The Private Equity Digital Transformation Show

Categories

Business
general
Investing in Technology

Archives

2023
May
March
February
January

2022
December
November
October
September
August
April
March

2021
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

2018
May

December 2021
S M T W T F S
     
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31

Syndication

Fri, 30 July 2021
Adopting Continuous Improvement Through Digital Transformation

Our guest David Westrom is responsible for global business development at MachineMetrics and has led business development organizations and driven strategy at three IIoT start-ups that experienced successful exits, including most recently ThingWorx, that was acquired by PTC.

In this episode, Dave and Bruce discuss:

  • Digitally transforming discreet manufacturing operations to start a continuous improvement program.
  • Digital improvements for high volume/low mix versus low volume/high mix manufacturing.
  • Expanding data collection from machines to machines, people and business systems.
  • How the scope of data collection is related to the overall value generated.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: dave_w_edit_mixdown-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 16 July 2021
Crypto, Blockchain, Smart Contracts and NFTs for Enterprises

Our guest Scott Cunningham is a blockchain and cryptocurrency enthusiast who explores the ways these technologies are used and shares his thoughts with his audience across many platforms.

In this episode, Scott and Bruce discuss:

  • The different cryptocurrencies and how to live the “crypto life”.
  • How consensus models are changing to enable more efficiency in blockchain.
  • The shift from a proof of work to a proof of stake consensus model.
  • Enterprise use cases for blockchain.
  • What smart contracts are and some of the ways to use them in business.
  • Identity management with NFTs for humans and inorganic objects.
  • NFTs and the framework for thinking about using them in the physical world.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: scott_c_edit_mixdown-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 9 July 2021
Data Management and Governance for Digital Transformation

Our guest Vipul Parekh is a Senior Director with Alvarez & Marsal Digital and Technology Services where he advises clients about investing in new and emerging technologies such as Blockchain, IoT, Robotic Process Automation, and Machine Learning.

In this episode, Vipul and Bruce discuss:

  • Evaluating the risk profile of emerging technology by considering scaling and integration needs.
  • Using data to drive technology, people and processes.
  • Data ownership and accountability best practices.
  • The digital twin and data governance systems.
  • The digital twin and master data management systems.
  • Data architecture and management differences for IoT-based data.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: vipul_p_edit_mixdown-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 2 July 2021
DT Case Studies That Push All the Right Buttons

Our guests Rolland Donin and Hendrik Nieweg partner on digital transformation projects.  Roland is the founder of IHRS-Training, a consultancy for agile methods and digital transformation, and Hendrik is VP of Solutions at the German IoT specialist, Device Insight, which helps companies with the development of complex IoT-based digital transformation projects.

In this episode, Rolland, Hendrik and Bruce discuss:

  • The definition of Industrie 4.0 vs IoT vs digital transformation.
  • The difference between IIoT and smart product development.
  • The relationship between IoT and digital transformation and why Bruce changed the name of his podcast.
  • The “Three As” that must be present at the beginning of every digital transformation.
  • Not falling into the gold plating trap.
  • Using the edge for data culling.
  • The two steps that precede machine learning.
  • Quantifying the value created and costs incurred in case studies about smart coffee vending machines and smart electronic components.

Related links you may find useful:

  •  
Direct download: rolland_and_hendrik_edit2_mixdown-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 25 June 2021
Machine Learning for IoT-Based Digital Transformation

Our guest Dr. Michael Roshak works as an Enterprise Architect for Bankers Healthcare Group - a fintech company that helped hospitals and doctors with financial services during the pandemic.  And as part of the Microsoft AI & IoT Insider Lab, Mike ran code-a-thons for Microsoft developers and from which recently wrote the book, Artificial Intelligence for IoT Cookbook.

In this episode, Mike and Bruce discuss:

  • Voice activation and privacy concerns.
  • The air gap DMZ zone used in AI security.
  • The primary importance of upfront business planning for AI success.
  • The balance of edge and cloud computing for IoT AI.
  • The concept of duty cycles and why they’re important to use as a precursor to anomaly detection and predictive maintenance.
  • Not reinventing the wheel and getting help from your cloud and silicon providers.
  • The minimum data science team required for AI success.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e17_-_mike_r_mixdown-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 18 June 2021
Blockchain Basics and Deploying It as a Service

Our guest Dean Rakic is the Chief Scientist at TAAL Distributed Information Technologies where he’s a Blockchain scientist.  He has over 25 years of experience in computer science – predominantly in healthcare - and 10 years of experience in Blockchain within various technology solutions.

