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Redefining Work
Peter Cochrane

What technology means for work ...a view from the industry...

  1. Work is no longer a place - it is an activity that can be conducted anywhere
  2. Teleworking is not something to talk about, it is something to do, a necessary and vital component of modern business life
  3. The world is already dominated by bits; information now makes more money than reshaping things made of atoms
  4. In the world of atoms, manufacturers no longer make cars and aircraft; they assemble them. They are systems integrators, using a myriad of small companies and individuals who supply the components. In the world of bits, this model is even more powerful - it is called the virtual organisation
  5. We continue to educate and train people for a world that has gone, let alone for the world that is dying
  6. Electronic working means no jobs for life, but a new job every few weeks; multiple employers and continuous education and training are already the norm; things will get faster as technology removes distance and raises productivity
  7. Government, the law and social systems take months and years to react to change; modern companies work in hours and days
  8. In the past, managers controlled; in the future, there will be fewer, and they will be facilitators, communicators and doers, managing multiple operations on the move
  9. The biggest threat to any company is the CEO and board who do not use, deny or do not understand the implications of IT
  10. Electronic working does not mean putting existing processes on screen; it means changing the nature of your business.

An extract from the RSA Redefining Work Report 1998 by Valerie Bayliss
RSA 8 John Adam St, London, WC2N 6EZ