In today’s business world almost all documents and records are electronically stored. Companies spend millions of dollars on man-hours to try and convert the old paper documents to the new electronic storage systems. This often entails people working many hours doing painstakingly boring work. The time spent on these menial tasks decreases the overall productivity of the company, as well as employee moral. Microtask has created a way to computerize this normally menial task. Microtask has developed cloud software that automates this task over millions of computers that are connected to the Internet. Microtask’s software, simplifies the process of transcribing written documents into electronic documents. This software will allow for companies to convert documents quickly, since the worker will not get bored and lose focus during the work. By making the tasks simpler it also lessens the chance for error. With less errors being made in the conversion, productivity also increases.
There are drawbacks to this system, however. Amazon released similar software in 2005 called Mechanical Turk. This program paid users a nominal amount to do certain tasks. However, the payment was so small people did not spend time. To off set this problem Microtask simply supplies the software to the companies, and allows them to distribute the work as they please, either internally or externally. This raises the issues of worker productivity. While this software is supposed to simply the large tasks and make workers more productive, it makes the system mundane and boring. While both companies tried two different approaches, both seem flawed.
Cloud computing will only become effective when you can get a vast number of people to do a few small tasks for a small price. Making employees do these tasks at a normal wage seems bad management. It is wasteful spending to hire a worker to do simple tasks such as copy numbers from one box to another, while there talents and attributes can be used elsewhere. Simple, small tasks such as these can be done by a large number of people for a smaller amount of money. This increases the speed the work is done and lowers the cost it takes to do the job.
Cloud computing has allowed companies to expand the power of the computing technology by spreading large tasks over millions of computers. Microtasks created a program that breaks down menial tasks and sends it to a network of computers as small, simple tasks. While attempted before by Amazon with Mechanical Turk, which paid people a few cents to do a simple a task, this system has yet to become commonplace in the workplace. This can be attributed to one of two things: either the money that is being paid to the general public is so insignificant that people do not see it necessary to spend their time, or companies must dedicate workers to simple tasks such as copying hand-written numbers from one box to another on a computer screen. While far from perfect Microtasks software shows us the potential that is available in cloud computing, if the correct program is created.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/business/31digi.html?_r=2&ref=business-computing
2 comments:
Andrew Diddel
IS 251
11/21/10
The idea of simplifying organizing, documenting, packaging, and storing old documents sounds like a nightmare of a job. For this to be done effectively, the workers must be entirely focused on many different numbers, orders, assignments, locations and destinations of the organized data, etc. In fact, in order to maximize speed and productivity, it might be best for companies with these kinds of needs to eliminate the aspect of human error from the assembly lines, entirely. Introducing a business operations strategy where the warehouses and storage locations are completely operated by machines definitely something that may be a universal tactic in upcoming years. We saw examples of this at the beginning of the semester, with certain shipping companies utilizing scheduled, independently operated systems that can scan items, load them into a database as either arriving or departing from the warehouse, and could also relocate items from place to place within the warehouse. These machines were able to operate on their own, within a grid of way to move about the storage center. These machines are definitely advantageous as they can minimize the mistakes that a human employee might make, while being able to work 24 hours per day, while eliminating the wages that are paid to men and women.
Microtask has developed their technology that assists the employees so that they can minimize these errors that happen from time to time. According to Will Neubauer’s blog post, the intention is primarily to increase the speed of operations, keeping the employees more focused on the tasks that have to be completed. He went on to discuss plenty of the possible flaws of the program, like the issue of payment when responsibilities are highly dependent on what the Microtask technology is able to complete. “Making employees do these tasks at a normal wage seems bad management. It is wasteful spending to hire a worker to do simple tasks such as copy numbers from one box to another, while there talents and attributes can be used elsewhere.” This is a major issue that I anticipate will be taken care of in the most ideal way for businesses, and the harshest of ways for the employees.
“We offer a cost-efficient way to refine archive material. We use distributed human intelligence for advanced multilingual text recognition, structural analysis and assigning keywords. Customers include national archives, libraries and media houses who want to make their massive archives far more useful.” (http://www.microtask.com/solutions/) Based on Microtask’s capabilities and innovative ways, there is no doubt that they will soon further deveop their technology so that the operations are done entirely by machine, and without a single need of human contribution. Also, in recent years, many companies have outsoured their technology to foreign countires, primarily in India. In these locations, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to do the human-required tasks, while acquiring much less compensation. While Microtask’s technology may have some flaws, there are definitely ways for them to improve their technology, and increase productivity in the upcoming years.
Andrew Diddel
IS 251
11/21/10
The idea of simplifying organizing, documenting, packaging, and storing old documents sounds like a nightmare of a job. For this to be done effectively, the workers must be entirely focused on many different numbers, orders, assignments, locations and destinations of the organized data, etc. In fact, in order to maximize speed and productivity, it might be best for companies with these kinds of needs to eliminate the aspect of human error from the assembly lines, entirely. Introducing a business operations strategy where the warehouses and storage locations are completely operated by machines definitely something that may be a universal tactic in upcoming years. We saw examples of this at the beginning of the semester, with certain shipping companies utilizing scheduled, independently operated systems that can scan items, load them into a database as either arriving or departing from the warehouse, and could also relocate items from place to place within the warehouse. These machines were able to operate on their own, within a grid of way to move about the storage center. These machines are definitely advantageous as they can minimize the mistakes that a human employee might make, while being able to work 24 hours per day, while eliminating the wages that are paid to men and women.
Microtask has developed their technology that assists the employees so that they can minimize these errors that happen from time to time. According to Will Neubauer’s blog post, the intention is primarily to increase the speed of operations, keeping the employees more focused on the tasks that have to be completed. He went on to discuss plenty of the possible flaws of the program, like the issue of payment when responsibilities are highly dependent on what the Microtask technology is able to complete. “Making employees do these tasks at a normal wage seems bad management. It is wasteful spending to hire a worker to do simple tasks such as copy numbers from one box to another, while there talents and attributes can be used elsewhere.” This is a major issue that I anticipate will be taken care of in the most ideal way for businesses, and the harshest of ways for the employees.
“We offer a cost-efficient way to refine archive material. We use distributed human intelligence for advanced multilingual text recognition, structural analysis and assigning keywords. Customers include national archives, libraries and media houses who want to make their massive archives far more useful.” (http://www.microtask.com/solutions/) Based on Microtask’s capabilities and innovative ways, there is no doubt that they will soon further deveop their technology so that the operations are done entirely by machine, and without a single need of human contribution. Also, in recent years, many companies have outsoured their technology to foreign countires, primarily in India. In these locations, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to do the human-required tasks, while acquiring much less compensation. While Microtask’s technology may have some flaws, there are definitely ways for them to improve their technology, and increase productivity in the upcoming years.
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