Digital Innovation Magazine - July 2020

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After many weeks of uncertainty, we are delighted to bring you the July edition of Digital Innovation Magazine. It has been a very testing time for businesses across Europe and we have been very interested to hear how organisations have risen to the unprecedented challenge of a global pandemic. Amy Creeden, Senior Marketing Manager at ORM, shares her take on page 46.

She says digitalisation holds the key to survival in the post-Covid business world.

We have two great interviews lined up for you this issue. Pratik Yadav, Global Head – Supply Chain Operations & Digitalisation at ABB, talks technology and analytics on page 6, while we meet iSize Technologies’ two latest recruits on page 18. We would like to thank Pratik, Paul and Maria for each of their contributions, as we appreciate it has not been the easiest of times to participate in magazine interviews.

The world might have changed but technology will continue to evolve.

We feature a fascinating, new study into the origins of the stars in our milky way on page 32, as well as an intriguing insight into the heightened appeal of VR travel on page 60. Where’s top on your virtual bucket list?

Plus, that’s not forgetting our July edition’s start-up of the month. Turn to page 70 for an overview of the products and services of Swedish company, Digital Procurement.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we have enjoyed putting it together.

Stay safe

Editor Anna McMahon

Director Danielle Harris

editorial@digitalinnovationeu.com

d.harris@ithink.media

Senior Digital Designer Daniel May

Director Tom Barnes

design@digitalinnovationeu.com

t.barnes@ithink.media

+44 (0) 203 890 1189 enquiries@digitalinnovationeu.com All rights reserved. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of material published in Digital Innovation Magazine. However, the company cannot accept responsibility for the claims made by advertisers or contributors, or inaccurate material supplied by advertisers.

Digital Innovation is a product of iThink Media Ltd. Company Registration Number: 10933897.

Company Registered in England and Wales

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Experience the world of your own

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Pratik Yadav, ABB’s Global Head – Supply Chain Operations & Digitalisation

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18

Meet iSize Technologies’ two new appointments

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Our star Swedish com 4

d from the comfort n home

A study of the origins of the stars in our milky way

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rt-up of the month is mpany, Digital Procurement

How digitalisation is driving change for businesses post-Covid 5

B U S I N E S S I N T E RV I E W

VISION FOR T

INDUSTRY LEADER, PRATIK YADAV, IS GLOB DIGITALISATION AT ABB. IN OUR Q&A, PRA TECHNOLOGY AND ANALYTICS TO MANAG GLOBAL SUPPLY CH Written by Anna McMahon • 6

THE FUTURE

BAL HEAD – SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS & ATIK SHARES HIS PERSPECTIVE ON USING GE INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND AGILE HAIN OPERATIONS. Produced by Jennifer Davies 7

CAN YOU PROVIDE A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ABB’S PRODUCTS AND SERVICES? BB is a leading global engineering and technology company that energises the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future.

By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by 144,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

ABB has four core business areas which cater for a wide variety of industries, ranging from mining to semiconductors and factory automation. These four businesses are...

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Pratik Yadav Global Head – Supply Chain Operations & Digitalisation at ABB

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ELECTRIFICATION ABB's Electrification business offers a wide-ranging portfolio of products, digital solutions and services, from substation to socket, enabling safe, smart and sustainable electrification.

Offerings encompass digital and connected innovations for low and medium voltage, including EV infrastructure, solar inverters, modular substations, distribution automation, power protection, wiring accessories, switchgear, enclosures, cabling, sensing and control.

INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION ABB's Industrial Automation business offers a broad range of solutions for process and hybrid industries, including industryspecific integrated automation, electrification and digital solutions, control technologies, software and advanced services, as well as measurement and analytics, and marine and turbocharging offerings. Industrial Automation is #2 in the market globally. Working closely with customers, ABB's Industrial Automation business is writing the future of safe and smart operations.

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MOTION ABB's Motion business is the largest supplier of drives and motors globally. We provide customers with the complete range of electrical motors, generators, drives and services, as well as mechanical power transmission products and integrated digital powertrain solutions. We serve a wide range of automation applications in transportation, infrastructure, and the discrete and process industries.

