Over the next three years, 66% of healthcare executives are planning to increase their investment in digital twin, states a recent digital health technology report. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital twin technology has been playing a key role in aiding healthcare professionals. Digital twin is used to optimize the usage of ventilators for critical patients, support contactless temperature scanning, reduce person-to-person contact, trial drugs, and prevent the risk of disease transmission. In the post-COVID-19 era too, medical researchers can leverage digital twins to analyze the existing data and study the impact caused on the human body.
In this blog, we’ll take you through what is digital twin technology and how it’s creating an impact in the healthcare industry? Let’s checkout!

The Role of Digital Twin in Healthcare

Digital twin technology allows you to replicate the physical world in a digital layout. A digital twin is a virtual model of a device, object, or process that operates in real-time to update data when changes are made. Researchers rely on digital twins to test new scenarios in real-life environments with improved safety and cost-effectiveness. In the past, the application of digital twins was limited to sectors such as industrial engineering and manufacturing. It was economically unviable to build digital twins in other fields like healthcare and education. The proliferation and affordability of innovative technologies such as IoT, AI, ML, AR, VR, and XR are accelerating the adoption of digital twins in healthcare.
Read more: The Application and Impact of Information Technology in Healthcare 
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is constantly striving to enhance patient outcomes, reduce operating costs, and address unforeseen medical crises effectively. The US-based Digital Twin Consortium observes that digital twin technology has the potential to improve patient turnaround, reduce patient wait times, optimize equipment utilization, cut staffing expenses, and minimize bed shortages. It helps personalize medicines based on real-time data and improve the operational efficiency and performance of healthcare organizations by identifying workflow bottlenecks and scheduling optimization.

Top 5 Applications of Digital Twin in Healthcare

Digital twins allow the creation of handy virtual models and medical simulations based on the data gathered from wearable devices, patient records, drugs and pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers, and other healthcare departments. This helps streamline the overall clinical and caregiving processes. Listed here are the top five applications of medical digital twins:

1. Customize treatments and drug administration

Digital twins allow physicians, hospitals, and clinics to deliver patient-centric care by leveraging precision medicine. Data stored in healthcare mobile apps, medical software, wearables, fitness trackers, and other medical devices can be captured into digital twins which enables doctors and front-line health workers to address patients with persistent or critical conditions. For example, combining AI-powered anatomical analysis with the virtual model of a patient’s heart helps understand the progression of heart diseases over time. It enables medical researchers to identify how the patient will respond to new drugs, treatments, or surgical intercessions. Digital twin experiments are also conducted to analyze the progression of neurogenerative ailments such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

2. Advance surgical procedure planning

Digital twin technology enables brain and heart surgeons to run virtual simulations of surgical procedures prior to executing complex surgeries. Testing pre-operative and post-operative surgical procedures and outcomes on a digital replica of human body parts reduces the risk of hampering human health. Advanced, patient-specific computational models of human organs help plan and augment complex surgical interventions with improved precision and care.
Read more: How Virtual Reality Benefits Autistic Patients
Virtual Reality

3. Enhance caregivers’ efficiency and experience

Digital twins support caregivers to gain a consolidated view of patient data scattered across various medical applications, physicians, and specialists. Technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP) help infer the data and summarize the medical history of each patient. Capturing patient-specific information onto your medical dashboard throws better light into the context of each patient. This improves your clinical decision-making ability.
Digital twin model of a hospital allows you to measure the impact of organizational changes. For instance, you can use the virtual model to test new operational strategies, care delivery programs, staffing rotation, appointment scheduling, hospital bed facilities, surgical schedules, and so on. This helps redesign your organization’s workflow, improve coordination among various departments, and reduce the treatment window.
Case Study: How Fingent’s healthcare technology solution helped improve collaboration between doctors, patients, and caregivers

4. Test new medical devices and drugs

Federal drug regulators such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agency as well as the European Medicines Agency (EMA) propose using AI algorithms to determine the safety and effectiveness of pilot drugs. Digital twins can simulate the health traits of a larger number of patients which helps analyze how a drug’s usage will impact a wider population. Using several inclusion and exclusion paradigms, AI helps pace up drug trials by identifying the willingness and availability of patients. Digital twins can also mitigate the harmful impact of experimental drugs and reduce the number of patients who need to undergo real-world testing.
It takes more than $2 billion to manufacture and launch a new drug into the market. Trial phase alone costs heavily and over 90% of treatments fail during this period. Capitalizing on technologies like machine learning and computational modeling helps expedite the early stages of drug design, development, and safety evaluation. Digital twins integrate the test data across various samples to give a holistic picture of the drug’s effect on patients.

5. Improve supply chain flexibility

The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic weakened our supply chains due to the lockdowns and transportation bans across various countries. This resulted in the shortage of essential healthcare supplies. Digital twins allow healthcare organizations to create robust contingency plans to address such unpredicted events, increase bed capacity, manage emergencies during shutdowns or shortages, offer remote patient care, and design and construct new medical facilities to reach out to more patients. Hospitals, labs, and healthcare establishments can remodel their supply chain relationships to create alternative plans, improve collaboration with suppliers, and team up with authorities to plan and negotiate.
Read more: Why is it better to outsource custom healthcare software development
Custom healthcare software development

Make The Most of Digital Twins with Fingent

Healthcare application development experts at Fingent help you overcome the hurdles that defer digital twin adoption such as data gathering, quality of clinical trial datasets, and information security and privacy. We develop custom healthcare apps leveraging technologies such as VR, AI, ML, and IoT that enable you to virtually test innovations and deliver exceptional patient care. These solutions can be tailored to optimize both your clinical and operational functions. For instance, we help you develop virtual simulators for ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support System), accident trauma care standard operating procedure, an orthopedic or cardiac surgical procedure involving complex tools, and Neo-natal Resuscitation Simulator (GOLDEN MINUTE PROTOCOL).
Read more: How Virtual Reality Improves the Standards of Medical Education and Training 
Besides VR, healthcare providers can benefit from various customizable solutions such as connected healthcare apps powered by IoT, integrated medical dashboard software, remote patient monitoring systems, and healthcare analytics applications. Improve your organization’s technology ecosystem with Fingent top software development company. Contact us to design digital twins and drive innovation.

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    About the Author

    ...
    Vinod Saratchandran

    Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

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      Applications are at the front and center of business strategy today. Software-driven business transformation requires new apps that can be developed and delivered faster. Organizations need a new platform to support these changes – one that can deliver high-quality apps.
      Globally, cloud platforms are redefining the way enterprises scale their businesses. Enterprises are under tremendous pressure to develop and deploy applications faster and more efficiently. Cloud-native applications help tech-savvy enterprises stay ahead of the competition.
      Today, cloud-native application development has emerged as an innovative concept. It has altered the way software applications are developed, shipped, and managed. This article discusses in detail what cloud-native application development is. It will also explain how cloud-native application development is empowering app delivery.

      What Is Cloud-Native Application Development?

      A cloud-native application is designed for cloud computing architecture. These applications are built and hosted in the cloud. Cloud-native application development is an approach that exploits the flexibility, scalability, and resilience of cloud computing. It includes various tools and techniques used by software developers to build applications for the public cloud.
      Cloud-native takes full advantage of the cloud computing model. Therefore, it efficiently combines architecture and technology that enable the design, development, and operation of workloads in the cloud. Cloud-native application development empowers you to gain a competitive advantage by quickly bringing ideas to market.
      Cloud-native applications have shorter application lifecycles and are highly resilient, manageable, and observable. They speed up the development of new applications, optimize existing ones while connecting all of them.
      Cloud-native application development is mostly based on microservices. Microservices are discrete and reusable components that can be used in any cloud environment. It is a multidimensional approach. It represents a cycle where complete focus is on the journey rather than the destination. Hence, it is all about building new applications and modernizing the existing ones on the principles of the cloud.
      Read more: A Comprehensive Guide To Modern Cloud Application Development
      Cloud application development

      What Is Cloud-Native Architecture and How It Empowers App Delivery?

