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Quick summary (by Ping): This opinion piece highlights some of the key differences between Gen Z and Millennials in the workforce. According to the author, relationships matter to them a lot.

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Quick summary (by Ping): This article cites a research study saying that Gen Z has a higher risk appetite in terms of investing in cryptocurrencies. And perhaps may be more susceptible to optimism bias in terms of their self-assessed chances of "making it rich" through cryptocurrencies.

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A majority of Gen Z investors think crypto will make them millionaires, new survey shows

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The rising costs of real estate and college education could be drawing younger people to crypto, as well as inflation that’s spiked prices of everyday goods.

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Diversity and inclusion will lead to growth, innovation, attraction and retention of talents.

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Why Is Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Important?

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More employers are asking: Why is diversity and inclusion in the workplace important?

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TP - Great Place to Work - Be Certified. For the leaders' consideration.

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Great Place to Work® Institute Singapore

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Certify your employee experience Find out how your culture stacks up and get recognized for the great workplace you’ve built with Great Place to Work

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Certification

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Lush Addressing Mental Health By Removing All Social Media 

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Lush Addressing Mental Health By Removing All Social Media 

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https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59380458

Lush has removed all social media as they said social media may have a bad impact on mental health by promoting unhealthy thoughts. Hence they are addressing that by removing their social media for now.

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Cosmetics firm Lush says it is deactivating some social media accounts until platforms "take action to provide a safer environment" for users.

The company said that from Friday, its Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat pages will be shut down.

The policy will be rolled out across all 48 countries Lush operates in.

However, the company will continue to operate on Twitter and YouTube "for now", as looks to "build better channels of communication elsewhere".

"[Social media channels] do need to start listening to the reality of how they're impacting people's mental health and the damage that they're causing through their craving for the algorithm to be able to constantly generate content regardless of whether it's good for the users or not," Jack Constantine, chief digital officer and product inventor at Lush, told the BBC's Today programme.

The retailer has previously closed several of its UK social media accounts, but said it found itself "back on the channels, despite the best intentions".

It said it decided to bring back "some limited use of the channels we had mothballed", to offer service to customers during coronavirus lockdowns.

However, now Lush said it would be staying offline for a year, despite the potential losses it faces from leaving platforms popular with its target audiences.

The company has four million followers on its Lush Cosmetics North America Instagram page and 1.2 million on Facebook.

"We already know that there is potential damage of £10m in sales and we need to be able to gain that back," said Mr Constantine.

"We've got a year to try to get that back and let's hope we can do that."

Lush said the "serious effects" of social media were barely being acknowledged and compared the situation to when "climate change was ignored and belittled for decades".

In particular, Mr Constantine highlighted algorithms that kept showing users content that had a potential to impact their mental health by exacerbating unhealthy thoughts.

"They're becoming something that you are so easily addicted to," he added.

He also blamed Facebook, which owns Instagram, for removing chronological timelines from the platform, which makes it harder for posts by influencers and companies to be seen by their followers.

'Out the mix'

Lush's co-founder and chief executive, Mark Constantine, said: "I've spent all my life avoiding putting harmful ingredients in my products. There is now overwhelming evidence we are being put at risk when using social media,

"I'm not willing to expose my customers to this harm, so it's time to take it out of the mix."

Lush said it hoped platforms would introduce "best practice guidelines" and that international regulation would be passed into law.

"We're looking at how we can be a positive impact on the world, instead of a negative one," Jack Constantine told the BBC.

"We're definitely concerned that our appearance on Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok and Snapchat is something that is more damaging than healthy. YouTube, we may have to review again, but currently we don't see it as a negative."

More on this story

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Lush to stop some social media until it's 'safer'

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Cosmetics firm Lush says it is deactivating some social media accounts until platforms "take action to provide a safer environment" for users. The company said that from Friday, its Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat pages will be shut down. The policy will be rolled out across all 48 countries Lush operates in.

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Digital Multitasking Found To Have A Detrimental Effect

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Digital Multitasking Found To Have A Detrimental Effect

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https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/digital-multitasking-can-be-detrimental-to-a-child-e2-80-99s-mental-health-study-warns/ar-AARdQNM?ocid=uxbndlbing

Digital multitasking (e.g. texting while watching TV) compared to video gaming seem to have a more detrimental effect.

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Children face a deluge of electronic information from traditional television and computers to tablets, smartphones and video games, but prior studies examining the impact of electronic media on children and adults have yield mixed results.

The team of researchers from the University of Luxembourg and Universite´ de Genève studied 118 Swiss boys and girls, ranging from age eight to 12, asking them to fill out surveys with questions crafted to examine their electronic media use as well as their attention spans, sleep, grades, and mental health, according to the report.
CHILDREN'S COVID-19 CASES UP 332% FROM TWO WEEKS, AGO PEDIATRICIANS REPORT
The questionnaires were also given to the children's teachers and parents, but focused more their perception of how they felt the children's electronic use impacted their mental health, the study noted.

Unlike other previous published studies which showed a correlation between total time spent on media and poorer outcomes, when this study controlled for other types of media consumption, they found total time spent on media did not contribute to mental health problems, but rather when the children used multiple devices simultaneously, like watching television while texting, this could lead to more stress, behavioral, or emotional issues.

"In contrast to total media time, media multitasking is associated with more frequent ADHD-like behavior as rated by their teachers, when controlling for total media time, gender, and age," the paper noted.
5 SILLY MISTAKES PUTTING YOUR ONLINE PRIVACY AND SECURITY AT RISK
The data also revealed that time spent on electronic devices increased as they grew up, starting at approximately four and a half hours a day around age eight and climbing to over eight by age 12, according to the researchers.

And yes, the research confirmed boys spent more time on video games than girls, the paper added.

The study has several limitations, including they only studied a small number of children and all data are correlational, meaning no causal relationship between the variables of interest can be established unequivocally.

"These analyses reveal that media multitasking more than video gaming and total time on media was associated with adverse psychological outcomes and that media multitasking should therefore be considered more intensively in future studies," the paper concluded.

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Digital multitasking can be detrimental to a child's mental health, study warns

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Children face a deluge of electronic information from traditional television and computers to tablets, smartphones and video games, but prior studies examining the impact of electronic media on children and adults have yield mixed results.

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How to raise a lifelong learner, rather than a child who simply aces exams

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How to raise a lifelong learner, rather than a child who simply aces exams

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A good reflection article for educators too and not only for parents

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Commentary: How to raise a lifelong learner, rather than a child who simply aces exams

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With the imminent release of the PSLE results, a researcher discusses how preparing children for life—not just exams—requires us to relearn learning by thinking long-term and outside the (academic) box.

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Technological innovation is fundamentally transforming education, and updating the skills required for modern work. Building future-ready (and pandemic-proof) education systems requires curricula fit for the 21st century, coupled with the consistent delivery of widely-accessible instruction that builds a solid foundation for a lifetime of adapting and developing new abilities. Specialized education should focus in particular on skills that are in demand in the real world, and address the disconnect between employer needs and available talent pools.

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Strategic Intelligence | World Economic Forum

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Strategic insights and contextual intelligence from the World Economic Forum. Explore and monitor the issues and forces driving transformational change across economies, industries and systems.

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Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills which is important for students to be successful in Open and Distance Learning (ODL)

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Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills which is important for students to be successful in Open and Distance Learning (ODL)

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Students who possess SRL characteristics will be independent learners.  SRL is not a fixed trait, but rather a skill that can be developed and honed through experience and practice applying SRL strategies.  Thus, it is important for educators in ODL environment to encourage SRL among students by using suitable strategies and tools.

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Developing Self-regulated Learning skills in University students Studying in the Open & Distance Learning Environment by using KWL Method

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Open and Distance learning (ODL) is considered an important strategy for increasing educational access, improving the quality of education, advocating for peer-to-peer collaboration, and providing learners with a greater sense of responsibility for learning (Calvert, 2006). However, students learning in ODL environments may face more challenges than the students in conventional learning environments.

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Quick summary (by Ping): This article by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) details the rise of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) trend among Gen-Zs, here in Asia (including Singapore). This may have broad implications on the credit risk and debt profile of Gen-Zs, as a whole.

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Micro loans are hot because Gen Zs think ‘buy now pay later’ is cool

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BNPL is the fastest-growing online payment method in countries including Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, at the expense of credit cards, bank transfers, cash on delivery and prepaid cards.

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Mental Health Illnesses On The Rise During Pandemic 

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Mental Health Illnesses On The Rise During Pandemic 

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https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/07/science/pandemic-adolescents-depression-anxiety.html

This is based in USA but I think it is relevant to SG as well as there we are also on social media most of the time due to the pandemic gathering restrictions.

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Creating a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace will bring improvements in talent acquisition, productivity, engagement, and retention.

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With pandemic recovery on the horizon, the resilient companies of the future will cultivate a workforce that is reflective of the customers and communities they serve.

Creating an environment in which all employees can thrive is all the more important given the rise of new barriers to women in the workforce during the pandemic. According to McKinsey, one in four women considered downshifting or even abandoning their careers as a result of COVID-19 measures due to increased domestic responsibilities.

For better workplaces and a more equitable society, business leaders have a responsibility to empower women to further their careers. This is something that I'm particularly passionate about because, unless we can bridge this divide for the future, our daughters, and the generations of women to come, we will still have gender inequality within our workplaces.

Creating a flexible working environment

The traditional nine-to-five in the office is dead. It's important that businesses learn from the pandemic to create workplaces that inspires connection, balance and equality. Recognising employees' different roles and situations, supported by collaborative technologies, means that they can explore what's possible in terms of flexible working arrangements. After all, we've all had to work in different ways over the course of the pandemic, so know it can be done. Some simply don't need to come into the office every day; others might not need to be office-based at all.

Businesses can also reconsider their real estate, to facilitate an environment that better suits employees' needs and new working habits. Ultimately, the future of the office can be a greater place for human connection and a hub for collaboration.

Ensuring representation at every level

The greatest challenge to advancing gender equality in the workplace, particularly in the technology industry, is addressing women's under-representation in emerging roles, such as cloud computing, engineering, data analytics and AI. With a focus on improving skills and reskilling, workforce strategies must ensure that women are better equipped to take advantage of the opportunities that the digital economy offers.

Everyone needs to be given the opportunity to participate in the new digital economy and people are looking to companies to play a leading role in preparing the workforce for the future. We are moving to an all-digital work-from-anywhere world: some jobs will go away, new ones will emerge. In turn, the digital skills gap has accelerated, and reskilling is now a worldwide priority.

To truly build a workplace that looks like society, women need to be represented at every level, particularly on corporate boards and C-Suite positions. Supporting women at all stages of their careers, through mentorship, sponsorship, investing in leadership development programs and inclusive promotions processes, will bring more women to the decision-making table and inspire more to rise from the ranks.

Providing sustainable support for parents

In an all-digital work-from-anywhere world, businesses have an even greater responsibility to create an equal and inclusive environment that translates both in-office and virtually. If flexible working arrangements are not implemented with care these changes put at risk hard-won progress in the fight for pay and workplace equity.

Creating a two-speed workforce in which women choose to work at home and men go back to the office will only put more pressure on women to take on domestic responsibilities. As we normalise women in the workforce, we must normalise the concept of men at home.

Businesses must rethink how they can provide sustainable support for working parents, many of whom lack access to affordable and universal childcare. When it comes to wanting to have children, businesses must support and not punish parents for taking time off and also support them in their journey back to work.

To build more resilient organisations and effect real change post-pandemic, equality must be at the centre of everything we do. Beyond implementing internal employee policies, as leaders we must use our voice, to engage with governments to advocate for sustainable support, for a more equitable workplace and society for everyone.

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Strength in diversity - for better business resilience, empower women in their careers

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With pandemic recovery on the horizon, the resilient companies of the future will cultivate a workforce that is reflective of the customers and communities they serve. Creating an environment in which all employees can thrive is all the more important given the rise of new barriers to women in the workforce during the pandemic.

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https://www.nama.com.sg/print_news/2021/12/14/20211214_N_STS_SGP_4_FC_6900052021121401010201004_WmxktX0BZxsX1eP5tKsJ.JPG

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On 24 Feb 2022 (Thur), when we are busy making TESSy reports ready for our teaching staff, Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine; minutes later, missiles began to hit locations across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. 

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On 24 Feb 2022 (Thur), when we are busy making TESSy reports ready for our teaching staff, Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine; minutes later, missiles began to hit locations across Ukraine, including the capital, Kyiv. 

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Attaching an article for greater common understanding in this post. https://www.nytimes.com/article/russia-ukraine-nato-europe.html

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A Year of War in Ukraine: The Roots of the Crisis

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Here’s a guide to how the biggest war in Europe since World War II came about, and what’s at stake for Russia and the world.

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Just a quick and short article suggesting that WFH might evolve to become WFA (Work From Anywhere) in time to come; and that this trend could be more prevalent among the Gen Z-ers.

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Is WFA – ‘Work From Anywhere’ – The New WFH?

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During the pandemic, nearly all of us got accustomed to WFH – working from home. But according to a new survey, even this could become outdated as we transition to WFA: working from anywhere.

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https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/youth-network-set-give-voice-concerns-university-students-such-mental-health-employability-1827556

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SINGAPORE - A network of youth representatives from five Singapore universities was launched on Saturday (Feb 26) to give voice to issues faced by undergraduates, and it will begin its work by prioritising building better mental health support systems in institutes of higher learning.

The Inter-University Network (IUN) said in a news release that it also aims to focus on building support for vulnerable university students, employability concerns, as well as environmental and sustainability issues.

The network represents some 65,000 students across the five student unions in the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), and Yale-NUS College.

The IUN itself comprises leaders from the respective universities' student governments and unions.

Under the IUN, student union leaders will recommend possible policy initiatives to the Government for consideration, facilitated by the National Youth Council.

As its first initiative, the network said it will be working with clubs and interest groups in six universities - NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, Singapore University of Social Sciences and Singapore Institute of Technology - to understand common mental stressors experienced by undergraduates.

This will include looking into existing prevention and intervention mental health support for students in their respective universities, as well as possible gaps in such support systems.

"The IUN will also be evaluating the impact of mental health stigma in attitudes and behaviours common to university students, such as delivering on commitments, hustle culture and help-seeking (from health care services or trusted people in the community)," said the network.

Once the findings are ready, IUN said it will be shared with university administrations, government agencies, as well as undergraduate student leaders "who have an interest in mental wellbeing issues".

IUN added that its proposed recommendations will be made available in a written report, which the network aims to present at a mental health forum later this year.

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Youth network set up to give voice to concerns of university students, such as mental health, employability

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SINGAPORE - A network of youth representatives from five Singapore universities was launched on Saturday (Feb 26) to give voice to issues faced by undergraduates, and it will begin its work by prioritising building better mental health support systems in institutes of higher learning.

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It's all about love. If we choose to give or flare up just because the situation isn't ideal, we probably won't experience a breakthrough. Beautiful relationships take time to develop, and they are usually not free of problems. On the contrary, they are strengthened by problems like the effect a fertilizer has on plants. There's greatness in giving (but not in giving up). When the parties involved truly care for one another, they will be more inclined to set aside time to find common grounds and make things work. To take turns to listen to and bless one another. That's how relationships flourish in the long run. That's is also why I believe in building a caring campus for our students with my fellow colleagues, and "TP Cares" will continue to have a special place in my heart.

Signing off with a beautiful quote from Jane 'Nightbirde' Marczewski who recently went home to be with the LORD - "You can't wait until life isn't hard anymore before you decide to be happy."

Regards,
Andy

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A whole new world: Education meets the metaverse

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A whole new world: Education meets the metaverse

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Quite a good article to summarise how education can tap on technologies to engage learners. Click on the link to view the full article.
https://www.brookings.edu/research/a-whole-new-world-education-meets-the-metaverse/

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It's an honor to write something here on 08 Mar 2022. Today, we celebrate and reflect on the extraordinary achievements of the amazing women who impacted/shaped our lives, our homes, our society, our nation, and our world. Online shopping deals aside, IWD is also a public holiday in many countries. Let's not forget how far we've come together. #BreaktheBias https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/asian-media-including-the-straits-times-help-break-the-bias-on-international-womens-day

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Asian media, including The Straits Times, help ‘break the bias’ on International Women’s Day

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The World Editors Forum (WEF) and a major Asian media association have come together to amplify the push for women’s equality on International Women’s Day (IWD) on Tuesday (March 8).
. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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(By Tengyi) Is cryptocurrency the next new investment strategy to include to your investment portfolio or is it a hype? What comes to mind when you think about Crypto or is there more to that. Can you really make money out of it?

