est. 2007

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Transform Digitally or Die

A famous quote by Leon Meggison might answer this question.“ It is not the strongest
of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives

The quote attracted the attention of the blogmaster while reading the attached article distributed by the IADB titled Could Digital Transformation Help the Caribbean become More Resilient to Natural Disasters? Anyone with a grip of the reality of the state of Caribbean economies appreciates that although the authors are well intention in the role technology can play to optimize activity in a disaster period, the prevailing ethos of the public service in the region makes this a huge challenge.

The blogmaster is tempted to opine that based on business requirements informed by the need to be efficient to make best use of scare resources, Permanent Secretaries in the Civil Service should be at the vanguard of digital transformation. Instead, we have to charge this group responsible for running the day to day affairs of state with being complicit with the political class in undermining the efficiency of government. The political class in Barbados are unanimous in the view- if we are to judge by policies enunciated through the years- that the pubic service should be used as the employer as last resort. Such an approach runs counter to the views expressed by the authors of the IADB article.

Clearly there is the evidence that the traditional business models utilized by the region have started to yield diminishing returns by any measurement, grasping new opportunities to build a digital economy is a nobrainer.

Read the full article: Could Digital Transformation Help the Caribbean become More Resilient to Natural Disasters?

 

60 responses to “Transform Digitally or Die”

  1. Kammie Holder Avatar
    Kammie Holder

    We are 20 years behind in using technology in commerce and all other transactions. The stubborn boomers are guarding what they know rather than embrace new ways of doing things that save not only money but treat to the issue of low productivity. Perhaps, the millennials will have to launch an aggressive social revolution to bring about the transition.

    RBC Royal Bank is forcing this transition on us full steam ahead without even an accommodation to the old. Tough, robust and direct change!

  2. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Kammie Holder April 5, 2018 7:33 AM

    Aren’t you being a tad unfair in your attempt to set one technological generation against another because of some digital divide?

    Wasn’t ‘mankind’ faced with a similar dichotomy between the motor vehicle and the horse and buggy?

    Why not see it as a continuum with the ‘technology’ baton being passed on from generation to generation?

    If you are not prepared to do that then you might just have to dismiss the role of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs who, according to your chronological measurement, should be considered 20th Century technology Baby boomers.

    There is no difference between your “millennials” and previous whippersnapper generations who happen to have been born on the cusp on any major technological change.

    The more pertinent question you ought to be posing is whether your millennials (especially the Bajan breed) would be putting the same ‘improved’ communications technology towards the advancement of their less well-off brothers and sisters.

    Let the use of the all pervasive modern social media (the digital equivalent to the old village to village grapevine) be the judge of whether the tree of knowledge of good and evil has been uprooted from the garden of humankind.

  3. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    Miller at 9 :35 AM

    Very good response.
    We do like to carve time into separate compartments but technological implementation is seamless.
    Most of the technological improvements mentioned in the article are already underway in the public and private sectors. That is the source for the inspiration of the author. Read the article carefully. If she did not see them she could not have written about them.
    The physical and social environment also has to be prepared for implementation. Actually there is and iterative process. The physical environment changes ;and man applies technology to mitigate the physical problem.
    At other times new technology is invented and entrepreneurs find an economic use for it. Example microwave.
    So nice article; but digital technology is in use in the Caribbean.

  4. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    Very interesting article.

    On another topic, which I saw BT covered, CIBC apparently unable to sell its Caribbean holdings is opting to list them publicly.
    A comment from a G&M article on the topic
    “More particularly, FirstCaribbean holds US$1-billion in securities that are below investment grade. That includes US$371-million in Barbadian sovereign debt rated triple-C by Standard & Poor’s, effectively junk status and at serious risk of restructuring. A loss in value could materially affect FirstCaribbean’s financial results, the filing says.”

  5. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    The problem we have with the diffusion of technology is that it is destined to leave us poor.

