Goodbye, Floppy Disks
Fax machines, please stay
Japan is famous for its traditions and the respect people have for them.
However, this tradition is not something Japanese people would like to keep for future generations.
BBC reports:
“It’s taken until 2024, but Japan has finally said goodbye to floppy disks. Up until last month, people were still asked to submit documents to the government using the outdated storage devices, with more than 1,000 regulations requiring their use. But these rules have now finally been scrapped, said Digital Minister Taro Kono. Mr Kono has made it his goal to eliminate old technology since he was appointed to the job. He had earlier also said he would “get rid of the fax machine”.”
But fax machines are still in use.
This is not happening because of a particular Japanese fondness for old technologies.
As Tom Goodwin frequently reminds us, we often build processes around technologies, not vice versa.
And when the technology evolves or becomes outdated, we have to change our processes, which is always painful.
Every business is a set of processes, or value waves, that should deliver value to key stakeholders. Strategy is a set of measures the company leaders should take to continually increase this value.
Technology is only a tool that can speed up changes.
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