Streamline And Enhance Your Warehouse Management Operations With SAP EWM

Worldwide, companies spend an average of €300 billion a year on warehousing, either in-house or through third-party logistics. The rise of eCommerce and the growth of global supply chains increase warehousing operations costs for enterprises. In addition, with the pandemic heightening consumers’ interest in eCommerce, they expect instant delivery of products. To cater to this dynamic demand, some logistic companies increased the number of their seasonal employees. With this demand continuing to rise, it becomes imperative that warehouse management processes be optimized.

Read more: Warehousing Management System: Simplify Operations & Scale Your Business  

Warehouse management is currently undergoing a modern-day makeover to meet growing demands. Therefore, industry leaders must take steps to optimize warehouse management to keep pace with faster requirements and ever-increasing volumes. SAP Extended Warehouse Management (SAP EWM) streamlines, simplifies and optimizes your warehouse operations. This blog considers how SAP EWM can benefit your business.

Challenges In Supply Chain Management Today

Supply chains are at the core of business operations. Therefore, supply chain management needs to overcome several challenges that impact the bottom line of their business.

Read more: Top Challenges Faced By Logistics Management Today

Here are some challenges companies should be aware of:

1. Identifying Bottlenecks In Customer Service

Customers’ demands have become extremely specific. Plus, they expect to be notified about any possible delays. Therefore, supply chain management can benefit from advanced planning and scheduling systems that can help them identify bottlenecks. This can help them prevent delays or notify the customer of a possible delay.

2. Gaining High Supply Chain Visibility

Overall production cost is affected by several factors that go unnoticed. High supply chain visibility will help the management increase the system’s efficiency and eliminate wasteful steps. Such visibility can contribute to cost control.

3. Finding The Right Talent

Hiring and retaining the right talent has become increasingly difficult. Hence, it is beneficial to have a performance tracking system that allows you to gauge employee productivity and spot the right talent that could be trained effectively.

Read more: Warehouse Automation: Streamlining Operations

4. Ensuring On-time Delivery

Delivering goods on time is another challenge that can make you lose your customers to your competition. You can resolve these challenges with planning and scheduling software. It can help you receive and deliver the material on time.

5. Maintaining An Agile Production Plan

Lack of an agile production plan that does not reflect market changes can lead to inefficiency of production. You can remain agile by having a planning and scheduling system. This system helps you keep a tab on the effect of market changes without disrupting your current schedule. Those insights equip you to make the best decisions in response to those changes.

Read more: Understanding The Types Of Warehouse Management Systems

How SAP EWM Can Benefit Your Business

Statista forecasts the global warehouse automation market to surpass 30 billion U.S. dollars. And, Zebra warehousing vision study shows that 80% of organizations plan to invest in new technologies to be competitive. And 27% plan to utilize full automation by 2024. SAP EWM helps you capitalize on this.

Read more: How Robotics In Logistics Helps Improve Supply Chain Efficiency

SAP Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) is fast, agile, and powerful. It is designed to future-proof current supply chain technology and help your business grow.

SAP EWM can be deployed into many business environments. It can support both simple and complex warehouse processes at the granular level. It is a high-speed system that makes supply chain management more accessible and more efficient. SAP EWM can be configured to the organization’s specific needs and can be streamlined over different locations.

Here are some other ways your business can benefit from SAP EWM:

1. Optimize Task Management

In a standard warehouse, one person can be seen going to the same stock bin several times during the day. This happens when all orders that need to be picked for a day appear together, making it difficult to break them down.

You can optimize the picking process with SAP EWM. The platform uses various algorithms to employ the most efficient way to complete as many tasks as possible. This prevents pickers from wasting their time as they have to tread the same path constantly. Plus, SAP EWM’s voice picking functionality enables shorter search time and minimizes errors.

Read more: How SAP Helps Realize Voice-enabled Warehouse Operations

SAP EWM can easily integrate all processes to provide easy end-to-end operations management. It can take the burden off your team for outgoing shipments allowing them to tackle inevitable snags that need to be addressed.

You can link SAP EWM with your transportation management system for greater accuracy for delivery targets. It provides your company a holistic outlook alerting your team when to expect delays and other time-sensitive information.

2. Streamline Labor Management

Efficient use of time, effort, and resources can contribute to business growth. This is another point where SAP EWM can integrate with your WMS. The platform can provide structure in the workplace. With a good framework, each worker knows their location and responsibilities. Such an organized structure will help your employees enjoy more efficient task allocation.

SAP EWM generates real-time insights on workers’ performance, enabling managers to offer more constructive suggestions to improve efficiency. Subsequently, your employees develop more efficient and consistent work habits.

3. Control Costs

Not following the first-in, first-out method for perishables and inefficient use of space and labor can increase wastage. SAP EWM can help reduce wastage of perishables by identifying which units need to be picked first.

SAP EWM can maximize the use of the warehouse space by optimizing the location for each pickup time. It optimizes your space and the travel path of the pickers. All this will reduce your on-hand inventory and reduce your space costs without compromising on quality.

4. Boost Customer Relationship

SAP EWM can reduce delivery lead times and order accuracy errors. This increases customer satisfaction and results in more sales. Thus, SAP EWM elevates and improves relationships with your suppliers and end customers.

Read more: Logistics Management Software – Everything You Should Know

Leverage SAP EWM Capabilities With Fingent

Logistics providers must evaluate the best warehousing management solution for their specific needs. If your business is at a crossroads in choosing the best option for your warehouse operations, Fingent is here to help. Feel free to contact us to learn more about how SAP EWM can transform your business.

Fingent is a certified SAP silver partner and has assisted global businesses in successfully implementing SAP EWM. Our custom software development experts can guide and help you explore the flexibility in deploying SAP EWM and ensure it is the best fit for your specific business requirements.

Top Healthcare Digitalization Trends To Look For In The New Normal

Healthcare digitalization is reshaping the way we interact with healthcare professionals, share medical data or make decisions related to treatment and outcomes. There are plenty of examples that substantiate the digitalization of healthcare today, such as Artificial Intelligence-powered medical devices, telemedicine, blockchain, remote-patient monitoring, and electronic health records.

