HR goes Digital

HR goes Digital

Much has been said and written about the digital economy, but what is it about exactly? This is one of the most transformational times in human history: the way we work will change dramatically and the required skills will be different. Whereas in the past changes happened gradually, this change is exponential. The changes are also combinatorial, amplifying each other: quantum computing fuels big data, the internet of things fuels artificial intelligence and machine learning, which fuels robotics. However, everything that cannot be digitized or automated will become extremely valuable. Human traits such as creativity, imagination, intuition, emotion, ethics will be the NeXT transactionable goods. The goal is to go beyond technology and data to reach human insights and WISDOM. Consider the example of an ERP consultant: while in the past consultancy firms looked for technical specialists, the role should and will be transformed into that of a Business Consultant leveraging on technology to drive organizational change. The consultants do have technical skills, correct, but they also have process experience which can be transferred from one company to another. From that view, having a deep insight into the tool is not as important as adding strategic value to management. Consider the following graph known as Martec’s Law: while technology changes at an exponential rate, organizations change at a logarithmic rate. The gap between these two curves must be covered by the Business Consultant, who provides advice as to how to embrace change and which technologies are best for the specific organization to adopt.

The same view can be applied to most positions that are technology driven. In the past, HR would go for candidates that had the specific technical knowledge regarding the tool that will be used for the position. But how can they look now for people with skill-sets in Big Data, the Internet of Things or Artificial Intelligence? In the article: “85% Of Jobs That Will Exist In 2030 Haven’t Been Invented Yet: Dell” we learn that: "The pace of change will be so rapid that people will learn 'in the moment' using new technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality. The ability to gain new knowledge will be more valuable than the knowledge itself. In other words, get ready for a lifetime of skills training and retraining, in real time”.

The “have you done it before?” question that is asked during interviews to tech specialists seems a little too 20^th Century, as the 21^st century gives room to ever changing careers shifts where staying ahead of the curve is key not to become obsolete. In the past, training was in charge of supervisors or managers. Hiring people with the concrete experience in the tool would serve as an accelerator of the learning curve; meaning: the supervisor would not have to use so much time of their time in training. But today, online courses are very accessible, changing the game once more. An IT engineer, for example, can easily be switched towards a new technology with the proper training. The focus then should not be on looking for people with the specific knowledge, but rather on finding candidates with the fundamental knowledge which through training can be transformed into the skill-set the organization is looking for.

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/07/14/85-of-jobs-that-will-exist-in-2030-haven-t-been-invented-yet-d_a_23030098/

Construction Tech

Construction Tech

Technology is impacting the construction industry like never before. From cloud base collaboration and the development of digital twins, to robots, super-materials, wearable tech, pollution eating buildings, and even artificial intelligence. Check out the following construction tech trends:

1. Robots: from autonomous robots that increase the detailed size inspection, to mechanical arms that automate repetitive tasks. AI shows itself in the form of predictive designs to the rise of intelligent buildings that operate themselves.
2. Exoskeletons: originally developed for military use and for pacient mobility and rehabilitation, they are now appearing on construction sites.
3. The Connected Jobsite: they use cloud technology to make information available to all the relevant parties. Design information is streamed from a single point of truth into the palms of operatives, to info by geo-location, remote site monitoring, personnel location tracking, etc. Digital mapping engines contain and visualize construction data, by using geo-location information is presented from multiple systems relevant to the physical location. 
4. Autonomous Vehicles: as with robotics, the automation of the construction plant increases safety measures and helps the industry’s shortfall in labor. Semi-autonomous electric excavators that can learn the careful movement trying to achieve highly accurate labeling.
5. Advanced Materials: recycling of hard to dispose of waste products has seen increases for example in relation to plastics. Waste plastic has been incorporated into roadways and used as a material for 3D printing new components or structures. Also, CO2 injections in materials produces strengths in the final material.
6. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: drones are becoming increasingly common in construction sites. The undertake inspections ensuring that operatives remain out of harm, and survey vast areas of land in a few minutes.
7. Virtual and Augmented Reality: they can be used for walkthrough in complex logistics sites in advance, or to support health awareness safety training. They offer a range of data to site personnel, from design information to statistics.     
8. 3D Printing: they can be used for rapid prototyping or to the full scale printing of houses and bridges.
9. The Intelligent Built Environment: by harnessing the data from the digitally enabled assets we are now creating entire cities can now operate in a smarter more efficient way. The data can be used assess trends and to transform the design of future buildings, infrastructure projects and even large scale city wide master plans. 

We can see know clearly how Revolution 4.0 is already being applied to the construction industry. Now consider how data can be monetized and used. In his book “The New Oil – Using Innovative Business Models to Turn Data Into Profit” author Arent van’t Spijker considers that “even if companies are not in the same value chain, they can still find common ground on which to share data and achieve benefits. “Value Net Creation” refers to the predisposition for monetizing data due to the fact that companies are in the same value network: they share the same final consumer. Exchanging data about this consumer or his behavior can bring great benefits to all involved, including the customer, without harming each organization’s competitive position. Multiple organizations form a network that can create value for the end user rather than a chain of companies creating value in consecutive steps”.

The point is that all of these different technology providers serve in the end the same final customer: the purchaser of the construction site (be it house, building, etc). Construction firms see their core business as the construction itself, purchasing the technology they need to carry on their activities, but why not get involved in the technology field themselves?

No one better than a construction firm could know the technology that is required for their own industry. To capture a larger share of the Value Net Creation, they can support the creation of start ups outside the company’s structure or enable internal projects, developing the technology they need themselves. Then, by creating solid brands and a streamlined easily exportable business model construction companies could and should switch towards becoming technology providers for the industry at a global scale. Shifting their Strategy to become Data Driven is the key to survive in the World of Tomorrow.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Oil-Innovative-Business-Models/dp/1935504827