Industry Experience

The Digital Speaker and Various Industries

The Digital Speaker is industry-agnostic and has advised organisations in a variety of industries. See below how Dr Mark van Rijmenam has helped organisations in various industries with their digital transformation and how they should deal with emerging technologies. Dr Van Rijmenam believes that data brings great opportunities but also comes with great responsibility, so he always informs organisations how to use technology ethically and responsibly.

Governments
Finance
Retail
Travel
Education
Telecom
Technology and Software
Logistics
Agriculture
FMCG
Manufacturing
Construction
Healthcare
Publishing

The Digital Speaker and Governments

Digital technologies are vital to run a national, regional or local government. However, unfortunately, too often elected government officials have a hard time grasping digital technologies and understanding their impact on their government. This is completely understandable, as the technological developments and innovations are going too fast for the majority to understand and follow.

This is where The Digital Speaker helps governments from around the world. Thanks to his in-depth expertise in a wide variety of emerging technologies, Dr Mark van Rijmenam helps government officials understand the impact of these technologies and provides the tools to incorporate them to create a smart government.

He can help your government by training all government officials on the aspects of big data, blockchain, AI and many other (digital) technologies and provide the insights and tools to apply them.

Relevant articles on governments and technology

The Digital Speaker and the Finance Industry

The finance industry can only remain relevant if it truly embraces new technologies, as otherwise, startups will disrupt the incumbents with better, cheaper and faster services. Especially those companies who have a large legacy infrastructure are threatened by startups, and they have to reinvent themselves using technology such as big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence.

Over the years, The Digital Speaker has inspired numerous financial institutions on how to employ big data, blockchain and/or artificial intelligence to remain relevant. With the rise of Decentralized Finance (DeFi), the playing field is changing rapidly, and it has become more critical than ever to be aware of the latest technological innovations.

Relevant articles on finance and technology

The Digital Speaker and the Retail Industry

The pandemic severely disrupted the retail industry as many retailers had to close their stores and switch to online only. Today’s retail supply chains require speed, agility, and flexibility to respond quickly to changes in demand.

The pandemic has shown us that demand and requirements can change quickly, and those organisations that could not easily switch their products from geographically distributed stores to centralised warehouses for online orders missed out significantly. On the other hand, those who had their digital processes in order could easily switch to e-commerce only and keep selling their products via different channels.

Nowadays, the use of digital technologies is a prerequisite for competitive advantage in the retail industry. Technologies such as big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence, but also the internet of things and VR/AR can enable retailers to deliver the best product via the best channel at the right time and price. Nowadays, customers expect no less.

Relevant articles on the retail industry and emerging technologies

The Digital Speaker and the Travel Industry

Apart from the retail industry, also the travel industry was severely affected by the Corona crisis. Across the world, travel came to a halt and hospitality venues had to close their business for many months. Although this was a time to reduce costs, those companies that managed to make the most of the reduced traffic within their businesses and upgrade their systems will have a competitive advantage as we are slowly leaving the pandemic behind us.

Smart processes using technologies such as AI and delivering unique experiences using VR/AR will help deliver an optimal customer experience and exceed expectations. A smart travel and hospitality industry is ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Relevant articles on the travel industry and digital technologies

The Digital Speaker and the Education Industry

At the beginning of 2020, the education sector worldwide had to suddenly switch from teaching in traditional classrooms to online learning. What has remained the same for over 100 years had to be turned around in just days. Although there are many arguments why a 100% online learning environment for children is not the best, digital learning is here to stay.

Similar to remote work, in the coming years, we will see a more blended learning approach. This is a requirement if we want to prepare our children for the digital future that awaits them. We have to teach them the language of programming and the dangers of the digital world, something that the millennial generation never had the chance to learn at school.

Relevant articles on education and emerging technologies

The Digital Speaker and the Telecom Industry

The telecom industry is very familiar with reinventing itself and implementing the latest innovations. From the telegraph lines to landlines to mobile phones, 3G, 4G, 5G and at the end of this decade 6G. The telecom industry develops the critical infrastructure required to run our digital society.

However, the telecom industry can also significantly benefit from big data, blockchain, the internet of things and artificial intelligence. From reducing churn to enabling predictive maintenance in cell towers and personalised pricing, digital technologies enable the telecom industry to truly benefit from the vast amounts of data around them.

