General Electric Company grafico azionario Real-Time After Hours Pre-Market News Flash Citazione Sommario Citazione Interactive Grafici predefiniti Impostazione Si prega di notare che una volta effettuata la selezione, che si applicherà a tutte le visite future a NASDAQ. Se, in qualsiasi momento, si è interessato a ritornare alle nostre impostazioni predefinite, selezionare Impostazioni predefinite sopra. Se avete domande o incontrano problemi nel cambiare le impostazioni predefinite, inviare un'e-mail isfeedbacknasdaq. Si prega di confermare la selezione: Hai scelto di modificare l'impostazione predefinita per il preventivo Cerca. Questo sarà ora la tua pagina di destinazione predefinita a meno che non si cambia di nuovo la configurazione, o si eliminano i cookie. Sei sicuro di voler modificare le impostazioni Abbiamo un favore da chiederti Si prega di disattivare il blocco annuncio (o aggiornare le impostazioni per garantire che JavaScript ei cookie sono abilitati), in modo da poter continuare a fornire la notizia mercato di prim'ordine ei dati youve si aspettano da us. GE 2015 Annual report e 'facile essere incerto come investitore oggi. L'economia globale è lunga sulla volatilità e corto di leadership economica. Ma GE rimane un buon investimento. In un mondo complicato, siamo più semplice e più competitivo. In un mondo incerto, siamo abili nel gestire attraverso cicli difficili. In un mondo rischioso, abbiamo la forza culturale e un sacco di soldi. Siamo messi alla prova. Le aziende che pensano sono perfetti si può ottenere in difficoltà in questo ambiente. GE non è perfetto, ma facciamo progressi ogni giorno. Nel 2015, abbiamo continuato a intraprendere azioni forti che rendono GE meglio. Abbiamo trasformato il nostro portafoglio uscendo la maggior parte dei servizi finanziari, mentre il completamento l'acquisizione di Alstom, la nostra più grande affare industriale. Questo conclude un periodo in cui abbiamo riorientato GE come leader high-tech. Per fare ciò, abbiamo venduto più di metà della società in cui ci è mancato vantaggio competitivo e ricostruito nostri franchise core. Ogni azienda GE oggi poggia solidamente su una roccia di profonda competenza dominio. La strategia coraggiosa per uscire GE Capital è venuto da Keith Sherin e la sua squadra. Il piano è stato complicato, impegnativo e rischioso. Ha coinvolto uno dei più grandi ristrutturazioni aziendali nella storia. La loro esecuzione è stata impeccabile. La mossa la dice lunga sulla cultura GE: Siamo disposti a intraprendere azioni coraggiose a fronte di incertezza e il nostro team pone l'azienda in vista dei propri interessi. Allo stesso tempo, abbiamo accelerato la nostra trasformazione come un leader in internet industriale, diventando una società industriale digitale. In Internet Industriale vediamo la prossima grande ondata di productivityboth per la nostra azienda e per i clienti che serviamo. Siamo una società che investe in ampi transizioni industriali, ed essi non venire molto più grande della piena applicazione dei dati e analisi a macchine e impianti. L'essenza di GE è la capacità unica di creare valore dalla intersezione della capacità orizzontale con competenze verticali. Competere su più aziende e regionsthe horizontalrequires agilità e la cultura strategica, ma è sempre più prezioso. Questo è il modo in cui creare un vantaggio competitivo dalle dimensioni e la diversità. Un mondo digitale facilita le soluzioni più orizzontali per la produttività dei clienti e la velocità interna. Un mondo instabile mette più di un premio sulla riduzione del rischio attraverso la diversità, un'altra abilità orizzontale. Allo stesso tempo, le aziende devono essere più profonde di guidare basso costo, raggiungere risultati di clienti con elevato shareLa verticale. Nuova innovazione richiederà scienza profonda e, molte volte, le nuove tecniche di produzione. Non ci sono molte aziende sulla Terra che si possono sviluppare sistemi di infrastrutture ad alta tecnologia in scala, un punto di forza verticale. Massimizzare l'interfaccia tra il valore orizzontale e verticale è istituzionale, parte della nostra capacità di leadership e incorporato nella nostra cultura. Come abbiamo eseguito contro i nostri 2015 gli obiettivi operativi misurazione non GAAP Financial. Vedere Misure finanziarie che integrano statunitensi Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (misure non-GAAP) a pagina 95 nel Modulo 10-K. Escludendo Alstom. Escludendo ristrutturazione e altri guadagni. Dell'Executive Leadership Team Jeffrey R. Immelt Presidente del Consiglio e CEO Bill Ruh Senior Vice President e Vice Presidente John G. Rice Direttore Digital Officer e CEO, Organizzazione Global Growth Philippe Cochet Senior Vice President e Chief Officer di produttività Alex Dimitrief Senior Vice President e General Counsel Vic Abate senior Vice President e Chief Technology Officer Susan P. Peters senior Vice President, Human Resources Keith S. Vice Presidente Sherin, GE, e Presidente e Amministratore Delegato, GE Capital Jeffrey S. Bornstein senior Vice President e Chief Financial ufficiale Beth Comstock vicepresidente Nel bel mezzo della nostra trasformazione, abbiamo consegnato buoni risultati. Nel 2015, siamo cresciuti i nostri guadagni industriali per azione da 19, ampliato i nostri margini di segmento da 80 punti base, e siamo tornati 33 miliardi di denaro contante per i nostri investitori. Il nostro ritorno industriale a capitale totale ha ampliato 290 punti base al 16,9. Abbiamo vinto nel mercato, chiudendo l'anno con 315 miliardi di dollari nel portafoglio ordini. Forte di esecuzione si è riflesso nel prezzo delle nostre azioni. GE stock totale di ritorno era 28 nel 2015, sopra le prestazioni della SP 500, in crescita del 1, e l'indice industriale, che è sceso del 4. Abbiamo solidamente sovraperformato gli indici più ampi nel corso degli ultimi tre anni, in cui siamo cresciuti del 64 , e cinque anni, quando siamo cresciuti da 101. GE ha chiuso l'anno come l'ottava società di maggior valore al mondo. 1 EPS industriali operativi: 1,45 1,55 (Industrial Verticals) la crescita organica del margine di espansione 2-4 core Corporate 2.0-2.2B Alstom .05 Appliances guadagnano .20 guadagni di ristrutturazione impatto FX (0.02) al di oggi i tassi ad alta adolescenti aliquota Industrial 2 gratis Cash Flow Disposizioni: 2932B 18B capitale dividendi Disposizioni di 3-4B netto PE of3 Cash restituito agli investitori: per sostenere questa performance, dovremo vincere nei mercati globali impegnativi. Alcuni dicono che siamo in una recessione industriale, ma io davvero non so cosa significa. Ho imparato di più da quello che vedo nei singoli mercati e sentito da parte dei clienti. prezzi delle materie prime sono scesi notevolmente, guidati principalmente da un eccesso di offerta. settori e regioni di risorse sono di ristrutturazione. Il dollaro si è rafforzato, probabilmente per un lungo periodo di tempo. Questo mette sotto pressione gli esportatori americani. Allo stesso tempo, il trasporto aereo commerciale è a un livello record. demografia sanitari e l'accesso richiederanno un aumento della spesa globale. E un terzo della popolazione mondiale non ha ancora accesso sufficienti per l'elettricità. L'imperativo globale per gli investimenti nelle infrastrutture rafforzata non è cambiata. La crescita è a disposizione, ma bisogna lavorarci sopra. Ciò che è unico in questo ciclo è il difficile rapporto tra imprese e governo, il peggiore che abbia mai visto. La tecnologia, la produttività e la globalizzazione sono state le forze motrici durante la mia carriera. Negli affari, se non portare queste modifiche, è licenziato in politica, se non li combattere, non puoi essere eletto. Di conseguenza, la maggior parte la politica del governo è anti-crescita. Negli Stati Uniti le esportazioni che vogliamo, ma sembra di odiare il commercio e gli esportatori a livello mondiale, i governi amano le piccole imprese, ma poi li regolano a morte. Così, si perpetuano un ciclo: lenta crescita, creare posti di lavoro povero, il populismo, bassa produttività, regolamentazione più alto, cattiva politica e di crescita più lento. Oggi viviamo in un mondo in cui la politica di crescita più promettente è tassi di interesse negativi. Negli USA 2015 è stato il 10 ° anno consecutivo in cui la crescita del PIL è riuscito a raggiungere 3, un tasso che era considerato il nostro diritto. Noi non cerchiamo di scegliere un ciclo, o il tempo di un mercato, o si lamentano di elezioni. Ci sarà sempre agire per ottenere di più da questa economia dei nostri coetanei. Noi crediamo in auto-aiuto. Siamo aggressivamente gestendo la struttura dei costi di capitalizzare la deflazione. Nel 2016, ci sarà finanziare un livello record di ristrutturazione. Abbiamo un bilancio solido con un eccesso di liquidità. Questo ci dà la capacità di creare valore: riacquistare le azioni, rafforzare i vostri dividendi o acquistare beni industriali in difficoltà. Abbiamo la capacità di finanziare i nostri prodotti industriali, un enorme vantaggio per supportare i nostri clienti. Siamo in grado di trasferire la produzione verso le regioni a più basso costo e di capitalizzare valuta o un eccesso di capacità. E, stiamo continuando a investire. I nostri impegni a lungo termine per RD, globalizzazione e investimenti come Alstom hanno costruito un portafoglio ordini di valore. Incoraggio il team GE di concentrarsi solo su ciò che possiamo controllare per rimanere resistente e agile. Come si svolge l'incertezza di fronte a voi, questo è quello che voglio che tu ricordi di GE: abbiamo un grande gruppo di imprese. Siamo leader in questo epoche più grande pilota di crescita industriale e della produttività. Abbiamo operativo slancio e elasticità di cassa dovuto alla esecuzione sostenuto di nostri punti di forza aziendali. E abbiamo un team collaudato che viene premiato solo quando essi offrono per voi. GE dovrebbe essere un investimento sicuro in un mare di volatilità. GE globale New Directions CEO della squadra Jeff Immelts gruppo cultura consultivo composto dai promettenti dipendenti GE di tutto il mondo di agire. Impariamo. Otteniamo meglio. Noi insistiamo su di essere più di quello che siamo oggi. Alcune aziende stanno ritirando ci stiamo muovendo in avanti per diventare il Industriale digitale. Jeff Immelt Meet the Transformation squadra A focalizzata leader industriale Andando avanti, siamo in competizione come leader industriale 130 miliardi di high-tech, pieno di franchising forti generare collettivamente crescita coerente con margini elevati e rendimenti elevati. Ogni azienda GE nutre forza aziendale nella tecnologia, il marchio, la globalizzazione e servizi. In un mondo in lenta crescita, non c'è nessun caso di un conglomerato sfocata. Chiunque può vedere GE acquisizione di NBC o assicurazione oggi, le aziende senza forma tangibile Eppure, decenni fa, questo è stato applaudito, e negli anni 1980 e '90, ha funzionato. GE Capital scheda Timeline storico dei dati ciclo-timeout0 dati-ciclo-speed200 dati-ciclo-pagertimeline. cycle-pager dati-ciclo-pager-modello di dati-ciclo-auto-heightcalc GE credito costituita nel 1932 per fornire prestiti rateali per l'acquisto di GE elettrodomestici GE di credito firma 8000000o contratto stipulato finanziamento Aviation prestiti commerciali e leasing lancia Trasformazione Creazione del Superiore Industrial performance Digital Powered by la GE negozio il negozio si estende intelletto convocando consigli orizzontali mirate e responsabili. Il nostro Consiglio di servizio è operativo da circa 20 anni. Si paga a crescere il nostro dollaro per base installata del 3-5 e 1 miliardo di produttività. Quest'anno ci concentreremo su guadagnando quote di flotta invecchiata, analisi di servizio e di progresso della tecnologia di riparazione. Le nostre attività imparare gli uni dagli altri. Il negozio è sostenuta da strumenti di processo. Siamo nel terzo anno di formazione