The main aim of healthcare innovation is to streamline the medical professionals’ work, optimize medical software systems, reduce human errors, improve patient outcomes, and lower costs through integrated web and mobile experiences.

Read more: The Application and Impact of Information Technology in Healthcare

Let’s look at the state of healthcare digitalization in 2024 and beyond:

1. On-demand Healthcare Will Grow

With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting many people to remain indoors, more and more patients seek on-demand healthcare. It is convenient as it helps patients seek guidance at their own time and from anywhere they need it.

DMN3 reveals that patients obtain online medical information primarily for the following reasons:

• 77% for booking medical appointments
• 47% for searching information about doctors and healthcare professionals
• 38% for searching information about hospitals and medical facilities

That said, on-demand healthcare is rising due to the growth of the gig economy. Here, freelance professionals from various industries hire themselves out per job or ‘gig’ instead of sticking to one company.

Read more: Patient Engagement Platforms: 7 Must-have Features

Many online healthcare marketplaces link doctors directly with short-term tasks, making it easier for physicians to deliver patient care in specific circumstances based on their expertise and schedule. Simply put, doctors are becoming on-demand healthcare providers to meet the changing needs of their patients in a better way.

2. Big Data Will Be Used To Improve Healthcare Management

Big data is the information gathered from various platforms such as eCommerce, social media, online transactions, and financial transactions. It helps identify patterns and trends for future use.

Read more: 5 Ways Big Data is Changing the Healthcare Industry

For healthcare, big data offers benefits such as:

• Reduced medication errors: Patient record analysis allows the healthcare software to flag any inconsistencies between a patient’s health and drug prescriptions. This alerts the health professionals and patients in case there is a potential risk of a medication error.
• Simplifying preventive care: Many recurring patients stepping into emergency rooms are “frequent flyers.” These frequent flyers account for up to 28% of clinical visits. Big data analysis helps identify these recurring patients and create preventive plans to keep them from returning.
• Improved staffing: Using big data’s predictive analysis, hospitals and clinics can estimate future admission rates enabling these facilities to allocate proper staff to deal with the patient. This will help save money and reduce emergency room waiting time, especially when a facility is understaffed.

Case Study: How did a data analytics solution help NHS gain financial, clinical, and geographical insights to improve visibility over their KPIs? Read Now! 

Big data analytics, visualization, and insights generation can improve healthcare operations management and transform the patient experience.

3. Virtual Reality Will Transform Medical Training & Care Delivery Models

Virtual Reality is one of the most outstanding healthcare digitalization trends that change the way patients are diagnosed, and medical residents are trained.

• VR in medical diagnosis & treatments: VR is increasingly used in treatment segments in healthcare, such as patient education, robotic surgery, physical and psychological therapy, etc. For instance, medical professionals can use VR to construct a 360° patient-specific video detailing how the surgery will help the patient cure and the consequent results. Virtual Reality has been found effective in treating anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stroke.   

Case Study: Find how Fingent developed a unique mixed reality application for a leading university that enables users to identify people using facial recognition.  Download Now!

• VR for medical training: Other uses of VR technology include doctors and medical residents using VR simulations to hone their skills (learning in near-real situations) and safely plan complicated surgeries. In addition, VR headsets are used post-surgery to encourage patients to exercise and follow physiotherapies. The technology also enables autistic children to learn and navigate the world.
• Growth of VR in the medical field: From startups to established pharma companies, everyone recognizes the role of VR in healthcare. Experts estimate that by 2025 the global virtual and augmented reality in healthcare will reach $5.1 billion market value. So, if you’re a healthcare company wanting to improve your digital marketing strategy, you should consider investing in VR.

Read more: How Virtual Reality Improves The Standards Of Medical Education And Training

Virtual Reality technology offers a powerful communication channel that allows you to understand customers’ needs better and virtually engage them with your products and services.

4. Wearable Medical Devices Will Enjoy A Wider Market

Another major healthcare digitalization trend is companies collecting their health data from medical devices such as wearables. Previously, most people would check in with their doctors only when something went wrong and were used to undergoing physical check-ups once a year. However, technology is changing that. Today, people highly focus on preventive maintenance and are interested in knowing about their health status frequently. This trend forces several healthcare companies to invest in wearable technology devices that allow patients or family members to track health vitals and seek medical aid when needed. Wearable medical devices enable up-to-date monitoring of high-risk patients and determine the likelihood of any severe health risk.

Experts estimate that the wearable medical device market value will cross USD 27,200 mn by 2023.

Following are some of the widely used wearable devices:

• Exercise trackers (Google Fit, Fitbit, etc.)
• Heart rate sensors (Samsung Heart Rate Sensor, Pulse Sensor, etc.)
• Sweat meters: to monitor blood sugar levels of diabetics
• Oximeters: to monitor the amount of oxygen carried in the blood

Wearable devices in healthcare offer the following benefits:

• Personalized healthcare experience: Medical devices help patients improve their health and give them a sense of ownership regarding personal healthcare management.
• Insurance pricing: Wearable devices provide insurers with insights that enable them to rate a patient’s risk for illness more accurately.
• Insurance incentives: Wearable devices allow patients to take preventive measures to improve their health. Such patients are more likely to obtain lower insurance premiums.
• Gamification opportunities: Fitness watches can help create competitive goals for users to achieve through diet, nutrition, and exercise.

Case Study: Read more about how Fingent helped create a fitness Regimen app for trainers.

5. Healthcare AI Investments Will Increase

By 2025, the healthcare AI-enabled tools market is expected to exceed $34 billion globally. This indicates that healthcare AI investments will peak soon as Artificial Intelligence is set to transform various segments in medicine.

AI-powered chatbots and virtual health assistants fulfill many roles in the healthcare industry, such as customer service representatives, diagnostic tools, or even therapists. Hence AI in healthcare is gaining immense popularity. According to a report published by MarketsandMarkets, the global healthcare chatbots market is estimated to reach $314.3 million by 2023.

Read more: 5 Leading Chatbot Use Cases Explained with Real-life Examples

That said, we can witness the real power of AI in diverse areas such as medical imaging, drug discovery, precision medicine, and genomics. For example, the first-ever drug designed by AI is showing some promise to help patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The AI-made drug molecule, DSP-1181, is in clinical trials currently. Researchers and scientists expect that the use of AI will make drug development faster and more efficient.

