Tigon Advisory

Many of the CEOs I talk to are hungry to grow at scale. This calls for increased revenue without substantial costs from pricey acquisitions or infrastructure investment. These same leaders, however, face unprecedented challenges: the race to integrate artificial intelligence (AI), data security and protection, and a looming recession (predicted to be anywhere from mild to catastrophic, depending upon your news source).

The trio is either a perfect storm or, from my perspective, a tremendous opportunity to amp up your performance. Seen through the lens of the following 3Rs – risk, ROI and relevancy – perhaps the best place to start is by looking at what you already have.

Risk

Risk takes on several faces for CEOs in a post-pandemic world defined by a worker shortage, supply chain disruption and economic uncertainty.

As AI spending continues to increase, the risk factor goes up. There’s little question that AI is a business imperative – yet no more than 20% of AI models get deployed. Where’s the disconnect? According to an article from MIT Sloan School of Management, most data scientists deliver results using smaller and more controlled data sets. AI tends to fall apart, however, when put to task for the larger organization (aka the real world).

Then there’s the avalanche of data that CEOs and their teams are trying to figure out how to optimize – and protect. With edge-to-cloud infrastructure, companies continue to generate, store and analyze data at scale. Here, the risk landscape is easy to see as cyber threats gain momentum.

AI and data have something in common: they demand more processing power.

A year ago, I co-hosted Intel Innovation, where Intel predicted breaking the exascale barrier to reach zettascale (a 1000x increase) by 2027-ish. This will be the next supercomputing standard. Yet, all that data is going to require more data security and protection.

I am really excited about the advanced security technologies to help protect data using 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors. They are akin to equipping your house with inconspicuous security cameras and alarm systems, as opposed to installing iron gates without any other security measure.

The 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processor family includes a zero-trust security strategy while allowing for collaboration and sharing of insights, even with sensitive or regulated data. In my blog, “Zero Trust Security, Authorship and Our Creative Future,” I talk about how zero trust security assumes your operation has been breached. There’s a reason why this is important. In an article written by Accenture’s security expert, Gabe Albert, “corporate network boundaries are disappearing”, which inspires a contextual-based approach to security. Security needs to be everywhere at every moment.

Intel addresses zero trust security by using Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX), the most researched, updated and deployed confidential computing technology in data centers on the market today, with the smallest trust boundary of any confidential computing technology in the data center world.

ROI

With the need for increased processing power, the question is: do you throw more CPUs at the problem, or do you get your house in order and make the CPUs you have perform more efficiently?

This is one reason the 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors (i.e. 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors, Intel® Xeon® CPU Max Series, and Intel Data Center GPU Max Series for high performance computing (HPC) help lower cost as key workloads such as AI, analytics, networking, storage and high performance computing rise. Intel’s strategy is to align CPU cores with built-in accelerators optimized for specific workloads, delivering superior performance for optimal total cost of ownership. This is a more efficient alternative to the growing CPU core count. Better CPU utilization saves money, a welcome solution to the fact that cores have doubled since SKX, while yet AI performance has increased more than>10x with AMX. A flood of big data is streaming into companies – data that once could only be handled by a supercomputer. According to Statista, data creation will grow to more than 180 zettabytes by 2025. Intel’s pledge to “do more with what you have” equips companies with greater computational power.

ROI is not confined to the digital world; it extends to the physical world as well. The sustainability of our earth and natural resources is at stake with an aggressive plea from the United Nations and its challenge that the world meets 17 sustainable development goals by 2030. The 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors pack more transistors in less space, harkening back to Moore’s Law (Intel cofounder Gordon Moore) which, in 1965, predicted that the number of transistors would double at a rapid cadence. More efficiency per watt means more efficient CPU utilization and lower electricity consumption.

Also, built-in accelerators for encryption help free up CPU cores while improving performance, which is a sustainability gain. In fact, 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® Scalable processors are Intel’s most sustainable data center processors to date, providing solutions to manage power and performance.

Relevancy

Intel has, from the start, been an integrated device manufacturer (IDM), meaning they have long been at the forefront of designing and manufacturing chips. According to Fast Company, Intel is investing $20 billion in two new semiconductor fabrication centers (called fabs) in Chandler, AZ and an additional $20 billion in a new fab in Albany, OH. These are the largest private-sector investments in both states.

Intel is positioned to lead the data center space as it accelerates performance across the fastest-growing workloads with the 4th Gen Intel® Xeon® processor families, it continues to make hefty investments in fabs, its history of pioneering prowess, and, lastly, its CEO Patrick Gelsinger, who is the architect of the original 80486 processor, led 14 microprocessor programs and played key roles in the Intel Core™ and Intel® Xeon® processor families.

