Interesting to read about developments in high performance computing – and potential impact for current data centres and demands for future data centres. Is it possible we will see low performance computing performed on-prem and high performance in the cloud? Or is this too much of a simplification? Will corporates design hybrid on prem/ cloud where high computing available across both?
Still hampered with paper
And then you think about organisations still (in 2023) bogged down in lots of paperwork? Unable to leverage computing – not to mind high performance computing.
Vested interests
If the high performance computing is to serve a purpose – be that improved/ speedier decision making (perhaps #AI assisted), better analysis of data, improved customer response times- then the organisation itself – perhaps the industry – needs to change. If we have vested interests sitting in key points fo control – making a very good living – are they holding up true transformation (ultimately to be enabled/ accelerated by high performance computing)?
Innovators and disruption
And that’s why we need the innovators – not going to hang around while vested interests frustrate progress. Lots of new technologies, lots of options for deployment and significant disruption. And high performance computing just an element of this.
Interesting to read this piece on BBC today: new tool to detect breast cancer.
Read the various inputs from different doctors – fully get it: not a replacement for the doctor and not a replacement for visiting the doctor. But when you read about the shortage of doctors, the pressures on hospitals, the numbers of late detected cancers – we have to look at tools which enable patients/ potential patients work in partnership with their doctors.
When I read Tom Coughlins’ thoughts on the metaverse, some of the challenges and opportunities, I can’t but compare this with hospitals operating a hybrid of paper based and electronic healthcare records – and what the metaverse for healthcare would mean. The world has move on – so far. Belated implementation of old fashioned software is not digital transformation – and is not positioning healthcare to move forward and leverage the opportunities presented by the metaverse.
In this discussion Coughlin considers some of the challenges in terms of access, connectivity e.g. if trying to accommodate 5,00 people from multiple devices in a concert type situation.
Clearly, from the bets being made by Meta, Mark Zuckerberg thinks we will solve many of these technical challenges.
Interesting comments also about the car industry – KPMG suggesting that >50% of the cost of electric cars is semiconductors. I have just finished reading ‘Chip War‘ – FT business book of the year. I think it should form part of basic courses in economics, social science, engineering. Amazing to see the role being played by this industry across the globe.
This piece from venturebeat well worth a read for anyone getting over excited about implementing an EHR solution in 2022. If we want to serve a public in the metaverse need to throw out some of the old thinking and reinvent ourselves.
Great podcast recently on healthcare rap focused on consumer strategy in healthcare.
Thinking about a consumer strategy in healthcare
Was particularly interested in contributions of Craig Kartchner of HonorHealth and his thoughts in his role as AVP Marketing and customer experience.
Patients love their doctors and doctors – from their perspective – have been patient (read ‘patient’ for ‘customer’/ ‘consumer’) focused from the word go. Craig thinks of the patient as a customer (or potential customer) before and after the patient experience – and he wants them to be a repeat customer. The doctor may see a monogamous relationship – the customer will have multiple relationships.
Improving customer experience
Some ideas:
Research where we are failing – in the before and after experience (We need to accommodate their needs and wants for entire journey – not just sitting in front of physicians)
Streamline access to care – when, where, how, speed
Improve care navigation – multiple systems, multiple visits, multiple tests, different sets of instructions
Simplify patient communication – ability for patient to communicate with clinical, financial, administrative – too complex, too slow, too unpredictable
Don’t let the tech get in the way of humanity/ empathy – patients want to be there for their kids/ their grandkids – may need a shoulder to cry on
Where can tech help?
Lots of ideas – leverage what you have:
Online scheduling
online wait lists – automatically offer appointments as they become available
eCheckin – avoid queues/ delays
telemedicine/ telehealth – avoid the trip
asynchronous care – complete electronic form and provide initial diagnosis
Challenge/ opportunity
Consumers (patients) are not interested in our complexity – they want it to be easier and cost less. Do we really understand what drives consumer thinking and decision making – to select a particular service or no service at all?
