Nexttech

Nexttech
Creating Generational Legacies

Wednesday, July 22, 2020

Thursday, July 16, 2020

The 4th Revolution - how do we get ready?





This article was inspired by Rocky Scopelliti who shared this article on LinkedIn 


https://www.futurithmic.com/2019/02/13/industry-4-0-could-create-millions-new-jobs/



So what is the 4th revolution?


This type of intelligent, interconnected ecosystem  of mobile, cloud computing, analytics, automation, artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, autonomous robots, and augmented- and virtual reality (AR/VR) has been dubbed the fourth industrial revolution.


These technologies will  add accuracy, efficiency, productivity and personalized customer service to business and industry in unprecedented ways and  will lower the cost of doing business.


A 2017 Accenture study estimated the average U.S. company could save $85,000 per employee


A McKinsey Global Institute study estimated  that intelligent automation technologies could save employers worldwide a staggering $15 trillion in wages by 2030.


Jobs displaced …


McKinsey concluded, estimated between 400 and 800 million current occupations could be displaced by 2030 - including 

  • physical labor, 
  • data collection/processing, 
  • manufacturing, 
  • retail, and accommodation/
  • food services


We’ve been here before with the advent of PCs, Mobile and Internet transforming how and where people work. 


… Jobs created


The World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs report in 2018 predicted strong employment growth in emerging sectors like AI, robotics and blockchain – but also in non-tech positions such as customer service, sales, marketing, training and skills development.



McKinsey estimates that between 1980 and 2015, the introduction of the PC displaced 3.5 million jobs in the U.S.  — but also created 19.2 million new ones in the #Nexttechrevolution 


Growth Industries

  • elderly care, 
  • green technology, 
  • Training 
  • consumer goods and services


Will the 4th Industrial Revolution  will create more jobs than it destroys over the coming 10 years ?


McKinsey says yes ....estimating overall creation of 555 to 890 million new jobs by 2030.


… What we need to do 


There will need to be significant workplace transformation


McKinsey estimates 75 to 375 million people will have to switch occupations and learn new skills by 2030.


“It is critical that governments , businesses and individuals need to take an active role in reskilling and upskilling. 


  • Individuals need to take a proactive approach to their own lifelong learning
  • Governments and Enterprises need to create an enabling environment.


Workers need to learn to work alongside  machines – which will increase productivity, employment  and create abundance.


As Heather McGowan says - the key is to teach our children to learn how to learn!


Lifelong learning will be a part of the DNA of every human and machine in the workforce!


- #australia2030 #industry4 #skills #reskilling #jobs #technology #digital #data #artificialintelligence #datascience #stem #science #engineering #humanresources #futureofwork


Other articles to read 


https://www.futurithmic.com/2019/07/09/from-killer-robots-to-automated-colleagues/


Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Five Engagement GemsThat Make a Difference and creates Resilience in your team



Rob Nankervis "Unsurprisingly in this COVID moment, Gallup analytics are finding unprecedented spikes in daily worry and stress, while overall percentages of people "thriving" have dropped to Great Recession-era lows. 

It takes an exceptional level of resilience for organizations and employees to thrive in such an uncertain and radically disrupted climate. Check out this article for the five key elements that drive engagement. "



Rob shares an interesting article from Jm Harter of Gallup - that identifies 5 ways in which a firm can build a culture of resilience with their team https://www.gallup.com/workplace/311270/culture-resilient-enough-survive-coronavirus.aspx

They are


  1.  Setting Clear and realistic expectations. During tough times, employees need managers who reset priorities, involve them in reestablishing their goals and constantly clarify their role relative to their coworkers.
  2. Having the right technology and tools. Employees need the right tools  to get work done - this will minimize stress and improve performance.
  3. Leveraging one's strengths Playing to your strengths is the difference between moving toward opportunity and falling victim to circumstances.
  4. To connect to the mission or purpose of the organisation. During a crisis, people need to see how they, and their work, fit into the bigger picture -- how can they impact something significant and know their work matters?
  5. Committed to quality work - There is no room for slack in a crisis. All team members must be dedicated to high-quality, efficient work. It is equally essential that teams within an organisation rely on and respect one another's work.



