How strong are your firm’s organisational skills?

Recently I stumbled across a live site that shows all the commercial aircrafts in the skies above us at any given moment in time. The sheer volume and what can only be described as complete chaos, had me mesmerised. 
However, with over 100,000 daily commercial flights  taking off and landing across the globe, the aviation industry is probably one of the most meticulously organised operations that spans across the globe.  A lot of it is thanks to the highly integrated, centralised and coordinated air traffic control (ATC) operations which play an essential role.

Now just as each of the 100,000 flight needs to be precisely planned, monitored and organised throughout its journey, the same is true for the thousands of documents flowing through a firm each day.

ATC is instrumental in tracking, reviewing, monitoring and communicating with pilots both within its designated national airspace and up to defined international boundaries, after which point the aircraft is handed off to the next control centre. Without such a consolidated and harmonised global approach, organisation and communications would be severely inefficient causing major delays and safety risks. 

In such context here is what a centralised and coordinated approach provides.

Holistic, contextual view of information
A centralised and integrated approach allows ATC centres to gain a complete overview of the aircrafts in their designated airspace, instantly.  This holistic view also provides the controllers with contextual information of their environment relative to the aircraft they are handling - essential within a busy airspace where major airports are located within close proximity of each other.

For an organisation that is document intensive, it is equally important to have this complete overview of information and to be able to keep track of it.  By having a single place for all documents, teams gain a complete understanding of what information exists relevant to a subject matter.  

Not only does this enhance firm-wide knowledge management, but with all the files residing in a single location, information can be found immediately without the need for searching through multiple repositories.  


Heightened communications and collaboration
Just as pilots know that ATC is the central communication hub where they can obtain information such as weather conditions and clearance for take-off and landing, a centralised document repository promotes a similar approach.  

It offers a specific, simplified ‘go-to’ point that teams can use as a base to share their document related notes, comments, suggestions and amendments. Essentially it eliminates the need to communicate by email and other alternative means which can lead to disjointed flow of communications.  Above all, it improves coordination between distant teams and helps ensure that important amends are not missed to enhance workflow communications and collaboration processes.  

Meeting regulatory compliance 
Within the aviation industry the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has developed international standards and recommended practices for Member States to comply to when implementing their own national civil aviation regulations. This ensures that operational and procedures are harmonised globally for maximum safety and operational efficiency.

In the same way, the legal industry has a set of rules and regulations set out by various legal bodies that they need to adhere to.  The most recent example is the update to the Data Security EU Directive which seeks to harmonise data protection regulations across the EU member states and Australia’s Privacy Act.  The Act requires organisations that handle sensitive information to take reasonable steps to secure their data. Ultimately this means that firms must fully review their workflow processes and ensure that their data is safeguarded to remain compliant.


In essence, the highly integrated, coordinated and centralised approach of ATC operations allow for greater level of organisation, communications for increased operational efficiencies.  A comparable approach can be undertaken when managing large volumes of documents within the various stages of its lifecycle. Not only could this help with information and knowledge management but it can vastly improve team collaboration and communications with internal teams and external clients. With the volumes of digital documents growing exponentially, maybe it is time to take a leaf out of the aviation industry's book when it comes to meticulous planning, coordination and organisation.

Does your firm use a central document management system or are you looking to do so? If so how has it helped your firm? We would love to hear your thoughts and stories.

Nila Hirani [   ]

Nikec Solutions [ www.nikecsolutions.com ]


References:
- Flight Radar http://www.flightradar24.com
- International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - http://www.icao.int/about-icao/Pages/default.aspx 

Nikec Docstore is a file sharing platform that combines ease of use and the level of security required when exchanging working and sensitive documents with colleagues, clients, partners or suppliers.
It is an advanced professional platform that improves collaboration workflow and provides you with the means to keep full control over your sensitive documents at any times.

Visit Nikec Docstore page

Nikec Binder is an electronic ring-binder to view, review, mark up and present your documents in the office or on the move. Nikec Binder collates files in a single convenient binder file. It is designed to provide the busy fee earner with the tools to allow them to view their matter in a format as similar to paper as possible. Whether it's to present pitch document, create matter bibles, know-how documents or internal training or HR documents, Nikec Binder helps you deliver a slick, flashy and user friendly electronic binder. 
Try Nikec Binder here

Need more information or want to test drive one of these products? info@nikecsolutions.com