US cities will be receiving significant amounts of money to build infrastructure back better. There is a real question whether they will build back 'smarter.' By 'smarter' we are talking about -
- Embedding sensors and instrumentation to support data collection, communication and analysis; and,
- Scaling within and beyond jurisdictional borders to take full advantage of technology; and,
- Transforming their operating models (process and workflow) to take full advantage of smart technology.
First, stop piloting and start scaling. Specifically "Design for scale from the start. The IoT must be grounded in business outcomes. Too often (cities)...get caught up in the technology and focus only on pilots. The impact can be seen in the “pilot purgatory” that afflicts many (cities).” IoT Value Set to Accelerate through 2030, Where and how to capture it. McKinsey & Company (Nov 2021.)
Second, this is not about technology, it is about governance. Specifically "Change management. Companies and governments often treat the IoT as a technology project rather than an operating-model transformation. .. Capturing value at scale from the IoT requires the collaboration of cross-functional actors to change people’s behavior, systems, and processes, as well as introduce vigorous performance management.” IoT Value Set to Accelerate through 2030, Where and how to capture it. McKinsey & Company (Nov 2021.)
Third, the 'product is the process,' as Kurt DelBene , Microsoft's Executive Vice President was reported saying in 'Competing with AI' by Marco Iansiti and Karim Lakhani, Harvard Business Journal. The point here is that cities need to consider how collecting and analyzing data can improve not just outcomes; but also make processes more efficient, less costly and quicker.
