Emergent Digital Techniques For Business

Emergent digital techniques for business

Level 2 Certificate in Digital Promotion for Business (601/6673/3)

Unit 5 Emergent digital techniques for business (K/507/4158)

This part of the NCFE unit is about understanding the role of emergent digital techniques in promoting an organisation

  1. List the advantages and disadvantages of a range of emergent digital techniques
  2. Evaluate business uses of an emergent digital technique
  3. Compare an emergent digital technique with established digital promotion techniques

This part of the unit is about using an emergent digital technique to design a promotional campaign

  • Identify ways in which an organisation can utilise an emergent digital technique(s)
  • Design a digital promotional campaign using an emergent technique(s)

Emergent digital techniques are new and evolving channels or methods that a business can use to do business, develop as a service or interact with their customers. Here is a range of emergent digital techniques in list format:

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI). Voice assistance such as Alexa and Google voice. Chat bots like Watson developed by IBM
  • Augmented Reality (AR). Gaming, entertainment, sports, health and emergency services
  • Virtual Reality (VR). Gaming, entertainment, sports simulators and training applications
  • Internet of Things (IoT). Remote monitoring in inhospitable environments, vehicles, face recognition, smart watch and drones
  • 5G. Fifth generation technology standard for broadband. Real-time connectivity for voice calling, video calling and gaming
  • 3 D printers. Wearables tech like helmets to custom fit, models, sample and prototypes
  • Blockchain technology. Cryptocurrency used as an alternative to money like bitcoins, used in contracts
  • Cloud computing. Video on demand, software development tools, data mining solutions and virtual backups
  • Big data. Data from weather systems, communications systems and genomic research analysis to extract valuable insights
Artificial Intelligence AI includes voice assistance,  face recognition, machine learning or ML is a function of pattern recognition technology. Signal processing spam detection and image analysis are applications in this area.

Technology for immersive experiences is a big area in gaming, esports which takes in AI, Virtual Reality VR and now blockchain technology.

Other AI can be Cognitive Services see https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/cognitive-services/  for integrate speech processing such as: Speech to Text, Text to Speech and Speech Translation.

The internet of things and smart cities means more IoT in our lives together with artificial intelligence and Machine 2 Machine learning, in addition there will be increasingly more mobile technology innovation. It is the combination for technologies that gives the innovations in this area potential and power. It is the digital transformation of businesses in these area which will give a business an advantage over their competition. For instance digital transformation in the area of cloud services available for staff site wide can be used to attract the best talent for its business. Wifi site wide connectivity, high quality always on can save on travel time and increase productivity.

Location near the fastest high speed link can give a business first mover advantage in launching new services and products. The pace of innovation through the product life cycle from design, development, testing a prototype to version 1 in production can mean rewards for that business that arrive first because they have top internet speeds and a clear development life cycle.

Where you work or live is becoming an increasing important a factor for business that are focusing their services or parts in new markets. The home is becoming an office, the mobile is being used more so than the desktop pc. Software tools capture information on all this data. Business can use Android emulator to help them develop new apps for these new markets at little cost. This is a cloud service for mobile where push notifications are offered together with function as a service, AWS lambda (serverless). See bing Emulator

IoT Hardware and tablet devices use the open source software Linux as their operating system. Open source software has increased the pace of innovation and emergent technologies.

Computing infrastructure, platforms and software are services business can pay for from the cloud. IaaS, PasS and SaaS are on a cloud service via an internet connection all over the world. Specific SaaS solution includes G Suite and Office 365 which are productivity suites for SMEs. A business can now compare online the following before purchase:

Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word
Google Sheets vs. Microsoft Excel
Google Slides vs. Microsoft PowerPoint
Gmail vs. Microsoft Outlook
Google Hangouts Chat and Meet vs. Microsoft Teams
Google Drive vs. Microsoft OneDrive for Business and SharePoint

Github, Trello, Canva, Marvel, Dropbox and Slack are tools for collaboration in teams.

