The Rapid Response Institute

Tag: AI

  • AI In Chaos

    AI In Chaos

    There is a daily flood of often contradictory posts regarding the tremendous and immediate value of Artificial Intelligence (AI).  But are we to believe our lying eyes?

    This picture of wiring stupidity might as well have been taken in my front yard.  Years of shoddy workmanship by firms that do not care in a city that cares even less about its neighborhoods is the result.  But that is not the theme of this post.

    The artificial intelligence software sector looks like this photograph. Tracing connections and thoughts is almost impossible and may require AI to understand AI.  Is that even possible?

    AI Is On Fire

    “We must implement AI because everyone else is doing it” is the mantra.  Expressed by those selling AI products and services, organizations feel pressure to buy immature code as individuals are told their careers are over and robots will replace them in the next few years.  This pundit challenges this rant.

    There is a method to the madness and order can be made out of the chaos of the “new kid on the block.”  It is not necessary to panic or make quick irrational decisions.

    Published in 2023, I co-authored the book, Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability and the just released, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making.  Moreover, the next forthcoming book by CRC Press, The Transformation of Our Spreadsheet Society: Moving Towards a Nonlinear, Big Data Enabled AI Environment, should be released in early 2026.

    The focus of all these volumes is to help management and non-IT individuals better understand game-changing technologies, how to assess, procure and deploy them and attain superior economic value for the firm.  Additionally, we address what individuals must do to keep their skills and career current and future proofed.

    I mention this because we must all remain clear eyed in this current caldron of chaos.  Rudyard Kipling is famous for his poem that begins, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs.”  Our generation should learn from this call to calm, rational thinking (readers should read the entire very powerful poem).

    Those not familiar with the IT field may not know but the sector even has a name for the development curve AI technologies are on.  The research firm, Gardner has developed a tool that can be useful. “The AI Hype Cycle is Gartner’s graphical representation of the maturity, adoption metrics and business impact of AI technologies (including GenAI).  It helps organizations understand where different AI innovations are on the path to becoming mainstream, why they are where they are and what these innovations mean in the context of the overall AI landscape.”  While the Hype Cycle is a commercial offering, a great deal is written, and a high-level understanding is readily available to all from online sources.

    The Storm Will Pass

    AI offers tremendous promise across all human endeavors.  At the moment it is a new shiny object that entices but still has a lot of unknowns.  It will mature and become as ubiquitous as the Internet.

    The rate that individuals embrace change varies widely; however, change is a fact of life, and I believe this change will benefit more than it hinders.  After all, other generations have undergone significant change that we now take for granted, i.e., automobiles (aka horseless carriage), smart devices, etc.

    What are you doing to keep yourself not only relevant but of high value in the AI world?

  • Leadership: Pattonesque Style

    Leadership: Pattonesque Style

    “The only safe ship in a storm is leadership.” ~ Faye Wattleton

    As an owner and crew for offshore pleasure sailing vessels, I have experienced several gale force storm that lasted more than 24-36 hours.  Several were across the Gulf of America (aka Mexico) regattas and quite a few offshore Gulf races of 150 nm or longer.  Relatively minor damage to the boat and no injuries to our crew.  More than one storm resulted in yachts retiring and in a rare case abandonment. Minor injuries to regatta crews are fairly consistent.  What separated our winning boat from the others?  A competent well trained crew and effective leadership!

    Old blood and guts, General George S. Patton Jr. gets a bad rap in my opinion.  He probably was a pain in everyone’s you know what, but he was paid for being something else.  A leader who made consistently effective decisions of consequent, rapidly with decisiveness. 

    Much is being written, complementary and not so much about Donald Trump’s management style and especially the speed with which things are getting done.  Additionally, from one perspective Elon Musk’s frustrations can be probably be attributed to his belief, especially regarding the budget, that things are not moving fast enough.

    Wait and See

    While it is appropriate to make a good assessment of a situation before action, some organizations can suffer from “paralysis by analysis” where decision makers effectively do not respond within the appropriate time window.  In a high intensity, fast moving environment, launching endless committees in some vain hope that a third party consulting firm whose members often have no real executive leadership experience will ride in to to save the day is misguided.  The logic usually is that this decision is too important and costly not to take one’s time to properly assess the associated risks.

    One writer framed the issue well, “Therefore, in a world were the game is changing rapidly, failing to take action—deciding to ‘wait and see’—can quickly put you on a path of increasing irrelevancy or a rapid demise.”  How is this nonaction adding shareholder value?

    No Competence-No Confidence

    Leaders are not born, they are made.  It is unreasonable to assume that just because so-and-so went to a specific school, was a great jock, or celebrity that individual is qualified to drive an organization.  Elected officials are a great example of this perturbation.  Poorly performing public companies are another example where board in their infinite non-wisdom think that the ship will stop sinking if only we hire the right well-known person or even ‘strange’ spokesperson to hawk an alcoholic beverage.  The corporate sea floor is littered with the wrecks caused by incompetent captains with no confidence in their judgements.

    Will AI Make Things Worse?

    Unfortunately, the answer is yes for many, even (once) prestigious organizations.  Coming like a freight train, most organization executives appear to be totally clueless about the value of artificial intelligence to the firm they are entrusted to manage.  With no understanding or competence in this field, we can expect these individuals to have any confidence in how they spend shareholder value?

    Expect the same waste that large IT projects have enjoyed for decades.  Five years from now, expect the 500 to have new winners and long standing firms no longer visible.

    We do not posit for quick poorly assessed capital expenditures.  Only that decision cycle times have always been shorter than many like.  Decision-makers must get better at their job.

    Defeat is the realm of incompetent generals.  Great generals who know their business with more limited loss of life and limb are the winners.

    Winners in the AI era have not yet emerged.  We will know shortly those who made good timely Patton like decisions and those who waited to see the door closed in their face.

    How will your organization assure that it is competently led through the AI door?

    Our new book is Now Available

     

    Navigating the Data Minefields:

    Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making

    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 your job depends on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

    To Order

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is the coauthor of the 2023 book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    We are also pleased to announce the released by CRC Press of our new book, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making.  This is a book for the non-IT executive who is faced with making major technology decisions as firms acquire advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross-Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg and his book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • Tariffs Tariffs, Tariffs

    Tariffs Tariffs, Tariffs

    According to the economist, Paul Craig Roberts, “Tariffs protect ill-considered government policies, such as costly regulations and high taxes on labor and capital that make our goods uncompetitive in international markets.”