Risk, ROI and relevancy are the 3Rs for CEOs to ponder. A faster, more agile world beckons. And, like the laptops we carry around or the mobile phones we pocket, when it comes to Intel® Xeon® processors, you might even one day ask how we ever lived without them.

From time to time, Intel invites industry thought leaders to share their opinions and insights on current technology trends. The opinions in this post are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Intel. #Intelpartner

The tech industry has long been known for its lack of gender diversity, with women significantly underrepresented in tech occupations. Despite the growing demand for tech talent and the increasing awareness of the issue, progress in addressing this gender disparity has been slow. According to a 2021 report by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), women hold only 26% of computing occupations in the US. The lack of women in tech is not only an equity issue but also a business issue, as companies with more diverse workforces have been shown to outperform their less diverse peers. Let’s look at the challenges faced by women in tech, the benefit of having more women in tech, success stories and the efforts being made to support women in tech.

My personal journey in tech has been both challenging and rewarding: Being one of the very few female Solution Architects back in the days at Oracle; and the only female C-Suite executive at start-ups were lonely and scary at times. Many men and women contributed to my career growth. Having a supportive network helped me get back on my feet after setbacks, and gave me the courage to start my own company as a growth accelerator. My collective experiences have inspired me to rally for women in tech because I see we still have a long way to go.

Challenges Faced by Women in Tech

Despite their talent and skills, women in tech face challenges that hinder their success and advancement in the field. These challenges are seen through real numbers:

Lack of representation: According to the National Center for Women Information Technology, women represent 57% of the workforce, with only 26% in computing tech as of 2021. Women remain underrepresented in the tech industry, and they often face barriers to entry and advancement due to systemic biases and stereotypes.

Lack of role models and sponsorship. There are plenty of mentorship programs. However, women in tech may struggle to find role models and sponsors who can provide guidance and opportunities as they navigate their careers.

The gender pay gap: Men were offered higher salaries than women for the same job title at the same company 59% of the time, according to a 2021 survey from Hired. On average, women were offered salaries 2.5% less than the ones that men were given for the same roles

Balancing work and personal life: Women who work in tech often face challenges balancing their professional and personal lives, especially if they are working in demanding, high-pressure tech environments.

Addressing these challenges is crucial to creating a more inclusive and diverse tech industry. Companies can take steps to create a more welcoming and supportive environment for women in tech. Toptal’s Staffing.com suggests that companies can narrow the Gender in Gap in Technology by doubling down efforts to avoid bias in hiring, offering work-life balance policies that benefit women, and advancing women throughout their careers. By removing these barriers, we can help ensure that women have equal access to opportunities in tech and can contribute their valuable skills and perspectives to the industry.

The Benefits of Increasing Diversity in Tech

Increased innovation: Diversity in tech brings diverse perspectives, experiences, and problem-solving approaches to the table. This can lead to more innovative and creative solutions to complex challenges as diverse teams are better equipped to understand the needs and perspectives of different user groups.

Improved financial performance: McKinsey finds that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25 percent more likely to have above-average profitability. This highlights the importance of promoting gender diversity in leadership positions and suggests that it can have a positive impact on a company’s bottom line.

Expanded talent pool: By increasing women representation in tech, the industry can tap into a larger pool of talent. Girls Who Code is a success story, providing free coding programs and resources to girls in the US, reaching more than 500 million girls and closing the gender gap in computing education.

Better products: When women are involved in the design and development of tech products, those products are more likely to meet the needs and preferences of a diverse user base. This can lead to products that are more inclusive, user-friendly, and effective.

Overall, increasing diversity in tech is not just the right thing to do. It is also a smart business decision that can lead to better products, improved financial performance, and a more innovative and inclusive industry.

The 4Ps Strategy to Increase Diversity and Inclusion in Tech

What steps can we take to address the challenges and barriers faced by women in tech?

Here is the 4Ps strategy:

Pipeline: It is important to build a pipeline of talent by encouraging girls and young women to pursue tech education and careers. This can be done through programs and initiatives such as hackathons, coding clubs, summer internship, and other initiatives that expose girls and young women to the field of technology and help build their skills.

Promotion: Promoting the visibility and accomplishments of women in tech. This can be done by highlighting the achievements of women in tech through media, awards, and recognition programs, as well as by showcasing diverse voices and perspectives in tech conferences, events, and panels.

Pay: Ensuring that women are paid fairly for their work In tech. This involves addressing the gender pay gap by conducting pay equity audits and taking steps to close any pay gaps that are identified. It also involves creating a culture of transparency around compensation and benefits, so that women have the information they need to negotiate for fair pay.

