In the near term, organizations both public and private are being forced to reckon with the real threat of scarcity. Humans will have to continue to adapt and evolve—directing efforts at the crises that are threatening the availability of natural resources, capital, talent, and skill sets.
As a result of these efforts and new technological capabilities, such as synthetic biology and artificial intelligence, we can start to imagine a world bursting with new forms of abundance.
Explore the global forces that shape this theme:
Climate Change
The emergence of new technology - AI, robots, and CleanTech - will converge with a scarcity in resources needed to adapt to different societal and environmental conditions. Climate change will impact an organization’s access to resources, as well as the resilience and reliability of supply chains in the face of natural disasters. Resource scarcity in the near term - related to factors of pollution and geopolitical tensions – is demanding investigation into potential sources of abundance in the future (e.g. renewable energy).
Key questions
How should our organization approach onshoring vs. offshoring strategies? How might this change?
What data might help our organization track climate impacts in the supply chain? How would mandatory climate reporting impact our organization?
Political and
Economic Shifts
In the realm of capital, spending and resources – scarcity prevails. Scarcity in resources is impacted by and exacerbated by geopolitical relationships. For example, countries are already responding to climate-related threats of resource scarcity, through battles for renewable energy minerals. Safeguarding against scarcity is becoming increasingly important to remain competitive on the global stage. How we go about navigating these downward trends has a macro impact.
Key questions
How should our organization approach onshoring vs. offshoring strategies? How might this change?
How might reliance on other nations impact our value chain? What substitutes might be needed to secure an incremental advantage?
How might investment decisions be reevaluated with the goal of regeneration and optimal resource usage?
Labor Shortages
Threats of scarcity introduce questions about what skillsets are needed to keep a workforce agile in the face of change. Labor scarcity can be observed through multiple lenses. First, there is a scarcity in the skillsets needed to keep up with the pace of technological advancement. Second, there is a decline in workforce populations in developed countries as birth rates decline and populations age. For example, if the retirement age remains unchanged over the next two decades, the following areas/countries will lose these percentages of their working age populations…
Key questions
How is a lack of tech-driven skillsets impacting our operating model today?
What are the key skills that your workforce needs to develop to maximize the utility of new technology investment and integration?
What areas of the organization might we be able to sustain with less people? In what ways can we redistribute the workforce to maximize productivity and creativity?
How you respond will shape the future of your organization.
Have any elements of your supply chain been impacted by adverse climate events?
How might investment decisions be reevaluated with the goal of regeneration and optimal resource usage?
What opportunities and challenges might emerge as various scarcity constraints are removed through innovation?
What technology or partnerships are needed across your supply chain to ensure the most resources are used efficiently?
How might abundance enable you to create new products or adapt your product mix?
Come with these questions or any of your own, and we’ll co-create solutions together.