    Young and emerging countries may want tariffs to protect nascent industries and other local protections to help assure employment and rise of a strong commercial base.  Advanced (OECD) countries seek to protect existing sectors for a number of reasons including employment and political/military power.

    Once in place both exporting and importing countries develop a sense of normalcy and change becomes difficult for all parties involved.  They become part of the business culture of the exporter and importer.  As with other cultural change, engrained habits are stubborn.

    Policy Disruption

    The Trump Administration is arguing that an unlevel trading system has existed, at least since the end of World War II in 1945.  Their tariff policy seeks to update the partner relationship with countries and their companies that are no longer rebuilding form that devastating conflict.  The protections afforded nascent rebuilt from that era are no longer necessary or relevant.

    As might be expected, many prefer the status quo and vehemently argue the unfairness of it all and other rationales for not changing practices and policies that are 80 years old.  This is no difference than those that have been made redundant due to a reorganization make the case for their value add, usually in vain.

    Comparative Advantage

    Over two decades ago this author postulated, “Economists usually think of comparative advantage as a function of the raw material or strategic position a country holds.  In the knowledge age, comparative advantage goes to those who hold the knowledge necessary to achieve strategic posture.”  Moreover, “Thought leadership and subsequent comparative/competitive advantage usually goes to those that see things differently, earlier, or both.  Seeing is one thing, believing another, and implementation still another.  Leaders do not just postulate, they make things happen.  This is the tough part.  Many people have good ideas, but most do not implement and even fewer follow through to the end.”

    In May 2025, President Trump signed over $2 Trillion in business deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirate.  These were not traditional oil and gas investments that this part of the world is known for, but commitments in defense, aerospace, AI and other advanced technologies.

    In addition to aircraft and other defense products and solutions, these countries focused on the development of emerging capabilities such as AI.  A classic example of the position taken almost a quarter of a century ago.

    Are Humans Being Replaced?

    This has been the question raised by every dramatic technological introduction.  The general consensus, in this writer’s opinion is, we adapt and adopt to the new when it is beneficial and reject it when it does not add value to our personal life–the ‘What’s in it for ME question.

    This is the contemporary question all of us are reacting to with the advent of Artificial Intelligence.  Accordingly, “The rise of artificial intelligence has reinforced the belief that transformations across various domains can be primarily achieved through digital technology.  However, the creative potential for change of people’s  cognitive, emotional and imaginative powers often loses importance and gives way to  creative technology.   Many therefore see humans as having arrived in the age of post and transhumanism.  But is the human being as such really a kind of obsolete model?  According to such a view, it seems to have become ‘normal’ for people to leave their own fate, as well as the fate of humanity and the environment, to technical transformation possibilities.  This implies accepting that technology increasingly becomes an instrument of control rather than a tool to be used and directed, as individuals become subject to a technology and capitalist artificial intelligence industry that surpasses their own capabilities, leading them to be controlled by it.”

    One can assume that these concerns will cause many to fight for existing international trade rules to remain in place.  This is true, not only for tariffs, readers may remember that in 2024, “The ILA’s ( International Longshoremen’s Association) initial proposal was for a 77% salary increase over the six-year duration of their contract with USMX, as well as a complete ban on the automation of gates, cranes and container-moving trucks at its ports.”

    Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain

    Cultural Disruption can be sharp and quick, like a knife cutting into the skin.  It will take some time and perhaps a long time for transformation to take hold, and wounds to heal.

    However, this parade is marching by.  We can all chose to join in, become a bandleader, or hope it will just go away.  Change can be painful, but without it we cease to grow and will eventually whither and our value to organizations will no longer exist.

    Get with the program!  Tariffs were never meant to be generational, but only a short-term economic band aid.

    How are you and your loved ones preparing for ongoing technological convulsions?

     

    Pre order our new book, May 23, 2025

    Navigating the Data Minefields:

    Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making

    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 your job depends on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

    Preorder May 23, 2025

    Ordering Information

    We are also pleased to advise our loyal readers that CRC Press has accepted our proposal for this forthcoming book, Nonlinear Big Data and AI-Enabled Problem-Solving: Transforming From A Spreadsheet Society.  Publication 2026.  Stay tuned for more details.

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is the coauthor of the 2023 book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    We are also pleased to announce our forthcoming book to be released by CRC Press in June 2025, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making.  This is a book for the non-IT executive who is faced with making major technology decisions as firms acquire advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross-Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg and his book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • Send in the Suits

    Send in the Suits

    “The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.”

    –Alexandra K. Trenfor

    As a sales manager, executive and now independent advisor, I am often asked to go on sales calls. Sounds like what every sales executive should to, support the representative, interact with the client and help close the deal, right?

    Not so fast, often this is a crutch.  For a number of reasons, mostly lack of preparation, the sales representative is looking to outsource the sales call.  What often happens next, the perception the part of the client of a weak performance by the vendor. This tact will backfire more often than not.

    It continues to amaze me how unprepared sales calls are.  In the heat of making as many calls as possible, real opportunities are routinely squandered.  The feeling among many reps is that an executive adds gravitas and is almost a dressed up potted plant in the room.

    Meet and Greet is only appropriate at an event, such as a hospitality suite at a conference. A sales call needs an agenda and end game goals. “I wanted to introduce so-and-so is not an agenda and will accomplish exactly nothing.

    Proper Use of an Executive

    We asked Chatbot Pro two questions, How to Plan a Sales Call and How to Use a Senior Executive on a Sales Call.  Its response follows:

    How to Plan a Sales Call

    Planning a successful sales call involves several key steps to ensure that you are prepared and can effectively engage with the potential client. Here’s a guide to help you through the process:

    1. Research Your Prospect – Understand the prospect’s business, industry, and any specific challenges they might be facing. Use LinkedIn, their company website, and news articles.

    2. Define Your Objective – Be clear on what you want to achieve. This could be setting up a follow-up meeting, closing a sale, or gathering information.

    3. Prepare Your Value Proposition – Articulate how your product or service can solve a problem or improve the prospect’s situation. Tailor this based on your research on their needs.

    4. Develop Questions – Craft open-ended questions that will help you understand their needs better and match your solution to their requirements.

    5. Plan Your Pitch – Create an outline of what you want to say during the call, focusing on key benefits and features that resonate with the prospect.

    6. Practice Active Listening – Be prepared to listen more than you speak. Make mental notes of key points the prospect mentions so that you can address them.

    7. Set the Agenda – At the beginning of the call, outline what you hope to discuss and ask if there’s anything specific the prospect would like to cover.

    8. Prepare for Objections – Anticipate potential objections the prospect may have and prepare responses to address these concerns.