Finally there is an impending tectonic shift which will create unrivalled disruption, brought about by the advent of quantum computing as a tool for business. Quantum computing, video conferencing, human looking interface, robotics connection, security and emerging technology strategy are also part of emerging digital techniques. The major companies Amazon, Alphabet (google) and Microsoft are involved in all these emerging technology. To create an app they offer cloud computing, Microservices, Docker, and Kubernetes to manage these services https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xo-0gCVhTU and AWS https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=IT1X42D1KeA&feature=emb_logo cloud services cost monitoring and maintaining https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hLmDS179YE scaling up and down. IaaS infrastructure tools are Kubernetes Docker

An emergent way has also come about for transferring money around the world. Wise are providing this digital global service in the cloud. Low lantancy, speed and local storage are some of benefits of businesses using the service of global cloud providers.

Money transfer

"If you work with international clients and need to receive money from abroad consider Wise. With their multi-currency account you get free local bank account details in Ghana. It’s a great tool for sending and receiving money internationally with low fees — much cheaper than using your bank."

 

The true cost of sending GBP to GHS

Advantages and disadvantages of a range of new emergent in digital techniques

Techniques Advantages Disadvantages
IoT A business could use IoT devices such as speakers, cameras, motion sensor, voice assistant and light hardware to interact with customers Deep knowledge is needed from a team of innovators in hardware and software
Blockchain Can be used in auditing and verification of contracts as well as payments. Time and costs saving achieved quickly over traditional methods of working Deep knowledge is needed from a team of innovators in software
AI Voice Reaching new audiences via new interfaces such as voice, natural language for new markets Legal requirements need to met
VR When a business find a niche area it can make huge leaps in gaining revenue against it's competitors as a leader in this field. VR include head-motion and eye-motion tracking sensors Need to have a deep understanding of how the applications can work for a business
AR Combining new media channels with old ones to create new services and products. AR Headset can be use with GPS Constant learning is required in many diverse areas to keep up. Expensive hardware/software
Cloud computing Global real time campaigns and instant feedback meaning the campaign can be changed on the fly by AI for individual visitors or customers.
Quick provisioning, scaling, automated patching and version upgrades. Backups storage off premise. No capital expense		 Need deep pockets of funds for independent research in this area. Need to understand the legal and cost side of these services
All above Can market to a young tech market that has money Restricted to young tech market that has money
3 D printer Not many people in the market yet so first mover advantage in many innovations if a business has these ideas Capital expense. Need to spend on hardware and software
Big data Collecting data from the GPS sensors, which includes location information, data from weather systems, and many other sources that generate large amounts of data. Then process, store (datawarehousing)  to make prediction and business decision on customer behaviour, company budgets and sale trend. Extract valuable insight for new opportunities Requires data science experts to set up logic and stay on track with the business case always in mind. i.e turning data into actionable insights at a profit
Smart Card Reader Credit cards, plus smart devices can be used in outdoor places for payment. Money directed to a business bank account. Near Field Communication tap to pay devices, such as credit cards or smart phones are able to read and write to an NFC chip Need to be aware of all the fees, term and condition for the provider

Evaluate business uses of an emergent digital technique

We shall consider Voice for the international market in particular Africa, VR in the gaming industry, blockchain in the payments industry and 3 D printing.

Voice. There are hundreds of languages spoke all over Africa. However the dominate languages that are spoke in African international business functions are English, French, Arabic and Spanish also these are official working languages. Africa is home to thousands of indigenous languages and boasts of a population of over 1.2 billion people who belong to different native tribes and ethnicity. The use of translation technology coupled with AI designed by Africans for Africans can ensure the African identity can survive and thrive. Swahili, Amharic, Hausa and Yoruba plus the many local or regional languages can be instantly understood by people who have never heard of these words before. Emergent digital technique have a real opportunity to make lives better and many more voices heard in Africa. This will change the perception of a continent. What makes this technology valuable is the low barrier to entry. Voice boxes of devices are a speaker connected to the cloud. The interface does not require leaning how to use a keyboard terminal. A person has to just speak. It can be low cost because there are few moving parts and as long as you have an internet connection the hard work is performed in the cloud by AI.