      Cloud-native follows five architectural features. These features are microservices, APIs (application programming interfaces, containers, backing services, modern design. These help businesses ship products faster, implement their customer’s needs, create value quicker, and aid collaboration between developers and IT specialists. Let’s consider each of them:

      1. Microservices

      It becomes easier to scale when a monolithic application is broken into many smaller pieces. These pieces are called microservices. Each of these microservices is designed to be autonomous, independent, and self-contained.
      This approach is advantageous as each microservice can be deployed, upgraded, scaled, and restarted: without impacting the end-user. Microservices are independent and so you can eliminate dependencies and coordination efforts. The teams can work parallelly, thereby increasing velocity. Microservices enable elasticity-a key attribute of cloud computing.

      2. Containers 

      Containers are crucial for packaging and running cloud-native applications. Microservices are grouped into container images and deployed onto a host operating system as they are faster and lighter.
      Containerization allows the bundling of a cloud-native application into a single unit. This unit may contain libraries, configuration files, or other components that the application needs. The containerization process makes it easy to test, move, and deploy the applications.
      Because of its agile nature, you can start or stop a container at a moment’s notice and remove any defective instances. Container system guarantees consistency and increases application portability across cloud systems.

      3. Backing services 

      Cloud-native systems depend on ancillary resources. These resources include data stores, message brokers, monitoring, and identity services. These are called backing services. You could develop them in-house or simply select from a rich assortment of managed backing services offered by vendors. The latter is a better option as it can significantly save you time and labor.
      As backing services can be bound dynamically to a microservice, it acts as an attached resource but decoupled from the application and remains interchangeable. In a nutshell, backing services can be attached to and detached from a microservice using a configuration management tool.

      4. Application programming interfaces (APIs)

      Microservices need an intrinsic mechanism to talk to each other. Plus, Client-facing microservices need to accept and respond to user requests. Application programming interfaces are those software connectors that can send and receive data, metadata, and service requests.
      In cloud-native applications, RESTful APIs manage communication between microservices. Furthermore, APIs expose functionality that other software can use. It is a good practice to avoid touching the underlying code. As a best practice, APIs make it is easy to extend or customize applications without disturbing the underlying code.

      5. Modern design

      Despite having a wide variety of tools and techniques, one cannot avoid all challenges that arise in application development. So, IT teams must develop customized application monitoring and management methods. These methods must suit the organizations’ cloud model and IT infrastructure.
      Watch: How InfinCE – A Digital Workplace Orchestration Platform, Can Help you Seamlessly Experience Infinite Cloud For Your Enterprise!

      Why Is Cloud-Native Important Now?

      Cloud-native is a cost-effective way that brings ideas to market quickly. Here are a few characteristics that make cloud-native critical for business growth:

      • Auto-scalability: Cloud-native applications can scale services automatically and independently and do not require daily management.
      • Elasticity: These applications and services can scale in-out and up-down as the demand changes ensuring efficient usage of resources.
      • Speed of deployment: Businesses receive faster feedback and delivery when continuous delivery and deployment are used. It results in faster shipping of applications.
      • Resilience: These services can survive outages and failures and remain online as disaster recovery mechanisms are available in the cloud.
      • Cost-effective: As these applications are cloud-based, computing and storage resources can scale as needed. Thus, eliminating the need for overprovisioning. Businesses can use containers to maximize the number of microservices run on the host.  It saves time, resources, and money.
      • Easy to manage: As cloud-native applications use automation, developers can track all microservices and components as they are updated. The team can focus on a specific microservice without worrying about how it will interact with the other services.
      • Visibility: It is easy for the teams to study applications and learn how they function together, as a microservice architecture isolates services.

      Read more: Cloud Migration Strategy: 7 Steps To Accomplish A Flawless Transitions
      Cloud Migration

      Key Takeaways

      Cloud-native application development is here to stay. Businesses will continue to use cloud-native technologies for agility and efficiency benefits. Most importantly, it is a cost-effective way to architect new applications. Businesses must consider the tradeoff between cost, effort, and time involved in moving to a cloud-native architecture.
      The transition towards a cloud-based digital-first organization can be hassle-free when you have the right partner to guide you through it. At Fingent, our developers have the experience and know-how to do it right for you.
      Give us a call and let’s get talking!

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        About the Author

        ...
        Sreejith

        I have been programming since 2000, and professionally since 2007. I currently lead the Open Source team at Fingent as we work on different technology stacks, ranging from the "boring"(read tried and trusted) to the bleeding edge. I like building, tinkering with and breaking things, not necessarily in that order.

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          Healthcare is a vast customer service industry that is trying to improve patient health and healthcare processes. This patient-centric approach has evolved, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual consultations and telemedicine practices have increased rapidly in the last two years. A report by PwC on global healthcare trends reports, 91% of consumers who used virtual clinical care in the past would do so in the future. Additionally, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows an increase of 154% in the use of telehealth in March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
          As patients are demanding much more streamlined and seamless access to healthcare, most organizations are trying to get rid of old conventional systems that limit performance. Today, patients seek personalized treatment. That’s where custom-made software comes into the picture.
          Read more: Is Augmented Reality the future of HealthCare?
          Augmented Reality in healthcare
          Custom software is built to cater to the specific needs of the users. They intend to solve unique challenges. Emerging technologies have proved an immense benefit to the healthcare sector. When these technologies are integrated together they bring various benefits to doctors, patients, medical organizations, and the entire healthcare industry.
          A few commonly known custom software solutions for healthcare are:

          • Electronic Health Record (EHR)
          • Hospital Management Systems
          • Telemedicine
          • Electronic Prescriptions System
          • Appointment Scheduling
          • Medical Equipment Management
          • Medical Research

          In this blog, we will further dig into how custom-made software provides superior customer service in the healthcare industry.

          How is custom-made software boosting patient care?

          1. Improved personalized patient services

          Data-driven patient services are adding value to patient care. Data that is recorded, transmitted, and easily available is helping improve doctor-patient interactions. This allows healthcare organizations to personalize their patient services. Additionally, they can manage their interactions with thousands of patients without the need for administrative overhead.

          2. Improved communication and organization

          With custom-made software, different departments can communicate easily and improve the organizational culture of hospitals. Departments can share information without the need for manual entries and documentation. Also, patients can visit any department without carrying any document along as the information is already available electronically with the hospital.

          3. Improved growth

          Custom software digitally transforms the traditional medical record maintenance system and makes it paper-free. The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) can store data of thousands of patients securely host on the cloud. This decreases operating costs and eventually increases the ROI. Thus, custom software plays a pivotal role in improving business growth.

          4. Integrated system

          Custom-made software integrates different workflows that your organization requires daily. Custom software can synchronize several simple and complex processes such as finance, OPD, human resources, etc., in a single place. This helps reduce workplace stress and allows healthcare providers to invest more time in patient care.
          Read more: Choosing Prescriptive Analytics over Predictive Analytics in Healthcare!

          Why is Customer Service a priority in Healthcare?

          Health issues can be stressful emotionally as well as financially. When engaging with healthcare organizations, most patients expect personal care in addition to the treatment. Thus, the more personalized the care, treatment, and engagement with patients, the more likely it is to have happy customers.

          How can custom-made software improve customer service?

          1. Scheduling appointments

          Using custom-made software, healthcare organizations can improve the scheduling experience by reducing wait times and the time taken to capture patient data. It can also help provide appointment confirmations and reminders via text message or email prior to the appointment.
          Booking appointments is the most elementary feature in most healthcare apps.

          2. Service delivery experience

          Custom-made software can provide healthcare practitioners with complete access to patient records health history along with diagnostic tools and systems. In addition, healthcare practitioners can use digital tools to record treatment notes, patient recommendations, queries, and diagnosis notes while interacting with the patient. This helps provide patients with tailor-made experiences and improve customer service in general.

