Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy Smedley and Yannis Paschalidis, director, Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering and distinguished professor of engineering, Boston University, talk about gen AI (artificial intelligence). He says we live in fascinating times and generative AI has come to the forefront in the past few years and there are many uses, such as tutoring. They also discuss:...

Peggy Smedley and Alberto Galasso, professor of strategic management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, talk about the crucial role of patents in driving business success. He says patents have been used by businesses for a long time, but something changed in the past 20 years, and shares his book The Management of Innovation. They also discuss: If patents are important for small...

Peggy shares five steps to consider to ensure you hire the right candidate for the job. She says industry is struggling to uncover the right talent mix for the job because leadership must adjust their thinking and hiring practices. She also discusses: Where you should use technology to help in the hiring process. What the worker of tomorrow is looking for from hiring professionals. How to fill the...

Peggy Smedley and Laura Black talk to Craig Yu, associate professor, computer science, college of engineering and computing, George Mason, Brenda Bannan, professor, division of learning technologies, college of education and human development, George Mason University, and Liuchuan Yu, third-year computer science PHD student, George Mason University. They discuss a project they are doing that uses...

Peggy Smedley and David Long, CEO, National Electrical Contractors Assn., talk about electrification and where NECA contractors fit in. He says NECA will be 125 years old in 2026 and the purpose is the collective good of the industry. They also discuss: Workforce development and training and the demand on electricians and electrical contractors. Project management apprenticeships and creating a ta...

Peggy talks about the rise and fall of hospitality—before, during, and after the pandemic. She gives a glimpse of how worker shortages are impacting nearly every industry, including hospitality where nearly 80% of hotels report staffing shortages, and what needs to be done to address it. She also discusses: The state of the hospitality market. How hospitality is combating labor shortages today. Ho...

Peggy Smedley is joined by Julie Shainock, global managing director, travel, transportation, logistics, Microsoft, and Holger Mattig, SVP product management, airline and airport operations, Amadeus. Each share a little bit about the partnership between the companies and the impact it will have on airports and aviation in the future. They also discuss: Resilience in the face of extreme weather even...

Peggy Smedley unpacks a recent study about gen AI (artificial intelligence), looking at the hard numbers and identifying the value it provides. She also asks the hard questions: Are the deliverables still strong? Can quality stand the test of time? She also discusses: The percentages gen AI improves product time to market, product manager productivity, and employee experience. Four big takeaways f...

Peggy Smedley and Jules White, senior advisor to the chancellor on generative AI & professor of computer science, Vanderbilt University, talk about what he has learned teaching an online generative AI (artificial intelligence) course. He shares how he got involved in generative AI, sharing his ChatGPT moment. They also discuss: How to train faculty, staff, and students. The gen AI use cases. Why i...

Peggy Smedley and David De Cremer, dean of D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University, talk about his new book, The AI-Savvy Leader, which outlines nine ways to take back control and make AI work. He says an AI savvy leader refers to two big things. They also discuss: The definition of an AI savvy leader. Advice for business leaders. How fast AI leaders will adapt. daviddecremer.com...

Peggy looks at recent sustainability predictions from the analysts, giving her thoughts on what will happen next and providing strategies for how companies will prepare. She says if countries, cities, and companies want to go net zero, it will require a significant shift—starting with design and ending with data. She also discusses: Two bold predictions related to manufacturers and water and air q...

Peggy and Krishna Kumar, assistant professor, University of Texas at Austin, talk about the growing use of AI (artificial intelligence) and examples of where it is already making a difference. He says AI has exploded into the scene very recently since ChatGPT has come out and one of the big applications is being able to detect building damages. They also discuss: If AI can think for itself—what do...

Peggy Smedley and Venkat Venkatraman, David J. Mcgrath Jr. professor of management at the Questrom School of Business, Boston University, talk about his book Fusion Strategy and what he means by the term. He says we chose the term very deliberately to highlight the fact that nearly every industry is going to intersect physical and digital domains, pointing to examples from the past. They also disc...

Peggy Smedley talks about the skills gap and looks at some of the top technology trends. She says resignations among healthcare workers have increased steadily, citing the most recent statistics compared to 2020. She also discusses: The impact of a skills gap on industries. The solution—or, better yet, solutions—to the skills gap. How AI (artificial intelligence) and digital transformation can hel...

Peggy Smedley and Julien Moutte, CTO, Bentley Systems, talk about how generative AI (artificial intelligence) has evolved, specifically in construction and infrastructure. He says AI has been here for quite some time, but there was a tipping point recently and the technology has exploded in the last two years. They also discuss: The value of data and digital twins and the opportunities that exist...

Peggy Smedley and Louise Herring, partner and UK leader of QuantumBlack, McKinsey's AI arm, talk about the opportunities AI (artificial intelligence) can offer and how companies can best leverage this new world. She says gen AI could generate $2.6 to $4.4 trillion of impact, which is tremendous. There are opportunities across all sectors in customer engagement, improving productivity, and core pro...

Peggy Smedley takes a closer look at the sustainability and energy concerns that are currently driving the global smart building market. She shares her thoughts on where we have been, where we are today, and where we are headed with the smart building market. She also discusses: A historical look at the development of programmable logic controllers and the evolution of smart buildings. Predictions...

Peggy Smedley and Sanjeev Pannala, senior researcher, NREL, and adjunct faculty at Washington State University, talk about research and the rapid transformation that is happening in the electric distribution sector. He says he says been working on diverse topics and how technology factors in. They also discuss: Who will be the beneficiary of all this resilient and sustainable power. Operational fo...

Peggy Smedley and Troy Teepe, vice president of safety, Charles Taylor, talk about why a safety-first culture is so important on the jobsite. He says we have more than 23,000 on the job injuries every single day in the United States and employers are paying $1 billion a week in workers compensation claims—and ultimately safety is good business. They also discuss: New emerging trends shaping worksi...

Peggy examines the economic impact of investment on our infrastructure, families, business productivity, and overall GDP. She highlights numbers from a recent report that illustrate the ultimate impact. She also discusses: A scenario in the next 10-20 years where federal spending levels remain in place. A scenario in the next 10-20 years where federal infrastructure investment returns to pre-IIJA...

Peggy Smedley and Jason Zhang, associate professor of construction management technology, founder and director of Automation and Intelligent Construction Lab, Purdue University, talk about BIM (building information modeling) and interoperability. He says the objective should be to create an integrated model—one model to support information needs throughout the lifecycle of the project. They also d...

Peggy Smedley and Sandra Benson, vice president – industry strategy, Procore, talk about the importance of predictability and how construction has evolved. She says her path wasn't straight and explains her journey from engineer to a leader in construction. They also discuss: How to help the next generation understand that it is okay not to know. If we are focused on business outcomes as much as w...

Peggy shares a cautionary tale and gives advice on how to best position our companies for the future of work. She says we can no longer do things the way we have always done them—we must consider new processes and innovations. She also discusses: If industrial manufacturing is up or down. The steps we need to take to be proactive. The challenge companies face after having let their best people go....

Peggy Smedley and Tony Yang, professor of structural engineering at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, talk about structural and earthquake engineering. He shares a little bit about himself and his research to ensure infrastructure can be built faster, have higher performance, and is more environmentally friendly. They also discuss: The types of advances we have made with structural si...

Peggy Smedley and John Rosch, North American sales manager, Explorer Software, talk about the company and the Eclipse application. He says Eclipse is a construction accounting and project management ERP (enterprise-resource planning) solution for mid-sized contractors. They also discuss: Key features of the technology. What the development team is currently working on. The impact of the infrastruc...