Design for the 99%, Monitor the 1%

With my over three decades in the oil & gas industry, and now championing AI and ESG-led transformation, one principle continues to shape the way I lead and build systems:

Design for the 99% but always monitor the 1%.

Designing for the 99% means building intuitive, efficient, and scalable systems that serve the needs of the majority, the daily operations, the regular users, the expected flow. It’s about clarity, accessibility, and speed.

But within the 1% lies the risk, that rare but critical system failure, market shock, anomaly, or compliance gap. That’s where resilience is tested and leadership is measured.

However, here’s my key learning: Don’t overcomplicate or add unnecessary steps for the 1% that end up hurting the 99%. Build smart monitoring, automation, and escalation paths, not roadblocks for the majority.

Designing for the 99% means building systems that serve the everyday needs of the majority. It’s about being practical, efficient, and reliable.

But it’s in the 1% edge cases where real risk and real insight lives. Ignoring this can cost you operations, customer trust, and long-term sustainability.

Here are some use cases where this principle has made all the difference:

✅ Fuel Retail Network

We design fuel stations for daily high-volume traffic (the 99%) but deployed real-time monitoring for leak detection, fuel loss, and unusual downtime (the 1%).

✅ Customer Loyalty Programs & Engagement

We design rewards programs that are easy and engaging for 99% of your customers, simple mechanics, real-time rewards, and mobile accessibility.

But monitor the 1% for fraud, reward abuse, or unusual redemption patterns through AI-driven analytics without complicating the user journey for the loyal majority

✅ Back-office Automation

While 99% of processes run smoothly with RPA, that 1% exception, a failed transaction, unmatched balance, or suspicious entry is what we watch like a hawk, using predictive analytics and escalation paths.

✅ Asset and Facilities Management Systems

Smart Facilities Management System handles the Preventive maintenance routine operations (99%), but IoT and AI flag abnormal heat, vibration, or energy usage patterns (1%) to prevent breakdowns and reduce downtime.

✅ ESG and Compliance

Reporting platforms make it easy for most users (99%), while advanced analytics flag data inconsistencies or high-risk indicators (1%) for deeper audit and correction.

✅ EV Charging Infrastructure

We are building our charging stations for normal weather conditions, but we engineered safeguards for extreme typhoons and flooding in the Philippines, designing redundancy, elevated platforms, and offline fallback modes.

Design for scale. Monitor for safety. Optimize for trust.

At RXS Meta Group, we don’t just build for today, we build for what could go wrong tomorrow. And that’s what keeps us ahead.