dei nostri team su FastWorks, uno strumento che combina il meglio di produzione snella e velocità imprenditoriale. Abbiamo addestrato 30.000 del team di GE. Questo lavoro viene applicato per aumentare la capacità NPI, velocità operativa e la produttività costo variabile. FastWorks sta diventando il nostro modo di lavorare. Il negozio è costruito su un patrimonio di sviluppo della leadership. Abbiamo un insieme comune di aspettative di leadership, incorniciato dalle credenze GE. Abbiamo programmi di leadership contemporanee attraverso il nostro centro di apprendimento Crotonville e globalmente sviluppare i migliori e più brillanti per la nostra pipeline di talenti. Siamo costantemente alla ricerca di fuori di GE per reclutare nuove conoscenze e capacità in grado di rendere l'azienda più forte. Al centro del negozio è una meritocrazia robusto. Noi stiamo guidando programmi di margine al negozio. Anche se abbiamo fatto progressi ad aumentare i margini di servizio e riducendo i costi strutturali, i nostri costi di prodotto sono troppo elevati. Alla GE, lavoriamo con un 80 miliardi pool di costi di prodotto e di servizio. Il nostro piano è triplice: doppio nostra integrazione all'indietro espandere la nostra deflazione di sourcing a 1 miliardo, quasi il doppio quello che era nel 2014 e di destinazione 900 milioni di produrre produttività. In aziende come la Sanità e la potenza, crediamo che i nostri costi dei prodotti possono essere sostanzialmente inferiore nel futuro attraverso una migliore progettazione e le strategie di supply chain avanzate. Lavorando sul costo del prodotto ci costringe a cambiare il nostro modo di pensare integrazione a monte. Al momento la fonte di circa 30 miliardi di dollari in parti che progettiamo, e noi paghiamo sostanzialmente più di quanto dovrebbero costare. Con un portafoglio ordini enorme e prevedibile, l'integrazione all'indietro offre opportunità margine incrementale. Al potere, abbiamo in programma di sfruttare la capacità Alstom far crescere il nostro contenuto. In aviazione, abbiamo investito 5 miliardi di integrazione verticale a rendimenti elevati. Noi di solito usiamo le nostre imprese bene, ma c'è ancora spazio per migliorare. Nel 2015, abbiamo investito in energie rinnovabili, la gestione dell'energia e parti di Sanità per ripristinarli nella posizione competitiva che ci si aspetta da GE. Crediamo che ci sia guadagno notevole potere dal miglioramento della performance operativa, indipendentemente dall'ambiente. Un nuovo, più altamente leveraged, piano di compensazione di incentivazione team-based crea ancora più l'allineamento e la responsabilità. leader GE guadagnare di più come abbiamo superare gli obiettivi che si allineano con valore per gli azionisti. E vincite sono ampiamente differenziati in base alle prestazioni di business. Nel 2015, i versamenti affari variava 63-130 della compensazione di destinazione. Le nostre squadre vogliono vincere. Stiamo ridefinendo che cosa significa governare una grande azienda globale. Storicamente aziendale era un tempio per le recensioni. Vogliamo renderlo più piccolo e intensificare l'impatto della GE Store. GE è una società che opera, in modo da la squadra senior sarà sempre rispettare la responsabilità reciproca. Ma sono passati i tempi in cui la gente avrebbe migrare verso la sede di segnalare fuori e ricevere istruzioni. Piuttosto, dobbiamo essere nel mondo delle idee, in modo che rimaniamo contemporanea e paranoico. Questo è dietro il nostro trasferimento a Boston. Abbiamo in programma di mantenere i nostri costi aziendali lowless del 2 di revenuebut avere un grande impatto. La GE Store è prezioso per gli investitori, una delle ragioni principali si dovrebbe possedere GE. Per realizzare tutto questo, stiamo abbracciando una cultura della semplificazione. Ho messo insieme un team di inizio carriera leader GE ad allenare me nel nostro cammino di semplificazione. Essi ispirano e mi motivano, ma l'ascolto di loro è umiliante. Attraverso i loro occhi, posso vedere la natura malvagia della burocrazia aziendale sono un buon specchio per le mie mancanze. La GE vogliono lavorare a è un companyone più profondo e più semplice in cui tutti sono alla ricerca in opportunità non mancano per la presa. Voglio fare GE meglio per loro. La semplificazione è essenziale per diventare Industrial digitale. Stiamo lasciando il mondo del silos professionali, fogli di calcolo scollegati e flussi di lavoro burocratici per le squadre agili che sono basato su missioni. Stiamo riconoscendo che, per la prossima generazione, la velocità e la semplificazione sono sinonimo di qualità e innovazione. Abbiamo chiesto molte persone eccezionali per unire GE, lasciando promettenti carriere in aziende IT. Lo fanno perché condividono la nostra visione per Internet Industriale. Li ho promesso che ci porterà in tecnologia e cultura che non saremo gravata da vecchie procedure industriali che non sono più una base per il successo. Il raggiungimento di una cultura di semplificazione è un imperativo strategico di GE e definirà la nostra leadership per la prossima generazione. Come Abbiamo alimentare il mondo con l'innovazione principale prodotto LANCIA semplificazione per il team investitori industria devono L'industria globale del petrolio e del gas opera in circostanze difficili, soprattutto con il forte calo del prezzo del petrolio negli ultimi due anni. Mentre i segni indicano ancora più incertezza e la volatilità, il settore avrà bisogno come mai prima per sfruttare al massimo ogni bene e di ogni dollaro investedall, pur continuando a fare le operazioni più sicure. Questo non può essere raggiunto su scala sufficiente, semplicemente migliorando modi tradizionali o tecnologie familiari. L'industria ha bisogno di nuovi mezzi di catturare valore nascosto in ogni punto della produzione dal serbatoio alla raffineria. La sfida è quella di ottimizzare le prestazioni e processi, in modo sicuro, in tutta la catena del valore. La nostra soluzione La risposta è la tecnologia digitale, il collegamento di macchine, dati e persone. Questo è ciò che stiamo facendo in GE Oil Gas, con i risultati che stanno guidando la produttività e trasformazione del settore. Con le nostre tecnologie digitali appositamente costruito, attrezzature comporta meglio e più a lungo. Sensori e analisi forniscono informazioni fruibili, in modo che la condizione di apparecchiatura è costantemente monitorata, fermate non programmate è ridotto al minimo e la manutenzione è condotta con maggiore precisione e preventivamente. Le operazioni sono notevolmente rafforzate dalla conoscenza clienti di ottenere attraverso la tecnologia digitale. Quando intuizioni da attrezzature, serbatoi sotto la superficie ei punti di dati esterni sono tutti riuniti, pianificazione operativa e decisionale diventare più efficienti e focusedwith guadagni corrispondenti in termini di prestazioni e sicurezza. Utilizzando Predix, ora offriamo agli operatori del petrolio e del gas una gestione cruscotto a livello aziendale, che si sta rivelando un vantaggio decisivo in condizioni molto competitivi. Altre applicazioni del prodotto comprendono: Campo Vantage per il monitoraggio e la previsione delle prestazioni dei campi onshore per ottimizzare la produzione. Management Solution Pipeline per l'integrazione dei dati, la visualizzazione e analisi dei dati per la gestione del rischio pipeline. Operazioni unificata per le viste aziendali e gestione della conoscenza per una maggiore efficienza. GE Oil Gas è l'applicazione delle tecnologie digitali all'interno delle nostre strutture di produzione e di servizio per fornire migliori risultati in tempo di ciclo, costi e qualità. Nelle nostre fabbriche brillanti, ingegneri stanno lavorando da modelli 3-D e la prototipazione rapida, utilizzando validazione virtuale sia a livello di componenti e di assemblaggio per accelerare il processo di progettazione. Questo significa che siamo in grado di fornire soluzioni più veloci al petrolio e al gas operatorsnot sul nostro calendario, ma il loro. Con analisi simulazione, analisi e l'apprendimento a circuito chiuso, miglioriamo le prestazioni rese e costi di qualità. Ora abbiamo un unico sistema centralizzato per creare, gestire, configurare e integrare i dati di prodotto-produzione. Cambiare cultura Stiamo anche avendo cura di mettere in pratica ciò che predichiamo. Le intuizioni che derivano da dati e insightswhether nella finanza, supply chain o umano resourcescan migliorare il nostro processo decisionale e velocità. Nella nostra pianificazione della forza lavoro, stiamo cercando il modo in cui si distribuisce il talento con la flessibilità e la mobilità che è necessario per servire al meglio i clienti. algoritmi finanziari e uno strumento di CRM contemporanea ci stanno aiutando a eliminare incontri semplicemente per il gusto di segnalazione-out e invece tirare leader insieme quando ci sono intuizioni attuabili che ci aiuteranno a gestire i costi di base o investire in RD e localizzazione. I nostri laghi dati aiutano le squadre di supply chain confrontare parti comuni delle linee di prodotto e aumentare il loro potere d'acquisto e la nostra produttività. Inoltre stiamo usando la saggezza della folla per risolvere i problemi sia internamente o esternamente. eventi crowd-sourcing hanno scoperto modi creativi per risparmiare semplicemente sui costi amministrativi generali e persino utilizzare meno acqua in operazioni sul campo del cliente. Per continuare a spingere i confini di ciò digitale può fare, weve mobilitato una brigata di ambasciatori digitali con diversi background. Essi hanno il potere di sfidare le pratiche obsolete che potranno beneficiare di un approccio digitale. In tutto questo, come portare intuizioni digitali per un settore vitale, stiamo facendo in modo che la connettività tra sistemi non compromette la sicurezza. Una cultura definita da innovazione digitale deve essere dedicata alla sicurezza informatica inflessibile. Noi di GE Oil Gas intende essere il primo a soddisfare tale standard. Connessioni energetiche, CEO Industria bisogno di uno-terzo della potenza mondi è generata da GEbut tutta l'energia significa molto poco se rimane fuori portata. Connessioni energetiche collega le macchine brillanti, griglie e sistemi che forniscono energia per le persone ei luoghi che hanno più bisogno. Per noi, essendo un industriale digitale inizia con il cliente. La nostra soluzione siamo continuamente razionalizzare l'esperienza del cliente e migliorare la loro efficienza operativa. Per rendere più facile per i clienti di scegliere i nostri prodotti e servizi, abbiamo lanciato una suite di strumenti di configurazione soluzioni online. E migliorando i nostri configuratori di prodotto progettati per i prodotti complessi come i centri quadri e di controllo del motore, tagliavano progetto lead-time di ben 50. Estendendo queste buone pratiche per le nostre operazioni dei clienti, abbiamo recentemente lanciato un nuovo controllo offerta industriale, SCADA bordo IPC. Esso riunisce software di controllo di supervisione Proficy GE e la sua piattaforma informatica industriale robusta che raccoglie, ottimizza e elabora i dati dalle macchine brillanti. Ora i nostri clienti possono monitorare e controllare ogni aspetto del loro ambiente negozio, attrezzature e risorse in un unico pannello di glassyielding maggiore efficacia dell'operatore e meno tempi morti. Prendendo l'innovazione in campo, stiamo espandendo il nostro software e le imprese griglia di automazione di guidare risultati migliori per utenze elettriche. Queste soluzioni ridurre drasticamente il tempo necessario per raccogliere, analizzare e interpretare i dati di apparecchiature, radere 30 off i tempi di risposta e ridurre i costi di riparazione di ben 75. I clienti che utilizzano i nostri SMART Digital Sottostazione in grado di eliminare il cablaggio manuale e collaudo, riducendo così i requisiti di cablaggio per più di 40. Ciò si