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Through history
emerging technologies have shattered the status quo and economic/ social
structures in place. For example, the three industrial revolutions of the
past 300 years were driven by emerging technologies:
The first, dominated by the steam engine, lasted l760-1850 and
was responsible for widespread innovations from manufacturing to
transportation.
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The second, dominated by electricity and chemicals, lasted
1890-1930, and brought telephones, the internal combustion engine, and
automobiles.
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The third, from 1930 to today, dominated by
computers, information, and the Internet brought whole scale within
automation factories, offices and homes.
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It is not an understatement to say the impact of these industrial revolutions was cataclysmic almost
in any way viewed, e.g., socio, economic and political. These changes still
continue today as
emerging technologies evolve.
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To Inspire Business
Leaders
By looking at
breakthrough historical projects through a modern project lens. The series:
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Examines
how
historical projects and emerging technologies of the past solved
complex problems. This provides valuable insight into solving
today’s most challenging problems.
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Juxtaposes
challenges encountered in the design/development of today’s IT
projects with a relevant historical case study.
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Shows
how lessons learned can be put into everyday practical use within
organizations today.
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Inspires
as these projects were achieved with a lesser (inferior) technology, and
fewer and less sophisticated disciplines.
What are Business Leaders Striving for today?
Business
leaders look to solve complex problems in their operational environments so as to
increase revenue, or profit, or to improve efficiency. The Lessons-from-history
series highlights that as new technologies or techniques become available they
rarely completely solve a problem but further “nibble away” at
it, resolving it partially.
Typically, solving a complex problem only identifies dependencies on other
problems that need resolution to.
What should be the Role of Emerging Technology in
Business?
In organizations
the role should be to support the business. Often it may become the central
focus of a business but it needs to offset that it is the combination of
technology, processes and organization that make up the operation. That said:
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Today’s
IT provides an opportunity to solve complex problems in a new way, more
complete or more efficient.
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Today’s
IT is so pervasive it tends to touch every aspect of the business so no
areas remain untouched.
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When
IT is applied to a business in a breakthrough way the results can be
spectacular:
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Cisco does 90% of its $19Bn business on the Web.
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IBM purchases $50Bn from 18,000 suppliers through the Web.
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Wal-Mart has consistently shown lower prices over competitors by
13%.
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Dell’s new Optiflex facility has a minuscule 100 square
feet of inventory space.
Key Lessons from Historical Projects
These projects
provide some interesting best practices for today’s projects. For
example:
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Most
problems are readdressed cyclically when a new emerging technology is
available.
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Very
few projects are truly unique and have been attempted before.
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Brilliant
technology needs talented communicators to market it. Public relations
and influence are key to project support.
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Most
firsts are achieved through a culmination of efforts from a team that
leverages previous inventions.
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Most
firsts are a result of a race between many different teams creating
solutions to the same problem.
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To
be successful the solution needs to solve a practical business problem
close at hand.
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The
success of most projects owes more to leadership and approach rather
than the technology.
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Leadership
and conviction to resolve a problem is an essential to a project.
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Marketing
and selling the idea is as important as building the solution.
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Good
project planning is essential.
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The
use of proven and tested technology building blocks saves time.
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