Blog – July 2020

Technology Continues to Drive Change

Necessity is the mother of invention, and it also provides a useful kick up the backside to accelerate the adoption of “new” technology. With that in mind, we carried out our first virtual half-day seminar last week (building on our earlier series of shorter webinars) and though we do miss the face-to-face contact, it was nonetheless a great success.

Digital transformation is one inevitable consequence of COVID-19. This is going to affect every business in one way or another. Working from home via conferencing and collaboration services is really just the beginning – how are you going to deliver your services differently in the longer term? How do your customers want to consume and what systems do you need in place to engage appropriately?

I am currently halfway through an excellent podcast by the BBC entitled “13 Minutes to the Moon” about the original Apollo programme. The average age of the team at Houston was just 27 and included the first “software” programmers of the age. That they achieved this incredible feat was in good part down to the use of a guidance computer to efficiently manage the engine “burns”. This ensured the craft was accelerated to the right speed and trajectory – something that just wouldn’t have been possible for the crew alone.

How do we adapt our ways of working to take advantage of the power of existing and emerging technologies (including automation, machine learning, AI etc.), but still retain the essential human touch? It’s a challenge for us all, but an exciting one that could lead to more opportunities and rewards!

Peter Watson
Managing Director