    The only time Barbados was the centre of any technological development was for business and the slavery undergirding it. In sugar cane plant varieties and as a global centre for the dominant business of the time, these times.

    However, technological innovations seem impossible to derive in amounts inconsistent with our confined imaginations.

    If we can transform these circumstances, be the masters of a sufficiency of these innovations, we say yes. If not, let’s get off the bandwagon of being a colony of the technological ‘developments’ of others.

  6. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    apologies the relevant start to the above quote didn’t paste

    “But Caribbean banks can be a tough sell to investors. Many islands have suffered from challenging economic conditions, compounded by a series of hurricanes that battered the region’s infrastructure last year, piling on fresh loan losses. And the region has often given banks reputational headaches.

  7. Pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Bernard Codrington

    You are fooling yourself as it relates to your misconceptions about technology being in use in the Caribbean.

    If you want to be serious as to where we need to be against where we are look at Estonia.

    The issue here in Barbados in particular and the region in general is that the decision makers in our sphere think of technology solely as email or SMS and therefore cannot grasp anything outside that limited experience

    We ARE NOT ready…period

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @Northern Observer

    What about the other two in Barbados. There must be a similar mindset? To dump and run?

  9. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @Piece uh de rock at 2:24 PM

    What does Estonia have in the area of digital technology that Barbados need to have? Barbados is in no Technological Race. We employ what is necessary and useful for our economic and social development. So please be specific. In passing,where is Estonia in the HDI?

  10. David Avatar
    David

    It is not about being in a race. It is about leveraging the technology to add value to the frameworks we manage. We do this by educating our people to learn about the technology to ensure Barbados remains relevant in the global space. Using the technology is demanded by external forces, we have no choice if we want to sustain our global competitiveness.

  11. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @ Northern Observer at 1:47 PM & 2: 28 PM

    No surprise at the behaviour of CIBC. Canadian banks have always been risk averse. That is the main reason why they were not heavily affected by the recent International Financial meltdown. RBC is doing a similar exercise.
    They are behaving quite rationally within their financial risk model. The economy of Barbados is in recession so there is no increasing demand for bank services. In addition commercial banking is changing. The recent burden of policing terrorism , drug trafficking and money laundering is costly. So the returns to their investors are low.

    Actually ,despite the hype about sovereign bond downgrades those bonds historically contributed substantially to the banks revenue. They were and probably still are risk free revenue. They are not a problem unless they are called and GOB fails to pay up.

  12. David Avatar
    David

    @Bernard

    Didn’t we read somewhere that Canadian banks escaped relatively unscathed because they are not heavily vested in the US or European markets?

  13. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Bernard Codrington

    What has HDI got to do with Digital Transformation?

    You have underscored my point superlatively

    Estonia a country whose HDI is 30 Barbados is 54.

    The point that I would wish to present to you and others in the email and sms dependent community is that, central to any Digital Technology initiative, must be a mechanism that permits a country to know who one’s citizenry is.

    This is baseline to any ensuing National programme and is essential for the delivery and transformation of our society and that of the Caribbean

    How long did it take Estonia to arrive at their begin point? Ten years right? But you can expect that we will be here for another 50 unless and until Prime Minister Mottley changes that.

    But then again what this means is displacing the horde of the email and sms touting mouf giants aren’t we?

  14. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @ David at 4 :50 PM

    Technology cannot operate in production and market vacuums. Technology is an input to production with markets. What areas of production with markets are lacking digital technology and not getting it in Barbados?

    Secondly are there not technology that put labour out of work and produces substandard goods and services? Do tourists want to be served breakfast in bed by robots?

    In short technology has to be demand driven.

  15. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @ Piece at 5 :09 PM

    If Digital Transformation has nothing to do with HDI it is of no use in improving the well being of this country. But I know it is. But it will take place when and if it is necessary. And I reiterate it is an ongoing process in Barbados.