Policies: Implementing policies that support and promote diversity and inclusion in tech. This can include policies such as flexible work arrangements, parental leave, and unconscious bias training. It demonstrates that companies value employee’s well being and work-life balance. It can increase employee satisfaction and retention and become a competitive advantage attracting talents.

With the rapid advancement of technology, the field needs a diversity of voices and ideas to keep up with the pace of change. Encouraging more women to pursue tech education and careers, promoting the visibility and accomplishments of women in tech, ensuring fair pay, and implementing policies that support diversity and inclusion are crucial steps to achieving this.

A good example is Toptal, a network of the world’s top talent in business, design, and technology that enables companies to scale their teams on demand. Toptal is working to increase diversity in tech through initiatives like sponsoring the Women in Tech Lounge at Web Summit to bring innovative and bold ideas, cultivate conversation to elevate women thought leadership and empower women in talent networks. Freelancers in the Toptal network also choose their own rates, which helps mitigate gender pay disparities. Toptal will be at Tech Show London 2023, where the agenda is heavily focused on influential women in tech. (Sidenote: I am thrilled to host Christy Schumann, Chief Customer Officer at Toptal, on my CXO SPICE show where we will learn how they have created a more equitable and supportive environment for women in tech.)

Women in Tech: Let’s Keep Going

My high school track coach gave me great advice: never give up and keep going – especially when the odds are not in your favor. My curiosity and persistence enabled me to pivot from a bean counter (accountant) to a bean grower (C-Suite executive); and from a corporate leader to an entrepreneur. This path has led me to the Boardroom where many decisions are made. I encourage women to master their domain expertise, take the risk to get out of their comfort zone, constantly reinvent themselves, and network with others. Most importantly, support each other, embrace equity – and never, ever quit pushing forward.

By fostering a culture that is welcoming to everyone, we can create a new world of tech: one that is more innovative, bold and empowering for women.

The future of manufacturing is not just about technology. It’s also about increasing the amount of diversity in the workforce. Despite women making up 47% of the total labor market, they only represent 29% of people working in manufacturing (US Bureau of Labor and Statistics).

The current labor shortage in manufacturing presents an opportunity to tap into this untapped resource and position the US as a manufacturing powerhouse. However, there is a disconnect between factory workers and company leaders and a lack of representation of women in leadership roles. Bridging this disconnect and promoting diversity in the workplace starts with small actions and the support of both men and women in the industry. Let’s explore how women can play a crucial role in rescuing manufacturing.

Ande Hazard is the Vice President of Manufacturing Solutions at AT&T. She oversees 220 sales professionals delivering the full range of AT&T products to more than 500 enterprise clients, representing $3 billion in annualized revenue. I was in the audience when Ande spoke at an AT&T sponsored women’s leadership luncheon at 2022 HANNOVER MESSE USA, co-located with the IMTS – International Manufacturing Technology Show.

Her words continue to inspire me. Ande highlights the importance of a diverse workforce in the smart factory of the future. She discussed the untapped potential of women in the manufacturing industry.

The Labor Shortage Bottleneck

If you haven’t heard, there’s a labor shortage in manufacturing.

A conversation I had with a colleague, a CFO at a manufacturing company, illustrates the age-old problem of doing the same things while expecting different results.

His company offered a $3,000 bonus if you came to work every weekday for three months from eight to five. This is how much the company paid out: zero. My jaw dropped. This story tells us: we cannot manage the way we used to manage.

So, how do we solve the problem with fresh ideas? What if we could:

Partner with HR on a campaign to bring more women into the talent pipeline

Create an inclusive work environment with more gender-diverse teams

Show more women in our brand communications

Create a leadership path for women in manufacturing

According to the 2021 Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute Manufacturing Talent study, two facts rise to the top. They support Ande’s point that we need to take action to fix the talent shortage problem while also acknowledging women are an untapped resource for positioning the U.S. as a manufacturing powerhouse.

The first fact is that U.S. manufacturing is expected to have 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030. The second is that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an imperative for manufacturers.

In a past blog entitled The 4 C’s: Strategies for Managing Employee Shortages in Manufacturing and Transportation, I cite culture as being a major driver in filling the talent pipeline. Culture encompasses many different elements, including building a culture of diversity.

This is where we start, but it is by no means where we stop.

Diversity from the C-Suite to the Boardroom

There is much more to the story of women in manufacturing. From McKinsey & Company’s Women in the Workplace 2022 report, this line reflects the state of women in leadership: “Now, companies are struggling to hold onto the relatively few women leaders they have. And all of these dynamics are even more pronounced for women of color.” It goes on to say that, “Women leaders are just as ambitious as men, but at many companies, they face headwinds that signal it will be harder to advance.”

Some refer to this as the “broken rung” on the corporate ladder. But that’s only looking at it from ground level. You must also consider where the ladder leads to: the boardroom.