traduce in una riduzione totale del ciclo di vita del costo del lavoro di oltre il 50 per sistemi di protezione e controllo della sottostazione. Connessioni usi energetici milioni di beni collegati e le loro intuizioni, per supportare i sistemi di controllo real-time mission-critical per la gestione dei gasdotti, piattaforme di mercato di energia in tempo reale, sistemi di distribuzione del gas e reti di trasmissione e distribuzione elettrica. I nostri sistemi informativi geospaziali collegare più attivi e migliorare le prestazioni. Avere una visione completa di tutti i loro beni, i clienti hanno tagliato i tempi di rilevazione di guasto del 92 e del campo personale per 40. Inoltre stiamo muovendo verso la fase successiva in reti intelligenti. A Nizza, in Francia, abbiamo recentemente completato il progetto dimostrativo Nizza griglia, che ha integrato l'energia solare in modo efficiente sulla griglia. Nel settore nautico, stiamo aiutando i clienti ad ottimizzare le loro flotte. Recentemente abbiamo lanciato Seastream Insight, alimentato da Predix. Questa soluzione raccoglie e analizza i dati in un intero vaso, quindi utilizza analisi prescrittivi e predittivi per ridurre i costi di fermo macchina e di servizio. Cambiare La nostra cultura Il nostro team è completamente incentrata sulla fornitura in un mondo digitale. Usiamo prodotti strumenti di gestione del ciclo di vita per aumentare la produttività e la qualità. strumenti di modellazione e simulazione 3D comprimono il ciclo di progettazione per lo sviluppo di nuovi prodotti. I modelli sono legati dal filo digitale per la nostra officina per garantire l'efficienza e la qualità del prodotto. Una volta progettato, questi prodotti saranno costruiti nei nostri stabilimenti brillanti, in cui le apparecchiature sensori abilitati, automazione e capacità digitali migliorano l'efficienza e la qualità, riducendo al contempo i costi. Un risultato è che il nostro nuovo ciclo di prodotto e delle scorte migliorerà da 20a segno di progresso per la nostra azienda, e un modello di successo per i nostri clienti. GE Digital, Direttore Commerciale Industria Necessità per l'anno 2020, tutte le attrezzature industriali critici sarà collegato e un exabyte (1 milione di terabyte) di dati al giorno saranno disponibili. Nel frattempo, le imprese industriali produttività complessiva è diminuita dal 4 negli ultimi due decenni a 1. I clienti richiedono più di un portafoglio di prodotti e servizi tradizionali. Si aspettano le esperienze di classe mondiale e risultati di business misurabili. Sanno che i dati e la connettività in grado di far crescere la loro linea superiore e inferiore attraverso l'efficienza migliorata, la produttività e la sicurezza, ma hanno bisogno di un partner che può aiutare a dire loro come. Inserisci GE. La nostra soluzione GE Digital ha messo insieme la gente, processi e tecnologie necessarie per offrire una vasta gamma di funzionalità digitali. Queste funzionalità producono nuovi, i risultati di business interessanti per i clienti, come ad esempio una maggiore potenza ad un costo inferiore, una migliore diagnostica per la salute per eseguire la scansione con dose ridotta e una maggiore velocità nei trasporti. Internet Industriale cambia tutto per i nostri clienti industriali. Quindi per noi, la sua su come ottenere i nostri clienti collegati, inducendole intuizioni e inducendole ottimizzati in modo che possano mantenere le loro obiettivi di business. Il punto di partenza sta sviluppando un modello digitale Twindigital di macchine e processi. Utilizzando sensori, aiutiamo i nostri clienti trasmettere i dati dal loro patrimonio a Predix. E utilizzando le nostre applicazioni o applicazioni custom-built, siamo in grado di fornire spunti che permettono ai nostri clienti di ottimizzare i loro beni e le operazioni. Ancora più importante, abbiamo permesso ai team commerciali con la GE Storeknowledge delle nostre attività e delle soluzioni da tutta l'azienda GE che hanno consegnato i risultati in una varietà di industrie e delle applicazioni. clienti GE digitali possono tranquillamente collaborare con noi, sapendo che abbiamo testato questi prodotti nella nostra azienda prima di portarli al mercato. società di software tradizionali non in grado di offrire lo stesso. Cambiare nostra cultura in GE Digital, quasi tutti i nostri dipendenti hanno uno sfondo software e quindi hanno quello che noi chiamiamo un DNA digitale. Essi si concentrano intuitivamente sulla velocità di esecuzione e risultati rapidi e misurabili. Essi capire il potere degli ecosistemi clienti e partner, e il potenziale effetto moltiplicatore di questi ecosistemi possono avere sulla scalabilità e creazione di valore. I dipendenti con il DNA digitale innato concentrarsi sulla guida esiti del cliente piuttosto che vendere prodotti. Noi stiamo guidando questo DNA attraverso GE attraverso il coaching, formazione e guidare con l'esempio. I clienti non solo riceverà la profonda conoscenza del dominio industriale e le competenze che già aspettano da GE, ma theyll anche vedere una società più veloce, più agile focalizzata nella distribuzione di più valore rispetto al passato. Industria serve in aviazione, operando i migliori motori, componenti e sistemi realizzati in qualsiasi parte del mondo può essere improvedby l'utilizzo dei dati e analisi. Una generazione fa, un ingegnere di GE Aviation sarebbe stato all'avanguardia della tecnologia utilizzando piccoli insiemi di dati raccolti dopo ogni volo per migliorare le prestazioni delle nostre attrezzature in servizio. Questa era la limitazione della tecnica al momento, e dei limiti nell'apprendimento. Oggi, connettività digitale sta rimuovendo quella barriera. La Soluzione La capacità di sfruttare i grandi flussi di dati da prodotti per l'aviazione fornisce intuizioni incredibili e reale valore operativo per i nostri clienti. Insieme, stiamo sbloccando le opportunità di generare una maggiore produttività oltre i servizi tradizionali, la creazione di standard industriali per il cloud computing e il rafforzamento della nostra collaborazione mentre lavoriamo per risolvere le loro sfide più difficili. Stiamo creando un nuovo set di abilità digitale focalizzata sui nostri clienti competitività, velocità ed efficienza, differenziando i nostri prodotti, servizi e relazioni. Stiamo applicando analisi dei dati e le nuove tecnologie digitali per far avanzare le nostre operazioni. strumenti di progettazione digitale, produzione di additivi, lavorazione automatizzata avanzata e di ispezione avanzata, tutti stanno permettendo le nostre operazioni, partner e fornitori per ridurre drasticamente i tempi di ciclo, migliorando la qualità. Ad esempio, i nostri più sofisticati pale di turbina concetti di design sono ora in prova in due settimane, non i nove mesi una volta richiesto, grazie alla prototipazione rapida e stampa 3D. In entrambi i nostri avionica e le imprese di energia elettrica, abbiamo ridotto il nostro tempo di ciclo di sviluppo del software del 60, utilizzando nuovi strumenti di modellazione intelligente sviluppato con GE Global Research. Questi strumenti analizzano, imparare e adattarsi software dai requisiti di codice che permette ai nostri ingegneri di concentrarsi sulla velocità di commercializzazione. Cambiare la nostra cultura A digitali industriali mosse di business GE Aviation a un ritmo molto più veloce, con la fiducia e la velocità abilitata da una nuova realtà in cui la fisica incontra analisi, ed i nostri clienti e azionisti vincere. Dove i nostri dipendenti apprendimento viene stimolato non dalla disponibilità di informazioni, ma piuttosto per la loro capacità di risolvere insieme le sfide di questa generazione, e ci sono la creazione di una più forte cultura dove la velocità e la semplificazione sono sinonimo di qualità e innovazione. Solo GE può sfruttare le tecnologie innovative delle nostre imprese globali attraverso la GE Store, imparare insieme dalle opportunità ogni azienda deve affrontare, e mettere queste soluzioni a lavorare per i nostri clienti in tutto il mondo dell'aviazione. GE Healthcare, CEO Industria bisogno di una stima 1 aumento nel settore sanitario efficiencyjust un unico percentwould Salva 63 miliardi di spesa sanitaria annua in tutto il mondo. Così enorme come quei benefici sono, naturalmente, le esigenze nel settore sanitario vanno ben oltre piegare la curva dei costi. Ogni nuova miglioramento della tecnologia medica può contribuire a rendere i trattamenti più accessibile, più accessibile per i pazienti e più successo nei loro esiti. Il settore sanitario sta cambiando in modo fondamentale, come i fornitori ed i governi si rivolgono a dati e strumenti di analisi per migliorare le prestazioni cliniche, operativa e finanziaria. Digital Health è l'integrazione di hardware avanzato, software e dati wetwarethe di nuova generazione nel DNA. Nel campo della medicina, Internet industriale significa una migliore gestione della salute della popolazione attraverso, viste longitudinali data-driven, in modo da fornitori in grado di fornire le cure giuste al momento giusto. La nostra soluzione GE Healthcare ha anticipato questo spostamento verso la salute digitale in tre modi principali: in primo luogo, abbiamo costruito robusta esperienza digitale. Cinquemila dei nostri ingegneri del software sono ora addestrati su un obiettivo: trasformare infiniti flussi di dati in insightsrealizing utili che vite dipendono ogni affinamento delle conoscenze. In secondo luogo, abbiamo applicato il digital-first mentalità per operazioni interne. Proprio come i medici vogliono dedicare meno tempo a navigare il sistema e più tempo la cura per i pazienti, i dipendenti GE preferiscono dare il loro tempo ed energie per servire le esigenze dei clienti, invece di trattare con vincoli interni inutili. Quindi stiamo collegando le nostre operazioni commerciali con l'organizzazione della catena di fornitura e servizi su una piattaforma digitale unificata, compensazione via qualsiasi ostacolo che ci impedisce di risolvere i nostri problemi dei clienti. In terzo luogo, abbiamo sviluppato soluzioni basati sui risultati che costano meno e rendono migliore utilizzazione del tempo clinici. Presto, i medici saranno in grado di vagliare istantaneamente attraverso i dati provenienti da milioni di scansioni di diagnostica per immagini, quindi individuare le malattie in precedenza e con maggiore precisione. Con il primo cloudour specifici del settore GE Salute Nube, alimentato da innovatori Predixtech possono aderire a un ecosistema sicuro dove poter costruire, distribuire e commercializzare le loro applicazioni. Queste applicazioni aiutano i medici a gestire dati complessi, quali scansioni di immagini in 3D, rendendo la collaborazione clinica come semplice e di routine come il social networking. Le innovazioni in termini di connettività stanno facendo la differenza nel settore sanitario moderno. reparti di radiologia in Texas stanno usando analisi dei dati di ridisegnare i flussi di lavoro, aggiungendo potenzialmente milioni alla linea di fondo, ma anche di ridurre i tempi di attesa e l'ansia del paziente. Gli ospedali in Kenya e India stanno collaborando con gli specialisti clinici in tutto il mondo attraverso i dispositivi intelligenti per contribuire a ridurre i tassi di mortalità materna e infantile. Cambiare nostra cultura in forse nessun altro settore sono le implicazioni di Internet industriale più in evidenza, o più promettenti, che nel settore sanitario. E nessun'altra azienda ha adattato la sua cultura più che dobbiamo essere il miglior partner possibile per i nostri clienti che lavorano per risolvere le sfide future. Stiamo lasciando il mondo del silos professionali, fogli di calcolo scollegati e flussi di lavoro burocratici a costruire comunità di team interfunzionali che hanno un unico obiettivo: i risultati dei clienti. We are investing in digital collaboration platforms that look and feel like social