• Why can’t traffic intersection stoplights
be more variable based on street
sensors that monitor the presence,
location and speed of approaching
vehicles? Then you would not have
to impatiently wait at a red light when
there is no cross-traffic.
• Why can’t a call center route your
inbound phone call to a more
specialized call center representative
based on your phone number
and your previous call topics or
transactions? And once connected,
why can’t that call rep offer you rulebased offers, deals or suggestions
most likely to maximize your
customer experience? Then you
might get a quicker and better
solution to your call.
• Why can’t dentists and doctors
synchronize patient appointment
schedule arrival times to reduce the
amount of wasted time that so many
people collectively have to idly sit while
in the waiting room? Then you could
show up just before your appointment.
• Why can’t airlines better alert their
ground crews for plane gate arrivals?
Then passengers don’t have to wait,
sometimes endlessly, for the jet
bridge crew to show up and open the
airplane’s door.
• Why can’t hotel elevators better
position the floors the elevators
A NA L Y T I C S
arrive at to pick up passengers
based on when hotel guests depart
their rooms? Then you don’t have
to get stuck on a slow “milk-run”
elevator stopping at so many
floors while an “express” elevator
subsequently arrived and could
have quickly taken you to your
selected floor.
• Why can’t airport passport control
managers regulate the number of
agents in synchronization with the
arrivals of international flights? Then
you don’t have to wait in long queue
lines only to have the extra staff
show up (sometimes) much later.
• Why can’t retail stores partner with
credit card companies and their
transaction histories and use
algorithms like Amazon.com and
Netflix do to suggest what a customer
might want to purchase? Then you
might more quickly find what you are
shopping for.
• Why can’t water, gas and electrical
utility suppliers to home residences
provide instant monitoring and
feedback so that households
can determine which appliances
or events (e.g., taking showers)
consume relatively more or less?
Then households could adjust their
usage behavior to lower their utility
bills.
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