    9. Follow-Up Plan – Be ready to discuss next steps and how you’ll follow up after the call, no matter the outcome.

    10. Practice and Refine – Role-play the call with a colleague or rehearse your talking points to build confidence and identify any weak areas.

    11. Schedule a Time – Plan the call during a time that is convenient for the prospect, ensuring you have adequate time without interruptions.

    By following these steps, you’ll be in a strong position to have a productive sales call that builds rapport, addresses the prospect’s needs, and ultimately drives sales.

    How to Use a Senior Executive on a Sales Call

    Using a senior executive in a sales call can significantly enhance your pitch, especially when dealing with high-stakes clients or complex sales. Here are steps on how to effectively include a senior executive in your sales call:

    1. Identify the Right Executive – Choose a senior executive whose expertise aligns with the prospect’s needs or the solution being offered. This could be a CEO, CTO, or another relevant leader.

    2. Prepare Them with Context – Provide the executive with background information on the prospect, including their business, challenges, and previous interactions. Share key objectives for the call.

    3. Define Roles – Before the call, clarify who will lead the conversation and how each participant will contribute. The senior executive can handle higher-level discussions, while the sales rep can manage details and logistics.

    4. Focus on Value – During the call, the executive should emphasize the strategic value and vision of the solution rather than delving into minute details. This highlights the significance of the partnership.

    5. Build Credibility and Trust – Having a senior executive on the call can instill confidence in the prospect. They can address company capabilities, commitment, and long-term vision, which can reassure the client.

    6. Encourage Engagement – The executive should ask questions and encourage dialogue. This not only fosters a relationship but also helps uncover deeper insights into the prospect’s needs.

    7. Handle Objections – Use the senior executive’s authority to address any key objections the prospect may have. Their experience and level can help navigate concerns more effectively.

    8. Follow-Up Actions – At the end of the call, the executive should help define the next steps or commitments. This shows commitment from the top level of the organization.

    9. Thank and Acknowledge – Thank the prospect for their time and reiterate the value that your organization can bring, leveraging the senior executive’s closing remarks for strong impact.

    10. Debrief After the Call – Review the call with the executive afterward to assess what went well, what could be improved, and any follow-up actions needed.

    Including a senior executive in sales calls can provide a significant edge by leveraging their authority and experience, ultimately leading to more successful outcomes.

    The use of senior executives, and I would include senior support individuals such technology gurus or Chief Digital Officers, etc. takes a fair amount of prep work.  Moreover, clients may invite counterparts and/or others to the meeting.  A big deal!

    It is only fair to all concerned that the call be well thought out.  This is not to say stick with a rigid script.  The dialogue may well lead into other areas and deals struck may be substantially different than the original position(s).

    “We’re from corporate and we are here to help.”  How do you maximize this valuable asset?

    Pre order our new book

    Navigating the Data Minefields:

    Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making

    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 your job depends on Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

    Available June 2025

    Ordering Information

    We are also pleased to advise our loyal readers that CRC Press has accepted our proposal for this forthcoming book, Nonlinear Big Data and AI-Enabled Problem-Solving: Transforming From A Spreadsheet Society.  Stay tuned for more details.

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is the coauthor of the 2023 book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    We are also pleased to announce our forthcoming book to be released by CRC Press in June 2025, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making.  This is a book for the non-IT executive who is faced with making major technology decisions as firms acquire advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross-Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg and his book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • The Transformation of Our Spreadsheet Society

    The Transformation of Our Spreadsheet Society

    “The only rules are the ones dictated by the laws of physics.  Everything else is a recommendation.”  — Walter Isaacson/Elon Musk

    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.

    This spreadsheet approach was shown in the recent US elections to be detrimental to the party mainly depending on this view of society.  How many times did we hear pollsters opine that X percent of a certain population was voting for one candidate vs. the other?  The categories of people were divided along traditional lines.  This whole model was shattered on November 2, 2024, and likely some providers of data in this format may no longer be in business for the next cycle.

    However, this belief system is not limited to the political class.  We all can fall into this stereotype.

    For decades we have been taught that data categories can be captured under a Normal Distribution (Bell) Curve of a category and row of interest, i.e., the distribution of the height of a class of male senior high school students or SAT scores.  Another more relevant example, retailers’ pertinacious obsession with the 18–34-year-old group.

    These are fairly simple models, and in this Blogger’s opinion, this representation rarely works anymore, if it ever did.  For example, the resulting retail sector inventory overages as a result of dependencies on this gross data model are not an effective return on shareholder value.  Other recent missteps based on faulty interpretation of the customer/prospect base include the Bud Lite advertising fiasco and the Target marketing failure.

    It is ok to make marketing mistakes, that is going to happen.  The problem with these two (and other) campaigns is the analysis of risk, return, etc. was likely shallow or mathematically primitive.

    There are ways to appeal to new consumers without alienating a large existing base.  It’s all in the big numbers.

    There are several validated models of human behavior and we will discuss two of them herein, Maslow’s Hierarchy and the Relationships, Behaviors, Conditions model.  Some readers may prefer others, and they will most likely work within this construct as well.

    Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

    This perspective on human needs and subsequent behaviors dates back to the 1940s.  As shown, it consists of five steps from survival to the ultimate Self Actualization.  Note that we adapt this model in two ways.  First, we view this as a growth process as opposed to five discrete steps.  Additionally, the bottom two lower ranges focus mostly on the physical issues we all face.  Fundamental survival and security both physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  Once we have attained, sustained, and believe, we are ready to transition towards an end game, “the realization or fulfillment of one’s talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in everyone.”

    Next, we will discuss how we can use this and the RBC solutions to realize specific and measurable value that changes this dynamic.

    The color gradient is meant to reflect that this journey is a process and often each field begins slowly before accelerating into the next range.

    Another perspective of each the Five Platforms consists of a number of smaller steps, which when assessed using Integral Calculus, generates a continuum.

    Relationships, Behaviors, and Conditions (RBC)

    The following is taken from our Cross-Cultural Online Game site:

    The RELATIONSHIPS, BEHAVIORS, and CONDITIONS (RBC) model was originally developed to address issues around cross cultural (international) negotiation processes.   As shown in the figure, Relationships are the focal point of this perspective, reflecting commonality of interest, balance of power and trust as well as intensity of expressed conflict.  Behaviors in this model is defined as a broad term including multi-dimensions and intentional as well as unintentional.  Finally, Conditions are defined as active and including circumstances, capabilities and skills of the parties, culture, and the environment.  Of course, Time is a variable in this model as well.