          3. Post-appointment follow-up

          Healthcare practitioners can use auto-trigger feedback forms that allow patients to rate their experience, which will enable them to measure patient satisfaction. Doing so will improve customer engagement and foster a long-term relationship with patients.
          Read more: Custom Healthcare Software Development: Why Is It Better To Outsource It?
          Custom healthcare software development

          How Fingent can help your healthcare organization improve patient care?

          Whether your healthcare business is small or big, a custom healthcare solution is the only way to move ahead in the game and ensure quality and effective patient care services. Fingent is a trusted partner and has been proving efficiency in custom-made healthcare solutions for years. Here are some of Fingent’s success stories in enabling healthcare organizations to drive unique and streamlined customer experiences.

          #1 A Custom Solution To Simplify Patient Care

          Miscommunication between doctors, patients, and healthcare providers can turn life-threatening. That’s why it’s highly imperative that communications are streamlined. Although this itself could be a challenge!
          That’s why Fingent helped develop a simplified patient-care solution, Encourage, that promotes effective communications amongst the various players in the healthcare ecosystem. A doctor can keep track of patients’ progress, assign tasks, and set reminders and care plans, as part of the patients’ profile. Patients can also get involved and also add selected caretakers to the care plan. The solution not just helps streamline communication, but also helps improve patient engagement and allows to better educate patients and families on various treatments.
          Know more on how Encourage turned an apt custom software solution for simplified patient care!

          #2 Healthcare Service Platform

          Providing the right healthcare guidance, knowledge, or tools to the patients or their families can be time-consuming. Plus, it’s also imperative that the information shared is confidential and extremely accurate.
          To streamline and solve such challenges in patient engagement and collaboration, Fingent helped develop an online platform, NovitaCare, that helps engage patients, providers, researchers, and NGOs to collaborate online and facilitate quality care. The solution equips many early-stage healthcare start-ups to streamline their workflow, improve patient-caregiver and caregiver-patient interactions, eliminate wastage, improve accountability and raise patient care quality.
          Learn more on how NovitaCare turned into a top-notch solution for healthcare patient management.

          #3 Improving Visibility on Hospital Performances with Data Visualization

          It is vital for patients to choose the best hospitals and healthcare centers based on their performances. NHS wanted to create a platform that streamlined this search with metrics that compared hospital performances to showcase the best and those with good success rates.
          Fingent designed an application that utilized data inputs from NHS to create interactive visuals and graphs to compare hospital performances. The solution drills down the minute of details to analyze hospitals across various parameters to deliver financial, clinical, and geographical insights, highlighting key performance issues and indicators.
          Read more on how NHS used Fingent’s data visualization capabilities to identify the best-performing healthcare centers.

          #4 Cutting-edge Web Application for Health Insurance Decision-makers

          In partnership with Casenet’s ASG, Fingent helped simplify TruCare Insights, a nimble PHM platform that aids healthcare payer organizations.
          Casenet’s Advanced solution group wanted to create an application that provides action-oriented dashboards and management ease to healthcare payer organizations. The platform, TrueCare did not provide integrated reporting options, and maintaining reports and reconciling them required excessive manual labor. Thus, Fingent helped the team build a highly scalable web application, with best-in-class UI/UX design, to seamlessly integrate the complex workflows of TrueCare, and manage 10 mn+ data records using custom filters.
          Know more on how helping Casenet simplify their platform TrueCare streamlined their workflow and management!
          Using our proven strategies, Fingent top software development company has helped many healthcare organizations and non-profit healthcare sectors boost performance and bring innovative ideas to life. Our experts help provide external perspective, agility, and understanding needed for real innovations. With us, you can get access to skilled software development professionals and all the ancillary roles to develop technology solutions that are apt and unique to your challenges. Additionally, we provide the best-in-class support during and after custom software development.
          To know more about how we can help you deploy the top technologies for improved healthcare services, connect with us today!

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            About the Author

            ...
            Vinod Saratchandran

            Vinod has conceptualized and delivered niche mobility products that cater to various domains including logistics, media & non-profits. He leads, mentors & coaches a team of Project Coordinators & Analysts at Fingent.

            Talk To Our Experts

              The COVID-19 pandemic has created an imbalance between the supply and demand of the goods thereby disrupting the supply chain globally. That said, it has also amplified the need for technology tools to manage the supply chain challenges as the possibility of lockdowns in the future can’t be overlooked.
              With the increasing demand for autonomous solutions, it is not surprising to see companies investing in supply chain technologies. According to Gartner, by 2023, 50% of the global eCommerce companies will invest in the real-time supply chain, AI, and advanced analytics solutions.

              Challenges in the Supply Chain

              1. Labor and material shortages

              2020-21 witnessed several layoffs and quarantine putting the market in flux globally. Leaders not only face delegation woes but also find staffing key positions within procurement and supply chain ops problematic. Leaders will have to rely on technologies and automation to create cohesion and shift focus to smaller more concentrated procurement teams.
              According to the Institute of Supply Chain Management report, every key commodity is either scarce or up in price leading to shortages and complexities to supply chain management. In other words, the material shortage will continue and companies can expect persistent problems through 2022.

              2. Rising freight costs

              In 2021, trucking and intermodal transport shot to new highs while spot prices doubled across the board: van (+18%), reefer (+25%), flatbed (+27%). Additionally, sea freight price and air freight price skyrocketed as well making it difficult to move freight in any capacity.
              Thus, fluctuation in freight price will remain one of the biggest challenges the supply chain industry will have to face in coming years.

              3. Port congestion

              In the last two years, there have been wait times for ships headed into ports across the world. In October 2021, over 50 container ships were amassed outside Los Angeles and Long Beach to unload cargo from China. That said, gridlock especially at overseas ports creates delays as ships look to obtain cargo. So, bottlenecks at both ends cause additional lead time for import-export operations ultimately disrupting the domestic supply chains.
              While port congestion isn’t a new problem, according to The National Customers Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), 2022 could see historic wait times and supply chain bottlenecks.

              4. Problems related to demand forecasting

              While the global shutdown in 2020 skewed supplier data to a great extent, 2021 saw some recovery making the data relatively unreliable as a standard for future forecasting. This has resulted in no proper benchmark for supply chain leaders to follow.
              As the unprecedented demand grows, meeting it remains a challenge. So, supply chain leaders will have to rely on trending data to predict the year considering the previous benchmarks for everything from inventory to budget and pricing.
              Read more: Logistics Management Software – Everything You Need To Know!

              While this adjustment is completely different for those who rely on the last two to three years trailing data to estimate demand forecasting, it is a challenge that requires forethought.
              Here are five technologies that will help advance your business in 2024:

              1. Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

              According to Deloitte, RPA will see strong growth in the next five years specifically in the supply chain operations that include lower-value, potentially dangerous, or high-risk tasks. Robotic technology applications include trains and trucks, automated vehicles like drones, last-mile deliveries, and storage and retrieval systems (ASRS).
              The use of RPA can achieve the following objectives:

              • Improve productivity and efficiency
              • Reduce re-work and risk rates
              • Increase employee safety
              • Perform repetitive and mundane tasks so humans can work more useful tasks
              • Increase revenue by improving order fulfillment and delivery speed

              New pricing structures are helping companies consider investing in automation. That said, the RaaS (Robotic and a Service)-type model allows providers to lease units through a monthly service contract instead of customers paying a huge capital up-front.