    Unfortunately, Digital Transformation as it relates to “knowing one’s citizenry ” has been used to manipulate,control, and victimise them. This is a downside which we have noticed in Barbados and abroad.

  16. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @ David at 5 :07 PM

    You may be right about the location of Canadian banks’ investments.
    But the main reasons for their escaping was not engaging in the highly leveraged mortgage lending and the derivatives for which they were the foundation. You may recall that 100% mortgages were granted on the basis of rising market values of real estate. When prices of houses fell their value was far lower than the loans outstanding.
    The derivatives also unraveled. Many investors in the lower tranches lost their investments. The mathematical models were right but they did not square with reality.

  17. David Avatar
    David

    @Bernard

    The Canadians in BU can confirm that lenders risk is shared by government and financial companies in Canada.

  18. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    *but if you are speaking IT technology (as an expert) it is easy to develop the skills to pay the bills. Users don’t want to embrace changes as they work the system and feel threatened.
    Investment is required.

  19. 555dubstreet Avatar
    555dubstreet

    “Blacks” make plenty contribution to mankind artistically musically heartically spiritually spliffically with originality

  20. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @ David at 6 : 10 PM

    I really do not know how to interpret your statement in this submission.

  21. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    “Yuh can carry de horse to water but yuh can’t make him drink”. Bajans embrace technology when it comes to their cell phones e.g. “Whatsapp,Facebook etc.”, for other matters it may as well be “Luddite Central”. What percentage of Bajan pensioners have signed up to have their pensions deposited automatically? Why is there always a line up at Sure Pay or at the Banks for that matter? Missing from the article is the number of jobs that will be lost through automation, in NA the ready answer is “you will be retrained for other occupations” which is a more lip service. Automation was one of the factors in Trump’s Election, the folks who saw their jobs disappear through automation or outsourcing were easy suckers for the “I will bring back your jobs” line.

  22. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Sargeant April 5, 2018 8:26 PM ”
    Part of the reason of course is that Bajans do not trust the people who have created the technology. Didn’t Facebook recently permit Cambridge Analytica to malicious-up in the business of 87 million or more people. Without their permission. Without their consent.
    http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43649018
    Tell me again why should I trust these guys?

  23. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Sargeant April 5, 2018 8:26 PM “What percentage of Bajan pensioners have signed up to have their pensions deposited automatically? Why is there always a line up at Sure Pay or at the Banks for that matter?”

    Another reason is that our large institutions including the large foreign white owned banks are not nearly as efficient as they would have you believe, example. I get a little tralya from a couple of places in the Great White North. I used to get the tralyas by paper check. The postal services of these places, including the Barbados Postal Service ALWAYS got my checks to me the day of, or the day before pension day. On pension day I could show up in the bank at 8 a.m, cash my paper checks and be on my way.

    Everybody tell me that is too old fashioned. So foolish me signed up for direct deposit. Since then I have NEVER received my money on pension day. I consider myself lucky if I get it the day after pension day. But it has been as late as 14 calendar days late, and I have heard a litany of excuses including “we have to wait to see whether the check clears” Who knew that the U.S or Canadian governments were writing bad checks for petty amounts?

    When the institutions get their act together, then the people will become compliant.

    But too many institutions ain’t ready yet.

  24. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @Bernard Codrington April 5, 2018 6:04 PM “The mathematical models were right but they did not square with reality.”

    Bernard, ya here killing me.

    The perfectly correct mathematical models did not take human behaviour into account?

    Who would have thought.

    Lolll!!!

    Somebody needs to tell the numbers boys and girls, that human behaviour ALWAYS. ALWAYS has to be taken into account.

  25. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    During a press conference he [Mark Zuckerberg] said that he had previously assumed that if Facebook gave people tools, it was largely their responsibility to decide how to use them. But he added that it was “wrong in retrospect” to have had such a limited view. “Today, given what we know… I think we understand that we need to take a broader view of our responsibility,” he said. “That we’re not just building tools, but that we need to take full responsibility for the outcomes of how people use those tools as well.”