Overall, AI is projected to bring USD 150 billion by 2026 in annual savings for the US healthcare economy. As start-ups are lapping up the opportunity, the number of active AI start-ups has increased 14 times since 2000.

Why Keep A Close Eye On These Healthcare Digitalization Trends

These five healthcare digitalization trends will spill over in the future as the industry will innovate and adapt to meet the patients’ demands. As a result, organizations that embrace healthcare digitalization will see dividends sooner.

Fingent top custom software development company, helps you navigate the digital healthcare space and adapt to the ‘Next Normal’ with our transformative experiences. Our custom healthcare software solutions have helped many of the leading healthcare providers worldwide. Contact us to learn more about how your healthcare organization or clinic can leverage healthcare digitalization effectively.

Revolutionizing Home Improvement Business With 3D Web Configurator Technology

COVID-19 pandemic’s impact has ushered in a dramatic shift in the behavior and preference of customers. However, this shift was not restricted to customers alone. Social distancing and isolation protocols put industries like home improvement in a state of dilemma, as their business depends highly on showcasing products to customers in a physical space, preferably in-store. Almost overnight, businesses like interior designs and home decor had to adapt and adjust how they presented their products. Today, home improvement companies are increasingly relying on 3D web configuration technology to ensure that their customers gain personalized product experiences and can shop from the comfort of their quarantined couches.

Forbes reports that by replacing static 2D images with interactive 3D models, businesses have gained a 40% increase in online conversion rates and a 30% improvement in average sales prices. Moreover, they also managed to reduce online returns by 80%.

As a customer begins experiencing the ease, personalization, and speed of online shopping, there is no going back. Businesses can leverage this cemented habit when they use a 3D web configurator. In the world of e-commerce, 3D web configurators are already a breakthrough. Unquestionably, it is the need of the hour!

Like e-commerce, the home improvement industry is also a crucial beneficiary of 3D web configuration. This article discusses how the home improvement industry uses 3D web configurators to enhance customer engagement and accelerate business growth.

How the Home Improvement Industry is Utilizing 3D Web Configuration

According to Statista, the projected total home improvement sales in the United States will touch 510 billion USD by 2024. Such an exponential increase is only made possible by the power of 3D web configurators. From sofas to paints and bathroom essentials like faucets and sinks, there are various configurations available today.

3D visualization software can help customers project a 3D model of the product against the background of any room. This does not mean a customer must invest in special equipment. Instead, they can view using their phone camera.

For instance, if a customer wants to see how a beige wardrobe would appear in their bedroom, they can simply point the phone camera and project that wardrobe onto the background. Plus, a 3D configurator allows customers to customize the product before they click on the “purchase” tab. So it is no surprise that 3D visualization software can build your customer’s confidence in their purchase.

Read more: What are 3D Web Configurators? How do they Boost E-Commerce Sales and Drive Customer Satisfaction?

3 Ways 3D Visualization Helps the Home Improvement Industry Thrive

3D visualization gives your customers an overall impression of their living room. It can provide an in-depth view of both real and surreal aspects. In other words, it will help you increase professional accuracy as you incorporate your customer’s requirements.

Here are the three advantages that 3D visualization can bring to the home improvement industry:

1. Color Match

Most people tend to research products online before buying. Besides, homeowners prefer to select their wall color from the comfort of their homes. An excellent 3D configurator case that can influence a consumer to move from the consideration stage to the purchase stage is Dulux. Using 3D visualization helped them to provide a better user experience across various channels and devices. In addition, it benefits both the customer and the consultant as they can pick and choose from all available colors.

The primary goal of 3D configuration is to help customers visualize how they can decorate their homes using various combinations. It generates accurate visualization of the selected paint on the walls and ceilings. Plus, it allows a shopper to import, tweak, process, view, and save the final visualization. This is an excellent feature for tradespeople and DIY renovation enthusiasts as they spruce up their homes.

2. Engaging Visualization

Home improvement businesses can use 3D configurators to educate customers about their products. It enables them to blur the lines between the consideration stage and point-of-sale decision-making. For example, 3D web configuration technology will let shoppers measure what size of furniture would look best in their living room. Once they decide on the size, the configurator could narrow it down to other furniture features and help customers make purchase decisions.

A 3D web configurator can do more than sell a product. It enables a business to be transparent and open about its products in detail. This assures the potential customer and increases decision-making comfort whether they commit to buying or not.

When customers cannot visit a store in person, they may want to inspect the purchase in detail. Having 4k zoom on your product page allows your visitors to scrutinize your products, feel the texture, and choose the right shade of color. This can be made easy when you add 360-degree images. Interactive 3D models can significantly improve your web session duration.

Typical case: Timothy Oulton

Timothy Oulton is a British handcrafted leather furniture brand. From 360-degree views to detail shots, it uses various 3D configuration features to create an engaging product page experience.

3. Interactive Imagery

With more people shopping online, having a 3D interactive website has become increasingly important. It can give your shoppers a degree of interactive imagery that photographs cannot render. You can achieve this by combining the background and the product to create an in-context image. Those combinations will help you convey a certain quality, tone, or mood that will influence a shopper’s perception of your product.

True, you can have multi-angled images, but you cannot rotate them. However, 3D product rendering enables immersive interaction between the customer and your product. Now, a shopper can rotate, enlarge, or shrink the product to view it from all directions. Such context enables shoppers to visualize how your product looks in a real-life setting.

Typical case: Neptune

A British interior design and lifestyle brand, Neptune, designs and creates furniture, lighting, and accessories for the entire home. They use context images to tell a story. Their product pages are filled with high-quality room scenes that highlight the beauty of their products.

Tangible Results of Implementing 3D Web Configurators

3D rendering is a distinctive way to present your home improvement products to your customers. It is less expensive in part because it can be used throughout the process of design and sale. Plus, it nudges them along in their buying decisions.

3D web configurators can help increase your customer engagement, boost online sales, and reduce returns. Thus, more businesses are likely to embrace the power of 3D configuration to ensure business continuity during the pandemic and beyond. So, yes, product visualization is the new reality of the future. But, are you ready for it? If your answer is yes, get in touch with us software development experts and help us give you a 3D view of your business’s success!