media, which creates instant connection between our commercial and services teams and fosters a customer-focused culture based on speed and trust. And we are leveraging this new internal culture to drive real external resultsoffering our customers more than just superior imaging and deep domain expertise, but also data analytics and innovative business models. In all this, we are building the future in life sciences, imaging and digital, and enabling the transformation of healthcare to value and outcome-based models. Industry Need Digital is a game changerone of the biggest strategic shifts of our lifetime. Everything is being transformed. Mobile tools are enabling a better way to perform locomotive service, analytics and software are facilitating smarter maintenance and longer uptime, and embedded software and controls are delivering game changing equipment performance. And the greater our own knowledge of how our products and industries are performing, the better we can serve each customer. Our Solution Through digital technology, we are able to bring direct and immediate improvements to our customers operations. A few examples: On our Tier 4 locomotive, the smartest on the market, more than 200 onboard sensors process over a billion instructions per second. Our smart locomotives evaluate mission-critical data such as train length and weight, track conditions and grade, and driver response time to determine the optimal and most fuel-efficient way to run. Our Trip Optimizer product brings 7-9 fuel efficiency to our customers, and this year reached 100 million auto-control miles. That alone has saved customers some 56 million gallons of fuel and 197 million in fuel costs, while reducing greenhouse gases by 628 kilotons. Our Movement Planner software solution looks at a railroads entire network and optimizes the routing of trains for improved capacity and velocity, without laying new track and infrastructure. It provides real-time train re-routing and network optimization based on current traffic and events. Inside our business, digital has transformed how we workgiving us greater speed and agility, a laser-focus on driving impactand has evolved our culture. In our factories, we have sensor-enabled machines and we leverage standard global systems. We are eliminating re-work, optimally routing repairs, reducing downtime and improving quality. This means better service to our customers and greater productivity all around. A good example is placing sensors on critical equipment to monitor vibration by doing so weve eliminated machine downtime, yielding productivity gains of 10-15 in those parts of the factory. With our Services teams, we are increasingly leveraging a computer-based Digital Twin of our equipment to analyze individual asset performance, prevent failure modes and optimize maintenance throughout its life. Because we already know the condition of locomotive engines through our digital models, we can route them for remanufacturing based solely on what needs to be repaired, rather than using a standard full remanufacturing spec for every engine. In our customers service shops, we know the exact maintenance to perform on a locomotive before it even comes in for repair. Changing Our Culture At GE Transportation, digital is not just another function it is a driving mission of the entire business. Digital is at the core of our DNA, and it is being infused into every part of how we work and how we think. We are breaking free of our traditional functions, with mission-based and agile teamsteams with singular purpose, empowered to leverage any discipline in our business to achieve their mission. These teams work toward critical outcomes such as reliability, customer uptime and design for valuemoving fast, focusing on what matters and leveraging every person. Digital is at the core of this approach, leveraging new cloud-based tools, data, analytics and Predix. For example, we have teams working with some of our largest customers on projects such as using video analytics for equipment inspection and leveraging advanced technology for real-time monitoring of rail integrity. More than ever, our success is critically aligned to that of our customers. And more than ever, because of our deep focus, technology and data science, our teams bring powerful solutions and performance to our industries. Industry Need Some of the worlds energy needs are very simple to state. Today, more than a billion people still live without electricity another two billion have inadequate supplies. And 20 years from now, global demand for electricity will increase by 50. Across power-intensive industries, utilities and power producers are seeking partners who can help them navigate through a complex and challenging environment and deliver the right balance of affordable, accessible, reliable and sustainable power. Our Solution At GE Power, we are fully engaged in the digital transformation of energy, building integrated software solutions for customers from generation through to transmission and distribution. Combined with our industrial know-how, our digital solutions span many forms of fuel sources of power generation and hardware helping customers connect every sensor, asset and piece of operational data to optimize outcomes across assets, operations and their entire business. We are leveraging all the creativity and insight of the GE Store and are the fastest growing portion of GEs digital portfolio. In 2015, we launched Digital Power Plant, a suite of software applications, powered by Predix, that helps deliver more power, higher reliability, greater efficiencies and lower emissions. The Digital Power Plant can generate up to 50 million of incremental value over the life of an existing plant, and up to 230 million for a new one. We are co-partnering with our customers to use Predix-powered software and digital solutions to solve their greatest challenges. One such partner is Qatars RasGas Company Limited, one of the worlds largest producers of liquefied natural gas. We are using GEs Asset Performance Management application to help them lower unplanned downtime, extend the life of their assets, reduce operating costs and optimize their supply chain. Another great example is Exelon, one of the largest and most innovative energy providers in the U. S. Exelon is one of our first customers to deploy the Digital Power Plant and implement a suite of enterprise-wide software technologies across three fuel sourcesnuclear, gas and wind. At the same time, we are transforming our very own business, creating end-to-end digital connections across our operations to benefit our customers. This Digital Thread weaves together several initiativesdesign system integration, model-based enterprise and virtual manufacturing. The advantages of the Digital Thread are enormous: allowing us to see more and to deliver better outcomes for our customers, while generating nearly 900 million in productivity savings over the next three years. Changing Our Culture In GE Power were changing the way we work embedding digital into everything we do. Leveraging a FastWorks mindset to empower employees to change their workspaces and create tools that facilitate collaboration digitizing our processes and creating end-to-end connections building brilliant factories that predict, adapt and react more quickly to better deliver for our customers. Our experience is showing that truly becoming digital requires a culture changean environment of openness, information transparency, trust, candor, speed and clear accountabilityall focused on being the best and most competitive in all that we do. This is what we stand for and in its essence is the new GE. Renewable Energy, CEO Industry Need In our Renewable Energy business, the capacity to collect, store and share large amounts of data, as well as modelling and analytical capability, is transforming an already-transformative industry. Our Solution The experience of machines in the field, captured in a constant flow of data, is informing equipment design, improving operational performance and guiding maintenance planning. The Onshore Wind Business has been pioneering digital systems, launching its Digital Wind Farm ecosystem in May 2015. Using the power of big data, wind farms are configured to maximize the performance of each turbine at each location according to the surrounding wind conditions. Their performance is monitored and adjusted in real time to ensure that the wind farm operates as efficiently as possible. Turbines are equipped with sensors that feed into GEs Predix software, which allows performance monitoring from data across farms or even entire fleets. As more data is collected, the system learns over time, becoming more predictive and hence more useful in setting preventive maintenance schedules. These capabilities have the potential to be rolled out all across our onshore and offshore wind operations. In the Hydro business, predictive technology has also been used to test components on-site, and thus optimize long-term performance. For example, Hydro performed dynamic stress testing on one blade of a customer turbine runner. Seventy pressure sensors and strain gauges took readings from across the blade, giving engineers precise knowledge of the turbines behaviour, and with that better knowledge of the entire plants performance. The ability to collect, store and process large amounts of information has also made for breakthroughs in data visualisation, so that Hydro customers can now make virtual visits to power plants before they are built, with a view to better operation and maintenance after they are built. Information taken from digital engineering drawings can be brought to life in full-scale 3D models that are used throughout the supply chain, from manufacturing and installation all the way through to service. The business is also adopting digital innovation in its manufacturing processes, producing its first test runner using 3D printing. Applications are everywhere, from better planning in the use of expensive cranes, to improving factory machine plans. Changing Our Culture Energy is an industry in transformationit must provide vital electricity to billions of people while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Renewable Energy team feels a strong sense of purpose to enable reliable, accessible and affordable renewable power to people everywhere. You can feel the momentum as a new generation of employees, drawn by the renewable energy mission, bring a digital mindset to all aspects of their work. Employees such as Jean-Christophe Tawil, whose interest in 3D imaging led him to develop virtual hydro turbines and generators, that make on-site servicing more productive, and improve our total plant design process. More and more employees are looking at our operations, seeing opportunities for digital tools to improve our productivity and taking the initiative to act. They know that making renewable power more affordable will accelerate penetration and help tackle the energy challengefor the benefit of people everywhere. Simplification reinforces that outcomes matter. Companies need to blunt the momentum of corporate political correctness. It creates a sense that, if the processes are followed, outcomes dont matter. In this world, it is easy to lose a sense for priorities and proportionality. When political correctness invades business, you lose your competitive edge. It doesnt do any good to win awards for good governance if you are getting eaten alive by competitors. Our sole truth of performance is in the market, winning with customers and investors. Simplification is making GE safer. Integrity is the foundation of GE. But I take a broader view, not just a legalistic one. We want GE to be morally sound, but also strong. The way we keep GE safe is by having great engineers who design reliable products by taking cybersecurity