    Ah yes. Another young engineer type who did not take human behaviour into account.

    The engineering models were billion dollar correct…but oops those pesky humans.

  26. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Technology is a two-edged sword.
    While sounding rosy, efficient and welcoming, what we get are layers upon layers of complex systems just waiting to collapse because of some little shiite component – for which we can then be held ransom…. like our sewerage plant.

    Bernard is right about the need to CAREFULLY determine how much we can afford to be exposed, and to weigh the benefits versus the cost ….and the EXPOSURE.

    On simple trick is to sell you a fancy looking system and then insist on ‘updating the software’ as a necessity for ongoing support.
    This allows the manufacturer to then determine how YOUR system (which you already paid for) works.

    Apple has already been exposed for slowing down old iPhone systems so that users are ‘inclined’ to upgrade – even when the SHOULD not have to…

    Bushie is in Simple Simon’s corner tonight…
    Who knows, things may yet get snuggly…. 🙂

  27. de pedantic Dribbler Avatar
    de pedantic Dribbler

    “Ah yes. Another young engineer type who did not take human behaviour into account.”…. @Simple, I suspect you so love the handle ‘simple simon’ that you readily overdo the too simplistic routine for fun.🤔

    You strike me as sanely smart-assed so I must believe you can’t really believe your own blarney that the billionaire engineer fumbled his company to world supremacy because he DIDN’T TAKE human behaviour into account. What folly!… Please tell me you are being facetious and recognize the man’s public mea culpa as nothing more than lovely PR BS.

    Mr BushTea, I can agree with @Bernard’s main trust as well that we must use tech as needed and that in many regards it’s already solidly in use here in Bim, but @Pieces’ thrust overrides that….

    As you offered on the other thread in different but related context our island has basically regressed (or stood stagnant) in developing our students as technical developers /programmers/implementers. That in brief is what I grasp of his position.

    His thrust is not only about our state agencies as consumers of tech but rather as establishing a solid ethos as inherent ‘adopters’ of a tech based way of life….realistically that ethos involves being savvy and clear thinkers of properly safe guarding our data and to your other point, also of having the skills to develop and maintain our own excellent systems…outside the off the shelf systems that are base requirements.

    We should be much, much further along the path in that regard

  28. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Dr Simple Simon

    De ole man will tell you why you Chequers are “late”

    It has nothing to do with the technology money from merica is deposited on time every time barring a stateside emergency

    It is the wuffless Bajan banks which use the foreign currencies in overnight high interest bearing accounts and lend out your money for a few days and then, when it is overbearing, release your money to your account.

    But wunna Bajans ent know dat and even if you did wunna can’t do a ting about it AS YOU HAVE SEEN

  29. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ The Honourable Blogmaster, …grateful if you could retrieve my post from suspense thank you

  30. David Avatar
    David

    @Bush Tea

    Yours is a general position to the use of technology and yes like everything one has to ensure due diligence is done. Leveraging technology to create efficiency is bigger than the use of Facebook.

  31. David Avatar
    David

    @Bernard

    Making the small point that the mortgage business in Canada is shielded some what where the government share in the risk of that business.

  32. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Bushie and maybe Bernard

    Since we crucified Bushie, he has obviously risen again and is better than before

    Not that he was at all bad in his first incarnation.

    Bernard, you know a few things.

    Maybe Bushie will say that you are not any NCO

  33. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Pacha
    Rumours of Bushie’s crucifixion are a tad premature…
    Until that time is ripe, it is not wise to attempt to touch BBE’s anointed… 🙂

    @ David
    Boss, technology is just another tool – just like money, electricity, telecom etc that COULD be placed at the disposal of WISE leaders to advance the DEVELOPMENT of their respective societies…. OR – they can become large burdens on our backs.

