From Pillar to Post, to Infinity…
Technology plays an undeniable role in our lives, and the development of new software has caused significant changes in how we work and our productivity. Mr Sidharth Mehta, an advocate from S.M. Mehta & Co, shares his experience on integrating technology and modern software at his workplace. Since the company was established in 1941, a lot of systems were pre-fixed when Mr Mehta entered the office. However, he and his senior advocates knew the importance of making changes with time.
Back in the day when modern technology was not as advanced or available, the office had several typewriters. Mr Mehta believed that not having a computer posed a severe challenge. Today, he has practiced law for over 15 years, but when he initially started working, he didn’t have a computer in the office, since owning a computer required an entire separate room for wires, connections, and air conditioning.
Before technology was introduced, there was a lot of paperwork that needed to be maintained. Due to the volume of files that needed to be documented and maintained with high security, having paper-based files made the office inefficient. They had to rent additional office spaces just to store back-ups of all files. Now, with the integration of technology, Mr Mehta has moved to a cloud-based storage method today, so backups and files are safe and secure. This has brought a lot of ease and convenience to the office.
In fact, this modernisation was not only beneficial for advocates; the work became much easier for the staff too! All necessary data could be compiled, computed, and prepared for deadlines much more efficiently. Before the computer, the staff had to spend hours filing documents in the right places, because if one didn’t file the necessary paperwork on time, there would be heavy penalties levied on the client. With computers, however, everything is organised in folders and can be readily accessed with a simple search.
Initially, typewriters were the only machines in the office, and several typists were hired to work and rework drafts and documents. After a meeting with his seniors, Mr Mehta and the team decided that incorporating technology in the workspace was a necessity. In hindsight, Mr Mehta believes that this was one of the most helpful decisions that they took. Although technology reduced the workload, Mr Mehta ensured that none of the employees were made redundant.
Since all the employees at the office were honest and trustworthy, they were trained to work with the newly-introduced computers. Change in the only constant, and all the staff took it up as a challenge and were very willing to learn, even at older ages. As a law firm, each document required several drafts and changes, which often spread into several pages. However, every correction required a whole page to be re-typed, and it wasted a lot of time that could be better spent. Now, it merely takes 15 minutes to re-work a document which would otherwise have required two hours.
Other than server crashes, computers make work much easier on all fronts. Since Mr Mehta and the office moved all storage to a cloud-based platform, this was no longer an issue. Due to its efficiency and the number of advantages, technology beats paperwork out by a mile!
Advancements in Technology can be compared to the ocean, because it is endless. Technology helped Mr Mehta and the office become much more efficient, and he sees the importance and relevance of technology growing every day.