seriously and holding senior leaders accountable to be cyber experts by having a strong balance sheet that is impregnable in a crisis by having open reporting of rule violations by seizing growth opportunities in an uncertain economy and by creating a culture of constructive conflict where everyone has a voice. This includes people who challenge procedures when they dont make sense. Simplification has helped us improve risk management through operational excellence, not by multiple reviews that cheapen accountability. Through simplification GE is more unified. It is important to take out layers so that leaders are in touch with their teams. We are reducing vertical reviews in favor of delegating decisions to experts who are closer to our customers. We have learned that even the best people will underperform when they have myopic goals. So we have simplified our metrics to better align our teams. GE has 333,000 employees working around the world. Simplification is essential to lead them with a unified purpose. A simpler company is faster. Lets face it, complex systems are put in place by bureaucrats to either stop progress or simulate perfection. FastWorks is becoming the way we work, favoring progress over perfection. Becoming the Digital Industrial will take multiple improvements. We are not exactly sure what every strategic step will look like. But, we will find out quickly we will learn and adapt to win. A simpler company is more empathetic. Simplification forces you to actually learn how your team works to care more about their tools and productivity. Doug Folsom leads GE Aviations 50-year-old Hooksett, New Hampshire factory, which embodies the best of GEs past and future. Here we have 700 motivated teammates driving a transformation in what we build and how we build it. They are embracing a fully digital factory, including new automated milling machines and 3D printing capability. More than half of GEs employees are associated with high-tech manufacturing. We are investing in their future, and they are delivering advanced technologies to our global customers. It requires investment and empowerment to create valuable manufacturing jobs. It is essential that GE continue to be relevant to the next generation of leaders. I have assembled a group of young leaders, whom I meet with frequently, to help me see GE through their eyes. It is my dream that every young person should want to come to work at our great company. I will never give up that dream. I have asked them to answer three essential questions: What does their GE do What should their GE look like And, Why not us What Does Our GE Do At our GE, every day we go to work to help save peoples lives. We solve the toughest problems in the world: lack of access to quality healthcare, power and water. When we put our minds into doing something that is right for our customers, nothing can stop us. We get it done. And we act with unyielding integrity. We do what we say we are going to do. We said we wanted to build a GE Store to leverage technology, growth markets and services, and we are doing it. We said we would take risks and offer the market game-changing technologies, and we are doing it. We said we would transform GE into a Digital Industrial company that offers superior customer outcomesand we are doing it Our GE recognizes that the global marketplace is changing fast and is ready for speed. It is willing to take more risk in new products, new markets and new technologies and is doing it faster. Our GE understands that without customers, we dont exist and because of that, we work horizontally, always focusing on customer output, using the GE Store as a competitive advantage. With the GE Store interwoven into our culture, the design-to-market process will move with increased agility. Our GE is becoming a more horizontal company where everyone is focused on delivering for our clients, breaking down barriers and challenging unnecessary bureaucracy. Hierarchy is becoming less important when it comes to sharing relevant viewpoints. Our voices are being heard at all levels. Our next generation of leaders is highly collaborative, connected and welcomes the opportunity to share information. In order to enable this change, our leadership is focusing on creating a more collaborative environment where getting things done becomes easier every day. Our GE is beginning to act more entrepreneurial. It is investing in amazing ventures, betting on new solutions and business models like Current. It is continuously searching for new ideas, striving to identify emerging needs and providing the best solution in the shortest time. Our GE believes in its people and invests in their development in every corner of the globe. It recognizes the value of diversity and encourages constructive conflict in order to provide the best solution at all times. Our GE is the place we want to come back to the next morning, the place where we want to work together with our colleagues, the place we want to be for the next 20 years. The GE we want will be a place where we cherish customer data. Assets will speak the same language Predixto drive the best outcomes for customers. Each asset will reveal how it needs to be groomed to perform at its best, resulting in the best experience, adaptive to the setting it evolves in. We will interpret this data and provide meaningful insights back to our customers, resulting in concrete, relevant outcomes. One thing that will not change is our proven strength of picking great people and developing them to be great leaders. GE people are not just incredibly smart, they are also good people with strong values who are hungry to learn. GE must use our generations technical skill and social culture as part of the strategy for future success. This will require dismantling functional silos, valuing horizontal thinking and accepting failure as part of the innovation process. Collaborative, shared riskreward relationships with employees, customers and partners need to be enhanced. GE will be a place that attracts abundant intellectual resources. We will gather the best, hungriest talents and grow them into the leaders of tomorrow. It will take time and iterations. We will encourage them, coach them and be their cheerleaders. They may fail at times. It would mean they had tried hard enough. If they fall, we will be there to catch them. We will encourage leaders to go deeper in markets, and we will reward domain expertise in commercial and technical fields. GE will be ever more global, with more leaders in growth markets. These markets will require the solutions that only GE can provide. As they grow, the face of GE will continue to change to reflect the markets where we have the most opportunity. GE will be a place that ignites peoples passions, an exciting place with the spirit of camaraderie. Frontline teams will be empowered. Operations will be more transparent and efficient, and structured more simply. Our teams will go beyond GE. We will collaborate with customers and other partners to develop new solutions. We will be mission-driven. We will be empowered to safely access, dissect and transform data into valuable and sharable insights for the world to see. Our workplaces will look different: more flexible work environments with less formality. We are already seeing this change in many of our workplaces. In the past, leaders were valued for their knowledge in the future, it will be their ability to learn and share. We must lead the Digital Industrial by building real-time decision-making in our machine-to-machine connectivity. GE leaders will make decisions that are collaborative and outcome-driven. The needle is moving. Our early FastWorks projects were met with reluctance because of our inherent culture to win the first time. However, the results from these projects were real and undeniable. This new methodology infiltrated our culture, and todays GE is one where big swings are encouraged, failures are celebrated and a faster solution is reached. We are re-inventing ourselves. Whether weve been with GE for 30 years or even one year, the Company we knew yesterday will not be the Company of tomorrow. The question is, Are we finished The answer is no. A GREAT GE is a simple GE, and we still have work to do. We are committed to becoming the best Digital Industrial company in the world. Come visit us and you can feel the change across the Company. GE employees are seeing the opportunities that are out there for grabs, and more and more of them are asking, Why not us At stake is the digital transformation of industry, and the winners will win big as this transformation occurs. A simpler company is better for our customers. Maria Claudia Borras recently joined GE as the Chief Commercial Officer in our Oil Gas business. At GE, we have become too comfortable with fragmented approaches that work internally, but make customers miserable. She has reorganized our commercial efforts to provide solutions, broken down functional barriers and leveraged digital tools to improve our service. A simpler company is good for investors. Good teams like the same things as good investors. Low-cost companies are better for your team and investors. It means fewer layers, fewer processes, more delegation of authority and better jobs. Information and transparency produce more speed and more accountability. Your team loves it and so do investors. Linking beliefs with valuable outcomes with compensation motivates our team and investors. We have done a better job of being our own activist. Few companies can match our record of bold change. To be honest, I dont think activists are necessarily bad for companies. They are able to take a fresh look. We like having smart investors in the stock, even when they have a point of view. Activists challenge companies to set priorities, stop wasting money and time, and work on what is essential. When a business team fails in GE, this is what you find: complicated accountability, too much cost in the wrong places, excessive priorities and low market awareness. These are factors activists point to when they criticize companies. Shame on us if we need help from the outside to find this out. But lets face it, every CEO and company should be proudest of long-term investing of building something, not just managing it. I know I am. Everybody likes our Aviation business today. It has an awesome franchise, technical leadership and valuable customer relationships. But nobody liked it after 911 or during the financial crisis when we doubled our RD. We have the finest Life Sciences business in the industry, one that is high margin and fast growth. Building this position was facilitated by an expensive acquisition that today looks like a bargain. It has prospered with the benefits of the GE Store. If we had waited for this to be popular, we would have missed the opportunity. For every company, there is a fine line between staying the course and listening to new voices between short term and long term. GE is a 138-year-old company. Frequently, our investors hold our stock for only an hour, six months, three years. They are important, but cant be the only voice. Not because these investors ask for too much, but because they ask for too little. Our strategic opportunities are vast. Our products, and more importantly our customer relationships, last for decades. At GE, we are builders. Recently, several big investors publically criticized companies for being too short-term oriented. They may be right, but large institutional investors are to blame as well. They have allowed governance to become too legalistic, about politics instead of protecting the average investor. It is confusing for investors when they are told that company leadership is about filling out forms, not bold growth strategies. It takes strong leadership to bridge the divide between activist regulation pushing you backward and activist