    “Human Development” however is NOT expressly about the deployment of these tools – it is a completely DIFFERENT animal which, if misunderstood or unknown, makes the use of the these tools a case of ‘monkeys playing with guns’.

    There are some societies that COMPLETELY bypass the use of some of these ‘tools’ – and in which, the indices all reflect SUPERIOR social, cultural, inter-relational and other scores.

    What is the benefit of state-of-the-art technology …while crime is rife; the society is divided; education is a mess; shiite flows in the streets; pot holes abound; the leaders are all known thieves; …and the people are not much better…?
    …and how do you explain a simple society with no interest whatsoever in top-of-the-line technology – but where the whole community is like ACTUAL FAMILY; ….where everyone looks out for everyone; …. where you can feel COMPLETELY safe and at home…? …and where this ethos keeps getting better and better…?
    You no doubt know that such societies exist – even in nearby Caribbean islands….

    Unless we can answer the question – WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT FOR OUR SOCIETY? – without the ingrained and brainwashed influence of the albino-centric among us, we will continue to fall into the traps that are set for us by these ‘tools’….
    They have already screwed us with “money”…
    They have us by the balls with “energy and electricity”…
    With “technology”, they will grind our bones to make their bread….

  34. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @ Bush Tea
    @ Simple Simon

    It is wise Barbadians like you that help me sleep peacefully at nights. I pray that 98% of the population are like you.

  35. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    We upgraded to sewers and now we are back to digging wells, that should give pause to any rush to digital transformation.

  36. David Avatar
    David

    Good intervention Sargeant. By Bush Tea’s perspective shared there is no need to use technology read a more efficient approach to managing shite.

  37. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    @ Sargeant at 11:33 AM

    You have that right. We ignored the local geological ( sea and land) environment ,the demographic and industrial load, and the behaviour of the population as it relates to disposal of waste. The plant was perfectly designed ,but not fit for purpose.

  38. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ Sargeant,

    ” we are back to digging wells ” because people did not do the jobs they were being paid for.

    Mechanical equipment ( sewage pumps ) require maintenance.

  39. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ David
    By Bush Tea’s perspective shared there is no need to use technology
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    No comment.
    You obviously feel the need to substitute for ac…..who we all miss so much.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    The position you have taken is a circular argument. From the Stone Age man has used the technology to improve his lot. Why not park your SUV and walk?

    We can cloak the use of technology in philosophical speak, however, technology will always be used to advance the cause of humankind. Like nature mankind will correct when they go too far East with the technology.

    Since you feel to be aggressive because your are being challenged carry on smartly. Will leave you to Enuff.

  41. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Aggressive?
    David you cannot be serious….

    How can you POSSIBLY take Bushie’s position that technology is a TOOL of national development and NOT A MEASURE or DRIVER of same, to be ‘stone age’?

    Bushie made ‘no comment’ because clearly this is David(BU2) …and upon reflection you will quickly see the point being made.

    A ‘TWO EDGED SWORD’ is not a ‘bad’ thing per se….. BUT…
    It is a thing that one has to handle WITH GREAT CARE – least the wrong edge becomes the effective one.

    Look at ‘money’ and see how THAT two-edged sword has sliced our donkeys….
    Look at ‘energy’ and see how our gonads have been exposed with the inside edge of THAT sword… just waiting for oil prices to squeeze…

    Technology has a sharper INNER edge than either money and energy…..

  42. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    Please do not let it be said that de ole man proposing a Digital Transformation and Dependency

    Dat would be like championing the conversion of knives solely into stabbing tools.

    There is a point where the tool which I believe is critical to national development will become the enemy of any country’s development as did the IBM data cards become the scourge of Jews during the world war.

