Barco CDIO Philippe Verlinde takes the stage

Which developments or innovations from recent months stand out to you?

Philippe Verlinde – So much is happening… Allow me to illustrate this with a model that highlights Barco’s four different layers of innovation. 

The first layer in that model includes our visualisation products. These cover a range of applications, such as cinema, large video walls, healthcare imaging, and projectors used during concerts. 

The second layer focuses on collaboration, AV over IP, with examples like ClickShare, Barco CTRL, and Nexxis. The main difference is that the first layer deals with visualising on a screen and everything associated with it, while the second layer is about transporting images to another location. 

The third layer is about workflow management. Here, value is created by supporting people, such as an operator in a control room. 

The fourth layer is all about data analytics.

So, when you ask what’s happening, it’s clear that we need an increasingly comprehensive approach. We must identify the stakeholders in each layer and invest in meaningful use cases. Barco CTRL is already advancing into workflow management, and ClickShare is making significant strides in this area as well.

Do you anticipate further evolution in the interaction between IT and AV? For Barco and Whitemilk, the link between both is clear. It’s no coincidence that we host CONTXT with two IT partners. How do you see the future?

Philippe – The model I just mentioned illustrates this evolution. With Barco CTRL in the second layer, we are already shifting more towards IT, compared to our large video walls and other visualisation products. Moving up one layer to workflow management, we integrate even more elements. We’re running programs like Cloud First, Digital First, and Mobile First, all aimed at developing solutions for a connected user, whom we can engage through specific products or mobile.

Barco CTRL is exemplary of the changes we’re undergoing. In recent years, we have been investing in designing away a significant portion of the installer complexity. The goal is to simplify the installation process, which allows us to focus on other value spaces. For example, we’re looking at how we can enhance support for operators in workflow management.

Another trend is in the fourth layer: data. We want to translate data into business insights and see how AI can support us. But to make this possible, we need to better structure our data foundation, so that we can leverage AI to detect anomalies or opportunities in our businesses and translate those into business insights. This is an exercise we need to do for both our internal operations and for the solutions we provide to our customers.

It’s important to understand that our focus lies beyond the point of installation. After installation, we still need to continually refine the workflow. This aligns with the concept of agile innovation; true innovation requires agility, especially when we want to operate in the top two layers of our model. Our challenge is to elevate all our business towards workflow and data, all beyond the point of installation. So, the focus is shifting from product-driven use cases to those driven by workflow or data. AI plays a role in this, as does our organisational structure. Together with our partners, we will need to think about how we can differentiate ourselves and create added value in these fields. 

Can you make that more concrete from a control room perspective?

Philippe – Absolutely. There’s a notable shift underway, moving from traditional system control points to data control points. While our current data often focuses on customer profiles or product specifications, we lack insights into user behavior, essential for effective workflow management. We’re well-prepared for this transition, and we have made significant investments in data infrastructure and AI research.

From a control room standpoint, workflow management is paramount. Barco CTRL is a kind of operator platform, akin to a versatile Swiss army knife. Our goal is to streamline collaboration by standardising APIs, making it easier for our partners to work together with us. Barco CTRL also serves as our foundation, our product control point, empowering us to explore additional functionalities on top of the platform. It’s like unlocking features on a smartphone through apps. We’re discerning what to develop in-house and where to collaborate with partners – like how Apple or Google leverage third-party apps to enrich their ecosystems.

Are operators always the focus when you talk about stakeholders in the control room?

Philippe – Primarily, yes. However, depending on the perspective, our customer could be our partner or integrator, the IT manager within an organisation, the operator, or even another user. I consider the operator as the primary user. The closer we get to user needs, the more imperative it becomes to rethink our organisational structure.

Let's reconsider Apple for a moment. When we buy an iPhone from a large electronics retailer and encounter issues, we return to the store for problems like a malfunctioning screen. However, for user-related inquiries, we visit the Apple Store. But who do we talk to? A service assistant? An IT expert? A product specialist? A sales representative? The name tag reads ‘Customer Success Manager.’ The ‘CSM’ seems to wear all these hats. This represents a unique approach to organisational roles. To help our customers, we can no longer look at one moment of sales, or one moment of use, we need to consider continuous use. How we will do this within the partner ecosystem is something we still need to figure out, but it certainly is an expectation from the operator.