    Moreover, we have defined Behavioral Economics as “the decision-making model that incorporates societal, cultural, emotions and other human biases into the process as opposed to the classic rational economic actor.

    One key feature of the R B C Framework is its emphasis on interactive relationships while providing an environment for multiple levels of behavioral analysis.   This makes it a useful tool to better understand the new Big Data/AI processes currently unfolding.

    The following graphic is a derivative of our Cross-Cultural Interactions model.  It is a peer reviewed model and is a very good way to calibrate interactions.  Additional information is available on the above link.

    This author has long believed that we do not live in a linear or mathematically deterministic world.  A strong belief in stochastic, matrices drive much of my thinking.  This is reflected in the figure on the left.  The RBC model is the foundation for the five parties and their collective Behaviors.  The resulting Relationships range from one-on-one to small groups or in some cases a wide and varied constituency.

    Note that there is an Ecosystem, (something, such as a network of businesses, considered to resemble an ecological ecosystem especially because of its complex interdependent parts) associated with each entity other that the individuals’ who are the other four.

    This is a wide array of influences on any given individual.  Not easily measured, linearly!

    Scientific Method

    Most readers are familiar with how science has been brought into bolster the position of pundits/advocates of policy, especially related to Covid-19.  The word is tossed around casually, as if most who use it know what they are talking about.  Spoiler Alert–Most Do Not! This includes some with advanced technical or medical bona fides.

    Most think that by using the word ‘science’ this assessment process is out of their wheelhouse.  Previously, we argued that there is a layperson’s approach that works fine for most of our daily needs.  Details can be found on our Blog, They Blinded Me with Science.

    For space reasons, this (guidelines) model will not be repeated here but check it out, it is a short read.

    The late Nobel Laureate, Richard Feynman has a brief and layperson-oriented presentation on the Scientific Method.  He is an excellent teacher, and this clip is informative as well as entertaining.

     “If it disagrees with experiment, its wrong”—Richard Feynman

    Human Input Still Needed

    To be clear, pollsters and marketers will still need to ask questions that will also help structure the model, but the processes posited herein can change the weighting processes driving toward equilibrium and Pareto Optimality (Pareto efficiency implies that resources are allocated in the most economically efficient manner but does not imply equality or fairness) in the final analysis.  In other words, higher quality results.

    These numbers can also be seen as ‘first value’ in a simulation.  Another way to look at this is to the logic the Turing (Bombe) Machine of World War II.  Not setting a number as itself.

    Then AI can take the model to the next level and provide pollsters/marketers with real, modern solutions.  Finally, other uses will most likely be derivatives of this solution.

    The Data Management Problem

    We have identified a general problem as well as three valid and reliable theories.  This is only a nice discussion without relevance with Valid, Reliable, and Timely (VRT) data.  Data Management has been a problem as long as there has been data, stone, paper or electronic.  It has always been an issue.  “Herman Hollerith is given credit for adapting the punch cards used for weaving looms to act as the memory for a mechanical tabulating machine, in 1890.”  Much later (circa 1950s) digital database management schemas emerged.  Today, we are flooded by data of all types including telemetry and deliberately false data/information.

    How can this be effectively managed and how can an executive without a technology background survive much less thrive in such an environment?

    For decades, this author has been involved in almost all computer system development from the yellow punch tape of the 1960s until today.  There have been several constants over that period.

    One of the biggest chronic challenges has been database management; from the acquisition of data through its life cycle until achieve.  An outcome of poor data management has been decisions that have even led to the demise of firms, along with tens of thousands (if not more) of suboptimal decisions at the expense of shareholder value (bottom line/stock price).  What makes the current crop of Big Data/Artificial Intelligence advocates any smarter than those who came before?  Nothing!  Unless some things are changed.

    Our forthcoming book to be published by CRC Press in 2025, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making is a book for the non-IT executive who is faced with making major technology decisions as firms acquire advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).  The following and other managerial action items are developed 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 set of 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.

    The challenge of managing this suite of emerging AI/Big Data is daunting and one that cannot be dodged or delegated.  How organizations respond can be the difference between success or the destruction of shareholder value.

    It’s The Data Stupid

    Our pollsters are collecting and analyzing data that are self-reported.

    • A questionnaire is developed which may or may not reflect bias.
    • These questions are posed to potential respondents (phone and otherwise) who may detect a voice tone, and/or the subject may intentionally lie or mislead.
    • Finally, who answers the phone these days?  This skews the data sample and perhaps badly.

    Data collected in this manner is not subject to rigor and most likely wrong or skewed.  Finally, data collected in this manner is not suitable for the new Big Data Analytic models.

    One Proposed Better Way

    There are probably several much better ways to address political and marketing problems.  While no data source is perfect, we posit the following way to use the US Census data.  We can treat it as a function of columns and rows yet apply sophistical data analysis algorithms.

    Categories

    As mentioned, we tend to clump or stereotype individuals into preconceived ‘buckets.’  Over time, these buckets have taken on an aura of, it’s the only way.  Basically, the construct that ‘we have always done it this way.’
     
    This is no longer a viable business or social model.  Our world is much too dynamic for the older static approach to targeting the likelihood of a specific demographic to perform in a preconceived prescriptive manner.
     
    One place to start looking is at the United States Census data.  This data set consists of 57 profiles, The United States and each State and Territory.  Each Profile is divided into several Sub-Categories, Populations and People, Income and Poverty, Education, Employment, Housing, Health, Business and Economy, Race and Ethnicity, and Nearby States.  Each Sub-Category is further detailed.
     
    We might even call the data in these Categories/Sub-Categories, Conditions from the RBC model.  Each Platform in Maslow’s Hierarchy can be considered a Category with infinite Sub-Categories.  Likewise, Conditions.

    Rows

    We have identified the following three variable model as representative of human Behaviors–Wants, Needs, and Desires.  We have previously reviewed some of this in our Blog, Want – Like – Need  in 2019.  These can also be mapped to Behaviors in both the RBC and Maslow models.
     
    Details and a short list of some variables follow.  These definitions can overlap, and readers will note that there is some duplication across all three classes below.  Researchers use different definitions for each class.  This does not detract from the fundamentals of Rows selected for analysis.  
    The point is to develop a list of behaviors that is indicative of the problem to be solved.

    Wants

    For purposes of this model, we define Want as something that an individual might seek as part of normal life, i.e., and ice cream cone.

    Needs

    Those fundamentals of life, especially as defined in Maslow’s Hierarchy, platforms one and two.

    Desires

    Different from Wants, Desires are perhaps beyond his/her reach.  Coveting a promotion and willing to back stab co-workers to get it rather than compete on merit.