              2. Cloud computing and AI

              As supply chains generate big data, cloud-based AI can be used to turn that data into insights. Cloud computing along with AI has transformed the way the supply chain operates and in near future its abilities will only grow in complexity.
              Cloud and AI systems can use past trends and market indicators to achieve the following processes;

              • Powering automation process
              • Informing supplier selection
              • Providing real-time information on shipments
              • Analyzing carrier performance
              • Streamlining supplier onboarding and automating supplier management
              • Anticipating trends in operational issues
              • Augmenting customer support

              Read more: How to accelerate your business growth with Robotic Process Automation

              3. IoT

              Asset tracking through IoT will help save time and money and assist data-driven decision-making.
              Through GPS tracking of shipments and monitoring parcel conditions, IoT devices have improved quality management in the supply chain. RFID chips, mobile sensors, and smart devices can track and authenticate products, humidity, light levels, measure temperature, handling, movement, speed, and other environmental factors of shipments.
              Additionally, IoT facilitates new fleet management solutions development which helps improve workflows and customer satisfaction. Also, IoT in the future will reduce the total cost of ownership and make the entire supply chain industry more connected, driven by legislation and customer demand.
              Adoption of IoT will also improve security and decrease the probability of piracy, disruption of refrigeration, and container damage.

              4. Blockchain

              Emerging technology in the supply chain industry, blockchain’s decentralized digital ledger can help improve transparency for customers. This will enable them to track the whole journey of a product before arrival. Additionally, blockchain can increase transparency in audits and improve security by revealing any attempted fraud. Blockchain can help increase the level of trust and make digital payments more secure.
              Blockchain systems can also save time and money due to better coordination of documents and eliminate the need for physical paperwork.

              5. Transportation Management System (TMS)

              All of the above-mentioned technologies need to be organized and managed from a single point. That is where TMS applications complications come into the picture.
              TMS is used to manage carriers, and help convert paper-based documentation into a digital format. It will reduce freight costs, track deliveries in real-time, and increase transparency which will eventually improve customer service. Simply put, TMS will help make all the separate elements work as a single system.
              TL Nika Logistics is a prime example of successful TMS adoption.

              Final thoughts!

              There’s no denying that technological innovation is propelling supply chain management solutions. If you are looking to embark on this technical journey, Fingent custom software development experts is the right partner for you. We understand the latest advancements in supply chain technology and help organizations adopt these emerging solutions while gradually replacing legacy systems to help navigate better in this competitive business landscape.
              Connect with us today!

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                About the Author

                ...
                Tony Joseph

                Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

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                  We saw great challenges overcome, extraordinary feats accomplished as businesses fought tooth and nail to keep their doors open. It has also been a time of great innovation. While the pandemic reshaped the previously established ways of life and work, the appetite for transformation continued to grow.
                  Though the last days were a difficult year for businesses, the year’s disruptions led many businesses to adapt to the times and operate with impressive levels of flexibility. It was a year that presented learning, change, and growth opportunities.
                  As coming years gather momentum, businesses looking to rebound after the pandemic must consider all major technology changes that have happened. Doing so will aid in making decisions that will enable their business to demonstrate fortitude and remarkable ability to adapt as necessary under extraordinary circumstances.
                  This blog recaps key milestones and moments in the last year that helped businesses break free from survival mode and refocus on a bright and successful future.

                  The Growing Reach of Digital Transformation 

                  The digital transformation took center stage for businesses as legacy processes and old-school systems could not meet the demands of consumers and employees. Artificial intelligence-driven smart systems helped businesses become more resilient in a locked-down world.
                  These digital transformations enabled businesses to function efficiently, employees to increase productivity, and empowered customers to shop from the comfort of their homes. Towards the end of the year, these new technologies and tools continued to mature and to create a future where people are shaping the world to fit their needs and preferences.

                  Workforce Technologies Increased Employee Productivity

                  In the pre-pandemic era, working from home was not considered as productive as working in the office. However, a two-year study by Great Place to Work determined that employee productivity was the same or even better when they worked from home.
                  Read more: Fingent Recognized as a Great Place to Work-Certified™ Company
                  Work-Certified™
                  As the workforce technologies got better, faster, and more powerful, there was an exponential rise in the hybrid workplace concept. These technologies allowed businesses to retain the culture, stability, and social interaction of a physical office as they allowed their employees to choose remote work.
                  The AI-powered HR technology empowers employers and employees to customize goals, roles, and structures. These powerful technologies help hybrid teams to stay connected to live, interactive systems even if they all work in different time zones.
                  Case Study: Learn more on how Fingent’s AI-Powered Virtual Assistant helps employees with HR & DevOps queries

                  Enhanced Omnichannel Experience 

                  Providing a fluid omnichannel experience is critical to satisfying customers and building customer loyalty. An omnichannel experience enabled customers to interchange devices and move fluidly between various platforms. It created a truly seamless and consistent experience regardless of channel.
                  It allowed customers to start their search in one channel, pick it from where they had left on another device, and yet take the context forward with every interaction. Businesses ensured to develop their omnichannel strategy by unifying the digital and physical world.
                  The adoption of omnichannel enhanced retailers’ experiences as well. For instance, a customer may reach out on live chat with an issue and end the call only to realize later that he forgot to ask one more thing. Now, he may call customer service instead of using a live chat. Omnichannel experience will allow the agent to pull up that customers’ previous chat and have all of the contexts to quickly resolve his issues.

                  Personalization and Hyper-personalization with AR and VR Technologies

                  Personalization and hyper-personalization are the most advanced ways to increase revenue, smoothen customer journeys, and make conversations more meaningful. Personalization can be achieved only through careful analysis of customer data.
                  In the last year, businesses saw how retail analytics tools can provide actionable insights into customers buying patterns and preferences. This will help in customizing the offering. Virtual try-on, AR in retail enable immersive shopping experiences. Moreover, high-value customers can be catered to exclusively and attract the right customer to increase sales.
                  Read more: Creating a Future workplace with AR & VR!
                  future workplace

                  Blockchain Took Center Stage

                  Blockchain interoperability will get better in the coming years. It has been used to transform the nature of transactions and trade across the world. Blockchain technology made cryptocurrency a possibility. It is instrumental in lowering transaction costs, providing protection from cyber-attacks, helping maintain confidentiality, and more.
                  Another popular blockchain trend was BaaS or Blockchain as a Service. It is a cloud-based service that enables users to develop digital products like smart contracts or applications that can work without any setup requirement of a complete blockchain-based infrastructure.
                  Read more: How Blockchain Enables The Insurance Industry to Tackle Data Challenges

                  Real-time Visibility into Inventory and Services

                  To meet customer expectations, it is crucial to have the ability to view and track inventory levels at all times. Real-time visibility enables businesses to prepare for the unexpected. It also provides data and analytics needed to made better business decisions.
                  So, appropriate tools that leveraged AI and ML brought about improvement in maintaining accurate stock and preparing for future demand. These tools provided end-to-end visibility across the supply chain and helped businesses meet the growing customer demand.
                  Read more: How Data Warehousing Adds Value to Data Visualization and Reporting

                  NFT Gains Traction and Expand into New Areas

                  NFT (Non-Fungible Token) is drawing in new artists, musicians, and other creative people who want to make money. NFT bunny is modeled after social networks with each user having the ability to communicate with other users. Binance NFT allows an artist to buy or sell collectibles and other artworks.

                  Demand Forecast with The Help Of AI, Big Data, And Analytics

                  Data-driven business transformation gained popularity among retailers as it provided a strategic advantage. AI, Big Data, and Analytics help in understanding the deep patterns of the data from various sources used for demand forecasting.  Retailers have immensely benefited from hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly level forecasts.

                  Resilient Supply Chains 

                  The strategic application of AI-powered technologies has enabled complex and resilient supply chains. This has improved same-day delivery options. This year also saw the expansion of e-bikes managed by user-friendly apps and cloud-connected supply chain technologies.

                  Rising From the Ashes with Smarter Business Technologies

                  Lat few years have been challenging year for most businesses. Amid pandemic and political upheavals, we saw exciting advances and breakthroughs in businesses technology. Also, customers are more value-conscious today than before. These technologies help reduce business operations costs and pass on the benefit to the customers. Leveraging these technologies is a smart way to build a resilient business. Excited to know which technology is best for your business? Call us and let’s work it out together.

