DEVELOPING A SMARTER PLANET
D/505/5400
LEVEL 3
LO3 - Understand how smarter planet
technologies could be further developed
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AIM AND PURPOSE OF THE UNIT
The Smarter Planet is an initiative developed by the IBM
corporation to encourage individuals and organisations to
think and develop solutions to processes or problems
innovatively. The purpose is to encourage individuals and
businesses to review their current practice to identify what
they could change to reduce the impact on the planet/
environment. The Smarter Planet initiative can be applied
cross sector and this unit encourages learners to consider the
ways in which improvements to processes may include cost
savings, environmental impact and system efficiencies.
The smarter ideas which learners may identify may initially be
small but may then grow and the focus is on constant
improvements, developments to “make the planet smarter”.
They should look at technological developments across a
range of sectors to consider whether these can be adapted to
other sectors and they should also identify activities or
processes they think can be improved in everyday life and
consider innovative solutions that may be developed.
Scenario
Criteria
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3
4
5
Assessment
Learning Outcome (LO)
The learner will:
Pass
The assessment criteria are
the pass requirements for this
unit.
The learner can:
1
P1
Understand what is
meant by a smarter
planet
3
Understand the
changing smarter
business environment
Understand how
smarter planet
technologies could be
further developed
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
P3
Explain the benefits
and beneficiaries of
improved technologies
to business
P4
Explain how advances
across business
sectors have brought
additional challenges
P5
Explain how advances
to technology could be
improved or extended
3
Distinction
For distinction the
evidence must show
that, in addition to the
pass and merit criteria,
the learner is able to:
M1 - Evaluate the wider
uses of these
technological
developments within
an identified sector
D1 - Discuss why the
smarter planet concept
is important to society
as a whole
Explain how changes
in technology have
evolved over the last
century
explain how evolutions
in technology have
impacted on everyday
life
2
Merit
For merit the evidence
must show that, in
addition to the pass
criteria, the learner is
able to:
4
5
Assessment
M2 - Discuss how
technologies could be
adapted to different
business purposes
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LO3 Understand how smarter planet technologies could be further developed
Based on their research, learners should start to consider how existing
developments in technology can be improved or extended. An example of this
would be the telephone which has extended from an almost exclusive, luxury
usage with a fixed location to mobile, widely available and multi purpose. This is
the case across society for many advances. Learners should discuss and evaluate
these developments. They should then be encouraged to strip down the advances
in to original purpose so that they can then look at problems in society or
business that could be solved with repurposing or adaptation of technology.
They should discuss their ideas and their feasibility and potential challenges.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
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Assessment Criteria P5, M2
For P5 learners must explain how advances to technology could be
improved or extended. Learners should identify technological
developments both recent and historical and suggest ways in which the
core developments could be extended to further evolve within the
originating business sector. They should include a range of examples
and their own thoughts on how these extensions to technology would
bring additional benefit. This could be in the form of a presentation or a
video presentation but the criteria must be covered.
For merit assessment criterion M2 learners must discuss how
technologies could be adapted to different business purposes. Learners
should use this explanation and their own thoughts to identify where
technological developments in one area could be adapted and
implemented into other sectors to give similar or differing benefits. They
may also use their own ideas as to how these developments could
potentially and practically be applied to sectors not yet identified. They
may use existing examples of adaptations of technology to support the
discussions. This could be presented as a visualisation diagram
supported by explanatory notes.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
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The Smarter Planet initiative has three principles,
Instrumented, Interconnected and Intelligent. These
three core values are at the heart of the changes IBM
would like to make to society.
Instrumented - measure, sense and monitor
conditions, this involves the use of technology to
determine change, to examine variances and then
communicate these to make the planet better. Global
warming in the Arctic, monitor the flows and values,
determine what is causing the problems, narrow
down the criteria.
