is it prime time for agents in business? navi radjou vice president forrester research
TRANSCRIPT
Is It Prime Time For Agents In Business?
Navi Radjou
Vice President
Forrester Research
2
Yes!
Is There A Business Need For Agents?
3Trading networks risk collapsing under the disruptive influence of new business drivers
Accelerated global outsourcing
Ever-shrinking product lifecycles
Fickle demand
MORE UNCERTAINTY, VOLATILITY
4
Go beyond efficiency to flexibility
Efficiency gains
Flexibility gains
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
Competitive advantage
5Today’s enterprise software makes usinformation-rich – but insight-poor!
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Today’s enterprise software suffers from its centralized architecture
• Only fit “Command & Control” organizations• “Smart” Hub -- “Dumb” Spokes
OEM’s Planning Department
Supplier
Contractor 3PL
Customer
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Today’s enterprise software ignores the “physical world”
Internetcomputers
Internetusers
Millions
1 billion
Shop-floor equipment
Trucks and cargo ships
Containers and Pallets
000,000s
Millions
Billions
8To gain flexibility, firms need sense-and-respond software that facilitates continuous learning
Use feedback loops to reiterate process transformation and reshuffle copingstrategies portfolio
Determine and implementappropriate steps tomitigate risk or seize opportunity
Collect and analyze dataon key leading indicatorsto assess emerging risksand opportunities
Continuous
Adaptation
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One answer? Agent Software
To mine petabytes of data for insights
To assist with decision-making
To coordinate multi-firm processes
To improve learning
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Agents Will Become Ubiquitous: But Who Cares?
Agent-based BPM tools
Predictive CRM software
Adaptive supply chain apps
Shop-floor automation tools
11Businesses Will Embrace Agent Technology In Stages – To Tweak Their Processes
Traditionalbusinessprocesses
2003-5Agent-monitored
2006-8Agent-managed
2009+Agent-optimized
Use agents to sense and interpret
environmental data
Use agents to coordinate activities
with trading partners
Use agents to automate decisions and run mission- critical operations
Decentralizeddecision-making
Centralizeddecision-making
Low-exposure To variability
High-exposureTo variability
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Agent-Based Technology Evolution