investors who want more right now. It is possible to be ultra-competitive, strategically bold and disciplined at the same time. But, it requires great people who want to make a difference. The most important culture change still ahead of us is to be completely intolerant of being nice for the sake of getting along. To fight for ideas to fight for our customers to fight for efficiency to fight for people who are different. I want our leaders to learn to ask, Why not us I want them to dream about new levels of growth and performance. I want them to see the world both as it is and as it could be if we are determined to lead. Brad Mottier is one example. He is the architect of our big wins in turboprops. He built this business as an entrepreneur who leveraged the GE Store. Now, we are penetrating one of GEs biggest unserved markets. We will change the game. Not every great idea in the future will come from a start-up in Silicon Valley. Some will come from big companies who ask, Why not us Similarly, companies can have a broader impact on the way the world works when we are not afraid to act. Two years ago, with the leadership of John Rice, we opened a business process outsourcing center in Saudi Arabia. Our vision was to tap into a pool of talented Saudi women to execute process support for our activities in 50 countries. Many people asked why. Now the center is growing and competing globally. It has created 700 jobs. It is led by a Saudi woman, Dr. Amal Fatani. Sometimes businesses can drive change faster than governments if they ask, Why not us I am really proud of the GE team. They are talented, global and driven they, too, have been tested. The GE team will never be outworked, and we dont give up. Last year, we won a 2.5 billion order to upgrade the India rail system. This was a project we worked on for 20 years. It required global teams, weekend travel and all the strength of the GE Store. One of the heroes who delivered this win will retire in 2016. His name is Dave Tucker. He was the commercial leader in our Transportation business. Like many GE leaders, he has lived the American Dream, becoming more than he thought possible. He grabbed every initiative and stayed contemporary. He hated to lose and rarely did. He had the best package of traits for a leader in the world today: He was a fantastic salesman, and he was a shrewd risk manager. He was always willing to change, lead and compete. You never hear about the heroes who work at GE. They are not evil globalists or crony capitalists. They are your neighbors. We are part of an economic ecosystem that is the most competitive in the world. We create great jobs through private enterprise and ingenuity. We give back competency and innovation directed at solving the worlds toughest problems. We are all proud to work at GE, a purposeful company that makes a difference in the world. That is the spirit with which I am asking investors to join GE as we transform and execute. We have delivered for you in the last five years. But we are still underowned by big investors. In this time of uncertainty, why not GE We have great businesses, global scale and strong initiatives. We have a ton of cash that can protect you. And we will lead the Industrial Internet. We are the Digital Industrial. We have grit. Our leaders learned from the experience of economic volatility. During the financial crisis, in 2008, we were frequently criticized about the size of GE Capital. Investors would ask, Why do you have so much commercial real estate They had a point. But we knew that merely shrinking GE Capital would not create an enduring and valuable GE. So we challenged ourselves with a different aspiration: to reclaim our role as the worlds most valuable industrial company one that will lead in innovation and value creation. We are delivering on that dream. We act. We learn. We get better. We insist on being more than we are today. Some companies are retreating we are moving forward to become the Digital Industrial. We are committed to deliver for you. Join us as we create the next wave of growth. Why not GESince 2011, GE has established a base for its oil and gas business in Mozambique forging partnerships with local organisations to build infrastructure and develop a much-needed workforce for its emerging offshore industry. Today, GE Mozambique employs 47 people and 94 of these employees are Mozambican citizens. GE has made significant progress in working with local institutions such as the National Petroleum Institution to deliver education courses developed by the Oil amp Gas Florence Learning Centre in Italy. These courses contribute to developing essential skills which are needed for the sector. Recognising that training is critical, GE Oil amp Gas employed 20 engineers for the Graduate Engineering Training Programme (GETP), which involved intensive hands-on training outside Mozambique. In the transport sector, more than 120 new locomotives are hauling freight and coal across the country daily. That makes Mozambiquersquos transportation fleet the second-largest GE fleet in Africa. GE has also worked towards building stronger relationships with key role-players in the education and logistics sectors. The company invested 250,000 in scholarships granted to Eduardo Mondlane University students, and 250,000 in a science laboratory and capacity building at University of Unilurio. Several Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) have been signed. This includes MOUs with: - A 250,000 donation to Eduardo Mondlane University to provide engineers with scholarships and to also develop the curriculum - The University of Unilurio to build a science lab and support capacity building - The Artisan Training Institutes to ensure newly hired GE Oil amp Gas service engineers can be locally trained - The ENH Logistics company to collaborate in knowledge transfer, training and development of local suppliers as well as aftermarket service capabilities for GE Oil amp Gas equipment ldquoWhile the GE team in Mozambique is relatively small, we are nonetheless committed to providing support for the country in several sectors. We also believe very firmly in developing skills in Mozambique, and to share the knowledge and expertise that GE has accumulated over the years, rdquo said Oil amp Gas Senior Staff Manager Ricardo Aboud. If therersquos one thing people in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are acutely aware of, itrsquos that more women are needed in science. There are several reasons to support this call for gender parity and one of them is due to the incredible job growth taking place in STEM. Another compelling reason is because the female point of view is needed now more than ever. Take, for example, how male-dominated science and technology allowed the first generation of car airbags to injure women because engineers didnrsquot foresee that breasts close to the steering wheel could push deployed airbags up towards the neck. Situations such as this and others show that a gender bias in science has affected research outcomes and damaged womenrsquos health. The most significant job growth in coming years will take place in STEM fields, and specifically in the digital coding and programming area where Africa and Europe anticipate that 80 of jobs by 2020 will require a STEM education. GE has been supporting much-needed STEM development with global and SSA initiatives such as the annual Girls in Technology Day. which takes place in Nigeria. This month, GE committed to closing the gender gap by promising to place 20,000 women in technical roles by 2020 and this initiative will also involve a 50:50 gender representation in all entry-level technical programmes. Following this announcement, the GE Womenrsquos Network (GEWN) in Kenya decided to celebrate Valentinersquos Day with a Women in Technology breakfast forum about working in a digital organisation. The forum was hosted by GEWN Kenya together with the GE Africa Communications team with guests from Microsoft and Safaricom, which are both respected technology leaders which have made progress in promoting women in technology across the African continent. Image top: Ladies who attended the Women in Technology breakfast in Nairobi appreciated the opportunity to network. Image above: Amrote Abdella, Regional Director for the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative addressed women at the breakfast. Credit: Photos Courtesy GE The GEWN was created to accelerate the advancement of women working at GE. By sharing information, best practices, education and experience, network members help one another to develop the leadership skills and career advancing opportunities needed to drive GErsquos success. ldquoItrsquos exciting for women working at GE in Kenya to learn and share experiences with our industry peers in the digital space. We see a huge opportunity to partner and support initiatives that promote more women in leadership and technology roles, rdquo said Brenda Mbathi, GEWN Leader, East Africa Hub. One of the guests at the Valentinersquos Day forum, Amrote Abdella, Regional Director for the Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative said: ldquoI lead a technology initiative in Africa with some of the best technical and non-technical talent from across the region. Technical or not, there is no substitute for competence and confidence in your role, especially for women aspiring to take top leadership positions. rdquo The Microsoft 4Afrika Initiative is a multi-year commitment by Microsoft to actively engage in Africarsquos economic development to improve its global competitiveness by enabling Africarsquos youth, businesses and governments through technology to innovate as they meet 21 st century challenges. Microsoft has promoted women and girls in technology through initiatives such as DigiGirlz for high school, the EmployMentor programme for female graduates and the Cloud Startup Academy for female entrepreneurs. Founded in 2012, Safaricomrsquos Women in Technology (WIT) is a network championed by passionate women working at Safaricom in technology-related careers. Their initiatives include Kids go tech, which focuses on children between 5-16 years of age to nurture their creativity and innovation 4747, which is a high school outreach and mentorship programme aimed at reaching out to at least 47 girlsrsquo high schools across Kenyarsquos 47 counties in one year Campus Outreaches, which target female engineering students at institutions of higher learning and WIT Networking, which is a monthly engagement with women in technology across industries in Kenya in which GEWN members have participated in the past. ldquoOur vision is to advance women in technology, from the classroom to the boardroom through a multi-pronged approach to bridge the wide gender gap that exists within technology industries in Kenya. We empower women at all levels of their technology careers by providing them with the exposure, networks and support to excel in the STEM industry, rdquo said Lillian Kiambati, Safaricom WIT Director. The GE Reports Africa blog has launched a new series known as ldquoA Day in the Life Ofrdquo which profiles GE SSArsquos unsung heroes, highlighting their contribution at GE. This week, we profile Nnenna Anthonia Olorunfemi. As the Lead Contract Performance Manager at GE Power and Water at the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas plant (NLNG), Nnenna will tell you if shersquos going to have a good day, or a bad day, by analysing the ldquoflare stackrdquo at the plant. She understands the impact GE gas turbines have in the LNG compression trains and the power generations units. ldquoIf I look up and the flare is small, then I know all our equipment is in perfect working condition and it will be a good day. If there is a lot of flare, then I know that one or more pieces of GE equipment are having trouble and I must