Author Archives: OldAmandaR

THE NEXT FRONTIER OF BIG DATA Maysoon El-Ahmad on May, 2018 WHAT’S GOING ON Traditionally data has been all about reporting on historical performance and telling us what we did, but we are fast moving towards a future where data is becoming more forward-looking to predict, anticipate and advice in real time. The sheer amount …

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THE NEW DEAL ON DATA OWNERSHIP Maysoon El-Ahmad on March, 2018 WHAT’S GOING ON With more people online than ever before, the growth in wearable technology, sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT), data is being produced at an exponential rate, with some analysts estimating a rate of 50% growth per year. So, by 2020 …

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THE ETHICS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENT ALGORITHMS Maysoon El-Ahmad on Dec, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON Artificial intelligence algorithms are becoming increasingly important in the development of product functionality. Despite enabling greater accessibility, flexibility and personalisation, little consideration has been given to their ethics. Recently, there have been warning signs that AI algorithms have the capacity to …

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DESIGNING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FOR A DIVERSE WORLD Maysoon El-Ahmad on Dec, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON Despite decades of fighting for equality, we are now seeing a new diversity problem emerge in the tech field which tends to be dominated by ‘young white men’.  Speaking during a panel discussion on AI at the World Economic …

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THE NEED FOR ETHICAL UX Maysoon El-Ahmad on Dec, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON By definition, UX, or User Experience, is design tailored to enhance user accessibility and engagement. To do so, designers need to be intimately attuned to the behaviour and psychology of the user. We are already used to ‘stopping cues’ or ‘active decision-making’; …

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WHY BY-PASSING RETAILERS AND GOING DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT FOR MANUFACTURERS  Maysoon El-Ahmad on Oct, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON Brands are facing unprecedented competition from both branded and private label products. For example, in 1980, there were 6 brands of blue jeans in the U.S. and today there are over 800. There is a …

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RETAILERS PILOTING NEW DELIVERY METHODS TO WIN THE LAST MILE Maysoon El-Ahmad on Oct, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON In 2015, a Deloitte survey showed that 63% of people felt that “fast shipping” meant being delivered in 2 days or more. In 2016, the same survey was run – this time 96% of customers said fast …

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PURE-PLAY E-COMMERCE GIANTS TAKE ON BRICKS & MORTAR CHANNEL Maysoon El-Ahmad on Oct, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON Amazon disrupted the retail food chain when it moved into the bricks & mortar channel by purchasing Wholefoods in June this year resulting in an almost immediate slump in retail and manufacturer share prices. This recent move is …

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3D PRINTERS BUILDING FACTORIES OF THE FUTURE Maysoon El-Ahmad on July, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON Beyond some of the extraordinary creations that 3D printers are making such as Dubai announcing the world’s first 3D printed skyscraper and a start-up in San Francisco printing a house in less than 24 hours, 3D printing is set to …

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‘DAIGOU’, THE SILENT TRANS-BORDER PHENOMENON Maysoon El-Ahmad on July, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON A Diagou (pronounced ‘dye-goo’) is not only a Chinese word meaning ‘buying on behalf of’, it has become a lucrative silent trans-border operation serving mainland China with authentic foreign products whilst avoiding conventional channels. The Diagous (often Chinese students or Chinese migrants) …

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WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF AN ENERGY REVOLUTION  Maysoon El-Ahmad on May, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON Last month, Britain went for a full day without turning on its coal-fired power stations for the first time in more than 130 years. China recently ordered 13 provinces to cancel 104 coal-fired projects in development, equivalent to …

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AI: CREATING JOBS TOMORROW THAT DON’T EXIST TODAY Maysoon El-Ahmad on May, 2017 WHAT’S GOING ON Historically, robots and machines have made our lives a lot better leading to significant improvements in our standard of living. We are now on the cusp of the digital industrial revolution with artificial intelligence (AI) at its core – …

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