If we are to move to a focus on keeping people well we will need to build out better relationships. Intelligent outreach to patients, better care plans, people are more likely to follow treatment plans and in turn this will keep people out of hospital.
The game has moved on and we need to accept this. Covid19 has driven WFH (Work from Home) – or as I prefer to think of it: WFW – Work from Wherever.
The challenges of WFW
I am reading about the challenges posted by WFH or WFW. City centres are empty – empty office blocks, empty shops and restaurants, empty car parks, empty bars. Retail in city centres dying on its feet – shop owners unable to pay rent and rates.
The benefits of WFW
Those of us who need to get to work (e.g. hospital workers) can get there -no traffic challenges. Kids will be able to get to schools. Roads will be safer. And more room for cycle paths. And less pollution. And lots of us are enjoying working from home – no commute, cheaper to dress and eat, more relevant to our families (kids in the morning,drop/ collect, etc.).
Have we thought about how to make WFW work for us?
Yes – we have done the basics. Internet access, remote access to work systems, cloud based applications. conference and video calls. Some even have docking stations, multiple screens and fold away desks at home. And some are using collaborative software.
But most of this is basic. We have not yet really thought about how to make WFW work for everyone. How can all of the advances in technology be used to enable people to work MORE EFFECTIVELY by Working from Wherever? How do we do this without losing the positives of WFW? As businesses we want to be more productive and more profitable – or more sustainable. We have been looking for ways to motivate our teams, to encourage innovative thinking and to retain key talent. How do we leverage WFW without screwing it up?
Rethinking work – with teams Working from Wherever
We still want to grab market share, be profitable, be attractive to new talent, improve quality and efficiency, reward our stakeholders, grow. Can we do this more easily with a team who spend, say, 70% of their time WFW? How do we redesign processes around planning, marketing, product development, manufacturing, support and maintenance – to work better, when the team spend 70% of their time WFW?
What are you trying to achieve through digital transformation?
The challenge is to look at the current business and think through how a new entrant, starting today, would construct a competing business – without a digital transformation, per se? The new entrant will not have the market presence, the customer base, the team, the systems and processes developed, modified, integrated over a number of years. The the new entrant may not choose to compete on the same basis.
Opportunities for new entrant
Where will new entrant prosper? Focusing on particular sectors, different supply chain, different business model, less capital investment, scalability, flexibility, different workforce structure, leveraging new and/or emerging technologies, pricing?
Why transform digitally?
If we can see real advantage for a new entrant – through leveraging digital solutions – then we probably cannot afford to ignore this. If the digital solutions will enable delivery of better services or products, more aligned with customer needs, at a discount to out cost base, then we have little choice but to transform. Otherwise we are relying on costs of entry etc. to preclude the new entrant taking our business.
What have I in mind when thinking digital transformation?
I need to imagine building my current business in today’s market place – leveraging changes in the market, in customer needs and the opportunities presented by current technology. The actual transformation bit is the important bit (if it is required) – the digital piece drives the change (ie the requirement to change) or enables the change.
Should we still be talking about digital transformation?
Probably not. I tend to think moving from paper to digital is less digital transformation than simply catching up. Writing things down on paper ad trying to share information thereafter belongs to another era. Digital capture and digital processing should be a given by now. The opportunities for transformation leverage the data being in a digital format. Many of these opportunities do not arise if paper based e.g predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, Extended Reality.
Conclusion – why digital transformation?
Being digital is a requirement – should be a given. Capture once, store, analyse, safeguard, whatever, stop wasting people’s time – empower customers and employees. If digital is a given then we need to talk about the opportunities presented through the new technologies and leveraging them differently. It’s the age old challenge of continuing to reinvent onself, seeking sustainable competitive advantage. Digital is just part of the environment and ‘digital transformation’ probably does not need to be called out as a separate or identifiable activity. Unfortunately, for now, we have many businesses who have not yet digitised – for them the challenge os one of staying relevant in a digital, data agile, world.
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