Take Hold of the Future or the Future Will Take Hold of You.

“Take hold of the future or the future will take hold of you.”

^{- Patrick Dixon, Futurist}

For 20 years, our clients have relied on our web centric user experience team to help manage the increasing pressures of change that impact their industry. Today, these changes are coming so fast now that we are no longer executing innovation projects, but supporting ongoing innovation programs with constant iteration, improvement and preparation for what's next. If your head isn't spinning by whats going on, I promise you are not paying close enough attention.

Here is a real world example: I am at the Cardinals stadium in St Louis (Go Cards!) watching a great game against the Dodgers. I head to concessions to grab a bite and try to pay with cash. “Im sorry, we dont take cash. But there is an ATM behind you that can turn those dollars into a card.”

Wow. ATMs are now where you use cash to get access to cards.

I sat in my seat half watching the game and half contemplating the implications of what just happened. Sure, you could say, “Going cashless is just a convenience for the ballpark to reduce theft, error, risk and employee training. Few people carry cash today anyway. It's no big deal.”

But it is a big deal. After all, if you don't have physical currency and all of your money is tracked and stored digitally…

1. Why have cards?

Debit / credit cards are just insecure sheets of plastic with a magnetic strip containing a string of numbers. That's it. Shouldn't these numbers be password protected - say, on my phone - to make it harder to steal? Of course... and this includes personal identification cards, btw.

2. Why have paper receipts? 

If I am buying things with my phone at a register that doesn't have cash, why would it print a paper receipt? It will be sent to my phone via email or through an in app experience allowing a register to be far more simple and efficient (also, with no cash, cards or paper receipts, the idea of a physical wallet just ended).

3. Why is someone standing at a register?

So, if a store doesn't have cash and doesnt print receipts, do I even need to buy this item from a human? Whats the point? As you are leaving the store with your items, software will add them up, apply tax and charge your account automatically.

4. Why have a bank? 

Ok, so we dont use cash and everything is done through software on my phone. Assuming I dont need a loan, why would I need a bank? I dont need them to hold my savings anymore and be there when I need to come back and withdraw it. Why can't I just hold my own money via digital wallet and invest or spend it when I please?

5. Why use Dollars?

Now, if I have a digital wallet that holds, spends and tracks the money I have earned, why does it need to be USD? Couldn't it be any currency? Why would individual governments even need their own currency?

... You get the idea. This thinking goes on indefinitely, but hopefully underscores how big our shifts really are and that its not future thinking - it's all happening right now.

So, how are you taking hold of the future? How are you leveraging these changes to radically improve your consumer experience and create delight? How are you making the purchase cycle smoother, more simple with less steps? What new revenue sources or cost reductions did you identify? How will your organization get different to unlock exponential new growth? What new role will technology play?  What new team is leading the execution of these new programs and ideas?

If it feels like your organization is moving too slow to capitalize (or survive) what's next, then we should talk. Integrity’s strategy, user experience, integrated marketing and technology teams can get you up to speed and ready to face the future.

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