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Name: Zach Shoher
From: Florida
Bio: Commercialized C++ from Bell Labs R&D to #1 computer language on planet
Area of Expertise: Futurist/Consultant
Topic: Economic structures
Headline: Virtuality Becomes the Everyday Reality
Nutshell: Businesses will "cook" business processes from standardized "ingredient" processes, adding "secret ingredients" for competitive advantage, while enabling partnering with other "chefs" from around the world, none of whom may ever meet "in person."
Vision:Global IT & telecomm infrastructure buildout will enable information "where needed, when needed." Emerging service-oriented IT architectures (aka "web services") allow assembling complete business processes from BP components, with process quality and organizational interoperability built in and guaranteed.
Start-up times will go from years to weeks, with prototypes and process tuning done using visual simulations ("virtual pilot programs") as well as "business test-drives" ("non-virtual pilot programs").
Imagining how to use process building blocks – think Legos – will complement executing both the process and the strategy behind it. CPO (Process) and CCO (Conceptual) will join CEO / COO / CFO / CIO in companies. Think "Shrek II" + battle simulation + customer profiles mixed into business development groups. (Know football? Know tennis? Imagine "tenniball," aka lacrosse.)
Business intelligence required to find and interrelate customer wants & needs, partner and competitor strengths & weaknesses. Visualization of processes allows worldwide participation – think of performed music as "visualized notes" – a universal language. Music practice is like piloting the actual performance.
Making BP "Lego-ing" work requires a catalog of processes, which explicitly details what they do, what’s required to activate them, what they produce, and what other processes they interoperate with (i.e., function, inputs, outputs, touchpoints). This catalog, like a catalog of curtains or semiconductor components provides a starting point, with customization or re-creation expected and often desirable. “Lego-ing” also requires standard ways of bolting these processes together. (Auto transmissions can be mechanically mated, or fluid coupled. Why not electromagnetically linked? Because no one’s figured out a standard way to do it.)
Global awareness of product and process quality as a competitive edge allows any involved person or group to suggest improvement to the component – i.e., to the business process. Process improvement can be generated anywhere, and propagated everywhere – not just top-down edicts or bottom-up work-arounds – not just limited to any given country.
Walt Kelly’s classic line – “We have met the enemy, and he is us" – has morphed into "We have met the enemy, and he wants to be our customer," which captures the spirit of global integration via commerce and communication that BP virtuality / universality / customizability lays before us.
Date Submitted: November 11, 2004
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