ROBOTICS AND DISCRETE AUTOMATION ABB's Robotics & Discrete Automation business provides valueadded solutions in robotics, machine and factory automation. Our integrated automation solutions, our application expertise across a wide scope of industries and our global presence deliver tangible customer value. Our focus on innovation includes extensive work in artificial intelligence, an ecosystem of digital partnerships and the expansion of our production and research capabilities through our $150million investment in a new world-class robotics factory in Shanghai.

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WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AS GLOBAL HEAD – SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS & DIGITALISATION AT ABB? As part of the overall operations team, we support our businesses in logistics, transport, planning, trade, supply chain digitalisation, continuous improvement, operational excellence, logistics procurement and data analytics.

Our goal is to continuously evaluate and improve the customer/consumer experience, which can either happen incrementally or by making major strategic changes, or both.

WHERE SHOULD COMPANIES START IF THEY ARE LOOKING TO DRIVE SUPPLY CHAIN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION? After several years of running multiple transformations, I can share a few key steps which will help your readers in this journey.

Create a clear understanding of your vision, supported by end goals

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“IF WE FOCUS ON THE FI OUTCOMES, T CHAIN DIGITAL FUNDAMENTAL TWO MAIN METR AND NET

S PRIMARILY INANCIAL THEN SUPPLY LISATION CAN LLY AFFECT THE RICS – REVENUE PROFIT�

and how your actions are going to affect your consumer/customer? For example, is your goal to improve your customer buying experience? Or are you aiming to reduce the operating cost by 10 per cent, which you can then pass on to customer/consumer as lower prices? Or are you looking to improve demand sensing abilities to ensure higher product availability for your end customer/consumer?

Based on the agreed goals in the previous step, organisations can decide which parts they are going to transform first. The talents, resources and technology requirements differ based on your goals.

In this next step, the leaders should focus on how these goals will be achieved through a combination of process change, organisational redesign and technology.

One of the common risks that we have seen is that organisations often start with software or the

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“COVID-19 WILL BE FURTHER EXPE THE ALREADY PREVALENT TREND O CHAIN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION. G UNCERTAINTY OF THE DEMAND AND SIDE, AS WELL AS PRESSURE TO RE MORE ORGANISATIONS WILL BE EXP EMBRACE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIO

Pratik Yadav, Global Head – Supply Chain Operations & Digital

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EDITING OF SUPPLY GIVEN THE D SUPPLY EDUCE COSTS, PECTED TO ON�

lisation at ABB

latest technology and then start defining their transformation.

This may work in the short term and deliver gains. However, in order to benefit in the long term, it is important to create an understanding of what you want to achieve, what changes will be required in terms of organisation design, business model and processes, and then accordingly chose a technology which can support these changes.

WHAT KIND OF OUTCOMES DOES SUPPLY CHAIN DIGITALISATION ACHIEVE? If we focus primarily on the financial outcomes, then supply chain digitalisation can fundamentally affect the two main metrics – revenue and net profit.

For example, revenue can be positively impacted by digitally transforming your demand planning function and generating more accurate forecasts, which, in turn, improves product availability, thus ensuring the customer gets the product.

On the other hand, the net profit can be improved by reducing operating costs. For example, implementing process automation in Order to Cash process can allow companies to reduce their net working capital by as much as 10 per cent.

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WHAT KIND OF TECHNOLOGY IS EMPLOYED IN DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAINS (AI, MACHINE LEARNING, BLOCKCHAIN, DIGITAL TWIN, PROCESS AUTOMATION, WAREHOUSE AUTOMATION, IOT, SMART FACTORY ETC)?

All the above technologies can be part of solving one or multiple problems within the supply chain. Machine Learning, which is a subset of AI, is particularly useful in identifying patterns in consumer data, and can predict product demand more accurately than traditional methods, given its ability to analyse large amount of data.

The successful organisations will make use of most of these technologies to redefine their

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operating model and processes.

Already, companies considered as digitally native can generate on average 25 per cent more revenue than their less digitally advanced competitors.

