IoE v.0.3
It is Thursday 28th March 2018 and I am sitting at a table in Seven restaurant, Derby UK. Lucy Prior walks in for a scheduled catch up, I stand to greet her with my arm extended so as to shake hands. “Oh Barry, don’t be so ridiculous!” We hug and sit down. Before ordering, I ask the waiter to take an obligatory PR shot for social media purposes. I order a Thai green curry and large soda. “You’re in, Barry.” “What do you mean?” Lucy smiles; “The rail industry, you’re in! The industry has accepted you!” It is a wonderful comment which makes me feel incredibly valued. This is a far cry from 2016.
IoE v.0.3
“Barry, I want to quiz you about IoT.” “Perfect, I love everything IoT related!” “I know, that’s why I chose you!” Lucy poses the following three questions: 1. 2. 3.
What does IoT mean to Tidyco as an SME? How do you feel your IoT/M2M capabilities affect your performance as a supplier but also how does it affect your relations with your clients? What does digitalisation mean to you?
We spend lunch thought sharing around the subject matter with great enthusiasm. Later that evening I pen 2000 words based upon IoT which are subsequently edited and printed inside the pages of Rail Professional. Lucy ensures that Tidyco is placed next to Porterbrook within the publication.
The next time I see Lucy, she has deservedly been awarded an MBE in recognition of her rail industry endeavours.
IoE v.0.3
A few weeks later. “Barry, look at this video!” I am sitting in the Tidyco meeting room with Lily Fu – Chinese British Business Consultant. She hands me her smart device whereby I watch a video of a sophisticated piece of M2M machinery efficiently manufacturing product to pre-programmed specifications. “It’s a tube bending machine, Barry… Just like yours!” I smile and nod enthusiastically; “It sure is!” Lily retrieves her phone; “Barry, do you want me to show you WeChat?” “Yeah, sure. Why not?” She opens the app and navigates through the various uses at lightning speed. Looking up, Lily notices that I am completely amazed by the technology. We both laugh. Discussions then move on to gaining Chinese Governmental representation.
IoE v.0.3
5th November 2015 I attend a Digital Expo organised by the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce whereby my mind is opened towards IoT. Simultaneously, I am reading ‘Industries of the Future’ by Alec Ross. Later that month “We need you to come in from the field, Barry.” A tender has been published by a leading insurer requiring a digital solution. A simple statement with multiple meanings and interpretations.Throughout the tender process, I begin to develop an IoT based innovation with the potential to disrupt an entire industry for the better. June 2016 “I don’t love you anymore, Barry.” The next day, I am sitting in an office. “Nobody cares about you, Barry.” I look out the window towards the sky and see a bird, flying free. On the 22nd August 2016, I join Tidyco as Head of Marketing. The rail industry has been incredibly kind to me.
IoE v.0.3
February 2018 Anna Delvecchio visits Tidyco as part of an initiative to engage with rail industry SMEs. After the tour, I join a selected group of industry colleagues for lunch at the now familiar Seven restaurant. The lunch time meeting is held in a private room whereby Anna introduces the Sector Deal proposal. Still at draft stage, a few weeks later I find myself at the RSG offices in Central London, providing SME input. A few months on and I attend a Sector Deal SME workshop being managed by Lucy. Again, a carefully chosen group of rail colleagues are in attendance. Held at the spectacular High Speed Rail College in Doncaster, I propose a digital based strategy focussed upon what I nowadays prefer to describe as IoE. I advise that IoE should be at the forefront of every strategic development, including the management and protection of the data contained within it.
IoE v.0.3
28th September 2018 I am sitting in a meeting room at Chinese owned TrainFX with the Managing Director who is demonstrating the smart technology being developed to enhance overall customer train journey experience. A feature I find particularly intriguing is the applications ability to recognise passenger identity. Pre-programmed, the app informs the train manager of the customer’s location, their favourite drink, newspaper, etc. whereby upon occupying a pre-booked seat, the manager can deliver the desired items to the client in person. Forming part of a far wider digital innovation, it is a nice personal touch.
IoE v.0.3
Enter the chatbots! At the beginning of 2018, I consider chatbot technology as a viable and realistic addition to the Tidyco online environment. To my mind, technological integration needs to have a purpose, a reason for being as well as a meaning to exist. This is true of chatbot otherwise, I am merely playing with technology as opposed to justifying a tangible need for programming a robot. Info-Bot went live in the first week of October 2018 and on Saturday 6th October managed an enquiry for ten lifting jacks to the sum of ÂŁ18k. It was an export order, too. A heavy vehicle maintenance company in Portugal, to be precise. Info-Bot operates 24/7/365, competently assisting online enquiries in a multitude of meaningful ways. Info-Bot speaks over 100 differing languages and is not hindered by international time differences. Unsure if Tidyco rail hoses are EN 45545 fire safe compliant? Info-Bot can confidently re-assure you that they are. This is not about ai domination but more to free up the internal sales force so as to be more efficient.
IoE v.0.3
Excellence in manufacturing! It is the 13th June 2018 and I have been personally invited to join Derby Telegraph at its table for the glittering Derby Telegraph Business Awards, held at the iconic Roundhouse venue. That evening, Tidyco wins the Excellence in Manufacturing category. The Roundhouse used to be a train rolling stock maintenance depot and is rich with rail industry heritage. I feel proud to be a part of Derby UKs rail and manufacturing history. A lot has changed for me since 2015, whereby I first became enticed by the digital explosion. It is 12th October 2018 and I download a white paper from the Perficient website. The document predicts that IoT devices will skyrocket to 22.5 billion by 2021. Interestingly, the company advises that organisations will not benefit from IoT solutions unless they are thoughtful about the purpose and role that it plays. I agree. Furthermore, the manufacturing sector made the largest IoT investment in 2016, spending $178 billion. Of course, this is global spend.
IoE v.0.3
Purpose, Reason, Meaning, People I think about the chatbot that I have scripted. What is Info-Bot doing? Info-Bot is helping people. If we get it right, the explosion in connectivity, ai and automation will help the human race, not hinder or destroy it. I reflect back to my digital advice given at the 2018 Sector Deal SME Workshop; my thoughts at the time were that if we, as a collective species; manage the technology as part of a foundation building block to a wider strategy, the technology will not harm us. It will benefit us. This is what it is all about. People. Enhancing our personal lives, ensuring that sectors, industries, markets and businesses operate more efficiently. December 2015 I deliver a presentation to a much younger marketing team. I discuss big data, data protection as well as IoT, IoE, M2M prior to communicating my real time insurance claim validation app. Calculations at the time proposed significant carbon footprint benefits, speedier service as well as profitable account management fees to the sum of approximately ÂŁ500k per year to the bottom line figure.
IoE v.0.3
Protecting the fearful At the time of writing, I think back to 2015. I was turbo-charging ahead with a commercial awareness regarding big data, data protection, ai, automation and robotics but; was completely unaware that the majority of the human species had failed to keep pace. It is August 2018 and I am sitting with two best friends, enjoying a drink. “Barry, what happens when the robots take over?� Bellowing laughter ensues. He is scared. We need to protect the fearful. Just earlier, I read one of Stephen Hawkin’s final writings within which he discussed the threats of a new race of genetically modified superhuman as well as the implications of self-learning ai. If ai evolves of its own choosing and inevitably begins to learn and create its own way of existence, it is not too far-fetched to imagine that ai itself, may consider the human species redundant. This takes me back to my Sector Deal digital input, manage the process from the very outset and make technology benefit humanity not eradicate it.