Main social and economic changes that technology will cause in 2018

That was one of the questions addressed by the president of Accenture for Colombia, Marco Ribas, in an interview with Money. In it, he announced some of the main results of the study Fjord Trends 2018.

This is the company's 11th report examining seven emerging trends expected to impact business, technology and design in 2018. This is your vision.

What are the main technological and social changes that will be experienced in 2018? 

One of the most relevant will be digital voice assistants, which will transform the relationship we have today with our mobile devices and therefore interaction with brands, as they promise to generate greater empathy with people, downplaying strategies of traditional marketing that we know today.

Consumers are looking for increasingly personalized experiences, so OTT (Over the top) videos will be an element requested by consumers when buying. In addition, the predictive algorithms that offer products or services in a personalized way according to customer behavior both in the online and offline world, will be used massively by the leading brands.

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Why do you think that this year we will be even more slaves to algorithms?

We are seeing a new marketing environment, in which algorithms are playing an intermediary role between consumers and brands, being indifferent to brand efforts that seek to influence the purchase decisions that people make.

In principle, data-driven algorithms were introduced to make it easier to find what users wanted in a sea of choice, saving them time and money. In this way, the more data the user shared, the more personalized the results obtained.

However, the rapid evolution of data-driven algorithms, the evolution of voice-enabled digital assistants, and the increasing trust of users in both are setting a trend in which the development of bots with functions is being stimulated. that deepen the connection between the brand and its customers. Trust levels have reached the point where customers trust to use them for purchases, redefining the way they discover and decide what to buy.

In this way, the market will be driven by algorithms instead of conventional navigation, because when a customer is seduced by the immediacy and fun factor of interacting with virtual assistants such as Alexa (Amazon) instead of directly with the brand, the companies must find new ways to build a connection. This is why organizations are challenged to improve marketing strategies and use these algorithms to maintain customer loyalty.

What implications is it going to have for society to be even more slaves to algorithms? 

Market signals are already telling us that as algorithm-based assistants continue to develop and prosper they will become meaningful sales channels. As the machine learning that powers these algorithms continues to evolve rapidly, more personalized and preference-based services will emerge, making purchasing processes easier for people.

The greatest implication is in the intrusive factor, that is, to what extent will a consumer be willing to allow a company to know their tastes and trends in order to receive a personalized and relevant offer? What are the limits that these algorithms should have in sharing data so that a consumer feels at the same time entertained and hooked with the offer without feeling their privacy violated?

What implications does this phenomenon have on the productivity of people and companies?

During 2018, retail brands will have to learn to navigate a new environment in which previously predictable consumer behaviors - such as impulse buying - and standard marketing goals - such as purchasing, will be eliminated or greatly reduced. market share - will become a challenge.

Similarly, brands will need to understand how to work with an algorithm that allows their users to buy products without seeing them, and they will need to find new ways to influence customer decisions and the algorithms chosen by their customers. There is a precedent for this in search engine optimization, which aims to maximize a website's visibility to online search engines. The optimization of the purchase algorithm will be the next challenge.

Why do you think the blockchain will be a leading trend? 

With many people feeling insecure or even oblivious to how their data is collected, used, shared, and protected, data security, privacy, and lack of transparency have become a major concern.

To counteract this lack of trust, technologies such as blockchain can be used, which generates trust in consumers because it allows to trace anything to its origin, making visible all the changes made along the way. This change has the potential to reinvent our conceptual model of trust and equally, it fuels a new generation of digital services in a growing number of industries. This model establishes new ways of relating to what we consume, so it will be essential for organizations to become familiar with this technology.

Do you really consider that it is a guarantee of transparency? 

Yes, blockchain is a shared, decentralized and secure database that allows any system or device to be connected to the information network and that at the same time does not allow altering any record of the past. In this way, and, unlike a conventional database, the chain of blocks is connected without a single organization being able to manage and supervise it, this is why transactions between the parties can be recorded in an efficient, verifiable, decentralized and permanent.

However, implementation at scale of blockchain technologies is slow due to the mistrust that many industries still have about privacy, governance, protection, and the high degree of collaboration required to share and store data. That is why collaboration between organizations is essential to maximize the potential of blockchain.

What economic or social sectors can benefit from this technology?

All sectors that implement this technology in their services will have great benefits. Currently, the best known use of blockchain technology is bitcoin, the digital cryptocurrency that is traded without bank intermediaries, without transaction fees and without the need to give your real name.

Jaguar Land Rover recently announced that it was backing UK company DOVU, which is using blockchain to build a global transport data marketplace. On the other hand, Dubai is committed to becoming a blockchain economy by 2020, with the aim of conducting the majority of the Emirate's business using blockchain. Meanwhile, Sweden is embracing blockchain-powered 'smart contracts' for a land registration system.

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What is the economics of ethics and how does it relate to the technological revolution? 

Organizations are in a new environment where they cannot afford to ignore issues that go beyond the traditional limits of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Customers and employees expect brands to proactively represent their ideologies and realize their ethical beliefs through a broader canvas of issues and concerns. This is how organizations can no longer claim to be neutral. They must be proactive, identify and understand their position on a wide range of issues, before they are forced to take a position.

Will planet earth become a better place to live thanks to these technologies?

The advancement of these technologies is designed to make human life easier, save time, offer a better, relevant and personalized experience, at the same time that it seeks to enchant the user with a product or service. How this technology will influence life on earth will depend on how some companies use it and how intrusive it is in the lives of its users.

What is your future vision regarding technology? What can we see in the future?

The digital age is advancing faster and faster, what will be seen in the near future will be the total integration of the digital world with the human being, thus achieving an environment in which digital tools improve our quality of life. In the business and personal field, the key is in developing a strategy that is driven by technology, allowing people to amplify their talents and improve their daily activities.

Technology will be increasingly omnipresent in the lives of human beings in a more personal and close way than it is currently through computers and mobile devices. Technologies such as smart glasses and chips implanted in the body will be increasingly present, human beings will make use of technology in their day to day almost without realizing that they are using it.

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On the other hand, why do you place Design Thinking within the trends for 2018?

Design Thinking is an important methodological tool for innovation and problem solving, helping organizations to differentiate themselves in the market. It has become one of the factors that makes products more relevant, personalized, adorable and essential.

We see a growing demand for products that are delivered in an agile manner. The inherent need for speed tends to paralyze the creativity of the design process, which is why many times products are delivered quickly to the market but do not have the expected acceptance, because they lack simplicity of use, elegance, relevance, personality and design.

So as we create more sophisticated living services that adapt to user needs, the need for new design skills will become more and more pressing.

The purpose of Design Thinking is precisely to increase the quality of the creative process in a broader and more effective way, exploring a greater number of design alternatives in a short space of time, making the creator question their design, strategy and the essence of the product. With a user-centered look, it is about delivering a highly relevant product for the user, providing an unforgettable experience.

How to implement Design Thinking in organizations? What is the step by step?

There is no magic formula to implement design thinking in companies. However, there are a series of recommendations made by Accenture to incorporate it into organizations and achieve greater impact:

• Educate and disseminate the practice among resources
• Provide spaces for designers
• Establish multidisciplinary teams
• Allow designers to take responsibility for their craft

SOURCE: http://www.dinero.com/economia/articulo/estudio-de-tecnologia-fjord-trends-de-accenture/255151