    Sources of Wants, Needs, and Desires

    We have suggested that a starting point for Categories is the very large US Census database.  No such singular source exists for these behaviors and there is an overlap in definitions.  This list gives readers a starting point.  In no particular order, this non-comprehensive includes:

    The list goes on, but readers get the point.  A large row of behaviors will help develop a robust model.

    And The Answer Is

    While we know that the solution to the political pollster and/or marketing manager is not a definitive answer, we can do better than we are.  We know how to management data in this environment and we have models for assessing and making decisions based on results.  As we move from simple, small data set, linear models to robust Big Data Analysis, we need to consider a few additional action items.

    Scientific Method

    Do not forget to use this methodology to define and refine your problem statement.

    Model Limits

    • While we are using a significant number of independent and dependent variables, we are not trying to solve world hunger.  Therefore, we need to put limits on (Bound) the model.  This is an age-old problem we first addressed in 2015, Bounding the Boundless.
    • From a scientific perspective, “Across all science, modelling is our most powerful tool, as models let us focus on the few details that matter most, leaving many others aside.  Models also help reveal the typically far-from-intuitive consequences when multiple causal factors act in combination.”
    • Additionally, “Getting AI/ML/DL systems to work has been one of the biggest leaps in technology in recent years, but understanding how to control and optimize them as they adapt isn’t nearly as far along.  These systems are generally opaque if a problem develops in the field.  There is little or no visibility into how algorithms are utilized, or how weights that determine their behavior will change with a particular use case or interactions with other technology.”
    • Moreover, “the European Union this week (2021) issued guidelines for AI — specifically including ML and automated decision-making systems — limiting the ability of these systems to act autonomously, requiring ‘secure and reliable systems software,’ and requiring mechanisms for ensuring responsibility and accountability for AI systems and their outcomes.”

    Diminishing Returns

    Since we are not boiling the ocean, at some point continuing with the model will result reduced performance.  According to Economists, “The law of diminishing returns says that, if you keep increasing one factor in the production of goods (such as your workforce) while keeping all other factors the same, you’ll reach a point beyond which additional increases will result in a progressive decline in output.  In other words, there’s a point when adding more inputs will begin to hamper the production process.”

    “Data is just a way of codifying information. Any data gathered should be relevant to a problem, otherwise useless data clouds the results of a query.  If there are too many degrees of freedom, you are begging for a spurious correlation.”

    Readers may be familiar with, “The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80-20 rule, is a concept that many have adopted for their life and time management.  It is the idea that 20% of the effort, or input, leads to 80% of the results or output.  The point of this principle is to recognize that most things in life are not distributed evenly.”  This may be a satisfactory approach to this application.
     

    Need for a Data Scientist

    This approach may require the use of a professional data scientist to realize a valid and reliable outcome.  “A data scientist is an analytics professional who is responsible for collecting, analyzing and interpreting data to help drive decision-making in an organization.  The data scientist role combines elements of several traditional and technical jobs, including mathematician, scientist, statistician and computer programmer.  It involves the use of advanced analytics techniques, such as machine learning and predictive modeling, along with the application of scientific principles.  As part of data science initiatives, data scientists often must work with large amounts of data to develop and test hypotheses, make inferences and analyze things such as customer and market trends, financial risks, cybersecurity threats, stock trades, equipment maintenance needs and medical conditions.”

    More

    This is not a definitive list and is provided to give readers an understanding of what it will take to move forward with the Big Data Analysis model.  Appropriate research and problem definition may reveal additional or fewer requirements.

    Demise of Linear

    The Linear broadcast approach to selling or changing minds is not the relevant delivery vehicle for new micro-data analysis.  Directed notifications is better although practice this with care.  This last election cycle, I received a text, words to the effect, “can we count of your vote for X?”  I was very much against X and no reason was offered to help me change my mind.  Get with the program and don’t be so lazy developing your spiel or message.

    Elon Musk’s ‘Algorithm’

    This is an interesting approach to problem solving that can have relevance to the issue discussed herein.  Can we reduce complexity without losing data fidelity, “The accuracy, completeness, consistency, and timeliness of data.  In other words, it’s the degree to which data can be trusted to be accurate and reliable.”

    His Five Step Process:

    1. Question Every Requirement

    2. Delete Any Part or Process You Can

    3. Simplify and Optimize

    4. Accelerate Cycle Time

    5. Automate

    Readers may ask, how does this fit in this discussion?  We bring this to your attention because it may help identify and bound the problem to be solved.

    Also, perhaps of some value is his, “idiot index, which calculated how much more costly a finished product was than the cost of its basic materials.  If a product had a high idiot index, its cost could be reduced significantly by devising more efficient manufacturing techniques.”  A survey, analysis, etc. are all products and may benefit from this index model.

    Final Thoughts

    Most financial professionals will tell you that spreadsheets must foot (the sum of all rows must equal the sum of all columns).  Can societies or multiple societies foot their columns and rows?  Most likely not and if that is the case, data from this model is not valid or reliable.

    Most likely, this type of data will take the form of a Scatter Diagram (without correlation?) with some clumps or areas of intensity of a specific category or group of categories.

    This may not be an approach that many will take; however, it is clear that the original premise of this piece, that we live in a spreadsheet society is no longer appropriate.  “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” ― Albert Einstein.  It will be interesting to see how future polling is conducted.

    Non-Linear Speed Ahead

    Sometimes pieces like this summarize a conclusion.  In the high-pressure environment, we are not concluding anything.  We are carving a way forward–A Growth Model of the Data Economy.

    As of this writing the incoming US administration appears to be moving at hyper speed across a broad front.  Moreover, AI in particular exploding.  Those interested in keeping up may want to to Subscribe | Generative’s AI Newsletter (not an endorsement but seems be a good daily source of information).  Mostly, just keeping up will not be enough, if top quartile success is the goal.

    It will be interesting to see the role the family of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software solutions play in this field going forward.

    Micro-targeting is certainly a place for Big Data to shine.  That said the problem to be solved and the confidence in the validity and reliability of the data must ascertained. 

    Society faces some real challenges with how we manage, analyze and decide using data.  This is but one example where old methods no longer produce valid and reliable results.  How will you and your organization go forward?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the recently published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    We are also pleased to announce our forthcoming book to be published by CRC Press in 2025, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making.  This is a book for the non-IT executive who is faced with making major technology decisions as firms acquire advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

    Copyright © 2024 The Rapid Response Institute LLC.  All rights reserved.

  • Artificial Stupidity

    Artificial Stupidity

    Listen closely and pay attention as our menu has changed.

