Walk the Distance

Many a times I don’t push too hard. This is for me to say myself that choice is for you to make, walk the distance and cross your limited boundaries. We try to an extent to cross the hurdles and recede back as the fear of losing comfort level sinks in.  

We live within fortified walls

We restrict within known shells

Fix our mind on comfort zone

Fear to cross our drawn tone

Carry our life on smooth ride

Look inside with blatant pride

Fritter away time on the block

Set ourselves on a routine clock

Vacillating mind picks the lot

Perspiring heart feels the heat

Jittery legs break the grit

Shaky hands sweat the grip

Blinking vision blurs the sight

Inner voice rumbles the might

You oscillate as the ebbing tide

And, recede to your initial slide

The roads are more forbidding

The woods are never budding

The paths are quite enduring

The thoughts are vastly piercing

The journey is lastly solitary

Now, Pick up your choice

Fight for not who you are

But, for what you can become

Don’t tame your unassailable guts

Don’t shroud by blazing horizons

Don’t fear crossing lush oasis

Don’t cloud your discernible minds

Wake up and walk the distance

For sky is the eternal fence

Advance and explore the light

For the end is distantly bright!

Can Vision Care be virtualized for you?

Of course, Vision is one of the finest senses gifted to us that form real impressions about the world in our mind. Over the passage of generations, eye impairment has only increased due to varied reasons from dietary intake to lifestyle choices and prolific usage of digital screens.  According to WHO estimate, 285 million people are visually impaired globally. Nevertheless, science has advanced to address any form of impairment. Technology advancements in terms of smart contact lenses, laser treatments, robots, nano bots, smartphone apps and remote medicine is going to transform the vision care tremendously in the future. Now, the technology has advanced to such an extent that you can overlay virtual environment on real-time vision with inventions such as Google Glasses that allows for augmented reality. Healthcare has been slowest to adapt to these digital transformation but once the certain scale has been achieved, we could see profound impact on care delivery.

The proliferation of smart devices enables novel ways of communication and connecting with patients by doctors.  It is estimated that by end of 2013, 6% of the global population will own a tablet, 20% will own PCs, and 22% will own smartphones[i]. According to the latest Nielsen estimate, two-thirds of all phones owned by people in US will be smartphones[ii]. With the current developments seen across smartphone apps, it is possible for a patient to carry out virtualized services such as fixing up appointments, use virtual optical assistants to choose glasses, provide remote consultation and take self-vision screening tests before visiting a clinic. Consider this new virtual assistant named Otto, developed by VSP Optics group which is one of the largest providers of eye care plans in United States. This app has remarkable functions such as insurance information and eligibility check, doctor’s directory, web appointments, alerts and notifications, online eye-wear gallery store, vision screening and social media connect with friends and communities[iii].

Smartphone app can provide vision care access to the people in remote locations that are inaccessible to primary medical attention. Nearly 90% of global visually impaired population lives in developing countries. Peek, an acronym for Portable Eye Examination Kit, is a smartphone app that allows for an eye examiner to use camera of the smartphone to conduct basic vision screening. This app uses camera’s flashlight to illuminate the back of the eye, the retina and check for diseases[iv]. Also, all these details on the examined patients are recorded on phone and shared it with doctors over mail. This app has really been useful by assisting people in very remote places to conduct eye examination and get consultation over phone.

Smart contact lenses are developed that provides augmented reality on the lenses and also enable continuous monitoring of eye pressure that causes eye disorders. Innovega is one such company that has developed contact lens called the iOptik lens manufactured using nanotechnology to perceive both reality and information provided by the Internet or another source about the objects in focus[v]. Sensimed is another company that has developed a device that can measure the eye pressure responsible for disorders on a continuous basis which can be used to analyse and intervene immediately[vi]. Measuring the eye pressure regularly and providing early medical intervention can go a long way in preventing the loss of vision.  Smart contact lens enables the real-time monitoring without paying regular visit to the clinic for eye check-up.

With these pervasive scientific advancements, let us reimagine our eye examination routine in the digitally transformed world. Jack feels some terrible pain in his left eye and decides to take self-guided vision screening test using his smartphone application. Jack screens his eye using the camera and attends to different levels of self-test the app recommends him to do. After analyzing the picture and test results, the app diagnosed Alan with certain possibility of low vision. Jack then looks up at the doctor’s directory within the app that shows the nearest doctors with star ratings and the ones recommended by friends and insurance companies. Jack carefully chooses a doctor from the listed recommendation and fixes an appointment online with that doctor. As soon as the appointment is completed, a reminder is set in Jack’s smartphone and a message is sent to his doctor on the appointment and the doctor’s calendar is adjusted automatically for attending to Jack.

