What Does A CIOs Need To Know About Digital Transformation?

by Felicien | Jul 12, 2017 | Education

CIOs need to take the lead on creating enterprise digital transformation that leverages the power of cloud-first solutions, such as Microsoft Office 365.
Office 365 is one of the largest things to happen to business enterprises since the launch of Salesforce. With over 85 million users, Office 365 is a global force that is helping companies boost productivity, while simultaneously reducing the burdens felt by IT departments. As Microsoft seeks to continue its digital transformation, CIOs need to be prepared to rethink how they can use the platform to their advantage, while simultaneously rethinking the architecture required to get the most out of Office 365.
Why Do CIOs Need To Pay Attention To Office 365?
As a CIO, it is your job to lead your company’s digital transformation. This means that you must take into account your current and future needs by asking “is your network ready?” The use of Office 365 can transform your IT infrastructure by moving users away from desktop solutions, while also migrating the LAN to the cloud. The latter migrations can result in an increase of Internet-bound traffic by as much as 40 percent. To effectively leverage the benefits of this transformation, you must determine if your network is ready for a cloud-centric approach.
Preparing your network is made easier when you take into account the following factors:

Your system must be ready to move from a LAN based network to a WAN-based network.
Firewalls, Internet gateways, and proxies must be prepared for the migration.
You must do more than simply upgrade central gateways and increase bandwidth.

Through a flexible approach, you can redesign and restructure your network to support Office 365. However, to do this, you must look for information beyond your network. As CIO, it is your job to design, strategize, analyze, and implement your company’s digital transformation strategy. This means that you must recognize that your internal network will not typically be equipped to provide the optimal user experience when using Office 365 to its full potential. As such, you must accept that the open Internet can provide the network solution that you need to create a new, secure corporate network that is beneficial to your users.
Keep in mind that the decision to become a cloud-based or cloud-first architecture is not one that should be made from the top down. In other words, as CIO it is your job to coordinate your teams to discuss the networking, security, application support, risk, compliance factors that must be considered before a migration can be completed. Don’t let your teams fall back on traditional solutions that will slow down and complicate your digital transformation. Instead, grasp innovation by the horns to ensure that you have the technologies, controls, support, and digital practices needed to deliver benefits to your entire enterprise.
Speaking of benefits, before you balk at the thought of redesigning your network’s architecture, take a moment to explore the benefits of Office 365.

By restructuring your network to support Office 365, you can move away from the legacy architectures and promote digital transformational growth.
You can more easily scale your enterprise IT infrastructure to more readily meet evolving business needs.
Office 365 is designed to bring about positive digital transformations that will benefit the entire company.
Security is no longer dependent solely on internal network solutions; instead, a wider source can be deployed to strengthen cloud-based security applications.
Improved collaboration amongst employees is made easier (especially when employees are dispersed across locations or working remotely).
Increased productivity for users who need to work on multiple devices.
Enhanced opportunities for mobile usage, as well as easier setup, maintenance, and security.
Through the cloud-based solution, resources are freed up so that they can be strategically allocated.

The Bottom Line: Office 365 Can Help CIOs Complete Digital Transformations
It is clear that Office 365 provides countless benefits to any enterprise looking to continue their digital transformations. However, the issue that many companies encounter is the cost benefit. To ensure that the cost of equipment upgrades and network infrastructure enhancements do not surpass budget allocations, enterprises need to account for cost efficiency measures. In this vein, a transition to a cloud-first strategy is made easier when you work with a team of experts who have successfully deployed Office 365 enterprise solutions.
By working with the right individuals, you can ensure that you avoid the challenges of other enterprises, who have chosen to rely solely on internal networks during their digital transformation. Instead, you can leverage the power of Office 365 as a catalyst to increase user collaboration, improve productivity levels, streamline communications, and create the infrastructure needed for continued business growth. To discover how Office 365 can be successfully implemented within your enterprise contact {company} located in {city} via {email} or {phone}.

Lifelong Learning is Our Competitive Advantage in the Automation Age, Here’s Why

by Felicien | Jul 12, 2017 | Education

Our focus on lifelong learning ensures your business stays ahead; learn how automation is impacting jobs and why education matters so much in a variety of industries, from finance to healthcare.  