    The frustration to the automated phone operator are legend.  All of us have had our issues with this form of (non) customer service.

    Recently this pundit placed a call at a number provided by the vendor and went though all the (voice) menu items, only to hit the ‘other’ button.  At this point, I was advised to dial the number I already had.  So much for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and welcome to the era of Artificial Stupidity.

    Firms are all jumping on the AI bandwagon, even though the technology is immature at best.   Sound like the dot.com bomb of a quarter of a century ago.  One wonders, what damage to their brand are the organizations incurring?

    Enter the MVP Mindset

    In recent years the software development sector has ‘Dumbing Down’ the level of  product commerciality.  Minimum Viable Product or MVP can be defined as, “The version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.”  Used to be called BETA in the good old days.  Now MVP is often seen as THE commercially released product.  Dah, hence the issues, frustration and lack of credibility in so-called AI solutions.

    All Things AI

    As mentioned, AI is all the rage.  Much like a fashion statement. everyone is jumping on that bandwagon.  But does it work?  Moreover, it encompasses a large spectrum of operations.

    Basically, anything that need big data crunching.  Yet crunching numbers is only interesting at best.  What problem is being solved?  This is where the weakness continues.  Algorithms are only as good as their author.  Some argue machines will take over this task, but one doubts anytime soon.  For example, jet engine commercial airlines are over 65 years old but increasingly seem to have construction/maintenance issues.  What makes us think this technology will be any different?  The Technology Adoption curve can be very lengthy and full of potholes.

    The judicious use of commercial quality software makes the most sense.  Just because every one is doing it is not a shareholder value added.  In many cases a sloppy approach actually decreases equity value.

    What is your organization’s approach to new technology and how does it add value?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the just published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • AI or AU?

    AI or AU?

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage but are these laudables premature?  Is it in really Artificial Unintelligence (AU) or just latest manifestation of the 30+ year old Expert System and a passing fad?

    Recently, none the less than Google (parent Alphabet) suffered a $100 billion market setback when their AI strategy suffered a lack luster performance.  This pundit has believed for a while that AI is ‘not ready for prime time,’ despite the continual harping about this world changing too.

    IT hype is not new.  The modern era for Information Technology most likely started with Alan Turing’s ‘Machine,’ circa 1936.  Ever since, society has endowed these inanimate objects with special ‘human like’ powers.  In our 2023 book, Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability, we asked the question regarding Machine Learning.  “What do you do if your machine is learning the wrong things?”

    In our forthcoming (2025) book, Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making, we address this issue and its management in great detail.  In the meantime, management is well advised to treat all new technologies with a skeptical mind regards of what internal and external proponents with their agendas argue.

    We have known for decades that IT projects need to undergo the same scrutiny as any capital expense.  So why do these projects still get a pass?

    Over the years, we have chronicled major corporate failure such as Bud Light.  A nine (9) percent equity hit on one day because of AI hype puts that organization in that league.  Use common sense in technology assessments!

    What guardrails does your organization have in place to prevent major technology faux pas?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the just published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • When Does It End?

    When Does It End?

    Once Again Organizational Safety Cultures Have Failed.  Why Does This Keep Happening?

    The controversial Normal Accident Theory suggests that in complex systems accidents are enviable.  So it would seem with continued major disruptions in Critical Infrastructure Sectors.  We have argued that this is not necessarily correct.

    Systemic Safety Culture

    Following the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010 and building off our 2014 book, IMPLEMENTING A CULTURE of SAFETY A ROADMAP FOR PERFORMANCE BASED COMPLIANCE, we continue to address the issues associated with safety failures and developed a Roadmap towards the High Reliability Organization (HRO).  An HRO faces the same challenges are its industry peers; however, it has robust processes in place to quickly mitigate safety and critical operational exposures.

    As part of our practice, we have developed a robust toolkit to facilitate the rapid transformation to an organizational Safety Culture without business disruption.  Many of the tools are provided at no cost and are easy to use–their details are available.

    Culture Eats Strategy

    The aircraft manufacture Boeing and its supply chain are undergoing increased scrutiny as result of the Alaskan Airline Max 9 inflight door failure.  This is entirely appropriate.

    As part of this process, the aircraft producer’s culture has come into question.  Some argue the firm moved away from an engineering culture to a safety culture.  This pundit believes that they are one in the same for this sector.

    A more appropriate argument is that the firm has recently exercised other values at the expensive of aircraft manufacturing technology.  Is this a loss of focus and a deviation from core values and capabilities?  Always a danger, i.e., New Coke and Bud Light.

    Get Smart

    In our recent book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability, ” we make the case that the smart extended factory floor (including supply chain partners) adds significant value to organizations in that sector.  This approach supports engineering/safety cultures while enabling certain social behaviors.

    We believe that a simple Safety Culture is insufficient in complex environments.  It must be coupled with High Reliable Management.  Only then can organizations capitalize on ‘Smart’ coupled with new solutions such as Artificial Intelligence.

    Is your Safety Culture Adequate?  If not, what are you doing about it?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the just published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our recent blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • V R T

    V R T

    In our forthcoming book, “Navigating the Data Minefields: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making”  we coined the term, Valid, Reliable and Timely (VRT).  “This term identifies all data dimensions including its temporal component.”

    Check Up

    When we go to the doctor we expect that the information conferred by this professional is Correct, Consistent with the current medical knowledge base and Relevant to our present.  If it is not, the confidence in the diagnosis degrades and can even lead to malpractice driven legal issues.

    One of the issues a patient faces is the significant difference in the knowledge base between the medical professional and the layperson sitting across of him/her.  Many accept the statements of the professional as gospel.  Sometimes to their regret.

    Enter the Knowledgeable Buyer

    We live in a technological era even though many of us are technologist.  Often the technology itself is user friendly and reduces our core knowledge.

    How many of us rely on a calculator or spreadsheet to the extent our math skills have suffered?

    This Baby Boomer spent much of his career on the bleeding edge of the computer era.  Today I am not conversant in the details of Acritical Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Big Data etc.  However, I know how to ask the right questions!

    One of the Right Questions is embodied in our Economic Value Proposition Matrix (EVPM).  Does this technological investment add value to the organization and if so, how and how much?  In other words, the economic value of the expenditures.  Keep in mind that technology expenditures include not just the cost of the product, its support infrastructure, switching costs and training among other change management processes.

    One does not need to be a medical professional to query the doctor about the recommended action plan.  Common sense and knowledge of our body in the case (or our business) as the saying goes, “is not so common.”  Don’t just jump on the technology bandwagon, do your homework and ask “does this add value to our culture as well?”

