The pandemic taught us many important lessons in business, and some of these will remain long after COVID-19. One of the main ones? The importance of specific skills and expertise, especially with new and emerging technologies. During the pandemic, companies couldn’t get their hands on technology nor find people who knew how to use it […]
The rush toward online tools, spurred by the pandemic of the past year, has created new jobs. From email automation to data entry to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms, businesses are continually seeking ways to improve efficiency and profitability. While the trend toward automation isn’t new, COVID-19 absolutely accelerated its timeline. In fact, a recent Deloitte survey […]
Over the last decade, businesses have become gradually more focused on supporting good causes and displaying their goodwill publicly. But over the last year, COVID-19 forced companies to take an even closer look at how they’re truly making a difference. As the pandemic impacted employee wellbeing, company culture, and revenue, organizations could no longer ignore […]
As shelter-in-place orders rolled out across the globe, many companies were overwhelmed with customer phone calls. But many of those calls involve time-consuming, repetitive processes that could easily be automated. It simply doesn’t make financial sense to have hundreds of humans in contact centers answering customer phone calls or responding to online chats that could […]
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) – or drones – are being reported as the next big thing in-home delivery services but they are already being used extensively for surveying land, mining, farming, military applications, environmental work, research, and photography. Today there are more than 1.7 million drones registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), over half […]
Developments in autonomous driving are moving at a rapid pace with expectations that cars will soon be able to handle the majority of the driving and complex situations, without human intervention. What has yet to be developed extensively is full automation where there is no driver whatsoever. Once this happens, transportation as we know it […]
In the last few years, 3D printing has been touted as the next cool thing, with promises of it revolutionizing industries. While the focus has mostly been on manufacturing, the truth is that 3D printing will touch on almost every part of business, even reaching into space. So what is 3D printing and why should […]
Smart factories, warehouses, and facilities not only use automation or software to simplify and process tedious tasks, but can also self-optimize, self-adapt, and learn from the condition in order to constantly improve. It’s the learning and self-optimizing that sets it apart from a standard factory. Both Alibaba and Amazon are great examples of this. They […]
Robots have already been successful in commercial situations, manufacturing, and the workplace, but the most exciting developments are still to come – robots as care-givers, civic robots, and even family members. As deep learning and AI improve, so will the ability of robots to reason, make decisions, and maybe even empathize. Pre-COVID-19, Robotics, and automation […]
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in some form has been around us for decades. Already, AI is in many cars, is part of manufacturing, the medical field, finance, mobility, and more. AI is not going away and for that matter, neither are pandemics like COVID-19, which is why leaders need to think about their business will be […]
As the global pandemic shows no sign of abating, banks around the world are beginning to realize that they’re in this for the long haul. For many industries, especially banking, the timing seems right to introduce new digital technologies. However, it shouldn’t be at the expense of the personal touch. If anything, it’s an opportunity […]
As COVID-19 restrictions begin to ease around the country, banks are heading back to work, some with clear plans and others less so. As offices and branches get back into action, albeit at a lower capacity, how can banks create a workplace that both empowers employees, and keeps them and the customers safe? More importantly, […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced every single industry to make fast changes to their businesses. Dine-in restaurants are offering take-out services, retailers have upped the game on curbside pick-up, and fitness clubs are providing virtual trainers and outdoor classes. Beyond delivery and operational changes, businesses should be taking the longer view, using this time to […]
Traditional banks have struggled to get their arms around the new generation of online-only banks and digital financial services that millennials love. Without the need for expensive retail store-fronts, easy-to-use mobile apps, and better offerings, it’s easy to see why the cell phone generation is abandoning old-style financial institutions for a better alternative. And it’s […]
Organizations around the world are struggling with market uncertainty, economic disruption, organizational change, political uncertainty, and now a global pandemic. To survive, organizations have no choice but to transform, lest they fall behind and become extinct. It is almost inconceivable that billion dollar businesses such as Border’s Books, Blockbuster Video, Circuit City, and Radio Shack […]
The demand for deep, sustainable change in organizations is being driven hard by forces coming from all directions… and it’s only going to get worse. Today’s organizations have no choice but to transform, innovate, and find new ways to enhance profitability if they’re to stave off competition, keep shareholders happy, and do it faster with […]
With so much in the world-changing daily – our work, economics, education, shopping, travel, socializing, consumer behavior – it may be difficult to understand why I’m suggesting that now might be the perfect time to make yet another change. Many companies were caught off-guard when the pandemic hit, unprepared for the violent disruption it would […]
In my last post, I wrote about the reasons why people within organizations are unwilling to change, but what’s missing from this picture is an understanding of how to overcome their resistance to change. Changing hearts and minds while implementing a successful transformational change within an organization can be a long journey but with the […]
As we head into the seventh month of our new reality – longer in some countries – many organizations are still struggling to cope with the rapidly changing business environment. Meanwhile, other organizations have been quick to adapt, innovate, and embrace the new way of doing business. Why is that? Whether it’s a forced change […]
In A World Turned Upside-Down, Six Reasons Why Small Is Beautiful COVID-19 has turned everything upside down. Businesses and their leaders face unprecedented challenges, and are having to make tough and unpalatable decisions just to keep things afloat. Small to medium-size businesses (SMBs) have undoubtedly been disproportionately affected, but larger organizations have not been immune. […]
