How Far Away is That Operational Workspace Transformation Inflection Point?

Yes, we have known this for a while, yes we have heard of the mobile device outselling the PC desktop, but has it really hit home. Last week I was on tour on the eastern coast of Australia, and talking about the rapidly approach inflection point for the “Operational Work space Transformation”.

Source Mary Meeker from KPCD Presentation on Internet Trends   

The above diagram really cemented the dramatic change in the last 4 years in the human interface market from the point of operating systems. While this will not translate yet to the Industrial Workplace, already the trends of allowing My OWN Device onto the industrial work place is increasing or accepted practice. This has brought the iphone and Android devices into the industrial operating environment.

As was one comment last week many of the commercial stores do not assume actually expect that their orders are entered more on mobile devices than desktops. Already on some sites especially in the building/ facilities sector you can assume that a significant % of inputs and reading of information is from mobile devices, eg non Windows OS.

In some of the talks, last week people were surprised at the bluntness that a few of presenters, including myself were saying that the most significant Event since Y2K to effect the Operational Work space landscape and architectures is rapidly approaching. With the :

·         Changing profile of devices that industrial data / information has to be delivered to, from the traditional assumption of the 90s and 2000s of Windows as the default platform.

·         The changing demographic to Gen Y and the digital native, multi tasking engagement

·         The shift to teams vs individuals and collaboration and sharing to make rapid decisions

·         The fact that experts will be virtual and thus have increased responsibility and requiring increased access to trusted information in more real-time.

·         The need to agile so the operational work space must flexible to absorb change.

Is the inflection point next year, or the year after we do not know but it is coming, and fast, are we ready as both vendors and engineers and designers to deliver solutions to satisfy?

Certainly the investments are happening in Invensys/ Schneider software; the challenge will be the ability for the market to absorb this change, while maintaining operational continuity.