Smarter Analytics is IBM's approach to business
analytics, and obviously as a commercial company
this is what they are pushing. With IBM Smarter
Analytics, companies can extract insights from your
big data that is continuously flowing in from a variety
of new sources. This can then be analysed through
programmes to produce useful results for companies.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
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Interconnected - people, systems and objects can
communicate in new ways – this is IBM’s way of
saying use technology to communicate, transferring
information, sharing information, using technology in
terms of phones, computers, scanners, sensors,
measuring tools to work with information to produce
results.
Intelligent - infuse intelligence into systems and ways
of working, models to manage massive amounts of
data generated by the end-user devices, sensors. Use
of analytics, to translate data into making systems,
processes and infrastructures more efficient, more
productive and responsive — ultimately, making them
smarter.
Task 1 – D1.3 – Using the terms Instrumented,
Interconnected and Intelligent, discuss how analysis
tools as part of the Smarter Planet programme can
benefit your chosen business sector.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
The core developments of most technologies in the past have been adapted
and evolved within the originating business sector. When rubber was
developed as a flexible material in the past there was little intention on
expanding its use to car wheels. Now we cannot imagine life without it.
Similarly stainless steel was invented because bullets kept expanding gun
barrels and making them less accurate. Plastic was developed as a
replacement for shellac, a resin secreted by a South Asian scale bug. Click
here for other accidental inventions.
 What developed as a barcode in retail for checking goods out has now
become a tag for ordering systems, RFID linked for shelf tracking, scanned
for security, catalogued for marketing purposes.
 What started as a typewriter in the 18thC is now the standard keyboard,
same shape, same button location, same layout with the exception of the
mechanics.
Task 2 – P5.1 – From your own industry create a report on how technologies
developed in the past have been used for additional purposes, include a range
of examples.
 In this report use examples and your own thoughts on how these extensions
to technology would bring additional benefits to your industry.
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Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
You should consider laying out your report so that it addresses the
following questions:
 Section 1 – Describe the technologies behind three historic
technological developments within the business sector.
 Section 2 – Describe the impact these have had on the sector.
 Section 3 – Describe how these technologies have been
integrated into common practice within the business sector.
 Section 4 – Describe how they have been adapted to other
purposes within the sector.
 Section 5 – Describe how adapting these technologies within the
sector benefitted business practices.
 Section 6 – Discuss the current limitations of these technologies
and how this impacts on business practices.
 Section 7 – Discuss if this technology is at its limit and suggest
improvements or a replacement technology.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
The core developments of most technologies in the present will be adapted
and improved within the originating business sector, benefitting other
departments in maintaining and streamlining business functions. It is in the
businesses nature to diversify when a company is doing better so the
domino effect of adding improved technology or revolutionary gadgets is
used as a starting point for a company’s future success. Look at Microsoft
and Apple. As soon as the technology within the company is adapted, the
fortunes and business practices change with them. Apple went from being a
hardware company to music production, to portable music devices to apps
and iTunes and phones. The technology of each phase has benefitted and
transformed the company onto the next level.
 From your own industry discuss how technologies currently present are
likely to be used for additional purposes, include a range of examples and
your own thoughts on how these extensions to technology would bring
additional benefits to other departments and functions within the company.
Task 3 – P5.2 – From your own industry create a report on how current
developing technologies can be used for additional purposes, include a range
of examples.
 In this report use examples and your own thoughts on how these extensions
to technology would bring additional benefits to your industry.
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Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
You should consider laying out your report so that it addresses the
following questions:
 Section 1 – Describe the technologies behind three recent or
current developments within the business sector.
 Section 2 – Describe the impact these have had on the sector.
 Section 3 – Describe how these technologies have been
integrated into common practice within the business sector.
 Section 4 – Describe how they can be adapted to other purposes
within the sector.
 Section 5 – Describe how adapting these technologies within the
sector would benefit business practices.
 Section 6 – Discuss the current limitations of these technologies
and how this impacts on business practices.
 Section 7 – Describe if they have additional adaptive qualities
beyond this business sector.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
For the last section you need to
explain how future developments
of three technologies and your
own opinions and research to
identify where technological
developments in one area could
be adapted and implemented into
other sectors to give similar or
differing benefits. You may also
use their own ideas as to how these
developments could potentially and practically be applied to sectors not
yet identified. You may use existing examples of adaptations of
technology to support the discussions.