New innovations are changing the way brands in all verticals do business, taking a lifelong learning approach to technology can help organizations and individuals stay up to date and make the most of these emerging abilities. A recent paper from the University of Oxford highlights the plight of many professions today – the fear that jobs will not be enhanced, but replaced by technology and computerization.
Researchers predicted that some occupations will be more impacted than others and that they could be 100% automated within the next two decades. Some of the hardest hit industries on professions include:

Bookkeepers
Tax Preparers
Cargo and Freight Agents
Watch and jewelry repair
Insurance claims adjusters and underwriters
Mathematicians (not including teachers)
Telemarketers and call center agents
Title agents and examiners

While this research is still in its infancy, it showcases the occupations and industries that are most likely to be impacted by automation. A few other studies back up these findings:

Wharton School of Business researchers predict that about 47% of the jobs in all developed nations will evolve or disappear entirely in the next 25 years; this figure covers both manual labor and white collar occupations as well.
Over at the McKinsey Global Institute, experts predict that more short-term changes are likely and that roles for humans will change, but not disappear entirely. At our current rate of automation, about 5 percent of all jobs will be automated in the next decade.
Computing giant IBM recently revealed Watson, a machine learning system that can answer questions and complete tasks in a very human-like way. Watson is disrupting the CPA business in a variety of ways; income tax giant H&R Block used Watson to prepare tax returns at 10,000 different locations across the nation.

While the most recent studies and innovations don’t totally agree on scope, they do agree that things are changing and in flux when it comes to jobs and automation. We’re committed to lifelong learning and to make the most of these new innovations for our clients.
So Now What?
All the advances in automation are a mixed bag for impacted professions; certainly, those in the finance and insurance fields need to be aware of and ready to adapt to new skills and automated workflow processes. Focusing on learning and expanding your talents now could pay off as automation continues to change the way businesses handle workflow and projects.
Lifelong Learning is Our Competitive Advantage in the Automation Age, Here’s Why
Learning Gives You a Competitive Edge
Learning new skills and to handle new and emerging technology gives both individuals and business owners a valuable edge in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Enhancing your existing skills with additional knowledge and abilities improves your marketability and allows you to be agile, even in a crowded market. You do not have to become an IT expert or learn a single line of code to efficiently and effectively use automation to your advantage.
By incorporating automation and machine learning into your existing workflow and processes, you are not giving up your role, you’re enhancing it. At the most basic level, automation is designed to handle those repetitive, mundane tasks that a human operator won’t enjoy or perform consistently and accurately. Automation still requires a human element to oversee processes, make real-time decisions and handle projects; it simply enhances your abilities, provides you with more, better data and the details you need to perform your job well.
Ancillary Skills Complement your Core Strengths
You already have an incredible set of skills – and so do your team members. Learning about automation and learning to use the power of machine learning to your benefit can only enhance your existing skills. For business owners, that means building a more computer savvy, efficient team that can complete more projects in less time. For individuals, that means developing critical skills that enhance your marketability and value to employers and ensure you always have options.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving are Enhanced by Lifelong Learning
Automated AI and machine learning bring a lot to the table, but at the end of the day, they can’t replace humans when it comes to making strategic decisions. Logic skills, problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking are always going to be useful and in style, no matter how many machines can crunch data and handle mundane tasks. Focusing on building these core skills can enhance your abilities and ensure you are ready to deal with the data and opportunity that a machine learning setup can provide.
{company} is all about lifelong learning; our commitment to our clients extends far beyond today’s needs. We’ve already created customized solutions that take advantage of the best of AI for our customers and work hard to serve your needs. Join us as we look ahead to the future and work together to create a forward-thinking environment that is beneficial for us all. Contact us to learn what recent innovations in automation can do for you and how we can help you revolutionize your approach to projects and workflow.

Why Technology Could Help Auto Dealerships Attract the Right People

by Felicien | Jul 11, 2017 | Education

This is a short article exploring how auto dealerships can benefit from the use of technology. There are numerous ways for these types of businesses to use technology to expand their reach.  