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Hyperautomation uses many technologies, from process mining tools to AI.

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https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/definition/hyperautomation
Some key points:
1. It is challenging to scale RPA.
2. Hyperautomation centers on adding more intelligence and applying a broader systems-based approach to scaling automation efforts.
2. All leading RPA vendors are adding process mining, digital worker analytics and AI integration etc. to support Hyperautomation.

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You're read about it. You've heard people talking about it too. That's right, the age of digital disruption is here. Technology has become so embedded in our daily lives that it has disrupted not just the way we live our lives, but the way work gets done as well. So much so that the topic on disruptive technologies has become such a hot topic of discussion in almost all industries, as these technologies change the way businesses operate.

In this article, we briefly explore three of the major disruptive technologies and their impact on businesses, as well as why it is important for HR to embrace these technologies to move forward.
Mobile technology
The usage of mobile technology has transformed the way we do business for the better. According to a research report released by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the adoption of mobile technology can help companies build greater employee loyalty, satisfaction, productivity and creativity. Employees who consider their employers to be mobile technology 'pioneers' recorded 16% higher for productivity, 18% higher for creativity, 23% for satisfaction and 21% for loyalty, compared to those who say their employer is poor at using mobile technology.

Essentially, it makes sense for HR professionals to utilise the usage of mobile technology to attract more talent. Investment can be made on mobile-friendly application systems to expand the outreach of talent pool. Instant communication can easily be achieved using mobile technology. By providing real-time feedback and responses to candidates, it creates better candidate experience and can improve the employer branding of a company.
Social media
Social media is another major form of disruption that has changed the way information is shared throughout organisations. Employees today have the ability to voice out their ideas or opinions and become leaders in their own right on any topic that matters. In fact, social media is forging a new era in business transparency where both candidates and employees receive greater insight on how things are being done internally.

Savvy HR professionals should establish a strong social media presence and utilise it not just for recruitment, but to build relationships by engaging with their clients/candidates and talented potential candidates who may not even be actively looking for a job. Social media is also a powerful tool for HR professionals and businesses to closely monitor the activities of their competitors, and to keep up with relevant industry news and trends.
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing has been one of the most disruptive trends in the IT world over the past decade. As a platform to deliver computing services over the Internet, the technology has quickly evolved and impacted not only the IT department but virtually all other departments in an organisation. According to the latest update by the International Data Corporation (IDC), worldwide spending on public cloud services is forecast to reach $160 billion in 2018, an increase of 23.2% from 2017.

One of the biggest advantages that cloud computing can bring for HR is the centralisation of data. This means seamless and easy access to employee data, all in one location. HR data and important information are now more accessible to employees, bridging the gap between HR and other departments. More importantly, this potentially improves the employee experience, resulting in better employee engagement. The best part is, cloud computing HR software is so widely available these days that it does not come with a hefty price, making the investment more worthwhile.

Forward-thinking HR professionals must accept the fact that these digital disruptions are here to stay. To take advantage of these disruptors, HR should thrive to become champions of this change within their organisations. Check out this article on how HR can work towards a digital transformation.

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3 Digital Technologies Disrupt Your Work | JobStreet SG Employer

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You're read about it. You've heard people talking about it too. That's right, the age of digital disruption is here. Technology has become so embedded in our daily lives that it has disrupted not just the way we live our lives, but the way work gets done as well.

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https://www.simplilearn.com/top-disruptive-technologies-article

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Let's face it-2020 has been a pretty tough and disruptive year for everyone in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this current reality, we're still charging on into the future.

New advances in technology are still disrupting our lives-in many cases-for the best. In this spirit, let's take a look at the top disruptive technologies we are seeing in 2021. Note that some of them are already in place, but they are still evolving and changing at a rapid pace, meaning the impact of these advances will only amplify.

3D Printing

While we don't yet have matter replicators like seen on Star Trek, 3D printing is a good start. With the proper equipment, software, and raw material, we can "print" various objects. This chart shows how 3D printing use is rising and where it's projected to go.

Since 3D printing lets people create what they need in-house, the technology could disrupt mass-production manufacturing and goods transportation.

5G and Improved Connectivity

Fifth-generation mobile connectivity is here, providing more incredible speed and higher quality video streaming. This increased speed will make remote working a more viable option because you have compatibility with previous versions of the protocols, higher global connectivity, more bandwidth and video capacity, tighter security controls, and more. There will be countless opportunities in this mobile networking field as it continues to grow and evolve.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI is already a big part of our lives, but it hasn't reached its full potential in either capabilities or ubiquity. Although artificial intelligence is making significant inroads in the customer service industry, it still has a long way to go.

Artificial intelligence helps businesses understand the changing nature of human habits and behavior and better predict the next hot item. AI developments result in more sophisticated algorithms, aiding marketers to adapt to new markets and trends.

Thanks to these benefits, AI is a technological field that can explode into a multi-trillion dollar industry.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning contribute significantly to automation and robotics, which leads us to:

Automation and Robotics

We've seen the rise of drones, self-driving trucks, and robots in the manufacturing sector, but this is just the beginning. There have already been gigabytes of text written about how robotics is a disruptive force in the workforce, replacing humans with cheaper, more reliable machines. It's easy to find dire predictions of massive unemployment in the wake of a machine takeover. According to this article, over 120 million workers world-wide will need to be retrained over the next few years, owing to robots and AI.

While there will undoubtedly be some attrition in the labor force, the picture isn't as bleak as the prophets of doom would have you believe. After all, greater numbers of robots and automated systems mean more professionals to program and maintain them. Those kinds of jobs pay more than simple assembly-line grunt work.

Our COVID-filled modern society and the unique demands demonstrate the potential usefulness of robots in administering care in assisted living situations, particularly for the elderly. Robots neither get sick nor spread infection, reducing risks for both the caregivers and their patients. Drones can handle contactless delivery of much-needed supplies such as medication.

Cyber Security Advances

Criminals practice their shady activities wherever people congregate, and since everyone's online these days, we have cybercriminals to contend with. Even worse, cybercriminals have exploited the coronavirus crisis to their ends.

Fortunately, there are advances in cyber security to fight those threats. Because of advances in AI and machine learning, cyber security experts design better firewalls and intrusion detection tools.

Cyber-criminals will be the ones feeling the results of advances in this disruptive technology, so that's not a bad thing.

Edge Computing

In the mainframe age, we had giant computers connected to "dumb" terminals. Eventually, this changed into the client-server model. Now, we have the cloud. As we have moved from model-to-model, a new one has emerged.

Edge computing is already one of the most disruptive technologies in IT. At a basic level, it is an automated way to get nearer to the cloud-like compute power you need, with better latency issues. It's not so much eliminating the cloud as it is bringing it closer to you.

Edge computing offers less latency, increased security, and greater bandwidth. As edge computing takes off, it will continue to disrupt the larger cloud providers or shift more control to the companies that become more adept at implementing it.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

When a user gets placed in a computer-generated environment, that's virtual reality (VR). When the user wears a headset or glasses and has computer-generated images projected onto their field of vision, that's augmented reality (AR). Together, they comprise the field of extended reality (XR).

Fields such as healthcare and education stand to benefit significantly from VR and AR. VR can conduct medical diagnoses and examinations. Overcrowded classrooms or situations where children need to learn at home (there's that coronavirus again) can benefit from XR solutions, assuring that every student gets the education they need without risking infection from a global pandemic.

XR methods could possibly revolutionize (i.e., disrupt) currently established means of medical practice and education.

Headless Tech

No, this has nothing to do with decapitation. It describes technology that allows businesses to decouple their front-end user interface from their back-end ecommerce data solutions. If you tell your Amazon Alexa to purchase and ship you the latest Stephen King novel, you're using headless tech.

Since 86 percent of business leaders surveyed report increasingly rising customer acquisition costs, the ecommerce world needs more innovative, cost-effective solutions that attract and retain new users. Headless tech can be that potential game-changer, providing would-be customers with a more engaging, less time-consuming shopping experience.

As this trend catches on, it will upend the entire ecommerce model, with businesses scrambling to incorporate headless tech or get left behind in the dust. Could headless tech make traditional ecommerce purchasing methods obsolete?

The Rise of "As-a-Service" Computing

This computing model has been with us for a while now. We have software-as-a-service (SaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). These cloud-based, on-demand platforms have revolutionized the IT world. For instance, why buy a physical copy of a video game or word processing utility when you can just get access to it via a cloud subscription? Or how about Zoom, which has rocketed to worldwide popularity thanks to the pandemic?

Providers that offer scalable cloud-based solutions are riding high these days, and the cost, convenience, and reliability make cloud solutions an attractive choice. As more "as a service" options become available in more industries, people and organizations will abandon the older computing methods in favor of this far superior delivery system.

The Work-From-Home Revolution

It's funny how a worldwide pandemic has completely turned our lives upside-down and influenced our technological innovations and development. This is unsurprising, as warfare spurns more incredible technological advances, and we are arguably at war with this deadly contagion.

Businesses wanting to continue functioning during these trying times have set up infrastructure to allow better work-at-home capabilities. Advances in related technology, some of which we've already discussed, make working at home a viable, efficient option.

And it needn't be an "all or nothing" proposition. Businesses can have their employees work mostly from home but have them doing their jobs in-house one or two days a week.

If a company's employees work from home, the business has fewer infrastructure costs, making this a flexible, cost-effective strategy. The ongoing COVID-19 situation has shown how easy it is to work from home. Will more companies embrace this after the pandemic ends, citing cost-cutting measures? Are we seeing the end of the modern office space as we know it?

Voice-Activated Searches

Are we seeing the end of the user sitting at their laptop or phone, trying to type in a search on Google? More users are turning to voice-activated searches, asking their phones where the nearest pizza place is or where they can find a deal on novelty face masks.

As more people conduct these voice-activated searches from their cars, jogging track, or local cafe, digital marketers will have to rethink their approach to improving search engine optimization (SEO). Rather than just pulling out a few keywords, marketers will find themselves having to rely more on long-tail keywords.

There will be some interesting days ahead for digital marketers.

Want to Join the Revolution in Disruptive Technologies?

Simplilearn has a vast range of learning resources ideally suited to help you embrace and benefit from the future's disruptive technologies. If any of the technologies listed above have piqued your interest, you can take courses and gain certification in many different career-making fields.

For instance, you can gain certification in Machine Learning and its association with Artificial Intelligence. Or maybe you want to get an Introduction to Cyber Security. And since the Internet of Things appears increasingly in our everyday life, you can learn how you and your company can benefit from it. Finally, considering how many of the above technologies rely on the cloud, learn how to master cloud architecture.

Wherever your digital passions lie, Simplilearn has the bootcamps and resources you need to be ready for the disruptive technologies of the future!

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Top Disruptive Technologies to Watch Out for in 2021

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Let's face it-2020 has been a pretty tough and disruptive year for everyone in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this current reality, we're still charging on into the future. New advances in technology are still disrupting our lives-in many cases-for the best.

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Just something interesting, related to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. As part of the White House's info ops targeting Gen Z, they have apparently engaged top Gen Z influencers to create TikTok videos to educate Gen z-ers about the facts of the invasion.

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In my article on the value-chain of the metaverse, I described the seven layers of the ecosystem. In this article I'm going to focus-in on three of the most important metaverse companies - Unity, Epic Games and Roblox - and describe the commonalities and differences.

Let's start with where companies (and some open source projects) sit within the market ( version 6 .1 - updated November 24, 2021):

Brief recap of what each of these layers represent:

Experience is what we actually engage with: games, social experiences, live music, etc.

Discovery is how people learn that an experience exists.

The Creator Economy is everything that helps creators make and monetize things for the metaverse: design tools, animation systems, graphics tools, monetization technologies, etc. Read The Evolution of the Creator Economy for more insights on how these markets evolve.

Spatial Computing refers to the software that brings objects into 3D, computing into objects in the world, and allow us to interact with them. It includes 3D engines, gesture recognition, spatial mapping, and AI to support it.

Decentralization is everything that is moving more of the ecosystem to a permissionless, distributed and more democratized structure.

Human Interface refers to the hardware that helps us access the metaverse - everything from mobile devices to VR headsets to future technologies like advanced haptics and smartglasses.

Infrastructure is the semiconductors, material science, cloud computing and telecommunications networks that make it possible to construct any of the higher layers.

For the purpose of clarity, I had to make some judgments about where to place certain companies and products: there are smaller or "hobby" scale projects across virtually all of the categories, and I didn't attempt to recognize absolutely everything - but I think this is where most of the significant companies are located. For very large companies, I recognized that they have sub-brands that could be recognized in multiple categories. If you think I missed anything, I'd be happy to hear your input for a future update!

Now, back to the three large platforms that we'll be differentiating: Unity, Epic Games and Roblox. It is important to realize that each of these companies has gotten so large that it has significant efforts across multiple layers of the metaverse onion.

The core of Unity is their 3D development platform, a fully-integrated 3D engine and design studio for game developers, AR/VR/XR and metaverse experiences. It supports a large ecosystem of plug-ins and assets available through their Asset Store.

Unity generates a substantial portion of its revenue through the Unity Ads network - one of the big-three video ad networks along with Facebook and Google.

Epic just raised another $1B in private capital and the list of categories they exist in is impressive:

Roblox is often the most misunderstood of these three companies because they are sometimes called a "game." But Roblox itself is not a game; it is a platform containing a multitude of games.

Roblox does not make games of their own - like Unity, they're leaving that entirely to their creators. But like Epic, they've used the platform as a place for online live concerts, such as Lil Nas X's concert that reached an astounding 33 million people on Roblox. The Roblox business model is to split revenue between their creators and themselves.

The discovery-layer of Roblox is essentially a "YouTube for Games" where you can discover what other creators have made. Imagine everything that YouTube does for videos - and then think of how the curation, discovery, social structure and ratings apply to a vast network of games. Roblox has an advertising platform that can be used to promote games in this ecosystem, although they receive a relatively small portion of their revenue from this compared to the concerted effort at Unity to create a competitive ad network.

Roblox has their own proprietary 3D engine which is integrated with their design platform as well as a marketplace that creators use to share assets and code with each other.

The similarity between these companies is that each provides a way for creators to make experiences and games for the metaverse. How they monetize and enable creators varies substantially.

One of the big distinctions is sources of revenue: Unity gets an enormous amount of revenue from their ad network, which surpasses the license revenue they receive for their development platform. Epic gets massive revenue from their own games, such as Fortnite - and also collects a revenue share from other products that build on their engine; and Roblox gets most of their revenue from sales of Robux, which they split with their creators.

Both Epic and Roblox have a significant social ecosystem that wraps-around their stores and experiences. Unity has left the social and gameplay experiences to their own customers.

Each company has enormous value to mine from the metaverse over the next several years. How they build beyond that will depend on how they continue to build upon the successes of their products, expand into adjacent domains, and continue to supp ort the creator economy.
Note: to see how Facebook/Meta fits into this same model, read Are you a creator in any of these platforms? Why? What do you love, and what worries you? Let me know in the comments below! Facebook as a Metaverse Company. And to see how Apple, Facebook/Meta and Microsoft compare to each other in, read Clash of the Metaverse Titans.
If you enjoyed this coverage of the market structure of the metaverse, I think you'll enjoy flipping through these slides:

After you've enjoyed that, please enjoy a couple other articles. Here are two favorites:

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In my article on the value-chain of the metaverse, I described the seven layers of the ecosystem. In this article I'm going to focus-in on three of the most important metaverse companies - Unity, Epic Games and Roblox - and describe the commonalities and differences.

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While Gen Z-ers self report that they engage in 'lateral reading' i.e. good habits to check for misinformation online such as looking across multiple info sources on a single topic...research on their actual info search practices suggests that they are in actual fact not actively engaging in fact-checking when engaging with online information.

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Essentially, the study concludes that younger people are more likely to think they may have unintentionally shared false or misleading information-often driven by the pressure to share emotional content quickly. However, they are also more adept at using advanced fact-checking techniques.

One-third of Gen Z respondents said they practice lateral reading always or most of the time when verifying information-more than double the percentage of boomers. About a third of younger people also said they run searches on multiple search engines to compare results, and go past the first page of search results.

Portions of the survey provide an interesting snapshot of how people of different ages, and in different locations, experience misinformation and think about their own role in stopping or spreading it: 62% of all respondents believe they see misinformation online every week, for instance. Gen Z, millennial, and Gen X readers are more confident in their ability to spot misinformation and more concerned that their close family and friends might believe something misleading online.