Speaking of smartphones, how do you envision mobility within a control room?

Philippe – That’s an aspect of the Mobile First program. Mobile First assumes that I can always connect with you through a mobile app. Just like me, you are accessible. The mobile space offers the best avenue for engaging people.

This philosophy extends to how our business operates. We’re striving to transition all approval flows to Mobile First, eliminating the need for meetings or physical gatherings. I can simply send a document to a colleague, who gets a notification and can immediately sign it, then it automatically moves on to the next colleague. It’s the transition from a process to a flow. That means driving your business forward with as little manual intervention as possible. 

But how about using mobility to bring content to a crisis room? Imagine a scenario where a fire breaks out. I start recording it with my smartphone, and you want immediate access to that information in the crisis control center to make informed decisions. While we’ve made initial strides, we’re now investing to elevate this capability beyond the product layer, integrating it deeply into workflow and data systems. We also want to extend this beyond crisis scenarios, into sectors like the process industry and others.

You’re focusing on Mobile First, but also on Digital First?

Philippe – Yes. That involves careful consideration of the prerequisites for labeling a product ‘digital’. There are five key criteria.

First, connectivity is essential. While some products thrive on constant connectivity, we also research scenarios where it’s not the most desired option. For example, we realize that control rooms is a conservative market which is hesitant, or even reluctant, to embrace cloud connectivity. In such scenarios, we need to consider asynchronous connectivity.  

Second, we delve deeper into the registration processes. What information do we need beyond the purchasing partner’s email address? And how will we efficiently register users, for example control room operators? A true digital product needs this kind of user information. 

Third, at the point of installation, we aim to do a forced upgrade, decoupling production from commissioning. At that stage, we need an upgradable system to facilitate secure, continuous post-installation improvement.

The fourth criterion is creating value beyond the point of installation.

Lastly, we must collect data in some way.

If any of these five criteria aren't met, it may cast doubt on the product’s digital status. I challenge everyone at Barco to proactively consider these criteria, ensuring that we’ve done everything possible to make the product ‘digital by design’.

Is “challenging everyone” part of the CDIO role?

Philippe – Without a doubt. The D stands for digital transformation. How do we transform into a valuable player? How do we redefine ourselves? This journey involves every partner. In a conventional setup, the Apple Store requires five people behind the counter, each with a fragment of the answer. True transformation means integrating these roles to provide a cohesive and comprehensive customer experience.

We call my organization SWIT, which stands for Software & IT. We need to invest in both product functionality and software, and in IT systems. Only then can we tell an end-to-end story.

What does digital transformation mean for meeting rooms?

Philippe – The world of work has probably changed more in the last 5 years than in the 50 years before. Previously unimagined ways of working from home, working in the office and everything in between are now the expected norm. 59% of employees say that some form of hybrid working is their preferred work model, while 20% would even prefer to work fully remote.

In-person meetings, however, have always been at the heart of a company, fostering the all-important culture that gets the best out of people, personally and professionally. That’s why 55% of employees agree important presentations should still be given in person. 

As a global leader in meeting room technology, we believe that when people meet, something magical happens. We see it as our duty to make joining and participating in a meeting a positive experience and a smooth process. Ensuring people love meeting should, above all, be the goal of a purposeful workspace.

For IT managers, however, room setups can sometimes be complex. That’s why investing in user-friendly and intuitive video conferencing solutions is paramount. That includes having a uniform screen and connection setup, easy internet connection for users and guests, and one single software user interface. Also, the physical workspace should provide easy-to-use tools that seamlessly integrate with virtual platforms. This way, remote and on-site employees can connect, communicate, and collaborate effortlessly and seamlessly, enhancing their productivity and teamwork.

In Barco Control Rooms, our value propositions are clearly defined, and we occupy a distinct position alongside our partners. The challenge is different in the realm of meeting rooms, where we stand shoulder to shoulder with other industry giants. Do we merely adopt a commodified stance towards their functionalities, or can we uncover untapped opportunities to deliver value?

And the latter is the intention?

Philippe – Indeed, the latter is our aim. Without a doubt.