How Rich Is Your Industry's Literature?

I’ve been captivated by the shifting tides across industries over the years. I’ve seen the dotcom boom and doom, observed evolving trends in recruitment, and watched as digitization and automation transformed countless sectors. Digital Marketing emerged and flourished, phones evolved into smartphones, becoming not just communication tools but our digital assistants, and now, writing itself is shaped by AI. This is our generation’s Industrial Revolution.

Today we see how AI is changing the nerve of the IT industry, and we have all been witnessing its evolution over time. I feel, nothing is paramount until we humans think of its unexpected applications. And then whom do we blame; we are evolving between need and solution.

A friend who was recently visiting from the US stated that writers there have gone on strike protesting against the usage of AI and its applications. A lot of jobs are at stake. A lot of positions will come to be defunct as a part of this evolving industry.

Think about it, how a new technology comes into play, and then is so widely adapted that it might become a threat. And then overtime, it all dwindles. We are all witnessing an epic era of how technology is shifting lives. Then ease or threat is a subjective opinion.

Think of these industry evolutions -

Traditional Banking –> Long Queues ->ATMs –> Online Banking -> Phone Banking –> UPI and the evolution continues. There are many more subsidiaries to these applications.

Baniya Stores ->Grocery stores –> Marts -> Online Delivery Apps -> Instant Delivery Apps.

The Medical industry has undergone a tremendous change in the last couple of decades transitioning heavily into allopathy and cutting-edge surgical solutions.

Recently, I was in conversation with an expert from the Telecom infrastructure Industry. The discussion was around how the telecom infrastructure developed and how it has transcended over the decades, the pioneers in the industry, the industry shapers, the key personnel, and how technology evolved over time.

Considering the vast experience of this professional over a span of almost four decades, I also learnt from him about some devices which are obsolete now.

We also spoke about how the current infrastructure will complement the advances in technology and provide a long-term solution.

This was an incredibly engaging discussion, rich with profound insights and information.

Now, imagine if none of this knowledge had ever been documented—if key milestones in the industry were left unrecorded simply because the skills or initiative to capture them were lacking. All this valuable information would then be lost forever.

The lifetime of a lasting companies coincide with the timeline of it's industry's evolution. The good and the ugly.

One such assignment I am documenting currently is how a scrap management company has over the decades not only ensured zero waste but in its wake set standards for sustainability. The two generations of leadership have over the decades undergone various acquisitions, purchase of assets, witnessed change in technology, and in all this, they have adapted to sustainable measures at a time when the concept was not even known to India.

These and many such stories define the industrial literature that needs to be documented and preserved in time for reference, research and study.

What industry do you belong to? Is there enough literature created on your industry? If No, are you adept at documenting things that have not been captured so far? If so, act today.

Because all that information that cannot be shared is always useless.