Compass Trend (6): Increasing Efficiency Through Automation

We are always wondering what would the future bring? Regardless where our position is at, some of us are just confused about the uncertainty factor. The most difficult task to perform is to spend some time viewing the Big Tangible Picture.

We are currently living in an information economy where "achieving the cost effectiveness and operational efficiency" is the mantra. The grand priority objective is to lower the human labor costs while maximizing the profits through the application of standards and technological-driven process.

Current Business Situation

In previous posts, we talked about the robotics trend in the service industry. Foxcom recently decided to pursued the solution of robotics. ... When the robots performed the majority of the manufacturing work, where would the workers go?... What are the odds of this company finding work for their workers?

While technology is constantly evolving, some people read the Big Tangible Picture and anticipating the on-coming trend. and adjusting to the non-obvious after-effects. These people quietly thrive. In most cases, the masses react. some survive. The rest just grinds.

Retrospectively, the evolution of technology usually diminishes the economic influence of the masses. The key is to staying ahead of the technological curve while maintaining one's focus on the target.

Summary

What does it all mean? Each day, there are mountains of information that one must digest per day . Whether one can prioritize this amount of information is another story.

It begins by assessing the Big Tangible Picture (BTP).

Following is a short listing of questions that you should ask yourself at the end of the day:

• So what is in my BTP!?
• How do I prioritizes my information?
• How do I usually grade the quality of my information?
• Is my situation stable?
• Am I ahead or behind?

Regardless of the times and settings, the successful strategist always assesses the Big Tangible Picture (BTP) before deciding strategically.

Following are some of the key Compass Rules that you should remember:

• Always assess the Big Tangible Picture (BTP) before deciding strategically;
• Identify the various choices;
• Determine the advantages and disadvantages of each choice;
• Weight the risks and rewards of each choice;
• Balance one's own "Big Picture" to the reality of one's grand settings; and
• Act accordingly

As a reminder, always review each past strategic situation when necessary.