CAN YOU SHARE A PRACTICAL APPLICATION USING THESE TECHNOLOGIES? There are many use cases which we can talk about. Let me share two practical examples which use different technologies. The first one is using Machine Learning in accurately identifying HTS product codes for international trade. Usually a man-hour intensive activity, HTS product classification using Machine Learning algorithms can deliver productivities in the range of 20-30

per cent in a short period of time, thus providing much needed cost reduction in these challenging times.

Another practical example is using Digital Twins to develop an endto-end process map of your supply chain operations, using tools such as o9 solutions or Celonis among others. This allows organisations to create an almost real time visibility on various process steps and identify bottlenecks which can be removed either via process change or process automation.

WHICH TECHNOLOGY TRENDS CAN WE EXPECT TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2021 (IOT, AUTOMATION, DATA ANALYSIS, CLOUD)?

Covid-19 will be further expediting the already prevalent trend

of supply chain digital transformation. Given the uncertainty of the demand and supply side, as well as pressure to reduce costs, more organisations will be expected to embrace digital transformation. However, this may not necessarily translate into success, as despite all the efforts, approximately 70 per cent of digital transformations failed to deliver promised value in the expected time frame.

Only those organisations which can develop an integrated vision of combining technology with operations to enable new business models and deliver real value to the customer/consumer will survive in the long run.

To find out more, visit www.new.abb.com 17

B U S I N E S S I N T E RV I E W

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Video streaming start-up, iSize Technologies, has grown its executive board with the appointment of Paul Massara, Ex-CEO of Npower, and Maria Ingold, Ex-CTO of Disney-Sony joint venture, FilmFlex Movies.

Here, we speak to Paul and Maria about the future of intelligent video coding and delivery technology.

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London-based iSize Technologies launched its pioneering AI-powered encoding platform in 2016. t aims to solve the problem of the increasing demand for high-quality video streaming by reducing bitrates while simultaneously improving the visual quality of streaming video. Last year, the company was awarded a special merit prize at The Digital Media World Awards for its proprietary BitSave software, a cloud transcoding technology, which, by compressing vast quantities of data, significantly reduces the energy input required to stream videos. iSize is quickly gaining traction with several of the giant technology companies, social media companies, telecom companies and cloud providers, all currently evaluating BitSave precoding technology to be licensed and used within their streaming services or that of their clients. Today, the technology is available on iSize’s SaaS platform bitsave.tech, but they 20

are in the process of getting it to cloud marketplace, making the products more readily available to the wider streaming community.

In addition, iSize’s BitSave, BitClient and BitMind products have huge potential to revolutionise the way that video streaming content can be interpreted, processed and viewed in a sustainable and energy-efficient way on any device anywhere in the world. Part of the BitClient technology solves the problem of being able to view content seamlessly and without loss of quality while the device is in the power saving mode, allowing for further bitrate saving and quality optimisation. The first demos and pilots have already been delivered to clients, with the product expected to hit the market later this year.

Having gone from strength to strength since its launch four years ago, iSize Technologies

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aims to break new ground in 2020, hence the appointment of two new, highly experienced members to its executive board.

Commenting on the news, Sergio Grce, CEO at iSize Technologies, said, “We are very pleased to have both Paul and Maria on board here at iSize. With years of commercial and technical experience under their belts, these appointments demonstrate our accelerated growth trajectory as we continue to expand our corporate horizons in 2020.

“With Paul’s impressive business acumen and Maria’s technical credentials on side, we are confident that iSize will continue to flourish as we look to make our mark in the streaming sector in 2020.”

So, what is it about the company that attracted Paul and Maria?

Paul: I invest in companies that I feel can play a role in the transition to a low carbon economy, and iSize clearly meets that criteria. In addition, the deep tech has the potential to create a number of innovative products that can reduce bandwidth, which is an everincreasing challenge, and something that has only grown

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We are very pleased t Maria on board here of commercial and te under their belts, t demonstrate our ac trajectory as we con corporate hor Sergio Grce

CEO, iSize Technologies

to have both Paul and e at iSize. With years echnical experience these appointments ccelerated growth ntinue to expand our rizons in 2020

due to Covid-19, with more people working from home.

Maria: A number of years ago, I started evaluating bitrate reduction as a solution for OTT delivery for the lower living standards measure in South Africa. At the time, there were minimal fixed line broadband connections and mobile phones were predominantly used for viewing. Downloading video via BitTorrent was the most popular consumption method until the data rate got high enough to make streaming possible, then YouTube dominated. We needed to figure out how to keep data rates low and quality high.

