11 technologies that impact business
In the midst of the “world’s digitalization”, there are a number of technological drivers that are putting the market in a new management and competitiveness level.
January-March | 2017All aspects of the contemporary society are today in an accelerated process of digital transformation. Experts define the phenomenon as the set of effects arising from the world’s digitalization – i.e., the process of changes made possible by the conversion of analog information into digital data.
This new technological era is already changing the socioeconomic structures, the organizational standards and the day-to-day of people. And the business world is no exception in this scenario. It is necessary to understand the new technological possibilities and how their applications can change the production processes, the forms of management and the customer experience – that is, the construction of a new business model. Check out below some of the key drivers of the digital transformation, the opportunities offered and the challenges that they present:
A new vocabulary for the digital manager
Internet of Things
Predictions of IDC indicates that investment in the sector should reach R$4 billion in 2017, only in Brazil
Predictions of IDC indicates that investment in the sector should reach R$4 billion in 2017, only in Brazil
Analytics
The science behind data lets you transform unstructured information into insights that will support the decision-making process
The science behind data lets you transform unstructured information into insights that will support the decision-making process
Smart cities
Digital technologies are already revolutionizing the management of sectors such as public transport and urban mobility
Digital technologies are already revolutionizing the management of sectors such as public transport and urban mobility
Artificial intelligence
Personal assistants for smartphones and algorithms used in social networks are examples of artificial intelligence in our day to day
Personal assistants for smartphones and algorithms used in social networks are examples of artificial intelligence in our day to day
Autonomous platforms
Advancement of industrial Internet brings new possibilities for automation in the manufacturing processes, for example
Advancement of industrial Internet brings new possibilities for automation in the manufacturing processes, for example
3D printing
Number of Brazilian startups that offer rapid prototyping services should increase dramatically in 2017
Number of Brazilian startups that offer rapid prototyping services should increase dramatically in 2017
Virtual and augmented reality
The fall in equipment cost seen in recent years will boost the employment of these technologies all over the world
The fall in equipment cost seen in recent years will boost the employment of these technologies all over the world
Blockchain
The so-called fintechs (startups in the financial market) are in charge of spreading the many applications of this innovation
The so-called fintechs (startups in the financial market) are in charge of spreading the many applications of this innovation
Health analytics
Applications for physicians, operators and patients will integrate information and update them in real time
Applications for physicians, operators and patients will integrate information and update them in real time
Industry 4.0
The convergence between information and operation technologies guide the fourth industrial revolution
The convergence between information and operation technologies guide the fourth industrial revolution
Exponential technologies
Connectivity between systems and analysis of large volumes of data became possible thanks to the accelerated advancement of processors
Connectivity between systems and analysis of large volumes of data became possible thanks to the accelerated advancement of processors
Internet of Things (IoT) (IoT)
What is: The digital connection between physical objects – appliances, vehicles, personal accessories and machines in general, made possible by sensors, software and network connections. Allows these objects to collect and exchange data among themselves.How it supports the business: expands the potential for analysis and processing of information, improves collaboration and communication between different areas and brings new possibilities for process automation.
Implementation challenges: increasing cyber risks and the need to invest in management and data storage (including third parties).
Most impacted sectors: health services, financial market, urban planning, logistics, telecommunications and infrastructure.
Analytics
What is: digital processes that allow the discovery, interpretation and correlation of identifiable patterns in large volumes of unstructured data (big data).How it supports the business: used in the management of business intelligence, enhances the performance of companies by analyzing issues such as optimization of inventory, consumption trends, prognoses about investments, sales forecasts and credit risks, among others.
Implementation challenges: need of relatively high invests in modern database systems, able to exploit all the possibilities of big data.
Most impacted sectors: financial market, retail, insurance, marketing and education.
Smart cities
What is: cities in which the planning and infrastructure services make intensive use of technologies of digital communication and IoT systems.How it supports the business: through distribution of sensors that collect data in real time and share them via IoT; this quantity of big data – on sectors such as traffic and mobility, distribution of electricity and water, security and others – is used in the management of the urban environment and in planning for the future.
Implementation challenges: demand for public investments in infrastructure and lack of capable human capital.
Most impacted sectors: public administration, infrastructure, IT, architecture and urbanism.
Artificial intelligence
What is: digital systems capable of perceiving changes in conditions that surround them and make autonomous decisions that guarantee the fulfillment of a specific task.How it supports the business: “intelligent” machines are already used in medical diagnostics, data mining (exploitation of relevant information in large volumes of data), automation of industrial processes, planning, self-driving vehicles and research, among other fields.
