Understanding How to Incorporate Exponential Technologies




Getting comfortable with exponential technologies is becoming less difficult, given the number of examples of their current use. The Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, the slow death of internal combustion engines and the rise of the electric car (and truck, and motorcycle, etc.), are a few examples of what exponential technologies have given us. Even more interesting are the opportunities presented by the merger of two or more exponential technologies to create a whole new industry. Think the battery-powered driverless vehicle. Read more in this blog about bringing these ideas together.

Remembering the "Good Old Days"

There was a time in our manufacturing history when relentless incremental improvement was a sought after methodology to apply. Indeed, between that process and just-in-time (JIT) inventory management, the Japanese almost crushed the US auto business. Fortunately we were able to eat enough humble pie to acknowledge our mistakes and recover. There continues to be value in these processes, but significant breakthroughs are more likely to come with the application of exponential technologies, especially applying two or more to create a solution to a problem.

The other point to be made is the challenge of recognizing fundamental shifts in basic landscapes. Just as finding buggy whip manufacturers is well nigh impossible, concentrating on a breakthrough improvement in internal combustion engines may be more laudable than practical, or at least not a rewarding deployment of a company's scarce capital.

Thinking the Possible

Application of these technologies isn't an exercise in doing a mash up. It's realizing your tool kit is more than just hammers, screwdrivers, and drills. It's got lasers and batteries that last weeks. This is one area where you can't read and study enough stuff. Then you want to let all these thoughts roll around in your head. Attend a conference or presentation where the process is discussed, and you hear about real world examples. What we are trying to accomplish is getting your thoughts open to thinking in different ways. For example, delivering isn't a process that's only two dimensional. Roads and trucks, yes, but drones as well. Medicine isn't always about being face-to-face with your doctor. Exercise can happen in a 4x8 space complete with TV monitor, communication, and readouts of your vital signs.

The progress of technology happens linearly and exponentially. Recognizing when it makes sense to apply exponential technologies will potentially provide you with significant breakthroughs in your business.

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