Resources
[1] Towards the fourth industrial revolution
[1] What are business operations - overview with examples in different industries
[2] Business Operations - why you need it, and why eventually you won’t
[3] Guide for successful business operations
[4] Product Process Matrix - overview of this method of analysing operations, orginally credited to Hayes & Wheelwright and published in HBR.
[5] Industry X.0 (Accenture)
[6] What is industry 4.0? (Forbes)
[7] What it means, how to respond (WEF) The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means, how to respond
[8] WEF Global Intelligence (WEF) website of Industry 4.0 resources
[9] Digital Transformation Revolution (Medium) The Digital Technology Transformation
[10] Fourth Industrial Revolution - practices, opportunities, challenges (Petrillo et al)
[11] Challenges (Deloitte) Industry 4.0 Challenges and solutions for the digital transformation and use of exponential technologies
[12] Industry 4.0 and Humanity 4.0 (TED Talks, 2018) short TED style lecture outlining Industry 4.0 from opportunities and challenges viewpoint.
[13] What is Industry 4.0 and what does it mean for you? (University of Derby, 2019) - short 2 minute video introducing the topic. Easy to understand overview.
[14] What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution? The “Fourth Industrial Revolution” is a common phrase at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. But what exactly does it mean? CNBC’s Elizabeth Schulze explains.
[15] Industry 4.0: how intelligent machines will transform everything we know (TED, 2015) - The fourth industrial revolution is upon us: machines infused with intelligence. This transformation will transform how manufacturing works today, making it 30% faster and 25% cheaper because a machine will know when it makes a mistake and will correct itself.
[16] What Is Industry 4.0 and How Did We Get Here? Lengthy video (1hour 16) of lecture from MIT associated organisation giving thorough overview of subject.
[17] Accelerating clean energy through Industry 4.0 - UN Industrial Development Organisation’s guide to how Industry 4.0 can Industry 4.0 could contribute to finding new ways of dealing with major global challenges, such as climate change, lack of clean energy access, economic stagnation and reducing the digital divide
[2] Components of business operations
[1] Business Process Management - useful but short three-minute overview video.
[2] process.st - Top 10 business processes - handy guide / checklist to the team common processes with checklists for what to expect from them.
[3] DTHR - Process modelling and mapping - 11 page practical guide covering the basic principles of BPM at an accessible and useful level.
[4] Svitla – Data vs information – explaining these two interrelated concepts which form the cornerstone of valuable insights that drive intelligent decisions and successful outcomes for businesses and organizations alike.
[5] Cambridge Exam Board - Data, information, knowledge – a short document designed for technology students providing the best explanation I’ve found on this topic.
[6] Smartsheet - Information management strategies - information management (IM) is making sure that the right people have the right information at the right time. This document explains what’s needed to make this happen.
[7] UWE - Logical data structures - handy overview of how to build them containing the technical detail to start building information (data) structure diagrams.
[8] CMMI - Data Management Maturity Model - 53 page presentation describing the goal and realisation of the maturity model
[9] Credera - Data modelling explained (in 10 mins or less) - short description of this important technique with some useful examples.
[10] Oracle – What is data management? – explaining the broad range of tasks, policies, procedures, and practices involved with managing digital data in an organization.
[11] Big data - a CERN oriented view - captured in a 4 minute long animated TED talk - explaining the the history of big data
[12] Big data, small farms and a tale of two tomatoes - 15 minute TED talk from Erin Baumgartner (ex. MIT) outlining projects that embrace big data and its usage to solve business problems.
[13] Fundamentals of Data Management - SAS website-based work book explaining the practice of managing data as a valuable resource to unlock its potential for an organisation.
[14] What is your data strategy? - short article from HBR published in 2017 exploring the value that data can drive in business.
[15] What is data management? - web article from business.com explaining how every business relies on data, and data management allows businesses to better organise and access the information gathered across a wide range of software solutions.
