Announcing the Product Change Management agent template preview—an AI-powered solution that transforms how manufacturers manage change across equipment, products, processes, and more.
The need to remotely access government services, in previously unimaginable ways, is here to stay. Read more to learn about successful approaches that governments worldwide have taken to build agility and resilience while continuing to digitally serve their communities.
This year’s National Retail Federation BIG show was something different—entirely virtual. But it came off quite smoothly, demonstrating how powerful digital transformation can be. It even had some advantages over an in-person event. I was able to see more sessions for one. And without aching feet.
The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our health, economy, and psychosocial well-being. Public health mitigation measures such as wearing masks, social distancing, avoiding large gatherings, and washing hands have demonstrated benefit in curbing the spread of infection, but have been implemented inconsistently and unevenly throughout the world, which has limited their effectiveness.
The business disruption caused by COVID-19 has resulted in four out of five retailers, 82 percent, changing their approach to how they manage their supply chains.1 Digital twin technology is one tool that retailers are adopting to address this issue. Digital twin technology enables retailers to model their supply chains as connected environments.
COVID-19 has forced defense and intelligence agencies to vastly increase the use of remote work. One great example is the Pentagon, the largest employer in the United States. It enabled one million people to work remotely since the start of the pandemic.
Can digitization address the manufacturing skills gap and worker safety? Even before the pandemic, manufacturing has been changing so quickly that it can be difficult for your workforce to keep up. In fact, Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute had estimated that up to 2.4 million US manufacturing jobs could remain unfilled between 2018 and 2028 because of a lack of adequate skills.
In 2020 we saw retailers hard hit by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with dozens of retailers—Neiman Marcus, J.C. Penney, and Brooks Brothers to name a few— declaring bankruptcy. During the unprecedented chaos of lockdowns and social distancing, consumers accelerated their shift to online shopping. Retailers like Target and Best Buy saw online sales double while Amazon’s e–commerce sales grew 39 percent.
If 2020 taught us anything, it was that no business is resilient to everything. But those that had laid their digital tracks early were better positioned to recover, and in some cases, even speed ahead. In fact, one retail expert said that we had “witnessed a 10-year evolutionary leap toward digital” in retailing. That’s quite a leap.
Banks have seen dramatic technology advancements across the business, particularly in payments.
NRF 2021 is going to be a first for all of us. I know I’m going to miss seeing many old colleagues and friends this month. NRF BIG Shows for me are just as much family reunion as they are industry conference. But as we’re all discovering, virtual conferences have some real advantages.
Microsoft webinar explores the digital future of public safety Creating safer communities is everyone’s goal. But that is more challenging than ever due to COVID-19, and now even those who work to keep us safe are themselves in danger as well. To meet these challenges, agencies are embracing digital transformation.
Discover how blockchain enhances supply chain predictability, resiliency, and traceability. Learn about innovative solutions for supply chains with Microsoft.
