LinkedIn recently launched its first live video tool, giving people and organizations the ability to broadcast real-time video to select groups or to the LinkedIn world at large.
Launching in beta first in the U.S., LinkedIn Live (as the product is called) will be invite-only. In coming weeks, LinkedIn will also post a contact form for others who want to get in on the action. Learn more here.
According to the just-released 2018 Employer Needs Survey, 50 percent of North Carolina businesses report hiring difficulties and 60 percent of NC STEM-related and manufacturing companies experience the same. A recent Deloitte study estimates 2.4 million positions may go unfilled over the next decade.
Immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) or mixed reality (MR) [collectively called XR], are being used to address the skills gap behind those numbers. Charlotte-based Lowe’s finds VR particularly useful for simulating the numerous home environments a sales or service representative may encounter. Global shipping giant DHL Supply Chain reports an average 15 percent or greater improvement in productivity in its warehouses utilizing AR glasses, while also reducing onboarding and training time by 50 percent.
What does this mean for employee training? Read more on: A Virtual View of the Skills Gap Dilemma.
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Read about the 65 fast-growth firms that are disrupting the consulting profession in the latest digital issue of CONSULTING MAGAZINE (November 2018). Be sure to read the practical tips in the “Consultants On Consulting” article (page 78) to help your next technology modernization engagement run smoothly.
Our Managing Partner, Mark Weber, kick-started last week with a conference call with the CEO of one of our clients. The conversation focused on the topic of talent development (the #1 concern of mid-market CEOs who attended last month’s sixth annual mid-market CEO convention at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania). During the call, the CEO stated that in today’s world, ALL companies are tech companies. Many organizations don’t understand this concept and continue to see technology as a separate entity from the rest of their businesses. Greg Williams, the Deputy Editor of WIRED Magazine, recently published a blog post on the 5 reasons why businesses are moving toward being technology companies. Read it here.
Smart technology is a disruptive force in the business world and promises to impact every industry – including knowledge-based industries like management consulting. MIT Sloan Management Review published a great article last month that highlighted 5 rules that consulting companies should follow to remain relevant in the age of AI and other smart technologies. Read it here.
LinkedIn, the social network that currently boasts 560 million members, works hard to monetize all of those profiles with sales of data to third parties. While the professional networking site continues to grow in size, there are many who believe the LinkedIn business model is ripe for disruption. Omar Zaki, a Yale graduate and CEO of MYBS (pronounced “moe-bee-uh-s”) is one of those disruptors. Learn how MYBS believes that blockchain is the key to disrupting LinkedIn’s business model here.
As a holding of Microsoft, LinkedIn continues to evolve and add new features. Here’s something new to try at your next networking event. On June 28, LinkedIn added a QR code generator to help professionals swap details when they are not already connected on the social media platform. LinkedIn suggests that the QR code can effectively become the replacement for the business card for people at in-person events. Read the LinkedIn Blog to learn more.
There is no doubt that Agile drives value beyond the world of software development. And, when effectively scaled, Agile can create substantial benefits for even large corporations. The key is understanding that Agile is a mindset, not just a methodology. Read this Forbes article to learn more.
According to Accenture, the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies on business is projected to increase labor productivity by up to 40%, and enable people to make more efficient use of their time.
Another core technology altering nearly every dimension of our lives as outlined in a recent MIT Sloan Management Review article is biotechnology. Biotechnology is really the combination of technology, chemistry, and life sciences. At first glance, many business leaders may believe that biotechnology only impacts the health care field. The rapid advances in biotechnology, however, show enormous promise and have the potential to “both expand existing industry boundaries and create entirely new industries,” according to Dr. Albert H. Segars, author of the article and PNC Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Faculty Director of the Center for Sustainable Enterprise at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Biotechnology Applications
Click here to read the entire MIT Sloan Management Review article.