Invited by Harald and Jürgen from Pioneers and the executives at Henkel to keynote in Vienna, a session he delivered by video to just under two hundred people.
Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
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Matthew was due to keynote in Vienna for Henkel, but family circumstances meant he could not attend in person. With the support of Harald and Jürgen from Pioneers and Henkel's executives, he delivered his presentation, "The Future of FMCG", by video to an audience of just under two hundred people.
Henkel is a DAX 30 company with $23 Billion in annual revenues and over 52,000 employees, behind brands such as Loctite, Persil and Schwarzkopf. Founded in 1876, it competes in Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care, and Laundry and Home Care, and is one of the few western companies Matthew had come across with a planning horizon of 2050. The session focused on the two areas of most interest to it: the future of FMCG and the future of innovation.
"The future we're building today is one unlike anything we've ever seen before, one where Amazon becomes the world's first autonomous end-to-end retailer."Matthew Griffin, Vienna, January 2018
He described the rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence, AIs that can innovate and iterate products as diverse as aircraft parts, chairs, clothes and shoes, and that will soon innovate new chemicals, gene therapies and materials millions of times faster and more cost effectively than today's best product teams. He also covered dramatic gains in advanced manufacturing, augmented reality and robo-automation.
He then pictured Amazon, and likely Alibaba as a fast follower, becoming the world's first autonomous end-to-end retailer: designing products with AI, letting customers try clothes on through augmented reality, then manufacturing on demand and shipping autonomously, all within hours, not days. Under Armour was already designing trainers with AI and making them on demand in the backs of stores, eliminating inventory.
He closed by showing how the same creative machines will work alongside Henkel's product teams to create next generation adhesive, beauty and home care products, and new chemicals and materials that open new markets such as healthcare.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Retail may run itself.
The keynote pictured Amazon, and likely Alibaba, designing products, letting customers try clothes on through augmented reality, then making and shipping on demand. All of this would happen within hours, not days. A brand that sells through such a retailer would face a very different pace of demand.
Product teams gain machine partners.
Generative Artificial Intelligence can already iterate aircraft parts, chairs, clothes and shoes. The expectation is that it will soon innovate new chemicals, gene therapies and materials millions of times faster and more cost effectively than today's best teams. Leaders should plan for teams that direct machines as well as people.
Inventory can shrink.
Under Armour was already making trainers on demand in the backs of stores, which eliminates inventory. Made-to-order production changes how firms think about stock, space and cash. It also opens new markets, such as healthcare, for firms that learn new chemicals and materials.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which of our products could be designed and made on demand?
Where would creative machines add most to our research teams?
What happens to our brands if retailers become fully autonomous?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
It suggests that design, manufacturing and retail may merge into one fast, machine-led chain. Organisations should test how their product teams, supply and sales channels would cope if products were designed and made on demand within hours.
How does Autonomous Retailers relate to the session?
The keynote described Amazon becoming the first autonomous end-to-end retailer. This trend tracks retailers that automate design, pricing, warehouses and delivery, edging towards stores run by machines.
How does Generative Artificial Intelligence relate to the session?
It is the engine behind the keynote's picture of products being iterated by machines. Matthew showed it working on aircraft parts, chairs, clothes and shoes, and expected it to reach chemicals and materials.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
311 offers a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector, in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Creative machines could become the world's dominant creative force.
The Future of Innovation and Creativity explores what happens when creative machines, not humans, become the dominant creative force, the same shift Matthew showed will reshape product development at FMCG companies like Henkel.
