Category: Technology

How Is AI Changing the Game For HR?

With Artificial Intelligence (AI) making sweeping reforms in every aspect of a business, it comes as no surprise that Human Resources have discovered just how beneficial this technology can be. From talent acquisition to policy planning, payroll engagement efforts,  and reporting, AI recruitment is enabling businesses to save time and costs, increase productivity and improve accuracy.

This blog will discuss 3 ways in which AI has proved to be a game-changer in HR.

1. Selecting and Training Employees

Hiring the right employee and ensuring that he is a good fit in the organization is a fundamental tenet of success in business. Let’s consider the hiring process. AI recruitment can surpass biases, eliminate manual and machine limitations, and enhance the screening process by better identifying skills gaps and selecting candidates that have the highest potential for success.

Dr. Jeremy Nunn, Founder, and Director of Workmetrics, a leader in workforce software say: “Thanks to AI, organizations are able to better grade and rank qualifications during the screening process, develop candidate profiles, interact with job candidates and quickly reach out to the best ones before other companies take action.” Consider the hours of work that this will save for recruiters!  

AI can also enhance existing technologies and refine the application process. In an earlier blog, we had talked about how the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is Transforming Hiring Norms. AI can further enhance these technologies in several ways. For example, instead of the ATS relying only on a set of manually entered keywords to qualify a resume, AI helps the system look beyond the keywords and understand the concept behind the requirement. Deep Learning, Sentiment Analysis, Predictive Analysis, and other AI concepts can be used to enhance the candidate screening and qualifying process. 

AI recruitment technology has also proved its mettle in the training and development of existing employees. It has the ability to get an overview of the entire workforce at once and automatically analyze the skills in each employee. It can then match these skills to the organization’s objectives and provide insights into specific areas for improvement and recommend the most effective training for each employee. 

2. Improve Employee Experience 

Improving the overall experiences of the employee with the company through every touchpoint is now made possible with AI technology. AI can enhance factors that affect an employee’s experience like compensation, communication, opportunities to grow and much more. 

Let’s consider Compensation Benchmarking for example. The traditional benchmarking strategy based on titles doesn’t cut it anymore, because the functions performed under a title is seldom the same across different companies or even across departments. AI recruitment overcomes this issue by processing large amounts of employee-level responsibility data and providing accurate comparisons between employees through machine learning models. This helps businesses identify and accurately compensate employees with similar responsibilities and caliber. 

Another important aspect of employee experience is access to information and communication. Discussing a survey by ServiceNow, their HR Evangelist & Transformation Leader Jennifer Stroud says: “30 percent of survey respondents said they want functionality that mimics Google to easily search for answers to their questions as well as policies and other critical company information.”

Conversational AI for the HR system will help in this regard. AI-powered programs including chatbots can be used to provide employees with instant answers to their questions right from the onboarding process. Access to basic training modules, guidelines on business ethics and conduct and other information can also be provided this way. Chatbots can govern access to documents based on the employee’s title and other factors. Natural language processing (NLP) has been vital in the success of conversational AI. 

Content personalization by using predictive analytics has also been instrumental in enhancing the employee experience by recommending the most suited professional development programs and career paths for each employee. 

3. Critical Decision Making

With data-backed insights and intelligent recommendation engines, AI can help solve persistent HR challenges. By aligning functions of HR to the overall business strategy and organizational goals, AI helps HR managers come to the right decisions that will be beneficial to the organization in the long run.  

In the context of strategic HR decisions, the role of AI in Manpower Planning and Productivity Management is gaining recognition. Let’s consider the measurement of productivity of the Sales Function as an example. Traditionally, this has been measured by the achievement of targets. This, however, rules out considerations of missed opportunity or optimal revenue extracted from the market. AI helps in this regard by providing an overall analysis of the market, the competition and runs comparisons with the skills, attitude, and effort of the sales professional. Drawing this data from CRM, accounting, Geo-position tracking, sales logs and more is no easy task but is achievable by AI. 

Transforming HR with AI

Although two-thirds of CEOs say AI will drive significant value in HR, only 11% of CHROs say that their organization has the skills to implement it. Don’t let your business be one of the 11%. Give us a call and let’s make AI happen for you. 

A Guide for AI-Enhancing Your Existing Business Application

How To Leverage A Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure For A Positive Business Outcome

The modern IT world has Hybrid IT transformations happening every single day. Different enterprises have infrastructure and applications from different vendors. These applications when crossing through clouds are weighed down significantly by enormous amounts of data. The proprietary tools gathered from various vendors do not communicate with each other either. Here comes the need for integrating advanced infrastructure and management to bring the clouds together. This is called Hybrid Cloud management (HCM).

Why Consider A Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure For Your Enterprise?

Most organizations are skeptical of going public or private cloud especially when it comes to dealing with sensitive data. 

A private cloud, also known as an enterprise cloud, is a model of cloud computing where IT services are rendered over a private IT infrastructure. This is dedicated to the use of a single organization and is managed through internal resources. On the other hand, a public cloud is a computing service model that renders storage and computational services via the Internet to the public users. Public cloud is what is referred to as ‘Cloud Computing’ generally. 

Features Of A Good Cloud Management Solution

A good cloud management system should facilitate as a bridge between the private and public cloud infrastructures. The role of a great HCM (Hybrid Cloud Management) platform is unifying and streamlining the cross-cloud activities of the Hybrid IT infrastructure, applications, and all of its associated services. 

The existing Hybrid Cloud Management tools are classified into 3 major categories such as the following:

• Cloud and Service Fabric – For provisioning, deploying, and managing public/ private cloud resources.
• Service Management – For optimization of cloud services.
• Application/ Infrastructure Management – For provisioning, deploying, and managing of various business applications as well as cloud services. 

The following are the key benefits leveraged from an effective Hybrid cloud management platform:

• Improved Analytics – Obtaining an insight into the minutest of details is essential in every multi-cloud environment. All operational concerns, gathering information on underutilized assets, making effective resource distribution, etc are made possible via a proper hybrid cloud management platform.
• Optimized Cost Management – The spending limits for various projects can be added via a great hybrid cloud management platform. It provides visibility into budgeting and controlling of various cloud resources, at a granular level. 
• Increased Efficiency – Hybrid cloud management platforms enable access to cloud resources for developers and users. This on-demand self-service access empowers users to be efficient and productive. For instance, activities such as resizing of assets, and reclaiming are made automated through a hybrid cloud management platform.