At the time, there were limited options, but I’ve kept track of innovation in this space.

I was impressed with iSize’s openness, including (what they said in) their 2019 IBC talk 23

BEFORE

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AFTER

Covid-19 has led to significant increase in video conferencing, streaming of games, social media and videos. These are all likely to lead to a long-term sustained increase in demand of bandwidth. iSize solutions have never been more relevant than today Paul Massara

Board Advisor, iSize Technologies

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Akamai, a leading content delivery network (CDN), saw global internet traffic increase by 30 per cent in March. Sandvine, who regularly analyses this space, discovered home consumer traffic grew by 38% globally. Video still took up about 60% of that traffic, but Sandvine predicted it would have taken up 70% if the major streaming providers hadn’t taken steps to reduce bitrate by about 25%

and paper on how they achieve bitrate reduction while increasing perceptual quality.

How is your previous experience proving valuable in your new roles?

Paul: Having invested in a number of energy-tech businesses, I have seen many of the challenges that start-ups experience; from developing a clear digital roadmap, to winning that first contract, to hiring a sales team

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and financing. What all start-ups share is that they need to focus, focus, focus! They are all short of time and money, and those issues are linked, so they need to focus on traction on a commercial product ASAP. In addition to bringing that experience, I have also helped to open doors with C-suite executives, which often speeds up the sales process.

Maria: As a recognised expert in the VOD and OTT space, I’ve shared how iSize’s bitrate reduction

can help with the increase in traffic we’ve seen since Covid-19. I was part of the panel for the DTG Webinar: Covid-19 – Transforming the TV Industry: The Resiliency of the Internet. I’ve also written an article on Covid-19 and Beyond: Opportunities for Video Streaming.

I explain the impact Covid-19 has had on traffic and video streaming, the long-term opportunities, and how to cut costs but maintain customer satisfaction using a bitrate reduction product like iSize, which I had independently vetted

by streaming expert, Jan Ozer.

How has the Covid-19 pandemic impacted on the business?

Paul: In reality, it has had both a positive and negative impact. In the short term, it has been more difficult to get people’s attention to look at something new, when they are focused on getting their core business stable. However, Covid-19 has led to a significant increase in video conferencing, streaming of games, social media and videos.

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These are all likely to lead to a long-term sustained increase in demand of bandwidth. iSize solutions have never been more relevant than today.

Maria: Covid-19 has impacted the entire industry and iSize’s BitSave product is more relevant now than ever.

Akamai, a leading content delivery network (CDN), saw global internet traffic increase by 30 per cent in March. That’s an entire year’s growth in a few weeks. Sandvine, who regularly analyses this space, discovered home consumer traffic grew by 38 per cent globally. Video still took up about 60 per cent of that traffic, but Sandvine predicted it would have taken up 70 per cent if the major streaming providers hadn’t taken steps to reduce bitrate by about 25 per cent. Netflix

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SUSTAIN IS THE FOR i

NABILITY VISION iSIZE

stopped using the highest ‘bitrate ladder’ combination of bitrate and resolution for a given tier like Standard Definition (SD), High Definition (HD) or Ultra High Definition (UHD). YouTube set its defaults to SD. Users really noticed with AppleTV reduced resolutions and heavy compression introduced blocky artefacts.

While they’ve mostly returned to normal quality, this means they also returned to normal streaming costs. They could keep lower streaming costs and give customers the same quality perceptual experience by using bitrate reduction that also increases perceptual quality metrics, like iSize’s BitSave.

How important is sustainability for iSize Technologies?

Paul: Sustainability is critically important to the company for many reasons. We recognise that demand for data and streaming is likely to increase, and so being able to play a part in companies reaching Net Zero is critical. All the big digital companies – Microsoft, Amazon, Netflix, Google – are committing to plans to reduce their carbon footprint, and we are approaching all of them.

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Sustainability is also important in attracting and retaining the best team possible. There are many people looking at AI and ML, but often go into either fintech or mediatech, where they struggle to see the direct impact they are having on addressing one of the biggest societal challenges that we face, i.e. climate change.