In this episode, Dean and Bruce discuss:

  • The difference between crypto and blockchain.
  • The technical and business benefits associated with blockchain’s decentralized structure.
  • The important difference between security and trust.
  • The function of bitcoin miners.
  • The differences between private and public blockchains.
  • Why data stored in a blockchain has the power of immutability.

 

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e16_-_dean_r-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 11 June 2021
Profiting with Smart Safety in the Construction Worksite

Our guests Raymond and Michael Volpatt are brothers and co-owners of Volpatt Construction, a commercial and institutional construction company based in Pittsburgh. They are also co-founders of ShareInTech, a construction workforce optimization, building management, and asset supervision company.

In this episode, Ray, Mike and Bruce discuss:

  • How wearables, beacons and geofencing work and how they have transformed safety at the Volpatt worksites.
  • How Volpatt is “eating their own dogfood’ by using solutions by ShareinTech and how that forms a virtuous cycle.
  • How the tech was adopted by their construction workforce and lessons learned.
  • How an increase safety measures reduces the cost of labor by improving a firm’s EMR (Experience Modification Rating) which in turn reduces worker’s compensation premiums.
  • Quantifying the value created and costs incurred to implement a smart safety solution.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e15_-_ray_and_michael-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 28 May 2021
Building Value with Smart Buildings

Our guest Joseph Aamidor is an experienced product leader and expert in smart buildings, real estate technology and facility operations. His company provides guidance to building owners, operators, and management firms.  Before Aamidor Consulting, Joe worked for the Lucid Design Group and Johnson Controls.

In this episode, Joe and Bruce discuss:

  • How a smart building differs from building automation.
  • Why make a building smart and the value levers involved.
  • Identifying which buildings are best suited to be digitally transformed.
  • Why energy savings is the lowest hanging fruit.
  • Different ways to make a building smart.
  • A case study including the costs and the value created enabling us to calculate the return on technology investment

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e14_-_joe_a-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 21 May 2021
Self Powered Sensors That Never Run Out of Steam

Our guest David Wentzloff co-founded Everactive in 2012 and is currently its co-CTO.  He is also a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Faculty Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Michigan.

In this episode, David and Bruce discuss:

  • The numbers around university intellectual property transfer.
  • How to harvest enough energy through heat or light to eliminate batteries.
  • The opportunity to further improve on steam as an efficient method of energy transfer.
  • Use cases for steam (heat) powered sensors and the industries they operate in.
  • Case study that quantifies the cost and value created by monitoring steam traps which then enables us to compute a return on technology investment and the payback period.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e13_-_david_w.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 14 May 2021
Streaming Analytics for Speedier Decision Making

Our guest, Rohit Chauhan is the Founder & CEO at Topmist, a cloud-native real-time streaming data analytics firm. He has over 25 years of experience as a technology executive, data scientist, and business consultant with deep knowledge of industry processes and value drivers.

In this episode, Rohit and Bruce discuss:

  • The tech architecture of a runtime streaming data pipeline.
  • What it really means to do analytics in “real time”.
  • The differences between doing analytics on data collected in the past versus doing analytics on data being collected in the present.
  • Use cases that are a great fit for streaming analytics.
  • Case study on Coca Cola that quantifies the value they created from using streaming analytics to make faster marketing decisions.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e12_-_rohit-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 7 May 2021
Debunking the Myths and Misconceptions About AI and Machine Learning

Our guest, Steve Shwartz began his career as a postdoctoral researcher in AI at Yale University in 1979.  He has since been a founder or co-founder of many companies and an investor in many others.  Today he’s the author of a new book on AI called, Evil Robots, Killer Computers, and Other Myths.

In this episode, Steve and Bruce discuss:

  • What is AI… really?
  • What are the differences between AI vs AGI, AI vs ML and ML vs analytics?
  • The importance of the kingpin of statistics.
  • Is there really such thing as black box AI?
  • Will AI take over the world?