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                    About the Author

                    ...
                    Tony Joseph

                    Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

                    Talk To Our Experts

                      It’s time to load up your arsenal. Why? Because it’s wartime and you’re here to win!
                      The COVID-19 pandemic has held the world in its vice-like grip for a considerable time now and many businesses have had to downsize or even shut down in its wake. Just when we thought it was over, we were hit by another wave.
                      There is no reason to despair though. With the right tools and the right guidance, you can surf through this wave and the next. In this blog, we are going to be talking about one such power tool – Odoo ERP. Odoo ERP’s capabilities and user-friendly aspects are helping businesses to manage their operations successfully despite the challenges brought by the pandemic, and you can too.

                      A Solution to Pressing Challenges

                      Finding new customers and retaining existing customers is one of the most common business challenges. According to Kauffman’s statistics, the pandemic heightened this challenge. The increasing competition did nothing to help with this.
                      Additionally, when the pandemic struck, companies that were not prepared to work remotely faced a huge blow because they had to shut down their offices and work remotely.
                      Evidently, businesses need a dedicated business management system to successfully cope with these and other challenges. Odoo ERP is a business management tool with the complete capability to manage the entire operations of a company.
                      Odoo ERP’s capabilities and user-friendly aspects are helping businesses manage their operations successfully despite the challenges brought by the pandemic. The Odoo platform brings efficiency and improvement to all the operating processes of the company.
                      Read more: 5 Salient Features Of Odoo That Makes it a Reliable ERP for Enterprises
                      Odoo

                      Odoo Is a Better Tool to Invest Today to Stay Prepared For Tomorrow’s Challenges

                      Pre-pandemic there was a notion that employees’ productivity will be hampered if they work from home. But the pandemic taught us that when digital ways are adopted correctly, remote work can be a success. And the Odoo ERP system has been a boon in catering to these digital requirements.
                      Odoo ERP is considered the most advanced and easy-to-use tool in today’s tech-plenty world. With the help of Odoo ERP, companies are enjoying seamless integration, better module-to-module connectivity, and effective digital bookkeeping to name a few benefits.
                      Odoo ERP with its Business Intelligence increases productivity by helping to use the company’s resources effectively. By digitizing record-keeping and pen and paper approvals, for example. Let us consider some specific ways in which Odoo ERP helps businesses stay prepared for future challenges.

                      1. Minimum workforce

                      Sudden lockdown measures have forced some companies to cut down on their staff. Odoo’s modules can help your business function well even with fewer employees. Production invoicing, lead generation, and stock movement provide perfectly navigated paths for your business despite strict lockdown measures.

                      2. No sales due to lockdown

                      If you are unable to sell your products due to quarantine measures, Odoo can solve your problem. It can help you create a website for e-Commerce. It allows you to create an easy to use, elegant and attractive website. These websites can also be connected with different online payment methods that make buying a lot easier for your customers.

                      3. Remote management

                      Due to lockdown measures and transportation restrictions, most organizations have opted for remote work management. Odoo can help you manage every integral business activity from wherever you choose to work. Its efficient functionalities and Business Intelligence capabilities will allow access to your company’s database whenever and wherever you are.

                      4. Cost-effective

                      Odoo ERP’s robust modules can minimize your business management costs while ensuring quality service. It offers effective management services at a reasonable price.

                      5. Secure business communication

                      Secure communication among employees, partners, and clients is essential to all businesses. Odoo Discuss is a user-friendly messaging application that enables your teams to communicate with each other simultaneously. It ensures sharing of projects and other integral documents without allowing any breach.
                      There is no doubt that Odoo can refresh your business considerably if implemented correctly. Given that, let us understand what are some common mistakes made in Odoo implementation. This will help you succeed in overcoming any implementation challenges.
                      Read more: 5 Signs That Imply Your Business Needs Odoo ERP
                      Odoo ERP

                      Common Mistakes Made in Odoo Implementation 

                      Admittedly, implementing Odoo ERP is a huge change for an organization. It can be daunting for a business as it involves multiple considerations. If the implementation is not carried out properly, it can paralyze the entire organization. That is why it is important to choose the right implementation partner. Here are some common implementation mistakes:

                      • Lack of strategic management planning: A clear strategic roadmap and goal will help identify all the requirements from the ERP implementation. Not having a clear goal implies money-related disadvantages and unorganized due dates leading to chaos.
                      • Over customization: Over-customization can cause Odoo performance issues.
                      •  Lack of experienced project managers: Hiring project managers that do not have in-depth expertise and lack adequate experience is another mistake that can lead to performance issues.
                      • Not testing the framework: Due to a lack of time, some organizations decrease the number and profundity of test cycles. Eliminating some tests may leave defects undiscovered and miss important functions as well.
                      • Lack of sufficient training: Some organizations rush to use the product without sufficient training. Training at the right time is as important as doing it in the right way.

                      Why Do You Need an Odoo Partner?

                      Expertise is the primary reason. A good Odoo partner will have the expertise, experience, and knowledge that you need for a successful implementation. They will help you avoid the pitfalls of implementation and execution and can guide you through the nuances of the platform. With techno-functional consultants on board, they will be more successful in identifying complex issues and locating the right business procedures than you will be if you try to do this on your own.
                      Read more: Why Choose Fingent as your Odoo Partner
                      Odoo ERP

                      Tips To Get The Right Odoo Partner

                      Here is a checklist that makes your quest for the right Odoo partner easy:

                      • Experience: Experience in different industries and services helps your partner identify problems quickly and deliver highly customized solutions that newbies cannot. Such experience will also aid them in spotting trends and keeping the system up to date.
                      • Availability: During the development phase, there is a chance that the software might develop many issues. If the partner is available 24/7, they can address any glitches and prevent significant revenue loss
                      • Pre and post-service support: Pre and post-implementation training is a must for organizations that have never used Odoo ERP before.
                      • Access: Ready access to the software developer when you need them makes software modification a swift ride and you can rest assured that you will get exactly what you need.

                      How Fingent Fits the Bill

                      Fingent is an official Odoo Partner and has helped many clients successfully implement and execute Odoo’s dynamic features in their business. We have a team of talented, professional Odoo experts with techno-functional knowledge. The presence of certified and senior developers will help in strengthening your business.
                      Our developers help you access and customize Odoo’s powerful features and build custom applications for your business that will give you an edge over the competition. With rich experience in implementing Odoo ERP for different industries and working with its different modules, you can rest assured that we have the technical know-how and the business experience to do it right for you.
                      Connect with us now!

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                        About the Author

                        ...
                        Yaseen Shareef

                        Yaseen Shareef has been developing solutions with Odoo since 2013 and currently manages Odoo projects for Fingent's clients, making business functions more productive. Outside of work, Yaseen enjoys vlogging, traveling and catching up on the latest action movies.

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                          “The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” 
                          – Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft.
                          When we look around us today it has become exceedingly obvious that the world is moving at a much faster pace than we remember. If not all, most of the credit goes to the vast number of technological developments that take place almost every day. In this rapidly changing world, we can either choose to evolve with it or stay back and live with the feeling that we are completely out of place and out of our depth.
                          This blog will help you understand all the “realities” of today’s tech world and help you fit right in and create a future workplace, to move ahead of your competition.

                          Reality In Its Many Forms

                          Some of the fastest developing and most exciting branches of technology out there are Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. Although some companies have already integrated this technology into their business practices to create innovative and sustainable workplaces, it is imperative for every business to invest in AR and VR. If they want to succeed in this overly competitive world that is.
                          Recent studies conducted by PwC show that VR-trained employees were up to four times more focused than their e-learning peers and four times faster to train. When trainees are taught with a VR experience, they learn more from the training and have superior outcomes. Creating a workplace that is equipped with this kind of technology will most definitely increase the work productivity of the employees.
                          VR and AR have evolved over the past years and have become more convenient both technologically and financially for business and learning. They affect companies in every industry and various organizations, from universities to social enterprises. They have become the new terminal between humanity and machines, uniting the digital and physical worlds.
                          Read more: Top AR and VR Trends to Transform Ecommerce in 2022!
                          AR & VR
                          Now that we’ve established the necessity of VR and AR for businesses and industries, let’s move on to understanding what exactly these technologies are and what they do.