Streamlining SAP S/4HANA Migration with Selective Data Transition

Though the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates digital adoption among industries, the journey towards Intelligent Enterprise can be complex. Typically, this begins with establishing an intelligent core like SAP ERP. However, even migrating to a new system is more than just a simple upgrade for many companies. With several years of historical business data across complex system landscapes, companies will have to adopt a specific migration approach to SAP S/4HANA. A well-defined migration approach will help businesses ensure business continuity, embrace innovation, and stay relevant and competitive. This post will look at SAP S/4HANA Selective Data Transition Engagement and how this approach accelerates SAP S/4HANA migration.

Read more: Deploying SAP S/4HANA: Tools and Methodologies to Adopt

Two Popular SAP S/4HANA Migration Methods

There are two popular methods to manage SAP S/4HANA migration.

1. Greenfield migration

The first option is the Greenfield approach or a complete re-engineering (new implementation). However, the limitation of this approach is that you cannot migrate your historical data and so cannot take advantage of the latest intelligent features you need for your company’s historical data to work.

2. Brownfield migration

The second option is the Brownfield approach that allows migrating high volumes of historical data (system conversion). However, moving a vast amount of historical data could leave you with more data that could be non-compliant with data privacy laws. Also, this approach could leave you with a lot of irrelevant data in your newly configured system.

As both these options offer certain limitations, SAP formed a brand-new approach, the SAP S/4HANA Selective Data Transition Engagement, that makes your data migration to SAP S/4HANA a lot easier.

What is Selective Data Transition?

Selective Data Transition, also known as Hybrid Approach or Landscape Transformation, is an alternative to the New Implementation approach (Greenfield) or System Conversion approach (Brownfield). It allows you to consolidate several ERP systems to one central SAP S/4 HANA system. Selective Data Transition is vital for companies moving from an existing SAP ERP solution to SAP S/4HANA on-premise or SAP S/4 HANA cloud (private edition).

Just like an inland river delta flowing into the ocean, Selective Data Transition allows you to migrate only a relevant selection of your existing ERP data to SAP S/4 HANA. So, if you’re on SAP ECC planning for transition to SAP S/4HANA, then selective data transition is one of the best approaches to move to SAP S/4HANA.

Case Study: Thermo Pads partners with Fingent to migrate from ECC 6 to SAP S/4HANA. View Case Study

Business Benefits of Selective Data Transition Approach

• Selective data transition avoids business disruption when moving to SAP S/4HANA and enables you to go live according to your business needs. In general, this approach allows for a single go-live, moving several organizational units or roll-out in multiple phases, for example, by country.
• This approach enables you to migrate only your relevant historical data and retain a consistent process chain while leaving behind obsolete data, for example, outdated company codes.
• Selective data transition helps you define your speed and combine single projects such as a new go-live implementation, finance management, etc. while moving to SAP S/4HANA in a single step or a phased approach.
• With SAP S/4 HANA, you can introduce new business processes and manage your historical data while protecting good practices and previous investments.
• The near-zero downtime approach restricts the technical downtime to just a few hours.
• Selective data transition can help change your landscape by either splitting or consolidating existing systems.

Read more: 7 Tips to Ensure a Seamless Transition to SAP S/4HANA

Customize Your Selective Data Transition Approach with Fingent

Selective Data Transition Engagement is a great way to balance between redesign and reuse. It can happen across various scenarios for companies of different sizes to support a smooth transition to SAP S/4HANA. This approach provides a suitable IT landscape for every company’s unique needs. Selective data transition goes beyond the standard implementation as it offers several options for customers to choose from, based on their current landscapes and future needs.

You can work with Fingent and define the appropriate structural changes that need to be considered during data migration, along with any business processes that may need to be modified or redesigned. Our tailored approach has helped many of our customers to increase their flexibility to adapt data and processes in just one step.

Read more: SAP S/4HANA journey: 8 ways C-level leaders and executives can derive business value 

With Selective Data Transition Engagement, companies can even take advantage of select innovation and modify their business processes to facilitate the use of the latest tools and functionality without the need to start from scratch.Companies having mature SAP landscapes can clean up their environments while retaining those investments that matter most and lower their transitions by bypassing preparation projects.

Selective data transition can even help split some of your projects between the cloud and on-premise. It also allows you to restructure and consolidate your environments as you want. But, most importantly, this approach helps you save time by combining all tasks in just one step.

Read more: 6 capabilities of SAP S/4HANA that will help you become an intelligent enterprise 

So, if you are interested in learning how the SAP S/4HANA Selective Data Transition Engagement can help your organization accomplish successful migration, don’t hesitate to contact Fingent. We are an SAP Silver Partner and have the expertise in this area to expedite your intelligent enterprise journey.

A comprehensive guide to web application development in 2021

• Introduction
• What is a Web Application?
• What is Web Application Development?
• Web Apps vs Mobile Apps
• Types of Web Applications
• Technology Stacks for Web Application Development
• Benefits of Web Application Development
• Web Application Development Process
• Web Application Development Validation & Deployment
• Web Application Development Trends
• The Cost of Developing a Web Application
• FAQs About Web Application Development
• Develop Your Web Application with Fingent

Progressive Web Apps: New Cutting-Edge Trend in Web Development

Speed and convenience have become crucial in keeping online shoppers engaged. Progressive Web Apps development is a solution that allows the shopper to enjoy an app-like experience via a website (using web browsers). Users can install the PWA application from the browser window and access it just like a native app. In addition, progressive web apps improve the quality of your web applications, making them reliable, fast, and engaging.

Are you considering PWA for your business growth? Is it worth exploring this option? This blog will help you take a closer look at why Progressive Web Apps are turning to be the new cutting-edge trend in web development.

What is a Progressive Web App?

Frances Berriman and Alex Russel coined the buzzword “Progressive Web Apps” in 2015. To date, PWA has been a big player in this mobile-first world. Progressive Web Apps (PWA) have caused digital marketers to rethink how they design and deliver sites.

