IoT, AI and Blockchain: Catalysts for Digital Transformation

IoT, AI and Blockchain: Catalysts for
Digital Transformation
Prof. Ahmed Banafa
IoT Expert | Faculty | Author | Keynote Speaker
College of Engineering
San Jose State University
USA

Prof. Ahmed Banafa has extensive experience in
research with focus on IoT area. He is a reviewer and a
technical contributor for the publication of several
technical books.
He served as a faculty several at well-known
universities and colleges, including the University of
California, Berkeley; California State University-East
Bay; San Jose State University; and University of
Massachusetts.
He is the recipient of several awards, including
Distinguished Tenured Staff Award of 2013, Instructor
of the year for 2013, 2014, and Certificate of Honor for
Instructor from the City and County of San
Francisco. He was named as number one tech voice to
follow by LinkedIn in 2016, his research mentioned in
many reputable sites magazines including Forbes and
MIT Technology Review.

• The digital revolution has brought with it a
new way of thinking about manufacturing and
operations.
• Emerging challenges associated with logistics
and energy costs are influencing global
production and associated distribution
decisions.

• Significant advances in technology, including
big data and analytics, AI, Internet of Things,
robotics and additive manufacturing, are
shifting the capabilities and value proposition
of global manufacturing.

• In response, manufacturing and operations
require a digital renovation: the value chain
must be redesigned and retooled and the
workforce retrained.
• Total delivered cost must be analyzed to
determine the best places to locate sources of
supply, manufacturing and assembly
operations around the world.

• In other words we need a digital
transformation

Digital Transformation
• Digital transformation (#DX) is the profound
transformation of business and organizational
activities, processes, competencies and
models to fully leverage the changes and
opportunities of a mix of digital technologies
and their accelerating impact across society in
a strategic and prioritized way, with present
and future shifts in mind.

• A digital transformation strategy aims to
create the capabilities of fully leveraging the
possibilities and opportunities of new
technologies and their impact faster, better
and in more innovative way in the future.

• A digital transformation journey needs a
staged approach with a clear road-map,
involving a variety of stakeholders, beyond
silos and internal/external limitations.
• This road-map takes into account that end
goals will continue to move as digital
transformation de facto is an ongoing journey,
as is change and digital innovation.

IoT, AI and Blockchain: Catalysts for Digital Transformation

Internet of Things (IoT)
• IoT is defined as a system of interrelated
Physical Objects, Sensors, Actuators, Virtual
Objects, People, Services, Platforms, and
Networks that have separate identifiers and
an ability to transfer data independently.

• Practical examples of #IoT application today
include precision agriculture, remote patient
monitoring, and driverless cars. Simply put,
IoT is the network of “things” that collects and
exchanges information from the environment.

• IoT is sometimes referred to as the driver of
the fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0)
by industry insiders and has triggered
technological changes that span a wide range
of fields.

• Gartner forecasted there would be 20.8 billion
connected things in use worldwide by 2020.
• IoT developments bring exciting opportunities
to make our personal lives easier as well as
improving efficiency, productivity, and safety
for many businesses

IoT and Digital Transformation are closely related
for the following reasons:
• 1) More than 50% of companies think IoT is
strategic, and one in four believes it is
transformational.
• 2) Both increase company longevity. The average
company’s lifespan has decreased from 67 years
in the 1920s to 15 years today.
• 3) One in three industry leaders will be digitally
disrupted by 2018.

• 4) Both enable businesses to connect with
customers and partners in open digital
ecosystems, to share digital insights, collaborate
on solutions, and share in the value created.
• 5) Competitors are doing it. According to IDC,
70 % of global discrete manufacturers will offer
connected products by 2019.
• 6) It’s where the money is. Digital product and
service sales are growing and will represent more
than $1 of every $3 spent by 2021

• 7) Enterprises are overwhelmed by data and
digital assets. They already struggle to manage
the data and digital assets they have, and IoT will
expand them exponentially. They need help
finding the insights in the vast stream of data and
manage digital assets.
• 8) Both drive consumption. Digital services
easily prove their own worth. Bundle products
with digital services and content to make it easy
for customers to consume them.

• 9) Both make companies understand customers
better. Use integrated channels, big data,
predictive analytics, and machine learning to
uncover, predict, and meet customer needs,
increasing loyalty and revenues, IoT and AI are at
the heart of this.
• 10) Using both is future-proof the business. Make
the right strategic bets for the company, product
and service portfolio, and future investments
using IoT data analytics, visualization, and AI.

Digital Transformation, Blockchain, and AI
• Digital transformation is a complicated
challenge, but the integration of blockchain
and AI makes it much easier.

• Considering the number of partners (internal,
external, or both) involved in any given
business process, a system in which a
multitude of electronic parties can securely
communicate, collaborate, and transact
without human intervention is highly agile and
efficient.

• Enterprises that embrace this transformation
will be able to provide a better user
experience, a more consistent workflow, more
streamlined operations and value-added
services, as well as gain competitive
advantage and differentiation.

• Blockchain can holistically manage steps and
relationships where participants will share the
same data source, such as financial relationships
and transactions connected to each step, security
and accountability is factored in, as well as
compliance with government regulations along
with internal rules and processes.
• The result is consistency, reductions in costs and
time delays, improved quality, and reduced risks.

• AI can help companies learn in ways that
accelerate innovation, and assists companies
getting closer to customers and improve
employee’s productivity and engagement.
Digital transformation efforts can be improved
with that information.

Conclusion
• The building blocks of digital transformation
are; mindset, people, process, and tools. IoT
covers all the blocks since IoT doesn’t just
connect devices, it connects people too.
Blockchain will ensure end-to-end security
and by using AI you will move IoT beyond
connections to intelligence.

• One important step is to team up with the
best partners and invest in education, training
and certifying your teams. This magical mix of
IoT, AI and blockchain will help make
transformation digital and easy.

References
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-catalyst-iot-ahmed-banafa/
• https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2017/2/how-iot-enabling-
new-wave-digital-business-transformation
• https://www.huffingtonpost.com/guido-bartels/internet-of-things-
digital_b_8472410.html
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/iot-blockchain-convergence-
ahmed-banafa/
• https://www.i-scoop.eu/digital-transformation/
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-challenges-iot-analytics-
success-ahmed-banafa/?
• https://dzone.com/articles/why-blockchain-and-digital-
transformation-go-hand
• http://www.zdnet.com/article/why-ai-and-machine-learning-need-
to-be-part-of-your-digital-transformation-plans/

@BanafaAhmed
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahmedbanafa
ahmed.banafa@sjsu.edu

IoT, AI and Blockchain: Catalysts for Digital Transformation

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IoT, AI and Blockchain: Catalysts for Digital Transformation