                          Virtual Reality 

                          It is an artificial environment created by software and requires a special headset that plunges you into the new reality. It immerses the user within its virtual environment and in most cases, the user can manipulate objects or perform a series of actions.

                          Augmented Reality  

                          AR, conversely, does not give an absolute immersion. It adds digital elements to a live view usually done by using the camera on a Smartphone or tablet.

                          Mixed Reality 

                          Mixed Reality blends elements of AR and VR to co-exist creating a combination of virtual and actual realities, allowing you to interact with both simultaneously.

                          Extended Reality 

                          XR is an umbrella term used when all these computer-generated technologies are used together.
                          Read more: Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality Detailed with Real-life Examples

                          How do these technologies influence the future of a workplace?

                          Listed below are a few ways that AR/VR/MR/XR is influencing the future workplace.

                          Virtual Reality

                          • Increased Connection and Collaboration – As opposed to video consultation, VR users feel like they inhabit the same space, resulting in more effective collaboration.
                          • New HR Practices – With access to employees across the world, hiring practices will widen to recruit top talent.
                          • Upgraded Training Techniques – VR training is especially favorable in perilous situations, as it offers a safe, engaging, and educational experience.
                          • Efficient Product Development – VR finds its use in product testing in a variety of scenarios, abolishing the need for costly physical paradigms.

                          Augmented Reality

                          • Will Save Money – AR headsets and apps can replace costly seminars or classes.
                          • Improve Productivity – Increased engagement through collaborations with other companies using AR will change the way employees work.
                          • Cognitive Barriers – With the help of AR your workforce can train much faster. This will in turn lead to a more structured, competent, and productive team.

                          Mixed Reality

                          • Better business operations – MR can help companies work efficiently by allowing engineers to try new ideas without wasting resources and reducing complex processes.
                          • Enhanced training – It can offer experiential training sessions which allow team members to experience a situation for themselves, in a simulated environment.
                          • Improved creativity – It improves project development by allowing teams to make important decisions and alter features without wastage or excessive resources.

                          Extended Reality – 

                          • Investment Banking – By using XR for broadcast, a firm could reach and interact with many investors over multiple locations in a robust and dynamic way while reducing costs, logistical challenges, and the need for travel.
                          • Trading Floor – XR replicates all the benefits of a modern trading floor along with advanced capabilities, plus the ability to access the trading environment from anywhere in the world
                          • Training and Compliance – Scenario models powered by XR, could be used to provide real-time training and ensure employees are well-equipped for real-world situations.

                          Read more:5 Real-world Applications of Extended Reality

                          Identifying Which Ecosystem Best Suits VR/AR/MR/XR

                          To determine which of these technologies better suit your ecosystem, evaluate the challenges your workplace is experiencing.
                          VR and AR thrive in fields of research and development, design, review, education, and training. MR’s combination of the physical world and the digital world is making notable changes in various industries, including medical, education and research, manufacturing, design, and construction. XR being the comprehensive umbrella that it is plays a more prominent role in various sectors and organizations, yielding clear benefits in numerous facets of work and business, including training, collaborative working, and marketing.
                          Irrespective of the technology you decide to go with, remember that every time new technology is implemented there’s a clear culture shift at the workplace, so be prepared for change.

                          Read more: How Is Extended Reality (XR) Impacting Customer Behavior

                          How To Affordably Deploy AR/VR/MR/XR With Fingent

                          Fingent has developed strategic software solutions for businesses across the world. By initiating your projects with Fingent you are backed up by a dedicated and skilled team who work round the clock. All our processes are customer-oriented and designed to reduce the cost of business developments.
                          Fingent merges Augmented Reality using 3D modeling, 360-degree imaging, real-time character identification, and orientation-based tracking with our reality to form immersive and personalized solutions. We help you utilize ARCore; Google’s AR platform, to fabricate a potent user experience through Android devices and ARKit for IOS devices.
                          With 3D models and simple user-friendly interactions, Fingent creates a customized Virtual Reality strategy that closely binds with your business structure and objectives. We help you analyze and grasp the growing abilities of Mixed Reality to reach your customer base in the most ingenious ways and since Extended Reality is becoming the new mode of communication between business and client, Fingent has systems in place to increase awareness, engagement, and conversation and help support large-scale communication.
                          If you’re looking for easy and affordable ways to make your workplace future-ready, this is your shot Fingent has got you covered. Give us a call.

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                            About the Author

                            ...
                            Venkatesh Alagarsamy

                            With exceptional expertise in AR, VR, and MR, Venkatesh has worked in the conception, design, development, delivery, and implementation of solutions catering to the needs of industries like Automobile, Oil and Gas, Medical Simulation, Heavy industries, Mining, Archeology, Retail, Soft Skills Development, and Education. Venkatesh has vast experience in developing multiplayer solutions for leading large-scale sectors across the globe. When not working on projects, Venkatesh likes to keep himself updated on the latest technology advancements, because he believes that's what helps him provide top-notch solutions for his customers. Connect with Venkatesh via LinkedIn today, and know more about how your business can benefit from Extended Reality technologies!

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                              Digital transformation has become indispensable, more so now than ever before. When COVID-19 struck, governments swung into action and issued orders that restricted in-person business operations and encouraged people to work from home. In response, businesses began to look for ways to continue their operations by turning to various technologies.

                              Even before the spread of the pandemic, these technologies empowered businesses to engage with their customers, allowing workplace flexibility while introducing automation and faster processes. But the pandemic accelerated these adoptions immensely. The digital transformation helped businesses to find ways for people to communicate, collaborate, and complete work while working remotely. At the same time, it catered to the request of customers who preferred contactless or contact-limited operations as well.

                              Exploring and understanding the latest digital transformation trends and what parts of these transformations will likely be here to last will help you plan the best digital transformation strategy.

                              Read more: Prepare for the future of Digital Innovation with these 10 services from Fingent!
                              digital innovation

                              What Is Trending In Digital Transformation Now (2022) And What’s Going Cold?

                              If there is one takeaway all businesses can learn from this pandemic, it is to be adaptable. As the landscape reinvents itself and workplace culture trends shift suddenly, systems, processes, internal dynamics must pivot to stay competitive. It is crucial to adopt digital trends with the staying power to benefit your business. This makes it important to know all about the trend that will stay long-term versus ones that will go cold in this post-COVID ecosystem. Let’s begin with what goes cold.

                              1. Fading: Blockchain implementation

                              Blockchain implementation is designed to maintain distributed ledgers. However, the cost associated with it is higher compared to other technologies that can be applied more affordably. The higher pricing has diminished the interest in blockchain implementation.

                              2. Fading: Office technologies

                              Much of everyday business operations hinge on office technologies. Work from home mandates has changed this outdated means of communication and collaboration. Mobile phones have replaced pagers and online documentation has replaced paper.

                              3. Fading: Complicated and inadequate technology stacks

                              Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or office-based, it is crucial to have the right tech stack. A 2021 Work Report finding shows that 32% of workers quit a job because of inadequate technology and there is the other 49% who are likely to quit if the tech stack is hard to use. Employees do not want to waste large amounts of time searching for information across various platforms. This can also result in security breaches too as it puts sensitive data at risk. Opting for streamlined technology over-complicated technology can lead to maximum efficacy.

                              4. Trending: 5G will go mainstream

                              Businesses need reliable connectivity and more bandwidth to achieve greater success at their core parts such as remote work and videoconferencing. Increased reliance on phones, tablets, and other IoT devices highlights the need for the multi-lane superhighway and so 5G deployments have become a vital part of the solution.