This is where a Hybrid solution is required. Hybrid cloud management is a process as well as a platform via which a hybrid cloud is managed. 

Cloud Management Platform: Why Is It Critical In Making A Hybrid Infrastructure

Amidst the pressing confusion of enterprises to choose between a private and public cloud infrastructure, the current environment involves the majority of businesses choosing a hybrid approach. 

A multitude of vendors sells cloud-based services based on customized requirements. In this scenario, the challenge with a hybrid cloud management platform is that they are puzzled about the deployment of a cohesive cloud management platform. This should provide a bridge amidst the public and private cloud infrastructures. 

Managing The Intersection Between Private And Public Clouds

In a private cloud, data resides in a hosted data center or the intranet of a firm. Here, all the data is protected behind a firewall. Businesses who can use their current infrastructure can benefit out of the private cloud strategy as they already have expensive data centers. However, since the entire management and maintenance of these data centers is taken care of by the enterprises, replacement of the servers can be a very costly affair. Private clouds, but, offer an increased level of security. 

The public cloud environment, on the other hand, stores data on the provider’s data center. The public cloud environment considerably reduces lead times in testing and in deploying services. 

The management of the intersection between the public and private clouds is thus necessary for the following key reasons:

1. Relying On Multiple Cloud Vendors: Handling Management Complexity

Different vendors provide unique platforms and services with a different set of rules. Relying on multiple cloud vendors can thus make management a daunting process. For instance, access management becomes a complex process when there are different services deployed by multiple vendors. It is hence important to partner with a single managed service provider to create a hybrid cloud management platform by taking various critical factors like the above mentioned into account. 

2. Concerns Of Security Threats And Breaches

An enterprise or an internal cloud environment stores its data in a single place. Unlike this approach of a private or an on-premise cloud, a hybrid cloud environment does not require to reside in a single place. This can lead to security or compliance breaches. 

Businesses must learn where their data is hosted physically to avoid potential threats. This can be accomplished by an effective hybrid cloud management platform where the insights are provided across multiple cloud landing regions.

3. Cloud Computing And The Dangers Of Shadow IT

Shadow IT arises from two main cloud solution features, namely external hosting of solutions and the pay-as-you-go feature. IT-related risks such as those associated with data security, disaster recovery, data privacy, and system reliability, etc rise from the former. The latter gives rise to risks associated with the financial aspects of cloud deployment. This by-passing of the in-house IT as a whole leads to security and compliance issues. 

An effective hybrid cloud management strategy is thus the solution for preventing such risks and managing the platform proactively. 

Future Of Hybrid Cloud Management

By the year 2020, Gartner forecasts that 90% of enterprises will adopt the hybrid cloud infrastructure. Incorporation of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and automation into hybrid cloud platforms will continue to create technological breakthroughs. 

Vendor collaboration is seen as the next big strong feature of hybrid cloud management. 

With the support of the right partner, your business can optimize your cloud investment strategy to reap desired outcomes. Call our experts right away to learn more about how you can make the best out of your hybrid infrastructure with a cloud management platform!

How Logistics Companies Can Gain Competitive Advantage with Customized Software Solutions?

Fluctuating consumer demands, increasing client requirements, and complex business models are posing critical challenges for logistics companies today. According to predictions made earlier this year, two major drawbacks are to be witnessed in the industry.

With drastic changes hovering over the logistics industry, the players are bound to stay equipped with the emerging technology trends, or they might get caught off guard. While its turning imperative for logistics companies to transform with smarter technologies, the question of whether to choose a custom software or an off-the-shelf package still lingers in many minds.

Why Choosing Customized Solutions Over Packaged Software Considered Profitable In Logistics? 

Purchasing an off-the-shelf software would sound comparatively simple, stress-free and time-effective. But in the long run, it’s always a custom-built solution that pays off.

Most packaged logistics software, although sophisticated and deployed of disruptive technologies, pose standard solutions for the industry as a whole. Of course, they solve the major supply chain hassles. But with every business, possessing unique procedures, workflows, and objectives, “not everyone fits the same mold”.

So what happens when you choose a packaged software solution for your logistics business?

1. A packaged software often comes with hordes of features. This sure sounds exciting at the beginning. But when you have to pay for more than you use, it sure isn’t a happy moment! Off-the-shelf software solutions are often crafted considering the large players of the industry. Their features focus on resolving the common challenges faced by these companies.

However, in a complex industry like logistics, it’s not always necessary for every company to face the same kind of issue. Hence, with packaged software being available as a whole for a single price, businesses usually end up wasting money on features they do not need. 

2. Off-the-shelf logistics software utilizes the latest and advanced technologies to cater to the complexities of an industry. But however, at times these sophisticated technologies complexes situations even further. For companies with basic knowledge on latest technologies, would definitely find it difficult to carry out operations successfully with a sophisticated system.

Moreover, they would have to spend extra time and money on training staff, which is not reasonable in a highly competitive industry like logistics. As mentioned before, with plenty of features, packaged solutions often prove to be less user-friendly and more complicated. 

3. Although packaged solutions solve a list of logistics hurdles, their features might not provide a complete automated solution. You might find a good Transportation Management System (TMS) that enables real-time tracking and automated reporting, but you might still have to communicate with your customers, and assigned drivers manually.

Also, an efficient packaged TMS system might have an integrated warehousing management system, but might not facilitate an appropriate billing system, leaving the need to adopt alternate transaction processing systems. Hence, in a nutshell, complete automation is often unattainable with packaged software solutions.

4. The most eminent reason to not opt for a packaged solution is that they are rigid. There is hardly any packaged software company that allows customization. It’s not only rare to find a packaged software that caters to all your business-specific needs, but it also proves to be non-scalable in the long run.

Growth in your business and changes in the market will bring about an increase in your technology requirements. This will result in the need for a solution that can be customized with your growing business necessities.  

Customized logistics software eliminates all the above-mentioned drawbacks of a packaged solution. Plus, it always comes with continuous technical assistance to simplify the technology transition in your company.