    VRT

    Does the proposed project make sense does it sound like it is a Valid or accurate process?  Is it consistent or Reliable and finally is it the right time for our ‘culture’ and organizational maturity to make the change?

    You might be surprised at these common sense answers.

    Does your organization have a plan/process in place to cut through the technology clutter?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the just published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our recent blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • Data Management for the Non-Technical Executive

    Data Management for the Non-Technical Executive

    “Per McKinsey research from June 2022, nearly 70 percent of the top economic performers, compared with just half of their peers, are using their own software to differentiate themselves from their competitors.”

    McKinsey went on to state that:

    • Digital products are driving the need to embed software across the board
    • Increasingly, more value is being derived in products and services from software
    • The growth of low cost Cloud and AI programming are putting unprecedented power into the hands of the global workforce

    The foundational key to global economies with tightly integrated software into products such as automobiles is DATA.  According to the research firm, IDC approximately 175 zettabytes of data will exist in 2025.  IDC went on to report that one zettabyte is ONE TRILLION GIGABYTES and that to download this amount of data would take 1.8 billion years.

    This amount of data and its criticality to the firm’s success are staggering statements.

    How are organizations going to be able to management this new economy in a meaningful way?  We can’t all be data scientists.

    Enter the Non-Technologist

    It is safe to say that data will be used by all aspects of the organization and its extended supply chain.  Finance, HR, Procurement, Tax, Sales & Marketing, Researchers, Medical Doctors, Facilities Management, etc. are staffed with experts in those fields not necessarily in IT or specifically Data Management.  How are these executives and their staffs be assured the data and software they are using ‘spit out’ the correct results?

    This is a daunting challenge today will only  get worse.  Moreover, the software sector is notorious for it poor quality documentation and many do not follow strict data management protocols.

    On the Horizon

    This blogger has been dealing with technical and later financial and business data of various qualify and sources since at least 1968.  Maybe I have not seen it all, but I have seen a lot including significantly poor data with significant gaps.  Management at all levels are not equipped to understand the underpinnings of the data they are using to make critical decisions.  Is the data Valid and Reliable (accurate and repeatable)?  Many are not even aware of the definition of those simple terms.  How can they trust the data provided?

    This author is pleased to announce that he recently entered into a contract with CRC Press to draft the book, “Navigating the Data Minefield: Management’s Guide to Better Decision-Making” to be published in 2025.

    This book will provide the non-IT software executive with tools and best practices to help her/him assure that the data provided by internal and external provider is of high quality.  It will provide a roadmap model that is straightforward and easy to understand.  It will also provide data and software experts with an understanding on the type of questions management may ask as well as project deliverables expectations.

    Stay tuned we will keep you informed as the exciting project develops.

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the just published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our recent blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • Tomorrow’s Culture–Today!

    Tomorrow’s Culture–Today!

    When asked when something is needed, how many of us have heard or even said, “I need it yesterday?”

    Our world is turning  faster all the time.  The now quaint old phrase, “Internet is like dog years.  One human year is equal to seven Internet years” now seems like slow motion.  Change is all around us and always has been.  Those of us using the Internet in the early 1990s or earlier could not have envisioned today’s mobile devices much less Artificial Intelligence (AI) and who knows what the next ten years will bring.

    Previously, we have addressed Organizational Initiatives and why almost all of them Fail.  Interested readers should check that post out.  This blog addresses ways to move forward desired significant changes such as Cultural Transformation.

    Leadership?

    There are a number of euphemisms for leadership or lack thereof.

    • Talk the Talk, not Walk the Walk 
    • Do as I say, not as I do
    • Rules for me, but not for thee

    These are a few that come to mind and I am sure there are many others.  Humans are very good at determining duplicity, even seeing it as dishonesty.

    Even if it is not unethical, illegal or immoral–if looks could kill comes to mind.  Where it is a politician leaving for a vacation in Mexico during one of the worst floods in US history in his state or an airline CEO flying on a private jet in the midst of major air travel snafu during a holiday season, visuals matter.

    ‘Follow Me‘ is the mantra of the US Army Infantry.  True Leaders, Lead!

    There is no such thing as leading from behind or telling people that you will be right behind them.  What organizational hill would you die on for this non-leader?

    Bottom Line

    It is easier to accelerate change or transformation than commonly believed.  Visible, consistent and constant leadership is the hallmark of success.  Also, answering the “What’s in it for me” question all will have with a meaningful response is key.

    For cultural transformation, the CEO is the agent of change.  He/She cannot delegate this to an Executive Sponsor and move on to other initiatives that will most likely fail too.

    What is Your Leadership Style and Why Would Anyone Follow You?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor of the just published book, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our recent blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • How Stupid is AI?

    How Stupid is AI?

    Recently this pundit was contacted with a purchase recommendation for something he had already acquired.  Dah!!

    According to Britannica, artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as, “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings.”  But just how mature is this technology?  The term covers a wide range of capabilities and according the IT research firm, Gartner reports that, “Responsible AI will take 5 to 10 years to reach mainstream adoption but will ultimately have a transformational impact on business.”  In other words, especially with ‘ethics’ is still early on the Hype Cycle.

    Previously, we addressed this blind adherence to technology algorithms (written by humans with all their frailties).  Examples include:

    Garbage In, Garbage Out still applies.  Computers are not autonomous beings capable of independent thought, they still follow decision trees.

    Technology Adoption Process

    In this writer’s opinion the selection and implementation of new technology is a function of both the maturity of the software as well as the maturity of the organization.  We have addressed the maturity issue on a number of occasions.  A robust review of our methodology is available.  If these two factors are not matched, failure is the most likely outcome.

    Moreover, the US government has released A Framework to Drive Technology Commercialization, a set of guidelines for new technology adoption.  Both of these tools are worth review.

    Going Forward

    AI may become everything its proponents advocate.  If so, it will be the first IT project since the Turing Machine to meet the ‘hyped’ expectations.

    Caveat Emptor applies to AI, just like everything procured since the Roman Empire.  Do your homework, just don’t fall in love!  Might end up in a messy divorce.

    How do you know if your organization is ready for AI and it is ready for you?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    See our Economic Value Proposition Matrix® (EVPM) for additional information and a free version to build your own EVPM.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor for an in press book (to be released in Spring 2023) titled, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For more details regarding climate change models, check out Bjorn Lomborg ands his latest book, False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet.

    Regarding the economics of Climate Change, check out our recent blog, Crippling Green.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author can put you in touch with Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give me a shout.

