Trends Identified

Economic experiments
Many growth policy tools have reached their limits. Central banks and governments in the developed world responded to the financial crisis by slashing interest rates , creating innovative facilities to try to keep the credit of lowing, and in some cases bailing out financial and nonfinancial players. Different mixes of austerity and structural reforms also were tried. When these proved insufficient to restart growth, leaders around the world turned to new, sometimes overlapping policy experiments, in search of a more effective solution.
2017
The global forces inspiring a new narrative of progress
McKinsey
Automation, employment and productivity
Automation is an idea that has inspired science fiction writers and futurologists for more than a century. Today it is no longer fiction, as companies increasingly use robots on production lines or algorithms to optimize their logistics, manage inventory, and carry out other core business functions. Technological advances are creating a new automation age in which ever-smarter and more flexible machines will be deployed on an ever-larger scale in the workplace. In reality, the process of automating tasks done by humans has been under way for centuries. What has perhaps changed is the pace and scope of what can be automated. It is a prospect that raises more questions than it answers. How will automation transform the workplace? What will be the implications for employment? And what is likely to be its impact both on productivity in the global economy and on employment?
2017
A future that works
McKinsey
Reengineering technology- building new it delivery models from the top down and bottom up
With business strategies linked inseparably to technology, leading organizations are fundamentally rethinking how they envision, deliver, and evolve technology solutions. They are transforming IT departments into engines for driving business growth, with responsibilities that span back-office systems, operations, and even product and platform offerings. From the bottom up, they are modernizing infrastructure and the architecture stack. From the top down, they are organizing, operating, and delivering technology capabilities in new ways. In tandem, these approaches can deliver more than efficiency—they offer the tools, velocity, and empowerment that will define the technology organization of the future.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
No-collar workforce- humans and machines in one loop- collaborating in roles an new talent models
As automation, cognitive technologies, and artificial intelligence gain traction, companies may need to reinvent worker roles, assigning some to humans, others to machines, and still others to a hybrid model in which technology augments human performance. Managing both humans and machines will present new challenges to the human resources organization, including how to simultaneously retrain augmented workers and to pioneer new HR processes for managing virtual workers, cognitive agents, bots, and the other AI-driven capabilities comprising the “no-collar” workforce. By redesigning legacy practices, systems, and talent models around the tenets of autonomics, HR groups can begin transforming themselves into nimble, fast-moving, dynamic organizations better positioned to support the talent—both mechanized and human—of tomorrow.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
Enterprise data sovereignty- if you love your data, set it free
As every organization recognizes data as a key asset, there is an increasing demand to “free” it—to make information accessible, understandable, and actionable across business units, departments, and geographies. This requires modern approaches to data architecture and data governance that take advantage of machine learning, natural language processing, and automation to dynamically understand relationships, guide storage, and manage rights. Those same capabilities are needed to navigate changing global regulatory and legal requirements around data privacy and protection.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
The new core- unleashing the digital potential in heart of the business operations
Much of the attention paid to cloud, cognitive, and other digital disruptors today centers on the way they manifest in the marketplace: Individually and collectively, these technologies support new customer experiences, product innovation, and rewired industry ecosystems. Often overlooked, however, is their disruptive potential in core back- and mid-office systems and in operations, where digital technologies are poised to fundamentally change the way work gets done. This transformation is beginning with finance and supply chain, two corporate and agency pillars ready to embrace all things digital. From there, next-generation transaction and financial systems, blockchain, machine intelligence, automation, and the Internet of Things (IoT) are redefining what is possible in these mission-critical functions.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
Digital reality
The augmented reality and virtual reality revolution has reached a tipping point. Driven by a historic transformation in the way we interact with technology and data, market leaders are shifting their focus from proofs of concept and niche offerings to strategies anchored in innovative use cases and prototypes designed for industrialization. They are laying the groundwork for broader deployment by tackling issues such as integration experiences with the core, cloud deployment, connectivity, cognitive, analytics, and access. Some have even begun developing new design patterns and nurturing non-traditional skillsets, heralding a new era of engagement. These early adopters recognize a shift in the AR/VR winds: The time to embrace digital reality is now.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
Blockchain to blockchains- broad adoption and integration enter the realm of the possible
Blockchain technologies are on a clear path toward broad adoption, with proofs of concept shifting toward production and leading organizations exploring multiple concurrent use cases of increasing scope, scale, and complexity. Moreover, initial coin offerings and smart contracts are finding more applications and creating more diversity throughout the blockchain ecosystem. Now is the time for organizations to begin standardizing on the technology, talent, and platforms that will drive future blockchain initiatives. Likewise, they can begin identifying business consortia to join. Beyond these immediate steps, they should also look to the horizon for the next big blockchain opportunity: coordinating, integrating, and orchestrating multiple blockchains working together across a value chain.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
API imperative - from IT concern to business mandate
For many years, application programming interfaces (APIs) have made it possible for solutions and systems to talk to each other. But increasingly, companies value these often-overlooked technologies for another capability: They expose technology assets for reuse across and beyond the enterprise. Not only can reuse drive greater ROI in IT investments—it can offer API consumers a set of building blocks for using existing data, transactions, and products in creative ways. As part of the growing API imperative trend, organizations have begun exploring new ways to expose, manage, and control APIs. As this trend gathers momentum in the coming months, expect further innovative approaches to emerge for contracting, pricing, servicing, and even marketing a venerable technology that has become a critical pillar of many digital ambitions.
2017
Tech trends 2018
Deloitte
Bottle fed
Liquid meals are typically the staple of babies and toddlers — but companies such as Soylent and Ample are creating “meal-replacement” drinks by fusing obscure ingredients, such as bioengineered algae (to provide lipids and fatty acids) and artichoke inulin (a source of carbohydrate). Beyond criticizing the potential tedium of drinking the same bottle each day, nutritionists have struggled to find fault with the health benefits of such drinks — which meet stringent US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requirements.
2017
How we eat now: five disruptive food trends
EY