Digital Strategy, Operating Models & Technology Implementation Insight
Boost business success via insights on emerging trends in digital transformation and IT strategy; practical frameworks you can apply; and guidance from the world’s experts in leadership, IaaS, investment prioritization, operational excellence, sustainable innovation, change management, enterprise agility, and applying emerging technologies.
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Design Thinking for Digital Transformation: 4 Success Stories
Pursuing a digital transformation strategy to position an organization as a market leader can be challenging, as both internal and external factors can significantly complicate and hinder progress and delay achieving aspirations. These challenges may include resistance to change, lack of a clear vision, data overload and utility, inflexible development processes, and business models that are constantly being reevaluated. Design thinking has emerged as a key forward-thinking tool and mindset to help overcome these challenges and accelerate the timeline for transformational work. Design thinking is a human-centric, collaborative, action-oriented process with a set of techniques and tools that help an organization drive change. In this Advisor, we take a closer look at four organizations that have successfully applied the design process as a core business strategy.
Cognitive Computing, Part II: Commercial Cognitive Platforms and Services
Here in Part II of this Executive Report series on the rise of cognitive computing, we dive into the commercial cognitive products, including cognitive development platforms, domain- and industry-specific cognitive platforms, and cognitive-powered solutions
Cognitive Computing, Part II: Commercial Cognitive Platforms and Services — Executive Summary
Here in Part II of this Executive Report series on the rise of cognitive computing, we dive into the commercial cognitive products, including cognitive development platforms, domain- and industry-specific cognitive platforms, and cognitive-powered solutions
Best Practices in Portfolio Management
Portfolio management plays a critical role in R&D management, as it structures a strategic process that allows management and R&D to make joint decisions that impact the range of R&D projects in the development funnel. The pooling of insights drives better decisions on the allocation of scarce technical resources based on the needs of the business and its capabilities. Portfolio management creates a dynamic capability to react purposefully to changes in the market, whether strategic, technological, or competitive. This requires clearly articulated projects that can link back to corporate strategy.
Massive Job Loss: AI's Real and Present Danger?
Both the industrial and computer revolutions created a great deal of contemporary concern about massive unemployment, but these concerns never materialized beyond a few initial rough spots. Will the AI revolution prove equally problem-free? Probably not. Dangers lie ahead and will test the strength of our institutions as well as our technologists. The possibly massive job loss is the most tangible consequence; it would affect the greatest number of people. Smart robots keep replacing factory and warehouse workers and are showing up in service industries (e.g., self-checkout in supermarkets). AI’s machine learning and algorithms are industrializing much higher-skilled “artisanal” activity (e.g., interpreting x-rays, once thought invulnerable to automation). Nobody has good answers, but ideas like those explored in this Advisor are taking shape.
Resource & Competence Management: Your Most Valuable Asset in R&D
The ever-increasing pace of technology development and the emerging requirements for new cross-disciplinary competencies, especially in converging industries, place increasing demands on resource and competence management in R&D. If companies fail to develop, or target the wrong areas, consequences can be significant — and it can be difficult to recover. In this Executive Update, we examine a recent survey of large organizations worldwide on R&D best practices that shows how some leading companies are rising to the R&D challenge by developing resilience in their resourcing plans to avoid bottlenecks, taking a long-term view on required future competencies, and putting plans in place to develop competencies, often with external partners.
Drones in Business: Implications for Strategy
Drones are in the ascent stage of the technology lifecycle — climbing out of the bleeding edge firmly into the cutting edge — and today’s potential for enterprise use of drones is unprecedented. Comparison with the path to maturity of the automobile is an apt one, and UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) industry growth and technology adoption will likely be just as circuitous and full of surprises, frustrations, and rewards.
A Purpose-Driven Approach to Innovation for Aligning Global R&D
In this Executive Update, we look at a purpose-driven approach to innovation that large global companies can successfully apply.