VR. Hardware and processing speeds are accelerating in development, this means prices will come down and consumers will be using virtual reality devices once they see the value in owning them. From a persons work from home desk, a business can be showcasing its latest designing to a world market. If those designs are favoured production can then start on a real prototype. VR is about innovation before production even starts. In the gaming industry operator can market to consumer in new marketing beyond current regulations as a test of their technology before bring it to conventional consumers. Test and innovation can be carried out in this challenge with out putting the main brands at risk.

VR can be created to empower a business with the knowledge to accelerate their strategy and lead their market. Critical insights into valuable consumers with high spend is something every business is desperate to understand. VR is a tool to get this.

Blockchain in the payments industry means a business can accept payments for services and products from anyone and anywhere in the world. The business that displays this can move into markets where conventional money transfer is seen as a burden to business. An example of this emergent digital technique being used in offering accounting services to business from the United Kingdom to countries in West Africa. All the software to service the market is cloud based. The skills, knowledge and experience can be leveraged from one country to the other. Blockchain payment are based on cryptographic exchange over a peer to peer network. As long as there is an internet connection this secure service for payments can be offered.

3 D printing in West Africa. Make3D Company Limited – The leading 3D Printing company in The Gambia The sectors Make3D company works in are: medical, educational and general manufacturing. Uses are in the field such as face shields for pandemic, touchless doors handle, inhalers, valves, antibacterial equipment, caste for broken bones, R&D prototyping, models 3D visualization. Power can be a challenge, solar power can be use to solve this. Raw material is this local or imported also needs to be considered.

Thera are opportunities with NGOs, hospitals, in education with schools across west Africa. Cloud based technology is used for the design, raw material and the hardware for printing. CAD tools and 3D modelling is not easy to learn this needs to be considered. 3D Printing Software need computing power on high grade desktop hardware, here are some examples of the software Cura, Cutia, Fusin 360 and Solidworks.

Compare an emergent digital technique with established digital promotion techniques

We shall consider Voice AI with an app on a phone and email marketing.

Newsletters can be delivered by printed medium paper, electronic email marketing and voice via an app. The last two we are going to compare. 

An email newsletter as an established digital promotion technique can be delivered in another language from anywhere in the world. However with the latest developments in voice computing messages can now be broadcasted, listened to and an interaction can take place. An emotional voice as a brand can be used. Real to solutions and empathy for the user in trying to solve their problems in a simple interaction by voice is a service. It can also be cost effective and it can be very personal.

Offer of the day on the special Ethiopian dish curry with Injera and coffee

An example is innovation in the local market for a business selling African take away food. So a restaurant could send out a voucher for special offers for tonight's meal. The owner knows this ingredient will not keep for another day and will be wasted if not sold today. The voice method would be different and faster then sending out an email unless the business has found away to make this fully automated. So once the voice newsletter is delivered by notification on an app it links to a voice. The voice details message starts with a greeting details the offer using the local dialect and accent. This is followed by updates and a sign off. The call to action can be in real time with how many of the foods are left. A simple voice command can be activated on the mobile phone, ordering can take place and a customer can say track their African food order with the app which is voice and screen based. Tasty food and at the right price for the seller and buyer can be offered. Emotion come into play as well as fear of miss out can be added. This means relatability. This is a type of interaction where the price can fluctuate in an ebay manner. This compares to an email campaign where the special offer, which is static. Personal connection with a dynamic voice AI and an app can be personal in its connection, real time with trust in a service.

Identify ways in which an organisation can utilise an emergent digital technique(s)

An organisation can utilise emergent digital techniques in the following ways which can enhance customer experience and relationships with direct marketing. In the past direct marketing was used exclusively via the postal system. It was paper based a physical medium delivered to the door of the prospect. A template design created with placeholders for a name and address was combined or merged with a database of consumer. Today emails are the electronic version of this method. The physical paper has been replaced by the email server, internet and client computer. The database of consumer is still the source of value by with enhanced field on each prospect. It is know whether the person opened the email and if they took up the offer. Emergent digital techniques for the future in this area are integration with many touch points such as video/voice (e.g Zoom) and the prospect. A better picture can be obtain of where each prospect is in the buyers lifecycle with this insight. The internet of things IOT (e.g Alexa, google voice etc) and AI will be next level of architecture a business will build and utilise to market themselves.