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: steve_s_mixdown-A.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 30 April 2021
From MRO Inventory Management to Predictive Maintenance and Beyond

Our guest, Ravi Venkatraman is the CEO and President of Hamiltonian Systems. A technologist and entrepreneur with 30 years of experience,  Ravi’s latest focus has been solving complex business problems in data management and MRO supply chains using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

In this episode, Ravi and Bruce discuss:

  • What MRO is, its five main cost centers and why it’s important.
  • Why MRO inventory management is often overlooked and the value that can be discovered there.
  • Predictive maintenance in the context of the “M” in MRO.
  • How long it takes to typically develop a useful predictive maintenance model and how considering all of MRO can improve the quality of predictive maintenance models.
  • A case study quantifying the early value of MRO inventory control can have on working capital.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e10_-_ravi_v-A.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 23 April 2021
Using the 3D Digital Twin to Make Sense of Industrial Sensor Data

Our guest, John Burton is CEO and co-founder of UrsaLeo, a company focused on bringing modern UI to the industrial world. Previously John had a 30-year career in semiconductors and founded multiple companies.

In this episode, John and Bruce discuss:

  • The process and technology involved in creating a 3D digital twin.
  • Different use cases for 3D visualization of IoT data.
  • The advantages 3D and 4D visualization of industrial data has over the more common 2D visualization of today.
  • Selling the 3D digital twin to the OEM versus the end customer.
  • The Flogistix case study, where the value, costs and time are quantified.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e9_-_john_b.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 16 April 2021
Feeding the Digital Twin Beast in the Cloud

Our guests, Robert Falzon, a financier, and Massimo Cesaro, a technologist, are two of the co-founders of Inkwell Data. They joined forces to bring to market their Altior IoT operating system which Massimo designed and developed.

In this episode, Robert, Massimo and Bruce discuss:

  • What the digital twin is, both conceptually and physically.
  • The stages of developing Inkwell Data’s Altior digital twin: connecting data sources to data structures (wiring it), describing it with a language so processes can be visualized and preparing the data to apply external analytics and AI on it.
  • An example of a smart building digital twin.
  • A comparison of the costs of using an IoT managed cloud services versus using a virtual private server for storing, integrating and updating a digital twin.
  • Methodologies for securing digital twins.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e8_-_robert_and_masssimo.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 9 April 2021
All I Do is Win Win Win No Matter What I Do with Remote Monitoring

Our guest, Steve Latham is the founder and chief executive officer at Banyan Hills Technologies, a software company specializing in remote management and monitoring.  Steve has been in tech for over 20 years and has extensive experience in cloud-based software and the Internet of Things.

In this episode, Steve and Bruce discuss:

  • What an IoT platform is and the tech used to move data from the edge (device) to the cloud.  The hardest tech and the behind-the-curtain-tech that needs to work well to achieve scale and device manageability.
  • Use cases for a remote monitoring and management system and examples of when Banyan’s products and services led to unexpected value discoveries – including new business models and surprising quick wins.
  • Case studies of how a remote monitoring and management system were used, the investment required, and the types of value created.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e7_-_steve_l.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 2 April 2021
Better Call Saul Early With Your Wish List and Aspirations

Our guest, Scott Giordano, serves as Senior Counsel for Privacy & Compliance at Spirion, an advisor in rapid identification and protection of sensitive data - focused on multinational data protection and its intersection with technology.

In this episode, Scott and Bruce discuss:

  • Privacy and security, which are often mistakenly conflated.
  • Why you need to bring your lawyer in well before the data collection “cake is baked”.
  • The liability differences between a data collecting consumer product and a data collecting business product.
  • How to think through the data sharing contract for your newly digitally transformed product or service.
  • Privacy laws you should be concerned with if you gather consumer data.
  • Why you need to develop a data sharing contract your customer signs before using your digital product or service.
  • Why caps and indemnifications are your data sharing contract’s best friends.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e6_-_scott_g.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 26 March 2021
Extending Reality to Create Value Through Knowledge Transfer

Our guest, Peter Orban, is the founder of XR Solutions, a producer of immersive and wearable computing. Originally a Mad Man he traded his advertising career for another creative profession a decade ago – to be a startup founder and business developer.