Non- Expert Opinion l of How to treat Covid-19 and Predictions - from Dr David Gotlieb - Cape Town Résident - x - Bulawayo Boy!





David’s Covid opinion update to my article from April this year.

Covid update - July 14 2020.

My article from April, remains as relevant now as when I wrote it.
This represents an update opinion on how I see it.

Treatment of Covid-19

I still am a hydroxy/chlo supporter, and a recent study supported it.
The previous studies were at excessive doses and showed some cardio toxicity.
However normal doses are safe.

 The following 9 step process is a possible effective treatment 

  • If exposed AND develop symptoms start plasmoquine one daily. Continue until better.
  • If start a cough..start azithromycin one daily for 6 days
  • If become breathlessness..you would need admission and at that time steroids can be started.
  • I would only use the cortisone in hospital use.
  • NB - I would also use a cardiovascular dose ecotrin or aspirin if symptomatic.
  • In hospital low molecular weight heparins should be added to aspirin for more comprehensive anticoagulation.
  • Oxygen is important monitoring sats, and ventilators are at extremis of coping.
  • If cytokine storm I recommend possible use of IL6 inhibitor, Actemra, but in hospital and under supervision and preferably intravenous.
  • Post covid autoimmune disease must require corticosteroid plus immunosuppressants.

The Global Prediction

All models and experts have dissapointed.

My non expert opinion is that it’s about the deaths not case numbers.

Analysis seems to show a curve peaking at 2 months and lasting 4 months at which death rates drop despite case numbers.

So USA should be much better in terms of mortality risk at mid to end September.

There is NO vaccine coming.

The virus will become less virulent despite contagion over time and will disappear in the next 6 months with a short less toxic resurgence next February.

The South African Prediction

Cape Town mortality is going to have peaked by now and subside end August, early sept 2020.
Gauteng mortality will subside 6 weeks after Cape Town.
Our lives and economies will slowly recover over the next year, except South Africa will be economically devastated.
We will be in trouble and it’s going to be hard.


April 19 Opinion on Covid-19

Thoughts regarding the Corona Epidemic...


Harsh Realities 


There are some terrible harsh realities that the world must accept.


The virus is NOT going away.


The lockdown has been in place, but made us realize that new case numbers persist, and that we are delusional to think we are going to kill this virus.


The lockdown will NOT get rid of the virus.


To this end we have to accept certain realities.



How to cope 


It’s not about getting rid of the virus, it’s about understanding that we will NOT get rid of it for the next year, or more, as it burns it’s way across the world, until we gradually develop a resistance, or even better, some REAL treatments or vaccines against it.


Unfortunately, we will have to literally start normalizing the consequences of the virus. Some people are going to die and we can only do our best to treat them as they come. We have to accept that it’s an ongoing risk for all of us especially the elderly, and social distancing will be needed for the at risk populations.


Other diseases and conditions will also need treatment, and we will see a rebound in these as people start to bring their complaints to the hospitals again.


A country as a whole, and its people, as individuals, cannot continue to exist without income.


We have to resume life and the economy, and the politicians have to start to verbalize this TRUTH. 


This TRUTH, is that the virus is NOT going away for a long time, and that some, but in fact, relatively few people, are going to die, compared to the numbers of infections.


It is VERY important to reassure people that the overwhelming majority of people, in fact more than 95% will be fine.


The virus is much more prevalent than people realise.


Spread is already much more than realized, due to failure to count asymptomatic individuals.


The virus is therefore even LESS lethal than thought, since the true ratio of mortality is overestimated, by not including the asymptomatic, as yet, unknown numbers.


Blame 

Politically...there will be blame: 


Trump? China ? Media? 


To a degree the media have stirred up emotions, and influenced the world reaction into ongoing lockdowns and staggering destruction of economies, that are leading to incredible poverty, the consequences of which, are still to come.


NO country or government could have been prepared for this.


The expert advisors, ie Dr Fauci, amongst others, did NOT know what the realities of this virus are. There WAS no experience on this issue.


Models were and are still, all wrong, because there has NEVER been a similar problem. 


The lockdowns have not worked to CURE the virus. 


The lockdowns did work in one respect...they lowered the curve of acute admissions and bought time, and enabled the systems to develop a better public health coping ability.