However, the study relies on participants to accurately report their own beliefs and habits. And the optimistic figures about Gen Z's actual habits contrast pretty starkly with other findings on how people verify information online.

Sam Wineburg, a Stanford University professor who studies fact-checking practices, thinks he knows why that might be: when you're trying to understand how people actually behave on the internet, "self-report," he says, "is bullshit."

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Google examines how different generations handle misinformation

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Essentially, the study concludes that younger people are more likely to think they may have unintentionally shared false or misleading information-often driven by the pressure to share emotional content quickly. However, they are also more adept at using advanced fact-checking techniques.

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The Singapore Green Plan 2030 is a national sustainability movement which seeks to rally bold and collective action to tackle climate change. The Green Plan charts ambitious and concrete targets over the next 10 years, strengthening Singapore’s commitments under the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement, and positioning us to achieve our long-term net zero emissions aspiration as soon as viable. Please refer to above infographics for more detail.

Source: https://www.greenplan.gov.sg/resources/infographics

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https://www.nccs.gov.sg/singapores-climate-action/impact-of-climate-change-in-singapore/

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https://www.nccs.gov.sg/singapores-climate-action/mitigation-efforts/

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Interesting read. On the contrary,  since we know that some jobs will be replaced by AI, robots, and automation, let's look at what are those which will not be! (TY)

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Interesting read. On the contrary,  since we know that some jobs will be replaced by AI, robots, and automation, let's look at what are those which will not be! (TY)

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https://earthweb.com/how-many-jobs-have-been-replaced-by-technology/

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How many jobs have been replaced by technology in 2022?

Automation technology is estimated to eliminate around 73 million of all jobs in the United States by 2030, which is equal to a shocking 46% of all current jobs.

As we watch the job market evolve, we see more automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technology being utilized.

For example, chat agents are being replaced by automated chat systems, and checkout registers are being gradually replaced by self-checkout options.

So, how many jobs have been replaced by technology?

This number is in the millions and will account for nearly 50% of jobs in the United States within the next 8 years, according to the data.

The next few paragraphs will discuss how many jobs have been replaced by technology and other related data to the topic.

Let's dig into this topic.

How Many Jobs Have Been Replaced by Technology?

We will cut to the chase and address the topic straight on before addressing related data.

Automation is set to replace 20 million manufacturing jobs in the U.S. by 2030.

Automation technology is estimated to eliminate around 73 million of all jobs in the United States by 2030, which is equal to a shocking 46% of all current jobs.

It's hard to believe that almost 50% of the job market as we know it will not be available for human employment, but instead be replaced with robots, automation, and AI technologies.

Let's talk about the jobs that have been or will be affected, jobs that won't be affected, and how to prevent your job from being affected.

How Many Jobs Have Been or Replaced by Technology via Automation, Robotics, and AI?

Here are 15 jobs that have been or soon will be replaced by AI/automation:

1. Accountants

We already know that there are accounting software programs that do much of the work of an accountant already.

Due to the nature of numbers and accounting theory, these systems will have no need for monitoring or tracking.

2. Ad Salespeople

Advertising sales has and will continue to shift from print media to digital ads and marketing.

Marketing on social media and online are more cost-efficient and offer options for local, region, territory/state, nation, and global reach.

3. Benefits Managers

Since benefits managers mostly deal with paperwork, this job will be replaced by automation to save time and money, especially for large corporations.

4. Bookkeeping and Data Entry Clerks

Much like accounting, bookkeeping software programs can do the job faster and more efficiently than humans, so it will likely be replaced with AI.

Also data entry is likely to also go the way of the robot.

5. Customer Service Executives

Certain customer service roles have been and will be replaced by AI. If you have recently contacted Amazon.com's chat for support or customer service, you will see that the process is totally automated now.

The thought is that this kind of job requires less emotional intelligence (EQ) and social interactions to perform. Whether you agree or disagree with that concept, it's still happening.

6. Delivery Jobs/Couriers

There has already been some level of replacements in the courier and delivery driver job market.

The use of self-driving vehicles, drones, and other robotics is currently in use in various countries all over the globe.

The idea is to create better supply chain options, save money, and to achieve higher efficiency.

In the coming years, you can expect to be interacting more with robotic surgeons when it comes to performing critical and major surgeries.

It's believed that the accuracy and preciseness of robotic surgeons will mitigate human error in the area of infections. Also, they consider this a more sterile option.

8. Market Research Analysts

Companies wouldn't be successful without market research analytics. They are skilled with creating content, marketing campaigns, and product development.

AI has been created to automate this role, so robots can perform surveys and market research to produce sophisticated reports.

9. Proofreaders

New innovations in programs like spelling and grammar checking, proofreader jobs will be replaced with AI and software.

Bloggers will be able to check their writing using these tools within blogging platforms like WordPress to correct sentence structure, grammatical errors, and offer plagiarism detection.

10. Receptionists

Receptionists are already being replaced by phone automation, IVR, and online scheduling systems. Remote offices will be human-free in a matter of years.

11. Retail Salespeople

Much like customer service jobs, retail jobs will become automated as shopping is done more online than offline.

12. Security Guards

Technology has evolved in the area of technology enough to replace more security guard jobs.

The development and improvement of facial recognition, robot guards, and other AI, will eliminate the need for human security guards.

13. Soldiers

Over the past several years, likely longer than we might realize, there has been an increase in robotic usage in military operations all over the globe.

This includes the areas of surveillance and intelligence to name two. The idea here is to have robots that follow orders without hesitation and without constant supervision.

14. Transportation Jobs- Taxi and Bus Drivers

Self-driving vehicles with autonomous features will take over the entire transportation sector.

15. Telemarketers

The telemarketing sector is gradually shrinking in human agents as robots take over this job market.

There is little to no emotional or intelligence required to do this job, nor does a person require social skills to work in this career.

AI has already shown success in this job market for generating phone sales.

How Many Jobs Have Been Replaced by Technology? Jobs that Aren't at Risk.

Just like the jobs that are more likely to be replaced by AI, robots, and automation, there are some that aren't at risk.

1. High-level Executives (CEO, CFO, COO, etc.)

The role of a chief executive officer in an organization cannot be automated. Managing employees is just one of the tasks performed by chief executives.

They are key to motivating teams, resolving conflict, mentoring, etc. Leadership and people skills are necessary, which involves EQ that no machine can offer.

The job of clergy like ministers, preachers, priests, etc., exhibit emotions, faith, love, and empathy.

They are skilled, and often have the natural ability to instill confidence, inspire, and guide people. A robot cannot exhibit these qualities.

While proofreading software can take over most human tasks for the written word, editors provide the human touch for clarity, accuracy, and the originality of content.

It's not something a machine can do.

4. Event Planners

Event planners have people skills that cannot be programmed into a robot. It also requires creativity, quick-thinking, and organization skills. The success of any event relies on the human factor.

5. Graphic Designers

You might think that AI could replace graphic designers, but that is another area that requires the human touch.

Creativity is key, as is the ability to meet the needs of clients in tastes and preferences. C

ombining art with techniques is not something that can be programmed for creating original graphics.

6. Human Resource Managers

Human resources managers (HR) deal with employees and must have people skills, emotional intelligence, the ability to reason and resolve conflict, and be present for other interpersonal relations.

This is another job market where AI and robots cannot thrive.

Lawyers are trained and learn to use the law to the favor of their clients. Robots are currently unable to adapt to this role.

Therefore, robots cannot persuade humans, making this job a human job.

8. Marketing Managers

Marketing managers are skilled employees that can create content, oversee marketing campaigns, interpret analytical data, and monitor current trends.

They can also read feedback and use it to the benefit of their clients. AI programs cannot currently respond to the needs and changes the way humans can.

9. Project Managers

The job of the project manager is also people centric. They must have the EQ and leadership skills to manage a team. This is not something that can be programmed.

10. Public Relations Managers

Public relations managers revolve around building relationships that cannot be programmed into AI. This is a human-centric role.

11. Psychiatrists

Psychiatrists deal with people and must continually learn how the brain works.

Robots lack the emotional intelligence to express feelings, show compassion or empathy, or connect with humans like another human can.

12. Sales Managers

Sales managers, like psychiatrists, require emotional intelligence. They also need to be able to keep customers and corporate satisfied.

There is a fine and balanced blend that cannot be programmed into a robot for this role.

13. Scientists

Scientists perform a wide range of research that no machine can be programmed to do. However, AI does help with some data analysis and other calculations in this field.

14. Software Developers

Developing software is a challenge for humans much less being impossible for AI to handle. Each client has customizations and requirements that don't fit a standard model.

Writers are people who regularly generate quality and original content. They use their imagination and creativity to produce engaging and informative content.

AI programs can write articles, but not like a human can. Writing isn't a role that can be fully automated.

You can see why these jobs aren't on the list of how many jobs have been replaced by technology.

How Many Jobs Have Been Replaced by Technology Facts

In America, there are 293,200 industrial robots in use. That number increases each year by about 40,000.

85% of Americans are okay with automation in jobs where danger or health risks exist.

37% of Americans are concerned that automation will replace their jobs leaving them in the displaced worker category.

25% of jobs in America are susceptible to automation technology.

As of 2020, there are about 3 million working industrial robots all over the world.

How Many Jobs Have Been Replaced by Technology? Preventing the Risk of Automation Taking Your Job

You can train or skills that provide you with a career in one of the jobs that aren't likely to be replaced by automation, or you can train to get involved in the technology that is overtaking jobs.

Also, according to the Harvard Business Review, while 85 million jobs may be displaced by the increase of automation, AI, or robots, there will be 97 million new jobs emerging by 2025.

A few examples:

AI and machine learning jobs

Data analysts

Business development professionals

Information security analysts

Mechanics and machine repair technicians

Risk management specialists

Fintech engineers

Also, cloud computing and the green economy will generate millions of jobs.

These jobs may mitigate your worry of how many jobs have been replaced by technology.

Conclusion

Overall, there is no reason to worry about how many jobs have been replaced by technology, or how many will be replaced.

Instead of worrying over this topic, adapt and look into changing career fields where technology is apt to displace your current job.

Being prepared is better than worrying about what you will do if you're displaced by a robot, AI, or other automation technology.

How do you feel about all these jobs being overtaken by technology? How many jobs have been replaced by technology so far, and how many will be replaced in the future with your view?

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How Many Jobs Have Been Replaced By Technology? (2022 Research) - EarthWeb

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How many jobs have been replaced by technology in 2022? Automation technology is estimated to eliminate around 73 million of all jobs in the United States by 2030, which is equal to a shocking 46% of all current jobs. As we watch the job market evolve, we see more automation and artificial intelligence (AI) technology being utilized.

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Here is a list of top disruptive technologies we are seeing in 2022. Some of which we are advocates of. Are we eliminating ourselves!? (TY)

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Here is a list of top disruptive technologies we are seeing in 2022. Some of which we are advocates of. Are we eliminating ourselves!? (TY)

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https://www.simplilearn.com/top-disruptive-technologies-article

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Let's face it-2020 has been a pretty tough and disruptive year for everyone in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this current reality, we're still charging on into the future.

New advances in technology are still disrupting our lives-in many cases-for the best. In this spirit, let's take a look at the top disruptive technologies we are seeing in 2021. Note that some of them are already in place, but they are still evolving and changing at a rapid pace, meaning the impact of these advances will only amplify.

3D Printing

While we don't yet have matter replicators like seen on Star Trek, 3D printing is a good start. With the proper equipment, software, and raw material, we can "print" various objects. This chart shows how 3D printing use is rising and where it's projected to go.

Since 3D printing lets people create what they need in-house, the technology could disrupt mass-production manufacturing and goods transportation.

5G and Improved Connectivity

Fifth-generation mobile connectivity is here, providing more incredible speed and higher quality video streaming. This increased speed will make remote working a more viable option because you have compatibility with previous versions of the protocols, higher global connectivity, more bandwidth and video capacity, tighter security controls, and more. There will be countless opportunities in this mobile networking field as it continues to grow and evolve.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

AI is already a big part of our lives, but it hasn't reached its full potential in either capabilities or ubiquity. Although artificial intelligence is making significant inroads in the customer service industry, it still has a long way to go.

Artificial intelligence helps businesses understand the changing nature of human habits and behavior and better predict the next hot item. AI developments result in more sophisticated algorithms, aiding marketers to adapt to new markets and trends.

Thanks to these benefits, AI is a technological field that can explode into a multi-trillion dollar industry.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning contribute significantly to automation and robotics, which leads us to:

Automation and Robotics

We've seen the rise of drones, self-driving trucks, and robots in the manufacturing sector, but this is just the beginning. There have already been gigabytes of text written about how robotics is a disruptive force in the workforce, replacing humans with cheaper, more reliable machines. It's easy to find dire predictions of massive unemployment in the wake of a machine takeover. According to this article, over 120 million workers world-wide will need to be retrained over the next few years, owing to robots and AI.

While there will undoubtedly be some attrition in the labor force, the picture isn't as bleak as the prophets of doom would have you believe. After all, greater numbers of robots and automated systems mean more professionals to program and maintain them. Those kinds of jobs pay more than simple assembly-line grunt work.

Our COVID-filled modern society and the unique demands demonstrate the potential usefulness of robots in administering care in assisted living situations, particularly for the elderly. Robots neither get sick nor spread infection, reducing risks for both the caregivers and their patients. Drones can handle contactless delivery of much-needed supplies such as medication.

Cyber Security Advances

Criminals practice their shady activities wherever people congregate, and since everyone's online these days, we have cybercriminals to contend with. Even worse, cybercriminals have exploited the coronavirus crisis to their ends.

Fortunately, there are advances in cyber security to fight those threats. Because of advances in AI and machine learning, cyber security experts design better firewalls and intrusion detection tools.

Cyber-criminals will be the ones feeling the results of advances in this disruptive technology, so that's not a bad thing.

Edge Computing

In the mainframe age, we had giant computers connected to "dumb" terminals. Eventually, this changed into the client-server model. Now, we have the cloud. As we have moved from model-to-model, a new one has emerged.

Edge computing is already one of the most disruptive technologies in IT. At a basic level, it is an automated way to get nearer to the cloud-like compute power you need, with better latency issues. It's not so much eliminating the cloud as it is bringing it closer to you.

Edge computing offers less latency, increased security, and greater bandwidth. As edge computing takes off, it will continue to disrupt the larger cloud providers or shift more control to the companies that become more adept at implementing it.

Virtual and Augmented Reality

When a user gets placed in a computer-generated environment, that's virtual reality (VR). When the user wears a headset or glasses and has computer-generated images projected onto their field of vision, that's augmented reality (AR). Together, they comprise the field of extended reality (XR).

Fields such as healthcare and education stand to benefit significantly from VR and AR. VR can conduct medical diagnoses and examinations. Overcrowded classrooms or situations where children need to learn at home (there's that coronavirus again) can benefit from XR solutions, assuring that every student gets the education they need without risking infection from a global pandemic.

XR methods could possibly revolutionize (i.e., disrupt) currently established means of medical practice and education.

Headless Tech

No, this has nothing to do with decapitation. It describes technology that allows businesses to decouple their front-end user interface from their back-end ecommerce data solutions. If you tell your Amazon Alexa to purchase and ship you the latest Stephen King novel, you're using headless tech.

Since 86 percent of business leaders surveyed report increasingly rising customer acquisition costs, the ecommerce world needs more innovative, cost-effective solutions that attract and retain new users. Headless tech can be that potential game-changer, providing would-be customers with a more engaging, less time-consuming shopping experience.

As this trend catches on, it will upend the entire ecommerce model, with businesses scrambling to incorporate headless tech or get left behind in the dust. Could headless tech make traditional ecommerce purchasing methods obsolete?

The Rise of "As-a-Service" Computing

This computing model has been with us for a while now. We have software-as-a-service (SaaS), infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), and platform-as-a-service (PaaS). These cloud-based, on-demand platforms have revolutionized the IT world. For instance, why buy a physical copy of a video game or word processing utility when you can just get access to it via a cloud subscription? Or how about Zoom, which has rocketed to worldwide popularity thanks to the pandemic?

Providers that offer scalable cloud-based solutions are riding high these days, and the cost, convenience, and reliability make cloud solutions an attractive choice. As more "as a service" options become available in more industries, people and organizations will abandon the older computing methods in favor of this far superior delivery system.

