We’re supposed to look back on things from our past with affection.
Back then, everything was lovely, everything worked and we didn’t need any of these new fangled Facebook style contraptions.
But while we all like a bit of rosy cheeked nostalgia, it’s important to also remember that some things really were actually rubbish…like pens.
Remember those things? You still see them around occasionally - long plastic tubes containing ink.
If you’re a field worker whose company stills uses paper-based systems, you’ll still be relying on these little relics from the past.
Why the writing's on the wall for pens:
- They don't work
- They leak on you
- They hide from you
- They hate being outdoors
- They look scruffy
They don’t work
One of the genius things about pens is that, for something so simple, they provide a wonderful array of different ways to not work. It could be an overly dry nib or a blocked cartridge or sometimes there’s no logical reason… they’re just not in the mood.
And the more you need a pen to work, the less likely it is to ever play ball. So you’re left shaking them, rattling them and scribbling invisible lines like some mad toddler.
They leak on you
While getting ink out of a pen in the conventional manner is a major challenge, getting them to leak everywhere is very easy. You just have to put a pen in your pocket and wait for a couple of hours.
And then you’ll be the proud owner of a horrible big blue or black splodge of ink on your shirt/jacket/trousers. For added fun, try forgetting to take a pen out of a pocket which is heading into the wash.
They hide from you
Pens are the socks of the gadget world. It doesn’t matter how many of the blighters you have, or where you put them, there’s never going to be one available when you actually need it.
It’s the reason why delivery workers often resort to tying pens to their clipboards with a tatty piece of string - not exactly the most professional of looks.
They hate being outdoors
NASA famously spent millions of dollars on trying to create a pen that astronauts could use in space. But they’re really no better at handling conditions back here on planet earth.
If you’re sat in an office in a reasonable temperature, then a pen might occasionally work. But try using one outdoors in even the lightest of British drizzles and you may as well try writing with a carrot.
They look scruffy
If you’re James Bond or a billionaire executive then you can afford a smart looking designer pen. But for the rest of us, we’re more likely to be using those same type of dog-eared disposable biros that we had in school.
Interestingly, the most popular disposable pen ever made, the Bic Cristal, has recently been updated to include a rubber tip so that it can be used as a stylus on touch-screens.
With digital management systems and touchscreen devices, there’s no longer a need for any company to put their fieldworkers through the pain of pens.
Thinking of going paper free but not sure where to start? Download our guide, "What to expect when mobile workers go paper free".
