The Future of Maintenance – Part 17 – Know your digital aptitude

Why is the future of maintenance digital? Because that’s the future of life on this planet. Our world is strongly shifting away from paper based activities and even face-to-face communication. Everything is turning to be through an app. Any UI – User Interface – you are using on your mobile, tablet or a computer is just the faceplate of an app. Turning digital is either promoted using the carrot or enforced using the stick. Either ways are shifting our everyday life and consequently our work to the digital realm.

We all enjoy the carrots we receive as the free online storage, free emails, free digital calls and organizers. Many of us enjoy the ease of online shopping . Moreover this same group admire the availability of online applications for most of the governmental services. But, unfortunately we were all foced to use the digital services during the lockdown. That was a stick. We were forced to work remotely through digital apps. Even for the basic needs we had to order our market needs or even lunch and coffee through digital apps. Unfortunately for those who rather do things physically using a pen and a paper, many governmental and even payment services are turning digital. So, By force, they won’t receive the service unless they use the digital app.

So, to know your digital aptitude we shall jump directly to four qualifying lists. Each set of responses will tell you how far you are digitally ready. Before moving forward let’s first define aptitude. Aptitude is a natural ability to do something. Outstanding aptitude can be considered “talent”. That’s different from skills which we acquire through learning and practice. Digital Skills were the focus of “The Future of Maintenance – Part 16 – Understanding digital skills“

How is the life of those who have an outstanding digital aptitude?

Those are whom we call digital savvy. They have embraced technology and social media and use it confidently in all sorts of everyday situations. They may sometimes need to be reminded that face-to-face communication is important too. Their life would look like the following:

• They received some device that they don’t know how to use or even how to assemble it. Directly they
  • Go to YouTube and find a video that shows exactly what to do
• When they want to travel for a few days for work or vacation. So they
  • Go online and compare prices using comparison websites
• If they want to find out the latest football results, Quickly they
  • Look it up on their smartphone or tablet
• If they try to find the best date for a work party,
  • They set up an online poll with some options and get everybody to vote
• An equipment at home or work went out of order. To put it back in operation they
  • Consult some app on their smartphone or tablet for finding a specialized craftsman
• When they’ve just had some great news, the first thing to do
  • Post it using the latest social media with a photo (selfie) of the celebration and post links on traditional feeds
• When applying for a job and the application process is all online. But, there is some ambiguity in the process, they
  • Look up the Help facility on the relevant website to read more detailed guidance
• What they do with their holiday or event photos?
  • They store them online on a site where you can share with others virtually
• In case they have some relatives in another country and they want to arrange to visit them, they
  • Set up a time to have a video call

What about those with only good digital aptitude?

Those are aware of the sorts of information they can get from the internet and are comfortable using email or social media chats. It would be worth getting to know different ways to use online tools as it could save them time in some situations. If they were in the same situations as the first group, they would act a little different as below:

• In case that they received some device that they don’t know how to use or how to assemble it
  • They Google it 🙂
• When they want to travel for a few days for work or vacation
  • Chat or Email some friends or family who’ve been there and ask them for recommendations or look online for hotels there or airline websites.
• If they want to find out the latest football results, they
  • Switch on the television and go to the sports channel
• If they try to find the best date for a work party,
  • They send an email to everybody in the office, responding to each person who reply
• An equipment at home or work went out of order. To put it back in operation they
  • Do an Internet search
• When they’ve just had some great news, the first thing to do
  • Send messages, or email to everyone in the list of contacts using their typical social media app
• When applying for a job and the application process is all online. But, there is some ambiguity in the process, they
  • Try working it out by trial and error
• What they do with their holiday or event photos?
  • Save them in a folder on your computer and post them in batches
• In case they have some relatives in another country and they want to arrange to visit them, they
  • Email those relatives back and forth

How those who are not comfortable with the digital tools will live in the digital era?

Those like to interact with people face-to-face and so far haven’t seen the need to use technology in a big way. Face-to-face is best sometimes, but there may be occasions when talking to someone in person is not an option. Other times the only available option is to use some digital services to achieve what they want. It is worth thinking about those
tasks and situations that could make life easier

If they were in the same situations as the previous group, they would act differently as below:

• In case that they received some device that they don’t know how to use or how to assemble it
  • They ring a friend who is really good at DIY and ask them to help or advice
• When they want to travel for a few days for work or vacation
  • They look for a brochure and maybe call the hotel or look for airline agency
• If they want to find out the latest football results, they
  • Ask a friend, who always keeps up with the latest
• If they try to find the best date for a work party,
  • Go round and ask everybody in person and write down the answers
• An equipment at home or work went out of order. To put it back in operation they
  • Visit the neighbors and chat about what happened and what can be done
• When they’ve just had some great news, the first thing to do
  • Ring out best friends
• When applying for a job and the application process is all online. But, there is some ambiguity in the process, they
  • Ask a friend or family member who they think will know what to do
• What they do with their holiday or event photos?
  • Store them in a folder on computer and show visitors when they come to visit
• In case they have some relatives in another country and they want to arrange to visit them, they
  • Do it all by phone or landline

What will happen to the pragmatic and paper-based people who don’t have digital aptitude?

They prefer to just get on with life and not waste time going online when it would be easier to find another way round the problem. Sometimes, the pragmatic solution makes most sense. However, mastering the basics of technology and online communication could open some new doors for them.

If they were in the same situations as the previous groups, they would act differently as below:

• In case that they received some device that they don’t know how to use or how to assemble it
  • They think of a physical address of a store to visit or send a claim. Maybe stop and make a cup of tea – it can wait till another day
• When they want to travel for a few days for work or vacation
  • Ask the local travel agent to arrange it all
• If they want to find out the latest football results, they
  • Buy a newspaper and turn to the sports pages
• If they try to find the best date for a work party,
  • Just set a date and tell people when it is – democracy is overrated
• An equipment at home or work went out of order. To put it back in operation they
  • Look through the telephone directory yellow pages for repair shops
• When they’ve just had some great news, the first thing to do
  • Go out for dinner
• When applying for a job and the application process is all online. But, there is some ambiguity in the process, they
  • Decide not to apply – it doesn’t seem worth the trouble
• What they do with their holiday or event photos?
  • Print off those photos they like the best and show them to whom would be interested
• In case they have some relatives in another country and they want to arrange to visit them, they
  • Write them a letter or wait they come for a vacation

In Conclusion,

We had displayed the responses of different mindsets in various situations based on their digital aptitude. In reality we are a mix of the four groups from digital savvies to paper-based pragmatics. Each set of aptitudes will tell you how far you are digitally ready.

There are no one set of answers from the any group that would fit us completely. They were crafted that way to amplify the differences between the groups from the digital aptitude point of view. In reality we have a mix of all personalities within us. We could be a digital savvy in one situation and a paper-based pragmatic in another. However, if anyone finds himself drifted towards a certain group he need to return to balance at the earliest. The digital era is here to stay. And, we are are guided or forced to become engaged in it by the carrot or the stick. So let’s try to balance our digital aptitude while we maintain our authenticity and, at the same time, live an easy life.