The Work-From-Home Revolution

It's funny how a worldwide pandemic has completely turned our lives upside-down and influenced our technological innovations and development. This is unsurprising, as warfare spurns more incredible technological advances, and we are arguably at war with this deadly contagion.

Businesses wanting to continue functioning during these trying times have set up infrastructure to allow better work-at-home capabilities. Advances in related technology, some of which we've already discussed, make working at home a viable, efficient option.

And it needn't be an "all or nothing" proposition. Businesses can have their employees work mostly from home but have them doing their jobs in-house one or two days a week.

If a company's employees work from home, the business has fewer infrastructure costs, making this a flexible, cost-effective strategy. The ongoing COVID-19 situation has shown how easy it is to work from home. Will more companies embrace this after the pandemic ends, citing cost-cutting measures? Are we seeing the end of the modern office space as we know it?

Voice-Activated Searches

Are we seeing the end of the user sitting at their laptop or phone, trying to type in a search on Google? More users are turning to voice-activated searches, asking their phones where the nearest pizza place is or where they can find a deal on novelty face masks.

As more people conduct these voice-activated searches from their cars, jogging track, or local cafe, digital marketers will have to rethink their approach to improving search engine optimization (SEO). Rather than just pulling out a few keywords, marketers will find themselves having to rely more on long-tail keywords.

There will be some interesting days ahead for digital marketers.

Want to Join the Revolution in Disruptive Technologies?

Simplilearn has a vast range of learning resources ideally suited to help you embrace and benefit from the future's disruptive technologies. If any of the technologies listed above have piqued your interest, you can take courses and gain certification in many different career-making fields.

For instance, you can gain certification in Machine Learning and its association with Artificial Intelligence. Or maybe you want to get an Introduction to Cyber Security. And since the Internet of Things appears increasingly in our everyday life, you can learn how you and your company can benefit from it. Finally, considering how many of the above technologies rely on the cloud, learn how to master cloud architecture.

Wherever your digital passions lie, Simplilearn has the bootcamps and resources you need to be ready for the disruptive technologies of the future!

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Top Disruptive Technologies to Watch Out for in 2021

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Let's face it-2020 has been a pretty tough and disruptive year for everyone in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this current reality, we're still charging on into the future. New advances in technology are still disrupting our lives-in many cases-for the best.

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The article mentioned that in order for businesses to support the mental well-being of the staff, they need:
1) develop and maintain active, two-way communication channels with employees - an “open dialogue”
2) adopt a set of wellbeing practices we call “active resilience” which focus on the causes of mental health concerns, as opposed to simply the symptoms

Do we have such support in TP? To help staff manage their anxiety or prevent them from being burnt out?  There is a lot of support for students tough in this matter.  Is the lunch time talk on this issue sufficient?

Just my 2 cents.

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Mental Health

Employee mental health was a major issue well before the pandemic, affecting almost everyone. Image: UNSPLASH/Mateus Campus Felipe

Global Board Effectiveness and Sustainability Lead, Accenture

Sustainability Research Specialist, Accenture

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'Open dialogue' and 'active resilience' are of particular relevance to companies looking to value employee's mental health. Image: Accenture/World Economic Forum, Shaping the Sustainable Organization, 2021

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Why organizations need to focus on their employees' mental health

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Mental Health Employee mental health was a major issue well before the pandemic, affecting almost everyone. Image: UNSPLASH/Mateus Campus Felipe Global Board Effectiveness and Sustainability Lead, Accenture Sustainability Research Specialist, Accenture Stay up to date: Mental Health Follow 'Open dialogue' and 'active resilience' are of particular relevance to companies looking to value employee's mental health.

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Instead of (only) asking, “What workforce do I need for my strategy?” workforce ecosystems enable leaders to ask, “What strategy is possible with my workforce?”

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The Future of Work is Through Workforce Ecosystems

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The Future of Work is Through Workforce Ecosystems

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https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/technology-and-the-future-of-work/future-of-work-workforce-ecosystem.html

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The Power of Diversity & Inclusion on Nation Building

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The Power of Diversity & Inclusion on Nation Building

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2022/07/26/most-us-billion-dollar-startups-have-an-immigrant-founder/

https://workpermit.com/news/more-half-us-startup-unicorns-founded-immigrants-20220801

Although this article is nicely presented in the American context, we mustn't forget that our little red dot was founded & established by pioneers who were also immigrants to start with. Blessed reading.

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My fellow Singaporeans

Good evening.

COVID-19

We have come a long way in our fight against COVID-19. We are now learning to live with the virus. With each infection wave, we have managed the impact better. The latest, the Omicron BA.5 wave, is now subsiding.

In many other countries, when a wave happens, cases shoot up furiously and then crash down suddenly, like a roller coaster. And when cases shoot up like that hospitals come under a lot of pressure. In Singapore, our waves grow as well as tail off more gradually. This suggests we have been effective in slowing down disease transmission. We have spread out the impact, and prevented our hospitals from being overwhelmed.

Thus far, we have had fewer than 1,600 COVID-19-related deaths. Every death is one too many. But if our mortality rates had been like other countries, we could easily have suffered 10,000 COVID-19 deaths, or more by now. Our collective efforts have saved many lives.

Key to our success has been the high level of trust in our society. In some countries, a precaution as simple and essential as mask wearing became a heated point of contention. But in Singapore, people worked with and not against one another. You trusted your Government. You patiently endured rounds of easing and tightening measures despite the inconvenience. The Government upheld your trust by being open and transparent. We spoke directly to you, shared information readily, and gave you the full facts even when things did not look good. Above all, there was trust amongst Singaporeans that we would each do the right thing and have each other's back. You practised personal and social responsibility. You took your vaccinations when your turn came, protecting yourself, plus everyone around you and society as a whole. You kept your masks on, especially indoors. You conscientiously washed your hands after coming home. You have also become experts at swabbing yourselves using ART kits - what used to be an unpleasant experience has now become a routine chore. And if two red lines appeared, you self-isolated to protect others. Everyone did our part to keep us all safe.

Many of you went out of your way to help others. For example Mdm Alice Chua, who is a retiree. She volunteered at vaccination centres in East Coast, and brought fellow seniors to their appointments. Because she spoke Malay and dialects, she also bridged language gaps, and could reassure and comfort the seniors during their jabs. Every bit counted in our national vaccination campaign! Or take Mdm Ruku d/o Pakirisamy, a Yishun resident. She noticed many elderly neighbours were afraid to go out during the pandemic, so they were getting listless and moody. To lift their spirits, she cooked and distributed meals for her neighbours. Sometimes curry, sometimes beehoon. A simple pack of hot meal brought many warm smiles. Or Mr Razali Puasa, who stays in Toa Payoh. The playground near his block is very popular with young kids. But he saw that everyone was afraid of COVID-19. So he decided to wipe down and disinfect the playground, to reassure families that it was clean and safe to let their kids play there - a simple gesture, which made all the difference to the community. I am very glad that Mdm Alice, Mdm Ruku, and Mr Razali can join us here tonight.

Amid the darkness of the pandemic, through these personal acts of kindness, courage and concern, the Singapore spirit shone brightly. It has made us collectively a better people and a more resilient society.

In our national response, many went above and beyond their call of duty. Healthcare workers, through their care and professionalism ensured that the rest of us could carry on safely with our daily lives; public officers, especially those on the frontlines, carried out many demanding operations, often at short notice; private companies generously provided resources and industry know-how to tackle many problems; NGOs and community groups made special efforts to take care of those who needed more help; and countless individuals from all walks of life who joined in our whole-of-nation response. Your actions were critical in our fight against COVID-19 and the nation is grateful to all of you.

In recognition of your sacrifices and public spirit, the Government will present everyone who participated directly fighting COVID-19 during the pandemic - both individuals and teams -a special state award. We will call it the COVID-19 Resilience Medal. In addition, those who made exceptional contributions will receive existing state awards such as the Commendation Medal, the Public Service Medal, and the Public Administration Medal. You know them from our National Day awards list. We will add a special indication to the name and the insignia, to show that this time the medal was presented for service fighting COVID-19 - maybe on the ribbon for the medal we will add two red lines.We will announce the awards list at the end of the year, and hold the award ceremonies next year to thank everyone properly in person.

Meanwhile, we must be prepared to encounter more variants and waves, because COVID-19 will remain with us for quite some time. Our Safe Management Measures (SMMs) have protected us well throughout the pandemic. We have adapted them to the changing situation, and gradually eased them as things stabilised. Today, just two SMMs remain. You must wear masks indoors like you are doing unless you are on stage like me; and you must be vaccinated for higher-risk settings, such as F&B dining-in and large events.

With our situation stabilising, we will reduce the mask requirements further to prevent people from getting tired. We will only require masks on public transport, where people are in prolonged close contact in a crowded space, and in healthcare settings, like clinics, hospitals, and residential and nursing homes, where there are vulnerable persons. Everywhere else, outdoors or indoors, masks will be optional. For schools in particular, we should not need masks in class. I know parents are a little bit worried, but I think there is no need to worry, we have assessed it, we think it is safe. The children do need to be able to see the facial expressions of their teachers and of each other. You have to learn to read faces. Is he angry? Is he happy? Did he say 'ter' or 'the'? 'Ker' or 'ger'? Otherwise you grow up with a blank space in your brain. It is crucial for their learning and development. But please do not take off your masks this very moment. Please wait for the detailed announcement from the MTF.

Beyond these adjustments to SMMs, we must learn the lessons from COVID-19. One day, the next pandemic will come. A new virus will emerge, more transmissible, more adaptable and more dangerous than COVID-19 and we must be ready for it.

The most important lesson is to maintain the spirit of personal and social responsibility, continue to nurture trust in our society, day in day out, during normal times, so that during the next crisis we can again draw upon a deep reservoir of trust to see us through, just like we have done during COVID-19.

PM Lee Hsien Loong

External Environment

Strategic Challenges

Even as we emerge from the pandemic, our external environment has become very troubled.

US-China relations, which sets the tone for global affairs, are worsening. The two powers are divided over many issues - their rival ideologies and systems of government; China's growing influence in the world; plus many specific problems, including trade disputes, cyber espionage, the South China Sea, Hong Kong; and most recently and worryingly, sharply escalating tensions over Taiwan. Yet the US and China need to work together on many pressing global issues, including climate change, pandemics, and nuclear proliferation. Their tense relationship is making this almost impossible. This is bad news for the world. President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping recently held a long video call. They agreed to meet in-person. But neither side expects relations to improve any time soon. Furthermore, we must all hope that there are no miscalculations or mishaps, which can make things much worse very quickly.

Apart from US-China tensions, Russia's invasion of Ukraine also has profound implications for the world, and for Singapore. First, the invasion violates the UN Charter and fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is particularly important to Singapore. Our security, even our existence, relies on countries upholding these principles. We cannot legitimise Russia's wrongful actions. Russia claims that what it calls a "special military operation" in Ukraine is justified by "historical" errors and "crazy" decisions. If we accept this logic, what happens if one day others use this same argument against us? Second, the war has created deep hostility between Russia and other states, especially US and NATO countries. Relations have completely broken down and there are nuclear powers on both sides. It is hard to imagine any satisfactory end to the conflict. Third, the war in Ukraine affects security in the Asia-Pacific. It has complicated the already strained US-China relations, and also relations between China and America's partners in Asia, like Australia and Japan. We can expect more geopolitical contestation in the Asia-Pacific. Some countries will choose a side. Others, like Singapore, will try our best to avoid being caught up in major power rivalry. Our region has enjoyed peace for so long that it is hard for us to imagine things being different. But look at how things have gone wrong in Europe, how suddenly and quickly. Can you be sure that things cannot go wrong like that in our region too? So we must get real, and we must get ourselves prepared psychologically.

What can we do about these external dangers? First, we must stand firm on fundamental principles of international law. Work with other countries to uphold a rules-based order. For example, by speaking up at the United Nations. Taking cover and keeping quiet will hurt us in the long term. Next, we must take National Service seriously, and keep the SAF and Home Team strong and credible. If we do not defend ourselves, no one is going to defend us on our behalf. Most importantly, we must stay one united people. Never allow ourselves to be divided - whether by race, religion, income, social differences, or place of birth. Stay alert against foreign actors who are looking out to exploit our vulnerabilities and to influence our people for their own interests. I talked about this in my Chinese speech. Do not believe that everything that you read online is true. If we are taken in and divided, we will stand no chance. But united, we can deal with any problems that come our way.

Economic Challenges

Besides strategic dangers, we also have to deal with economic issues. We have emerged strongly from the pandemic. Most sectors are steadily recovering, including hard-hit ones like tourism and aviation. But now the war in Ukraine has clouded our outlook, although we still expect positive growth this year.

Top of everyone's minds is the cost of living. Even before the war, inflation was already becoming a problem because COVID-19 had disrupted supply chains and it had also caused developed countries, especially the US, to implement huge spending packages, stoking inflation which spread internationally. But the war has made things worse. Oil and gas supplies from Russia are getting disrupted. This is pushing up energy prices worldwide. That is why our electricity prices have gone up. Ukraine and Russia are also major grain exporters. The war has prevented most of their grain from being shipped out to world markets, and that is causing shortages and price spiking up globally.

The Government is doing everything necessary to support Singaporeans, especially middle- and lower-income families. The support includes cash payouts, U-Save rebates, S&CC rebates, CDC vouchers, and MediSave top-ups and more. This financial (fiscal) year alone, a middle-income family with two young children, staying in a 4-room HDB flat, can expect an additional $2,200 in support. A lower-income family staying in a 3-room HDB flat, like the one I talked about in my Chinese speech just now, can expect even more, about $3,700. This will not cover fully every cost increase, but it will help lighten some of the burden on Singaporean households. If the situation worsens, we stand ready to do more. MAS has also tightened our exchange rate policy. The Singapore dollar has strengthened. It makes travelling overseas more affordable. At home, it makes imported goods cheaper, in Singdollar terms. But there is a limit to this because a stronger Singdollar also makes our exports more expensive, and we lose competitiveness against other countries. So we have to be very careful not to overdo things.

The basic reality is that international economic conditions have fundamentally changed. It is not just the pandemic or the war in Ukraine. The recent decades were an exceptional period. Globalisation was in full swing; international trade grew rapidly; China's economy was growing exponentially, and exporting more and more goods at highly competitive prices all over the world - this brought down the cost of many products, and kept prices world-wide very stable. This era is now over. China's growth and exports are slowing. Their costs are going up. Some countries have raised tariffs against each other, particularly between the US and China. Countries are also relooking at their supply chains to prioritise resilience and self-sufficiency. That means not buying from the cheapest. That means accepting higher costs. While companies are opting for "just-in-case" instead of "just-in-time" production, all these trends are raising costs and pushing up inflation everywhere, including in Singapore.

We do not have much influence over this global inflation picture. What is within our power is to make ourselves more productive and competitive, because then our workers can earn more, and more than make up for the higher prices of food, fuel and other imports. That way we can all become better off, in real terms.

This requires us to press on with economic upgrading and restructuring; redouble our transformation efforts; encourage workers to upgrade their skills at every opportunity; and indeed, that is exactly what we have been doing.

Besides prices rising, physical supplies are also being disrupted. You all know about Malaysia's export ban on chickens. But it is not just Malaysia. Indonesia temporarily halted palm oil exports, when high cooking oil prices became a political issue. India also recently banned wheat exports, to keep domestic wheat prices down. Under pressure, faced with food shortages and rising prices, governments will put their domestic needs first so we must expect more arbitrary actions like these, which will impact us.

As a small and open economy, we are heavily dependent on imports, even of essential goods. But we are not helpless. For quite a while now, we have been actively diversifying our import sources - building up adequate stockpiles of food and medical essentials; investing in agri-tech to make local farms more efficient and productive; pushing ahead with our "30 by 30 Goal", to be able to produce 30% of our nutritional needs locally by 2030. And when COVID-19 came, we redoubled our efforts.

It costs money to make our supplies more resilient. Buying from diversified sources means we do not just buy from the cheapest, or the most convenient producer. Maintaining stockpiles requires space, and incurs costs - we have to air-condition your stocks - but we must think of it as paying for insurance.

Early in the pandemic, when we raised the DORSCON from Yellow to Orange, it triggered a small scramble. I was hosting my Chap Goh Mei dinner that evening. Suddenly every phone was buzzing. My guests were receiving and sharing pictures of empty supermarket shelves. Fortunately, it was before I stood up to speak. So when I made my speech, I told them: Do not worry, Chan Chun Sing is on it (he was then the MTI Minister). I had faith in him. I told them, I promise you: you won't have to eat combat rations! Because in fact, we had enough stocks in warehouses and logistics centres. We were able to re-stock the supermarkets quickly, and restored confidence.