Let’s take a quick look at how a customized Transportation Management System can help you battle logistics challenges better.

Digital Transformation of a Logistics and Supply Chain Company – A Client Success Story

How A Customized TMS Can Enhance Your Supply Chain Efficiency?

Investing in a customized TMS can enable you to create an Uber-like platform for your logistics business. Integrating the latest in web and mobile application solutions, you can create a platform that completely streamlines your driver, client, and cash-flow management.

Enabling centralized data management, transparent billing, delivery match capabilities, along with real-time monitoring and customer insights capturing; a customized software solution can be framed to automate your entire end-to-end logistics operations. 

A custom-built mobile application can further enhance productivity with less paperwork, better transparency, easy communication, and improved customer engagement. Implementing a customized solution would also let you add in innovative features that help you automate critical tasks, improve team collaboration, and increase your overall company efficiencies.

Here is a shortlist of benefits that you can acquire with customized logistic software.

1. A customized software solution gives the advantage of integrating with smarter technologies to simplify the minute challenges faced by the industry. For instance, along with assigning and managing truck drivers, a logistics company also faces difficulties in maintaining and verifying driver documents. Integrating with smart apps like Camscanner can simplify these documentation verification complexities.

2. A logistics company with varying client needs might often find difficulties in choosing apt carriers for a given order. A customized solution gives you the benefit to add in features that simplifies such decision making by suggesting the best available carriers for the orders.

3. Although packaged solutions streamline drivers assignment and management, yet they blackout on some eminent functions that logistics companies struggle to maintain. For example, calculating the detention hours/rates of the drivers are likely the most critical task of a logistics company. Through a customized logistics software you can straighten such bends of the industry.

4. With customized logistics software, a logistic company can embrace a completely streamlined and user-friendly accounting system that generates automated invoices as well as tracks any misleads or accounting errors.

Customized logistics software can simplify your logistics operations more than you can imagine. If you are looking for a tech partner to help you add in these features and more to your logistics software, then you have landed on the right page.

Fingent is one of the leading custom software companies providing advanced and user-friendly web and mobile technology solutions for logistics businesses worldwide. Contact us today to know how our custom software solutions can enhance your business abilities.

Most Common Mistakes To Avoid While Implementing IoT

There are many pressing concerns about the possibilities of IoT in businesses. The most common is probably the question, “Is my business too small to adopt IoT practices?” However, as per the available statistics, the global IoT market is expected to reach $1.7T by the end of 2019.  It is surely not unnoticed that IoT implementation has helped businesses both big and small to drive growth and innovation.  

Making key errors while implementing IoT can however cause the entire business system to halt. These issues can be those related to device management, data flow across the organization, various partnerships involved, and so on. Security, scalability, cost involved, and the complexity of the system are other key factors.

Let us walk through the most common mistakes made while adopting IoT.

1. Security Concerns Associated With Technology Implementation

More than 80% of the senior executives in industries across the globe suggest that IoT implementation is crucial for positive business outcomes. Since more and more devices are connected to the global network, the highly sensitive data and applications require access restrictions to avoid any malpractices. For instance, the security scope needs to be end-to-end to support connected devices. 

An IoT implemented framework needs to be secure. The security concerns could be any of the following:

• An Insecure Web Interface
• Improper Authorization Techniques
• Privacy Issues
• Cloud Interface Insecurity 
• Insecurity In The Mobile Interface
• Insecurity In-Network Services
• Software Or Firmware Issues
• Lack Of Physical Security
• Lack Of Transport Encryption
• Issues In the Security Configuration

Poorly secured IoT devices and software make the IoT prone to cyber-attacks. End-to-end security is thus crucial for any IoT deployment. For instance, consider an Internet-connected car wash. Such devices use a default password. In this case, when a security concern arises, it also leads to a safety concern. 

The solution here is an external security audit of the implemented IoT device. This builds confidence to perform new IoT implementations as well. 

2. Not Being Aware Of The Critical Data Flow Forecasts

Not being able to forecast data volume can be one of the major mistakes in IoT implementation of devices and applications. According to EMC Research, the rate at which data is growing is exponential. It states that the volume of this data would be equivalent to 6.6 stacks of 128gb i-Pads which are fully-loaded, and will stretch from the Earth to the Moon!

Moreover, many businesses think that the more data they extract, the better it is for their business. Many a time, this misconception can lead to storage swelling of both structured as well as unstructured data. 

The solution is to ensure the proper working of the right IoT big data business strategy with a clear forecast on different factors. The factors could be the amount of network traffic, storage requirements, and so on. 

In case of an already existing functional data system, edge computing can be implemented to ensure intelligent pre-processing of data. 

Internet Of Things – Letting Industries Go Digital

3. Cost Factors Involved In Decision-Making Of IoT Implementation

According to recent statistics, cost savings have turned out to be the major IoT adoption criteria for over 54% of enterprises. Taking into account just the cost factor while deciding to implement IoT might turn out to be another major mistake. Various factors affect the cost of implementing IoT projects. Starting from the number of connections to the device, the type of technology used, to the type and features of the application to be loaded, there are many more. 

Hardware, let us say, is a major factor that affects the cost of IoT implementation. The cost of the IoT application is directly proportional to the number of devices used in the connection. Likewise, Infrastructure is another major factor that influences the cost of IoT projects. The infrastructure used could be wireless, middleware, or cloud-based. 

4. Lack Of Proper Plans For Device Updates And Replacements

A proper IoT device management is critical to ensure core compatibility of the IoT platform. Device reliability is the most important requirements to ensure an enterprise-ready platform. Device management operations include network, power states, device geolocation, and so on. 

Large volumes of data collection, transfer, storage, and utilization can result in malfunctioning of connected devices in the IoT ecosystem. Implementing an IoT platform enhances the integrity of connected devices. 

The solution to the pressing concern of planning can be solved through regular monitoring, diagnostics, software updates, and maintenance. Performing frequent OTA (Over-The-Air) updates helps the IoT platform in monitoring and maintaining the device software, fixing bugs, managing firmware, and in customizing the connected devices. This ensures in-depth device protection. 

Related Reading: Check out more about IoT – Where and Why should you invest!