On the scheduled date, app examines the GPS location of Jack and calculates the distance and duration required based on different driving options to reach the doctor’s office. After the analysis, app automatically adjusts the reminder so that Jack reaches on time. On the appropriate time, Jack is alerted on his visit to eye doctor and the GPS system directs him to the doctor’s office choosing the best route alternative. On entering the clinic, Jack is facially recognized and greeted by a robot based on his profile and directs him to his seat. Then another robot with more advanced examining capability visits Jack wading through the hospital pathways and crossing lot of people on the way. On reaching Jack, the robot asks questions and records the input from Jack in writing. Jack informs about the self-test and the test results are shared by his smartphone app to the robot. The robot then records all these information in the Jack’s health profile. Robot then conducts advanced eye test to examine further just like the preliminary tests conducted by attendants in our current times. All these information are simultaneously stored in the Jack’s profile.

Jack is then called on meet Dr.Alan over the digital notice board. Alan wearing advanced glasses something like Google glasses runs through the Jack’s profile on his glass screen. Alan re-examines Jack for diagnosis as he scans his eyes through his glasses and after assessing the condition, glasses shows a list of recommended treatment options on his screen.  Alan then utters medicine names with dosage as the speech-to-text engine on his smart glasses converts the prescription in text format along with recommendation to wear glasses with prescribed power. The printer which is connected to the smart glasses prints out the prescription for Alan while all these information are simultaneously recorded on ubiquitous Jack’s health profile that can be accessed anytime and anywhere. All these interactions are transmitted live from Alan’s smart glasses to the screen in the next room as part of teaching classes for his interns.

Doctor’s prescriptions are stored on Jack’s smartphone app which alerts Jack for taking medication when it is due. App then sends this medicine list to the pharmacy along with doctor's prescription as Jack makes payment through his digital wallet. Pharmacy then delivers medicine at Jack’s doorsteps at the agreed time. Meanwhile, Jack uses virtual optical assistant on his app to try on different frames at the online lens store. Jack then chooses the frame that fits him well with specified dimensions and provides required input on Lens options. Once the order is completed, the online store delivers the glasses on the scheduled date. Jack then recommends this online store for his friends and community circle on the social media.   

Mobile Apps are transforming into effective consulting, marketing and communication channel from ubiquitous information search.  Patients feel comfortable that the doctors are just at their hands reach on the smartphones. With IBM’s powerful analytical machine Watson being open for public from next year, we could only see its tremendous impact with numerous applications wrapped around this analytical engine. These apps could help patients and doctors to understand the eye disorders and access relevant medical literature and viable treatment options under their nose. The technology could also streamline the eye clinic operations to a greater extent by automating processes, optimizing and utilizing resources effectively, reducing the time spent on waiting and improving quality of consultation for its patients.

Periodic eye care checking is also expected to detect the chronic medical conditions in advance which could be addressed with appropriate intervention and bring down the healthcare costs. With technology developments, we could foresee a future wherein the functioning of eye will be monitored continuously, predicted for occurrence of eye disorders and other chronic conditions and presented with real-time medical attention to avoid costly emergency visits and surgeries. Digital transformation is empowering consumers to take precautions by quipping them with tools to conduct periodic eye examinations at their home, notify doctors on their problem, diagnose problems early, prevent disorders and seek medical intervention on real-time need basis.

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[i] http://www.businessinsider.in/One-In-Every-5-People-In-The-World-Own-A-Smartphone-One-In-Every-17-Own-A-Tablet-CHART/articleshow/24353354.cms

[ii] http://bgr.com/2013/09/18/smartphone-adoption-united-states/

[iii] http://www.visionmonday.com/technology/spectacle-lenses/article/vsp-optics-group-unveils-otto-a-virtual-optical-assistant/

[iv] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-22553730

[v] http://www.businessinsider.com/augmented-reality-contact-lenses-2012-7?IR=T

[vi] http://www.sensimed.ch/en/products/glaucoma.html

I wanna See You Again

Everytime I crossed the door

Left someone on the floor

Walking past the smiling visage

Realized its only delusive mirage

Confined my emotions in pumping cells

Breathed my life in lonely shells

Filled your visuals in the sullen mind

Forgot to enjoy with the absorbed blind

Missed my soul on daily work

Pushed my heart into deepened lurk

Glanced four seasons with oblivious haze

Traded my thoughts for your craze

Waited for the sealed door to slide

For my graceful angel to glide

Hoping to see with countless wishes

Realizing me on your alluring blushes

I wanna see you again

I wanna see you now

I wanna see my desire

I wanna see me again!

Can Build-to-Order Online Strategy become a Practicality for Car Manufacturers and Other Industries?

