 Title Section – This includes the name of the author(s) and the date of report preparation.

 Summary – There needs to be a summary of the major points, conclusions, and

recommendations. It needs to be short as it is a general overview of the report. Some people
will read the summary and only skim the report, so make sure you include all the relevant
information. It would be best to write this last so you will include everything, even the points
that might be added at the last minute.

 Introduction – The first page of the report needs to have an introduction.  You will explain the
problem and show the reader why the report is being made. You need to give a definition of
terms if you did not include these in the title section and explain how the details of the report
are arranged.  

 Body – This is the main section of the report.  There needs to be several sections, with each
having a subtitle.  Information is usually arranged in order of importance with the most
important information coming first. 

 Conclusion – This is where everything comes together. Keep this section free of jargon as most
people will read the Summary and Conclusion.       

 Recommendations – This is what needs to be done. In plain English, explain your

recommendations, putting them in order of priority.

 Appendices – This includes information that the experts in the field will read. It has all the
technical details that support your conclusions.

Remember that the information needs to be organized logically with the most important information
coming first. 
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a way of describing the blurring of boundaries between the
physical, digital, and biological worlds. It’s a fusion of advances in artificial intelligence (AI),
robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, genetic engineering, quantum computing, and
other technologies. It’s the collective force behind many products and services that are fast
becoming indispensable to modern life. Think GPS systems that suggest the fastest route to a
destination, voice-activated virtual assistants such as Apple’s Siri, personalized Netflix
recommendations, and Facebook’s ability to recognize your face and tag you in a friend’s photo.

As a result of this perfect storm of technologies, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is paving the
way for transformative changes in the way we live and radically disrupting almost every business
sector. 

While the Fourth Industrial Revolution (sometimes called the 4IR or Industry 4.0) is set to change society
like never, it builds on foundations laid by the first three industrial revolutions. The advent of the steam
engine in the 18th century led to the first industrial revolution, allowing production to be mechanized
for the first time, and driving social change as people became increasingly urbanized.

In the second industrial revolution, electricity and other scientific advancements led to mass
production. A third industrial revolution, beginning in the 1950s, saw the emergence of
computers and digital technology. This led to the increasing automation of manufacturing and
the disruption of industries including banking, energy, and communications.

In the future, technological innovation will also lead to a supply-side miracle, with long-term
gains in efficiency and productivity. Transportation and communication costs will drop, logistics
and global supply chains will become more effective, and the cost of trade will diminish, all of
which will open new markets and drive economic growth.

The easiest way to understand the Fourth Industrial Revolution is to focus on the technologies
driving it. These include the following:

 Artificial intelligence (AI) describes computers that can “think” like humans —
recognizing complex patterns, processing information, drawing conclusions, and making
recommendations. AI is used in many ways, from spotting patterns in huge piles of
unstructured data to powering the autocorrect on your phone.
 Blockchain is a secure, decentralized, and transparent way of recording and sharing data,
with no need to rely on third-party intermediaries. The digital currency Bitcoin is the best
known blockchain application. However, the technology can be used in other ways,
including making supply chains traceable, securing sensitive medical data anonymously,
and combating voter fraud.
 New computational technologies are making computers smarter. They enable computers
to process vast amounts of data faster than ever before, while the advent of the “cloud”
has allowed businesses to safely store and access their information from anywhere with
internet access, at any time. Quantum computing technologies now in development will
eventually make computers millions of times more powerful. These computers will have
 the potential to supercharge AI, create highly complex data models in seconds, and speed
up the discovery of new materials.  
 Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive digital experiences (using a VR headset) that
simulate the real world, while augmented reality merges the digital and physical worlds.
Examples include L’Oréal’s makeup app, which allows users to digitally experiment with
makeup products before buying them, and the Google Translate phone app, which allows
users to scan and instantly translate street signs, menus, and other text.
 Biotechnology harnesses cellular and biomolecular processes to develop new
technologies and products for a range of uses, including developing new pharmaceuticals
and materials, more efficient industrial manufacturing processes, and cleaner, more
efficient energy sources. Researchers in Stockholm, for example, are working on what is
being touted as the strongest biomaterial ever produced.
 Robotics refers to the design, manufacture, and use of robots for personal and
commercial use. While we’re yet to see robot assistants in every home, technological
advances have made robots increasingly complex and sophisticated. They are used in
fields as wide-ranging as manufacturing, health and safety, and human assistance.
 3D printing allows manufacturing businesses to print their own parts, with less tooling, at
a lower cost, and faster than via traditional processes. Plus, designs can be customized to
ensure a perfect fit.
 Innovative materials, including plastics, metal alloys, and biomaterials, promise to shake
up sectors including manufacturing, renewable energy, construction, and healthcare.
 The IoT describes the idea of everyday items — from medical wearables that monitor
users’ physical condition to cars and tracking devices inserted into parcels — being
connected to the internet and identifiable by other devices. A big plus for businesses is
that they can collect customer data from constantly connected products, allowing them to
better gauge how customers use products and tailor marketing campaigns accordingly.
There are also many industrial applications, such as farmers putting IoT sensors into
fields to monitor soil attributes and inform decisions such as when to fertilize.
 Energy capture, storage, and transmission represent a growing market sector, spurred by
the falling cost of renewable energy technologies and improvements in battery storage
capacity.

As these technologies change what’s possible, they’re also transforming customers’ expectations.
A global survey from Salesforce Research shows that a majority of those surveyed believe that these
technologies — and the experiences they enable — will transform their interactions with companies
within five years.