[16] What is data governance? Web resource - including two minute video - explaining the value in the process of managing the availability, usability, integrity and security of the data in enterprise systems, based on internal data standards and policies that also control data usage.
[17] Developing a data strategy - 10 minute video from a rather modest gentleman explaining the seven steps to building a data strategy. Roll forward to 1:30 to skip (most of) the sales pitch! If you prefer a structured, text-based explanation of the same material, visit this Forbes website.
[3] Transforming business operations
[1] Horizon scanning: a practitioner’s guide – 23 page PDF document produced by the Institute of Risk Management’s innovation special interest group offers a guide to the method, sources and stakeholder feedback.
[2] Emerging risk management and horizon scanning – open learning module from the UK Open University exploring the relationship between these topics.
[3] UK Open University Computing Modules – 366 modules (some are free) covering the technology landscape.
[4] How to build your creative confidence – 11 minute TED talk from David Kelly (IDEO, Stanford) one of the thought leaders in design thinking
[5] Speed up innovation with design thinking – 13 minute TED talk from Guido Stompff describing how design thinking can kickstart the innovation process.
[6] What to Know When Planning System Integration – technical overview of different types of integration and technologies can be used.
[7] REST versus SOAP - what’s the difference? - (technical) blog post helping with this important software integration choice.
[8] Cyber security design principles – web page of advice from UK NCSC on secure by design
[9] Agile development and non-functional requirements – web page setting out how non-functional requirements impact the key elements of an agile development.
[10] Non-functional Requirements: Examples, Types, How to Approach – an easy to read web page explaining NFRs and how to approach the important choices that need to be made.
[11] Non-functional Requirements (University of Toronto) - understanding, setting and testing NFRs.
[12] TED talks on cyber security – 63 TED talks covering different aspects of this important topic.
[13] Five factors - build vs buy – a pragmatic short guide to this important decision!
[14] Pros and Cons of Agile and Waterfall – comparing and contrasting the two development methods with balanced advice on their merits and usage.
[15] Agile versus Waterfall – 9 minute video explaining the three most impactful differences.
[16] Common Risks in Agile Projects and How to Deal with Them – easy to understand web page discussing the main risks in agile development with practical suggestions for their mitigation.
[17] How fragile is your agile – report by Deloitte outlining the six most common pitfalls of agile and how they can be avoided.
[18] Being agile in a non-agile place – 13 minute TED talk answering the question ‘Is it possible for a disruptive and potentially game changing start-up to take root inside a giant corporation?’
[19] Lead like the great conductors – 20 minute TED talk on what project managers can learn from six great 20th century conductors.
[20] As work gets more complex, six rules to simplify – 12 minute TED talk on reducing complexities.
[21] The puzzle of motivation – 18 minute TED talk on sustaining a healthy team.
[4] Leadership, culture and change
[1] People and Organisational Culture the development and usage of the Organizational Culture Profile.
[2] 5 TED Talks to Inspire Great Company Culture – exploring different aspects of culture.
[3] Measuring Culture: 18-page eBook with contributions from several authors.
[4] 10 culture metrics you should be tracking how company culture determines how things get done.
[5] Defining a digital culture – case study-centric paper.
[6] Digital transformation challenges a systematic literature review.
[7] The role of culture in digital transformation explores how organizations work through a digital transformation.
[8] The nine elements of digital transformation how managers can use technology to redefine their businesses.
[9] Growth mindset behaviours ‘building a culture that delivers better business outcomes’.
[10] .How to drive cultural change three integral steps businesses can take to drive company change.
[11] Understanding the agile mindset contrasting this to bureaucratic mindset common in some organisation.
[12] EAST Four simple ways to apply behavioural insights how behaviour can be changed.
[13] The power of believing you can improve 10 minute TED Talk Prof. Carol Dweck.
[14] Life begins at the end of your comfort zone 9-minute TED talk power of moving beyond your comfort zone.
[15] Leadership in digital transformation (infographic) why leadership in digital transformation processes is so important.