Maria: Sustainability is the vision for iSize: “Enable sustainable online 30

entertainment by leading video AI technology�. Sustainability is essential to the video streaming industry. Netflix’s 2019 environmental impact noted that they used 451,000 megawatt hours (MWh), an 84 per cent increase over 2018, compared to a 20 per cent user growth. While Netflix is using some renewable energy and matching nonrenewable power with renewable energy certificates and carbon

With nearly 30 years of technical expertise in the entertainment and media industry, I am well-placed to see the potential iSize has to revolutionise the sector, and I am delighted to be part of its future Maria Ingold

Board Advisor, iSize Technologies

offsets, expending less energy in encoding or during distribution would save the energy from being used in the first place.

Any final thoughts?

Paul: I am very excited to join iSize Technologies. Having dedicated much of my career to furthering the environmental cause, I am very much looking forwards to taking iSize low-carbon, sustainable technology

solutions to new heights in 2020.

Maria: I’m thrilled to be part of iSize at such a relevant time.

With nearly 30 years of technical expertise in the entertainment and media industry, I am well-placed to see the potential iSize has to revolutionise the sector, and I am delighted to be part of its future.

For further information, visit www.isize.co 31

A RT I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C E

An AI system analysing da telescope has identified protostars, young stars th could shed light on the o milky

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ata from the Gaia space d more than 2,000 large hat are still forming and origins of the stars in our way.

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recent study was led by Miguel Vioque, a PhD researcher at the University of Leeds, and the findings – New catalogue of Herbig AE/ BE and classical Be stars: A machine learning approach to Gaia DR2 – have been published in the journal, Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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Vioque believes studying these newly identified stars has the potential to change scientists’ understanding of massive star formation and their approach to studying the galaxy. He and his colleagues were interested in what are known as Herbig Ae/Be stars, stars that are still forming and have a mass that is at least twice that of

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the sun. They are also involved in the birth of other stars.

The researchers took the vast quantity of data being collected by the Gaia spaceborne telescope as it maps the galaxy. Launched in 2013, data collected by the telescope has enabled distances to be

determined for about one billion stars, about one per cent of the total that are thought to exist in the galaxy.

The researchers cleaned that data and reduced it to a subset of 4.1 million stars which were likely to contain the target protostars. The AI system sifted

THE GAIA ASTRONOMICAL REVOLUTION

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Miguel Vioque, PhD Researcher at the University of Leeds

the data and generated a list of 2,226 stars with around an 85 per cent chance of being a Herbig Ae/Be protostar.

Mr Vioque said, “There is a huge amount of data being produced by Gaia and AI tools are needed to help scientists make sense of it. We are

combining new technologies in the way researchers survey and map the galaxy with ways of interrogating the mountain of data produced by the telescope – and it is revolutionising our understanding of the galaxy.

This approach is opening an exciting, new chapter in astronomy.”

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Professor RenĂŠ Oudmaijer, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Leeds

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The team then validated the findings of the AI tool by investigating 145 of the stars identified by the AI system at ground observatories in Spain and Chile where they were able to measure the light, recorded as spectra, coming from the stars.

Vioque added, “The results from the ground-based

observatories show that the AI tool made very accurate predictions about stars that were likely to fall into the Herbig Ae/Be classification.�

One of the target stars is known as Gaia DR2 428909457258627200. It is 8,500 light years away and has a mass 2.3 times that of the sun. Its surface temperature is 41

9,400 degrees Celsius (the sun is about 5,500 degrees Celsius), and it has a radius that is twice that of the sun. It has existed around six million years, which, in astronomical terms, makes it a young star that is still forming.

Professor René Oudmaijer, from the School of Physics and Astronomy at Leeds, supervised the research. He said, “This research is an excellent example of how the analysis of the Big Data collected by modern scientific instruments, such as the

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Professor René Oudmaijer, and Astrono

, from the School of Physics omy at Leeds

Gaia telescope, will shape the future of astrophysics. AI systems are able to identify patterns in vast quantities of data, and it is likely that in those patterns, scientists will find clues that will lead to new discoveries and fresh understanding.�

The research was funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, under the STARRY (STARS that ‘R Young) project.

