Paper is great, but paperless is better. Handing out a ream of photocopied feedback forms is easy and familiar, respondents pick up their trusty pen or pencil and start scribbling. And then it is back to the photocopier for scanning and you are done. Simple, right?
Right. Except for the laborious process of transcribing the handwritten scrawl into your neatly organised spreadsheet, or the last minute panic as you realise the photocopier is out of toner.
Modern technology can have its frustrations too such as searching for a good wifi signal or running out of battery. However, the pros of moving over to digital systems for data handling invariably outweigh the cons in our experience and our all-digital feedback solution is no exception.
Aside from the printing time and cost savings of going paperless, digital is more reliable. The transcription process can be error-prone, or at least require more time to double and triple check for mistakes. Whereas a digital platform, such as the one we are trialling, Meetoo, receives the information directly from your guests and then processes all of the data seamlessly into a neatly organised spreadsheet.
We have also found success with QR codes, allowing us to connect our guests even faster with the feedback platform. Pulling the code up on the projector screen allows people to scan in from anywhere in the room. Most users already have a QR code reader on their device, otherwise it is a quick download from the app store or type in the web address manually.
Moreover, our guests seem to enjoy and embrace using technology to fulfil what could otherwise be a fairly menial task; the app experience is more interactive. The Meetoo platform also provides a polling feature which our early trials indicate may improve engagement amongst OxSTaR attendees, especially those observing and not directly involved in a simulation scenario.
It is still early stages for us and we have had the usual teething issues such as people not having a phone on them (in which case we provide a spare) but the ease of use, cost savings, including environmental savings, and the reliability all encourage the transition to paperless.