Another example an organisation can act is as a differentiator at trade shows or face to face in sales meetings promoting the business products or services with VR. This is all about fun and introducing entertainment. Games can be produced which promote the business.

Thirdly emergent digital techniques can be used as an innovator in new technology and a first mover with AI by launching a voice skill on Alexa, Siri or google voice assistant. There are three ways to make money by voice number one is by ordering a product or service. Two is by exclusive or premium content. This can be subscriptions (i.e. recurrent payment), consumables (i.e. user gets an item that can be used once), or one-time purchase (i.e. this permanently belongs to the user) and three is by linking the skill to another hardware device which the consumer buys.

Finally using the blockchain as a new way of payment to stand out against competitors is a move a business can make to used digital techniques which are emerging onto the market

A designed a digital promotional campaign using an emergent technique(s)

The following is for the business called Foydigital. This is an online business which is a digital consultancy that designs and develops websites. The location is west Africa in particular Ghana. The plan will be SMART.

A campaign would be directed towards the emergent payment techniques such as cryptocurrencies. The idea is to target audience in their home country from the UK. It is a 6 month plan with 4 month lead up to the show and 2 month conversion and after sales. We would like 1 paying customer per month from this campaign.

This frame work can be used for a 6 month digital campaign. The budget is £10,000.

Months 1 to 3 budget 20% of the total

The first activity

Months 2 to 4 budget 5%

The second activity

Month 4 to 5 budget 60%

The third activity
The fourth activity
The fifth activity

Month 6 budget 10%

The sixth activity

Month 7 budget 5%

Feedback and learning

Note on emergent techniques

There is a difference between machine learning and artificial intelligence please see https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-machine-learning-and-artificial-intelligence/

There many reason why hosting an application with amazon aws is a good idea. Cost, performance and flexibility are a few of the reasons see https://www.classicinformatics.co.uk/why-host-your-application-with-amazon-aws/

Terms

Smart Technology a term used to describe a device that can alter its behaviour based on environmental input. An appliance that lowers power consumption during peak demand is considered a smart device.

Machine Learning a term used to describe the use of statistical techniques to allow a machine to alter its behaviour. Machine Learning is part of Artificial Intelligence. Cproduct recommendation onlinewo applications commonly using ML technology. Facial recognition ML technology builds a pattern of specific facial features to identify and track individual persons. Some other uses of ML are malicious code detection, network intruder detection, optical character recognition OCR, computer speech recognition, and computer vision.

Artificial Intelligence a term used to describe the intelligence shown by machines. Furthermore it is the ability of a device to "learn" based on code and provided data. Two characteristics of artificial intelligence are that it uses systems that mimic human cognitive functions such as learning and problem solving. The other characteristic is that it uses intelligent agents that interact with the environment and make decisions to reach a specific goal. AI is also defined as intelligence demonstrated by machines.

Automation has traditionally been tied to robotics, now automation is everywhere. It can be a building that automatically adjusts lighting and heating.

Big Data can come from cell phones, computers, kiosks, tablets and cash registers. Data can be text, images, sound and video i.e different formats or variety. The challenge is where to store these vast volumes of data (gigabytes to petabytes and more) which is arriving in increasing speed or velocity. Big data requires more storage space (volume). The data then needs processing into business value. Data lakes are the term used for repositories designed to store and process massive amounts of structured, semistructured, and unstructured data. Data warehouse stores data that has been treated and transformed with a specific purpose in mind.

Data analysis is about processing, inspecting, cleaning, transforming and modelling data to uncover useful information. Tools that aid this are: Excel spreadsheet or Google Analytics for small data sets; to desktop Big Data Analytics Knime, OpenRefine, Orange and RapidMiner. For data at scale and beyond a data scientist would use a cloud-based analytics tool such as Google’s Big Query, IBM Cognos Analytics, TIBCO Spotfire and Board.