In addition to the above-mentioned common mistakes, the following are a few other factors that can lead to IoT errors:

•  Lack of setting a realistic timeline for IoT implementation – Achieving a realistic idea on the timeline of IoT implementation is necessary for a positive outcome. 
• No Tolerance For Possible Failures – Implementing IoT without having a clear picture of your IoT project can be a big mistake. Leave room for scaling up new ideas. 
• Relying Only On Existing Charts – IoT implementation requires dedicated decision-makers instead of relying only on existing organizational charts and decisions.
• Lack Of Technical Expertise – When every part of the IoT project is either reinvented or being contracted out, you are unsure of the third-party development and deployment teams. Technical expertise is the key to a successful IoT project.

Are you looking for an efficient technology partner to help you adopt IoT the best possible way? Get in touch with our experts today for a streamlined and error-free IoT implementation for your business.

What Is Robotic Process Automation?

Robotic Process Automation is the process of applying automation to perform tedious business tasks of the workforce, such as data manipulation, response triggering, transaction processing, and other redundant tasks. According to a recent study by Snaplogic, 90% of the workforce are burdened with redundant tasks. This not only reduces their productivity but also consumes significant amounts of time with which they could perform higher-value tasks.

The Role Of RPA: Features That Enhance Business Process

Once your enterprise has decided to implement RPA, it is time for you to choose the right robotic process automation solution. 

Traditional RPA software bots are known to handle only a specific task at a given time. When it comes to addressing high volumes, there is a necessity to clone these bots and run them simultaneously. RPA providers usually charge users for each concurrent process. This can become a costly affair for enterprises, especially during volume spikes. Thus, undue extra costs are a key factor to consider while choosing an RPA solution for your business. 

RPA works as a virtual assistant and can handle complex processes starting from performing complicated calculations, data capturing to maintaining records. 

In addition to prioritized work queues, user-friendly features, data analytics, and non-disruptive nature, the following are crucial features that enhance business processes:

• Non-disruptive nature:  An enterprise can easily implement RPA into their workflows without having to disrupt or change the existing structure or risks.
• Data analytics: Gathering critical data from multiple sources, analyzing and storing the data, and creating reports have brought digital transformation to businesses with RPA. This enables accurate forecasts of sales data along with other Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). 
• Prioritization of Internal Work Queues: Every RPA software consists of internal work queues. These work queues are used to extract data derived from various transactions for analysis. The extracted data is then stored on a cloud server and made available for access by the bots.
• User-friendliness: Employees can operate on the robots without any extra RPA knowledge. They only need to learn how the systems work. 
• Scalability: With RPA, it is possible to upscale and downscale various robotic operations. 

Related Reading: Learn more about how Robotic Process Automation is revolutionizing industries.

Types Of Robotic Process Automation Tools

RPA enhances robotic performance in different ways. The three major categories include Working Robots that are commonly used for Data Collection and Project Planning. Monitoring Robots detect faults and breakdowns, whereas Screen Scraping Robots provide data migration tasks for enterprises.

Robotic Process Automation tools come in varying sizes and shapes. Analyzing your business objectives is the most critical factor before deciding to choose a specific RPA tool for your business. A few of the major RPA tools are as follows:

• Attended Or Robotic Desktop Automation Tools

This type of automation always starts with the user via the user’s desktop. The user first launches the RPA code to perform required operations rather than waiting for the workforce to perform. 

• Unattended Automation Tools

This type of automation completes business processes in the background and is used mainly to perform back-end tasks.

• Hybrid Automation Tools

This type of automation combines both attended and unattended automation tools to perform start to end operations.

Related Reading: You might like to read more about ways to empower RPA for enhanced business growth.

How To Choose The Right RPA For Your Business

A clear set of objectives form the primary goal before opting a specific RPA tool for your business. The following are the key factors you need to consider before selecting an RPA tool for your business:

1. Easy-to-use Interface

Simple user experience is a major criterion for choosing the right RPA tool for your business processes. A simple user interface will ensure all employees work efficiently. 

2. Proper Deployment

An RPA tool that can be quickly deployed with the existing technology stack is what is required. 

3. Cost

Replacing tedious tasks performed by the human workforce is largely replaced by the bots. This process of automation saves costs. Employees can focus on their core tasks and spend time and effort on their skills rather than performing redundant and tedious tasks with the help of RPA tools. Purchasing an RPA software tool involves associated costs, such as cost of individual licenses, cost of the software, and other overheads.

4. Scalability

Implementing an effective RPA tool enhances the business processes and leads to the growth of the enterprise. This growth is accompanied by hiring more resources. Thus an RPA tool can enhance the scalability of a business in the long run.

5. Security

Data analytics, compliance, and financial transactions require a highly secure environment. A great RPA software tool ensures a secure solution for all business processes and updates as well.

6. Architecture

The architecture of the RPA depends on where you plan on employing your RPA tool. The deployment and maintenance of an RPA tool depend on factors such as layered design, component reusability, robust delivery, popular language support system, easy accessibility, and so on.

7. Features

Choosing an RPA suite that consists of solid inbuilt features is critical. Flexibility, scope, availability of wizards and GUIs, other extendable commands and supports are some of the features to consider. 

8. Exception Handling Support

A robust RPA solution can detect errors during automation and automatically resolve without human assistance. In other cases where human intervention is required, an effective RPA tool must be able to send error messages.

9. Extended Support

Different vendors offer different support. A dedicated support team is necessary to ensure strong maintenance and support. 

To make the best decision on choosing the right RPA solution for your business and access the full potential of RPA tools, get in touch with our experts today!

How Artificial Intelligence Is Simplifying Business Decision Making?

Technology in 2019 is moving with the speed of light. Immense breakthroughs in the field of deep learning and machine learning have allowed machines to process and analyze information in ways that we could never have imagined. 

The role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is noteworthy in this regard. One definition of AI is that it is “a collective term for computer systems that can sense their environment, think, learn, and take action in response to what they are sensing and their objectives.” This makes it a powerful tool, which when used the right way can radicalize decision making and completely changes the way we do business. This article discusses how AI achieves that. 

AI – A Boon to Business

AI includes the automation of cognitive and physical tasks. It helps people perform tasks faster and better and make better decisions. It enables the automation of decision making without human intervention. AI can enhance automation thus reducing intensive human labor and tedious tasks. There are many more ways in which AI is making a difference. With smart weather forecasting, for example, AI is bridging the gap between data scientists and climate scientists. This gives companies the opportunity to fight disaster with algorithms. 