For further details on the study, visit www.leeds.ac.uk

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BUSINESS NEWS

Digital Solut to Pandemic Problems Someone who came in contact with you tested positive or has shown symptoms for COVID-19 & recommends you self-isolate/ get tested.

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tions c

Amy Creeden, Senior Marketing Manager at ORM, says it’s a case of adapt or die for the post-covid business world.

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They sa necessit mother of and this ol proverb have been true dur Covid-19 p ur lives in lockdown were transformed by the mass rollout of digital tools to support remote working, online education and virtual get-togethers for everything from workouts to singalongs. Industries also reinvented themselves to support the fight against the virus – breweries made hand sanitiser, car companies manufactured ventilators, and anyone with access to a 3D printer or sewing machine became part of the PPE production line.

For many businesses, though, it’s a case of 48

ay that ty is the f invention ld English seems to n proven ring the pandemic. adapt or die, as social distancing is expected to undermine their ability to operate as usual for the foreseeable future; if they can’t adjust their business models or reinvent their approach, their business won’t survive in our ‘new normal’. As some of the market leaders have already discovered, these pandemic problems often have digital solutions and, while they may be inspired or accelerated by current events, the impact of these developments will be anything but short-lived.

Here’s how Covid-19 has already changed how we do business in 2020.

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Safe card sharing Under normal circumstances, if you shared your bank card and PIN number with anyone, you’d be taking an enormous risk.

And you’d have no recourse with your bank if your trust turned out to be misplaced – because there are other, more secure ways to share funds and make payments. But, in these unprecedented times, none of the normal banking solutions provided a way for people that were self-isolating and relying on friends and neighbours to shop for them to safely pay for these purchases. That is, until Starling Bank introduced Connected cards. The bank’s account holders can now share a Connected card and PIN with people they trust to give them access to a limited amount of money that can only be spent in physical shops, providing a safe solution to this unexpected problem.

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Digital loan applications Applying for a loan generally means filling out and signing loads of paperwork – normally in person – so when the US government started rolling out their $350 billion small business loan programme to support companies impacted

by Covid-19, banks were under enormous pressure to develop efficient processes for digitally signing and processing enormous numbers of loan applications in record time. While other financial institutions struggled to meet the demand, Valley Bank enlisted the help of partner, ORM, and wider teams at Paragon Customer Communications, to design DocuSign templates for various customer segments, incorporating validation checks and collaboration fields, and implemented a system that allowed applicants to e-sign all the required documents. The whole process took less than two weeks and has put Valley Bank at the cutting edge of digital technology and ahead of some larger banking institutions during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Virtual real estate While the high-end property market was one of the early adopters of VR and 360-degree videos, the majority of property sales have remained dependent on photographic listings followed by site visits and physical walk-throughs.

But when in-person property viewings became impossible,

the technologies that enable virtual tours saw a surge in interest, and even more advanced functionality now looks set to become commonplace – like using a property’s floorplans to create interactive tours where potential buyers can manipulate everything from the furnishings to décor.

“the technologies that enable virtu tours saw a surge in interest” 52

Exclusive online shopping You’d be forgiven for thinking that all leading fashion brands are already available online, but some of the most exclusive labels (including Chanel) pride themselves on only being available in store where the shopping experience can be as carefully crafted as the

merchandise. Until recently, the ultra-exclusive watch brand, Patek Philippe, was one of these companies, but when retailers were forced to shut up shop due to the pandemic, they decided to relax their policies and allow authorised dealers to sell their timepieces online for the first time. While Patek Philippe insist that this is a temporary measure and other brands have yet to follow suit, only time will tell if Covid-19 will mark the end of the resistance to luxury online shopping.

s ual e 53

Contactless health services In recent years, drones have been used by health services to make deliveries to remote and inaccessible areas, transporting emergency blood products to rural hospitals in Rwanda and Ghana, and vaccines to islands stretched across 1,300 kilometres in Vanuatu. But it was their speed and ability to reduce human contact that made unmanned drones an ideal way to transport medical samples and quarantine materials between Xhinchang County People’s Hospital and the county’s disease control centre during the Covid-19 outbreak in China’s Zhejiang province earlier this year.