Progressive Web Apps can deliver a blazingly fast and slick app-like shopping experience to the end-user. It combines the best of two worlds: your website and the native application. It can be called a hybrid app as users can now browse your website on their mobile. Besides, PWA promises to solve two vital issues:

1. Performance and usability
2. Mobile-web conversion rates

Read more: Native Apps vs. Web Apps: Choosing the Best for Your Brand

Business Benefits of Progressive Web Apps

Several companies that focused their efforts on PWAs instead of having a separate native app have experienced increased conversions. A best case in point is the world’s largest online B2B trading platform, Alibaba.com. Alibaba.com increased its conversion rate by 76% across browsers after upgrading its website to PWA.

Here’s how your business can benefit from PWA:

1. High-performance rate

Response time is crucial for audience engagement and better conversion rates. PWA responds quickly as the browser uses caching to save the elements of the layout that are repeated in the template. This improves the speed of downloads and reduces page load time. Subsequently, better performance leads to a better user experience, which in turn increases customer retention rates.

2. Ease of use across multiple devices

Progressive Web Apps are built with a responsive layout in mind for an improved user experience. A responsive design will fit into any size of the screen with ease. In other words, PWA will adjust the experience as per the device screen size. You can further improve the user experience with a PWA manifest file that controls the full-screen view.

3. Seamless browsing experience

A traditional website is virtually useless without a stable internet connection, but not a Progressive Web App. PWA can be easily viewed offline as service workers automatically cache important application features and information from the user’s last online access. This way, the user can access it without any network. Plus, you can add a brand logo, product descriptions, and few advanced features to your offline page.

This is an additional incentive for shoppers to choose businesses with a Progressive Web App over those that use native apps. Such a seamless browsing experience rewards you with better engagement rates and customer retention.

4. Resembles native-built applications

PWAs can be designed to look and behave like native apps, or they can be designed to let users know they are browsing the Progressive Web App. Regardless of the developer’s choice, it can contain a complete set of traditional app functionalities with database access. The best part is that you can seamlessly integrate the application into an existing website or an app.

Watch Video: Fingent software development experts can help you choose the right mobile app development approach by evaluating your requirements.

5. No installation is needed

Shoppers can download your app directly onto their devices. Once downloaded, it gets its own icon on the screen, just like a traditional mobile application. This will avoid the slow and complex installation process, improve user experience, and reduce user abandonment.

Here is another way it can benefit you: users can easily access the PWA via a URL. In other words, a user can easily share this link with a friend contributing to increased leads.

6. No manual updates are required

Native apps must be updated periodically through mobile internet or a WIFI connection. Such updates can consume large amounts of data, which may be costly for some users. Fortunately, Progressive Web App updates are performed “on-use,” much like how a website is updated.

7. Low development cost

Developing a mobile app can be a costly process, especially for small businesses and startups. Thankfully, PWA development is much cheaper than traditional app development but provides a better option for companies to generate a positive ROI.

Read more: Mobile app development: 4 tips to consider 

8. Wide range of features

The most prominent feature of PWA is push notifications. Publishers and developers can use this feature to implement creative advertising solutions. As the push notifications appear on a shopper’s device screen, it is read more often than emails or updates on social media. This can lead to valuable brand awareness and promote products or services.

9. Improved app and data security

Security has been a concern for both users and developers. According to new standards of web design, all customer information must be moved to HTTPS. So it is highly convenient to launch Progressive Web App within a safe environment. Moreover, it builds customer confidence in the security of their personal information as they enter sensitive data into your PWA.

10. Low data and low storage

Data is costly in some developing nations. That is why it is a bonus that Progressive Web App consumes only a fraction of data usage compared to native apps. Moreover, it does not take up significant storage space on devices, so users are more inclined to use a lighter app on their smartphones. Also, it contributes to better performance.

Read more: Building a Business Mobile App in 2021? Here’s What You Need to Know 

Progress with Progressive Web Apps

Progressive Web Apps are the future of web-hosted apps as they can overcome the inherent limitations of web performance and insufficient or unavailable internet connections. Since PWAs can run on any modern platform, soon they will overtake truly native apps. Yes, PWAs have the potential to change the way the web works. However, Progressive Web Apps will not replace websites and mobile apps altogether. It is still in its infancy. To know which option is best for your business, have a chat with the technology experts at Fingent.

Custom patient engagement platforms improve caregiver-patient interactions today. Here’s how. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic restricting face-to-face engagement, patients have started using telehealth (telemedicine) technology and other digital channels to receive healthcare services. The growth of digital healthcare will increase the demand for healthcare technologies in the future. 81% of people (patients) want healthcare providers to know them individually and deliver more personalized and meaningful experiences.

While support programs like teleconsulting do not replace the physical presence of healthcare providers, they offer valued information, which is the need of the hour. With stay-at-home mandates, social distancing, and lockdowns, telemedicine is the vital care model that boosts patient engagement today. Personalized patient engagement fosters trust among patients and ensures continuity of care. So, in times of pandemic and beyond, patient engagement platforms will play a crucial role.

Read more: 5 ways to optimize the revenue of your medical practice and clinical processes 

Patient engagement and its growing significance

In simple terms, patient engagement is a concept where patients are actively involved and considered important decision-makers in their care.

Engaged patients are:

• Informed- as they understand their health status and the treatment.
• Empowered- as they believe they can change their health outcomes.
• Heard- as they can communicate with their providers better and participate in shared decision-making.

What is a patient engagement platform (PEP)?

A patient engagement platform is an application that enables patients to interact with healthcare providers via their mobile device, tablet, or computer. The patient engagement platform keeps the patients involved beyond the four walls of the hospital.

When implemented effectively, patient engagement platforms can help streamline access to medical records, provide appointment reminders, enable self-scheduling for patients, and deliver patient education or awareness.

How do patient engagement platforms help?

Patient engagement platforms (PEPs) can help automate the following processes.

• Send reminders to patients regarding their postoperative treatment protocols
• Allow patients to update mobility reports and pain score
• Deliver educational content
• Manage images of wounds
• Record and monitor health vitals like BP, FBS, BMI, etc.

Read more: 7 major impacts of technology in healthcare

What are the benefits of a patient engagement platform?

