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Seventy years ago, in 1947 my favorite poet wrote a satirical and hilarious warning to Americans who fashioned themselves as instant experts on Asian cultures. Regardless of his warning, I will persist.
Today I have just returned to ARC’s office in Boston from 3 weeks of working in Japan, and visiting Japanese clients and events. This was only my second visit to that country, but several weeks is enough time to at least begin to recognize the zeitgeist of Tokyo, where I have stayed. With this new-found perspective, what do I think is distinct about Japan and the Industrial IoT?
“Tokyo is easy. Everything is so convenient.”, summarized my son who has lived in Tokyo for 3 years. He is absolutely correct from the consumer perspective. Tokyo is the most “smart city” I’ve ever known, apart from (perhaps) Singapore. In the summer heat, there are vending machines dispensing cold drinks every 2 blocks or so. But the most amazing convenience is the ease with which you can transport yourself almost anywhere and predict your time of arrival within 1-2 minutes. The Google Maps app can make anyone an expert at this (see the figure, but to truly appreciate the wealth of available information, please plot a trip for yourself). Note that what is truly astonishing is that the Google Maps app simply reflects how precisely this huge rail system is operating and is reporting on its operations.
Two incidents I observed during my daily rides on the rails seemed to me to represent the epitome of customer service, that Japanese have simply come to expect. First, whenever a wheelchair needs to cross the gap between the platform and a car, an attendant slips a folding plastic ramp into the gap so the chair can cross smoothly onto the train. The attendant also learns the passenger’s destination and reports the future need for a ramp at this car, train, and station. When the train arrives, there appears another attendant who quickly deploys a ramp at the exact door for the passenger’s exit. Problem solved.
The second episode was equally astounding. At one stop during a long train ride, an attendant entered my car and announced that he was removing a bag from the overhead rack. That bag had been left by a passenger only a few minutes before. She reported her bag as lost, and by knowing the car and train, the bag was retrieved just a few stations down the line. Just imagine the outcome of a similar incident in your city or town!
There are many similar services here, most of which involve other logistical miracles. And of course, rush hour crowding is a negative factor for which the Tokyo rail system is notorious, and one that is difficult to avoid. The Japanese endure this indignity stoically.
And about the Industrial IoT? What strikes me is that the Japanese way of doing things is characterized by a combination of 1) high technology, 2) superb execution, and 3) very high service levels. Bringing each of these aspects to the Industrial IoT requires exporting not just the technology but also the dedication to execution and high service. In pre-IoT times, product technology and quality were the only differentiators that could be exported. In the IoT era, companies now can “export” (if you will) some of their execution and high service level as well. Such exports are both technical and cultural. Adapting and deploying them globally is a challenge, but clearly Japanese firms have the deliverables if they can do this.
Sayonara and arigatogozaimashita, Tokyo.
Today I have just returned to ARC’s office in Boston from 3 weeks of working in Japan, and visiting Japanese clients and events. This was only my second visit to that country, but several weeks is enough time to at least begin to recognize the zeitgeist of Tokyo, where I have stayed. With this new-found perspective, what do I think is distinct about Japan and the Industrial IoT?
“Tokyo is easy. Everything is so convenient.”, summarized my son who has lived in Tokyo for 3 years. He is absolutely correct from the consumer perspective. Tokyo is the most “smart city” I’ve ever known, apart from (perhaps) Singapore. In the summer heat, there are vending machines dispensing cold drinks every 2 blocks or so. But the most amazing convenience is the ease with which you can transport yourself almost anywhere and predict your time of arrival within 1-2 minutes. The Google Maps app can make anyone an expert at this (see the figure, but to truly appreciate the wealth of available information, please plot a trip for yourself). Note that what is truly astonishing is that the Google Maps app simply reflects how precisely this huge rail system is operating and is reporting on its operations. Two incidents I observed during my daily rides on the rails seemed to me to represent the epitome of customer service, that Japanese have simply come to expect. First, whenever a wheelchair needs to cross the gap between the platform and a car, an attendant slips a folding plastic ramp into the gap so the chair can cross smoothly onto the train. The attendant also learns the passenger’s destination and reports the future need for a ramp at this car, train, and station. When the train arrives, there appears another attendant who quickly deploys a ramp at the exact door for the passenger’s exit. Problem solved.
The second episode was equally astounding. At one stop during a long train ride, an attendant entered my car and announced that he was removing a bag from the overhead rack. That bag had been left by a passenger only a few minutes before. She reported her bag as lost, and by knowing the car and train, the bag was retrieved just a few stations down the line. Just imagine the outcome of a similar incident in your city or town!
There are many similar services here, most of which involve other logistical miracles. And of course, rush hour crowding is a negative factor for which the Tokyo rail system is notorious, and one that is difficult to avoid. The Japanese endure this indignity stoically.
And about the Industrial IoT? What strikes me is that the Japanese way of doing things is characterized by a combination of 1) high technology, 2) superb execution, and 3) very high service levels. Bringing each of these aspects to the Industrial IoT requires exporting not just the technology but also the dedication to execution and high service. In pre-IoT times, product technology and quality were the only differentiators that could be exported. In the IoT era, companies now can “export” (if you will) some of their execution and high service level as well. Such exports are both technical and cultural. Adapting and deploying them globally is a challenge, but clearly Japanese firms have the deliverables if they can do this.
Sayonara and arigatogozaimashita, Tokyo.