Using data to fight disease While drones can help stop the spread of the virus by reducing human contact, the NHS has been working on an app that aims to do the same by tracking devices owned by people diagnosed with Covid-19 and issuing alerts to those that may have come into contact with these users. While it could be an invaluable tool in the fight against the spread of the virus, the development of 54

“A DRONE's ability to re contact h unmanned ideal way to medical sa quarantine

speed and educe human has made drones an o transport amples and e materials”

this and similar tracking apps has provoked a global debate about digital surveillance and the balance between safety and privacy, which will, no doubt, have ramifications beyond the current crisis. The mobility data trends tool from Apple Maps may be successfully satisfying both these concerns by sharing information about the volume of people driving, walking or taking public transport in a given area without associating the data with users’ Apple IDs. The information gathered could be used as a foundation for public policies, as well as an aid for local governments and health authorities as we transition out of isolation.

Devices designed to help us come out of lockdown Coming out of lockdown could prompt another spike in Covid-19 cases unless we’re able to maintain social distancing and reduce transmission. Reactec’s solution to social distancing was to repurpose a device they previously used to monitor vibrations when working with power tools. Their new product, Safedistance, uses Bluetooth to monitor the distance between workers and vibrates to alert wearers if they break the two55

“Hopefully some we’ve been forced be for the metre social distancing regulations. Meanwhile, other tech developers have focused on products that sanitise the surfaces that we come into regular contact with and which could contribute to the spread of the disease. Manufacturers have responded to studies showing that wiping phones down with antibacterial wipes produces inconsistent results by producing a range of UV sanitising cases and bags that can kill up to 99.9 per cent of microorganisms living on our phones.

The impact of this pandemic has been underestimated from the outset and almost every week brings new and unexpected repercussions.

These are just the first flurry of business evolutions that have resulted from the pandemic and there’s no doubt there will be

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e of the changes d into making will e better� more significant digital transformations in the coming weeks and months.

With the US already experimenting with voting over the internet, might Michelle Obama’s new attempt to make it easier to vote by mail, vote early and register online for the next US elections simply be a precursor to the mass adoption of online elections? And will concerns about the spread of Covid-19 be the final nail in the coffin for hard currency and the incentive we need to become a cashless society?

This pandemic has had an impact on almost every aspect of our lives and its effect will be felt long beyond 2020. Hopefully some of the changes we’ve been forced into making will be for the better.

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V I RT UA L R E A L I T Y

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Immersive technology is enabling wannabe travellers to see the world with an alternative real tourism experience.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has created an opportunity for the latest technology in providing an eco-friendly way to visit some of the world’s most popular spots. t offers a boost to the sector by enticing keen travellers to come and experience the real adventure as soon as it is safe to do so. VR travel, however, aims to have a positive effect, with many companies realising its potential by creating bespoke marketing campaigns for aspiring visitors.

VR travel typically involves the use of a VR headset, which helps to immerse the user in a digital environment. Through the

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use of images, sounds and other physical sensations, you are essentially placed within a virtual world, which you can moved around in, and in some cases, interact with in various ways. Businesses operating within the travel industry have been quick to adopt VR technology to give their customers a taste of what they can expect. It can help when it comes to making a booking, arming clients with all the information they might need before choosing a

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hotel or travel destination. VR travel applications include everything from virtual tours on hotel websites, to virtual travel bookings, where the user is able to explore rooms and facilities, and virtual travel experiences, giving the chance to sample some of the main attractions that typically draw customers to a certain location.

ability to bring a destination to life, enabling customers to consider travelling to places they might not have otherwise thought to go.

The benefits include being able to showcase 360-degree views of a destination in high resolution, enabling the user to explore a place at their own free will, and allowing anyone to enjoy travel experiences at any given time. VR has the

Rome Reborn transports users over the entire ancient city, focusing on the famous Pantheon building’s design and decoration.

With two virtual guides, the application was created by a company called Flyover Zone.

So, where are the best places to visit in VR?

ROME

Find out which VR apps you should download

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EGYPT The Great Pyramids of Egypt takes viewers to one of the world’s most iconic ancient destinations. Filmed and hosted by award-winning VR filmmaker, Tarik Mohamed, the tour features full commentary and background information.

