Digital Is Not Rocket Science

To date in this mini-series, we’ve looked at the importance of listening and engaging with your business, and why an innovation process is vital. This time, we’re going to consider two other vital components of the trial: setting objectives, and measuring results. If you’ve gone to all the effort of scoping, building and delivering a…

We’re continuing to look at some of the key skills that today’s innovators need. In Part 1, I talked about the need to get on the ground and absorb your business challenges in the real world, not from emails or conversations. For Part 2, it’s time to talk about process. There are many creative sparks…

I’m often asked what skills you need to work in innovation. Despite the prevalence of the term in industry these days, it’s not a formal kind of career that, for example, a software architect or project manager role might be. So what do you need to be able to do it? In the first of…

I’ve got a lot to thank Microsoft for in my career. While never the darling of the digital world, certainly not in the consumer space, their business model of getting others to learn, use and then resell their technology has created a super-profitable ecosystem. It’s also thrown up some amazing tools in the process, and…

I don’t think any of us could have forseen the impact that Coronavirus has had on our lives. In just a few short weeks, its grip has tightened to the point that the UK is approaching its first two weeks of a country-wide lockdown to slow the spread of the virus. We’ve already seen behavioural…

Picture the situation: you’ve just been tasked with delivering a presentation on the Internet Of Things to a group of senior managers. To speak to non-technical people, you’ve got to find a way of successfully abstracting the concept of how sensors produce data to give insight on your assets. Fine. Let’s put together some diagrams,…

Earlier this year, I lamented how great Google’s rollercoaster was at CES. It was easily the highlight of the show, and at the end of the ride, instead of reviewing those photos you normally get on rollercoasters – the ones you walk away from – Google were taking email addresses from delegates to allow them…

Phew! Did that all really just happen? The world’s biggest tech event took 4 days and 237 photos to get through, along with countless miles walked. Let’s mention Day 4. As expected, CES was a great deal quieter on Friday as many attendees must have felt their work (and feet) were done. Myself and my…

Now the legs are beginning to hurt. My colleague and I wondered how many of the expected 182,000 CES delegates would actually walk the entire show; I reckon it’s probably a low figure, maybe 5-10% at most judging by the smattering of delegate badges already appearing in the perspex recycle bins, but we’re absolutely in…

Oh Google, you tease. The Hey Google stand sits incongruously in the Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot, looking like it wants into CES but not being allowed. And yet, in amongst the IKEA-style furniture and layout demonstrating their Home Hub story, is a little rollercoaster – no, really, a REAL rollercoaster – called The…