Document Conversion and the Data Collection Bottleneck
We all got the memo about the value of big data. Digital consolidation makes an organization’s masses of information more useful, and more available, than having silos of electronic files and archived paper documents. Big data promises to let you find all the documents related to a legal case with one click on your keyboard, or compare patient outcomes with… Read More »
Built For First Responders: The Station Design Awards
The Oscars and the Emmys may be better known, but the Station Design Awards, honoring outstanding fire station design, have a much more direct effect on communities across America. When fire stations are designed to support first responders’ wellbeing, communities benefit from better firefighting and EMT service. And when stations are designed to encourage interaction with the community, everyone benefits… Read More »
Designing the Disaster-Proof Museum
The recent devastating fire in the National Museum of Brazil reminds everyone in the museum realm that disasters can strike any time. Fire, flood, climate, earthquakes – the potential for damage and loss takes many forms, and no museum is invulnerable. The Association of Art Museum Directors reported over 13 million art objects in museums in 2015, a figure that… Read More »
Our Brains Just Can’t Say “No” to Paper
When a newspaper erroneously reported his demise, Mark Twain famously said, “The report of my death is an exaggeration.” Paper documents could say the same. Paper is a remarkably persistent medium in this modern digital age, and it seems our brains are to blame. Using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), researchers at the U.K.’s Bangor University compared people’s responses to… Read More »
The Human Touch: FM Can’t Work Without It
The brave new world of AI and IoT is changing the face of facilities management. Smart buildings notify the authorities when there’s an emergency like a water leak or a security breach. They send out reminders when maintenance should be scheduled. They use energy monitors to accumulate usage data and identify conservation opportunities. They know where every furniture asset is… Read More »
When Mission and Resources Diverge – The Museum Conflict
A recent poll found that the public considers museums to be “the guardians of factual information” – a valuable function in the era of fake news and lack of trust in traditional organizations. Poll respondents felt that the care and preservation of heritage, and the expansion of social knowledge, are two vital primary purposes for museums. Equally important, respondents also… Read More »