1. Ease the patient engagement process

A customized patient engagement platform helps improve your patient experience by assisting them in scheduling medical appointments. It can also help notify patients about their next visit to the clinic, or when they need to check their health vitals, or when their current medication course will be over. In addition, caregivers can use the patient engagement platform to track a patient’s medical history and use the data to channelize treatment plans when the patient pays a second visit.

2. Enable caregivers to focus on core competencies

With a patient engagement platform in place, patients can fill in medical forms, electronically scan their insurance cards, and consent from their mobiles, laptops, or computers. It will allow healthcare providers to focus on their core competencies and saves patients from standing in queues or long wait times. In addition, it can expedite the care delivery process during an emergency.

Case Study: Fingent partnered with Casenet’s Advanced Solutions Group to develop TruCare Insights as a reliable population health management platform. Download Now!

3. Empower care providers to make informed decisions

Healthcare organizations can use information like satisfaction scores, online appointments, wait times, and ROI to make informed decisions related to staffing and identify opportunities for improvement. Custom patient engagement platforms allow clinicians to track all this information effectively. It goes a long way in supporting clinical decision-making.

4. Optimize healthcare throughput

Patient engagement platforms allow online registration that ensures patients have less waiting time in the clinic. It enables healthcare providers to attend to more patients in a given time and improve data accuracy and demographics. In addition, patient engagement platforms spare medical professionals from time-consuming and manual data management processes so that they get time to receive advanced medical training. Nurses, physicians, administrators, and other hospital staff members can streamline their communication, increase staff satisfaction, and utilize data analytics to make strategic decisions.

Benefits to the patients:

• Patients are aware of the next steps, such as diet plans, exercises, medication plans, or next clinical visit
• Consistent and transparent care will be available 24/7
• Augmented patient engagement and experience
• Improved communication lowers preoperative stress and anxiety

Case Study: How did a data analytics solution help NHS gain financial, clinical, and geographical insights to improve visibility over their KPIs? Read Now! 

What to look for in a custom patient engagement platform?

Given the changes in patient behavior, expectations, and changing healthcare landscape, healthcare providers will have to ramp up patient engagement strategies and implement the latest engagement technologies. Patient engagement platforms must enable providers to determine the best ways to deploy their expertise and services to their patients.

Read more: Digital tools reshaping the healthcare industry

So, make sure the patient engagement platform has the following capabilities.

1. EMR integration

The patient engagement platform should integrate with Electronic Medical Records (EMR). For example, the platform should receive data from the EMR, such as a referral or recall, and revert to the EMR.

2. Sentiment analysis

The main aim of patient engagement is to understand patients on a deeper, emotional level. So, it is crucial to leverage sentiment analysis technology. This will enable providers to recognize when a patient is happy or frustrated and respond accordingly.

3. Real-time and interactive patient communication

The platform must encourage bidirectional communication, specifically text-based messaging. In short, patients must be able to communicate with their health system easily.

4. Chatbot functionality and keyword actions

The use of chatbots and keywords in patient engagement platforms is trending. It helps reduce human intervention. So, the patient engagement platform should allow for automated responses to common questions such as “where are you located?” The platform must also enable keywords to trigger automation, such as scheduling a ride for patients who need a lift.

Read more: 5 leading chatbot use cases explained with real-life examples

5. Patient on-boarding

The platform should drive patients to the patient portal and help them register quickly and conveniently to get medical support on time.

6. Integration with other vendors

A single app can’t solve it all. It is just not feasible and is also not in your patient’s best interests. Make sure that your patient engagement platform integrates seamlessly with your other vendors. For example, the platform can offer billing features or even integrate with medical billing software, medical invoice management software, etc.

7. Boost employee adoption

Your staff must like and accept the patient engagement platform. If they don’t appreciate the new technology, it won’t fulfill its potential. In addition, you must ensure that the patient engagement platform enjoys enterprise-wide adoption and has a user-friendly UX and UI.

8. Offer multilingual support

As not all patients speak English, you will have to ensure that the platform supports different languages used or spoken widely by your patients.

Read more: 5 essentials to an effective healthcare application 

Why should you adopt a custom patient engagement platform?

A custom patient engagement platform is specifically developed for your organization to cover your unique healthcare requirements and cater to your internal processes.

As such a platform is built from scratch, it gives you the freedom of choice for technology. Additionally, you can easily integrate this platform with third-party systems because you get to control the code entirely. Also, you will have full ownership of the final product and customize the software according to any relevant changes in your organization.

Benefits of a custom patient engagement platform

• High scalability
• Seamless integration to your existing infrastructure
• Enables integration with any new services you are willing to include in your medical practice
• Freedom to choose the technology
• Gain full ownership of the resulting solution

Custom patient engagement platform is best suited for medical practices that:

• Offer a wide range of services
• Plan to expand in size and services
• Have rigid workflows that are difficult to adapt
• Want to integrate the new solution with the existing system

Read more: The application and impact of information technology in healthcare

Develop your custom patient engagement platform with Fingent

At Fingent, we have the expertise and work closely with you to build a custom patient engagement platform to suit your business needs. Our software development experts help you select the best web development frameworks, database and backend technologies, data visualization formats, and leading front-end technologies to develop your patient engagement platform or any medical software that you would require.

Fingent helps you develop healthcare application platforms tailored to your needs, with top features like appointment scheduling, medical billing, patient feedback management, payment processing, chatbot, and fundamental to in-depth analytics. To know more, please get in touch with us.

How Various Industries are Leveraging AR, VR, and MR Today?

Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality(VR), and Mixed Reality (MR) may sound the same to many of us. But do you know that each one is different? AR, VR, and MR are different tech concepts with characteristics that differentiate each from one another.

Here’s what you need to know about each of the technologies, along with a few examples.

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality uses computer vision along with mapping and depth tracking to show the appropriate content to the user. This functionality allows the cameras to collect, send and process the data to show the appropriate content to the user.

AR is designed for unrestricted movement while projecting images or other objects that you are looking at and enhances the user’s physical environment with contextually relevant digital content in real-time. A user can experience Augmented Reality with a smartphone or special hardware.

Watch Video: Augmented Reality in Education Transforms Learning Experience

Some of the interesting real-world examples of AR

1. AR in Gaming

Games like “Pokemon Go” project a Pokemon on your screen, on top of whatever your mobile camera focuses on. Augmented Reality has beautifully combined the real world with the favorite Pokemon characters.

