The nature of the hyper-connected world is already making itself felt in the form of assorted challenges. Broader changes are already taking shape on the horizon on a structural level. A few of these are:

Supply Chain Shortening
Hyper-connectivity applies not just to person-machine communication, but also machine-machine communication. This will lead to a vastly greater efficiency in the field of logistics and usage tracking, ultimately removing the need for businesses to stockpile goods. More detailed understanding of customer needs and more accurate measurements of supply and demand will put goods where they need to be, faster. Businesses will soon be able to respond instantly to customer orders on an “as needed” basis, from the very top of the supply chain to the point of delivery. This will lead to increased product customization, lower overhead for businesses, and lower cost for consumers.

Workforce Redefinition
A hyper-connected workforce will transcend the traditional labels of “part-time” and “self-employed,” becoming an adaptable and more efficient class. The increasing prevalence of telecommuting and the mobile office will allow for new and exciting organizational structures, which can change and morph depending on the task at hand. Lower overhead for start-ups and reduced travel costs are just the tip of this iceberg. The time will come when we are all collaborating on multiple projects as equals, swapping managerial, client and worker roles as the situation dictates.

Sustainability
Perhaps the most surprising, but potentially the most beneficial, long term effect of hyper-connectivity is its ability to create sustainable systems. Because of the self-organizing power of automated systems, areas of wasteful redundancy will be easier to recognize and correct. As more large-scale systems are able to “talk” to one another through machine-machine connectivity, we will be able to bring their operation into harmony to create efficiencies on a global level. If there is a dearth of resources in one sector, it can be fed from another.

An obvious and relatively superficial example of this is in the transportation field. The development of integrated hyper-connected signaling and traffic routing systems may soon have a measurable effect on carbon emissions. As self-driving cars, linked to the global internet, jacking into the hyper-connected traffic system, there’s no telling of the level of waste that could be eliminated. If you apply this to the fields of agriculture, shipping and even finance, you begin to see its potential.

It can be difficult and frightening to embrace humanity’s newfound hyper-connectivity. In many ways we are entering a new stage in our evolution and the future is uncertain. Your success, as well as that of your business, is inextricably tied to the over-all trajectory of human society. Be encouraged that the broad changes seem to be for the better. We are getting smarter, faster and stronger as a species. If you stay engaged and keep your eyes open, so will you. Learn more about the future developments in hyper-connected world only at the University Canada West.