Today, Millenials are amongst the most valuable customers for any business. According to a recent study, Millenials are spending about $2000 billion ever year. To get a share of this money, you will have to entice them with technology. Here are a few examples of why I think technology is a great way to attract more customers to the business.
Using Apps Helps to Keep Customers Interested.
As the saying goes, out of sight out of mind. Most millennials today get a huge chunk of their services from just tapping their mobile devices. If you want to attract customers to your business, you need to be in front of their faces all the time. A nice way to achieve this is by having an app developed for your auto dealership. The app could then be used to send alerts about new vehicles or new deals. This could make your dealership more attractive than other dealerships.
Being Able to Target Only the Right Customers.
The digital age has made it possible for marketing campaigns to target only clients that have a high chance of converting. This is contrary to traditional means that target a broad range of customers with the hope that a few interested customers will see the ad. This trial and error method can sometimes lead to many wasted resources. Besides that, there is usually no way of verifying if the ads have reached the intended audience.
For instance, most digital marketing firms have tools that allow them to analyze data and send out personalized ads. The ads will be edited to contain the name of the individual and present them with only vehicles that they are likely to purchase based on past online activities.
The sophisticated technology allows for highly targeted marketing that can help to increase sales, even for a small dealership. One of the major benefits of such a system will be reduced costs as marketers gain insight into the behavior of potential customers.
The Use of Technology by Dealerships is Still Highly Unexploited.
Most experts that make use of digital mediums is quite untapped by most dealerships; they still prefer to use traditional means to reach customers. One of the ways technology is being used in commerce is in Customer Relationship Management. It is a model that helps companies to have meaningful interactions with their clients with the aim of attracting and winning over new customers. This process also entails enticing old customers to come back. In general, it is an excellent way to boost profits without having to spend so much on advertising. Technology and the web have given companies new tools for use on CRM in ways that would have been unimaginable a few years back.
Making Purchases Easy.
The world is moving fast towards mobile payment acceptance. It is thus a surprise that more than half of all businesses in America do not accept credit cards. No doubt, there are some dealerships, which have this practice. Failing to accept credit cards will probably lead to some friction with customers.
It is estimated that businesses lose an estimated $100 billion in revenue because of this. Businesses have to be more open to new methods of payment if they want to attract customers. While the credit card fees can be a significant deterrent, the sheer losses justify being able to provide customers with a great buying experience.
In short, a business that is able to use technology to simplify the purchase process can make a lot of money from more customers. It is quite easy to invest in technology that is used for automated payments. Insisting on using the old methods of payments will contribute to much less business for any auto dealership.
Technology Can Help to Develop a Royalty Program.
It is not just about being able to attract new customers. A business also needs to be able to retain old ones. However, that cannot be possible without the use of technology. You will need to collect massive amounts of data and have the means to analyze it. That way, when an old customer comes back, they will be immediately flagged, and you can give them a small token. You can also send notices in their emails about special deals. No doubt, they will tell their friends about it. Over time, you will find more customers coming to do business with you because of this.
Use Social Media to Target the Right People.
Social media sites collect numerous Metadata from their customer that is valuable to any advertiser. The data can be used for highly targeted ads that are not possible with any other medium. Through this medium, advertisers can target people even by special occasions. Not only that, it allows the auto dealership to showcase their products for no charge on the social site. If you are lucky, you could create a viral post that could potentially reach billions of people. The possibilities of social media are many and under-exploited by most business owners. However, ensure you get an expert to do it for you to avoid making any mistakes.
Create Engaging Websites.
Today, technology has made it possible to create websites that are used for more than just talking about the dealership. With the right developers, the dealership can create an engaging website that is also informative. As people come to the site to look for accurate information, the dealership is able to use that as an opportunity to sell to them.
Conclusion.
Technology goes hand in hand with innovation. Learning how to make good use of it is what will determine who succeeds and who fails. To be successful in the use of technology, a dealership will need to be proactive. It will also need to be in the know at all times about technological innovations.

8 Ways You Can Upgrade IT Security Without a Big Budget Shift

by Felicien | Jul 11, 2017 | Education

The Continuous Evolution of Digital Strategy

by Felicien | Jul 10, 2017 | Education

Digital strategy today requires the flexibility to create without barriers while looking for collaborators in a variety of unlikely places.

