The world needs more geeks

People love toys that make their lives easier, faster, smarter. After all, why use two clicks when one will do?

So, today, on Geek Pride Day, give thanks for all the geeks who have made your lives easier. Where would you be without Tim Berners-Lee or Steve Wozniak? You would have to go to an actual bookstore to get the latest science fiction book, rather than click on a link via your smartphone and download it.

A smart geek is a lazy geek, and they like it when things are made easy. They also like an “experience” (quotation marks intentional). Take, for example, checking into a hotel. Most of you do not want to queue at the hotel desk to re-enter your credit card (that you already gave the hotel when you reserved) and get a key and room number.

What if – after you reserve your room online – you could receive a message with a digitally encrypted code that serves as entry to your (numbered) room? No check-in, no queue.

For extra security, that code could only be accessed through fingerprint or facial recognition. To top it off, the same app would allow you to order food or an extra pillow without leaving your room. A much better experience, and much easier, right?

This is all possible thanks to super geeky hyper-automation.

Reimagine business with hyper-automation

Imagine what your business could achieve using hyper-automation. By re-organizing your processes to become fully automated, you can reduce manual intervention and human interaction.

Think Amazon Go: You open an app on your phone, walk into a store, choose your items and walk out. You don’t need to scan your items or queue at checkout. This is end-to-end hyper-automation.

To put my geek hat on for a minute, imagine if your IT systems could “talk” to each other – IT 4.0 if you will. If a system crashes in your Singapore office, its companion system in London could either fix it or back it up. If your supply chain breaks down anywhere, your IT systems could catch the break and – using AI-powered algorithms – find a way to bridge the gap. If your refrigerator supplier is experiencing delays, the algorithm would find another supplier and create an equivalent order. Your customers would get their fridge on time and never know there was a problem.

Geek up the future

Hyper-automation is not a new concept, there are many factories around the world that are completely automated from production to shipping. It’s what you can do with hyper-automation that will determine the future.

Barriers to adoption range from regulation to organizational (“we’ve always done it this way”). Many organizations simply do not have the vision.

Which is where geeks come in. They are explorers with open minds; and they challenge the status quo. They are really good for your business and for the economy. And there are not enough of them in the world.

The word geek comes from the Greek word meaning fool. But there is nothing foolish about it today – so be a geek and be proud!