In this episode, Peter and Bruce discuss:

  • The definition of extended reality (XR), which includes sensory tech along the continuum of, assisted reality, augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR).
  • The breakdown of the three main tech components of XR and how they work.
  • Use cases of how extended reality creates value.
  • The cost and time needed to implement an XR solution.
  • Case studies to tie everything together and to quantify the value generated.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e5_-_peter_o.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 19 March 2021
How the Smart Office Creates White Collar Value

Our guest, Paulo Lopes, is an experienced business development executive in the IoT industry and is currently a senior marketing manager at Haltian.  Haltian is a Gartner Cool Vendor that provides global IoT solutions focused on smart offices specializing in the employee experience.

In this episode Paulo and Bruce discuss:

  • Although most/all workspace optimization efforts to date have been made in production/manufacturing workspaces, there is a large opportunity in improving white-color workspaces – especially in the era of Covid.
  • How to digitally transform the white-collar workspace to improve employee efficiency and efficacy.
  • The technology used to transform an office into a smart office.
  • The digital transformation cost items associated with making an office smart and the value created.
  • A case study quantifying the costs and value of the Smart office.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e4_-_paulo_l.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 12 March 2021
Replacing Goldilocks with a Food Safety Overlay Network

Our guest, Jurgo Praden, is CEO of Thinnect, and has two decades of experience as an IoT researcher, a CTO and now as a CEO. His previous company, Defendec, produced a wireless border patrol product that’s currently protecting over 30 countries.

In this episode, Jurgo and Bruce discuss:

  • The meaning of, and the growing importance of, mist computing – a term coined by Jurgo.
  • The tech of mist computing - part of the distributed compute surface that includes the fog (gateways and other devices in the OT network) and the cloud.
  • The commercial importance, of ease of installation and scalability, and the tech behind it.
  • Thinnect’s Temp-Sense overlay sensing network service for food safety, the price and value created, and revenue model deployed.
  • Restaurant and supermarket case studies to tie tech and value creation together.

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e3_-_jurgo_p.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 5 March 2021
Using the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act to Your Benefit

Our guest, Loren Shade, is Vice President of Marketing at Allegro Software where he directs their IoT product and business strategy, backed by his 30+ years of experience working with embedded systems in the defense, medical, industrial and consumer sectors.

In this episode Loren and Bruce discuss:

  • The tech of embedded systems and some best practices associated with implementing cybersecurity in digital transformation.
  • The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act 2020 and why compliance is important to any company going through a digital transformation, not only those selling to the US government.
  • How the risk and liability associated with non-compliance and not incorporating, “security by design” can lower enterprise value.

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e2_-_loren_s.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 26 February 2021
The First Step in Transforming a Factory into a Smart Factory

Our guest, Tim Raven, is Managing Director and leads Worximity’s US practice. He is an operations, finance, and digital manufacturing expert with over 25 years of experience working with privately held and sponsor-owned mid-market consumer and industrial product manufacturers.

In this episode Tim and Bruce discuss the first phase of transforming a factory into a smart factory: applying a sensor overlay network to pull data off brownfield machines and equipment.  We then outline how to quantify the value created by relating the KPI of OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) to EBITDA, along with it’s associated costs to come up with the ROTI (return on technology investment) – core to the investment thesis.  Then we tie it together with a smart food packaging plant case study.

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: s2e1.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 19 February 2021
New Season – New Focus – Same Show

Listen to this trailer/overview with Bruce Sinclair to learn about the upcoming season of the podcast, now named, The Private Equity Digital Transformation Show.  New episodes starting February 26.

This talk show is about the next big thing in value creation.  It is for fund managers and corporate leadership investigating digital transformation for their companies, and for service providers, subject matter experts and vendors wanting to broaden their digital skills.  Although the show’s focused on value creation in the context of private equity, it’s sector agnostic and can get pretty geeky, digging into IoT, data science (analytics & AI) and other high technology. At a high level, the show is about how to frame the digital investment thesis and how to execute it.

Season 1 of this show was produced for corporate leadership and more generally covered the tech, business and strategy of digital transformation through the lens of IoT – the foundation of all high-tech digital transformations.  Season 2 of this show expands its audience to include private capital investors and considers digital transformation from a more disciplined value creation and investment perspective.  Season 2 can be considered as an application of season 1 for private equity, while continuing to be useful to corporate leadership.