Consumers are evolving rapidly with their adoption of smart devices that influence their purchasing behavior. Millennials who are the young generation have transformed themselves into superlative figures that make lot of purchases through online and are influential in buying decision by their families, friends and social circles. A survey conducted by DDB Worldwide on US web users’ attitudes toward ecommerce during January 2013 reveals that Millennials are likely to engage in nearly every online shopping activity as well as shows that a considerable chunk of more than 30% from both males and females contemplating buying everything online[1]. Also, the annual market spend by Millennials are an astounding $600 billion which is expected to reach $1,400 billion by 2020 occupying 30% of sales of U.S. retail products[2].  To cater to this significant demographic, many retailers are trying different online tactics to keep them engaged through mobile applications, online stores, in-store digital interaction, social media and gamification. Though there has been mixed reports on which segment namely online or store based sales cater to highest sales, the impact of digital transformation is profound and the future is now and not after five years considering the nimble dynamics.

Now, we know that the Millennials are tech-savvy and contribute significantly to the sales of the retail and consumer goods. The companies will have to evolve in this ever changing albeit fast-paced market environment to understand digital customer preferences and their purchasing behavior. Likely, there was this automobile company General Motors which recently announced that they are planning to sell their products to Millennials through online channel. The company has in fact started online sales through ‘Shopclickdrive.com' that allows user to select whatever model they would like, add accessories of their choice, multiple financial options for payment and registered dealers acting as distributors. Probably, Tesla is one of the first companies to start an online sales channel offering many of its models to be purchased online for U.S. customers with various customization options in terms of color, roof, wheels and plenty of interior technology and battery options[3]. Are other industries apart from retail, consumer goods and banking that are gradually making efforts to enter into digital-consumer frontier?

Imagine the process of car purchasing through online taking cue from global ecommerce giants such as Amazon and eBay and other technology advancements. Now, Alan wants to buy a car from one of the leading car manufacturers. He visits an online marketplace or a comparison site that allows him to compare features, offers, pricing and reviews which already exist through many third-party sites. He made his decision to buy a model and clicks on a link that directs him to the car manufacturer’s online store. The online store allows Alan to use modular-pick-and-choose tool to pick features of his choice for his lovely car. Alan decides to use 2000 CC Fiat Diesel Variant among various engine options; picks right color for his car with options to choose graphics that enhance the look; chooses appropriate customizable features in terms of stereo systems from Bose, Blaupunkt and Kenwood, leather seat covers, spoilers, sliding roof, headlights, wheels, internal digital systems such as GPS, Touch Screen, Voice Interface etc. As Alan keeps adding features, a digital car mannequin changes automatically to adjust to the added features and Alan can zoom in or out, see inside out and rotate to get a visual appeal of the car. Once features have been picked and finalized, payment options pop up that allows plenty of financing options. As the banks and other financial institutions are part of this whole digital transformation, they do a background check and quickly authorize the credit request. Then the message pops up saying that you have successfully completed the purchase of the car which will be delivered to you at the mentioned addresses by three days along with “Thank You” post in the car manufacturers Facebook page. Alan can share this post and his buying experience to his friends circle in Facebook or other social networking sites. He can refer his friends for the car purchase and keep accumulating goodwill and points on the car manufacturers’ lifetime card. This reward points can be redeemed for any service Alan wants at the service centers for his car.

As soon as this request comes to the warehouse team, the analytics program in the system runs through the specifications requested by Alan and attempts to find a match from any of the nearest dealers who are on the close proximity to Alan’s location. Within few moments, the program throws a message that the “Match is not found” to the authorized person while in the background splits and sends this request to all the suppliers and inventory team for action. The inventory team looks at the specification and looks at the modules which are ready to assemble and at the parts which may require to be made anew. The inventory management program automatically does this analysis and sends the order receipt to concerned suppliers and manufacturing team. The assembly team by then would have been alerted with the new order and starts to assemble the product while all the required modules will be received at the assembly end at the specified time from specified supplier team. Once the assembly is completed as per the required specification of Alan with all interiors, exteriors and combustion engine all intact, the product is tested before being dispatched from manufacturing unit. As the product is being tested, the warehousing and logistics team are alerted on the product to be dispatched where the business intelligence program in the background aggregates all the orders based on warehouses and destination to be picked up by truck. Alan can track his order at various stages through the online application. By the time car has arrived at warehouses and ready to be dispatched, Alan receives a message from warehouse which is again confirmed by the application. Alan waits for his car and receives it at the specified time. As soon as Alan receives the car, the confirmation message is sent to the warehouse team. Now, Alan enjoys his ride on the new car and updates his story to his friends. When the car is due for service, the system automatically triggers an alert to Alan based on the readings from car which is automatically transmitted to the car manufacturer with the inbuilt system through Wi-Fi or through the smartphone application which is connected to the in-built system and appropriately fixes up an appointment after confirming from Alan through online at the nearest service center. As Alan is busy he requests for pickup at home for servicing and immediately receives a message from service center with the details of the person such as name, photograph and employee code; also receives an authorization code which will be shared by the individual from service center for confirmation of authenticity and the time of pickup. At the scheduled time, the service person arrives at the door and Alan authenticates the person from the personal details and the six digit unique authorization code received on his mobile. As the vehicle is serviced, Alan receives a confirmation message on service details, payment and time of delivery.

