Forthcoming Books
To date, Dr. Shemwell has published eleven (11) books and three more are forthcoming. He continues to develop thought leadership in contemporary business settings. This page provides a brief abstract or synopsis of book works underway.
We are soliciting input to these forthcoming works to capture the sum total knowledge in these fields. If you have some ideas, please feel free to contact us. Finally, if you would like to be kept abreast of these writings and the publication dates, please let us know.
Nonlinear Big Data and AI-Enabled Problem-Solving: Transforming From A Spreadsheet Society
We live in a spreadsheet society. Columns of Categories of People and Rows of Wants, Needs, and Desires. This model is too simplistic. What is needed, and Big Data can provide, is a more sophisticated approach.
We expect this book will be available on March 25, 2026, and is a derivative of our November 15, 2024, Blog, The Transformation of Our Spreadsheet Society.
This book offers a detailed insight into various business models that can be easily implemented using cutting-edge AI tools like Copilot, ChatGPT, and others. The focus is not on creating technical models for developers, but on equipping management with the necessary tools to define the scope of work and tasks for the technical team efficiently.
Nonlinear Big Data and AI-Enabled Problem-Solving: Transforming from a Spreadsheet Society provides access to a unique AI Body of Knowledge, offering actionable protocols aimed at delivering tangible and measurable economic benefits to organizations. It introduces innovative business models that can be easily implemented using cutting-edge AI tools. It provides comprehensive insights and customizable templates to help users efficiently harness the power of AI, eliminating the need for costly external assistance. This book offers a transformative approach for traditional critical infrastructure sector organizations seeking to evolve into lean, AI-driven high-performance firms of the future.
Provides executives, senior management, and global governments with the ability to explore and achieve tangible value in solving complex and challenging problems that have previously lacked practical and effective solutions.
Navigating the Data Minefields: Management's Guide to Better Decision-Making
This book is a reference providing management at all levels with the tools they need to ask the right questions as well as assure themselves that the decision to acquire, implement, and sustain these technologies is best for the organization. We cover in detail the following subjects that are supported by numerous case studies. Statements made and supported and additional material outside the discussions are provided in detail.
- How to determine the quality of the data and its relevance to the decision-making processes.
- Current Challenges and Trends in Big Data and associated applications.
- Proposed organization structure such as High Reliability Organization and an understanding of Human Factors to fully realize the full and measurable economic value from these technologies.
- A full Risk Mitigation and a Governance model including Disaster Recovery and Cyber Security.
- How these technologies are used in Operations, a proposed Management System as well as numerous Case Studies across a number of industries and types of problems.
This is perhaps the most comprehensive volume on these rapidly emerging technologies for managers without a technology background. It this sense, it is groundbreaking.
We are living in an era of data and software exponential growth. A substantive flood hitting us every day. Geek heaven! But what if information technology is not your cup of tea and you may even have your kids help with your smart devices? This may not be a problem at home; however, what if you job depends on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
The author has been involved with most major IT revolutions for over 55 years. While, he has not seen it all, but he has seen a lot. Historically, many mangers and senior executives did not need to have a strong knowledge of IT. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) and her/his staff took care of things. Knowing how to use e-mail, text, ERP system input and reporting, and a spreadsheet have often been enough and did add value to operations.
This is no longer the case. Emerging technologies are changing the very nature of the business as significant organizational cultural transformations are underway.
The Data being captured, stored and analyzed today is truly enormous, hence the name Big Data. Tools such as AI ‘learn’ from these dynamic data stores and are able to perform amazing almost human like tasks.
If the need to understand these technologies is not on a manager’s radar but he/she is being asked to depend on them to do the job in radically different ways, how can she/he know what to do in this regard?
This book is key to understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these technologies, how know enough to approve spend when you are asked to by technologist as well as developing an understanding of the risk and the economic value to be derived.
Getting to Smart
Since 1970, the author has been directly involved in the digitalization of Critical Infrastructure sector work processes. This includes guided missile systems, other aerospace, oil and gas operations, nuclear power generation, electrical grid and ‘smart’ medical devices among others.
This book pulls together the sum total of that career knowledge which includes the acquisition and sale of software firms as well as the merger of his technology start up with a publicly traded energy services corporation.
Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability
Dr. Shemwell is the co-editor of our 2023 book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.” My focus is on Operational Technologies.
The volume was published by CRC Press in 2023. This is a substantial volume with approximately 25 illustrations.
Fields Covered Include:
- Automation
- Energy Conversion and Conservation
- Optimization
- Process Integration
- Maximizing Utilization of Assets
- Quality Control and Management
- Resource Utilization and Conservation
- Supply Chain Integration
And much more!
The publisher recently informed us that this book is being translated into Chinese.
Closing the Complex Deal
In the late 1970s, I had an opportunity to close my first multi-million-dollar technology deal. That learning experience paved the way for a great deal more over the years. This experience is directly applicable to current AI and other technology deals.
In addition to other publications linked in this section, we are in the process of pulling it all together into a reference book.
Techniques for Successfully Closing Deals in the 21st Century
This book will be published in mid 2026.
As shown in the Sales Expertise section, Dr. Shemwell has been actively involved in B2B technology sales for several decades.
As my experience and expertise grew, I started documented my knowledge in a series of articles, beginning with my 1997 article, Selling to the executive suite. This was followed by a multitude of written pieces.
Recently, it seemed that it was time to pull all of this together into a single work that defines the B2B process as well as providing a Roadmap for successful ‘deal’ closing.
This was partly driven by what we saw as sales solutions by a number of pundits, consultants and sales solution providers. Many of which are re-packaged older and not particularly successful models.
The selling process, aka revenue generation has historically been seen from the lens of so-called ‘cowboy’ lone wolf sales representatives. Even in the old days, nothing could be further from the truth. A large organizational sale requires the coordination of both customer requirements as well as the needs of the selling company departments.
Moreover, an economic value proposition must be put forth that addresses and convinces the buyer of that the problem is property handled. Beginning in 2004 we started developing our Economic Value Proposition Matrix that specifically allows the seller and by extension, the buyer to confirm the bottom-line value from the deal.
To this end we published a blog, Resolve 2022: Close More Deals! that is essentially the abstract of this forthcoming book. We believe this Roadmap will be the definitive actionable guide to successful selling in the era of ‘Smart.’
Author Sales Expertise
One of the advantages of age, is the opportunity to participate in a number of business and technical cycles. Since 1970, I have participated in the entire post-IBM mainframe era. The so-called Internet/IT Dog Years of technology has exploded and now we all talk about ‘Smart.’ Over this period, the following key sales metrics have been met.
- Acknowledged thought leader and author on Hi-Tech B2B at global scale
- Total direct sales of over $3 billion during career – extensive international experience
- Head of Software Business Unit w/P&L Responsibility
- As an International Sales Executive sold a single order in excess of $350 million (in today’s dollars) – hardware and software systems to global Japanese firm in Tokyo
- Responsible for revenue generation of over $500 million as sales manager for oilfield operations outsourcing
- Over $40 million in professional services in a single fiscal year
- Serial entrepreneur, exit (merge/sold) two start-up firms