                              Read more: Future proof your business with 5G, Edge Computing, and Cloud!
                              5G

                              5. Trending: Customer Data Platforms

                              There has been an explosion of Customer Data Platform (CDP) last year. It is highly difficult to organize fragmented data from multiple sources. Organizing such data is also a costly affair. To address this challenge, most companies now rely on CDPs to help them collect, organize, tag, and make it usable for all those who need access to it. Data will continue to grow exponentially in the coming years which makes the rise of customer data platforms inevitable.

                              6. Consolidation of software vendors

                              Worldwide merger and acquisition activity combined with developing technologies has resulted in a consolidation of software vendors. According to a report by Gartner, consolidation in the tech business is set to hit a record high in 2022.

                              7. Digital transformation tools

                              Remote and hybrid work is becoming the rule, not an exception. With this scenario, organizations need technologies that seamlessly enable collaboration. Digital transformation tools will help businesses to manage employees and stakeholders that are globally dispersed. And this trend will become increasingly prominent in 2022.

                              8. Increased focus on the power of AI and hyper-automation

                              The gigantic amounts of data that businesses gather are only as effective as their AI systems. So, the implementation of AI will remain crucial for efficient business function in 2022. There is no need to approach AI with fear as AI will repurpose human assets as opposed to taking jobs away.

                              The key purpose of Artificial Intelligence is to automate. Essentially, this means all mundane and repetitive tasks can be automated resulting in huge benefits for many employees. Besides, it allows the employer to use that talent for more purposeful tasks.

                              9. AI for enhanced customer experience 

                              According to Gartner, businesses that use AI in their customer service channels will experience a 25% increase in operational efficiency. The insights on customer behavior are causing IT system redesigns.

                              10. Technology to support distributed enterprises

                              The workforce is now becoming more geographically dispersed. Frictionless work experienced necessitates major technical and service changes. Every organization must reconfigure to embrace distributed services. The right digital technology is imperative for business success.

                              11. Supply chain digitization

                              Increased consumer prices and the sluggish economy are exerting tremendous pressure on supply chains. Supply chain digitization is a crucial component that will aid in solving supply chain issues.

                              Read more: A Look Into The Future Of Manufacturing Industry – The challenges, the opportunities, and the technologies that will help revolutionize!
                              manufacturing

                              12. Fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0)

                              Industry 4.0 includes new integrated technology that aims to mitigate the inefficiencies of traditional manufacturing. The manufacturing industries are moving towards robotics, AI, and ML to increase efficiency and benefit their customers.

                              13. Renewed focus on Human Capital Management (HCM) software

                              The practice of HCM has become increasingly prevalent in 2021. It has become the driving force for most business practices and will continue to center stage in 2022.

                              Planning The Best Digital Transformation Strategy With Fingent

                              The acceleration of digital transformation may seem overwhelming. But the right technology can enable a seamless transition for your business. Fingent can help collaborate and streamline the process of selecting solutions that drive digital transformation. Fingent custom software development experts will assist you in evaluating the available options in the market and in making the best choice on the solutions you need. We can help in reducing the cost of your tech evaluations, increase process effectiveness and employee satisfaction. So, the only tool you need to digitally transformation of your business is Fingent! Connect with us today!

                              Stay up to date on what's new

                                About the Author

                                ...
                                Tony Joseph

                                Tony believes in building technology around processes, rather than building processes around technology. He specializes in custom software development, especially in analyzing processes, refining it and then building technology around it.He works with clients on a daily basis to understand and analyze their operational structure, discover (and not invent) key improvement areas and come up with technology solutions to deliver an efficient process.

                                Talk To Our Experts

                                  With proven expertise across 25 industries and an end-to-end suite of intelligent enterprise solutions, SAP has triumphantly cemented its position in the enterprise application software market. According to the World Economic Forum, SAP customers constitute 87% of total global commerce. Right from the R/2 commercial mainframe applications designed in the 1970s to the latest SAP S/4 HANA and its enormous suite of intelligent software products, SAP solutions have enhanced the competency of organizations with deep business insights and improved enterprise collaboration. SAP solutions include both technical and functional modules. While SAP ABAP, SAP Basis, SAP Security, SAP Solution Manager, CRM, etc. are technical modules, components such as Material Management (MM), Production Planning (PP), Financial Accounting and Controlling (FICO), etc. are examples of functional modules. All these modules of SAP closely integrate with each other to provide the best functionalities and solutions for businesses.
                                  Read more: 8 ways SAP ERP software implementation helps your business 
                                  SAP ERP
                                  This post analyzes ABAP, one of the core technical modules of SAP, to understand how the platform enables businesses to run better.

                                  What is SAP ABAP?

                                  Advanced Business Application Programming or SAP ABAP is the principal programming language supported on the SAP NetWeaver ABAP server and the applications that run on it. Typical examples of ABAP-based applications include SAP ERP (previously known as R/3) and the present SAP S/4HANA.
                                  SAP ABAP is the oldest and the most popular of SAP’s four key application platforms, together with SAP NetWeaver Java, SAP HANA, and SAP Cloud Platform. ABAP is used by SAP to deploy its applications on the NetWeaver ABAP platform. It’s different from the universal programming languages like Java because all ABAP programs and compiled code reside only in the SAP system. ABAP is renowned as the proprietary fourth-generation programming language (4GL) of SAP, developed to process massive volumes of data in SAP business applications.
                                  ABAP enables businesses to customize their workflows related to material management, production management, supply chain management, financial accounting, and all other modules of SAP. This helps businesses reduce the time-consuming manual processes involved in data processing, particularly when they have more data to process.
                                  Though some of the popular SAP applications such as SuccessFactors, SAP Ariba, SAP Business One etc. run on other programming languages, the role of ABAP is crucial, especially when these applications integrate with ABAP-based applications such as SAP ERP and SAP S/4HANA. As of 2021, there are five million registered ABAP developers worldwide, which indicates the robustness and credibility of the ABAP foundation for a wide range of SAP business applications.
                                  Read more: SAP for Business-Making SAP support available at your hand
                                  SAP AMS

                                  How does SAP ABAP accelerate business transformation?

                                  ABAP was developed by SAP to enhance and expand the functionality of SAP systems. Here’s how ABAP is adding value to SAP users across the globe.
                                  1. Aids mission-critical business processes
                                  Since the 1980s, ABAP technology has been serving as the rock-solid foundation of SAP’s application portfolio. Several mission-critical business functions rely on ABAP for its scalability, robustness, and extensibility. ABAP is the underlying technology that steers SAP’s celebrated platforms and flagship suites such as SAP S/4HANA, SAP ERP (R3), and the next-generation data warehouse – SAP BW4/HANA. Thus, ABAP helps monitor and improve strategic business measures.
                                  2. Enables customization of SAP business applications
                                  Due to its availability as an independent platform, ABAP is primarily used to develop cutting-edge, bespoke SAP business applications. Custom ABAP development allows users to configure and tailor SAP modules based on their business requirements. Since the initial days of ABAP, SAP customers and partners have established a tradition of creating custom codes and add-ons that function effectively on the ABAP platform.
                                  3. A holistic development platform
                                  ABAP combines the innovative capabilities of SAP HANA (SAP’s in-memory database), the power and consistency of the ABAP server, and the digital UX potential of SAP Fiori (SAP’s UI technology). All these features make it a holistic development and runtime platform. Continuous developments by SAP make ABAP capable of addressing new business scenarios.
                                  4. Reduces the development cost
                                  ABAP offers a centralized, shared, and integrated development environment that allows multiple developers to work on the same development objects simultaneously. Hence, it’s easy to track the changes to development objects and push them to QA or production environments, without losing version control. The integrated, self-compiling nature of ABAP helps reduce the development cost.
                                  5. Offers excellent development environment and tools
                                  The key highlight of ABAP Platform 2021 (the underlying technology of SAP S/4HANA), is the ABAP Development Tools (ADT) that support the entire development lifecycle in Eclipse IDE. It improves the efficiency of developers and offers enhanced SAP HANA capabilities. ABAP Platform 2021 facilitates the seamless transformation of your existing SAP business suite to SAP S/4HANA (cloud or on-premise) and SAP BTP (Business Technology Platform).
                                  6. Improved focus on user experience
                                  ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model promotes the development of SAP HANA-optimized Web APIs, SAP UI5, and Fiori applications. ABAP development tools support browser-based, device-responsive, and role-based development of application functions. It enables users to switch to different devices and collaborate effortlessly.
                                  Read more: Top 3 UI offerings from SAP: Fiori, Screen Personas, and Lumira
                                  SAP
                                  7. Extensible to the cloud
                                  ABAP Platform 2021 has been improvised to create customized extensions in the cloud. The growing number of SAP customers who’re adopting SAP S/4HANA Cloud will benefit from ABAP’s tailored extensibility. The users will get access to more innovative features developed by SAP and can keep their software up-to-date with regular patches and upgrades.
                                  8. Change and transport management
                                  ABAP offers comprehensive change and transport management for the development projects organized in the ABAP Workbench and also helps in customizing those projects. It also facilitates to transport the changes between the SAP systems in your environment.

