One of the points we try to make during our educational events (especially our ECM seminars) is that an automated process is only as strong as its weakest link.
In other words, you can automate all you want, but if there is piece of the process that doesn't work, it will drag the best of intentions and the best of automation to a grinding halt.
A case in point.
First, I will admit some ownership to the problem here by my/our procrastination.
That said, some background. My daughter Erin is in middle of the college application process. A couple of the schools she is applying to have November 1 deadlines for Early Action. One of the schools, much to our surprise, had a November 1 deadline not just for the application, but for all the items in the application "folder," including SAT scores.
I was pretty amazed at the automation of the SAT enrollment process and grading process during the applications for Erin's older brothers. So I imagined that the easiest part of meeting our November 1 deadline would be having Erin's scores sent off to her schools. I should note that she did not list any schools on the distribution list for the scores when she took them (an oversight).
Not so fast, document management poo-bah.
For reasons that are still unclear to me, when you request scores, here's what to expect... "About four weeks after we receive your request, we will send a cumulative report of all SAT and SAT Subject Test scores that are available and reportable to the colleges and programs you have noted..."
4 weeks? We have electronic information. Being sent electronically to recipients. Being requested via electronic means. And it requires 4 weeks of processing time? Longer than it took to grade the test in the first place. Hmmm....
Like I said, an electronic process is only as strong as its weakest link.
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Perhaps of interest....
