at least do their homework. Parents could also start to accompany their children in using the Internet for research. The Internet slowly became a necessity because of school and business transactions. Internet today has become so necessary, especially during the pandemic. Online classes, work-from-home, and the like really need the Internet.
Mobile phones were once viewed as luxuries. It wasn't really viewed as a necessity. I could agree children shouldn't own mobile phones and schools shouldn't allow them inside. However, mobile phones have become a necessity (and yes, better get an affordable phone like Samsung or Xiaomi over an iPhone) that college students and professionals need them. It was absolutely necessary for us to have balance in our cellphones (and I used some older Nokia phones, no smartphones by then) during the 2000s to communicate with my groupmates. Today, the smartphone may have become a necessity as communication with customers and financial managers is done by them, Mobile banking and GCash are now more necessary than ever, especially in paying people through other means.
How some businesses are unfortunately stuck in the stone age
I remembered seeing some businesses that just refused to evolve. I could name some instances such as the following which I've observed for some time:
- Selling stuff that won't be used anymore. It's like you're still selling typewriters when desktops and laptops are now used in office work. Who really wants to use the paper-eating monster called the typewriter these days?
- Refusing to upgrade its PC from the 1990s. PCs will get obsolete over time. I think some boomers failed to understand that concept. You can't be using Windows 95 when it's already 2022. Yet, some businessmen were still stuck using Windows 95 for some time because they were so used to it. Maybe, some are still using floppy disks when USBs are now the thing used in storing portable data. Maybe, some of them are using obsolete programming languages which won't work well if you're in an Information Technology firm!
- Asking applicants to pass a negative of their photos when digital cameras are the norm. Go to a photo studio and you can expect your photos to be printed in the queue than having to wait for an hour or two to develop them. Yet, some may still be looking for negatives. I'd be telling them that the photo studios like Kodak will be laughing at them!
- Using an old cash register which frequently gets stuck up when there are newer cash registers. Besides, I don't think the revenue office is ever going to honor broken cash registers as a basis for collecting income tax either! Sure, I could understand why credit cards aren't always used (due to the fees involved and the minimum sales needed) but it's stupid to keep the old cash register.
- Asking for documents to pass through the fax machine when you can't fax a book.
- If you're going to insist on selling typewriters instead of up-to-date laptops and desktops--you can expect to close down your store soon. You might as well have your space leased out then!
- Having obsolete equipment will mean more breakdowns, getting more virus attacks, and lower-performing software to do the job. I can't imagine an accounting firm being unable to do its job right because they're using obsolete accounting software.
- If you're still asking for a negative then forget it. Let's face it that going to the Land Transportation Office (LTO) now uses a digital camera to renew one's license. If you're afraid of tampering--why not take the photos yourself?
- The old cash register may soon be the reason why you can't entertain other customers. The new cash register would allow an instant printed receipt which can keep customer lines shorter. If the cash register breaks--you need to get a new one. Fixing it constantly will just add up to the expenses sooner or later. I wouldn't honor it as an operational expense if I were a revenue officer!
Why do we need to keep having new information?
New information has been gathered even during the olden times. Technology in itself is a result of new information. The evolution of vaccines is a result of new information. Louis Pasteur's discovery of the attenuated vaccine made Edward Jenner's use of cowpox pustules to combat smallpox obsolete. The Institut Pasteur managed to improve Pasteur's discoveries throughout the centuries. Even the dial-up Internet and floppy disks were the results of new information back then. Having new information allowed us to evolve from the dial-up Internet, the VHS, the VCD, and other obsolete technologies to fiber optics, DVD technology, USB technology, and many more. The use of solar generators is a result of new information. Science doesn't stick to just the information of the past--it seeks to discover.
That's why I felt that lessons are getting harder. I remember complaining about how high school was so difficult. Well, it was that difficult high school that got people ready for life. However, the Philippines was long stuck with the K+10. The result was that important subjects such as mathematics, science, history, and economics get rushed. I still find it stupid that economics was only introduced in fourth-year high school when it's a very important subject. K+12 would have elementary, middle school, and high school. It would allow the processing of new information to be processed. Now, economics can be spread in middle school and high school instead of a subject that's just taught in fourth-year high school under the old curriculum. Spreading out knowledge of maths and sciences too would be more beneficial than just cramming them in all that once. Math and science in real life can't be rushed in their application either. Wrong computation, wrong science, wrong input means wrong results.
How opening up to 100% shares ownership of foreign direct investment will help the Philippines reach that goal
Instead, the Public Services Act of 2022 will be beneficial in this way. If there are more foreign investors then the businesses in the Philippines will have the chance to grow. That's what the late Lee Kuan Yew emphasized in From Third World to First. Vietnam and China, both communist countries, became progressive as a result of inviting foreign investments. I can see how the Philippines can rise up based on inviting more FDIs. The late Noynoy invested in scientific and technical activities through public services that weren't tackled. I feel that the Duterte Administration should've prioritized the Public Services Act of 2022 as well. Now, the Public Services Act would include telecommunications and transportation. This would mean there's no excuse not to keep up with technological advancement and new information.
