David Smith

Until relatively recently, technology was often confined to a given system, process or silo. Tech often sat at the edge of the business as an addendum to strategy only for executives to find this too slow, rigid and unconnected for the demands of digital business. The value of digital and intelligent technology lies in its ability to connect people, objects and data, and by so doing, create new ways of working, new service propositions and business models. We now sit at the tail-end of this… Show more

Until relatively recently, technology was often confined to a given system, process or silo. Tech often sat at the edge of the business as an addendum to strategy only for executives to find this too slow, rigid and unconnected for the demands of digital business. The value of digital and intelligent technology lies in its ability to connect people, objects and data, and by so doing, create new ways of working, new service propositions and business models. We now sit at the tail-end of this digital era, yet much of its impact is yet to be felt as industries belatedly adjust.

The emerging era, marked by pervasive and ambient connectivity together with artificial intelligence will rewrite the foundation of many of our assumptions about business. It has been said that ‘…everything invented in the past 150 years will be reinvented using artificial intelligence within the next 15 years[i].’ New competitors, collaboration partners and platforms will help drive this change. If anything can be certain, it is that technological change will compel incumbents to redefine themselves as consumer-centric businesses. Industries, from banking and insurance to retail and even healthcare are finding that this often necessitates not just new talent and skills, but whole new organisation models.

In the post-digital age, technology is no longer an addendum to strategy; it must be aligned, or bound, with organisational and market change. Tech strategies are increasingly aligned with corporate strategy, whether with the IoT, internal use of A.I or in rewiring the IT function. However, ‘...we’re no longer in a place where we can pick even the top three or top five technologies...you’ve got to look at everything simultaneously[ii].’ This represents a different way of thinking from even a few years ago and will severely test the strategies and competencies as we enter an age of exponential change. Show less

The changes that will dislocate and challenge banks to adapt to their future.

Technologies and drivers of change that we will start to encounter in 2019.

The Internet of Things is an exploding phenomenon. Its changing not just how we do things but the very nature of what we do. Read more and look ahead at what's next.

Artificial Intelligence has been long forecast to change much of how we work and live. It’s arriving in uneven waves across many sectors. This report seeks to highlight how it’s being used across sectors and with what impact and potential outcome.

This paper explores the top technologies that we are set to start engaging with in 2018. You will have found AI, IoT, is Data, 3D fabrication and many others in prior years.

We are witnessing a shift in the traditional ‘innovation’ model – in so far as any single model could be said to have existed. This is to be welcomed, since various studies show a failure rate for innovation of between 40 and 90 percent. In fact, half of all businesses admit they are only ‘marginally effective,’ at converting R&D spending into actual products. Not only is product centric innovation generally ineffective, it ignores two important issues driving change – the rising servicization… Show more

We are witnessing a shift in the traditional ‘innovation’ model – in so far as any single model could be said to have existed. This is to be welcomed, since various studies show a failure rate for innovation of between 40 and 90 percent. In fact, half of all businesses admit they are only ‘marginally effective,’ at converting R&D spending into actual products. Not only is product centric innovation generally ineffective, it ignores two important issues driving change – the rising servicization of products and the primacy of the consumer experience. Show less

The marketing ecosystem is being redefined and reconfigured by transformational digital developments. With it, the skillset needed to be an effective marketer is also changing. Tools and strategies that were cutting edge even five years ago are in flux as the complex mesh of human experience, data, content and new technologies coalesce in ever shorter periods. This dynamism of what is possible creates friction, especially when supplanted onto older marketing organisation structures that have… Show more

The marketing ecosystem is being redefined and reconfigured by transformational digital developments. With it, the skillset needed to be an effective marketer is also changing. Tools and strategies that were cutting edge even five years ago are in flux as the complex mesh of human experience, data, content and new technologies coalesce in ever shorter periods. This dynamism of what is possible creates friction, especially when supplanted onto older marketing organisation structures that have often evolved at more incremental rates. Rapidly loosening constraints on what marketing can do and how it can do it combined with the shifting background environment together create a significant issue for leading marketers, who between them control more than $500 billion in advertising budgets. Show less

The rate of breakthrough technologies can either appear as without end or else on repeat, depending on your perspective. There remains a gap between the actual emergence of technologies and their commercial and technical applications. Many of the breakthrough technologies we noted in 2015 and 2016 are still in the media spotlight.This paper highlights the technologies we believe will exert considerable influence in 2017 and beyond.

Few would doubt the impact that digital technologies are having on industries and the organisational set-up of companies. 76% of companies surveyed by MIT Sloan say digital technologies are already disrupting their industry to a great or moderate extent and this number will likely rise as automation intrudes further into an increasing number of professional jobs.
Despite this recognition, the majority of companies are not ready for what comes next. More than
two-thirds (68%) admit they… Show more

Few would doubt the impact that digital technologies are having on industries and the organisational set-up of companies. 76% of companies surveyed by MIT Sloan say digital technologies are already disrupting their industry to a great or moderate extent and this number will likely rise as automation intrudes further into an increasing number of professional jobs.
Despite this recognition, the majority of companies are not ready for what comes next. More than
two-thirds (68%) admit they are unprepared for the ‘as-a-Service,’ economy implied by digital
technologies. The technical skills and cultural mindset needed to transform the potential of
technology into technology driven results is often lacking. These and many more issues driven by over a dozen transformative technologies are discussed in this report. Show less

