Are We Really Prepared for IR 4.0?

                Industrial Revolution 4.0 (or IR 4.0) may be familiar for Malaysians like you and me. In general, the fourth Industrial Revolution, as the previous, refers to the total changes in the industry from the conventional computers (IR 3.0) into the Artificial Intelligence (AI) that increases the productivity of the industry with a lower average cost.

Concern of the Experts

                This morning, I had attended a forum in my University entitled “Where are you in the IR 4.0?” which I personally think it is significant especially for the students who are still studying in the University. It is specially organized by the Quantitative Science Association (QuSAC) by inviting the graduates who are now serving in the governmental and private sectors.

                According to the panels, the IR 4.0, no matter we like or not, is now completely happening in the economic sectors in Malaysia. Everything today is to deal with the big data that requires multiple tasking in order to produce the analysis effectively and efficiently. Unlike the traditional method which we will calculate all the mathematical and statistical step by step manually, the work today can be done in just one finger’s click.

                Looking deep into the IR 4.0, there are actually several industries, if not equipped with the technological skills as being required by the industry, are going to be eliminated from the economics chain. The most impact goes to the finance and accountancy that technically needs a lot of manual calculation and preparation once ago, are now being slowly affected by the development in the IR 4.0.

                Imagine that you can get the statements in just a minute with several clicks. What you need to do is just to insert the receipt or what so ever documents of payment and the AI machine can generate a financial statement in just few minutes automatically. This of course will bring a serious threat to the people in the finance and accountancy.

                As what being concerned by the experts, the students nowadays are almost alert of the IR 4.0. However, most of them are still panic and do not what to do in order to equip themselves with the skills demanded in the IR 4.0. As the panels did mentioned, Microsoft Excel, R and Python, that you once think are not important to learn, might be the advantages for you in the industry nowadays that requires automation.

What to Prepare for IR 4.0?

                In this IR 4.0, big data is a trend. Everything sector deals with various amount of data. The first step is of course to learn at least one application that may help you to manage the huge data. This should not be any problems to you since Excel that you may once think is a child’s play, has been the most useful application required by almost all the employers in the industry.

                Looking deep into the main core of the IR 4.0, we can notice that innovation is very important for you and me to sustain in the competitive environment. Innovation, when compared to creativity, is a more advanced step. This is where the info-graphical resume enters. In the industry today, the black and white resume is no more attractive for the employers to hire you.

                Taking an example from the Tencent Games in China. Innovation had actually, saved the company from the biggest crisis that it could encounter since the introduction of the video game, King of Glory. Tencent Games face a serious threat from the LOL moba that is going to be introduced in the end of this year. The number of players had been decreasing dramatically since September.

                As what you can see, in IR 4.0, everything happens very fast. Sometimes, you just collapse in just several seconds when you are not even prepared yet with the changes. Opportunity just passes very quickly, the one who is the fastest will be the final winner of the competition. This is where innovation enters, which could “slow down” the tempo of the changes and hence, solve the problem of aging.

                Getting back to the previous example, you would not expect that the innovation being done by the Tencent Games had totally saved it from the big decease when the Autochess Mode is being introduced. With the innovation, the number of players again, increase and return to the peak moment of the game itself.

                You can see the power of innovation in the industry. Innovation, as I mentioned, is a more advanced step of creativity which it does not necessarily bring a completely new thing to the society. An existing thing which is the trend of the society that is being improved is also part of the innovation that we could think of.

                Now, it is the time to ask ourselves, are we really prepared for IR 4.0? Rethink.

2019-11-10

2.45 pm