It’s about managing the EXPECTATIONS of the public. 


The virus will be NOT be GONE  in The short or medium term.


The lockdown has only enabled healthcare to cope by lowering the rapid spread and mass presentation of acute illness 


But the time of lockdowns has passed.


It’s about Hope 


There needs to be hope!! 


Hope is a human requirement

So what is going to happen?


The virus will stay in the communities, until either natural resistance increases, or less likely, a vaccine is developed.


The virus will spread and many people will get sick, but MOST will be fine.


Some people who are at risk will get the virus, and regrettably may not survive.


We have to accept that it’s an ongoing risk for all of us especially the elderly, and social distancing will be needed for these at risk populations.


The economies will have to open up.

  • Life will go on.
  • Humanity will survive.
  • Hopefully humanity will learn from this.


Humanity must henceforth look after the entire planet including wildlife, the environment and preserve it.

People need to learn the fundamentals of life, especially togetherness and caring and thought for the less fortunate.


There is hope, because at the end, hope is all we as a species have.


The road ahead is going to be very hard.Keep strong. Keep safe. Hold on to your hope.And for those who have faith...keep that too!


David Gotlieb.

Physician, Rheumatologist.

Cape Town.

April 19th 2020.

Monday, July 13, 2020

$5k Grant for Victorian Companies - 4 minutes to fill out form


Businesses in metropolitan Melbourne or the Mitchell Shire can apply for a $5,000 grant from the Victorian Government. 


Conditions apply including that the business must:


  • be participating in JobKeeper
  • employ people
  • be registered with WorkSafe as at 30 June 2020 and be able to provide a WorkCover employer number
  • have an annual payroll of less than $3 million in 2019-20
  • be registered for GST as at 30 June 2020
  • hold an ABN and held that ABN as at 30 June 2020
  • be a registered business

Ben Cusack shows us how




Here is the link to fill out the form 


https://www.business.vic.gov.au/support-for-your-business/grants-and-assistance/expanded-business-support-fund

A wave in the Motor automotive industry - (BEV’s )

Battery Electric Vehicles - graphed as a disruptive trend between countries



Is automotive cars going to be ubiquitous in next 10 years.

It is the n Finland - with China and France creeping up the curve.

Australia is usually an early adopter.

 In China More  than 900,000 battery electric vehicles were sold last year (57 percent of the BEVs sold throughout the world )


Market penetration of BEVe expected to go from 3.9 percent in 2019 to 14 to 20 percent in 2025—a sales volume of roughly 3.8 to 5.0 million vehicles.






How important is 5G?

Source :- McKinsey Report

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Musings on R&D and the biggest bang for the buck


Below are some of my musings of R&D which is a mash-up of an i4j discussion with 3 leading thinkers on innovation and the future of work over the past week :- David Bray, Steve Denning and Curt Carlson 

The importance of R&D to survive 


“The best way to predict the future is to invent it”
quote ascribed to Alan Kay

Many firms are not doing enough to deal with the tsunami of disruption - and unless they address those risks and opportunities more assertively, they won’t be around much longer. 

What should an organisation focus on - what R&D should they be doing..... 

If one focuses on the customer and you do things that matter to the customer — that is all you should focus on  — exclusively — whether it is a big or small innovation.  

Should firm only focus on quick wins - or also focus on longer term efforts, and maybe the odd very long shots? 

Curt Carlson - founder SRI - which developed SIRI talks about the 3 Agile tools  of R&D : 

customers, small teams, and networks.

So what is the goal of R&D ?


“It is to deliver meaningful value   to selected stakeholders  - the customer . “

It is not just  to do projects or experiments or agile  “that involves science!”

It is not just about projects and experiments  - they are just tools for creating value. 

So, how can we best create value?  


Value creation is about learning and creating -

Below are the 6 base ingredients  of value creation with r&d and active learning :- 

Focus on the  customer 
Focus on the market opportunities,
Create a framework with the available resources, risks and possible benefits? 
Ensure a methodology  to collect and sift  the data  - to be moulded collaboratively to create solutions 
Share the data and work in teams - this is more powerful than working alone
Rinse and repeat 
 
We are at an exciting stage as we enter “the Nexttech revolution” 

As a consequence of the ubiquitous use of the Internet and Telecoms and R&D - the diffusion of information is happenning faster and cheaper (Murphy’s law ) .