Therefore, this year when live chickens stopped arriving from Malaysia, we did not flap. We could draw on ample stocks of frozen chicken from Brazil, the US, and other places. We soon brought in more chilled chicken from Australia and Thailand, and now Indonesia. The chicken rice stalls are back in business again.

People take this for granted but actually a lot of work goes on behind the scenes. Nothing happens by itself. Not even in Singapore. It is only possible because we always plan forward, to give ourselves options and solutions during crises, and that is how we must continue to prepare ourselves for the future.

Section 377A

Even as we navigate through an uncertain and troubled world, we have to deal with domestic issues.

One of the delicate tasks of this government, of any government, is to update our laws and practices from time to time, to reflect evolving social values and norms. For example, at last year's Rally, I announced that we would allow nurses in our public hospitals to wear tudung with their uniforms if they wished to do so. It was a decision many years in the making. A generation ago, the move was difficult to imagine, and would certainly have been extremely contentious. But we waited patiently for understanding and confidence to strengthen between our races and religions, and we finally moved only when we judged the time ripe, after preparing the ground, explaining carefully our reasons, and the scope of the change being made. I am very glad this cautious move has gone well, and Singaporeans have accepted it in the right spirit. But that is not the only sensitive issue we need to resolve. Another concerns the treatment of gay people in our society under the law.

By and large, Singapore is a traditional society, with conservative social values. We believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, children should be born and raised within such families, the traditional family should form the basic building block of our society.

Most Singaporeans would like to keep our society like this. This is the Government's position too. We have upheld and reinforced the importance of families through many national policies, and we will continue to do so.

However, like every human society, we also have gay people in our midst. They are our fellow Singaporeans. They are our colleagues, our friends, our family members. They too want to live their own lives, participate in our community, and contribute fully to Singapore. We need to find the right way to reconcile and accommodate both the traditional mores of our society, and the aspiration of gay Singaporeans to be respected and accepted.

A major issue for gay Singaporeans is Section 377A of the Penal Code, which makes sex between men a criminal offence. It was originally introduced in the 1930s by the British colonial government. It reflected moral attitudes and social norms that prevailed back then. But over the decades, homosexuality has become better understood, scientifically and medically. In many societies, including Singapore, gay people have become more accepted for who they are, instead of being shunned and stigmatised.

Many countries that used to have laws against sex between men have since repealed them. They include several Asian countries, but so far not Singapore.

Parliament last debated whether or not to repeal Section 377A in 2007. MPs expressed strong views on both sides. I joined in the debate to advise restraint and caution. I acknowledged that what consenting adults do in private is their personal affair, and the Government should not intervene. But I pointed out that not everyone was equally accepting of homosexuality. Quite a few had considerable reservations, particularly within certain religious groups, including the Muslims, Catholics and many Protestant denominations. The Government decided then that we would leave s377A on our books, but not actively enforce it. We stopped short of repealing the law. It would have been too divisive to force the issue then. It was better for us to live with this untidy compromise, and it was a practical way to accommodate evolving societal attitudes and norms in Singapore. The compromise did not satisfy every group but by and large, it has enabled all of us to get along. And so, we have lived with this sensitive issue, without it monopolising our national agenda or dividing our society.

Now, 15 years later, attitudes have shifted appreciably. While we remain a broadly conservative society, gay people are now better accepted in Singapore, especially among younger Singaporeans. It is timely to ask ourselves again the fundamental question: should sex between men in private be a criminal offence?

Singaporeans still have differing views on whether homosexuality is right or wrong. But most people accept that a person's sexual orientation and behaviour is a private and personal matter, and that sex between men should not be a criminal offence. Even among those who want to retain s377A, most do not want to see it actively enforced, and criminal penalties applied. From the national point of view, private sexual behaviour between consenting adults does not raise any law-and-order issue. There is no justification to prosecute people for it, nor to make it a crime.

Furthermore, we have seen several court challenges to s377A, seeking to declare the law unconstitutional. None have succeeded, so far. However, following the most recent judgement in the Court of Appeal, the Minister for Law and the Attorney General have advised that in a future court challenge, there is a significant risk of s377A being struck down, on the grounds that it breaches the Equal Protection provision in the Constitution. We have to take that advice seriously. It would be unwise to ignore the risk, and do nothing.

For these reasons, the Government will repeal s377A and decriminalise sex between men. I believe this is the right thing to do, and something that most Singaporeans will now accept. This will bring the law into line with current social mores, and I hope, provide some relief to gay Singaporeans.

But at the same time, most Singaporeans do not want the repeal to trigger a drastic shift in our societal norms across the board, including how we define marriage, what we teach children in schools, what is shown on free to air television and in cinemas, or what is generally acceptable conduct in public.

In our engagements and soundings over several months, this has come through very clearly. Among those with reservations, some feel strongly about s377A itself. But for most, their main worry is what they feel s377A stands for, and what they fear repealing it may quickly lead to. They also worry that this may encourage more aggressive and divisive activism on all sides. This is not only the concern of those with religious objections, but is shared by many non-religious people. Even many Singaporeans who support repeal want to maintain our current family and social norms.

The Government understands these concerns. We too do not want the repeal to trigger wholesale changes in our society. We will maintain our current family-oriented approach, and the prevailing norms and values of Singapore society.

Hence even as we repeal s377A, we will uphold and safeguard the institution of marriage. Under the law, only marriages between one man and one woman are recognised in Singapore. Many national policies rely upon this definition of marriage - including public housing, education, adoption rules, advertising standards, film classification. The Government has no intention of changing the definition of marriage, nor these policies.

However, as the law stands, this definition of marriage can be challenged on constitutional grounds in the courts, just like s377A has been challenged. This has indeed happened elsewhere. If one day such a challenge succeeds here, it could cause same sex marriages to become recognised in Singapore, and this would happen not because Parliament passed any such law, but as the result of a court judgement. Then, even if the majority of MPs opposed same sex marriage, Parliament may not be able to simply change the law to restore the status quo ante. Because to reverse the position, Parliament may have to amend the Constitution, and that would require a two-thirds majority.

I do not think that for Singapore, the courts are the right forum to decide such issues. Judges interpret and apply the law, that is what they are trained and appointed to do. To interpret the law, what does the law say; to apply the law, how does it work in this instance. But judges and courts have neither the expertise nor the mandate to settle political questions, nor to rule on social norms and values because these are fundamentally not legal problems, but political issues.

This has been wisely acknowledged by our courts in their judgments dealing with such cases. But even so, those seeking change may still try to force the pace through litigation, which is in its nature adversarial. It would highlight differences, inflame tensions and polarise society, and I am convinced, this would be bad for Singapore.

We will therefore protect the definition of marriage from being challenged constitutionally in the courts. The legal definition is contained in the Interpretation Act and the Women's Charter. We have to amend the Constitution to protect it, and we will do so.

This will help us to repeal s377A in a controlled and carefully considered way. It will limit this change to what I believe most Singaporeans will accept, which is to decriminalise sexual relations between consenting men in private. But it will also keep what I believe most Singaporeans still want, and that is to retain the basic family structure of marriage between a man and a woman, within which we have and raise our children.

What we seek is a political accommodation, one that balances different legitimate views and aspirations among Singaporeans. For some, this will be too modest a step. For others, it will be a step taken only with great reluctance, even regret. But in a society where diverse groups have strongly held opposing views, everyone has to accept that no group can have things all their way. If one side pushes too hard, the other side will push back even harder. In some Western societies, not few, this has resulted in culture wars, contempt for opposing views - not just for their views but for the opposing people, cancel culture to brow beat and shut up opponents, and bitter feuds splitting society into warring tribes. There are some signs of similar things starting to happen here too. I say, let us not go in this direction. All groups should exercise restraint, because that is the only way we can move forward as one nation together.

There is much more to be said on this difficult subject. I am sure what I have said tonight will set off further reactions and discussions, and we will have a full debate when we bring the legislation to Parliament.

But tonight, I wanted to set out our broad approach on this issue. We have a stable and generally harmonious society, and we will work hard to keep things like this. I hope the new balance will enable Singapore to remain a tolerant and inclusive society for many years to come.

Securing our Future

While we deal with sensitive issues like s377A, please remember that it is not the only subject on the national agenda, we have many other important matters to deal with.

The 4G team are gearing up for the next chapter of the Singapore story. Recently, DPM Lawrence Wong launched Forward Singapore. The conversation is to build consensus on the kind of Singapore we want to see. We want to meet the enduring aspirations of every Singaporean, including a good start in life, regardless of background; affordable housing and childcare when you get married; opportunities to upgrade yourself throughout your career; and a healthy and fulfilling retirement in your golden years. How can we achieve this, into the next generation? What specific goals should we set for ourselves? What do we need to do, what trade-offs do we have to make? How can we rally everyone to realise our shared vision? This is what the Forward Singapore conversation is about.

I hope that through this exercise, we will better appreciate some enduring imperatives for Singapore:

First, we must take pride in being Singaporeans, strengthen our national identity, and understand where our national interests lie. Our ethnic cultures and religious traditions are an important part of our identity, but first and foremost we are all Singaporeans together. There will always be external forces pulling us in different directions. Singaporeans are being exposed to all sorts of persuasion and propaganda, misinformation and agitation, not least on social media and messaging apps, more so in a world riven by rivalries and tensions, with countries coming under pressure to support one side or the other. We need a strong sense of national identity to hold us together, and give meaning to our nation building. We are Singaporeans, and that is why we will never stop working together to build a home that we are all proud of.

Second, we must stay open and connected to the world. Globalisation is on the wane, and countries are turning inwards and protectionist. But Singapore is still a global city. We cannot survive in any other way. It is impossible for us to grow or make everything we need ourselves. Nor can we consume everything we produce, whether computer chips or pharmaceuticals or petrochemicals. To make a living, we will always require foreign investments, overseas markets, and excellent transport and communications links with all parts of the world. The international tensions and uncertainties make our task harder but countries will still do business with one another; MNCs will still look for places to invest; the world will still need financial centres, and communication and transportation hubs. If we are nimble and enterprising, we will get our share of these and more.

Third, we must build a world-class talent pool in Singapore. We do our utmost to develop our own talent, and enable every Singaporean to reach their fullest potential. But when it comes to top talent, we can never have enough. This is an age where talent makes all the difference to a nation's success. We need to focus on attracting and retaining top talent, in the same way we focus on attracting and retaining investments.

This is true not just of Singapore. Countries all over the world are making a special effort to court top international talents. Germany recently allowed skilled foreign professionals to live there even before they secure a job. Come first, look for a job later. The UK wants to attract the best and brightest at the beginning of their careers. It recently introduced a special visa for graduates from the top 50 universities in the world outside the UK. If you look through the list, it includes NUS and NTU! In this global contest for talent, Singapore cannot afford to be creamed off, or left behind.

Singaporeans are rightly concerned about the impact of large numbers of non-residents living and working here. I talked about this last year. The Government is following up to tackle the problems, and ease these concerns. But while we manage the overall population of foreign professionals here, we must not stop seeking out top talent who can contribute to our Singapore Story.

Let me give you one example: the biomedical sciences. Like so many important projects in Singapore, the story started with Dr Goh Keng Swee. In the 1980s he saw the potential of biomedicine, and Dr Goh set up the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB). Not everyone was persuaded. Some called it Goh's Second Folly (the first was Jurong Industrial Estate. That one succeeded and this one they called it his second folly. They were not convinced. But we started. In the 1990s, we decided to make a big push on biomedicine. Mr Philip Yeo became Chairman of the National Science and Technology Board (NSTB), which later we renamed A*STAR. We scoured top universities and research institutes for the best biomedical scientists, researchers, engineers. Philip went round the world to pitch to them personally. He persuaded some of the top names in their fields - he called them the whales - as well as younger rising stars. They were taken by our vision, and they moved here. They moved their labs here, they moved their students here. They moved their team here. They did good work here. The whales mentored our local talents, who were then still new to the field - Philip called our local talent guppies - we awarded scholarships to hundreds of guppies, to study biomedical sciences all the way to PhD. The guppies trained under the whales, with the goal that one day they themselves would grow into whales. So, we created an eco-system for the bio-medicine business, and started on a long journey to become a biomedical hub. Our early guppies have matured. Homegrown scientists are now doing cutting-edge R&D. Quite a few have become principal researchers, leading their own teams. Others have founded startups, to develop and commercialise their discoveries. Today, our biomedical sector is thriving. It employs 25,000 workers and contributes almost one fifth of our manufacturing GDP. We have also attracted major projects, including from Sanofi and BioNTech - these are leading firms for vaccine manufacturing facilities. BioNTech is the second half of Pfizer-BioNTech, the vaccines which many of us have taken for Covid-19. It is a German company. When I met Chancellor Merkel last year before she retired, she says, I hear BioNTech is going to Singapore. They take note. It is significant. It means something to them. It means a lot to us. During COVID-19, our researchers - both Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans - made significant contributions. They helped maintain the international GISAID database, which facilitates sharing of COVID-19 genomic data worldwide. They developed test kits and other diagnostics. They enabled us to understand international progress on vaccine development, tap into industry networks, and thus secure vaccines and therapeutics early for our people. That is why we had the know-how, we had the confidence, we were prepared to take bets. We placed bets early and our bets paid off. We were able to vaccinate Singaporeans months before we would otherwise have been able to, saving time, saving lives, making a huge difference to Singapore. Had we not sought out top talent 30 years ago, then continued to build up our biomedical research teams and activities, and develop home grown talent, all this would never have happened. This is the difference that top talent can make.

We have a window of opportunity now. All the dark clouds around us have a silver lining. At such times, our trusted Singapore brand of quality, reliability and efficiency, our reputation gives us a competitive edge. And our track record tackling COVID-19 makes us stand out even more. Singapore has attracted the interest of many talented people and international companies. Those with special talents and skills are looking for places to move to, where they and their families feel safe and welcome, and where they can make an impact. Businesses want to invest in places where the talent is, business follows the talent, and they also look for places where the politics and policies are stable, and where the system works. That is why even during the pandemic, EDB continued to bring in many good projects, and even now we have a very strong investment pipeline of potential projects whom we have good chance of getting.

We must seize this opportunity, to secure Singapore's place in the post-COVID-19 world. We already have schemes to attract and retain top talent, especially in the technology industry (IT). But we need to do more, especially in the sectors with good potential. We want to make top talent everywhere sit up, pay attention, and think seriously about coming to Singapore. MOM, MTI and the economic agencies will soon announce new initiatives to achieve this. If we can get the people we want to come here, it will really help Singapore to shine brightly as a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth. It will make our own talent want to stay in Singapore, to participate in building a dynamic and outstanding nation, and every Singaporean will benefit from our progress and success.

PM Lee Hsien Loong

Tuas Port and Changi T5

Our seaport and airport play a critical role putting us on the global stage. They connect us to the world, and keep Singapore a thriving business and trading hub. That is why we have always taken the long view, and continuously improve our sea- and air-ports.

Ten years ago, I spoke about our plans for Tuas Port, and Changi Terminal 5. We have been working hard at these plans. Tonight, I want to give you an update.

Let me take our seaport first. It serves not just Singapore, but many countries around us. A decade ago, Asia was growing strongly, and we anticipated that PSA's business would grow with it. The existing terminals at Tanjong Pagar, Brani, Keppel and Pasir Panjang were working fine. But we decided nevertheless to consolidate all our port operations into one mega port at Tuas. This shift would progressively free up prime waterfront land from Shenton Way to Pasir Panjang for the future Greater Southern Waterfront.

The move to Tuas has already started. If you drive past the Tanjong Pagar terminal on the AYE, you can see it is no longer used for container operations. It is almost empty. That is why, during the pandemic, we could put up isolation and recovery facilities for COVID-19 patients in the container yard.

Tuas Port is now up and running. The first two berths started operations last December, ships are calling there from all over the world. Because we had planned ahead, our port was able to handle extra volumes during the pandemic. While ports in other countries experienced closures, severe congestion and long delays, but PSA, our port remained open 24/7 throughout. This reinforced Singapore's position as the "catch-up port" where vessels made up time for delays elsewhere. In fact, last year, Singapore handled a record high of 37.5 million TEUs of containers. We kept our position as the world's busiest transhipment hub.

