Could I live without portable technology?
by Vince Shiers, Managing Director of RQA Europe, specialist recall and product safety consultants
I love my BlackBerry. It means I can get the job done wherever I am and whenever I have a few minutes to spare. On the other hand, I hate it too. Why? Because it means I can get the job done wherever I am and whenever I have a few minutes to spare!
In my line of business, working for a product recall consultancy, someone in the team has to be on call to respond in emergency situations at any time of the day or night. Many businesses boast that they are available ‘24/7, 365 days a year’. At RQA it happens to be true. With product safety, there’s no nine-to-five.
As recall consultants, we are used to being contacted late at night or early in the morning, and having our social lives interrupted by emails and calls. It doesn’t matter if it’s your birthday or Christmas Day, whether you’re on the golf course or at your child’s Carol service, when a recall incident arises, you have to swing into action.
The downside is that worktime eats into downtime. If you don’t exercise some control over your working hours, it can feel as if you’re on duty from the second you wake until last thing at night. But wireless technology also gives you freedom to work remotely, without losing touch with your colleagues, clients and head office. It also means an end to ‘dead’ time wasted travelling or in hotels.
Could I function without my ever-present BlackBerry? Of course I could but I’d prefer not to. It has become one of the essential tools of my trade, something I rely on.
Why else would I be planning on taking it on holiday with me?
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