Now, many of the automated aspects and trigger mechanism is already in place at leading automobile manufacturers that have deployed ERP package and quality measures. The question is on the integration of these online stores with retail-like shopping experience and the back end systems of the manufacturers. One of the profound challenges for this disruptive model by auto manufacturers will be to deal with the large dealer network. How to convince the dealers to be part of this new model and support the innovation? The dealers could also assist the customers with personal contact, test drive and servicing. The entire dealer network should be integrated with warehousing, manufacturers, supplier and online store for successful deployment at the national level and cross country level and provide seamless access to information and processes by all stakeholders. The lagging industries could take cue from successful consumer product companies that use its own network as well as dealers and telecom operators such as Apple, Google Smart Devices and Samsung for selling and promoting their products. While implementing the integrated online channel, the cost lever should be addressed with predictive analytics that identifies the best way to serve a particular customer by analyzing the back end systems for availability, timeframe to procure products and customer information.

Forward-thinking leaders should leverage this online channel and provide targeted options laying choices in the hands of consumer. It is only a matter of time before the digital transformation hits across all the industries taking the rhythm from retail and consumer goods sector. The Emergence of “Direct-to-Consumer” model is being adopted by B2B companies such as pharmaceuticals. Pfizer is one of the largest pharma companies that have resorted to direct sales to consumer through online for some of its products. Companies that don’t foresee this emerging marketplace and don’t embrace digital transformation are destined to become obsolete as we have witnessed in number of cases such as slow demise of movie rentals, book stores and newspapers. We have heard that “Change is New Normal” but with changing dynamics, innovation, technology advancements and swift consumerism, “Disruption will be our New Normal” and companies will need to adjust to the new normal periodically and adopt tactics to reinvent themselves while the long term strategy is in place.

I am just extending this idea on digital transformation and see if it can lead to “Build-to-Order” strategy for companies as we have seen in the erstwhile famous PC maker, Dell. With the online stores in place and orders coming directly from consumers, the car manufacturers can effectively capture customer information better and equip his back end systems to react to the demand of consumers rather than build-and-store model. The consumer information can be effectively used for demand planning apart from demand data from dealers and effectively build a centralized team that oversees the demand pattern and appropriately arrange their distribution, warehousing and dealership networks. For instance, in cities we could probably have online fulfillment center while for tier-II towns we could effectively use a dealership for personal interaction and sales management. After couple of years of operation, online sales channel will have captured essentials such as who is actually buying it by analyzing the consumer information and demographics, which region is seeing spike in demand, what payment channels are preferred and eventually target your communication, promotion, offers and discounts to individuals directly rather than an umbrella approach. As we know “The Future is Now” and companies may need to relook at the disruption that is happening at the consumer level, cross industry level and within their peers to play the game and formulate the winning strategy than to decide on the participation itself. Looking forward to see the companies evolving in this digitally transformative world!

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[1]http://www.emarketer.com/Article/How-Millennials-Shop-Online/1010031

[2]http://business.time.com/2013/09/11/millennial-shoppers-big-on-browsing-not-splurging/

[3]http://www.teslamotors.com/models/design

Partnership Over Marriage

""Hardly leaves one with time left over to sustain the elaborate ruse of marriage. An unnatural arrangement which forces its participants into an unhealthy monogamy. An accretion of petty fights and resentful compromises which, like Chinese water torture, slowly transforms both parties into howling, neurotic versions of their former selves.As an institution, I think it's outlasted its usefulness by quite a large...margin.And yet I've come to appreciate the premise of partnership.It's far more intricate than I had previously imagined." - Sherlock Holmes in Elementary

One of the funniest and wittiest lines i have come across on Marriage. I do support this thought to a larger extent. From an Indian Context, Marriage has never been a marriage of equals or probably in most of the cases. Finding the right person is anybody's luck and luck doesn't favor many. This concept of partnership at equal footing with no compromises and appreciating each other's desires and feelings is a welcome trend which i hope to foresee within next generation. Experimentation with failure is fine as long as failure teaches you to succeed next time.