                                  How can Fingent help your businesses unlock the potential of SAP ABAP? 

                                  ABAP is primarily a developer-friendly language. However, associating with the right SAP partner can help even the non-technical SAP users to master the technology. We’ve helped several businesses in identifying, customizing, implementing, and maintaining ABAP within their SAP systems. As a Silver Partner of SAP, we help customers cut their development efforts and costs, reduce technical complexities, and bridge skill gaps. Our SAP application development practice enables businesses and aces IT professionals to collaborate effectively and deliver cutting-edge enterprise applications across any platform, device, and tech stack in the shortest span.

                                  Case Study
                                  Explore our successful SAP implementation customer stories. Download Now!
                                  Whether you’re building an ABAP application from scratch or are planning to refurbish your existing SAP application, we can help you analyze the requirements, estimate the time-to-market, calculate the budget, evaluate the change’s impact, and finally, distinguish your offering from competitors. Our solutions have streamlined the workflows and modernized the business practices of many leading brands. Talk to an expert to learn more.

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                                    About the Author

                                    ...
                                    Ashok Kumar

                                    Ashok leads Fingent’s SAP Consulting practice for ANZ, SE Asia, The Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and other global clients. More specifically, he helps companies improve operational efficiency by enhancing their digital cores and improving their application integration. Ashok has amassed over 20 years of leadership and consulting experience having worked with Global giants like SAP, IBM Consulting, Capgemini, & Oracle in his previous assignments. Connect with Ashok via LinkedIn and learn how your business can excel with recent SAP trends.

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                                      Everyone uses software products. From toddlers to grandparents, in one way or the other, almost everyone has used a software product. The number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15 million in 2021! Today, software development permeates the entire world. You are reading this blog on a device whose lifeblood is software. It is no surprise that businesses invest in software development. But what is the cost? That is probably the single most important question to businesses intent on making wise business decisions. This article discusses everything that may affect the cost of app development in 2024 to help you estimate the cost of your app development.

                                      Is App Development Necessary for Your Business?

                                      Adding to the Statista report that put the 15 million number on the number of mobile devices, did you know that the number of mobile app downloads surpassed 200 billion in 2019? And there is no slowing down.
                                      Along with mobile devices, there are other devices like tabs, laptops, and desktops. And we know that all of these function by the operating system. The operating system is a piece of software with lots of integrated functions known as software.
                                      Individuals and businesses across the world depend heavily on software and enjoy many benefits. In this digital age, the software is essential to run different operations in transportation, electrical grids, and many other functions that offer the basics of life.
                                      To the question “Is App Development Important?”, the answer is a resounding YES. Now to the costs involved.

                                      App Development Cost Estimates For 2024

                                      It is important to remember that app development cost depends on various factors. Mobile app development costs will be different than web app costs. The cost could also depend on the complexity of the app.
                                      A small app with core features can be developed at lower rates. However, a complex app with intricate features will be expensive. Building a minimum viable product may cost less than $10,000. On the other hand, if you want an app that is compatible with both android and iOS platforms you will need a bigger budget.
                                      App development cost also depend on whether you develop the app in-house or outsource it. Before you choose to develop it in-house you must ask yourself if your team has the necessary experience to take an app from design to delivery.
                                      If you do not have the expertise on your team, it may ultimately end up costing you more in terms of lost work and demoralized teams. Otherwise, the best option is to seek out an external partner who can develop an app for you.
                                      Read more: Top Technologies Used to Develop Mobile App
                                      mobile app
                                      Keeping all this in mind, is there a formula to calculate app development costs?

                                      Top Factors That Drive App Development Costs

                                      1. Based on the complexity of the app

                                      A simple app might take hundreds of hours while a complex app might take thousands. These hours also depend on how efficient the developing team is.
                                      A simple app includes basic features like a login screen, user account, admin tools, and so on. It may have limited integration with other apps. Thus, it may take about 3 to 6 months to develop.
                                      Along with all the features of a simple app, a complex app includes features such as integrations, profile feeds, enhanced admin tools, media streaming, and more. Such an app would take 6 to 12 months.
                                      The most complex of all is an advanced app. This includes multi-language support, versioning, lots of user customization options, AI and AR, and more. This could take somewhere between 12 to 24 months.

                                      2. Based on region

                                      You will find potential developers around the world, over various time zones such as the US, India, and Europe. Each of these areas has expert developers but their rates vary depending on their location.

                                      3. Based on development stages 

                                      The budget of the project starts to become clearer during the research stage. In this stage, you will be able to clarify your requirements and finalize goals and deliverables. You will also be able to assess risks and threats.
                                      The next stage would be designed where the development team needs a clearer idea of what the app should look like. This stage will take longer and will be more expensive depending on the complexity of the user interface and so on.
                                      During the development stage, each feature will add to the cost. The next stage of testing may require human users to ensure the correct functionality, and this will add to the cost. The final stage is maintenance and support. Bugs and unexpected behavior will need to be addressed; hence, it is important to budget in the final phase.
                                      Watch now: How To Choose The Right Mobile App Development Approach

                                      Top Ways In Which One Can Initiate Cost-Effective App Development

                                      Are you wondering how you can get the app that you wanted in your limited budget? Here are a few tips that help you initiate a cost-effect app development.
                                      1. Use software development kits wherever you can: Software development kits could trim weeks or months off your development schedule. Thus, reducing thousands off your development budget.
                                      2. Find a vendor that can design and develop: Finding a vendor that does both designing and development can help you deal with communication problems and optimize workflow.
                                      3. Get the MVP made: Getting the MVP made and testing on your users will help you identify what needs to be added. Eventually, your full-featured app will be ready. Besides, you will also learn how to optimize your budget.
                                      4. Cross-platform development: Opting for cross-platform development can heighten your potential to reach a wider audience.
                                      5. Do not rely on older operating systems: Just a couple of years older can make a huge difference. It is worth the effort to focus on consumers who keep up to date.

                                      How Can Fingent Help Develop Top-Notch Apps On A Budget?

                                      We at Fingent custom software development experts understand considering how much it costs to develop an app can be an overwhelming experience. How about a consultation with our expert to get a quote?
                                      We assure you that we have the specialized skill and experience to build a successful and budget-friendly app. Don’t take our word for it. Have a look at some of our case studies.
                                      As your technology partner, Fingent can bring your brilliant ideas into digital reality!
                                      We have helped many businesses grow their business with our innovative, modern mobile app solutions. Take a look at our most success stories here!
                                      We can help you too. Connect with our experts today!

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                                        About the Author

                                        ...
                                        Sreejith

                                        I have been programming since 2000, and professionally since 2007. I currently lead the Open Source team at Fingent as we work on different technology stacks, ranging from the "boring"(read tried and trusted) to the bleeding edge. I like building, tinkering with and breaking things, not necessarily in that order.

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