A lot of the work related to a workshop like that is really completed earlier than the workshop even begins. To cite one among my favourite inventors and statesman:
“By failing to arrange, you might be making ready to fail.” — Benjamin Franklin
Useful Areas Analysis and Alignment
Relying in your degree of business data, be ready to place in lots of time on pre-workshop analysis. There are a number of subjects that have to be addressed earlier than you may draft the define for the workshop.
- A high-level understanding of the business: Who’re the main gamers, what are the important thing drivers, what are the traits, and what are the present challenges
- Useful enterprise areas: Completely examine what are the important thing purposeful enterprise areas for the enterprise you might be working with after which do a deep dive in every of those
Attempt to phase the purposeful areas one degree all the way down to get a extra granular view. Utilizing an power utility for example, a typical record of purposeful areas might be just like the record under:
- Energy Technology and Vitality Assets Administration: Conventional Energy Vegetation, Renewable Vitality (Photo voltaic, Wind, Hydro), Distributed Technology, Vitality Storage Programs, Technology Optimization
- Grid Administration and Asset Upkeep: Transmission Networks, Distribution Networks, Good Grid Applied sciences, Predictive Upkeep, Outage Administration, Asset Lifecycle Administration
- Buyer Base Administration, Advertising and marketing, and Gross sales: Buyer Service, Billing and Funds, Buyer Relationship Administration (CRM), Advertising and marketing Campaigns, Gross sales Operations, Buyer Analytics
- Vitality Buying and selling, Market Operations, and Danger Administration: Vitality Procurement, Wholesale Buying and selling, Worth Forecasting, Market Evaluation, Hedging Methods, Danger Evaluation
- Provide Chain Administration and Operational Effectivity: Procurement, Provider Administration, Stock Administration, Logistics, Course of Optimization, Price Discount
- Finance, Compliance, and Regulatory: Monetary Planning, Budgeting, Accounting, Regulatory Compliance, Auditing, Authorities Relations, Coverage Advocacy
- Human Assets and Workforce Administration: Expertise Acquisition, Coaching and Improvement, Worker Engagement, Efficiency Administration, Workforce Planning, Well being and Security
- Info Know-how, Cybersecurity, and Innovation: IT Infrastructure, Cybersecurity Measures, Information Analytics, Enterprise Intelligence, Innovation Applications, Analysis and Improvement (R&D), Rising Applied sciences (IoT, AI, Blockchain)
- Environmental Sustainability and Company Social Accountability: Emission Discount Initiatives, Sustainability Reporting, Environmental Compliance, Renewable Vitality Certificates, Group Engagement, CSR Applications
You’ve gotten now accomplished the primary a part of the analysis and may, ideally, align with the shopper as as to if this record is what they need to give attention to or in the event that they need to increase on some areas whereas excluding others. The above construction will assist you specify the agenda for the workshop in additional element and likewise assist steer the remainder of the analysis for the workshop.
Useful Space Deep Dives
After aligning on the construction, we are able to begin doing deep dives into every of the subcategories to grasp the place and the way AI and information science is being utilized to generate worth. That is normally the place I must spend probably the most time on analysis.
I usually begin out with particular queries, like: “How is AI being utilized in energy era, particularly in wind era?” Outcomes for this question would possibly yield the next subjects:
- Use of AI and quantum computing to raised perceive learn how to plan and optimize turbine location in onshore wind farms
- Time collection modelling for fault detection and diagnostics for generators
- Time collection modelling for predictive upkeep for generators
If accessible, attempt to additionally quantify the potential worth that comes from utilizing the know-how. For instance, if Equinor, an power firm, was capable of cut back unplanned downtime of wind generators by 40% after implementing a predictive upkeep challenge, how does this translate into financial worth? How would this instance translate into your particular enterprise should you for instance had a wind farm with 1000 wind generators? The quantification facet is vital as a result of it can assist in the later work of prioritizing initiatives.
At this analysis stage, it is usually OK to suppose exterior the field and maybe discover how a particular know-how might be borrowed from one business to a different. Many applied sciences begin out being utilized in one business after which transition into others with related purposeful areas. For instance, information pushed churn administration began out being utilized by the telco and banking firms however was rapidly adopted in virtually all industries.
Drafting the Agenda
With an understanding of the business, purposeful enterprise areas, and technological potentialities, it’s time to draft an agenda for the workshop.
For a two-day workshop, I’d suggest no less than half-hour for an introduction to current the workshop and its objectives. I’d additionally schedule time to evaluate pre-workshop findings, as this offers the individuals insights into their collective a priori views, expectations and prioritizations. The remainder of the workshop we’d then be dedicated to classes on the chosen purposeful areas. Lastly, finish the workshop with a abstract of the subjects coated and subsequent steps.
A 2-day workshop with 9 purposeful space deep dives, might be deliberate utilizing the construction under:
Day 1
9:00 AM — 9:30 AM: Welcome and Introduction
9:30 AM — 10:00 AM: Evaluation of Pre-Workshop Findings
10:15 AM — 11:30 PM: Session 1
1:00 PM — 2:15 PM: Session 2
2:30 PM — 3:45 PM: Session 3
4:00 PM — 5:15 PM: Session 4
5:15 PM — 5:30 PM: Day 1 Wrap-Up
Day 2
9:00 AM — 9:15 AM: Recap of Day 1
9:15 AM — 10:30 AM: Session 5
10:45 AM — 12:00 PM: Session 6
1:00 PM — 2:15 PM: Session 7
2:30 PM — 3:45 PM: Session 8
4:00 PM — 5:15 PM: Session 9
5:15 PM — 5:45 PM: Closing Wrap-Up and Subsequent Steps