“ The real key was to figure out what clients need in the market ; what are they asking for and what are they not asking for . And then to help them understand what is possible .”
— Stephan Biller , Vice President Offering Management Watson IoT and Chief Innovation Officer the IoT and analytics space , a foundation that has more than prepared him for the challenges he works through at IBM . Holding a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences and an MBA in Finance & Strategy , Biller cut his teeth at General Motors and General Electric Company , where he personally developed the “ Brilliant Factory ” concept . Regarding “ Brilliant ,” Biller has this to say : “ It was essentially creating a digital strategy for both manufacturing and engineering , meaning ‘ how do we simulate all the factories and all the processes before we actually implement them ’, then using real-time data in the factories to optimize throughput , quality , cost and fulfilment .” His ability and vision for digital transformation was one of the contributing factors to his recent election to the National Academy of Engineering : a rare privilege and something Biller is profoundly grateful for . “ That was the biggest honour of my professional life . It ’ s sort of like the baseball hall of fame for engineers ,” he jokes . “ It ’ s an opportunity for me to give back to the nation and to the scientific and engineering community .”
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