There is more discovery and invention across more areas of science and technology than ever before. As our access to powerful computing for modelling and simulation increases, we will see an increase in technological breakthroughs. In some cases this will be in response to urgent global issues, and many technologies will have the potential to drive significant innovation within the global economy. Much of the forecasted economic growth through this century will, in some way, be technologically… Show more

There is more discovery and invention across more areas of science and technology than ever before. As our access to powerful computing for modelling and simulation increases, we will see an increase in technological breakthroughs. In some cases this will be in response to urgent global issues, and many technologies will have the potential to drive significant innovation within the global economy. Much of the forecasted economic growth through this century will, in some way, be technologically driven or aided. Some of these technologies are already emerging in mainstream business, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data analytics, but many remain a few years behind in their maturity.
Technology is paradoxically creating and helping solve some of the biggest issues we face on the planet today:

Globalisation
Access to information
Connectedness
Ageing, healthcare and wellness
Energy, food and sustainability
Resource scarcity
Understanding the human brain
Materials revolution
Productivity improvements
A new economy

As business crafts (and sometimes struggles to craft) new models, revenue streams and organisational processes around established technologies such as social, mobile, wearables, the IoT and data analytics, it is apparent that a new operating paradigm is needed. Thirty-five percent of large companies don't believe their web infrastructures will be able to meet the demands of mobile for example. As the utility of such technologies deepens, and is accompanied by a new wave of emerging digital options, organisational flexibility and business model agility will become key strategic drivers in the coming decade and beyond. Show less

The CIO as guru, operations guy and order taker are all typologies that are being sidelined or replaced. The skill-set of the successful CIO has changed profoundly. In the current strategic era, the CIO is at once ‘...managing a portfolio of applications, technologies, people and processes.’

The way companies buy, build and use technology is changing rapidly, which means the teams that build it and run it will need to change too. As recently as the dotcom crash or global financial… Show more

The CIO as guru, operations guy and order taker are all typologies that are being sidelined or replaced. The skill-set of the successful CIO has changed profoundly. In the current strategic era, the CIO is at once ‘...managing a portfolio of applications, technologies, people and processes.’

The way companies buy, build and use technology is changing rapidly, which means the teams that build it and run it will need to change too. As recently as the dotcom crash or global financial crisis, efficiency and cost cutting were critical success factors; now the CIO is being asked to demonstrate how ICT is contributing actively to the top and bottom line. Khalid Kark, research director at Forrester believes that for those who do not ‘...you are going to be commoditised as an entity and as an organisation, and you'll see a lot of business areas trying to get ICT on their own and trying to do things on their own because they don't get the value and support they expect from technology through the CIO.’

This paper looks at the varying and somewhat paradoxical demands being placed on the CIO under the lens of CIO as manager, as leader and as entrepreneur. In the Harvard Business Review, Martha Heller notes that the position of CIO ‘...is a set of contradictions that lies at the heart of IT leadership.’ There are wishes to be increasingly strategic, yet demands persists to be operational. Show less

The Future report is a comprehensive guide to many of the significant drivers of change that we will likely be required to embrace in th next few years. The report discusses their potential consequences and how you might respond. Over 150 sources of insight were used to generate this vital resource all of which are hot linked in the electronic copy. You can download the full report by following the link.

What will the future of work look like, and what trends are emerging that that will bring us to that conclusion? Furthermore, how will technology affect these trends and will it be in a positive or
negative way? These are just a few of the questions answered in our report, ‘A Future that Works’, which has been compiled with help from world-leading experts in their fields, including Lynda Gratton, professor of management practice at London Business School; The Hot Spots Movement, a specialist… Show more

What will the future of work look like, and what trends are emerging that that will bring us to that conclusion? Furthermore, how will technology affect these trends and will it be in a positive or
negative way? These are just a few of the questions answered in our report, ‘A Future that Works’, which has been compiled with help from world-leading experts in their fields, including Lynda Gratton, professor of management practice at London Business School; The Hot Spots Movement, a specialist research and consulting team founded by Lynda and David A.Smith, a futurologist and chief executive of strategic futures and research organisation, Global Futures and Foresight. Show less

“Challenge to change” is a 3 part white paper series that explores the future growth drivers of the global Insurance industry. Looking into the economy, regulatory landscape, technological innovation, business process and workforce and talent issues, and many other areas, the papers entitled “Embracing Change”, “The Impact of Technology” and “The Future of Insurance” examine the drivers, opportunities and challenges of an incredibly rich and evolving sector.

The “Challenge to Change”… Show more

“Challenge to change” is a 3 part white paper series that explores the future growth drivers of the global Insurance industry. Looking into the economy, regulatory landscape, technological innovation, business process and workforce and talent issues, and many other areas, the papers entitled “Embracing Change”, “The Impact of Technology” and “The Future of Insurance” examine the drivers, opportunities and challenges of an incredibly rich and evolving sector.

The “Challenge to Change” series is for multiple insurance businesses - from Life to Property and Casualty, Large Commercial to Long Term Care - across multiple delivery channels and operations types. It is designed to be an important discussion tool to facilitate strategic thinking about how to create new business opportunities and respond to challenges positively.
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