The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep,
And piles to go before I sleep, And piles to go before I sleep.
Robert Frost (sort of)
The stack is three feet long and ten inches high. There must be 2,000 pages. Now imagine putting every single page into the feeder of the copier so that it scans each document into an electronic folder…
Well, that’s exactly what happened. Lisa Sneed, our Operations Manager, began this process soon after she arrived back in June, and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. The magnitude of this task cannot be understated – not just for the time, energy, and dedication it has demanded!
Having our records – which capture our history – saved electronically – and, yes, backed up in “the cloud” – keeps them safe and accessible for all who need them. Perhaps even more, there is no longer even a single box of files to be found in the office – so much less paper…let the forests rejoice!
I offer this brief reflection as emblematic of where we are at CEI – even more, where we are headed. If I were in the corporate world I might write: we are in the process of organizing, cleansing, streamlining, and securing our information and systems so that we might maximize our efficiency and productivity.
Even if I can use corporate speak, I was not called to serve in the corporate world. I live and breathe in a community whose primary goal is to offer all we have in the service of others. In my – our – world, the bottom line is never a number – it is a face, behind which is a unique story.
So, thank you Lisa, for bringing your corporate experiences and gifts to bear at CEI. As a result of your efforts we are becoming a “lean, clean, serving machine”. The launching pad has been created – it is time to lift off!
Peace,
Andy