The world is about to witness a great impact of AI on the economy and humans. According to McKinsey Global Institute’s research, AI could deliver an additional output of $13 trillion to the world economy by 2030, which would boost global GDP by nearly 1.2 percent a year. Acting as a capital-hybrid, AI can aid the growth of both the economy and humans. It will definitely have a revolutionary impact on the decision-making process. 

Top Artificial Intelligence Trends to Watch Out for In 2019

AI the Game Changer

From tarot cards to time machines and more, the quest of man to know the future has been relentless. The ability to make decisions based on a knowledge of the outcome is no more fantasy, however. AI has brought this to the realm of reality and has revolutionized business decision making.  

In the recent past, we have embraced analytics-driven decision making. Along with ever-increasing data storage and computing power, AI has the potential to augment human intelligence and enable smarter decision-making. AI could eliminate the huge costs of a wrong decision because it can practically eliminate human biases and errors. This could in turn speed up the decision-making process. The focus of the next few points is to highlight the ways in which AI can make a difference in business.

1. Marketing Decision-Making

In today’s customer-driven market complexities involved in decision making is increasing every day. This includes understanding customer needs and desires and aligning products to those needs and desires. A handle on changing customer behavior is vital to make the best marketing decisions. 

AI simulation and modeling techniques provide reliable insight into the consumers’ persona. This will help predict consumers’ behavior. Through real-time data gathering, trend analysis and forecasting, an AI system can help businesses make insightful marketing decisions.

2. CRM

Organizations can identify a consumer’s lifetime value with the help of AI’s buyer persona modeling. It can help organizations manage multiple inputs. During a complex decision-making process, AI can efficiently manage and control different factors at the same point in time. It can source and process large amounts of data within minutes while providing valuable business-based insights. While we humans face decision fatigue, algorithms do not have such limitations, which make AI-based decisions faster and better.

3. Recommender System

Recommender system (engine) is a technology that recommends products or other items to users. Although recommendation systems were initially used for music content sites, now it’s used has expanded to various industries. In this, an AI system learns a consumer’s preference based on ‘explicit’ or ‘implicit’ feedbacks. This information can help the organization reduce bounce rate and craft better customer-specific targeted content. 

4. Problem Solving 

An expert system is a kind of problem-solving software which tries to replicate the knowledge and reasoning methods of the experts. This system uses expert thinking processes to provide data, which includes assessment and recommendations for your problem. This makes it easier to make the right decision and respond swiftly when faced with issues and problems.

5. Opinion Mining

AI has been able to provide reliable insight to decision-makers. For example, in marketing, AI has provided businesses invaluable insight about consumers, which helps them enhance their communication with the consumers. It also helps retailers predict product demand and respond to it quickly. 

To that end, opinion mining helps businesses understand why people feel the way they feel. Most often a single customer’s concerns might be common among others. When sufficient opinions are gathered and analyzed correctly, the information gleaned will help organizations gauge and predict the concerns of the silent majority.  AI has improved this mining process through automation, which is quicker and more reliable, helping organizations in making critical business decisions. 

6. Augmented Analytics

According to a recent press release by Gartner, Augmented Analytics is going to be the next big trend which will transform the way analytics content is advanced, expended and shared. VP analyst at Gartner, Rita Sallam said, “The story of data and analytics keeps evolving, from supporting internal decision making to continuous intelligence, information products and appointing chief data officers.”

Wise business decisions are made when business executives and decision-makers have reliable data and recommendations. AI not only improves the performance of both the individual members of the team but also the competitive edge of the business.

Make Bigger, Faster, Better decisions with AI

Common sense and experience are no longer enough to anticipate the risks and consequences of critical business choices. AI with its varied applications helps businesses make informed and effective decisions which will have a positive impact on their business. 

Implementing AI in your business isn’t as tall an order as you may imagine. It can be incorporated with your existing business applications to enhance them and make them invaluable.  To learn how your business can avail the best of AI, get in touch with our experts today!

Related Reading: You might also like to take a look at this guide to help you enhance your existing business app with AI.

Custom Software Development: What To Do and Not To Do

The “build versus buys” debate in software development seems to have tipped in favor of custom software development as more and more businesses recognize the implications of customization on their growth. With rising competition, it has become imperative for each business to differentiate itself from its competitors in every way and custom software development rests at the core of this differentiation. 

That being said, software development has seen its fair share of fails even when it is labeled custom. This makes it extremely important that your project is carefully planned out and well-executed. With many years of experience as custom software developers, we have put together a list of do’s and don’ts to help make your custom software development project a success. This blog will discuss 5 of them. Before that, let’s drive home the reasons why custom software is imperative for businesses. 

Related Reading: Check out the top reasons why custom software development is important to your business.

Custom Software: The Backbone of Business

 Custom software fulfills specific business requirements, which are unique to specific businesses. This helps businesses gain a competitive advantage and leverage the software to build processes that define an effective USP. While this in itself is an uppercut to reckon with, let’s have a look at a few more points that will help deliver the knockout punch in favor of custom software development.

• Solution Matches Need: Since custom applications are developed with your specifications in mind, the final solution will effectively address your needs. Therefore, it simplifies the entire business process saving time and effort.  
• Minimal training: Tailored features make it very easy to use and require minimal training to get started on the software. When the software is optimized for each department, the interface requirements will be customized to match the needs and skill level of your employees.
• Works with your Business Model: As the custom solution is built around your business model, it will have the user roles and interoperability functions that your departments need to function effectively. 
• Unique Code and Enhanced Protection: By developing a unique code that is specific to your software, custom software minimizes external threats and unauthorized access. 
• Long Term Cost Benefits: Custom software helps automate several manual processes and thus saves on manpower. It also eliminates the licensing costs that accrue with off-the-shelf solutions.
• Increased Scalability: Custom software developers work on a long-term basis and can easily scale the software according to the growth of the business.

https://www.fingent.com/insights/portfolio/choosing-custom-software-over-commercial-off-the-shelf-solutions/

The Dos and Don’ts

There are several key steps involved in creating custom software. It involves a combination of foresight and creativity. Here are a few time-tested Do’s and Don’ts to help avoid the usual pitfalls that have been known to crop up in this process.

