Sean A. Culey
This history behind Transition Point starts back in the summer of 2012 when I was the chairperson for a supply chain conference in Madrid. As I listened to various speakers excitingly talk about cloud computing, big data analytical tools, and robotics, it dawned on me that no one was considering what would happen when these were all applied. I quickly realised that we were facing a wave of technology that had some very disruptive potential.
I then wrote an article for the European Business Review on this topic (http://www.europeanbusinessreview.com...) and also created a keynote presentation on the subject. These presentations were exceptionally well-received, but intriguingly most of the questions were not about the impact on the supply chain or business, but rather on the economy and society at large, and what this means for future generations.
I then thought that this would make a great book - so I agreed with my wife that I would take three months off work to transform this material into a book that should be finished by Christmas.
This proved to be ridiculously naive. It quickly became apparent that while my observations identified connections that few had noticed, it was also somewhat incomplete, for it just detailed what was happening, but not why.
Establishing the answer to the ‘why’ question requires an understanding of not only the nature of technological change, but also of the social, economic and political factors that enable and suppress it, plus those that are impacted by it.
It gets worse, for once you understand the concept, cause, and impact of technological change, and the waves that drive it, then further questions emerge. What stage are we in now? What types of technologies does the current wave contain? Which areas will it impact?
Finally, the really big question – so what? What are the likely issues, challenges and opportunities that will arise as a result of all of this disruption? What impact will all this technological change have on business, the economy, our society, and our evolution?
While tempted to split this into separate books; one on technology, and another on the social and economic impacts, I ultimately felt that the power came from explaining their connection, and that if I separated them, then the impact would be lost. The reader would learn ‘how’ and ‘what’ is happening, but not ‘why’.
The further I went down the rabbit hole, the more I realised that technology, society and the economy are intrinsically linked, and I was unaware of anyone bringing these elements together in a way that highlights both the historical causes and the future implications of this interrelationship.
So, I set myself the challenge of answering the 'why' question, but also the 'so what' one. Hence why this book took over five years to write, required me to have nine months off work, and consumed all of my life savings!
In places I propose suggestions: ways to improve businesses to deliver more value to more people, ways to ensure technology does not take over, ways to recalibrate our economic models and ways to ensure society works for everyone. I cover some major topics that have been turned into books all on their own, but rather than simply sensationalise, I try to show how, as with the first industrial revolution, the choices we make and the freedoms we allow will determine the society we end up with.
I then wrote an article for the European Business Review on this topic (http://www.europeanbusinessreview.com...) and also created a keynote presentation on the subject. These presentations were exceptionally well-received, but intriguingly most of the questions were not about the impact on the supply chain or business, but rather on the economy and society at large, and what this means for future generations.
I then thought that this would make a great book - so I agreed with my wife that I would take three months off work to transform this material into a book that should be finished by Christmas.
This proved to be ridiculously naive. It quickly became apparent that while my observations identified connections that few had noticed, it was also somewhat incomplete, for it just detailed what was happening, but not why.
Establishing the answer to the ‘why’ question requires an understanding of not only the nature of technological change, but also of the social, economic and political factors that enable and suppress it, plus those that are impacted by it.
It gets worse, for once you understand the concept, cause, and impact of technological change, and the waves that drive it, then further questions emerge. What stage are we in now? What types of technologies does the current wave contain? Which areas will it impact?
Finally, the really big question – so what? What are the likely issues, challenges and opportunities that will arise as a result of all of this disruption? What impact will all this technological change have on business, the economy, our society, and our evolution?
While tempted to split this into separate books; one on technology, and another on the social and economic impacts, I ultimately felt that the power came from explaining their connection, and that if I separated them, then the impact would be lost. The reader would learn ‘how’ and ‘what’ is happening, but not ‘why’.
The further I went down the rabbit hole, the more I realised that technology, society and the economy are intrinsically linked, and I was unaware of anyone bringing these elements together in a way that highlights both the historical causes and the future implications of this interrelationship.
So, I set myself the challenge of answering the 'why' question, but also the 'so what' one. Hence why this book took over five years to write, required me to have nine months off work, and consumed all of my life savings!
In places I propose suggestions: ways to improve businesses to deliver more value to more people, ways to ensure technology does not take over, ways to recalibrate our economic models and ways to ensure society works for everyone. I cover some major topics that have been turned into books all on their own, but rather than simply sensationalise, I try to show how, as with the first industrial revolution, the choices we make and the freedoms we allow will determine the society we end up with.
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