In the process of moving to Tuas, we modernised and upgraded our port operations. The new port is automated and digitalised. It uses AI to coordinate operations more seamlessly, including vessel traffic management and port clearance. Instead of trucks with drivers, it deploys a fleet of driverless AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles). These other things here. There are no drivers. It just moves around magically by itself. This smooth transition owes much to our port workers, unions, PSA and MPA, the Maritime and Port Authority. Management and unions worked hand-in-glove to retrain workers and help them adapt to new working environment. On their part, workers picked up new skills, upgraded themselves, and became more productive.

We have just completed Phase I of Tuas Port; Phases II, III and IV will follow. When fully completed around 20 years from now, Tuas Port will handle 65 million TEUs annually - almost double today's volumes. We will have the world's largest fully automated port, and that should make us a leading global player in the maritime space.

In the same way, Changi Airport secures Singapore's position as a global aviation hub. We have ambitious plans for Changi too. Over the years, we have progressively expanded and upgraded it. I previously spoke about Terminal 4 and Jewel, they are now done. But even before we broke ground for Terminal 4 and Jewel, we already envisaged building Terminal 5. Let me show you on a map. Here are T1 to T4. And this is T5 -T1, 2, 3, and 4. T5 is as big as all of these put together. In terms of capacity, T5 will have 50 million passengers , which is equal to T1 plus T3. But if you look at the way the airport is built, all the new part of the airport, T5 and all these new half, in fact, we are building one more new Changi Airport. It is huge. Next to T5 we will develop the Changi East Urban District. This will be a new business and lifestyle destination, creating more jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans. Before the pandemic, we were about to call a tender to build T5. Due to COVID-19, we paused our plans for two years, but we made good use of the down time. We reassessed the long-term prospects for air travel and improved the terminal design. We concluded that the future of aviation remains bright. Now, with borders re-opening, people are travelling again. Passenger traffic has already exceeded half of pre-COVID-19 levels. In the longer term, air travel will keep growing because of a fast-expanding middle class in our region. Hence we decided to go ahead and restart the T5 project, we redesigned T5 to be more resilient. In particular, to operate more safely and flexibly during a pandemic - to scale operations up and down more easily, and to isolate passengers from different flights to limit cross infection. We also made T5 greener and more energy-efficient. When completed in the mid-2030s, T5 will show the world what sort of place Singapore is. Let me give you a preview of the passenger arrival experience - from arriving, to the skytrain, to immigration, to baggage collection, to a beautiful Singapore welcome! And once you leave the terminal, you can go down the escalators, and take the MRT straight into town. T5 will be a place that all Singaporeans can take pride in and enjoy.

Our decisions to press on with Changi T5 and Tuas Port send a strong and clear signal to the world that Singapore is emerging stronger from the pandemic, and charging full steam ahead.

Long Term Plan Review

Changi and Tuas are specific examples of how we plan our economic infrastructure.

But I am sure you also want to know how we can live, work and play in the future.

Over the last year, URA has been working on the Long-Term Plan Review, which we used to call the Concept Plan. This is not just to prepare for the next 5 or 10 years, but to rethink what Singapore can look like in the next 50 years and beyond. The Plan takes in feedback and ideas from the public, and guides our future development.

I visited the exhibition at the URA Centre last month. It includes an eye-catching display of artwork. URA had held a competition for primary and secondary school students to imagine Singapore of the future. The many creative drawings show how our young visualise Singapore will be when they grow up. Let me show you two pieces.

This is "Today's Future" by Salma Ma. It won the first prize in the Primary School category. Her drawing shows downtown Singapore - skyscrapers with rooftop gardens, all connected by an underwater MRT system! You see here, with headlights. I hope we do not have to submerge our MRT lines into our rivers and seas, but Salma's piece highlights real considerations in urban planning, including dealing with rising sea levels, and having sufficient green and blue spaces in the city.

This next piece is "Floating Home" by Justin Teo, who won in the Secondary School category. His idea is to levitate houses, places of interest, infrastructure, and transportation, and build a city in space. We might not quite have the technology today, but Justin's piece captures the boundless optimism and "can-do" spirit that we seek in preparing for the future.

And it is not just Salma and Justin. There are over 200 impressive pieces by the students are on display. They showcase the talent and imagination of our young. Just looking at their drawings made me feel young again!

Some of these art pieces may be too futuristic for us to implement now, but they inspire us to think out of the box, and URA planners work hard to translate big dreams into workable plans.

For example, I have told you before that Paya Lebar Airbase would move out, and that we would redevelop Paya Lebar. The relocation will start in the 2030s, but URA is already engaging the public and industry partners to explore redevelopment concepts.

Let me share some of the ideas. This is Paya Lebar Airbase . The runway is a dominant feature. It stretches from one end to the other, 3.8 km long. It is aligned along the direction of prevailing winds, for aircraft to avoid crosswinds when aircrafts take off and land. The future town can be oriented this way too, parallel to the runway and then the town naturally breezy. Hopefully, residents will not need to turn on their air conditioning quite as much. We can repurpose the runway into the town's central spine, turn it into a green connector or community space extending from one end of town to the other. It will be a distinctive and attractive heritage feature, unique to Paya Lebar. On both sides of the spine, we will build public and private housing. MND estimates we can build around 150,000 new homes, which is roughly what we have in Punggol plus Sengkang today. There will be amenities and recreational areas close by, as well as commercial and industrial developments, to bring jobs closer to our homes. It is not just about using the land physically occupied by the airbase. Once the airbase moves out, we can also lift some of the building height restrictions around it, e.g., in Hougang, Marine Parade or Punggol. This means we can redevelop these towns, include more amenities, and make much better use of the space there. It will not happen overnight. But over decades, we can completely reimagine the Eastern part of Singapore.

Singaporeans sometimes worry that we will run out of space in future. That housing will not be available or affordable. I say: No need to worry. We have done our studies and planning. We will have enough space for future generations. Our problem is not finding the space to build enough flats, nor keeping home affordable for Singaporeans. We know how to do that. Our problem is having enough babies to grow up and live in them! And I do not know how to do that but we will come back to that subject in a future rally.

Our island may be small, but it holds great potential. Paya Lebar is just one example of how we are reimagining and transforming Singapore. We are doing this all across the island - Jurong Lake District, Greater Southern Waterfront, and many other areas too. Each new estate will be more liveable, greener, and more sustainable than the previous one. This is not easy to do, but just as past generations planned for and created the Singapore that we live in today, we too, must never stop imagining and building the future Singapore for the next generation and beyond.

Conclusion

I have touched on several challenges this evening.

Whether we are tackling COVID-19 and preparing for the next pandemic, dealing with geopolitical dangers and economic uncertainties, handling sensitive domestic issues, or planning and building Singapore for the long term.

With all these challenges, success depends on us getting three key master fundamentals right. We must always have a united people, a high-quality leadership team, and high trust between the people and their leaders. A united people, a high-quality leadership team, and high trust between the people and their leaders. These are essential if we are to respond creatively and resiliently to challenges, year after year. We may have the best laid schemes, but without these three fundamentals, they will come to nothing. I have emphasised these points over and over again, in different ways, because they are so crucial.

In particular, good leadership is non-negotiable. Look at the countries where governments are unstable and politics messy, swinging wildly from one election to another. Whenever things do not work, leaders are forced out, or resign en-masse. But even after changing teams, things fail to improve. Policies and laws either never make it through the political gridlock or they are made by one government and then reversed by the next. Often, it is not just the leaders who disappoint, but the whole system that has failed. The result is a devastating loss of faith: not just in individual politicians or parties, but in the whole political system and the whole political class, and there is no way forward from there.

A small country like Singapore has zero margin for error. Not just Singapore's continued success, but our very survival, depends on us having the right leaders. Leaders with integrity, dedication, and competence; leaders with the conviction to make the tough calls and do the right thing, even when it may cost them some votes; leaders whom you can trust. We cannot afford any compromise on this.

Thankfully, for 57 years, over three generations, we have had leaders who have earned and maintained Singaporeans' trust and confidence, who have worked closely with the people to deliver on sound policies, who have improved all our lives.

Never take this trust, nor this competence, for granted. Keep on working hard to find the right people, get them to serve, and help them to do their best for Singapore. It is our duty to extend our success formula into the next generation and beyond.

Leadership succession is therefore of paramount importance. When COVID-19 hit us, I had to put my succession plans on hold. Now we are learning to live with COVID-19, and entering a new normal. The younger ministers have chosen DPM Lawrence Wong to be their leader. I am very happy that the matter is settled, and my succession plans are moving forward again. I am also glad that from everything I see, Singaporeans are supportive of Lawrence and his leadership of the team. So I ask you to give Lawrence and his 4G team - your team - your fullest support.

The next few decades will be bracing but exhilarating. I have given you my take of what we can achieve, and also what may go wrong. But with your trust, we can come through whatever difficulties await. With your support, we can turn hopes and dreams into reality, and united as one people, we can secure a brighter future in this uncertain world. Not just for now, not just for ourselves, but for every Singaporean child, for many generations to come.

Thank you and good night!

PM Lee Hsien Loong

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My fellow Singaporeans Good evening. COVID-19 We have come a long way in our fight against COVID-19. We are now learning to live with the virus. With each infection wave, we have managed the impact better. The latest, the Omicron BA.5 wave, is now subsiding.

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New online portal for teachers, non-teaching staff to get emotional support

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New online portal for teachers, non-teaching staff to get emotional support

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A part of MOE efforts to support educators further and develop a culture of care where everyone looks out for one another in schools.

Educators can share their emotions and concerns anonymously and safely through a chatbot on the website. Based on their responses, they will then be directed to the appropriate self-management and self-care exercises.

It is a good start to recognize the issue that MOE staff have.

Are we ready to chat with a bot about our emotions or concerns?  How much better is this bot compared to talking to SIRI or ALEXA?  At the end of the day, it is still a DIY thingy.  This is something that one can't solve by just reading case studies or watching YouTube. Wouldn't it be better to have a real human being to chat with in this case? Someone to follow through or follow-up with the concerns or emotions.

Counselling is still a distant future for AI - too 'Hollywood' to me :)

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New online portal for teachers, non-teaching staff to get emotional support

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The move is part of efforts to support educators further and develop a culture of care. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Top 5 Trends in Data Analytics for 2022-2025

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Top 5 Trends in Data Analytics for 2022-2025

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Learning Points:
1. We need to work towards helping TP Senior Management to make fact-based decisions.
2. Technologies that SQD need to watch closely:
a. Predictive analytics: mines existing data for knowledge that can be used to forecast future events and trends. That is why we're exploring DataRobot now.  We should also watch out for solutions that apply machine learning, natural language processing, etc.
b. Edge computing: which is a distributed IT architecture in which client data is processed at the periphery of the network, as close to the originating source as possible (e.g. near to the sensors and IoT devices)
c. Data Fabric Architecture (e.g. AI-enabled data integration), which utilises continuous analytics over existing, discoverable and inferenced metadata assets to support the design, deployment and utilization of integrated and reusable data across all environments, including hybrid and multi-cloud platforms
3. Technologies that we've already gotten into, and need to continue to exploit more such solutions to improve our productivity:
a. Migration to Cloud: embracing Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), e.g., Blue software for TESSy, Microsoft Office 365)
b. Adoption of Self-Service Data Analytics: our adoption of Tableau, PowerBI and SAS VA. Can explore Alteryx.
c. Subscribing to Data-as-a-Service (DaaS), which provides data collection, storage, and analysis services on a subscription basis, e.g., Labour Insight SGP/USA, which provides us the data and allows us to help ourselves with analysis
d. Text Analytics: since we deal with a lot of open-ended text comments, we need to watch out for better quality text analytics products that can help us make sense out of such textual data.

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by Josh Howarth
March 4, 2022
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At the heart of nearly every recent innovation is data analytics. Be it in health care, decentralized work (work from home), online shopping and customer care, or internet banking, collecting and analyzing data is often the foundation of each new space.

A report by Allied Market Research projects that the field of big data and business analytics will grow at a CAGR of 13.5%.

This would mean that the industry could grow from its $198.08 billion value in 2020 to reach an estimated $684.12 billion by 2030.

Read about the top 5 trends in data analytics that are revolutionizing how we deal with everything from economics to education to the environment.

1. Businesses Emphasize Business Intelligence

Over the last decade, the field of data analytics has spawned a suite of tools and techniques with widespread application in the field of BI, or business intelligence.

Put simply, business intelligence harnesses data analytics ‒ including, but not limited to AI ‒ to extract meaningful patterns from raw data and translates these into actionable insights

BI has rapidly grown into the go-to resource for leaders and planners in an era where fact-based decision-making is the holy grail of government, commercial, and social organizations.

Spearheading the transition to BI-based practices is the use of predictive analytics, which mines existing data for knowledge that can be used to forecast future events and trends.

The use of analytics in forecasting business growth is not new.

For decades, the greatest growth has been posted by those who predicted future trends most accurately - Uber's rise from a simple taxi app to the world's leading cab service provider is an eloquent example.

However, many consider BI as an imperative for organizational survival and success.

Dresner's Business Intelligence Market Study 2021 concluded that BI is a key focus across sectors, with tech firms, manufacturing, retail, as well as finance increasing their investments in BI by as much as 50%.

For example, US chocolatier Hershey's successfully used predictive analytics to post a $70 million jump in sales.

Foreseeing that consumer preference for backyard activities during the 2020 pandemic would elevate demand for camp-fire snacks like s'mores, Hershey's upped production and saw sales sharply increase.

Another critical use of predictive analytics is in risk management.

This keeps organizational down-time to a minimum by averting equipment failures, accidents, security incidents and other stoppages.

For example, oil behemoth Royal Dutch Shell, an early adopter and huge investor in predictive analytics, is trialing technologies such as AI cameras that warn gas station operators about fire hazards such as customers smoking cigarettes.

Another initiative in AI-aided risk assessment by US food giant Cargill led to the creation of iQuatic, which helps shrimp farmers across several countries predict risks to their shrimp ponds based on patterns in local weather, pond pH, and nutrition intake.

With such a diverse array of applications, it is natural that BI, and predictive analytics in particular, looks to become a universal standard for enterprise.

According to analyst Facts & Factors, the predictive analytics market is expanding at a CAGR of 24.5% from its 2019 value of approximately $5.7 billion, to hit $22.1 billion by 2026.

2. Edge Data Takes Center Stage

IDC predicts that, by 2023, over half of new enterprise-class IT will be deployed at the edges of networks, rather than in centralized data processing units.

Gartner extends this forecast to over 75% by 2025, with both firms estimating present-day edge computing adoption at less than 10%.

Why the rapid transition towards edge computing?

The world today generates over 64 zettabytes of data in a year-that's 64 trillion gigabytes of data, from a total of 23.8 billion connected devices.
By 2025, the world's data will exceed 180 zettabytes, from over 41 billion connected devices.
Volume of data/information created, captured, copied and consumed by 2025.
With the growth of data as the arterial blood of business, organizations are trying to liberate themselves from data storage and processing constraints by shifting from on-premise computing to partly or fully cloud-based architectures.

Business research firm Markets and Markets projects a 16.3% CAGR over the next few years, taking cloud computing from a $445.3 billion market to $947.3 billion in 2026.

Nevertheless, even conventional cloud computing is under-equipped to handle the vast, ever-growing ocean of real-world data being generated every day.

Limitations in bandwidth, lag in data relay, as well as network disruptions can cripple critical industrial and commercial processes.

This, in turn, escalates operating costs and damaging risks.

One such example is the May 2017 IT crash that cost British Airways $68 million in a single weekend, which caused its parent company International Airlines Group's stock to nosedive by 2.8%.

Experts propose edge computing as the technology solution for the future.

Edge computing involves processor-intensive, often repetitive, mission-critical data analytics within devices on the outer edge of a network.

Only data summaries are relayed to "fog" nodes, which are then passed on to cloud storage for higher-level processing.

To illustrate, a building may be given an "intelligent edge" by equipping it with AI-enabled sensors in each room.

These sensors can then directly communicate with local light fixtures and air vents to regulate ambient conditions, send security alerts on detecting unauthorized entry, and so on.

Indices of the forthcoming edge data explosion include:

The heightened importance of edge data and " distributed everything" will also lead to an increased demand for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products.

For instance, McKinsey pegs the sector's market share at anywhere from 50% to 80% of all IT enterprises by 2025, depending on the rate of adoption, a steep increase from its current 23%.

