Real-Time Economy - the rise of Internet Native Economies
The world is witnessing a shift towards a real-time economy (RTE), where speed, efficiency, and interoperability are paramount. How can INOs facilitate this?
The world is witnessing a shift towards a real-time economy (RTE), where speed, efficiency, and interoperability are paramount.
In other words, real-time economy seeks to change the business environment and relations with the state so that administrative burden lessens and management activities can happen automatically in the background.
The Ministry of Public Affairs and Communication of Estonia has released a document showcasing the vision for RTE from 2020-2027. The document mentions that Estonian businesses lose money and productivity due to time-consuming administrative tasks. RTE solutions, such as e-invoices, e-receipts, and real-time data processing, have the potential to save significant time and money.
For instance, a study in 2020 estimated that RTE could save over 14 million man-hours and 200 million euros annually in Estonia. Switching to e-invoices alone could save over 100 million euros per year. Companies could reinvest these cost savings to expand their operations. In the public sector, funds saved through RTE implementation could improve citizen services, increase wages in critical sectors like education, and stimulate economic growth.
From the wider world, the AI Index Report from Stanford University, published in 2023, underscores this journey, revealing a significant 30% surge in digital collaboration across companies, organizations, platforms, and services.
This growth is attributed to the expanding realm of automated systems, marking a pivotal moment in pursuing reliable interrelational partnerships. Recognizing this dynamic environment and the escalating demand for automated and decentralized solutions, initiatives are emerging to navigate this paradigm shift. In the quest for a more dynamic and efficient economic landscape, the emergence of the real-time economy has caught the attention of many.
At the forefront of this evolution are Internet-native organizations, which are digital and automated by nature. More specifically, Internet-native organizations are powered by blockchain technology, which already includes the potential to revolutionize traditional business models, streamline processes, and enhance decision-making in real-time. That power is yet untapped due to the newness of these concepts in mainstream business. This article aims to shine a light on how Internet-native organizations align with the values of the real-time economy.
Connecting the dots
Internet native organizations (INOs) represent an organizational structure where blockchain technology facilitates the majority of business administration processes. This means that administrative burden is abstracted away, leaving more time for other activities.
Unlike traditional centralized entities, INOs operate on a decentralized and transparent framework, employing smart contracts to automate decision-making. Governed by a consensus of their members, each holding a stake in the decision-making process, INOs require a paradigm shift in organizational dynamics.
The important link to the real-time economy lies in the immutability and easy verification blockchain technology provides. Already, various blockchain tracking tools allow real-time monitoring of decentralized autonomous organizations. However, the current challenge lies in bridging the gap between businesses' operational realities and official registries' formal requirements.
INOs and Real-Time Decision Making
The essence of the real-time economy is in rapid and informed decision-making, where data about the current state of a business is reflected directly to different registries and other entitled third parties. Internet-native organizations excel in this environment by enabling swift and transparent decision-making processes through the following mechanisms:
Onboarding: INOs seek to facilitate seamless and digital role-based onboarding processes where necessary information can be directly reflected in business registries. Depending on their needs, people will be onboarded to organizations and given roles and access levels. It is possible to integrate know your customer and digital identity solutions to such platforms, allowing for more vital organizational changes to be reflected in a trusted and verifiable way.
Instant Online Voting: INOs empower members to vote on proposals in real-time using blockchain, agreeing on various matters. Blockchain-based votes are inherently machine-readable and easily verifiable, laying the foundation for interconnected services where decisions made by a business seamlessly integrate with registries in real-time.
Automated Governance: Smart contracts on blockchain technology form the backbone of automated governance processes within INOs. These contracts ensure that decisions are executed without delays, reducing bureaucracy and enhancing organizational agility. Smart contracts go beyond INOs and can enhance any digital contracts by ensuring instant deployment when conditions are met.
Challenges and solutions
Challenges persist, such as the need to bridge the gap between traditional business practices and the innovative potential of INOs. While INOs hold tremendous promise for the real-time economy, addressing these challenges requires a shift in mindset and a commitment to embracing the transformative nature of decentralized, blockchain-powered decision-making. One primary hurdle lies in the existing legal and regulatory frameworks, which are often designed for centralized entities and need help to keep pace with the decentralized and global nature of INOs.
Additionally, while powerful, reliance on smart contracts introduces concerns related to security vulnerabilities and the potential for human errors. Furthermore, the persistence of conventional business communication methods, such as email and PDF files for activities like invoicing, underscores the need for a significant shift in mindset and business habits to fully unlock the benefits of the real-time economy.
Addressing the challenges inherent in Internet-native organizations (INOs) requires a multifaceted approach. Specifically, targeting issues related to member onboarding, contract management, regulatory compliance transparency, and governance is important.
Our goal is to build open-source tools to empower INOs and other entities to seamlessly navigate these challenges. The solution involves merging technical expertise with legal insights, thereby laying the groundwork for a more efficient, secure, and legally compliant Internet-native organizational flow. This approach aligns with Estonia's 2030 digitalization goals and contributes to the broader objectives of the real-time economy by streamlining data reporting and fostering innovative collaboration across borders.
Conclusion
Internet-native organizations represent an evolution in the business landscape from many different angles. The people-centric, transparent, and automated nature aligns ideally with the principles of a real-time economy.
As blockchain technology continues to mature and regulatory frameworks adapt, INOs are set to play an important role in shaping the future of economic interactions, enabling efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity in the ever-evolving global marketplace.
Used source:
- No more digital garbage: real-time economy to streamline transactions and services - e-Estonia
- What is real-time economy? | Real-time economy (realtimeeconomy-bsr.eu)
- Real-Time Economy | Estonian Association of Information Technology and Telecommunications (itl.ee)
- https://docplayer.net/221493983-Real-time-economy-vision.html