1. Pre-Planning

Don’t: Do not Ignore Preparation

Clients who are looking for a quick solution for their app requirements generally hire developers who agree to unreasonable deadlines. Under such circumstances, the planning and research step is often ignored and that has a ripple effect on the following stages. Not acquiring the necessary materials from the beginning can leave the company unprepared. This can lead to additional changes and the timeline for your project will have to be pushed back, not to mention escalating the costs involved.

Do: Prepare, Prepare!

The planning stage is crucial because it allows the developer to do a thorough SWOT of the idea. At this stage, some have found it helpful to include sketches or outlines and functionality options of the application. It works best to gather all the necessary information at the earliest stage to ensure your project stays on budget. This allows the project to stay on schedule.

2. Ensure its Customization

Don’t: Create for Yourself

You must have heard of the False Consensus Effect, where one thinks that others also think the same way he/she thinks. This can happen while designing the app. It is easy to put our ideas into a design and expect others to like it just because we liked it. That works contrary to the thought of customization. 

Do: Keep it User-Centered

Consider carefully what the general user would appreciate. Developers must stick to the requirements drawn up at the planning stage while continuing to give their inputs on the initial ideas. Take pride in creating a user-centered app.

3. Technical Feasibility and Prototype

Don’t: Allow Misunderstandings

Misunderstanding the business’ requirements, miscommunication about the platform and the format can lead to major issues in creating the app.

Do: Keep Lines of Communication Open

Actively communicate with the team about the technical requirements and provide a timeline for building the prototype. It is difficult to visualize what an app would look like and how it will function unless there is a prototype. Ensure that you communicate frequently with management and obtain feedback at every stage of the development. 

4. Design and Development

Don’t: Ignore Key Requirements

Design and development are the stages that take the most amount of time. Ignoring key requirements might lead developers to spend valuable time coding for a bad end-product. Functionality demands might be misread which leads to a loss of time and missed deadlines.

Do: Understand the Needs

It is vital to understand the UI/UX needs of the business to gain clarity and minimize work. The app will go through a lot of different changes. When changes are required, ensure that the development team and management are on the same page. Once decisions are made, stick to them.

5. QA Testing

Don’t: Be Negligent

The testing team should not be negligent towards post-development issues such as bugs, form functionalities, and security licenses. This could negatively impact the launch of the application. It could either be delayed or the app might face a post-launch backlash. Ensure that the app is not launched until all aspects have been tested and are up to the standards required.

Do: A thorough QA Test

App testing is a tedious job, but it is an important final stage. Compatibility, interface, security, and performance are some of the factors that should go through a rigorous check. Remember, after this whatever happens with the app will be in full public view.

Achieve Efficiency and Growth with Custom Software Development

Leading companies save time and costs in the long run when they customize their software according to their business model. Whether it’s creating accounting software or an HR solution or a customer-facing application, custom software allows you to choose the features you need for your business and employees. If you want to find business flexibility and growth, custom software is the right answer. It meets the needs of the company while allowing the business to grow without being limited by on-the-shelf software. To find how custom software development can do wonders to your business, call our experts today!

Choosing The Right Mobile App Development For Your Business

In this digital era of advanced business-technology trends, enterprise mobility is of prime importance. Mobile App developers are constantly on the hunt for the best platform for developing their applications. With more and more B2B enterprises adopting the mobile-first strategy, businesses choose the best mobile application development platform after evaluating their business goals and technical requirements.    

Enterprise mobile applications are categorized into three, namely, Native applications, Mobile Web applications, and Hybrid applications. Native applications are built for a specific platform. For instance, Facebook has individual applications for Android as well as iPhone users. 

Mobile Web applications, on the other hand, can be described as websites that are mobile optimized. Hybrid mobile applications, however, are a blend of both Native and Web technologies. Hybrid applications best suit cross-platform requirements and also ensures a cost-effective solution for businesses. 

Developing Native and Hybrid Apps 101

Why Opt For Hybrid Mobile App Development?

According to a survey by the Ionic Developer in 2017, 32.7% of developers among over 13,000 developers had completely abandoned native app development and were in favor of the Hybrid approach. What makes the native application development wane, compared to Hybrid mobile application development? It is the huge benefits of the latter, which we will be discussing below:

• A hybrid mobile application is a native web application wrapped up within a native application. Technically, it is written using HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript. This is then compiled into either a native iOS, Android or other mobile platforms, using a wrapper technology such as Cordova or PhoneGap.
• Hybrid applications make use of web technologies such as Javascript, HTML 5 and CSS3. Additionally, it can also access features from the native platforms. That is, hybrid mobile applications can access GPS, camera, contacts, etc and also being able to run on both Android and iOS platforms. 
• Since hybrid platforms make use of a single code base to run on multiple platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows OS, these applications are platform-independent and require less development time.
• Hybrid mobile applications support offline features such as local storage capabilities as it supports SQLite database.

Instagram, Yelp, Uber, BaseCamp, etc are examples of hybrid mobile applications. The major hybrid mobile application frameworks widely used are Ionic, Onsen UI, React Native, Apache Cordova or PhoneGap. With the advent of these frameworks, mobile application developers can now write code once and run anywhere.

When To Choose Hybrid Mobile App Development

Hybrid mobile applications can be a great option to choose based on several factors. One should consider the functional advantages as well as impacts of the selected approach, implementation methods, challenges, etc. Other key parameters to consider are development, implementation, cost, time-to-market, usability, and so on. 

The biggest advantage of a hybrid approach is that the shared code can be deployed across many platforms. This saves time and cost of application development. So when do you choose a Hybrid approach over native app development? Here’s what you have to ask yourself:

1.  Are you testing a hypothesis?

Consider the initial phase of developing your application. Deploying a hybrid application can be a better cost-effective solution over a native application. The choice is significantly valid when it comes to situations where you are running short of resources, you require user validation and feedback, and when you are aiming at a quick go-to-market strategy. 