prepare for a long, busy day ahead, rdquo she said. She swears by this method. Nnenna said that working in a male-dominated industry has not been easy, but perseverance, hard work and the pursuit of knowledge has paid off. Coming from a strict patriarchal home, Nnenna grew up in Nsukka, a small town which is also the site of the University of Nigeria in Enugu State. She completed both her primary and secondary education there, and went on to study zoology at the university, graduating with honours. When Nnenna was a child, she wanted to pursue a career in finance, but her strict father wanted her to become a doctor and encouraged her to stick to the sciences, so she ended studying zoology. After graduating, Nnenna got married and found herself living in Bonny Island, but she realised that this wasnrsquot the path she had imagined for herself. She wanted to pursue a career in management sciences and shared this goal with her neighbour, who told her about GE and advised her to apply for job at the company. Nnenna applied, was interviewed and was successful, and this is where her journey with GE began. In 2012, she was appointed as a contract performance manager associate at GE and in 2013, she was promoted to her current role. A normal day for Olorunfemi starts at 6am with a morning prayer, followed by preparations for work and getting her daughter ready for school. On her way to work, she always thinks ahead about what challenges she might be dealing with on that day. Nnennarsquos day-to-day tasks involve managing both the planned and unplanned maintenance of GE-covered equipment. Managing the plant involves planning for outages as well as ensuring that all the necessary resources to get the job done are available. ldquoAs a Contractual Service Agreement (CSA) contract manager, the finance is important. Therefore, I am responsible for billing and collection for the contact, rdquo said Olorunfemi. ldquoAll the things I do in my role is to ensure that we execute tasks flawlessly on site to ensure on-time invoicing and cash collection. Usually in the morning, the team on site will gather together for a meeting to share and discuss site-related issues and get business updates from the site director. ldquoThe main objective for us is mitigate any risk that will jeopardise the availability and reliability of the plant because we make money when the customer makes money. It is a win-win relationship, a partnership that makes GE and the customer co-creators of value. rdquo She goes home at about 6pm to prepare dinner for her family and then, she helps her daughter with her homework. Before her day ends, she usually checks social media to get updates on what is happening in her industry globally and to catch up on current affairs with her friends. ldquoBy the time one comes into the GE CSA business, you learn that it all works differently from other business models. Learning and understanding the business comes from hands-on experience and from the various classroom and online training provided by GE. Though classroom training provides one with basic principles which act as a good foundation, you soon realise that there are actual situations that you will find yourself in where you need to apply hands-on knowledge that you would have learned from practical situations. rdquo When Nnenna joined GE, she had an opportunity to go on internal training programmes and one of them was the Foundation of Leadership - a course that takes you through leadership at GE and how GE operates while instilling practical leadership skills. As Olorunfemi progressed, she enrolled in job-specific training for Contract Performance Certification that focused on Contract, Finance, and Outage management as well as technical, health, safety and environmental, commercial and sales elements. ldquoI have also had lsquoon-the-jobrsquo training, working under a senior corporate performance manager who was both a coach and a mentor. I also attended conferences and learned from colleagues, rdquo said Nnenna. Luckily, she was nominated to be part of the RISE programme, a corporate run leadership development programme targeting high-performing, high potential senior leaders. Over the course of the year-long programme, RISE participants engage in developmental experiences including: Individual Development Planning, Global HR Coaching, Classroom and Virtual Learning Sessions, and Networking with Senior Leadership and Peers across GE businesses. GE has been instrumental in Nnennarsquos career growth, instilling the value of education in her. ldquoOne should always continue to learn and grow. rdquo With the support of her manager and family, she obtained an MBA from the University of Liverpool UK, which increased her business management acumen, which she needed to manage the finance of a high-value contract such as NLNG. Nnenna added that one should never underestimate the power of networking as this has far-reaching implications. ldquoBe curious, ask questions and listen to feedback as this attribute will help you navigate the complex and unpredictable business environment that we now face. rsquorsquo The GE Reports Africa blog has launched a new series known as ldquoA Day in the Life Ofrdquo which profiles GE SSArsquos unsung heroes, highlighting their contribution at GE. Therersquos nothing like a hike in a forest where the mobile network coverage is low and yoursquore forced to switch off from your emails and social media. Catherine Mutonyi, the Commercial Operational Leader for SSA based in the Transportation division of GE Kenya has discovered that hiking and being in nature is the best way to destress. ldquoMy husband and I love hiking, so wersquore usually outside during the weekend, just enjoying nature. Itrsquos a true pleasure. Sometimes, wersquoll just go to the park and do a nice long walk with our two dogs. At other times, we get out of town and this forces us to wind down even more because the signal strength might not be that great where wersquore hiking, rdquo said Catherine. ldquoThe physical exertion helps me forget about the pressure at work and I thoroughly enjoy it when we bump into people and have random conversations. rdquo The main park Catherine visits in Nairobi is Karura, which is conveniently situated within the Karura Forest, making it easier for hikers to take longer walks. ldquoItrsquos a new thing in Kenya to have a park and go walking, and enjoy the open air. The other place that we like to go to is Lake Naivasha. You can do quite a bit there in terms of the hiking and camping. Itrsquos diverse and they have great food. rdquo Catherine has always set her career goals very high, initially wanting to study law and then leaning towards dentistry because she had an inclination towards chemistry and biology. But ultimately, she chose engineering because it would utilise her strengths, which are mathematics, science and physics. Catherine studied for a Bachelorrsquos degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Sheffield and then worked in London at project management and construction firm, Bechtel and at Transport for London where she gained valuable expertise in design, construction and railways. Catherine moved back to Kenya and started at GE in January last year as part of the Commercial Leadership Programme, which is now known as the Accelerated Leadership Programme. ldquoI work on the commercial side with sales leaders from different regions. Sales leaders go out and find out what the customer needs. I then vet the opportunities coming in from the sales leaders and where they are viable, I then take them through a proposal process. My days vary because it all depends on the needs and the urgencies that need to be dealt with on that day. rdquo Image top and above: Catherine Mutonyi, the Commercial Operational Leader for SSA based in the Transportation division of GE Kenya, loves hiking and has hiked to the top of Mount Kenya. Credit: Courtesy GE ldquoA typical morning starts with gym at about 6.30am and then, I go to work. Most days, I will start by working on urgent proposals and I will set up calls to get the information I need. I liaise with my team and the sales leaders so that we can prioritise, as a group, what we need to work on to ensure we all start on the right foot. Then, we get to the internal review processes where we talk about exactly what needs to be done with each proposal. Wersquoll also set up internal calls and calls with teams in other countries to go through the proposals. Because time is of the essence with each proposal we receive, I draw up a living document that we all work on to ensure that everyone contributes, and that we are considering all comments and inputs. rdquo Catherine liaises with teams all over Africa, Belgium and the United States almost daily, and she sometimes makes three calls a day to the global network. The teams in other countries are always willing to help, but due to everyone being busy, she has learnt to be very direct and to get to the point quickly during international calls. ldquoMy evenings end a little later because working with global teams extends my day, so I get home at about 8pm. Luckily, I donrsquot have to cook. We have someone who cooks for us and that makes life a little easier. Hopefully, my husband gets in at the same time as I do and wersquoll eat together, and itrsquos when we sit around talking that we start to wind down. When Irsquom at home, I also like to go online. I like to find out whatrsquos happening around the world in terms of news, trends and social media. I recently discovered Netflix, so I will watch an episode of a series, or half a movie before going to bed. rdquo Catherine is grateful for the way GE organises its various training programmes. ldquoThe training is structured in such a good way. The assignments are so meaningful and GE provides a support system too. I really feel like Irsquom making a valuable contribution at work. rdquo ldquoOne of the greatest lessons I learned early on, when working on my first proposal, was lsquonever be afraid to ask for helprsquo. I had put a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself with my first assignment by trying to do everything myself and then, one of my colleagues told me lsquoyou need to work with the team. You need to ask for help. You canrsquot sustain this because you will burn out. You are not expected to know everythingrsquo. I now ask for help very easily. rdquo ldquoMy advice to youngsters is: Donrsquot stop wanting to learn and learn how to work in a collaborative environment. Also, learn how to listen and how to prioritise, and always keep your mind open and ready to learn. rdquo The GE Reports Africa blog is launching an exciting new series known as ldquoA Day in the Life Ofrdquo. This series of profiles gives us the opportunity to cast the spotlight on GE SSArsquos unsung heroes, the employees who quietly go about contributing in meaningful ways to make GE the great multinational company that it is. If at first you donrsquot succeed, try, try again. This is the adage that ultimately secured Daniel Oluseye Komolafe a job at GE Nigeria where it took him a few tries before eventually hired on the GE Commercial Leadership Programme (CLP) in 2014. ldquoYou have to persevere and be proactive in your career and learning. You have to get out there and find opportunities if you want to succeed, rdquo said Komolafe (28), who is now a Commercial Manager in GErsquos Lagos office, covering Gas Power Systems (GPS) in SSA. ldquoAs clicheacute as it sounds, I have always wanted to work at GE. I was strongly influenced by the legacy of the founder, Thomas Edison and I suppose itrsquos also because I wanted to be an inventor when I was younger. I think I was influenced by several episodes of Dexterrsquos Laboratory, rdquo said Komolafe because Dexterrsquos Laboratory is a comic science fiction animated