Creating the mobile, real-time enterprise

January 25 marked the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Egyptian revolution: a social movement orchestrated, in large part, via Twitter.  It has become apparent that we are now accustomed to real-time access to global information.  While some of us are using real-time information to plan revolutions, others rely on it for the most mundane things: traffic maps dictate when we leave the office, to avoid a sluggish commute; dinner conversation centers around the latest political or celebrity gossip.

Most recently, the Susan G Koman Foundation experienced the effects of real time data when they cut off grant funding to Planned Parenthood.  Within hours the massive public backlash across social media outlets ultimately forced the organization to reverse their decision.

Yet there are stubborn examples of information that lag behind.  In the third week of every month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases unemployment numbers for the previous month.  The market responds to the “news,” moving up or down according to data that is already three weeks old.

In the case of unemployment statistics, real-time information would require the near-instantaneous integration of information from a myriad of sources.  Tackling this challenge would make a huge difference in the way that government and markets respond.

There are endless examples that illustrate the importance of real-time information.  How quickly can a car company process customer complaints about faulty parts, and how quickly can they announce a product recall?  How quickly can banks synthesize information from markets around the world, to invest most successfully?  How quickly can a manufacturing company understand its sales numbers, and adjust production accordingly?

Understanding quickly – and acting quickly – can mean the difference between a failed company and a successful company.  Are there examples of systems that your company wants to bring closer to real-time?