If you have two twins that run; One always runs through the city (City Twin) , and the other always runs on the treadmill (Treadmill Twin). Both run for the same amount of time. Both are fitted with a GPS. Both eat the same amount and same type of food for each meal.

The City Twin would appear, according to GPS to do more work. Because obviously they MOVE through the city, you SEE the efforts on a map as they run. The Treadmill Twin never leaves their spot. According to the GPS, they sit still for as long as both twins are running. But do they really? 

So, how can we make both twins better runners? And how can we compare the actual work done, and the actual level of performance one twin against the other to be able to predict who would be better at running a marathon and place in a higher position?

So, what do we KNOW?

-          The GPS coordinates of both twins as they move throughout the day. (Different)

-          The amount and type of food that each eats. (Same)

-          The time each twin runs. (Same)

What can we add to learn more?

-          The weather of the city when the City Twin is running. 

-          The route layout of the city that the City Twin takes. 

-          The settings from the treadmill that the Treadmill Twin runs on. 

-          Optional – Heartbeat readings from both twins

-          Optional – Respiratory readings from both twins with analytics on air before and after

So what ‘insights’ can we give based on the additional data? 

From the weather data, and the current path through the city provided by GPS, we can tell when the City Twin is running into the wind (more work), or with the wind (less work). We can tell the angle the City Twin runs at, by knowing if they are running uphill (more work) or downhill (less work). We can even help the City Twin to plan a route that is harder (all uphills) or easier (all downhills). We can even tell if the City Twin was running on flat surface, rain-soaked surface or snow covered surfaces adding to the work being done. 

From the treadmill data, we know if the Treadmill Twin is going at a speed similar to the city twin, slower (less work) or faster (more work). We know what angle the treadmill is set to, and how much extra work that adds to the workout. 

So, it turns out that the City Twin always runs a route through the city that is slightly down hill (4 degrees) and 90% of the time has wind against his back or no wind at all. 

During the same amount of time, the Treadmill Twin runs at 1.75 times the pace of the City Twin and with the treadmill set to a 17 degree incline. 

Based on this we know that the Treadmill Twin is more likely to place higher in a marathon and be better able to run it. 

Based on the fact that both twins eat the same amount of food and the same type of food, the Treadmill Twin is also much more efficient at using the energy given to them to do a lot more work. 

***** ***** *****

Congratulations, You have just performed some of the magic that Data Analytics can perform with Marine vessels. By gathering onboard data (GPS, Food Eaten, Food Type) and combining it with backend data that is already in our databases (Weather data, city elevations data, city surface data), we are able to tell a lot about a vessel’s operations. Adding to it more complex sensors (heart-rate, respiration, treadmill speed and angle sensors) would allow even more detailed analytics also enabling the best practices to be quickly replicated across all of a customer’s installations to improve the customer business performance. 

A lot of people I talk to think that ‘digital transformation’ is related to new computer-based tools (like Microsoft Word) replacing for instance pen and paper. While this is a PART of a Digital Transformation, it is not the whole thing. So let’s go back in time a little to some concrete examples of what it is;

In the 1940’s and 1950’s a lot of offices had secretaries for executives who would tell the executive Who had called while they were out or busy, What they wanted and other things they had to deal with, When their next appointment was and the upcoming events/meetings, and were also responsible to communicate out to the rest of the organization through memos, bulletins, etc. whatever the executive wanted communicated. 

Fast forward to the last 15 years; 

-          Who called and what they wanted is now handled by voicemail on our phones. 

-          When your next appointment is and where you have to be there is now handled by our calendars, either on our computers, phones, smart watches, etc. 

-          Communication is now handled through intranets, Internet, email, or channels like Yammer/Slack

So this was a horrible thing for all secretaries! All of them lost their jobs because they had been replaced by computers and smartphones. – Oh wait, no they weren’t….

Their job responsibilities changed and grew to be the Executive Assistants they are today. Some duties were replaced allowing others to be added. Executives in turn also changed their business processes to use the new tools available to change what they did on a daily basis and become more efficient.

The position still exists, it is just different than it used to be. 

Second example; 

When I grew up, my mother and father knew the phone number of all of their close friends; they had memorized them, using their brains to be able to recall this information at will. They usually also knew the addresses of their friends, and either knew the birthdays by heart, or kept it on a shared paper calendar hanging on the wall in the kitchen. I knew my friends phone numbers and birthdays too. 

Fast forward to today; I know my children’s birthdays, my spouse’s birthday, my anniversary and my spouse’s phone number by heart. EVERYTHING else I rely on my smartphone to remember FOR ME. The technological (hardware and software) tools available allow me to change my processes and behaviours to adapt to my needs in a different manner. I also no longer buy paper maps that no one can fold back correctly to find out how to get somewhere. I use Google Maps/Apple Maps/Mapquest (yes, it still exists!) to find my way. Another change to HOW I operate. 

It hasn’t stopped me from calling my friends, although I do text them more now than call, or stopped me from wishing them Happy Birthday. It simply changed HOW I do these things. 

A Digital Transformation in the work environment WILL change HOW you do things. It will also change WHAT you do. But we all crave growth and rare is the person that wants to do the same thing every day for the rest of their life without change. 

Don’t fear the change that is available. Join me in walking this new path into the Future and let’s see how we can make the world better.