We are in the early stages of a technology revolution that will reframe the relationship between human and machine and between the customer and you. But AI, blockchain, RPA, robotics, IoT, AR/VR, and quantum computing are not simply about technology; they are about the timing and nature of strategic choices you make. When do you start experimenting in earnest? How does this inform M&A, partnerships, or talent acquisition? How do you co-create with customers to spark innovation and manage risk? Strategic and operational decisions abound as to how, and how fast, to capitalize on emerging technologies.

Digital outsourcing
Robotics process automation (RPA) represents an important step forward in digital outsourcing, enabling machines to tackle mundane and repetitive tasks and free up human capital for more complex and creative work. Despite RPA’s progress, questions remain around how far and how fast RPA will advance and what kind of opportunities will become available to compete or operate differently and better.

A new reality for experience
Augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) already provide customers a deeper sense of what a house looks like, what a vacation can feel like, or what it feels like to drive 250 mph. These early forays also hint at the use and power of AR and VR for businesses — for example, giving automakers new ways to create immersive experiences that were once ceded to dealers. How can you use AR/VR to create new and better ways to engage and compel customers?

Blockchain-enabled disruption
Blockchain is all the rage, promising to advance and, in some cases, disrupt the transactional bedrock underpinning the economy. This is notable in a future where business platforms and complex ecosystems take a larger role in fulfilling vast and varied customer demands. Blockchain is both revolution and evolution — and you will need to decide how you want to experiment, influence, or exploit early forms of blockchain technologies to ensure you can realize the full benefits of this emerging technology.

Robots and you
Companies already use, rent, and capitalize on the productivity and increased intelligence of robots. But these are mostly high-repetition, manual tasks — the next big leap is robotics entering the everyday workforce to take on simple and complex tasks and work alongside humans in ways only imagined in sci-fi. Capitalizing on robotics and preparing your workforce to maximize the value of that investment will involve building a robotics quotient (RQ) that creates efficiency and new possibilities at the interface of man and machine.