Another wave of change sweeping across data analytics as edge computing accelerates is a strategic shift towards "small and wide data".

Unlike the exclusive focus on "big data" in older approaches, evolving AI and ML (machine learning) technologies are specializing in extracting patterns and insights from "wide" data as well as small data sets.
Searches for "Big Data" have dipped by 30% over the last five years as data analytics shifts.
The now-infamous example of US retailer Target using analytics for targeted advertising of baby care products to customers expecting a child is an example of "wide" analytics.

This type of analytics examines data across product categories and diverse customer profiles.

Similarly, toy giant LEGO's ability to turn around LEGO building block sales is attributed to their refocusing on "small data ".

This, in turn, allowed for a concentration on children's hobbies instead of on sweeping "big data" trends highlighting children's preoccupation with computer games.

Data experts are also advocating for the creation and adoption of the data fabric.

This architecture provides a single, unified structure for the collection, organization, analysis and interpretation of large quantities of data.

Using data fabric also allows organizations to effect seamless connectivity across large networks

Widespread adoption, particularly in the North American market, is likely to drive up demand for data fabric services, netting it a market share of $4.54 billion by 2026.

3. Organizations Favor Cloud-Native Technologies and Self-Service Data Analytics

Leading analyst Gartner evaluates that the cloud migration trend has already percolated widely, with over 70% of businesses have moved at least part of their IT operations to cloud computing.

Yet, a 2019 McKinsey survey of 750 businesses found that 30% reported wasted budgets on failed cloud projects, while an additional 23% reported going over budget.

The Gartner report identifies issues with software (app) and technology migration as one of the foremost challenges of migrating to the cloud.

The transition to cloud computing has been smooth for some organizations, like Shopify, Spotify, and Evernote, but fraught with challenges for others like Netflix, Symantec and Waze.

No matter the experience, an emerging consensus is that developing (or adopting) cloud-native technologies is the only truly sustainable solution to distributed IT infrastructure.

The booming cloud-native market is being fueled by a global perception that this technology presents opportunities for near-limitless business growth and diversification.

Estimates vary, with some valuing the current market at $2.35 billion and projecting a CAGR of 25.68% to garner $9.27 billion by 2025.

Others peg current market capital value more broadly at $2 trillion, with an expected CAGR of over 45%.

On the heels of the cloud-native movement comes the push for more self-service analytics, which will allow even non-technical adopters and end-users to collect, analyze and interpret their own data.

Many standardized tools already exist, including Microsoft's Power BI, Tableau, SiSense and Alteryx.

The growth of companies offering self-service analytics products and services proves that technology is becoming more important.

Alteryx, which makes a variety of advanced data analytics software accessible to ordinary data workers, went public in 2017.

At that time, it was valued at just under $800 million.

Today, it's valued at roughly $4.3 billion. And its full-year 2020 revenue is expected to clock in at just under $500 million, up roughly 376% from 2017's revenue figure.

Much like Alteryx, Sisense was founded in the early 2000s but has experienced rapid growth in recent years.

The company focuses on helping businesses understand and use insights generated from big data.

It was founded in 2004 and operated in relative obscurity until it started to receive significant venture funding in 2010.

By 2020, the rush to monetize data analytics insights made the company a unicorn.

The tremendous room for growth, especially in customized analytics tools, prompts market analysts to project a galloping CAGR of 14.8%, expanding self-service analytics from a value of $4.73 billion in 2018 to $14.19 billion by 2025.

4. Growing Use Cases for Data Management and Analytics

As more data is generated every day, it is becoming apparent that every business must utilize data to stay competitive.

And not every business will be able to source, store, and analyze data as easily as the largest tech companies.

That is where Data as a Service (DaaS) comes in.

DaaS companies typically offer data collection, storage, and analysis services on a subscription basis.

Depending on the customer, the DaaS provider could collect and utilize internal data that is native to the customer or supply the customer with data sets it might not have access to on its own.

As more of the business world moves to cloud-first technology, it seems likely that the switch to DaaS will be swift as well.

In fact, Research and Markets predicts that the DaaS market will grow at an impressive 56% CAGR over the next five years.

Snowflake is one of the largest and most popular companies in this market.

Famous for its data warehousing services, the company can also act as a pure DaaS provider.

It allows customers to store and analyze data on its platform as well as vendors to sell data through its platform to end customers.

Started only in 2014, Snowflake is now publicly traded (it went public in 2020), with a valuation of more than $100 billion.

Search interest in "Data Marketplace" has grown by 8700% over the last 15 years.
Underlying the DaaS ecosystem is the seamless transfer of data from one or user to another. Much of this takes place on data marketplaces.

In fact, almost a third of respondents to IDC's Data Buyer's Survey said that they purchase data through data marketplaces.

Snowflake, which was mentioned above, also has its own data marketplace. On its platform, the company offers close to 1000 active data sets from over 200 vendors.

Customers can simply query the set of their choice and use Snowflake's analytics to derive insights.

In addition, the AWS Data Marketplace currently lists 3,832 data products available for analysis.

All of this is to say that it has never been easier to find, store, and analyze data.

Thousands of unique data sets are at the click of a button. And non-tech savvy companies don't have to build out a data science arm to keep up with the competition either.

5. Democratization of Data Systems

Recent events have highlighted the potential for bias in AI-based decision-making, reflecting its vulnerability to demographic and culturally skewed training data sets.

However, the power of AI is simultaneously being harnessed to promote justice, achieve inclusive education and improve food security for disadvantaged communities across the world.

Yet another key area in which advanced data analytics is setting the pace is that of bio conservation.

Mid-2021 saw the launch of the world's smallest, AI-equipped trail camera with an incredibly long battery life of 1.5 years.

Example of TrailGuard AI used to prevent poaching.
Developed by Intel and software developer CVEDIA in collaboration with environmental agency RESOLVE, TrailGuard can accurately distinguish animals from humans, and identify vehicles carrying potential poachers before alerting park rangers.

An AI-based bio-acoustic analysis system called RFCx developed by US not-for-profit Rainforest Connection is already in use across 16 countries. RFCx can isolate human sounds like trucks and heavy machinery from normal rainforest noises, alerting authorities to illegal logging.

Conclusion

Data analytics sits at the heart of a digital world.

As organizations across the globe race to keep pace with the digital transformation, the ability to generate and use business intelligence is a critical determinant of enterprise growth.

As real-time data processing and fact-based decision-making become the cornerstones of commerce and governance, a growing number of businesses now recognize the power of edge computing.

To unleash the potential of edge data and BI, commerce and industry requires a foolproof, distributed computing network that relies on cloud-native technology.

Also, as businesses big and small grapple with the economics of the digital age, they see the long-term benefits of self-service analytics tools. In short, the data analytics space still looks to have plenty of room for future growth.

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Top 5 Trends in Data Analytics for 2022-2025

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by Josh HowarthMarch 4, 2022 You may also like: At the heart of nearly every recent innovation is data analytics. Be it in health care, decentralized work (work from home), online shopping and customer care, or internet banking, collecting and analyzing data is often the foundation of each new space.

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Data Sensemaking requires time and attention

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Data Sensemaking requires time and attention

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Learning points:
In order for us to be able to do a good job in data sensemaking, we need
1. Time: to explore and analyze data thoughtfully and thoroughly.
2. Attention: i.e. to be able to concentrate for a considerable period of time undisturbed.
3. Conducive environment: where we're not easily distracted by others.

Application:
If you are working on some data sensemaking tasks and you need to do deep thinking in a more conducive environment, pls let your RO know so s/he can let you work elsewhere on those days (as an exception).  You can choose to work in a place (e.g. your study room, or in TP library, or even at a public library), where you will not be easily distracted.

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Data sensemaking requires skill augmented by good technologies. Even though data sensemaking skills can be developed by almost anyone, they can only be acquired through sustained effort to learn the relevant concepts, principles, and practices, which takes time. This hard fact isn't as appealing as the fantasy that technologies can turn us into data analysts over night. It is largely because technology vendors have been selling us this myth that we have been trapped in the "data age" but have not yet managed to enter the "information age." For 35 years I've been involved in decision support, data warehousing, business intelligence, analytics, data science-call it what you will-and I find it appalling that, despite all the hype about the information age, we've made little progress in deriving value from data. Until we accept the fact that data sensemaking and the decisions that it informs cannot succeed without skill, we'll remain stuck. Besides skill augmented by good technologies, there are two other prerequisites for successful data sensemaking that are usually ignored but deserve mention: time and attention.

Only those data analysts who are given time to explore and analyze data thoughtfully and thoroughly are consistently successful. Most of the great data sensemaking discoveries that we hear about are the result of work by those rare data analysts whose organizations have given them time to do their jobs well. In contrast, most data analysts are either churning out responses-usually in the form of reports-to a long list of "urgent" requests at a breakneck pace or have other jobs that take most of their time, so they squeeze their data sensemaking activities in here and there whenever they can. This is the norm because few organizations have realized that getting real value from data doesn't just happen "techno-magically," as they've been led by vendors to expect. It takes time to learn and develop data sensemaking skills and it continues to take time to apply those skills each day. This is because data sensemaking involves analytical thinking and analytical thinking takes time. Technologies can assist by doing fast calculations and other forms of data processing, but the thinking that's required is slow.

Effective data sensemaking also involves attention. This is one of the requirements for rich thinking that has become more difficult to achieve in recent years. Our lives have become increasingly disrupted by the constant demands of the "persistently connected" technologies that we've adopted. For how many minutes can you become lost in concentration without being pulled out of your intellectual reverie by a beep, ding, ringtone, vibration, or the sudden appearance of an alert on your screen? This is not what's usually meant by disruptive technologies and it certainly isn't a desired effect. Whenever our attention is pulled away from a data sensemaking task, it takes time and effort to get it back, and much can be lost in the meantime.

Data analysts need an environment that supports concentration without interruption for extended periods of time. The open floor plans that many organizations have been experimenting with to promote collaboration (and, let's face it, to also save money) are perhaps appropriate for some jobs, but not for data sensemaking. Most of us need to shut the door, turn off all possible sources of interruption, sit in a comfortable chair, and think attentively for long periods of time. I never had a chance to meet the celebrated Princeton statistician John Tukey before he died, but I've heard from friends who did that when he took on a consulting job for a client, he would begin with a meeting to discuss the problem and he would then cloister himself in his hotel room for a couple of days before emerging with a solution. Imagine Tukey trying to navigate the disruptive environment of the modern workplace. If he had, perhaps we would have never heard of him. Perhaps the box plot and his many other analytical inventions would not have graced our world. He knew that data sensemaking required attention and he structured his environment to provide it. We must do the same, which means that our employers must recognize the need and support it.

I recently gave a keynote presentation at the University of Cincinnati's Analytics Summit, and when I mentioned this rarely addressed need for time and attention, you should have seen the heads nodding appreciatively throughout the ballroom. Their eyes brimmed with gratitude for my recognition that the conditions of their work do not match the professed commitment of their organizations to analytics. Claiming to embrace analytics is a far cry from the investment that must be made to fulfill this claim.

Is your organization analytically savvy? Does it exhibit a culture of analysis? If your answer is "Yes" but your organization doesn't give you adequate time and a work environment fit for focused attention, you're setting the bar too low. Imagine how much better a data sensemaker you could be with more time and attention.

Take care,

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Visual Business Intelligence - Data Sensemaking Requires Time and Attention

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Data sensemaking requires skill augmented by good technologies. Even though data sensemaking skills can be developed by almost anyone, they can only be acquired through sustained effort to learn the relevant concepts, principles, and practices, which takes time. This hard fact isn't as appealing as the fantasy that technologies can turn us into data analysts over night.

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Learning points:
1. All of us should use data to make decisions.
2. In order to help TP colleagues make good use of data to make good decisions, we need to share data with them readily (make it easy for them to get the data), help them understand the data well, and guide them how to analyse the data.
3. When our customers ask us for a report, besides giving them the analysis report (the fish), we should guide them how to produce the analysis report themselves (teach them how to fish) so they can help themselves in future.
4. Requiring people to fail fast is one of the most important attributes of an innovative culture because, let’s face it, most innovations fail. We need to dare to take risks and be prepared to fail. It's okay to fail.
5. Take everything as a learning experience - It's okay to fail, but we have to learn from it.

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Sam Yagan has led an illustrious entrepreneurial career by embracing data and innovation. He helped transform online dating when he cofounded OkCupid, which continually searched for unique ways to leverage user data to increase the chances of singles finding compatible mates. After selling the successful company to the Match Group, he became the dating conglomerate's CEO, during which time the group innovated digital matchmaking again by introducing the "swipe" method for companion selection in its Tinder app.

Now, as the CEO of ShopRunner, he's at it once more. The online service offers members benefits such as two-day shipping and free returns across more than 100 retailers. But some of its biggest benefits derive from data. The company uses data to provide online shoppers with personalized experiences and its participating retailers with access to new customers. And it's rolling out innovative products such as its new mobile app District, which, among other neat features, offers users a tailored, real-time feed of trending products.

How has Yagan's companies had so much success innovating and putting data to work while other organizations continue to struggle to get these efforts off the ground? He recently sat down with McKinsey's Laura DeLallo to share the secret to success: creating the right culture. The following commentary is adapted from that interview.

How ShopRunner is building a data culture

As I think back on my past 20 years of experience running organizations of varying sizes and in different industries, my single biggest learning is that the most important predictor of a company's success and ability to innovate is culture.

When I became CEO at ShopRunner, from day one I made it clear to everybody that we were going to make decisions based on data. What that meant was that some people were no longer going to be cultural fits at the company. And when we hired people, we used data experience as a selection filter. We asked direct questions such as, "How have you used data in the past to make decisions?"

In addition, our executives model the desired behavior. When workers see the executive team making data-based decisions, it becomes easy for that kind of decision making to flow through the organization. When workers hear the executive team talking about making decisions in that way, they say, "Of course they're going to expect me to make decisions in a similar way."

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I think one of the big changes over the past decade has been the democratization of analytical data-through whatever your business-intelligence tool of choice is. At ShopRunner, it's expected that everyone in the company is logging into our system and able to check on any piece of data that is available to them.

The way we've gotten everyone to do that is by making sure that they know how to "fish." When somebody comes to the analytics team with a request and says, "Hey, I'd like you to run this report," the analytics team is expected to not just send the report but also teach the person how to run it in the future and make sure that the request doesn't come in again.

But, secondarily, because data is so infused in our culture, it doesn't take long before someone realizes that the person sitting next to them or the person sitting across from them is running his or her own reports and accessing his or her own data.

How to create a fail-fast culture for innovation

Requiring people to fail fast is one of the most important attributes of an innovative culture because, let's face it, most innovations fail. At ShopRunner, there are several ways we reinforce our fail-fast culture. Number one, at every all-hands meeting we have an executive present a failure that he or she had, and we talk openly about it.

Number two, during annual reviews, I request that every executive quantify his or her failures. You can't just say, "Oh, I worked too hard." You've got to actually put a number against it and say, for example, "Because I managed this person incorrectly, I ended up having to spend $40,000 to replace her." It's about getting people to acknowledge and put in writing that they cost the company this amount of money and telling them it's OK.

In fact, you start to ask them, "Did you take enough risk? You had only a $10,000 failure this year. What if you had had a $100,000 failure? What other returns could we have gotten if that bet had gone the other way?" I think it's about celebrating and quantifying failure and being willing to talk openly about it.

You need to constantly talk about executive failures, even CEO failures. When I was CEO at Match, we acquired a company, and I think I overpaid for it by $50 million. I got up in front of everyone and talked about that-and people were able to see that I was still there. So people could say, "If he made a $50 million mistake, maybe that's not so bad. Maybe I can make a $50,000 mistake."

Lessons from Tinder on innovating in the face of cultural headwinds

I think one of the reasons so few market-leading companies are able to disrupt themselves is the cultural resistance that the organization has to threats, whether they come from the outside or even from the inside. When we launched Tinder inside of Match, we found that there was resistance from some people inside the core business who saw Tinder as a threat-maybe to the business, maybe to their own expertise in the company, and certainly to the culture.

In Tinder, we had a team of people in a different office who were unconventional in a number of ways. But it was that unconventional approach to dating that I think made Tinder what it was.

One of the big challenges we had as an executive team at Match was to figure out how to get an organization that had over 1,000 people and over a billion dollars of revenue to accept this "other" that was birthed inside of the company. In retrospect, I think keeping Tinder alive and allowing it to thrive was harder than the actual birthing of Tinder.

