It’s time to look disruption in the eye

Setting the scene

The world is at an inflexion point, economically, politically and socially. The future is to be made. We can see the effects all around us. We know that these shifts – and the collisions between them – are reshaping societies, economies and behavioural norms across the world at a headlong pace. We also know that technology is the core driver of many of these impacts – from Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, to 3D printing, and from autonomous cars, to CRISPR (stem cell rejuvenation),  to drones – and that their combined effect is creating unprecedented pathways for societies, governments and businesses.  What is more uncertain is how we should be planning for what’s to come.

To come up with an effective answer, organisations must be ready to stretch their horizons, and to move beyond their ‘official future’.  The complexity of doing all this makes it tempting to focus on short term business planning. With so much hype, so many unknowns, and such a degree of volatility in every dimension, defining a strategic response can feel like an uphill struggle. But it needn’t be this way. There are actions our clients can take today to look ahead and futureproof their business – whatever that future may look like.

How we helped

Understanding the impact of disruptions on a business model is fundamental.  So is gaining the capability to monitor and interpret the weak signals of forthcoming disruptive impacts. What we do is help organisations use these insights to tackle unforeseen, structural challenges with truly innovative thinking. At PwC, we’ve been undertaking this journey ourselves: extensively analysing disruptors and emerging technologies, through the lenses of the sectors where we understand what is changing our clients’ businesses. We’ve created a series of tools – including a Virtual Reality world and a weak signal monitoring capability – to help spot, understand and monitor the threats, opportunities and potential ‘Black Swans’ that are on the horizon. And we’ve imagined four scenarios for the world’s future, each setting out a very different trajectory for our clients, based on the levels of centralisation and innovation the future will bring.