Nowhere will this be more evident than in customer experience. With technology enabling
businesses to offer greater personalization and more valuable, connected experiences across
bricks-and-mortar and online channels, customers already have more options than ever, and
they’re not afraid to switch brands for a better experience.

The research shows about half of customers say most companies fall short of their
expectations for great experiences, while 76% report that it’s easier than ever to take their
business elsewhere.
Among the things customers regard as being “very important to winning their business” are
connected processes, such as contextualized engagement based on earlier interactions (70%), and
tailored engagement based on past interactions (59%).

This means businesses must focus more than ever on delivering a customer experience that
differentiates them from competitors. Get it wrong and they risk losing more than just the sale —
57% of customers have stopped buying from a company because a competitor provided a better
experience. What’s more, 62% say they share bad experiences with others. With peer review
sites and social media offering unhappy customers a greater audience for complaints, this can
damage a company’s reputation.

Because customers today expect personalized experiences, collecting quality data is more
important for businesses than ever. Unfortunately, the research also found that 57% of customers
are uncomfortable with how companies use their personal or business information. Almost two-
thirds (62%) are more afraid of their data being compromised now than they were two years
ago. 

To keep customers’ loyalty, companies need to not only deliver exceptional sales and service in
brick-and-mortar stores and online, but also prove that they have customers’ best interests at
heart.

Salesforce Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff believes a “trust revolution”
is needed if businesses are to fully embrace the potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

“Deploying AI will require a kind of reboot in the way companies think about privacy and
security,” he said. “AI is fueled by data. The more the machine learns about you, the better it can
predict your needs and act on your behalf. But as data becomes the currency of our digital lives,
companies must ensure the privacy and security of customer information. And, there is no trust
without transparency — companies must give customers clarity on how their personal data is
used.”

How will the Fourth Industrial Revolution affect the future of

work?
Nowhere is the upheaval of the Fourth Industrial Revolution more likely to be felt than the
workplace. As with previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will
profoundly affect people’s lives as AI and increased automation see many types of jobs
disappear. At the same time, entirely new categories of jobs are emerging.

Strategic business and technology advisor Bernard Marr said that computers and automation will
come “together in an entirely new way, with robotics connected remotely to computer systems
equipped with machine-learning algorithms that can learn and control the robotics with very little
input from human operators.” 
He added, “Industry 4.0 introduces what has been called the ‘smart factory,’ in which cyber-
physical systems monitor the physical processes of the factory and make decentralized
decisions.”

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution reshapes the future of work, businesses must prepare their
people for the new world that lies ahead. This often means an increased focus on continual
learning, building more on-ramps to new types of jobs, and a commitment to diversity.

What should businesses do to future-proof their workforces?

Businesses will need to ensure they have the right mix of skills in their workforce to keep pace
with the changing technology. Another study shows that 59% of hiring managers believe that AI
will impact the types of skills their companies need. Workers will more than likely need to
update their skills, not just once but many times throughout their careers. Many senior executives
are already asking how all this will be achieved.

Ebony Frelix, Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer at Salesforce.org,
addressed the issue as part of a panel discussion at Dreamforce ‘18, where she said businesses
and governments need to share responsibility for upskilling workers. In the Fourth Industrial
Revolution, she said, it will be important to creating nontraditional pathways for building skills.
One example is Salesforce’s Pathfinder training program, created in 2017 in partnership with
Deloitte.

According to Tom Puthiyamadam, Global Digital Services Leader with PwC’s Advisory
practice, it’s imperative that businesses build their capacity to innovate and be agile. “Think
about it as a sort of ‘no-man-or-woman-left-behind’ policy,” he said. “Don’t just hire new talent
— because if you don’t create an internal environment where they can thrive, they’ll fail.
Instead, build a holistic solution.” 

“Companies need to be thinking about enabling their employees to both code in new coding
languages, but also to change their mix of soft skills,” added Zika Krieger, co-leader of the
World Economic Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

“As AI begins to impact the workforce and automation replaces some existing skills, we’re
seeing an increased need for emotional intelligence, creativity, and critical thinking, for
instance.”
Solution and conclusion:
With the Fourth Industrial Revolution presenting both immense opportunities and challenges, it’s
up to all of us to work together to ensure that it benefits everyone.

Bernard Marr writes that “humans must be proactive in shaping this technology and disruption.
This requires global cooperation and a shared view of how technology is reshaping our
economic, social, cultural, and individual lives.”

With businesses at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, driving both innovation and
social disruption, they must also play a pivotal role in ensuring that the needs of all stakeholders
are met, and not just those of shareholders.

With fears about job security and how personal data is used creating a “crisis in trust,”
businesses need to demonstrate to consumers that their values and intentions are trustworthy. As
Nick Davis, Head of Society and Innovation at the World Economic Forum, and Simon
Mulcahy, Chief Innovation Officer at Salesforce, have written, “Solving the dilemma depends on
a company’s ability to convince its customer that it’s using technologies in responsible and
trustworthy ways that will benefit them.”

Identifying businesses as “incredible platforms for change,” Marc Benioff wrote for the World
Economic Forum that “every business leader can have a direct role in creating economic
opportunity for millions of people by investing in education and training programs for existing
and potential talent.”

Pointing to companies such as Dow, IBM, and Siemens, which are already investing in programs
to help people to acquire new skills, Benioff called on CEOs to do more to “build the workforce
of the future, while bringing along the workforce of today.

“In the coming decades, we need to establish guardrails that keep the innovations of the Fourth
Industrial Revolution on a track to benefit all of humanity. We can all individually have a direct
role in shaping our future and creating economic opportunity for millions of people by investing
our time and resources in helping others.”