 New technologies that have recently come into play that have opened
up a world of potential uses across multiple business fields. For each
field there is a different potential, from new ways to do old business,
replacing current manufacturing techniques or the death knell of a
business function.
Task 4 - M2.1 - Discuss how 3 new technologies could be adapted to
different business purposes.
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Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
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3D printing – This has been around for 10 years but recent technology
has made these more publically available and more adaptive. Plastic is
no longer the only material that can be printed. The technology is
expanding into the medical field to print replacement veins, cartilage,
sculpted bone. Within the manufacturing field they can produce objects,
casts for steel. Click here and here for examples of potential uses.
Virtual Reality has been around for a while but new technologies and
new techniques are pushing forward the potential business use of
these. Demonstrations, virtual tours, visioning medical progress,
helping disabled, military practice etc. They have all been hyped but
with emerging systems the potential business use is growing. Click here
and here for examples.
Google Glass – A company product with the potential for growth. There
has been wearable technology around for a while but with the smaller,
more user friendly and potentially business uses are close by. Think of
how an Amazon warehouse staff member might find the goods ordered
with a GPS controlled set of Google Glasses. Click here and here for
business use examples.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
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RFID - RFID Technology has developed and changed from basic identification
business solutions to more advanced, complex solution systems. These systems
now allow a business to track, trace, locate, monitor, control, utilise and control
their business assets. The technology has been adapted extensively over the last
ten years but most of us do not see it. Future uses and improvements will limit
theft, improve transportation, increase marketing potential and beyond. Click
here and here for potential uses.
Portable Solar Chargers – With the increase of green technologies and the
reduction in the size of solar panelling, solar chargers have become smaller,
more portable, more efficient and less wasteful. In the past we have replace all
our calculators with solar charged ones but what about our phones, our cars,
heating systems etc. When the potential for reduction becomes so portable, the
eventual reduction and replacement of fuel generally will decrease. Click here,
here and here for details.
Cloud computing – Need to access Microsoft Office, use the cloud, need to see
files, use the cloud, need to play games, use the cloud, need anything use the
cloud and get rid of the hard drive on your computer. The Cloud can store
everything, protect everything, run everything. It has been here for a while now
and the potential for expansion is huge. Specifically copyright, how can you
breach it when the software is virtual.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
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5
Assessment
Technology gets adapted when it is seen to work.
That is how growth is developed. We would not be
using the WIMP interface if Apple did not steal it
off Zerox and use it on all their machines. We
would not have Windows if Microsoft did not steal
the idea off Apple. We would not be using touch
screens on our phones if it was not so successful
on early model phones. We would not be using xrays in ports for HGV’s if it was not for an accident
100 years ago.
 To show how these technologies can influence
other sectors you should show how the benefits to
businesses can be mapped. Using your three
selected fields demonstrate how growth can be
achieved through the business sectors.
Task 5 – M2.2 - Using the three technologies
selected from M2.1 produce a visualisation diagram
supported by explanatory notes of how other
businesses sectors could use these technologies.
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Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment
Task 1 – D1.3 – Using the terms Instrumented, Interconnected and
Intelligent, discuss how analysis tools as part of the Smarter Planet
programme can benefit your chosen business sector.
Task 2 – P5.1 – From your own industry create a report on how
technologies developed in the past have been used for additional
purposes, include a range of examples.
Task 3 – P5.2 – Using the terms Instrumented, Interconnected and
Intelligent, discuss how analysis tools as part of the Smarter Planet
programme can benefit your chosen business sector.
Task 4 - M2.1 - Discuss how 3 new technologies could be adapted
to different business purposes.
Task 5 – M2.2 - Using the three technologies selected from M2.1
produce a visualisation diagram supported by explanatory notes of
how other businesses sectors could use these technologies.
Scenario
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Assessment