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

 

Direct download: pedts_podcast_new_season_opener.mp3
Category:Investing in Technology -- posted at: 11:49am PST
Fri, 19 February 2021
Nailing the Amorphous IoT Platform to the Wall

The “IoT Platform” is such an overloaded term that its meaning has been lost. Chipset manufacturers, sensor manufacturers, software vendors, consortia and system integrators all have their own definitions. But if you come at it from enough angles eventually a form takes shape and you realize it means what you want it to mean and what is important is not its definition but the context in which it’s used. In this episode of the IoT Business Show, Dr. Sean Lorenz and I go through the elusive IoT platform and why the business problem is always the place to start.

Read the rest of the show analysis notes including the transcripts at: https://www.iot-inc.com/amorphous-iot-platform-definition-podcast/

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: new_internet_of_things_business_podcast_order22.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 12 February 2021
IoT Platform Security, Sensors and Analytics

After going through each of the major consortia, we are heading back to tech, but not as deep a dive as usual. Having left the edge behind, we are now moving on to the network fabric that holds everything together. In this episode of the IoT Business Show, we talk about some of the most important issues surrounding IoT Platforms today.

Read the rest of the show analysis notes including the transcripts at: https://www.iot-inc.com/iot-platform-security-sensors-analytics-podcast/

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: new_internet_of_things_business_podcast_order20.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 5 February 2021
To be or not to be a Data Hoarder

How much IoT data should you keep? It’s not clear. The more data you keep, the more data transmission and storage costs you’ll incur. However thinning out your data store means throwing away potential future insights, potential answers to future questions and potential new information products to expand your business – all value generators unique to IoT products. In this episode of the IoT Business Show, I speak with Steve Stover about balancing the costs and the technology approaches to maximize your Internet of Things data value.

Read the rest of the show analysis notes including the transcripts at: https://www.iot-inc.com/iot-big-data-management-storage-podcast/

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: new_internet_of_things_business_podcast_order19.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 29 January 2021
Technology lessons for the IoT Professional

The technology of the software-defined product, containing the digital twin, is the most important technology in IoT – the most important because it’s directly related to creating value. Sometimes it can get a bit confusing so in this episode of the IoT Business Show, I share with you three lessons from the ICIP Technology course. The first, a simple example to demonstrate the software-defined product and digital twin. Then, an overview lesson on standards and protocols, and finally an overview lesson on IoT analytics and big data.

Read the rest of the show analysis notes including the transcripts at: http://bit.ly/IoTPodcast97notes

Listen to this trailer with Bruce Sinclair to learn about the upcoming season of the podcast, now named, The Private Equity Digital Transformation Show.  New episodes starting February 26.

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

 

Direct download: new_internet_of_things_business_podcast_order16.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 22 January 2021
Top 5 Application Protocols in IoT Today

OK, I admit it, this is going to be a bit of a geekfest but application protocols are an important topic to understand if you want to understand how IoT works. Protocols are the lifeblood of an IoT system and as we are about to find out, there are a few different types to choose from – each with their own characteristics and infrastructure requirements.

Read the rest of the show analysis notes including the transcripts at: https://www.iot-inc.com/top-5-internet-of-things-application-protocols-podcast/

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

 

Direct download: new_internet_of_things_business_podcast_order12.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 15 January 2021
Network Protocols like Lego

Meet IoT’s three layers of protocols… the media layer, otherwise known as the physical layer or radio, the network layer and the application layer. Important because they make up the network stack that transports data from the sensor to the cloud. Important because they are standardized. In this episode of the IoT Business show, Michael Richardson delivers a masterclass on everything you need to know about IoT’s three networking layers.

Read the rest of the show analysis notes including the transcripts at: https://www.iot-inc.com/internet-of-things-protocols-like-lego-podcast/

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: new_internet_of_things_business_podcast_order11.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
Fri, 8 January 2021
iRobot & IoT – Taking the Roomba to the Next Level

There’s no denying it, robots are cool, even more cool when you call them cyber-physical systems, which is what they are, but they’re also IoT systems. And applying the thinking of IoT to robots makes them even cooler and more valuable because instead of being discrete systems, they can be integrated as a component of an IoT environment, working together with other components, to deliver outcomes. In this episode of the IoT Business Show, I speak with Chris Jones of iRobot about the Roomba and its place in the IoT world.

Read the rest of the show analysis notes including the transcripts at: http://bit.ly/IoTPodcast81notes

This show is brought to you by DIGITAL OPERATING PARTNERS

Related links you may find useful:

Direct download: new_internet_of_things_business_podcast_order8.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30am PST
1