Computers in the Workplace

    These days, you would be hard-pressed to find a job that isn't at least somewhat reliant on or driven by computer use.  For instance, I currently work in the Financial Management realm of the U.S. Air Force.  I’ve worked in this career field for coming on 10 years now, and I’ve definitely had triumphs and struggles with the technology side of it.  When I first joined, most of our systems were still operating identically from when they were built in the 1980s!  

Here's a screenshot of the primary system I used while in the Air Force Finance career.   

    They were cumbersome, slow, prone to crash, and you often had to learn word of mouth solutions to problems with the software.  Thus, it was always important to have an understanding of how computers worked so that you could troubleshoot and solve problems.  The mission needed accomplished, regardless of the tools we were given.  Since then, there has been attempts at modernization but very slowly.  We still use about half of the same systems today, but have a soft goal of replacing them all in the next few years. 

    In the next ten years I see most of my job switching to cloud-
based infrastructure, and all of the current systems that date back to the 1980s being long gone.  They simply don’t have the programmers to fix them anymore, so it’s a necessity that is luckily being addressed.  Beyond that, I see more automation in our job.  With less software issues, work can be done quicker and so less people will be needed.  Automated programs will likely replace some of our workers, but ultimately result in a better service.  

    I also foresee a push for more centralized locations that service people from different areas, rather than on-site workers at every location (i.e. instead of having Finance troops at every base, they would likely all be at one or two bases that then remotely assist).  Ultimately computers will continue to drive forwards innovation within the workplace, and who knows, maybe we will finally get rid of all that tech from the 1980s!