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In terms of bringing the organization along, I don't think there was a silver bullet. We tried a number of different approaches throughout Tinder's evolution. Number one was explaining that everyone in the company had equity and that, as Tinder grew, the value of our equity grew and the value of the company grew.

Number two, we pointed out that having a new kind of business in the organization was ultimately a learning experience. We were able to cross-pollinate a lot of people from the core business, whether it was the analytics team, the strategy team, or the technology team. As they interacted more with Tinder teams, they were able to embrace Tinder as just another part of the company rather than this insurgent threat.

As Tinder grew, both for logistical reasons and to bring the organizations closer together, we tried moving it into a Match office. This had mixed results. We ended up initially splitting a floor in half, with Match on one side of the office and Tinder on the other side. But, as you can imagine, everything about the way those two halves ran was very different-one side worked different hours, one side worked at a different volume, and one side just was decorated differently.

In some ways, this setup made the cultural differences more stark. It almost made it worse to have the teams so close together but not actually integrated.

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Over time, Tinder went through a bunch of different office spaces, including having its own office space. Now it is back in more of a merged setting, with Tinder growing to be such a big part of Match.

I think as people realized that all of the core businesses were still intact and all the core businesses were still successful, it was easier to bring Tinder into the fold and really operate as one organization.

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Building data-driven culture: An interview with ShopRunner CEO Sam Yagan

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Sam Yagan has led an illustrious entrepreneurial career by embracing data and innovation. He helped transform online dating when he cofounded OkCupid, which continually searched for unique ways to leverage user data to increase the chances of singles finding compatible mates.

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https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters

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Data and analytics leaders often equate artificial intelligence with machine learning, limiting themselves to use cases where this technique works well. Composite AI goes beyond ML, combining different techniques to improve AI’s versatility and efficiency to solve a wider range of business problems.

Key Findings

Organizations that narrow artificial intelligence (AI) down to machine learning (ML) struggle in situations where data is scarce, rendering their existing AI efforts ineffective or unfeasible for many potential use cases.

Organizations that rely solely on data-driven AI — resorting to ML as a default and ignoring other approaches like knowledge graphs, optimization and rule inferencing — fail to leverage alternative or complementary knowledge sources such as human expertise, common sense and experience-based heuristics.

Combining multiple existing and new techniques in composite AI holds the promise of overcoming the limitations of current single technique AI approaches. This, however, comes at the price of AI’s growing complexity, with ever more capabilities and skills required in both development and operations.

https://www.gartner.com/document/4010110

Case study 1: Healthcare

SAS shares an interesting use case with Amsterdam University Medical Center: Using a combination of computer vision, data visualization, and machine learning processes to determine if chemotherapy is effective for patients!

The medical researchers cite that being able to start with statistical analysis and visualizations and then drill down to the details of patient scans is a key benefit of using composite AI. The diagram below elucidates a processing pipeline deployed for colorectal liver metastases morphometry with CT scans.

https://towardsdatascience.com/the-case-for-composite-systems-11632220ffa8

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https://kristasoft.com/future-of-rpa/
[Daryl] The article describes the limitations of RPA and why you should switch to Hyperautomation involving AI/ML. I can relate to the four RPA limitations described via the TPAEP RPA project.

RPA bots save time when performing repetitive tasks but they also have severe limitations:

1. Unattended bots require restarts and handholding
2. UI is brittle and breaks bots
3. High development and maintenance costs
4. Bots focus on task automation only

Benefits of fully automating processes (e.g. Automated weekly reports)

Conventional RPA: A typical example consists of programming a robotic process automation task where the bot logs in to the ERP system and exports the data related to inventory levels as comma-separated values (CSV) files. Once this is done, the bot could add predefined columns to group the information and perform the relevant calculations.

The resulting spreadsheet can be saved to be emailed as an attachment or shared on a file server. The process is not complicated, yet it could take a person 10 minutes to complete from start to finish. Assuming 20 reports like this are needed per week, we would be talking about 200 minutes that RPA could save each week. Not bad.

Intelligent Automation: Let’s look at the same task but from intelligent automation (IA) perspective. The first thing the IA would do is to identify the purpose of the report, i.e., what is the desired business outcome? In this particular example, the goal is for a person to take a business action using the inventory information.

Based on that business outcome, the intelligent automation would calculate inventory levels and use AI to determine if those levels are normal, based on historical and seasonal patterns. Once completed, the IA would present the relevant information to the decision-maker and ask them what to do. The IA would place the corresponding order to maintain the appropriate inventory levels depending on the answer. In other words, the objective of IA is to keep items replenished, not the task of emailing a report.

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Robotic process automation (RPA) is undoubtedly one of the most disruptive technologies in recent years, but what is the future of RPA? Enterprises all over the world have implemented RPA, bots, or digital workers to take stable rule-based processes from workers and hand them over to software. It has created billions of dollars of labor cost savings and value for highly manual, repetitive, and high-volume processes. McKinsey & Company reviewed 16 case studies ¹ and calculated anywhere from 30 to 200 percent return on RPA investments inside the first year. That's a lot of value.

What does the future hold for RPA?

Despite providing high returns on investments, RPA projects frequently fail to meet business expectations. Many achieve early success with simple RPA projects and realize high returns. However, when leaders look into the future of RPA, they recognize that bot maintenance burdens and overhead increase costs over time.

A Forrester study found 99% of bots require custom scripting. According to the same report, these scripts lack resiliency and require very technical skills despite touted "citizen developer" capabilities. Firms that struggle with bot resiliency are 4x times more likely to be ineffective at controlling RPA program costs. Therefore, firms reach out to outside contractors for services to make up for technical skill deficits.

According to HFS Research , for every dollar spent on RPA software licenses, four dollars are spent on services. The heavy maintenance requirements for scripts increase the total cost of ownership and create technical debt. In fact, according to a study by Ernst & Young, 30% to 50% of robotic process automation projects fail globally ² ³. If you are using RPA, you may wonder what your total cost of ownership is and how to maintain a healthy cost structure in the future?

This article explores areas of consideration and how to plan for the future of RPA. I'll speak to issues that cause RPA projects to stall, the challenges behind automating variable and unstable processes, how you can lower your cost of ownership, increase agility, and provide a path to maximizing artificial intelligence and machine learning.

RPA provides value but limits your transformation

Every technology has its pros and cons. RPA is no exception. While it is true that RPA bots save time when performing repetitive tasks, they also have severe limitations, which I review below.

Unattended RPA bots promise that they work on their own, hence their name. In that sense, they are supposed to be ideal for end-to-end process automation. In theory, once the rules are programmed for a process, these bots work independently without requiring further human attention. However, in practice, few processes remain static. Any change in the process, no matter how small, will require a restart and/or adjustment in the bot's programming.

In other words, these bots are good for automating back-office processes at scale since there are few changes in the processing logic. However, they do require attention when the inevitable happens, and the workflow is modified, a new tool is added to the value chain, the system is changed, or the task schedule changes.

In the previous point, I mentioned how simple process/workflow changes could break an RPA bot. Unfortunately, these are not the only type of changes that can generate RPA issues. One of the biggest technical challenges in RPA has to do with the user interface (UI).

Suppose a new version of your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is released. Generally, one thing to expect from new versions is revamped user interfaces that are more user-friendly and efficient. It is safe to assume that this type of change will cause problems with RPA since the placement of buttons and text boxes will most likely be in different places. This same situation will arise with any software that makes changes or updates its UI.

Automation solutions focused exclusively on RPA are complex to develop and implement, to the point that they end up requiring their own Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). One of the most challenging aspects of process automation has to do with the maintenance of the scripts used in RPA bots because every change is a code change. Each change requires a programmer-no wonder the costs are high.

The overhead for small changes makes small agile changes very time-consuming. In part, this is due to the fact each change is a testable event. This means each change to a bot requires unit, integration, QA, and UAT approvals before it is redeployed. A tiny change takes months to deploy since it has to proceed through the entire SDLC.

Today, the trend is to harness the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). If you wonder if the future of RPA can deliver, you are not alone. Since RPA is a technology aimed at automating tasks usually completed by humans, it's hard to imagine how these task-based automations could process at hyper speed and leverage AI in the future. IDC forecasts worldwide revenues for the AI market, including software, hardware, and services, will grow 19.6% ⁴ year over year in 2022 to $432.8 billion and break the $500 billion mark in 2023.

"AI has emerged as the next major wave of innovation," explains Ritu Jyoti, group vice president, Worldwide Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation Research at IDC. "AI solutions are currently focused on business process problems and range from human augmentation to process improvement to planning and forecasting, empowering superior decisioning and outcomes. Advancements in language, voice and vision technologies, and multi-modal AI solutions are revolutionizing human efficiencies. Overall, AI plus human ingenuity is the differentiator for enterprises to scale and thrive in the era of compressed digital transformation."

Adopting AI into your company is vital for its survival. You must realize that tasks automated at the human level will never be fast or structured enough to leverage AI successfully. Hence, the question arises as to whether the future of RPA platforms can deliver what you need. Maybe that step(s) are unnecessary. It is better to implement a more scalable and agile solution capable of completing hundreds of automations in the time it takes one bot to run.

To hyper automate processes in the future, you need more than just RPA

To hyper-automate processes in your company in the future, you need to understand intelligent automation or hyperautomation, as Gartner calls it. But, before I get into specifics, I'll explain the benefits of fully automating processes by exploring real-world use cases.

Conventional Robotic Process Automation: A typical example consists of programming a robotic process automation task where the bot logs in to the ERP system and exports the data related to inventory levels as comma-separated values (CSV) files. Once this is done, the bot could add predefined columns to group the information and perform the relevant calculations.

The resulting spreadsheet can be saved to be emailed as an attachment or shared on a file server. The process is not complicated, yet it could take a person 10 minutes to complete from start to finish. Assuming 20 reports like this are needed per week, we would be talking about 200 minutes that RPA could save each week. Not bad.

Intelligent Automation: Let's look at the same task but from intelligent automation (IA) perspective. The first thing the IA would do is to identify the purpose of the report, i.e., what is the desired business outcome? In this particular example, the goal is for a person to take a business action using the inventory information.

Based on that business outcome, the intelligent automation would calculate inventory levels and use AI to determine if those levels are normal, based on historical and seasonal patterns. Once completed, the IA would present the relevant information to the decision-maker and ask them what to do. The IA would place the corresponding order to maintain the appropriate inventory levels depending on the answer. In other words, the objective of IA is to keep items replenished, not the task of emailing a report.

Now that you have a better understanding of intelligent automation's potential, it is time to take the above example to the next level. Suppose your organization wants to maintain an optimal inventory of each product. This is a complex task that requires the involvement of different business units and accurate data on sales, inventory levels, production, orders in process, and more.

In this case, IA would be responsible for optimizing inventory levels to avoid being too high or too low. This would be based on historical patterns, seasonality, market trends, and supply chain response time, among other factors. These projections would be sent to sales operations and product analysts to decide accordingly, whether it be placing an order to replenish inventory or promoting an aging product.

Robotic process automation challenges

When I asked a group of experts to rank each aspect of automation according to its difficulty, leveraging AI and ML scored the highest. While there are many reasons, two stand out from the rest, fear of change on the part of employees and the challenges of implementing AI and ML.

Contrary to what many people think, AI and ML were not created to eliminate human personnel but to help them make the most of their potential. On the one hand, AI helps organizations uncover valuable business insights that make them more resilient and agile. On the other hand, they help people automate tedious and repetitive processes so they can spend their time on creative work or problem-solving. The result is a win-win situation, where staff benefits from time savings and better organizational decisions that facilitate their daily work.

Implementing AI and ML projects is a challenge because few cases yield the expected results. In fact, 85% of the projects fail. The question is, what causes such a high failure rate? Among the most common causes are:

Poor collaboration between the parties involved.

The success of any automation implementation depends to a large extent on the collaboration between the different business units. Simply put, this type of project often fails because of the culture of working in silos.

Inadequate data.

Data is the raw material that feeds every successful machine-learning project. For this reason, it is vital to prepare the data, reformat it, and eliminate any bias or abnormality that could harm the process.

Lack of a clear business objective.

It is impossible to expect good results if the problems to be solved are not clearly identified. In this sense, the best strategy is to have measurable business goals that are aligned with top-line initiatives.

Last-mile implementation.

Many automation initiatives fail in implementing the "last mile" phase, that is, in the delivery of the product or service to the end customer. The solution? Adopt a process-driven approach to align with customer goals and expectations throughout the organization.

Fortunately, Krista increases success rates significantly thanks to its innovative approach. Krista allows your team members to quickly operationalize ML by removing technical barriers and complexities from the equation and lowering the cost of implementing AI.

Intelligent Automation increases throughput by orchestrating people, apps, and AI

Intelligent process automation takes your rule-based RPA strategy to the next level by integrating artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and natural language processing (NLP) into the mix. As a result, your organization will be able to create end-to-end automated workflows with unsurpassed adaptability and flexibility in record time. Krista makes all of this possible by creating and modifying rules on the go based on what it learns from the manual actions executed by your employees. Put another way, Krista orchestrates people, applications, and AI for maximum performance.

Throughout this article, I have talked a lot about intelligent automation, and how it benefits automation initiatives, so you may be wondering, what is Krista? And more importantly, how can she help automate entire processes from start to finish? In this section, I will take a quick tour of the unique benefits Krista brings to your business.

Krista is Intelligent Automation

Krista is an intelligent automation platform that enables your company to orchestrate end-to-end business processes across your people, applications, and AI. Krista provides an easy way to implement AI in your company at significantly lower costs and removes the complexity associated with interacting with disparate apps.

As you automate processes with Krista, she automatically uses ML to structure your data easily and intuitively. In other words, thanks to the synergy between ML and AI, Krista can learn from your decisions and gradually improve processes. Rediscover the power of automation and put aside your fears regarding AI with Krista .

Automates End-to-End Business Outcomes

While RPA focuses on automating trivial tasks that are usually isolated from the rest, Krista is designed to automate business outcomes. What does this mean? When you deploy Krista's AI/ML, it can make autonomous decisions that take full advantage of your existing task automation. Moreover, since Krista is built to optimize end-to-end business outcomes, she will make constant changes to meet those objectives. The result of digitizing processes in this way will significantly impact increasing efficiency, both at a low level and at an organization-wide level.

Changes Take Minutes Instead of Months

Unlike most automation platforms, Krista allows any member of your team to create and modify automation, even if they have no programming skills. This makes a huge difference since the organization saves time and money, but most importantly, it allows the process stakeholders to design and manage the automation they need. As a result, your organization will be able to adapt quickly and efficiently to changes without having to pay a fortune and wait for the automation to be ready.

Strong, Secure, and Flexible

All of Krista's advantages would be of little use if it were not able to offer the security, flexibility, and resiliency you expect from an enterprise-level app. Fortunately, Krista is all that and more. Krista is designed from the ground up to distribute workloads, be highly scalable, and offer event-driven automation like no other platform.

Furthermore, Krista is fast, easy to program, deploys in minutes, and supports a wide range of clients and operating systems on both desktop and mobile. As you would expect from an enterprise-ready application, Krista also provides you with a robust API with which you can automate any process, in any app, and from anywhere.

Key to Digital Transformation

Your organization's path to digital transformation doesn't have to be overwhelming. Krista provides a method for digital transformation in your organization with Krista's user-friendly and flexible technology. Krista's intelligent automation allows you to focus on improving business outcomes simply and establish a digital culture. With no programming skills, your team can leverage the power of Krista to automate and optimize your processes like never before using a conversational format they are already comfortable with.

Improving your digital future

This article has explored the challenges and limitations of robotic process automation and the main reasons why RPA may not carry you into the future. At the same time, it has introduced what, in my opinion, is the future of automation, Intelligent Automation. Krista's ease of deployment, innovative conversational interface, and her ability to adapt to humans (and not the other way around) will allow your business to enjoy the benefits of AI/ML and achieve its goals.
Sources:

1. The value of robotic process automation, McKinsey & Company

2. RPA will reach $2.3bn next year and $4.3bn by 2022... as we revise our forecast upwards, HFS Research

3. Get ready for Robotic Process Automation, EY

4. IDC Forecasts Companies to Increase Spend on AI Solutions by 19.6% in 2022, IDC

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Robotic process automation (RPA) is undoubtedly one of the most disruptive technologies in recent years, but what is the future of RPA? Enterprises all over the world have implemented RPA, bots, or digital workers to take stable rule-based processes from workers and hand them over to software.