Specifically, the Internet now allows rapid dissemination of ideas and insights globally. 

Knowledge is now a commodity 

This includes scientific papers as well as direct emails, chats, and videos with researchers and organisations. 

Ideas are no longer as geographically bounded as in the past.

What cost a fortune in the past is now available free, fast and in abundance 

An example of the speed of Adoption 

  • It took more than 25 years for 50% of US households to adopt the washing machine. 
  • Personal computers took about 18 years to be adopted by 50% of households. 
  • Cell phones took about 10 years. 
  • Tablet devices took about 6 years. 
  • Investment in the 4th Revolution 

R&D is not for the faint hearted - and you need deep pockets 


The success of R&D both at a national and organisational level is based on multiple “learning through experimentation” trials – otherwise known as learning from failure – and the result of basic research funding and the strategic patience of R&D spending supported by Governments, Universities and the Private Sector...... and there has been significant investment in R&D by both China $554 billion  the USA $582 billion (in 2018). 

Huawei’s technological capability and the significant investment in 5G - seems to be a “spot on focus” as it is the technology that will drive IoT, Data, VR, AI , 3D printing and self driven cars!!! ie the future !!!  This investment has put Huawei in a strategic position on the word stage - and significant investment is being made in USA to “catch - up”. 

This R&D will increasingly define geopolitical standing.


Government Support in Australia 


Governments have the opportunity via grants and incentives to reward organisations who invest in activities that will enhance the growth and well being of their society.

There are 2 main grants and incentives that are available in Australia - which has hadfantastic success - and which BSI has been helping organisations access over the past 25 years.

the EMDG programme - the “export market development grant” - that rewards companies who exports by reimbursing 50pc of their overseas marketing spend up to $150k each year. - the Grant has resulted in a 12X ROI - for every $ of Grant made - there has been 12X export revenue from the programme.

The R&D tax incentive - a tax and cash incentive provided to Organizations who perform R&D -  a company can potentially get up to 40% of the R&D spend back in cash !! the definition has been adjusted over the years to focus on what the government wants to fund.

People will focus on what is being rewarded! 
If it’s core science and base R&D 
- which is what the current definition is - that’s where the energy will be focussed .....

And this is what I want to write about....

Thr biggest bang for the buck and value for Australia and its constituents in my view is to focus on “applied innovation” 

Over the past few years - the current definition “effectively excludes applied innovation including software development and collaborative application of the science.” This is where the bulk of private R&D spending (78%) is - in other words, aimed at commercial success in a two- to three-year timeframe - much of which is excluded by the current definition. 

A great Australian Export - Steve Denning - currently living in the USA and writing for Forbes Magazine and author of “the age of agile” suggests that applied innovation  is more urgent and important than the R&D definition. 

The goal is to create value and enhance organisational capacity in both the public and private sectors  - and turn risk into real opportunity generating massive gains. 

So how  should Australia government support Australian Organisations to enhance value creation? 

How can Australia continue to “punch above its weight?

Clearly by supporting “applied innovation” and including this in the R&D definition. 

 Australian Organisations can compete globally by innovating and collaborating with the relevant institutions - and utilise these technologies to build relevant commercial models - to build customer value and advance our society forward. 

Australia has been known as the most prolific “early adopters of technology” . That is what our skillset is and maybe  that is what  Governments should encourage organisations in the private sector to focus on .

It’s about remixing new device and existing R&D and come up with something better and faster !!

Where is the biggest bang for the buck for Government to invest in organisations with a view to provide best value for its stakeholders? 

Is it better to “partner” with those spending trillions on R&D .... and doing deals for Australia to help commercialise and test these technologies? 

Is it wise to ostracise Chinese 5G because of politics? 

Action points
Identify what should be rewarded based on value to the nation that creates jobs, increases profits, and uplifts people and communities.
How do we get the brightest and best to come to Oz
Develop research alliances across nations with shared values, focus, and professionalism for its research community members .... no need to reinvent the wheel !