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Cape Town - Today's fastest growing companies are "lean mean learning machines" with an intense resilience regarding risk and employees who can imagine, build and implement their own ideas, trend analyst Dion Chang said at the recent Autodesk University Extension (AUx) in Cape Town.
"These kinds of companies are manically focused on their customers and not afraid of the unknown. They build with and for their community and are driven by more than just profit. One could call them the first generation of truly responsive organisations," said Chang.
"Most big companies are looking at just selling products rather than selling solutions. The future of making things is about the industrial future of things."
It is becoming clearer that the best apps, for instance, are those that solve a problem or make day-to-day life easier and more seamless for people.
He said on the aesthetic side, Africa is moving towards a unique design trend that no longer has "a curio-continent kind of impression", but rather pushes the boundaries of a South African modern contemporary aesthetic.
"We are producing really high-end curated designs that are being exported and sold at high-end prices," he said.
READ: The internet of things in the workplace
Internet of things
There has been a lot of talk over the last few years about the so-called internet of things. The first 3D printed house has already been constructed in Dubai, for instance, a 3D printed car has been made as well as 3D printed drugs and medicine - even robotic surgeons.
"The evidence in emerging markets is clear that the robots and the machines are rising. There are even robotic traffic officers in some African cities, while service bots do waitering in India and China. There is even a luggage bot at Geneva airport," said Chang.
"Robotics have a very real implementation that will make things easier. We are also at a tipping point regarding drones. Just think what data driven agriculture could mean in Africa."
Another rising trend is that of chatbots. Chang foresees these could impact traditional call centres, for instance. Machines are also starting to talk to each other. For him the ultimate machines are the so-called robocops, some of which will be deployed in the United Arab Emirates and the US this year. It enables a sort of remote police monitoring.
It is expected that by the end of 2016 China will lead in use of robotics for services.
"This could be not such good news for emerging markets. In this robotics era the use of industrial robotics are moving so fast we have to refine our skills and make sure we can match where machines are going," emphasised Chang.
"We need to make sure the tech capabilities are imbedded in Africa. There is already a new trend, that of the so-called degree baristas. These are people with academic degrees which are worth less and less. No wonder millennials are called the new urban poor – they can’t find jobs, but have qualifications and have debt to pay for studies."
READ: Innovation hub launched for SA, Africa problems
No degree needed
A survey by EY found, for instance, that if you apply for a job you do not necessarily have to have a degree.
"Companies want people who make things not ones with credentials. Therefore, for me it is about taking short quick courses," said Chang.
Jobs of the future include avatar programmer, fusionist, human organ designer, interventionist and real time 3D designer.
Chang deals a lot with business disruption and which technologies disrupt businesses.
"If you think your industry or company is not going to be affected, think again, because its not a matter of 'if' but 'when' you are going to be hit by some kind of disruption," said Chang.
"And once you have been disrupted, you cannot just carry on with business as usual. You have to keep innovating all the time - and that has to include the whole operating system of a company, the leadership and management."
Because innovation takes a long time, Chang suggests a business should have a "budget for failure".
"Not a lot of companies want to hear this, but innovation does not happen overnight and you need the buy-in and commitment from senior management," he said.
"Budget for a bit of failure, but at least try to move forward and innovate or else you either become obsolete or you eat the dust of your competitors."
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