Implementation challenges: dissemination, training and knowledge on the subject still relatively low.
Most impacted sectors: manufacturing industry, transport, logistics, infrastructure, research institutions and IT.
Autonomous platforms
What is: management and integration of digital processes systems, able to configure and optimize themselves, perform the monitoring of their own resources. An example are systems of industrial robotics with sensors and software that receive and analyze data from other sectors of the plant (stock, maintenance, and IT). Thus, they can, without human interference, communicate among themselves, thereby reducing bottlenecks and rationalizing the use of physical and digital resources.How it supports the business: by inserting bigger layers of digitalization and automation in any internal process, with real-time monitoring of important transactions and the organization of IT tasks (processing, analysis and data access) from end to end.
Implementation challenges: lack of knowledge of the possibilities and resources, as well as a small offer of national solutions.
Most impacted sectors: IT, manufacturing, aerospace and automotive industries and mechatronics.
3D Printing
What is: developed since the 1980s, the 3D printers are capable of carving, quickly and affordably, three-dimensional models from digital projects. Can use laser fusion, vacuum welding or injection molding to create objects in wax, nylon or polyurethane.How it supports the business: eliminates several steps in the prototyping process of any type of object. Before restricted to complex industrial installations, the creation of prototypes is now done quickly and with low cost.
Implementation challenges: dependence on imported material and know how, as well as still high costs for small businesses.
Most impacted sectors: manufacturing and processing industry, medical sectors (orthopedics and prosthetics), product design, electronic engineering and architecture.
Virtual and augmented reality
How it supports the business: highly realistic simulations of various types can be created with virtual and augmented reality, including the immersion of the user in digital environments and the manipulation of virtual objects. It is possible to create educational applications, environments for qualification and training, and playful and interactive activities.Implementation challenges: still a small offer of national technology and lack of understanding of the concepts (still very associated with game consoles).Most impacted sectors: telecommunications, IT, education and training, and creative and entertainment industries.
Blockchain
What is: a database that allows the construction of a list (potentially infinite) of records of transactions between two parties. Its records are accessible and open, but tamper-proof and permanent. Popularized with the use of cryptocurrencies, such as the bitcoin.How it supports the business: decentralized, safe and autonomously maintained, the blockchain can be used to record the signing of contracts and insurance policies, negotiation of securities, checking identities, medical records and various other applications.
Implementation challenges: in general, its possibilities are not well known; requires extra investment in digital security.
Most impacted sectors: Financial market, insurance companies, exchange and remittance companies and P2P financing (crowdfunding).
Industry 4.0
What is: the so-called “fourth industrial revolution”, which makes use of various resources listed here (autonomous platforms, IoT, analytics, etc.) to streamline traditional production processes.How it supports the business: with the introduction of six concepts: interoperability (integration between machines, software and people), virtualization (virtual models of plants simulation), decentralization (systems that make decisions without human intervention), capacity in real time (data collection provided by sensors via IoT), service orientation (physical or digital services offered via cloud computing) and modularity (capacity of adaptation and refitting of individual components).
Implementation challenges: concepts and costs still too far from the reality of small and medium-sized companies.
Most impacted sectors: all types of industry
Health analytics
What is: the use of analytics and big data technologies applied to health services and medicine.How it supports the business: the integration of analytics tools helps in creating medical records about patients, monitoring of chronic diseases and health habits, scenarios regarding the incidence of specific diseases, prognoses on coverage costs and budgetary analysis, among other topics.
Implementation challenges: need of relatively high invests in modern database systems, able to exploit all the possibilities of big data.
Most impacted sectors: medical sector in general, health plan operators, insurance and IT.
Exponential technologies
What is: any technology which can be applied to Moore’s Law (“the processing capability of computers doubles every 18 months, without increasing cost”). All the innovations discussed in this panel are, to some extent, exponential technologies that benefit from the speedy advancement and falling costs of data processing.How it supports the business: in addition to the examples mentioned, one may mention robotics, nanotechnology, hypercomputation, biocomputing and nano energy, among other uses. The key is to understand the deployment speed of these technologies and how each of them can be applied to the company’s business intelligence in a shorter and shorter period.
Implementation challenges: the matter is still novelty even abroad; diversity and reach of the applications may be factors too complex for companies with low level of digitalization.
Most impacted sectors: potentially, all sectors of the economy.