[16] Leadership in the digital era includes Prof. Dweck’s mindset framework at the centre of making leaders more effective.
[17*] Digital success requires a digital culture (McKinsey) suggesting three pragmatic steps to overcome culture barriers to being digital.
[18] Trickle down effect of good (and bad) leadership - HBR article about this powerful yet often under-rated effect.
[5] Automation
[1] The art of automation - book from IBM providing leaders with an understanding of how AI-powered automation can hyper-accelerate digital transformation.
[2] Mayflower: pushing the power of autonomous navigation - the maritime research vessel Mayflower Autonomous Ship is a first-of its-kind autonomous ship — and IBM technology played a central role in bringing it to life.
[3] The evolution of process automation - IBM’s Institute of Business Value explan how intelligent automation can change how work gets done, but organizations need to balance operational efficiencies with evolutionary workforce changes. Written in 2017 and NOT one of IBV’s best . . .!
[4] Robotic process automation - (aka software robotics) using software robots to automate tasks performed by humans such as extracting data, filling in forms, moving files etc.
[5] What is an autonomous car? - an autonomous car is a vehicle capable of sensing its environment and operating without human involvement. This interesting short tutorial web page describes the different levels of automation and the challenges and benefits associated with getting to the higher levels.
[6] How do self driving cars ‘see’? - 5 minute animated TED talk explaining the technologies involved in makind the seemingly impossible possible!
[7] Integrating Robotic Process Automation into Business Process Management- academic paper exploring the benefits of combining the two powerful approaches.
[8] One hundred year study on Artificial Intelligence (AI100) - Stanford University has invited leading thinkers from several institutions to begin a 100-year effort to study and anticipate how the effects of artificial intelligence will ripple through every aspect of how people work, live and play. This site documents the study including publishing it’s research findings.
[6] Strategy
[1] Fundamentals of Beyond Default - 2.5 minute video with the authors explaining the term ‘default future’. The page includes links to other short videos by the authors explaining different aspects of thier book.
[2] Beyond Default - contemporary approach to strategy and change by David Trafford & Peter Boggis based on the belief that the purpose of strategy is to change the trajectory of an organisation, from one taking it to its ‘default future’ to one that takes it to an improved future. The default future of your organisation is the place it will end up if no action is taken, other than that currently planned.
[3] Strategy necessary for success (BBC, 2018) - what is strategy and why do businesses need it? What distinguishes a good strategy from a bad one? Evan Davis chairs a round table discussion to find out the answers.
[4] Help me stop pandemics (TED talk, 2006!) - how smallpox was eradicated from the planet, and calls for a new global system that can identify and contain pandemics before they spread.
[5] House of strategy - model for sharing / explaining strategy across whole organisation.
[6] Explaining strategic agility - 12 min video interview where Doz & Kosonen describe the concept and how it enabled Nokia to attain market leadership position.
[7] Nokia’s failure in the mobile phone industry - 10 min video where Prof. Doz uses strategic agility failure to explain the subsequent demise of Nokia.
[8] Strategic Agility and international joint ventures - The willingness - ability paradox of family firms – in this journal of management article the authors combine the two themes of family business and international joint ventures and explore how strategic agility can overcome the emotional gap common in family firms that can inhibit Joint Venture formation.
[9] Strategic Agility: and agenda for executive IT leaders - This California Management Review article focuses on information technology leaders and their evolving strategic role at the forefront of organisations. It describes how these practitioners can build and maintain strategic agility, and it concludes by conceptualising these practices in an agenda and leadership framework.
[10] Living in the futures - HBR article describing the powerful method of considering strategic choices.
[11] Scenarios: an explorer’s guide - Royal Dutch Shell pioneered the use of scenario futures and have been using it for over 40 years. This is their guide as a 98 page PDF.
[12] The Power of Pull - intrigued by ‘pull’ execution of strategy and want to find out more? Hagel, Brown & Davison’s book explain how small moves smartly made and set big things in motion.
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