GREECE Olympia in VR allows users to embark on a self-guided tour of Olympia, the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games.

Highlights include the chance to explore the Olympic Stadium, Temple of Zeus, Temple of Hera, as well as many other well-known monuments and buildings.

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ANTARCTIC OCEAN Produced by NetDragon, Antarctic Ocean invites users to explore a vivid underwater world full of life, including cod, krill, orcas and squid, by embarking on a deep-sea diving adventure.

ANGEL FALLS Discover the tallest waterfall in the world, Venezuela’s Angel Falls, with AirPano’s high resolution 360-degree video.

EGYPT VR WAS FILMED AND HOSTED BY AWARD-WINNING VR FILMMAKER, TARIK MOHAMED 67

PERU

PARIS

Experience Machu Picchu in Peru with your VR headset or a good pair of headphones from the comfort of your own home.

You can walk around the French capital and see the view from the Eiffel Tower via a 360-degree VR tour video.

PATAGONIA

FAROE ISLANDS

The virtual adventure of Patagonia utilises Pterovision, a 3D technology that allows you to take off like a bird, fly around the lake, visit the waterfalls and experience the mountain peaks, while you learn all about the region’s geology, culture and history.

The small North Atlantic archipelago's tourist board has created a virtual reality app that lets users remotely control a tour guide, moving them through its towns and volcanic islands like a video game character.

GRAND CANYON You are one click away from visiting the spectacular sight of Arizona’s Grand Canyon thanks to Google Earth.

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AS FOR THE FUTURE OF VR TRAVEL, EXPERTS BELIEVE IT IS HERE TO STAY...

Ralph Hollister, a tourism analyst at Global Data and author of a report on the VR travel industry, said, “For years, airlines, travel agencies and tourism boards have used VR technology to market destinations to potential customers. Now, the impact of Covid-19 may allow (virtual reality) to shake off its image of being a gimmick.�

Virtual reality may never replace traditional travel, but it still offers intriguing possibilities. If the technology becomes sophisticated enough, the more environmentally conscious among us might prefer this

form of escape. But, ultimately, the impact of virtual reality on travel will be determined by the evolution and application of new technologies.

So far, advances have been incremental and not at a scale that is likely to disrupt the travel industry, but they are certainly helping to bring faraway places much closer.

With sales of VR headsets on the increase, this type of experience is sure to become a common feature in many households across the world, as well as playing a huge role in the tourism sector for many more years to come.

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IN THE SP OTLIGHT

START-UP OF THE MONTH Digital Procurement has developed the cloud-based platform DigiProc, which enables procurement organisations to effectively address their tail suppliers. igital Procurement was founded with a firm belief that the procurement function must increase its value contribution, and to do so, more efficient ways of working must be invented.

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The supplier tail is a headache for most procurement functions and CPOs. The frustration of not being able to get to an (often significant) share of the spend due to its fragmentation and the fact that it is spread out across thousands of suppliers is well-known.

The founders of Digital Procurement had felt exactly that frustration in their respective roles as Procurement Executive at Ericsson and Procurement Expert

DigiProc converts otherwise un-addressable spend into a new source of saving potential at BCG, and decided to define a solution to this problem.

The core of the solution was clear – a method had to be created that was efficient enough to render a result where the benefit of addressing a tail supplier exceeded the cost of the activity. With a tail supplier with an annual spend of EUR 5000, this was not a trivial task.

Digitalisation is what makes it possible, and the brutal efficiency of the DigiProc platform enables procurement organisations to

negotiate with 1,000 suppliers in one week. Accumulated, the spend of the 1,000 suppliers becomes significant, and the potential from the one-week activity, substantial.

DigiProc converts otherwise unaddressable spend into a new source of saving potential. Only 20 hours is required from the client organisation for the completion of a project. And, of course, no software integration or similar is needed.

Founded in Sweden in 2017 with headquarters in Stockholm and offices in Oslo and Copenhagen, Digital Procurement is continuing its successful endeavour to help CPOs across Europe and the world to address their tail suppliers in a brutally efficient way.

To find out more, visit www.digitalprocurement.se 71

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