2. AR in Medical Training

Augmented Reality is finding its virtue in medical training today. For example, students at the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University are learning human anatomy using AR headsets or glasses. AR allows them to examine the human body without the need for dissecting cadavers or watching live operations.

Read more: How Augmented Reality in Healthcare is set to Transform the Industry in Future

3. AR in Retail

The retail sector also has been taking advantage of AR to help customers have a more enjoyable and interactive shopping experience. For example, Harley Davidson has developed a unique mobile app for its customers that allows them to view a motorcycle in-store using AR and customize it by adding accessories, changing paint jobs, etc.

IKEA, the leading retail conglomerate, has rolled out AR-powered retail apps that allow customers to “try on” clothing remotely before buying them online.

Read more: How Top Brands Embrace Augmented Reality to Offer Immersive Customer Experiences

4. AR in Manufacturing

Augmented Reality enables the manufacturing industry to gain a competitive edge by helping companies improve quality and productivity. Workers can get assistance from AR gadgets to save time, reduce errors and increase efficiency. Some of the world’s biggest brands like Boeing and General Electric are already using AR in their manufacturing processes.

Using AR glasses allows Boeing’s technicians to easily view the wiring renderings in the aircraft fuselage without external distractions.

Augmented Reality enables GE mechanics to be more productive as the technology offers them step-by-step instructions and visuals directly within their line of sight. They also get alerts in real-time through AR smart glasses so that they can inspect every step before moving on.

Read more: How Augmented Reality Simplifies Equipment Maintenance

Virtual Reality 

Virtual Reality Environments (VREs) allow users to experience real-life scenarios via simulated counterparts and gain practical knowledge that would otherwise be difficult to comprehend in a real environment.

As the main focus of Virtual Reality is on simulating the vision, you will have to wear a VR headset such as Oculus Quest or HTC Vive Cosmos in front of your eyes that eliminates any interaction with the natural world (avoids distractions). Typically, two autofocus lenses are placed between the screen and the user’s eyes. The lenses adjust based on the individual eye movement and positioning. To render the visuals on the screen, you can use an HDMI cable connected to the PC or mobile phone.

Virtual Reality uses speakers, goggles, and even handheld wearables to simulate a real-world experience. You can also employ visual, audio, and touch simulation to create a more immersive reality.

A few real-life applications of VR

1. VR in Education

Virtual Reality can make learning more engaging and immersive. In addition to schools and universities, virtual experiences can help businesses train their staff. Currently, Unimersiv is offering VR educational content for institutions and companies.

Case Study: Using 360-degree VR simulations, the University of North Carolina offers an immersive campus touring experience to aspiring students. Download now! 

2. VR in Real Estate

For years, real estate agents have used photos and graphic designs to showcase properties to prospective buyers. Today, Virtual Reality has transformed real estate property tours, making them more personalized, immersive, and close to reality. Being an immersive technology, VR enables potential buyers to experience a 3D walkthrough and understand better what each property has to offer even before scheduling a physical site visit.

For example, Sotheby’s, one of the world’s leading luxury realty brands, offers Virtual Reality home tours and videos to its clients. Potential buyers can view properties and spaces from the comfort of their homes using a web browser, or a smartphone, PC, laptop, or through a wearable headset.

Read more:How Virtual Reality can Transform Your Real Estate Business

3. VR in Marketing

VR is helping businesses reach out to their audiences by launching immersive and engaging marketing campaigns. With the COVID-19 pandemic compelling people to shop online and companies to transform digitally, Virtual Reality is gaining more popularity as it is helping people get a feel for products without leaving their homes.

For example, IKEA has introduced a VR app that enables users to experience kitchen remodeling. Using the VR Kitchen app, you can explore the virtual kitchen and interact with the objects using a VR headset.

4. VR in Healthcare

Virtual Reality helps doctors understand their patients’ needs better as it provides an in-depth look into human anatomy. Today, VR is extensively used in surgical training.

An educational project conducted by the University of New England (UNE) successfully used VR to teach empathy to medical and health profession students. The project used a VR tool called “Alfred Lab app” – to teach students about macular degeneration and hearing loss from a 74-year-old African American man’s perspective. Realizing an aged and ailing patient’s thoughts and concerns enables the residents to develop empathy towards such patients.

Read more: How Virtual Reality Improves the Standard of Medical Education and Training

5. VR in Travel and Hospitality

The travel industry is facing the hardest time ever in its history. However, vaccination rollouts on a global scale and international travel relaxations now give a fillip to travel, tourism, and hospitality. An early adopter of digitalization, the travel industry has already forayed into Virtual Reality. Travel businesses attract tourists and even promote holiday destinations through virtual staging and tours. Virtual Reality also allows people to explore the world virtually, especially those who cannot afford to travel.

Google StreetView is one of the best examples of how VR is being used in the travel industry. In addition to viewing panoramic images on a computer, it allows users to enable Google Cardboard mode for a Virtual Reality experience.

Mixed Reality

Mixed Reality, sometimes known as hybrid reality, combines the elements of both AR as well as VR. However, here the virtual content is not only overlaid on the actual environment but is fixed to and interacts with that environment. In simple terms, Mixed Reality lets you see virtual objects just like Augmented Reality, but these objects are capable of interacting with the real world. In simple words, Mixed Reality is more like immersive and interactive Augmented Reality.

MR is still in its nascent stages and may take time to create an impact like the other two technologies. One of the most remarkable Mixed Reality apparatuses is Microsoft’s HoloLens.

Opportunities provided by Mixed Reality

1. MR in Education

Mixed Reality allows students to see both the real world as well as the holograms. MR offers an immersive learning environment enabling students to understand better.

Case Study: Find how Fingent developed a unique Mixed Reality application for a leading university that enables users to identify people using facial recognition. Download Now!

2. MR in Manufacturing

Mixed Reality provides workers with real-time assistance, thereby facilitating manufacturing processes. The technology allows workers to see holographic instructions, so they know what to do. This minimizes human errors and improves quality significantly. Mixed Reality is also helpful for repairs and maintenance, especially in industries that require precision and expertise.

