Digital Transformation and the Industrial Revolution

By: Dr/ Alshimaa Hamdy Ismail

Recently, we have been hearing the termdigital transformation or digitization a lot as a result of the great technological development and its integration in many different fields such as education, health, industry, trade, management, and others. Proper use of technology increases the productivity of any system, reduces costs, and achieves goals more efficientl

Therefore, digitization has become one of the most important catalysts for growth in the large government and institutional sectors, which has created intense competition for the development of smart solutions that guarantee theirsurvival and development

Digitization or digital transformation in its simplest form is changing the work system in any governmental or private institution, regardless of its field, from a slow traditional work system that relies mainly on people to a work system based on technology and modern digital solutions. When we talk about the integration of technology in the various fields of work, we mean the use of the latest technologies in all stages of work, and among the most famous of these technologies, which recently revolutionized our societie

First: Mobile applications, through which we can communicate digitally, obtain all services, and carry out purchases and electronic payments

Second: Artificial intelligence, as it represents the most important technology used in the process of linking and integrating all sectors electronically

Third: The Internet of Things, which expresses the connection of all types of electronic devices to the Internet and the possibility of reporting their work and how to deal with them

Fourth: Cloud computing, through which we can do all work at any time and from anywhere and keep all data on the Internet

Fifth: Big data, which is the huge amount of data that exists on a daily basis on social networks and the Internet in general, and how it is collected, analyzed, processed and secured

Sixth: Blockchain, which is a modern technology on which many digital currencies are based and represents the electronic book of digital currencies

Seventh: Social networking applications, which are the main factor in the expansion of the electronic market due to the presence of the largest segment of customers in it

Eighth: Computer networks, which are the basis for interconnecting all systems with each other

Ninth: The Internet, which is considered the most important for obtaining all services

The rational Egyptian government launched the digital transformation system at the beginning of August 2019, through which a number of different services provided to citizens are available electronically, confirming that this system will make a quantum leap in the field of providing services to citizens in various sectors, which will contribute to facilitating procedures and improving the level of The provision of these services, which made Egypt one of the first Arab countries to pioneer digital transformation and put it on the global map of digital transformation, which will also contribute to creating the appropriate environment for the modern industrial revolution that the world is witnessing

The present is only an extension of the past, and there is a lot to learn between them. In order to realize the great impact of this digital transformation on our industrial future, it is appropriate for us to take a look at the period in which our society headed towards the industrial Renaissance. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, it was a period of change in which the agricultural society was transformed into an industrial society, and accordingly, the economic system was structured. Between a machine that spins textiles and a machine that mines money, there were many changes

including a farmer collecting money for an agricultural tractor that helps him in his work and saves him time and effort, and another farmer saves money for a smart agricultural system that relies on artificial intelligence in irrigation and pest detection, Including one of the businessmen who seeks to ascend the industrial summit through industrial espionage, and another seeks in secret to reap profits from collecting data through digital espionage

Digital transformation has contributed to shortening time, reducing costs, achieving more flexibility and efficiency in the production process, and has helped in widening the scope of change and development, bringing about unprecedented transformations in the economy, labor market, and business sectors, and integrating digital technology in all business sectors within all institutions in the country. Because of the current digital transformation, we are on the verge of a new digital industrial revolution, which is what is known as the fourth industrial revolution, in which the technologies we mentioned are integrated with the various stages of the industry

With this transformation, it has become imperative for factories and their institutions to employ what they can from these solutions in their various stages of production to thrive in the modern digital industrial environment. In fact, this stage represents an opportunity for many young people, as well as a challenge for the current factories to adapt to the digital industrial model. They need to define a new vision and digital choices. It is necessary to choose the appropriate ones, and finally to develop a new system that accommodates and organizes these changes. Digital transformation has contributed to the establishment of modern industrial cities with smart and advanced factories that will be connected to the Internet

In those factories and the institutions that manage them, smart programs and technologies are used to support the manufacturing, production, and management process, which contributed to the ease of managing factories and institutions remotely, accessing data, presenting offers, and obtaining reports and statistics easily

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is the nucleus of a promising future for many sectors such as trade, industry, and medicine, especially entrepreneurship that will flourish as reliance on technology increases, which in turn creates multiple opportunities for skilled people as well as investment opportunities for entrepreneurs and small and medium enterprises. Going back in time a bit, every industrial revolution was based on an essential element to build that stage

The first industrial revolution began in 1784 and was based on mechanical tools and steam in operating factories and railways and created a major revolution in the production and transportation of goods, while the second industrial revolution began in 1870 but depended on On electricity, while the third industrial revolution began in 1969. Its foundation was computers, information technology, and automated (not smart) production lines. We are now witnessing the fourth industrial revolution, which depends on technology in various forms