The world has a strong history of revolution — industrial revolutions, that is. This time around, the driving force for change is not how to do things faster or more efficiently. Instead, Industry 4.0 is all about collaboration between intelligently connected things. Artificial intelligence, deep learning, sensors, and devices, as well as human interaction, are driving change, but what is really surprising is that not only are partners collaborating but that competitors are doing the same. This era of diverse teams and things working in concert is paving the way for entirely new digital strategies and opportunities, and businesses are lining up to take part in co-creation with others.
Empowering Leaders
Today, it’s nearly essential to wait for a perfected digital strategy before you launch a new initiative. Instead, it’s important that all leaders are empowered to allow their teams to creatively work together to drive transformation — even as they’re still hammering out the details on the plan. While this approach can feel uncomfortable for some individuals, encouraging critical leadership to accelerate change will support a more fluid strategy that can weather the changes on the horizon. Many digital strategies are multi-year, but with the speed of change in today’s business and technology world, that timing is difficult if not impossible to sustain. By the time a strategy is fully-executed, the technology and customer needs are likely to have changed significantly. If your leaders are not allowed to be creative and nimble in responding to customer needs, you’ll find that your business is left behind while smaller and more flexible competitors gain market share.
Driving Sustainable Innovation
Today’s organizations thrive by being able to adapt to change, but it’s important that change is introduced sustainably to limit staff frustration and a feeling of overwhelm. Technology is evolving at a breakneck pace in all directions, but that doesn’t mean your organization needs to follow all the various trails. Instead, look for ways that you can drive sustainable innovation throughout your company — or things that will provide unique value to your customers or to your employees. For a consumer packaged goods company, this could mean a new production methodology that involves IoT (Internet of Things) as a way to interact more efficiently on the production line while skipping an update that allows you real-time interaction with customers. Although it might be really cool to be able to engage with their clients on a real-time basis to see how they’re using your products, you may receive a bigger bang for your buck with an updated production mechanism. Sustainable innovation means having the focus to see which particular changes will drive your organization forward, and which may be simply distractions.
Embracing Customer Connectivity
Customers today are more vocal than ever, but is your organization able to welcome and hear what they’re saying? Social listening tools and advanced sentiment analysis can provide valuable insight into the direction your business should shift to keep up with changing customer needs. It’s no longer enough to launch an annual customer survey on the state of your business; instead, you should be continually gathering feedback via surveys, direct response questions and through your customer service department. Advanced CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools allow you to link together interactions with individuals clients to form an omnichannel representation of their interaction with your brand.
Becoming a Learning Organization
Doing things the way they’ve always been done is no longer an option if your business wants to remain competitive. The world is changing with incredible rapidity, and the only way to hope to keep up us to becoming a learning organization. Host regular learning opportunities for your teams, and encourage other leaders and workers to do the same. Reach out to vendor partners and even competitors to see what you can learn from each other. This could be as simple as requesting that your teams find new mobile apps from competitors and test them out to see what they could learn, to as complex as creating testbeds within your organization.
Impact to Digital
Digital platforms are also shifting, but the beauty of cloud-based computing is that your business may be able to take advantage of the latest and greatest technology without a massive upfront capital investment. With ongoing software license costs going down, and constant upgrades becoming the norm, the impact to digital is significant but not overwhelming. Think how challenging it may be to your business to have to completely replace your organization’s core operating software every 18 months? What about if you could simply receive continual, smaller updates that get you new functionality on an ongoing basis instead? The difference between a steady and gentle infusion of new tech versus a massive upheaval to your business with a new platform is often appealing to small- to medium-sized businesses.
There is no one-size-fits-all digital strategy, but there are ways that your organization can continue to grow by listening to your customers, being thoughtful in your interactions, and never forgetting how to learn. As platforms gain complexity on the backend, customers are looking for a simple solution — which can be incredibly difficult to deliver in a meaningful way online. At {company}, we actively look for ways to support your {city} organization in your digital transformation goals. Contact us today via email to {email} or call our professional team at {phone}.