  • Bogus

    Bogus

    According to Cambridge Dictionary the title term is defined as, Not real, or existing only in order to deceive people.”

    We live in a world when lies are tossed around with impunity.  Politician lie, school boards withhold from parents and the news is decried as fake by both sides of the political isle.  How does one sort fact from fiction and knowledgeable option from uninformed or deliberately disinformed BS?

    Passing The Smell Test

    This is the ‘Gut Check’ feeling–does it make sense?  Usually, our instincts or first impressions will have some credence.  Not that further investigation is not required but humans and other animals such as dogs can tell the ‘lay of the land,’ almost without thinking.

    Doubting these feelings can often lead to a less than optimum result.  So, Trust Your Gut is not a bad thing.

    At one point in the Covid-19 saga, one government employee suggested that if one mask made sense, multiple masks would make better sense.  Widely ridiculed, this nonsense faded quickly.  This followed after the celebrity photographed wearing a knitted mask.

    Lies, Damn Lies & Statistics

    We have been told all manner of things regarding Covid-19.  First, many would get it with few if and symptoms.  Later, it was defined as the modern day scourge–another plague.  We were told the Science was changing.  Really?

    Massive daily numbers of ill and dead statistics flooded our media.  Armageddon was here.  Then a funny thing happened on the way to destruction.  We took off our masks and most of us did not die.

    Let us not forget the Scientific consensus regarding Climate Change.  NO dissenting views are tolerated.

    The Scientific Method, long heralded as the gold standard in research and interpreting data is often completely blown off when it gets in the way of an agenda or the often stated ‘narrative.’

    What’s A Person To Do?

    Social media and the 24/7 news cycle can be overwhelming.  Yet that need not be the case.

    We have always had to hold competing and conflicting views in our head.  Nothing has changed.  We just have a plethora of so called facts to assess.

    We do not need fancy computers or AI to determine what makes sense and what is just idiotic.  Right or Left, we must make good life decisions and walk away from the Scams and Lies perpetrated on us every day.

    This pundit is rich beyond his wildest dreams.  The recipient of millions for dead relatives I did not know I had, brought to my attention by African Princes.  More recently, contacted by young women who offer me a massive business line of credit.  Lets not forget the business opportunities that require not investments of money or time but will handsomely reward me.  If only I would provide them my banking information so they know where to send the funds.

    I especially like the one where if I click on a link, a so-called vendor I have never heard authorizes Accounts Payable, or the Voice Mail posted to my Outlook. Give me a break!

    Yea, right!  All of this does not pass my Smell Test.  In fact, it all stinks, so trust your (smart) Gut.  If it is too good to be true, it probably isn’t!!

    How are you protecting yourself and your business from online thieves?

    For More Information

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate the links to any third-party materials herein.  They are provided for education and entertainment only.

    The author’s credentials in this field are available on his LinkedIn page.  Moreover, Dr. Shemwell is a coauthor for an in press book (to be released in Spring 2023) titled, “Smart Manufacturing: Integrating Transformational Technologies for Competitiveness and Sustainability.”  His focus is on Operational Technologies.

    “People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.” (Martin Luther King speech at Cornell College, 1962).  For more information on Cross Cultural Engagement, check out our Cross Cultural Serious Game.  You can contact this author as well.

    For those start-up firms addressing energy (including renewables) challenges, the author is a member of Global Energy Mentors which provide no-cost mentoring services from energy experts.  If interested, check it out and give us a shout.

  • Man—Machine: Extension or Versus?

    Man—Machine: Extension or Versus?

    Are the emerging machines our friend or foe?  The debut of new technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things IoT) and a host of others seem to be drowning us as we drink from a technological fire hose.  Additionally, driverless vehicles, the Gig Economy et al. are conspiring to eliminate truck drivers and full-time jobs.

    Politicians lament this progress and promise, guaranteed basic income and re-training designed transform energy extraction employees into 50 something coders.  Recent college grads are told their (high debt) degrees are worthless and others advised not to seek higher education.  What in the world are we to do?

    Well one learned, well known observer has a plan.  Fortunately, a cinematographer has captured it in the following clip.  A little over a minute long.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W97RmQCnwa4

    Well, maybe Chicken Little is not the best source for guidance.  But again, it does look like aliens played a role.  Perhaps, these new machines are really alien inspired!

    In our real world, the ‘only constant is change’ and barring a meteorite hitting one on the head, if not embraced change needs to be tolerated.  Since this writer graduated from college in 1970 prepared to enter the nuclear power industry (we all know how well that sector fared), several new (then unknown) industries now employ millions across the globe.  Including, me!

    To be sure other sectors have shrunk and even disappeared.  Most employed by those sectors had to adapt to a new business climate.  Many thrived—some did not!

    There is no doubt that individuals need to remain flexible and ‘skill relevant’ in a fast-paced market.  This was true 100 years ago and likely will be so in another 100 years.

    It Can Be Done

    3M Corporation, formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company was founded in 1902.  Initially, it provided heavy industrial products such as sandpaper.  A need for innovation was identified early in its history due to quality issues.  The firm has evolved to one with a global footprint that sells a wide variety of industrial and consumer products.

    The company has codified its Innovation Culture—”Employing the Thirty Percent Rule, 30% of each division’s revenues must come from products introduced in the last four years.  This is tracked rigorously, and employee bonuses are based on successful achievement of this goal.”

    This Agility evolved from the founding of a heavy industrial firm that started innovating early.  This and other success stories suggest than NO firm and NO employee/supplier need fear even dramatic change.  Adapt YES, give up NO.

    Are the emerging machines our friend or foe?  I guess the answer is, “It depends.”  Just like it has been since humans invented fire and found a stick to clobber something/someone with.

    President Theodore Roosevelt is credited with saying, “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.”  Likely, the sky will not fall.  More likely we may be hit by Isaac Newton’s (inspirational) apple.

    Is Your Innovative Sky Falling or Is What’s Hitting You Really a Golden Apple?

    For More Information

    This subject is touched upon by this blogger herein and in other venues.  Readers are invited to review these materials with particular attention to Job Disruption Due To Digitalization: Myths And Legends—June 1, 2019.

    In the research for this blog, several versions of the Chicken Little animation were found.  In your spare time, you may find several of them very amusing.

    Please note, RRI does not endorse or advocate these films and does not have a relationship with their producers and distributors.  Provided for fun and entertainment only.

    You can contact the author more information as well.

    End Notes

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3M

      https://hbr.org/2013/08/the-innovation-mindset-in-acti-3

      https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/theodore_roosevelt_136001