In this second installment from our interview with Aaron Sarber, the director of our Professional Services Group at Imaging Office Systems, we talk about the future of information management, best practices for implementation and execution of new systems, what surprises him, what surprises our customers, what makes his job easy or hard, and what he thinks are the most valuable elements of the services we provide to our customers. 

Aaron Sarber manages our Professional Services Group here at Imaging Office Systems, and he has been with us long enough to have witnessed a major evolution in information management technology and content services solutions. I thought it would be a valuable exercise for our blog readers to sit down with him and get his perspective, in a simple question-and-answer format, on a variety of topics and issues related his group's role in building solutions for our customers.

Schools at the K-12 level serve as development platforms for the next generation of people. While the chief factors in that developmental work are the dissemination of information, discussion of ideas, instruction on skills, and teacher-student interaction, so much happens behind the scenes to create and maintain the platform where this can happen—namely, activities that happen in the Main Office or Business Office. This is where student records are kept, HR activity happens, and interaction occurs between the school and the outside world, including parents, the community, vendors, and state officials—the business of running a school. And just like any other business, the Main Office has business processes. 

Now, we here at Imaging Office Systems are quite aware of what we are and what we are not. And one thing we’re not is an expert in e-learning platforms and all the various software ecosystems that comprise that world. However, for all the supporting business activities happening in the main office? You know...those business processes that may have been caught in a technology time-warp (trust me, you’re not alone) and now require more time than they should to handle? We are experts at helping schools leverage technology to streamline those business processes. 

Here’s a look at a few projects we’ve worked on that have helped streamline the work of school office workers. 

Many company leaders will put a lot of pressure on their people to change rapidly when economic, market, or industry conditions shift on a dime. Unfortunately, these types of reactive management moves often result in solutions and decisions that don’t adequately consider the implications for the company as a whole, over the long-term. 

Right now, we’ve been seeing this situation play out with organizations’ responses to Covid-19 and their sudden prioritization of work-from-anywhere modalities and digital transformations. 

In some highly siloed companies, we’ve seen this rush actually exacerbate siloed separations—which represent the opposite of flexibility and collaboration. Silos mean people approach work challenges from vastly different perspectives. Absent a galvanizing force to bring everyone onto the same page, moving a siloed company to a work-from-anywhere, decentralized work posture can thicken those silo walls and create new ones where none previously existed. We’ve seen it happen... 

That’s why it’s important to work with a partner that deeply understands the relationship between business goals, business processes, and business technology—yes, someone like us. However, in lieu of us not sitting across a table from you right now to discuss your digital transformation and work-from-anywhere needs and wants, here are a few tips to help set the stage for these changes. 

We do things differently in Columbia City, Indiana.  

You might say we’re the anti-Silicon Valley...the rebel rouser nipping at the heels of “big tech” and “big data” with the courage of Daniel and driven by our people’s Midwestern values and work ethic, which push us to do things the right way—hopefully the first time! Yes, even we may make a mistake, but doing it the right way involves doing our best to control quality from the outset and to make it right when something goes wrong. Because that’s what makes for great customer service. It’s that simple. 

Len Nowostawski put this customer-first philosophy into action, working on the front lines for Imaging Office Systems as a service manager for the last 46 years! He’s been a valued member of our team in every respect...and part of the brain trust that has made it possible for Imaging Office Systems to evolve our toolbelt in lock step with—and in many cases ahead of—advances in information management technology during that time. 

Len Nowostawski's retirement Celebration Facebook Photo Album

To say, we’ll miss Len is putting it too mildly. Thank you, Len, for everything you’ve done...not the least of which has been handling over 450,000 service calls over the last 46 years...it’s true! I looked it up!