Technology for a better world

There is no doubt that the digital (r)evolution has changed the way of consuming and producing, from the home to the most muscular sectors of the economy. Work environments bear little resemblance to those of a few decades ago, and the digital development of the industry is one of the challenges that the pandemic has accelerated. This will be the evolution in each of the environments.

1. The transformation of consumers

How have consumption habits changed? The digital transformation of physical spaces in the retail sector makes it possible to maximize each visit and improve the user experience. The analysis of behavior and consumption indicators increase the efficiency of the different processes, to meet the needs of the business and environmental responsibility.

Phygital experience

The increase in online shopping and the changes in the way of moving and consuming in physical stores pose the challenge of merging the physical and digital space. To do this, it is necessary to increase knowledge about customers and the way they carry out the sales process. The objective is to improve their experience, so that the number of visits and loyalty grows and, at the same time, the efficiency and sustainability of the business is increased.

The retail sector could achieve its objectives to attract the offline and online consumer , improve the shopping experience and make the most of the sales space through six steps.

2. New work environments

The labor and structural changes in recent years have led many companies to bet on hybrid work — face-to-face and telematic — and others have safely strengthened the digital experience in the professional environment. The flexibility enabled by the latest technologies heightens levels of collaboration, engagement and innovation, both inside and outside the office.

Internet of things and digital workspace

One of the main business challenges is to create an efficient work environment, where employees can have digital tools based on technological progress such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), to work with different devices and operating systems in a hybrid environment. Added to the improvement in your user experience is the business objective of guaranteeing cybersecurity and boosting productivity, through simple management.

According to a study by the McKinsey Global Institute, the implementation of the digital workplace increases the productivity of employees who feel connected by 25%, and improves the commitment of workers towards their company. In addition, the unified management of all the elements that surround the employee is guaranteed, with proactive and self-management service models. All this allows greater efficiency, with the design of a roadmap that leads to the digitalization of the workplace.

7% of SMEs and 18% of large Spanish companies incorporate AI into their operational processes. Big data, IoT and Blockchain technology are increasingly present in companies of any size. Thanks to collaborative work technologies and the design of work spaces aimed at improving communication and integration with teleworking, efficiency in the work environment can be improved.

3. Next industrial revolution

Industry 4.0 represents the leap in the production process, through new technologies and tools such as data analysis and interpretation, interconnectivity, digitization and supply chain monitoring. The industrial present and future goes through the smart factory, in which the automated and interconnected process allows the application of the industrial internet of things (IIoT) and new connectivity standards, cloud , edge computing, digital twins, big data , IoT or blockchain.

Technological solutions from start to finish (end to end) in the factory involve the entire value chain, from sensors (intelligent sensors involved in manufacturing) and the worker himself, to industrial digitization platforms —such as Manufacturing Execution systems System (MES) / Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM), SCADA, APS/SCM— and solutions such as automation of facilities, predictive maintenance or virtual and augmented reality. The objective is to achieve an improvement in the overall efficiency of the equipment, through connectivity, process control and advanced analytics.

It seems clear that, in a hyperconnected scenario like the current one, companies need integrated technological solutions. Telefónica Tech is committed to the digital revolution through personalized cybersecurity, cloud, artificial intelligence, big data, IoT and Blockchain services