    De ole man does try to read tings like Freedom Press and other similar FOIA agencies which exist in 1st world countries which have the same issues thought to a lesser degree than our banana republics

    “At the end of 2014, Congress was on the verge of passing a long overdue reform of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which would have updated the vital transparency law for the digital age. Mysteriously, the bill died at the very last minute, despite it having almost unanimous support. ..”

    That was during my black president’s tenure.

    Digital Transformation for me is not conscribed to ID databases

    “…Digital transformation is the integration of digital technology into all areas of a business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to customers.

    It’s also a cultural change that requires organizations to continually challenge the status quo, experiment, and get comfortable with failure…”

    Although it is evident that I have a predisposition to the first aspect of the definition those of wunna who do not know de ole man’s raison d’etre cannot and will not recognize that my quixotic emphasis and hope lies in the second part of this definition how we, being born into the crux of dysfunctional Systems can by our individual contributions challenge what we find here and bring positive outcomes as a result of our sojourn

    But the preponderance of waste foops here and globally, though we only live pun this rock and therefore globally does not count, results in the unassailable obsession we Bajans have with mendicancy underperformance and just right jobby.

  43. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @Hants

    Thanks for confirming my point.

  44. Bernard Codrington Avatar
    Bernard Codrington

    The Silly Season is truly upon us. Freundel, call the election Boazee, I beg yuh. Wuh Loss

  45. GreenMonkey Avatar
    GreenMonkey

    Bushie wrote above: Technology is a two-edged sword.
    While sounding rosy, efficient and welcoming, what we get are layers upon layers of complex systems just waiting to collapse because of some little shiite component – for which we can then be held ransom…. like our sewerage plant.

    This video explains the downside of computer technology:
    https://youtu.be/WrtZHxKkfUo

  46. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Bushie cannot talk about codes in his book

    And hold the above position concurrently.

  47. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    Don’t be ridiculous Pacha…. 🙂

  48. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    @pieceuhderockyeahright April 6, 2018 12:01 AM “@ Dr Simple Simon. De ole man will tell you why you Chequers are “late”
    It has nothing to do with the technology money from merica is deposited on time every time barring a stateside emergency.
    It is the wuffless Bajan banks which use the foreign currencies in overnight high interest bearing accounts and lend out your money for a few days and then, when it is overbearing, release your money to your account. But wunna Bajans ent know dat and even if you did wunna can’t do a ting about it AS YOU HAVE SEEN.

    Not cheques piece. The money is sent by wire transfer, which as you know is essentially instantaneous. I really should get my money a minute after midnight. I worked in banking for 9 years, here and over in away. I know that the banks are lending out my money and taking the interest for themselves. But contrary to what you think that I can’t do neffen ’bout it. I can and I have. I emailed head office in the great white north and in less than two hours my money was credited to my account. Now I tend to get it the day after pension day (instead of two weeks after pension day) and for the time being I can live with that.

    I know how to mek a noise when I need to.

  49. Simple Simon Avatar
    Simple Simon

    Because after all if my money was not in my account, and it was not in the pension authorities account, I had checked with them first, then where was my money? I ain’t too bright but before they threw me out of physics class I had learned that matter–in this case my money–cannot disappear.

    So it had to be in the bank’s account.

  50. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Simple Simon

    You are soooo correct it is not cheques and I date myself with that old fashioned instrument.

    Back in the day we use the CHIPS system and “cheesed” the overnight lending markets for the high interest interbank loans which banks used to meet the Fed regulations and FedWire obligations

    You are a hard as nails Customer in truth cause that report to the head office or Social Security Administration will make any corresponding local bank run like badword when the realize that they will loose their local pick.

    The thing is that when you dealing with America and Englant and dem ovah and away places with rules and regulations dese local gorgilliphants does doan mess around with dem.

    See how quick Adriel Nitwit was running to fingerprint Bajans entering and leaving Bulbados till David Come Sing a Song put a spoke in he wheel.

    Oops dat was not a good example to underscore the point was it?

    Sorry I getting ole and foolish…

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