MIT’s Andrew McAfee, author of Enterprise 2.0, on how evolving technology and the data deluge can enable companies not only to be smarter, but to act smarter, too. Part of SMR’s new series on “The New Intelligent Enterprise.”
In an interview that is part of SMR’s new series examining “The New Intelligent Enterprise,” MIT’s
Andrew McAfee, author of Enterprise 2.0, explores how evolving technology and the data deluge can
enable companies not only to be smarter, but to act smarter, too. McAfee focuses special attention on the needed development by organizations of what he calls a scientific mind-set. Consider the consequences, he says, of ongoing rapid increases in computing power, storage capacity, communications speed and instrumentation (sensor technology that enables data capture)–all of which add up to not only a data deluge but a deluge of new opportunities to parse what information means and how to act on it.
“One of the single biggest changes that I see coming,” says McAfee, “is that when you have this unbelievable amount of horsepower and a mass of data to apply it to, you can be a lot more scientific about things. You can be a lot more rigorous in your analysis. You can generate and test hypotheses. You can run experiments. You can adopt a much more scientific mind-set.” Companies that don’t migrate in that direction, McAfee adds, had better hope that their competitors aren’t heading there, either. “Because
when you compare scientific to pre-scientific approaches, there’s one clear winner over and over.”
2 Comments On: Putting the Science in Management Science
More great food for thought from Andrew McAfee, which I am pleased to share with the Social Media in Organizations (SMinOrgs) Community.
I’d like to make one qualification to the “old things” point. I refer to social media as “new tools for doing old things,” but that doesn’t mean “the same old things.” What I refer to instead is that the new technologies enable us to meet classic goals and objectives such as operating more efficiently and effectively, increasing revenues and decreasing expenses. Yes, aspects of individual behavior and organizational functioning will be be dramatically transformed by leveraging these new technologies, but they don’t change what’s fundamentally important to us. I’ve found it’s important to remind leaders who are leery of the technology to put it in its proper perspective.
Dr.McAfee recently I was in discussions @ a marketing conference. There is still debate on when it comes to Buying Decisions Human Trust and Opinion takes over analytics. I am a true believer of Decision Sciences.
I think if we can find a breakthrough to prepare analytics as a catalyst who will help to make better and timely decisions that will act as a support for decision makers. Only Human Instinct or Analytics won’t be accepted and still a debate.
What do you think? I am impressed by your thoughts.
Vishu, India