television series about a boy inventor. Influenced by his parents who had studied abroad, Komolafe believed in the benefits of being exposed to different cultures and therefore studied for his bachelorrsquos degree in engineering at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom and a masterrsquos degree in power systems engineering at the University College London. I believe that studying abroad definitely broadens your horizons and thatrsquos also why I appreciate the opportunities GE provides to further my education with teams in different countries. rdquo For two years, Komolafe was part of GErsquos CLP, which involves two years of intense learning in different regions. ldquoI was fortunate to have been on a leadership development programme. My rotations included six-month assignments in Dubai and New York, and a 12-month assignment in France. During this time, I made very good connections with people across the globe and they are always willing to help, so even though yoursquore based in Nigeria, you have access to a network of people all around the world. rdquo Top Image: Daniel Komolafe at the GE Commercial Leadership Programme Summit in 2014. Image above: Daniel at his desk at the GE Lagos office. Credit: Courtesy GE As a commercial manager, Komolafe does a little bit of everything. He prepares proposals and contracts for customers, ensuring that the information being disseminated is accurate and free of risk and his engineering background helps him cope with the technical challenges of the job. ldquoItrsquos an interesting job. I get to learn a lot of different things. Irsquove become more of a jack of all trades. rdquo A day in Komolafersquos life starts at about 6.30am with some light exercise before getting ready for work. His days are unpredictable and could involve impromptu meetings, conference calls and such. Sometimes, contract negotiations keep him at work until midnight, but hersquos happy to do whatrsquos needed to close the deal. Komolafe tries to balance life and work, and when he does finish work at 5pm, he usually goes for a run across the famous Ikoyi Bridge in Lagos four times a week. He then prepares his dinner and does a little reading before the day comes to an end. He added that ldquoextra-curricular activitiesrdquo happen on the weekend. ldquoSome days, we do have to deal with highly complex challenges and the key for me is always to remain calm and take proactive steps to solve problems I encounter. Recently, I had the challenge of dealing with a customer who wanted a technical feature that had been discontinued and was no longer supported on a particular piece of equipment. It took quite some doing as I had to pitch to very senior people and experts in the company to add that technical feature and Irsquom glad we eventually accomplished what the customer wanted because we would have lost a multi-million-dollar contract if we didnrsquot accommodate the request. rdquo Komolafe has learned more about his job through hands-on experience. ldquoMost of the knowledge and competency comes from developing an attitude of curiosity and learning from those around you. This is a continuous learning process. Some days, I have to reach out to people outside of Africa to get support. GE is a big company with very smart and experienced people. Being able to reach out and get the support you need is incredibly helpful. rdquo ldquoI think thatrsquos one of the major reasons people are clamouring to be hired by GE, because the company supports your professional and personal development. The company pays for your training and your assignments abroad, and that shows how committed they are to employee development. rdquo When asked about advice he would like to give young people, he said: ldquoYou need to follow your passion. If you do something you really like, it makes the tough days a little easier. Find opportunities where you can practice the skills yoursquod like to acquire and put yourself out there. Take proactive steps to get the knowledge you need and identify the job you want. I think curiosity is very important and it has been my key to success. rdquo GE Transport and Transnet, South African-based freight logistics chain have entered a digital partnership to seamlessly connect shippers and transport operators in streamlining pricing and capacity on the network, shipment planning, fuel costs savings and delivering goods to the market more effectively. GE Global Chairman and CEO, Jeff Immelt said: ldquoThe digital partnership wersquore embarking on with Transnet will not only improve Africarsquos transport sector, but unlock enormous opportunities for the supply chain fuelling Africarsquos economy. rdquo Siyabonga Gama, Transnetrsquos Group Chief Executive said: ldquoDisruptive innovation has become the new buzzword for good reason. Innovation creates new markets and fundamentally changes the way we live and work. The partnership with GE Transport is helping us to create a new industry and develop new skills that have the potential to transform the world as we know it. rdquo As a global digital industrial leader and supplier of equipment, services and solutions to the rail, mining, marine, power and drilling industries, GE Transport will assist Transnet to deliver goods and services with greater speed and efficiency through the provision of essential data required through Predix ndash GErsquos cloud-based operating system for the Industrial Internet of Things. The timing of this initiative falls in line with the robust growth taking place across Africa. Since 1995, Africarsquos trade has nearly doubled, placing immense logistical pressure on existing transport infrastructure. As it stands, managing the various transport routes and developing new infrastructure is laborious. GErsquos innovative solution will bring simplicity to payment processes, goods management, customs inspections and reduce the burden of a paper-based environment. GE is encouraging development across the sectors of aviation, healthcare, transport and power as sectors that are increasingly being inhabited by software companies, technology companies and industrial companies. ldquoThis partnership is GErsquos opportunity to take the new technology that we will develop in South Africa and introduce it to the rest of Africa, rdquo said Immelt. Digitalisation in Africa is essential to driving growth on the continent. It plays a significant role in stimulating inter-Africa trade. This isnrsquot the first time GE and Transnet have worked together. The two entities have partnered since 2009 to manufacture and deliver more than 230 Evolution Series diesel electric locomotives, including the ldquomost Africanrdquo locomotive, which featured 55 locally produced content. ldquoWe have a rich history of partnership with Transnet, and are excited to continue working with them to unlock game-changing potential for the local supply chain that is at the heart of Africarsquos global economy, rdquo said Immelt. Top image: Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama (left) and GE Global CEO Jeff Immelt in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo: Courtesy GE Ludovic Avot and Yannick Le Berre are big video game fans with Avotrsquos favorite being ldquoFallout 4, which guides players through post-apocalyptic Bostonrdquo. The game is bleak but immersive, and playing it gave the GE Healthcare designer an idea. What if doctors could use video game technology to step inside the human body mdash like the heroes of the sci-fi movie ldquoThe Fantastic Voyagerdquo mdash to inspect organs and tissues and search for disease ldquoWe were inspired by the photo-realistic rendering techniques of the high-quality games, rdquo Avot says. Le Berre, an engineer in medical imaging, wanted to create a way for doctors to walk through the human body using virtual reality. After a few simple but promising prototypes, he decided, with Ludovic, to move things further. Working at GE Healthcarersquos Global Center of Excellence in Medical Imaging Software in Buc, France, the pair spent a hack week mdash time where GE designers can work on a project outside of their current work mdash with VR design tools and other gaming software. They used detailed 3D information from CT and MRI body scans to build a virtual experience complete with color, texture, light and other features. Doctors can use it to observe the glistening pleura of the lungs or ashen pink matter of the brain. They can also ldquoenterrdquo a specific part of the body and closely examine it for things like polyps, tumors and lesions. Le Berre explained that they used a tracking system capable of following movements so accurately, it doesnrsquot make users dizzy, like some other VR environments. The prototype, which can be used with off-the-shelf VR headsets like the Oculus Riftreg, could be a vital turning point in offering doctors a fresh interpretation of a medical image or to better prepare them for surgery. ldquoImagine walking into a virtual room that is your patientrsquos brain, rdquo says Francois Lenfant, general manager for Global UX Brand amp Design Language at GE Healthcare. ldquoYou can enlarge the area of interest to the point where you can go inside the brain cells. When yoursquore immersed in an image, you can work intuitively and find new perspectives. rdquo Up until now, 3D images have been at the forefront of imaging technology. The center of excellence in Buc is a pioneer in anatomical 3D modeling using images taken with GE scanners. Doctors can use the models to get targeted views of specific organs. They can, for example, focus on coronary artery stenosis and see deeply into the space of the cavity. They can also use 3D printers to make hand-held models of organs. The next step on this journey into the body is virtual reality. VR is becoming common in gaming, but for itrsquos still the early days for industry. But Avot and Le Berre have used ldquoopen innovation and design thinking processes, rdquo to help VR become an important new tool in healthcare and diagnostics. The pair presented their VR prototype during the Journeacutees Francophones de Radiologie conference in Paris last year. They say the feedback from approximately 200 radiologists and surgeons who tested it was ldquoentirely positive. rdquo Next, GE will start testing the VR system with a customer in France this year before expanding to the United States and Asia. The first prototype will be used as a tool to help doctors learn more about anatomy and how to better identify pathologies. Eventually, Avot expects doctors to use the technology not only for diagnostics but also to practice procedures before surgery and to double check results post-surgery. Le Berre and Avot are already thinking about other ways to help doctors see inside the body. ldquoWersquore looking at augmented reality, rdquo Le Berre says. ldquoThe idea is to overlay 3D and technical information into the physical world that yoursquore seeing. This technology could eventually be used to guide a doctor during surgery so that he or she can see the tool in the body of the patient in real time. rdquo GE engineers are also working with artificial intelligence. The idea is that one day machines may be able to recognize cancer on their own. But for now, human judgment is still the key ingredient. To that end, Le Berre and Avot have tried to make their prototype feel as much like a video game as possible. ldquoWe would like to use the multiplayer capabilities to allow multiple users to review the same case, rdquo Avot says. ldquoItrsquos a video game that all doctors will want to play. rdquo Top image and above: ldquoImagine walking into a virtual room that is your patientrsquos brain, rdquo says Francois Lenfant, general manager for Global UX Brand amp Design Language at GE Healthcare. Images credit: GE Healthcare
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