China is moving on to social crediting systems for businesses, scraping massive amounts of data and grading them and the people who run them. 

This has broader implications for global companies, particularly those from America, who operate business in China. The Chinese capital will soon be black marking businesses who don’t fall in line with its regulations. As an example, “United, Delta and American (airlines) received letters last year from Chinese aviation officials saying their social credit score could be hit unless their websites labeled Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan as part of China”.

Many people believe that the social crediting system is a huge violation of the privacy of the Chinese people. It uses facial recognition technology along with a vast array of other data points including criminal history, credit ratings, and previous jobs to score a person. Interestingly, experts have come out to say that the purpose of grading businesses has a number of benefits. Despite its authoritarian presence, Beijing has struggled with controlling businesses on a national scale, with smaller government arms protecting successful businesses from state regulations. With the social crediting system, it is said that businesses who are large pollutants, exploit labour laws and exercise other problem behaviours will be brought into line. 

The question remains as to whether the use of these data sources will create more benefits or problems, with some people losing employment over affiliations with family members or other problem individuals. On top of this, once fully established, some people believe it will be used as a tool to enhance trade wars in order to get an edge over international competitors. 

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 This article firstly showcases an interactive map of Sydney’s suburbs, highlighting an alarming growth rate for many inner-city suburbs. As a result of a mismatch between tenant demands and the supply of affordable housing, this trend is seeing a huge number of young families and immigrant populations being priced out of these inner-city suburbs. Of the worst affected, Camden will need to increase its dwelling requirements by over 134% at the current rate, with people attracted to its proximity to local transport lines and relatively affordable prices. 

This has huge relevance for not only the future of Sydney siders, but also for the future of businesses. With well-established, disgruntled neighbourhoods fighting against the densification of their suburbs, businesses and entrepreneurs will need to find ways to maintain livelihoods whilst accommodating for far greater suburban populations. A greater reliance on the sharing economy will be necessary to optimise resources and create more efficient urban centres. The government will need to work with development authorities to analyse housing data in a way that produces fewer mismatches, encourages more cultural diversity and considers the broader property needs of residents, rather than those with the most cash to splash. 

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There’s nothing worse than queueing for the toilet, especially when you’re dying to go. The author of this article discusses a short history of studies on queuing, and what systems work best to minimise queue times. She found that a traditional bathroom layout led to women spending 6 minutes from beginning to end, whereas men only spent an average of 11 seconds! The final layout, coined gender neutral, was found to decrease women’s wait time by 4 times, although increased mens to 1 minute. The issue prevalent here can’t simply be resolved by a display of numbers, which is where a lot of analysis can become unstuck. It is in this case and many others important to consult those people decisions around such insights affect, in order to create solutions which best suit the greatest number of people.

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Have you seen our visualisation on UK bathroom habits? Check it out here.

Big data is slowly becoming more and more integrated into our society, whether we like it or not. This solution from Deloitte is a great example of how a problem was identified and acted upon quickly, utilising the abilities of big data and machine learning. Using an Alexa like device, Deloitte’s Assist uses voice and visual recognition technology to understand the severity of a patient request. This means that rather than being added to a queue of patients who may be requesting a blanket or simply just a chat, those in dire need of immediate action can get it. As a result, nurses can better prioritise their care, achieve more efficient care delivery, and save more patients in the process. Simply put, data and technology could be a saving grace for many public AND private sector organisations.

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What big consumer brands can do to compete in a digital economy

Another great example of how agile business models are essential in today's day and age. The rise of e-commerce, disruptive start-ups and innovators have left many traditional retailers in the dust. Changing lifestyles and increasing demands for more value have culminated in the giants of the FMCG world being left behind in the e-commerce era, with smaller, more agile businesses using the powers of data to better align with consumers’ values  and understand what they truly demand, and then customising their experience to match exactly. By running data analytics, firms can optimise their merchandise mix and marketing efforts, as well as inform future innovation, keeping them one step ahead of the pack.

Interested in this? We have helped numerous retailers to understand the power of their data. Check out our Retail Case Study which brings this concept to life or get in touch today.

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