You might be asking yourself, what is meant by the term SMART? This nebulous term has been used most recently to help describe the future of our local communities with the catchphrase “SMART CITIES”? But what is a “SMART CITY” Well let me try to demystify this for you.
- S is for Simply Data. A smart city is all about data and turning this data into usable information that helps with decision making.
- M is for Managing your data and directing it to the people in the organization that get the value and insight required to make changes.
- A is for accessibility. Everyone in the organization needs to have access to the data and information. Data need to be leveraged by the frontline staff member through to the CEO to achieve real results.
- R is for Reliability. People that are using the data-driven information need to have confidence that the information is correct.
- T is for Team. Decisions are never made in isolation. It’s a team effort to maximise technology in an organization and staff need to be adaptive and supported through the journey.
- C is for Community. Reach out to the community and get them involved in the process and experience to ensure real benefits are being delivered.
- I is for Innovation. Or maybe Ideas is a better word. Creating new opportunities with information and uncover things we have never seen before.
- T is for Technology. You need technology to collect the data, store it, make it available, present it in a meaningful way. It’s the underpinning foundation of SMART.
- Y is for Yes. Yes, you can do a SMART City from any point no matter where you are today.
Take all these points and decide what can you do with what you have access to today to make SMART work better for you and your organization to bring greater value to your community.
