Over the spring and summer, I read a lot about doing your own consulting work (and new businesses in general, for that matter). The benefits, the risks, the type of work to do, and how to get it all started. One common theme which I heard frequently was, regardless of the occasion (networking, website, customer meetings, other advertising, blogs), you have to be clear on what differentiates you from the “other person”. Whether it’s an incumbent already doing work for a company, or in-house staff, or the next company whose card came out of the rolodex (if such a thing is still even used these days, ahhh technology) :), competition is fierce in any marketplace.
I thought long on this, people who know me well know that I don’t want to sound too boastful, or too contrived. I have always been the type to let results and behaviors speak for themselves. In the sports analogy, I’ve always been the lead by example type (picture Bobby Clarke, my idol as a kid, or Jonathan Toews, for the younger generation), and not the “rah-rah” leader like I envision a Mark Messier or Drew Doughty being.
So, do I have an answer yet? I do, and thanks in part to some of the many conversations I’ve had with professionals over the last few months.
What am I (and by extension) JEWAL Consulting & Data Mining all about? Simply put, a company and an individual who can walk in 2 spheres/worlds. A strong IT foundation (Technology, Programming, Digitizing Processes, IoT, Data Analysis & Mining) and significant hands-on Operations experiences (Manufacturing and Service sectors, Project Management, Lean Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement, KPI’s and Scorecards, Senior Leadership). Technology doesn’t scare me. It’s part of what I grew up around, especially when the Internet and Computers were booming in the 1990s and 1980s, respectively.
As we are firmly entrenched in the 4th Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, I’ve had a successful career of gaining broad skills in the 3rd Industrial Revolution (digital technology) while honing my operational skills with a number of global companies who were pioneers during the 2nd Industrial Revolution (science assisting with mass production). So, doesn’t it make sense to merge those 2 unique skills sets, and help companies through Industry 4.0? I absolutely think that’s my niche. When I made the move into Operations shortly after Y2K, I always thought I’d continue leveraging technology to help “my Operation”. I’m glad to say I’ve done so over the past 20 years, and now have a new opportunity to do so, only this time with “your Operation”. 🙂
Darren