Jul 5, 2021 | Economic Transformation Signals
By Phil Hauck, Envision Board Member
(watching signals of Artificial Intelligence)
Remember when construction projects started with a draftsman wielding a pencil and a straightedge? Today a homeowner can buy software that helps her size and orient rooms to get the best view from her new house. And the contractor now has scanning devices and software that drive exact layouts – to the quarter inch – that integrate plumbing, electric, mechanical, and other design features.
(more…)
Jul 5, 2021 | Economic Transformation Signals
By Phil Hauck, Envision Board of Directors
(following signals of Artificial Intelligence)
Blockchain, originally created to support Bitcoin, now has a life of its own. It is an internet-based software application that: documents a sequence of inputs (blocks) that can’t be changed (so they remain transparent); is private to the specific users; and is virtually impervious to hacking (therefore secure). On average, blockchain stocks have doubled in value during the past year. Blockchain is now used for payment processing in our banking system, for smart contracts, crowdfunding, health information and other transactions requiring security. It has even been used to allow secure voting by remote military personnel, and a few counties have tried it with success for other voting applications. Blockchain can be hacked, but only with great difficulty.
(more…)
Apr 19, 2021 | Economic Transformation Signals
(BACC Board member Nan Nelson provides the first of four summaries of BACC findings in its Economic Transformation Signal Team report)
Inclusive corporate cultures have a competitive edge, according to new study results (see reference list)—better products, sales growth and share performance. Innovation, enabling success in today’s fast-changing, disruption-filled competitive world, is the key characteristic of these inclusive companies.
(more…)