For example, Renault Trucks integrates Mixed Reality into its manufacturing process for enhancing engine quality control at one of its factories.

The blurring line between physical and virtual

While Virtual Reality takes you to the virtual world from wherever you are, Augmented Reality adds to the reality by projecting information on top of what you see. Mixed Reality combines both AR and VR. All these technologies, though powerful, are yet to make their mark with consumers. That said, they can completely change the way we use computing devices, gadgets, and technology in the future.

If you are eager to offer your customers immersive virtual experiences that surpass physical encounters, look no further than Fingent, a top custom software development company. Get in touch with us now!

Add More Zest to Your Ecommerce Marketing and CX with 3D Web Configuration

Having a digital infrastructure is inevitable, but it just isn’t enough to keep up with the competition. Achieving business success is about “wowing” your e-commerce buyers. In the post-pandemic world, businesses must find engaging and innovative ways to increase customer satisfaction and experience. A recent Frost & Sullivan study showed that by 2020, customer experience would overtake price and product as a key brand differentiator. True to this, business in 2020 was entirely driven by customer experience. 

View Infographic: Business Technologies to Boost Customer Experience and Satisfaction

Local shoppers switched to online shopping, door deliveries were encouraged, telemedicine became more popular, mobile and internet banking users increased, and even classrooms became virtual. 

So, how do you “wow” your customer in this age of online shopping? By giving them as close to the real experience as virtually possible! 

How do you do that? With a 3D configurator! 

A 3D product configurator allows your customers to see exactly how your product looks, acts and feels. It gives them a personal connection with their potential purchase. 3D configurators have become an integral part of the sales process and rising customer expectations during the pandemic, making it vital for specific industries. 

This blog helps you understand what a 3D web configurator is and how it can help increase your e-commerce sales and boost customer satisfaction.

Read more:How Custom Retail Software Solutions Help You Gain a Competitive Advantage?

What is a 3D Web Configurator?

In the past, customers were satisfied to see a static photograph that they could easily zoom in and out. However, with the changed circumstances and digital development, customers would like to view how various product designs or features would look in real-time, allowing them to spin, zoom, scroll, and rotate. That is precisely what a 3D web configurator allows your customers to enjoy. 

A 3D web configurator is defined as an interactive tool powered by 3D models that lets your customers personalize a product to their specifications in real-time. Plus, it allows them to choose custom options and watch them transform instantly, and receive estimates of the costs based on their customizations. 

This service gives your customers the feel of being at your store because it gives them the ability to get the feel of the product, such as the color, texture, and other aspects of your product. Customers can watch it from any device without using plugins. 

Essentially, 3D configurators are not just for retailers and car companies. All industries that sell customizable products can benefit from letting their customers see how their products look in real-time. Once this service is implemented, you can increase your ecommerce sales and boost customer satisfaction.

Read more: 6 Ways to Accelerate Business Growth and Success in 2021

How does a 3D Web Configurator Work?

A 3D web configurator accomplishes two pertinent e-commerce goals:

1. A detailed exploration of your products
2. The ability to customize the product to a customer’s specific needs

When your customers have not zeroed in on a particular product, your 3D configurator steps in to display different combinations and options for that product to inspire them to make an informed decision. In effect, your 3D configurator will help them check out the colors, styles, material and combine them in different ways until they create a personalized product. Then, as they mix and match their specifications, your configurator will allow them to see their combinations in 360-degree, in real-time mode, along with the price. Such precise control over their product will encourage them to make a purchase.  

Read more: How Top Brands Embrace Augmented Reality to Deliver Immersive Customer Experiences

How 3D Web Configurators Boost E-Commerce Sales and Customer Satisfaction?

1. Enable omnichannel experience

As mentioned at the outset, 3D configuration solutions do not require a third-party plugin which limits the number of customers who can view your product. Above all, it can be formatted for events or used in interactive stores as it can also work offline. Such interaction encourages your customers to participate in your productions, ensuring you understand their choice and budget. 

2. Grow your e-commerce sales 

Your customers will have proactive control of what they want to buy as 3D configuration solutions allow them to try out various combinations virtually. Once you know their exact requirements, you can minimize errors, misunderstandings, and mistakes between you and your customer. 

3D web configuration reduces barriers to the market as you will be able to release the options to your customers during the first stage of product development. Thus, you can grow your e-commerce sales as your customers know that you understand them clearly and provide them with quality products. 

3. Save costs

3D web configurators can redefine and shorten the sales cycle as real-time customer responses/ reactions can help you create better outcomes. This allows you to track consumer behavior in real-time. Also, you can reduce the quantity of raw materials you need to stock as you will now create products as per request.

Furthermore, you can minimize significant expenses incurred in logistics and storage to a great degree. You can also personalize this unmatched 3D technology to become as responsive as the rest of your website. 

4. Place your customers behind the wheel

As the factory floor entered the digital age, brands must let their customers take the driver’s seat for tremendous success. Only then will you precisely understand what your customers want. Knowing that will help you meet their demands accurately. The 3D web configurator allows your customers unparalleled freedom to bring their dream product to life, ensuring their satisfaction. 

5. Distinguish your brand with a “wow” factor

Consumer attention has created intense competition between brands, forcing them to spend billions in an attempt to find the magical ingredient that will capture and retain the attention of their customers. 

What determines whether their attention sticks or moves away is the “wow” factor that keeps them returning for more. A 3D configurator will help you ensure that your customers are “wowed” each time they visit your website because they would have truly enjoyed the experience. Your configurator can boost customer satisfaction by delivering the experience needed to attract and amaze your customers repeatedly.

6. Boost sales

3D web configurators increase conversion rates and revenues as your customers can make informed decisions without delay. It gives them all the information they require to make a quick purchase. For example, it offers details such as customization of the product, price, immediate and direct contact with the salesperson, detailed descriptions, and a strong call to action. Additionally, you can avoid cart abandonment scenarios through increased engagement.

Make 3D Web Configurators Your Launching Pad 

Customer engagement and interactive product visualization can customize a product of choice and provide a tangible in-store experience to your online customers. It can become a launching pad for increased growth, higher sales, and conversions. Would you like to experience the power of a 3D web configurator and don’t know where to start? Get in touch with our software development experts right away.