CKHIOD Insights

Digital transformation in some sectors has been underway for over a decade, but there’s never been an accelerator like COVID-19. The immediate changes that were forced on people and businesses in 2020 have given proof to digital investment business cases that would have previously required extensive research and a reasonable acceptance of risk in order to implement.

In my most recent blog I discussed how mobility data can give supermarkets and other retailers insights that can guide their decisions and marketing post-lockdown. But data-driven decisions are essential for organisations of all kinds, especially in the transportation sector, especially at this time.

The 2020 Northumbrian Water Innovation Festival was, in many ways, the most interesting yet, as CKH IOD sponsored a design sprint that attempted to tackle a big question in just a few days, in a multi-stakeholder workshop that was completely virtual. This year we were tackling a key question: how can IoT be used to improve safety and efficiency for a water company’s field technicians, by providing more information about equipment, tools and assets in the field?

Unlike in previous years, this year’s festival sprint was totally online, led by CKH IOD, a team from Northumbrian Water and various experts from our partners at Invisible Systems, Fleet Space, LTI, United Vanning and Retroflo.

The digital signage market is poised for substantial growth in the next five years with the retail sector leading the charge in adopting this technology. We chat with digital signage, marketing technology and retail experts Harry Horn of Scala and parent company STRATACACHE, and Marco Salvetti of CKH IOD to find out how digital signage is changing the face of retail and what impact the technology will have. 

Never before have consumers turned to the online channel for shopping as much as they do today. With retailers suddenly needing to cater for much heavier volumes online, it raises new questions about how successful a retail organisation is at delivering omni-channel customer service which is centered on the customer's need.

In the ever-evolving business landscape the successful organisation is agile and has the know-how and capacity to adapt. Sectors ranging from Manufacturing, Ports, Airports to Energy are using technology to help them to react quicker to market conditions, competitive pressures and extraordinary global events. Richard Hart of CKHIOD highlights the way in which these verticals are embracing 5G private networks to drive through digital transformation.

Digital transformation doesn’t look the same in every organisation. For some, reimagining core elements of the business comes more easily, while in more traditional sectors, this level of change is profoundly uncomfortable.

For utility companies, digital transformation has a unique complexity and urgency. With dispersed infrastructures, including network elements that may be decades or even centuries old, it's challenging for utilities to achieve business objectives and meet regulatory requirements, which in the UK include a net-zero carbon emission deadline of 2050. And as regulated entities, utilities don't set their own prices, so driving efficiencies is the only way to realising a profitable business.

Digital transformation and the drive to deliver closer integration between online and off-line shopping was already a clear challenge for fast-moving consumer goods companies. But the unexpected crisis of 2020 has posed even greater difficulties, and companies are planning now how to adapt. It’s more important than ever to recognise how data, specifically mobility data, can guide business decisions.

For robust network connectivity, where there is often a seamless transition from a fixed line to a cellular network in the event of an outage, a high level of sophistication, visibility and control is required behind the scenes. Richard Taylor, IoT Business Development Manager with CKHIOD, explains how a cellular backup network with granular control is transforming the service resellers can provide to their customers.