Digital Transformation | EN

Change before you have to.
Jack Welch
Companies in Transition
Industrial Revolutions
The first industrial revolution led to mechanical
machinery and mass production (1760-1840). It was
shortly followed by steam engines and electricity
(1840-1870). The third revolution was seen with the
emergence of digital technology and the introduction
of computers (1955-1975). The revolution that is
currently taking place began around 1990 and produced
things like the Internet, the PC and Smart devices.
This revolution is still in full swing today and is nowhere
near finished.
Each new technical opportunity also meant a decisive
move toward the industrial production of projects. With
each of these moves came a strong transition in established
professional and private lives.
The first two industrial revolutions allowed, first and
foremost, a mechanical and at times the automated
mass production of products. Everyone was able to
purchase large quantities of goods at affordable prices.
The third industrial revolution, the so-called “digital
revolution”, finally introduced electronic data processing
(EDP) to the economic system. Now, machines could be
operated by computers instead of people and business
processes could be handled electronically instead of on
paper. This enabled even greater precision and a much
higher rate at which machines could be operated and
information could be processed.
For the past 20 years we have been experiencing the
fourth industrial revolution first hand: The worldwide
Internet, that connects desktop PCs, Smartphones
and - not least of all - Smart watches, business life and
even everyday personal life are now exposed to a type
of communication and collaboration never seen before,
which grows in intensity by the day.
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