Roadmapping the Future

The ability to identify threats and opportunities as well as new demands by emerging trends is essential to any business.

The ongoing challenge for any organization is to recognize the particular significance of a development, for example a change in the way we work, the technologies we use, or things we buy, and then assess and extrapolate the likely impact of that trend to help plan for the future. 

Why roadmap?
It was with these considerations in mind, that we launched the Global WorkPlace Innovation Roadmapping Project, so that we could track megatrends, macrotrends, microtrends and disruptors that are likely to affect both our business and our customers’ markets.

 

The Global WorkPlace Innovation Roadmapping Project exists to highlight trends from the wider world, such as society, key industries, technology and the workplace, so that we can identify near and long-term threats, opportunities and new demands.

We take a holistic perspective of these trends, as they are interconnected and their influence is often only felt when a number of them come together. 

Spotting the significance of trends
During the last few years the topic of sustainability has developed from being a microtrend to a megatrend. In order for sustainability to become embedded in mainstream society a host of seemingly disparate elements had to converge. These included the scientific acceptance of man’s role in climate change, lobbying by political groups, new economic models that consider a product’s entire lifecycle, government legislation and a host of new technologies. This led to a change in consumer culture and a huge demand for sustainable products and services.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, many trends seem obvious or even inevitable. However, identifying them before they become widely adopted, or regarded as the norm, is complex. We bring trends from our different categories (society, key industries, technology and the workplace) together and analyze how they intertwine in order to gauge their likely significance. Such long-term, chronological roadmapping and interpretation helps you to differentiate between a short-lived trend and a real game changer.

Change and developments in our clients’ business environments have a particular significance to Johnson Controls GWS for two reasons. Firstly, it helps us to develop specific skills to meet our clients’ needs, and, secondly, many trends impact on the workplace and the way we provide our services. 

Roadmapping the behavior of our customers' customers
Based on the widespread acceptance of sustainability we have identified the following trends and their likely impact on the consumer.

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More companies will rethink their product strategies with a view to making the complete value chain more environmentally friendly. For example, oral care company, Colgate, has launched a scheme in the US with TerraCycle to help recycle Colgate toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes and packaging materials by converting waste materials into new products, rather than ending up as waste in landfill sites. Consumers who send used Colgate products to TerraCycle receive points that they can redeem for a variety of charity gifts or a donation of $0.02 to a non-profit organization or school of their choice.

We believe that in the next 20 years there will be a growth in so-called “cradle-to-cradle” production models that are effectively waste-free without compromising long-term economic growth.

 

Roadmapping for GWS
Sustainability has also had a huge impact on the way that Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions (GWS) delivers its services. Corporate real estate has been subject to a raft of regulations, such as the phasing out of incandescent light-bulbs which has led to alternatives with lower energy consumption. Almost all Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) governments are in the process of phasing out incandescent lamps.

A near-horizon goal is the net-zero-energy building, which would provide a healthy and comfortable workplace, yet be economical to build and maintain. Much of this will be driven by legislation, such as the Energy Independence and Security Act 2007 in the US, and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in Europe to introduce the goal of net-zero energy for all new commercial buildings by 2030 and 2020 respectively. However, it will also be driven by companies and employees making deliberate choices based on their values.

In order to achieve these goals, new innovations such as nanotechnologies could be useful in the workplace. In terms of sustainability, they will provide new materials that lower the lifecycle costs of buildings, furnishings and, ultimately, reduce a building’s impact on the environment. 

Is roadmapping for you?
To date, we have worked with a number of clients in the finance, oil and gas, industrial and technology sectors to help them identify opportunities or disruptors to their businesses. However, we are interested to involve more clients to discuss additional trends and interpret what those changes could mean for all of us.

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