2. Are you developing an enterprise application for internal use within your company?

The ‘Write Once And Deploy Anywhere’ functionality of hybrid applications is the best choice for internal users. There would not be a need to develop 2 separate applications, developed in each platform as the application requires just the basic functionalities. This also avoids the need to employ additional resources to deploy separate applications, as well.

Additional decision-making factors can be the following:

• If your objective is to target multiple mobile platforms.
• If you want to leverage additional benefits such as geolocation services, accelerometer, and so on.
• If the mobile application needs to be used even under offline circumstances.
• If advanced graphics capabilities are not major criteria.

Related Reading: You may also like to read about how to use mobile app data.

Advantages Of Hybrid Mobile Applications

1. Multi-platform Support

Hybrid applications can run on multiple platforms. It is just that a specific native container or a module must be developed for each platform. This could be challenging for old browsers as they do not support rich HTML features, hybrid applications can still make use of device detection technique to trim the feature for low-end devices.

2. Code Reusability and Duplication 

A hybrid application utilizes the same HTML content for all platforms. Thus, it leverages common server-side components. This is unlike native applications where code needs to be rewritten for each platform-supported language. This is why native applications require quite a lot of code duplication, which hybrid applications do not. 

3. Time-To-Market

Since hybrid applications are not platform-specific, it does not require to be tested and certified before hitting the market, unlike native applications. This saves time to develop and deploy. 

4. Usage Analytics

Working with hybrid applications makes usage logging easier. This is because the usage statistics of the existing web/ server-side applications can be used as such. This means that additional storage space to collect data, as a result of analytics performed, is not required. Thus, hybrid applications avoid the need for statistical data archival and purging tasks, unlike with pure native applications. 

5. Future Enhancements

Improvising existing features are simpler in case of hybrid applications. This is because it does not require any client application distribution. This feature helps users continue using the application even in cases of app updates. It also saves users from facing the threat of security patches.

6. Security Features

Since enterprise apps are exposed over the Web, there are risks of data thefts. Hybrid applications utilize the HTTPS protocol and make sure no sensitive data is stored on the device. 

Related Reading: Know which is the better choice for mobile app development: React Native Or Flutter

Don’ts While Using Hybrid Mobile Applications

Writing code once and being able to use it multiple times is a positive feature. That being said, make sure not to rule out the following before deciding to develop on a hybrid platform:

• Do not intend to develop animated or graphic oriented applications.
• Do not integrate heavy plug-ins, libraries like JQuery, and frameworks.
• Do not try to load all views at once.
• Do not choose a hybrid platform to develop complex multi-purpose applications.

Effective deployment of hybrid mobile applications can serve you as a boon. Be sure to understand the key Do’s and Don’t Do’s while deploying a hybrid platform for your application. 

Call our experts right away to learn more about why and when to choose a hybrid platform for developing your mobile application.

What Are Cobots?

Cobots have been around since the 1990s. Cobots operate in conjunction with humans to perform given tasks. They are built to interact physically with humans in a shared workspace. 

In other words, cobots or collaborative robots can be defined as the hardware version of Augmented Intelligence. Rather than replacing humans with their autonomous counterparts, collaborative robots augment artificial intelligence technologies to physical bots. According to Barclays, cobots can revolutionize production. This is effective, especially for smaller companies, that account for 70% of the manufacturing industries, globally.

Cobots help in improving human capabilities in performing tasks with greater strength, accuracy, and data capabilities. The first collaborative robot was a device used to directly interact physically with a manipulator that was computer-controlled’. It was invented by J Edward Colgate and Michael Peshkin in the year 1996. Later, Kuka Robotics launched its first collaborative robot in the year 2004, named LBR 3. 

How Are Cobots Useful In Various Industries?

Since Cobots are capable of performing tasks alongside humans instead of replacing them, there is a multitude of ways in which Cobots are used in different industries for varying purposes. The major ones are as follows:

1. Hand–guiding: This cobot has an additional hand – a pressure-sensitive device at the end of its arm. With this arm, the human operator can teach the collaborative robot how to hold an object or how to move, or how fast to move, and so on. It also ensures that nothing gets damaged.

2. Speed and Separation Monitoring Cobots: This particular cobot operates in safety zones. Instead of stopping to perform its task when it senses an outsider’s presence in the safety zone, this cobot slows down and then tracks the location of the human. It stops as the human gets too close.

3. Power And Force Limiting Cobots: These collaborative robots are designed to frequently interact with humans. This specific cobot stops or reverses its movement on encountering any abnormality.

4. Safety Monitored Stop Cobots: These cobots are designed to work independently, but stop whenever a human needs to intervene. This cobot senses human presence and stops all movement until the human has left the safety zone. 

Related Read: Check out how Robotic Process Automation Is Revolutionizing Industries

How Collaborative Robots Offer Game-Changing Benefits

Cobots have been brewing in the web-space for quite some time. In general, robots have replaced human labor from the industrial workforce since the industrial revolution. Robots, but operated within safe environments. Cobots, on the other hand, help in putting away some of the major spatial and environmental dangers that robots may cause, whilst working alongside humans!

Cobots can also be easily reprogrammed. Many businesses and industries are skeptical about falling behind their competitors, especially in situations where irrecoverable disasters are likely to take place. Here is when cobots can be an effective solution. Let us walk through the major benefits that collaborative robots offer in various industries:

1. Increased and efficient Human-Robot Interaction

In any given industry utilizing bots for performing tedious tasks, time, cost, and floor space are the three major critical factors to be considered. This is because the operator can work alongside the cobot, without having to leave the workspace. Cobots are known to reduce idle time of human workforce by 85%. 

Consider a traditional assembly line that is set up in a workspace. Here the human workforce sets up the mechanical robots with required parts to perform the rest of the tasks. The entire production will be put to halt for a long time or stopped from its current operations, in case of any required human intervention. While on the other hand, a collaborative robot works along with the human workforce, which increases the efficiency significantly.  

2. Applicable To Small And Mid-Sized Industries

Strategies to optimize costs are a major concern in every industry. This is because larger industries that have a higher production volume prefer a robot to perform tedious tasks. On the other hand, smaller industries prefer manual labor. 

Implementing cobots can be beneficial across a range of industry sizes, as these bots do not require a heavy set up process. 

