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Funtime Friday: Game of Thrones Edition

Appian Contributor
August 5, 2016

Your Business is Westeros.

Does that mean anything to you? If you're a Game of Thrones fan, it should.

For those newbies to the fantastic HBO show, based on the epic series of novels by George R.R. Martin, here's a quick primer. Go read it...we'll be right here when you're done.

And for everyone else?Aren't you having Game of Thrones withdrawal?

I sure am. I need some Westeros in my life!

My colleague Tori and I were talking about this the other day...There is so much of the digital world in GoT!

I know...you wouldn't think it, considering the story takes place in an era described as perhaps late medieval times...perhaps 15th century.

So anyway, here's how our conversation went down:

Dalton: All right, I admit it. I'm having Game of Thrones withdrawal. I need some Westeros in my life!

Victoria: I'm so glad you said something! I cannot wait until next season for some GoT action!

Dalton: Well the only logical thing to do at this point is to tie in GoT to the digital world. That could be super fun, eh?

Victoria:Hah! What a great idea! Maybe we can even post it as a Funtime Friday blog! I'll go first:Night's Watch Shield

To join the ranks of the Night's Watch (the fierce band of soldiers that protect the GoT universe from danger beyond the Wall) you need little-to-no training or experience. But yet, you still have the ability and potential to rise to the highest ranks, ultimately reaching the level of Lord Commander.

This reminds me of the idea of low-code...well I guess, no-code! You don't need any technical experience to build fully functional apps with no-code. And those enterprise applications you build? Ultimately, they can become among the greatestassets to your organization!

Dalton: Oh man! You set the bar high, Tori! Now I've got to follow that up with something better? Okay, here's mine:

The ravens in Westerosare responsible for communicating between the lords and ladies are a medieval version of the Internet of Things. Their job is to create a network which enables messages to flow freely between the Seven Kingdoms. In the same way, the Internet of Things is focused on a network of interconnected devices relaying information through a constant stream.

Victoria:Whoa! Thesecomparisons are fantastic! Oh! what aboutÖ

Varys, arguably one of the most strategic characters on the show, gets all the inside scoop and easily adapts to whoever is currently ruling over Westeros. Just like Varys, agile processes allow for real-time data gathering and collaboration. And, they're flexible enough to adapt to changing environmental needs and requirements.

Dalton: Always love me some good Varys talk. That character is so compelling! OK...I'm gonna bring down the hammer with onefinal comparison!

House Targaryen ShieldCloud BPM technology and mobile configuration are Daenerys. That's right, a new force ready to come in and overtake the old way of life. They are looking to become the standard sooner rather than later and are gaining a lot of support at lightning speed. Okay, one may have dragons, but what is a fire-breathing winged beast when you've got the ability to operate across multiple platforms? Take that, mother of dragons.

Victoria: Man, that really quenched my thirst for Game of Thrones talk, who knew there were so many similarities between Westeros and the digital world?! And while we have to wait another year for GOT to return, agile digital business processmanagement ishere.


So what do YOU think?

Got any good Game of Thrones comparisons to digital transformation capabilities?

Please share them!

Dalton Scanlon and Victoria Ebel