The Executive's How-To Guide to Automation
Description
From driverless cars to pilotless planes, many functions that have previously required human labor can now be performed using artificial intelligence. For businesses, this use of AI results in reduced labor costs and, even more important, creating a competitive advantage. How does one look at any organization and begin the work of automating it in sensible ways?
This book provides the blueprint for automating critical business functions of all kinds. It outlines the skills and technologies that must be brought to bear on replicating human-like thinking and judgment in the form of algorithms. Many believe that algorithm design is the exclusive purview of computer scientists and experienced programmers. This book aims to dispel that notion. An algorithm is merely a set of rules, and anyone with the ability to envision how different components of a business can interact with other components already has the ability to work in algorithms.Thoughmany fear that the use of automation in business means human labor will no longer be needed, the author argues that organizations will re-purpose humans into different roles under the banner of automation, not simply get rid of them. He also identifies parts of business that are best targeted for automation.
This book will arm business people with the tools needed to automate companies, making them perform better, move faster, operate cheaper, and provide great lasting value to investors.
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George E. Danner is President of Business Laboratory, LLC, an award-winning consultancy that uses the very latest scientific techniques and methods to improve the performance of mid-size and large organizations through problem-solving, the optimization of existing practices and advanced forecasting. He is the author of the book Profit From Science , which outlines best practices in business problem solving using real world case studies.
George specializes in the application of agent-based simulation modeling, Monte Carlo simulation, System Dynamics, Game Theory, Visualization, and Real Options to some of the world's most difficult and complex business strategy problems.
George has 29 years of experience in corporate strategy, specifically operational and financial analysis, across a wide variety of industries: retail, manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, transportation and financial services.Prior to founding Business Laboratory, George held executive positions at nGenera Corporation, Industrial Science LLC (as founder) and Arthur Andersen. Business Laboratory clients include Simon Property Group, BP, Sun Microsystems, Schlumberger, Manpower, Target Stores, AstraZeneca, TIAA-CREF, NationalGrid (UK), TD Ameritrade, Motiva, and the US Navy.
George has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Management from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Content
1. Automation is Here.- 2. The Economic Case for Automation.- 3. The Molecules of Automation: Algorithms.- 4. What is Automat-able and What is Not?.- 5. Diagrammatic Decomposition of Corporate Functions.- 6. The Technology Suite of Automation.- 7. Building an Automaton From A Diagram Blueprint.- 8. Testing and Validation: Dear Rubber, Meet Road.- 9. Automation as a Business Strategy.- 10. Automating an Entire Corporation: Baby steps on a long road.- 11. Where do we put the humans?.- 12. Automation Sandboxes.- 13. The Corporation as an Algorithm Factory.- 14. Monetizing a Tapestry of Algorithms.- 15. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?.- 16. Your Turn.