3. Safety In Handling Dangerous And Tedious Tasks

Preventing human error is critical in every industry. For instance, steadying the movement of tools used in surgeries is complex. The process needs to be highly accurate as well. Cobots ensure a safer working environment by preventing human errors that can hinder operation accuracies.

4. Increased ROI

Cobots can be conveniently relocated whenever required. This makes it easy to eliminate any non-productive activities during working hours. In addition to being highly efficient and flexible, cobots ensure increased ROI due to significantly reduced labor and maintenance costs. This also results in an increased profit margin as well. 

Related Reading: Read on to learn how you can accelerate your business growth with Robotic Process Automation. 

Future Of Cobots

By the year 2020, cobot sales are expected to cross $3.1 billion. The sales of cobots are increasing every year. According to Barclays Equity Research, analysts state that the global sales of cobots have crossed US$120 million in the year 2015. This figure is forecasted to grow to $12 billion by the year 2025!

The figures above illustrate that the sales of cobots are just 5% of the total robot market. This figure is forecasted to grow exponentially as more industries start to explore the multitude of possibilities of these bots. 

To know more about how cobots can be leveraged for your business, drop a call to our strategists right away!

Five Ways AI Is Accelerating Mobile App Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has permeated the tech world. It is enhancing everything from your car to your toothbrush.  It is influencing the decisions that affect your life. Artificial Intelligence is the term used to define a machine’s ability to simulate human intelligence. Actions which were once considered unique to humans are now being stimulated by technology and used in every industry. This includes mobile app technology. 

Mobile phones have been using AI for some time now. The earlier generation of phones was cloud-based and Internet-dependent. The difference today is that the latest smartphones integrate cloud-based AI along with built-in AI. The rate at which AI is expanding is accelerating. 

Let us now discuss how AI is enhancing mobile app technology.

Related Reading: Take a look at the top AI trends of 2019.

AI is the Catalyst in Mobile Apps

As per a study by McKinsey Global Institute, AI expansion brought in an investment of $39 billion back in 2016 which was three times the amount invested in AI three years prior to that. Acting as a catalyst, AI is continuing to enhance mobile apps. It empowers the evolution of mobile apps by making them intelligent pieces of software that can predict user behavior and make decisions. AI allows mobile apps to learn from data generated by the user.

Mobile developers are adapting quickly to changing innovations. There are over 5 million apps in the leading app stores, which stands to show how AI is creating personalized app experiences for users and is adapting to various situations due to automated learning capabilities. Here are five specific real-life benefits of AI on mobile apps. 

1. The Wrapping of Artificial Intelligence with the Internet of Things (IoT)

The combination of AI and IoT is powerful in creating a personalized experience for users. A large amount of varied data is collected from the customer in real-time as he uses the device. Each usage has commands or interactions that are being used with mobile apps. AI can then leverage this real-time data to deliver an enhanced personalized experience.

IoT reduces app development time significantly. In mobile app development, IoT along with Artificial Intelligence can lead to better utilization of resources and higher efficiency. Together they free up a good part of employee bandwidth. It delivers modified and more efficient apps and strengthens data security measures, which is vital because the future of mobile apps will always be revolving around connected devices.

2. Enhances Search Engines

Text and voice have been the traditional search modes. But say, you saw something you would love to buy, but you don’t know what it is called or how to find it. Visual search helps you find what you want even when you don’t know the words to describe it. The smartphone is the best launchpad for visual search technology. An example of this is Google Lens. 

In some cases, visual search is more accurate and faster than a voice or a text search. Due to integrated AI in mobile applications, android developers are bound to develop an image recognition system and a voice recognition system. To increase conversion rates AI will provide localization of applications.

Related Reading: Learn more on how to build an intelligent app ecosystem with AI.

3. Empowers Real-Time Translation

There are so many translation apps which enable translation. However, most of these apps do not work without the internet. AI could enable your smartphone to translate different languages in real-time without the need for an internet connection.

Much like a digital version of what interpreters do, Artificial Intelligence can provide a simultaneous translation tool which allows sentences to be translated almost instantly without a time lag. AI allows the translation tool to be adjusted for latency. This would mean that a user can set the lag between a spoken word and its translation. This would be especially useful for certain languages which would require a longer time lag for better translation. Example: Baidu.

4. Improved Security with Face Unlock 

Face Unlock was launched in September 2017 by Apple. Combined with Apple’s elaborate hardware, Apple iPhone X uses an AI-based algorithm for its face unlocking system. Using AI processing, the phone can easily identify the user’s face even with facial changes like specs or beard.

Recently, Google announced radar-based, hands-free gestures to face unlock. With its hands-free system, unlocking the phone would be easier, faster and secure. It claims that it can unlock the phone almost in any orientation.

5. Enhanced Mobile App Authentication

As AI is becoming easily available as a commercial technology, both criminals and organizations are taking full advantage of it. There are predictions by cyber-security experts that the world might witness many AI-powered cyber-attacks in the future. This necessitates the development of more sophisticated cyber defense systems. Also, with the increasing use of smartphones, we all need an advanced level of data security. Security has been one of the biggest concerns for Android developers. 

Thanks to enhanced artificial intelligence with machine learning and deep learning algorithms we can look forward to a time when authentication becomes a smooth experience, which allows users to enjoy security without trading convenience. AI can be enabled to give alerts to users about possible threats. AI can also add a level of augmentation to biometric authentication which makes it almost hack-proof. Another benefit of AI algorithms is that they can find and alert potentially compromised accounts in real-time.

A Guide for AI-Enhancing Your Existing Business Application

AI With You Now and Into the Future

AI presents numerous possibilities for innovation in the mobile app industry. AI is the future of mobile app development. Artificial Intelligence is changing how users interact with app services and products. Mobile app users will be linked to an ecosystem of intelligent applications and will work together to deliver a personalized user experience. 

Businesses developing AI-enhanced mobile apps will benefit from the predictive analysis these apps can create. According to a study conducted by Callsign, the user preference for authentication is shifting. Such changing preferences would mandate further enhancements in the development of mobile apps.

An intelligent ecosystem will gather a large pool of social data and behavioral interest, which can be used to further increase revenue and improve user experience. It is not an exaggeration to say that the smartphone industry is being revolutionized by AI. This makes it important to enable AI in your business and mobile applications. Give us a call to discuss how this can be done.