Today’s podcast features the top business technology topics and trends for 2021. This is Part 2, a continuation from last week’s podcast, where we feature articles from Gartner, Forbes, and Deloitte, and some common themes focusing on People, Agility, and then some technical topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). In Part 1, we detailed Gartner’s 9 trends, whereas Part 2 here focuses on the articles from Forbes and Deloitte.
As a provider of technology solutions, it is our role to break down the technical jargon, and, more importantly, be a bridge between the technology providers and what our small medium-sized customers need to do everyday.
Forbes Top 5:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI and Machine Learning (ML) solutions are advancing constantly, and we can expect increasingly sophisticated examples across common business and consumer processes. Some examples for our customers in everyday business transactions include automated expense and invoice recognition.
- Robotics, Drones, and Vehicle Automation
Robotics are increasingly becoming common, including automated warehouses, transportation, and logistics. As with many things over the last year, we’re seeing a rapid digital transformation, including in robotics and automation,
- The As-A-Service Revolution
Adopting new technologies, with the ability to scale rapidly, is easily achieved throughout all businesses using cloud services. A great example featured over the last year is Zoom, which rapidly expanded its bandwidth and capabilities using its cloud technologies and infrastructure.
- 5G and enhanced connectivity
5G and other advanced, high-speed networks make all of the other trends we discuss here available anywhere, any time.
- Extended Reality (XR) – Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/MR).
These terms cover technology that uses glasses or headsets to project computer-generated imagery directly into the user’s field of vision. These technologies have expanded rapidly over the past year to enable an enhanced virtual experience for people across the workplace.
Deloitte Top 9 trends:
The distinction between corporate strategy and technology strategy is blurring, whereby technology can create either a distinct competitive advantage, or a significant risk if you are left behind
Modernizing legacy enterprise systems and migrating them to the cloud may help unleash an organization’s digital potential. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are the backbone to enable efficiencies through advanced technology.
Future-focused manufacturers, retailers, distributors, and others are exploring ways to transform the supply chain cost center into a customer-focused driver of value.
Embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into daily operations move these initiatives from the back burner to critical business operations.
Machine data revolution:Feeding the machine
Strong core systems enable consistent and accurate data. Once in place, advanced data capture and structuring enable advanced analytics to support complex modeling.
Zero trust: Never trust, always verify
Security had changed, since there’s no longer a defined perimeter inside which every user, workload, device, and network is inherently trusted. In zero trust architectures, every access request should be validated based on all available data points, including user identity, device, location, and other variables that provide context to each connection and allow more nuanced, risk-based decisions.
Rebooting the digital workplace
2020 has represented the world’s largest unplanned work-from-home experiment. As it continues, we can expect advances based on new data and new technologies.
Bespoke for billions: Digital meets physical
In the next 18 to 24 months, we expect in-person and digital experiences to become more seamless and intertwined. Online and offline interactions will not be separate experiences anymore—the customer’s journey will be made up of in-person and digital elements that are integrated and intentionally designed to create a seamless brand experience that’s tailored to fit the individual customer’s behaviors, attitudes, and preferences.
Many organizations are embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion as business imperatives. Over the coming months, we expect enterprises to adopt new tools that incorporate advanced analytics, automation, and AI, to help inform, deliver, and measure the impact of DEI.
Panelists
Our panelists today are Samantha DeForge and myself Murray Quibell. We are passionate about efficient and agile business systems, starting at the core with a modern, robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. With this core system in place, you can then start to leverage advanced technology throughout the workplace, enabling continuous improvement among all your people and critical business processes. processes