Relevant articles on the telecom industry and digital tech

The Digital Speaker and the Technology and Software Industry

If there is one industry that applies emerging technologies, it is the software and technology industry. They are developing the digital technologies employed by enterprises worldwide, but even this industry, from startups to incumbents, benefits from remaining up-to-date to the latest developments.

Therefore, The Digital Speaker has helped tech companies and their customers worldwide with the latest insights into digital technologies and how to apply them. He has spoken at events from Microsoft to Wipro and HPE, sharing the latest developments in big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence and how to succeed in a digital transformation.

The Digital Speaker and the Logistics Industry

In the past decades, the logistics and supply chain industry has become so complex that it is actually a miracle that it operates so efficiently worldwide. At least, that was the case until Covid-19 engulfed the world. Supply chains across the globe came to a grinding halt, and ever since, it has been a challenge to restart them correctly. This caused all sorts of shortages around the world, resulting in a deficit in chips, exploding shipping costs and delayed deliveries.

It is clear that an industry that still operates using paper stands to benefit from digital technologies. For example, using Electronic Bills of Lading, we can minimise the stack of paper involved in shipping products from farm to plate while reducing handling time and costs for those companies involved. Big data, blockchain and artificial intelligence stand to significantly optimise the supply chain and logistics industry.

The Digital Speaker and the Agriculture Industry

The agriculture industry has traditionally been reluctant to employ digital technologies. Still, with the increasing pressure to feed a growing world population and to reduce its impact on our climate, the time has come to change. There have been great experiments around the world on using artificial intelligence to reduce water intake for growing crops, and vertical city farms will reduce the distance from farm to plate.

Not only artificial intelligence but also genetic engineering can help to combat the challenges of the 2020s. Especially the developing countries can gain significantly from digital technologies if we can democratise emerging technologies for the micro farmers. In the end, the flood of data, from soil data to weather data to sensor data, will turn this industry upside down.

The Digital Speaker and the FMCG Industry

The FMCG industry stands to benefit from emerging technologies in a variety of ways. The demand for more convenience can only be met by employing big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence while ensuring customer privacy. In addition, sensors and predictive maintenance can significantly optimise the production processes, while digital marketing initiatives can deliver a unique brand experience.

With the reduction of switching costs for consumers, brand loyalty is everything, and digital technologies can help here. FMCG companies that integrate data and technology successfully both in the backend (production) and frontend (marketing) will achieve sustained competitive advantage.

The Digital Speaker and the Manufacturing Industry

Around the world, the manufacturing industry is rapidly employing (digital) technologies to meet the demands of the 21st century. There has been a growth in dark factories, factories without lights because they are fully automated, and robots and predictive maintenance are key nowadays.

Automating the manufacturing process with sensors and robots and analysing processes using predictive and prescriptive analytics will enable the manufacturing industry to move to mass customisation. It will also impact employees and the available jobs, a challenge that manufacturers cannot overestimate.

The Digital Speaker and the Construction Industry

Real-time digital collaborative technologies are a prerequisite for construction companies to keep operating in a world hit by remote work due to Covid-19. In Australia, a new skyscraper in Barangaroo was completed on time thanks to such technologies, despite stay at home orders.

Thanks to digital twins and simulations, a new building or infrastructure project can be analysed and optimised in great detail before being built. As a result, employing digital technologies in every construction process can mitigate risks, reduce delays thanks to just-in-time delivery, save costs and eliminate waste.

The Digital Speaker and the Healthcare Industry

In the decade ahead, the healthcare industry will change dramatically. Emerging technologies will revolutionise the healthcare industry from video consulting to in-body sensors tracking a person’s organs in real-time. There is always the challenge of data and patient privacy when it comes to healthcare technology, but this is where blockchain technology can help.

Healthcare providers have to implement these new technologies to reduce the burden on society by keeping people healthier longer while lowering costs. Using technologies such as big data, machine learning, VR/AR, we can move from healing to prevention. The future of healthcare will be digital, and the pandemic has shown that we have no time to waste.

The Digital Speaker and the Publishing Industry

As a founder of a media publication platform, Dr Mark van Rijmenam is very aware of emerging technologies’ opportunities and responsibilities to the industry. While artificial intelligence and blockchain technology can help improve content creations and content personalisation, digital technologies can also be used to harm people using deepfakes and misinformation.

The media and publishing industry has to deal with these enormous challenges while seeing their ad revenue diminished by the big tech companies. Publishers should integrate digital technologies in every customer touchpoint and process to develop a smart business and remain relevant and competitive.