The boardroom is where decisions are made and precedent set. According to Moody’s Investors Service, 29% of corporate board seats at North American and European companies were held by women in 2022. A higher proportion of women on boards is correlated with higher credit ratings. However, by now, you’ve probably heard the most infamous and creative statistic about this: In Equileap’s study of the S&P 500, there were more Chair males named John than there were female Chairs (they made up 4% in case you were wondering).

Statistics only give us one viewpoint. The other is real life. I’ve been in the C-suite, and I still felt defeated at times. There hasn’t been enough sponsorship to move women from the C-suite to the boardroom. Many companies keep asking the same women to sit on their boards. If these opportunities were shared with other very capable female leaders, imagine the potential outcomes.

The way to break through is to not wait for an invitation. Instead, reach out to people, attend events, build relationships, gradually expand your network, and never stop seeking a seat at the table.

Bridging the Disconnect

Historically, manufacturing has been a male-dominated field. We’ve seen some progress, but it hasn’t been enough. One reason, I believe, is because there’s a disconnect between people who work in the factory, creating the products and services, and the people leading the organization.

Encouraging more women in manufacturing starts with small actions: people looking out for one other, women supporting other women, and male allies advocating for women, too.

Many of the people who supported me along my career were men who firmly believed in diversity. If we only rely on women to advance women, then it will take another century to get results.

Driving diversity is everyone’s responsibility. Diversity impacts a company’s bottom-line, innovation and product quality. There are many proof points on this, but one revealing statistic originally from the Peterson Institute, and cited in the Women in Manufacturing Report by Deloitte, the Manufacturing Institute and APICS, states: “an increase from no females in corporate leadership to 30% representation is associated with a 15% increase in net profitability.”

I don’t know a CEO who wouldn’t like those returns.

Advice to my 23-Year-Old Self – and You

International Women’s Day is March 8, 2023. Embracing equity is the theme. This is a call to action for all of us to support and encourage women to pursue careers in the manufacturing industry.

If you know a woman who is interested in manufacturing, take the time to talk to her about her interests and help to generate a conversation around attracting more women to the field.

Looking back, I realize I would have enjoyed a career in manufacturing. I’m always fascinated by walking the plant floor and seeing how things come together to produce a widget used by people around the world. Here’s the advice I would give my 23-year-old self. Perhaps you can find something in it helpful to you or others you know:

Embrace the chance to open doors in a male-dominated industry and use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Explore these opportunities to learn how to make things – in addition to the technology that supports it. Go into the field and see how things are being made from start to finish and learn the entire process. Use your knowledge to innovate and create products and services you are passionate about.

Technology is driving remarkable change. Companies like AT&T Business are helping manufacturers implement digital transformation today, to innovate for tomorrow with 5G, IoT solutions, and greater connectivity. Technology, however, is just one part of the story. True innovation requires a diverse workforce, with women playing a vital role as makers and leaders. This isn’t about replicating the past but rather, shaping the future of modern manufacturing.

Jay Timmons, president and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers, said this in the Women in Manufacturing report: “Today’s manufacturing employees are building and designing the future, and women in manufacturing serve as ambassadors to move the industry forward.”

Let’s support and empower women to join the manufacturing industry, not only to move it forward but also to play a key role in leading the charge in shaping a bright and innovative future.

This post was sponsored by AT&T Business, but the opinions are my own and don’t necessarily represent AT&T Business’s positions or strategies.

By 2025, IDC estimates that there will be an enormous amount of IoT devices – over 41.6 billion to be exact. These devices will potentially generate 79.4 zettabytes of data. Wow, that’s a lot of bytes!

How do businesses make use of what can seem to be endless, sprawling data and get clear insights? For manufacturers, this means having to gather, parse, and process a high volume of data. Although the benefits of having access to useful information for business analysis and planning are known, it’s just not that simple.

Thankfully, new capabilities enabled by #IoT expansion work solve this problem. With the right tools, manufacturing companies can collect and compute information and be positioned for data driven decision making. And that’s not all. Edge to edge smart manufacturing can also help companies become more sustainable, efficient, and predictive. Some notable applications include waste prevention, safety monitoring, inventory tracking, asset maintenance and predictable demand analytics .

Imagine saving thousands of dollars by improving supply chain operations, significantly reducing greenhouse carbon emissions, or being able to run diagnostics to prepare for maintenance needs in the factory. Industrial connectivity is a new age opportunity that will take supply chain to a whole new level. In years to come, we can expect knowledge to become the epicenter of business acceleration.

Here’s my take on how AT&T Business’s advanced tools for industrial connectivity, IoT, and data are unlocking new possibilities. https://lnkd.in/dtD2gzjV