Tuesday 31 October 2017
Avalara Certifies 14 Partner Integrations to Automate Tax Calculations and Management
Avalara, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses, today announced its fall 2017 release of 14 new certified partner integrations. Avalara Certified partners have passed a series of criteria developed by Avalara to guarantee each integration’s performance and reliability. Certified integrations are built to ensure customers enjoy a fast, reliable, and easy process for embedding automated tax management into existing systems. Now, Avalara offers more than 600 pre-built integrations into business applications, adding more each month.
These integrations enable customers of Avalara partner solutions to benefit from Avalara real-time calculation of applicable taxes, fees, and surcharges for billing line items. Avalara software reduces the tedium and complexity of determining taxes for millions of products and services across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and other international jurisdictions, giving customers more time to focus on driving their own business success.
The latest Avalara integration partners include:
- Avanti Slingshot — JDF-certified, cloud-based Print MIS
- Dancik Enterprise System — Integrated business management solution giving distributors, manufacturers, wholesalers, and large retailers the ability to source, stock, and sell
- FundTracker — Tracking system for raw materials, finished goods, process flow, and assets using barcode, RFID, and wireless technology
- HansaWorld — Integrated business management solution for startups through large organizations
- interworks.cloud — Provisioning, selling, and billing solution for software, IaaS, and SaaS
- iWitness Design and Restrict Content Pro — Membership solution for WordPress sites
- Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations Business and Enterprise Editions — Cloud-based ERP system for manufacturing, retail, finance, and IT
- MIE Trak Pro — ERP system for the metalworking industry
- Oracle E-Business Suite (R12) by Perficient — Integrated business management suite for financials, procurement, project accounting, human capital management, distribution, manufacturing, and service
- PrestaShop — Free online store for merchants, agencies, and developers
- Rakuten Marketplace — Global ecommerce platform
- Reaction Commerce — Open source, real-time ecommerce platform
- Real Omni Channel Commerce (ROC) — Omni-channel ecommerce solution for B2C and B2B
- ServiceTitan — Cloud-based software platform for home service company operations
For more information about the Avalara Certified program, and a list of all of our certified integrations, please visit www.avalara.com/integrations. For any business application not already certified, or for a custom solution, Avalara offers an API for each of its products, making customer integrations simple for nearly any developer or business to build.
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/avalara-certifies-14-partner-integrations-to-automate-tax-calculations-and-management/
The Brooklyn Hospital Center Selects Velocity’s Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Velocity Technology Solutions Inc., a global leader in enterprise cloud managed services, announced the successful go-live of The Brooklyn Hospital Center (TBHC) enterprise resource planning application suite leveraging Velocity’s Cloud Application Management PlatformTM (VCAMPTM) on Amazon Web Services (AWS). With this launch at TBHC, Velocity has now brought over 120 healthcare organizations’ mission critical applications live in hybrid cloud environments all over the world.
“We have been keeping Brooklyn healthy for over 170 years. It is imperative that our teams be able to focus on providing the highest quality of care and safety to our patients while still having the resources and tools to stay innovative,” said Patrick S. Semenza, Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of The Brooklyn Hospital Center, a 464-bed community teaching hospital located in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, NY. Of their decision to implement a public cloud solution for their healthcare application, Semenza noted, “VCAMP for our enterprise application suite alleviates the strain on our IT team with the right analytics-driven managed services to take full advantage of the cloud.”
A trusted cloud advisor for healthcare organizations since 2003, Velocity delivers immediate benefits to enterprises seeking a total cost of ownership (TCO) advantage, the ability to quickly provision and deploy applications, the capability to keep applications ‘always current’ and ‘always on’ with successful volume updates, and the expertise to maximize quality of healthcare application delivery.
“We are passionate about providing the right cloud solutions for our healthcare customers who need specialized expertise due to their various ERP, EMR and EHR workloads,” said Keith Angell, President and CEO, Velocity. “We are proud to support Brooklyn Hospital’s digital transformation and know our cloud solutions will help TBHC achieve its imperative for delivering innovative, world-class patient care.”
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/the-brooklyn-hospital-center-selects-velocitys-hybrid-cloud-infrastructure/
New Cincom CPQ 6.0 Release Empowers Users to Compete, Win with Enhanced Capabilities
CINCINNATI, Oct. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cincom CPQ™ 6.0, the newest version of Cincom’s powerful, proven configure-price-quote solution, is now available to new and current customers. Expanding on the hallmark usability and functionality of Cincom CPQ, the new release of Cincom CPQ 6.0 equips users with more ways to empower their sales channels and, ultimately, better compete in their markets.
“Companies that sell through channels expect a B2C experience in the B2B world,” says Cincom President, Greg Mills. “With CPQ 6.0, our users are positioned right at the intersection of eCommerce and B2B expectations, helping them deliver a better buying experience to their customers.”
Enhancements available to users of Cincom CPQ 6.0 include:
- New streamlined, more intuitive user interface
- Added mobile-friendly, mobile-responsive functionality
- Extendible platform supported with rule- and role-based branded experiences for dealers and agents
- Ability to automate notifications of events occurring in the system, with opt-in, opt-out functionality to ensure actionable notifications are timely and pertinent to users
- New quote approval collaboration and sharing functionality
- Improved integration framework to accommodate major CRM and ERP systems
- Improved Business Intelligence (BI) with new analytical capabilities that help you answer key questions about performance in your sales channels
“We have always prided ourselves on usability, and this is not an out-of-the-box UI that you have to fit to your products,” Greg Hall, Cincom’s Director of Product Management, explains. “These enhancements allow users to more easily modify the functionality of the solution to facilitate their own, unique selling process without sacrificing support or future upgrades.”
More information about Cincom CPQ is available at cincom.com/cpq.
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/new-cincom-cpq-6-0-release-empowers-users-to-compete-win-with-enhanced-capabilities/
Making the connection between Big Data Analytics and the Internet of Things
No-deal Brexit: Tory donors warn Theresa May she must be prepared to walk away
Monday 30 October 2017
The Modern Rise of Digital Security
When computers first began, they couldn’t contain a lot of information. Losing that information wasn’t the end of the world, and it certainly was manageable. We were so used to securing our important belongings and data by securing the physical building that they exist in, and that works fine – when the data isn’t connected to the internet.
The power of the internet and the power of computers comes from the fact that they are all connected. We access different servers across the world to get the information that we need. This information highway, however, is not a one-way street. People and systems can hack into our computers and steal important data or even destroy it. Nowadays, cyber security is such an issue that companies should not just pass it over to their IT departments. Everyone needs to work together to protect the vital information that their computers and servers hold, or else risk ruin.
A large percentage of companies will experience a data-breach that will interrupt their business. For some, this can occur as often as once a month. The more companies and consumers shift their lives to the digital world, the more security risks there are. For all the benefits of AI for customer service, for instance, there is also the downside – AI can create complex attacks against cyber security measures. This means that even the biggest companies with the most resources get hacked, and their customer’s information leaked and sold online – or, more commonly, they are forced to pay a ransom.
These hackers do more damage than just stealing or installing viruses on your computer. Nowadays, hackers can do anything from market manipulation to espionage. To protect your company from cyber attacks, you need to make it a priority – a priority that increases with every day. Software and new technologies are constantly coming out, and with each update and each new technology, there poses new ways for criminals to hack your company. You need to be on top of cyber security and implement it throughout your business.
Methods include using security software like Backup Secure to create a backup of your information, in the event something were to happen to your local records. Using complex and unique passwords for every account you have, and installing and updating digital protections like your firewall and antivirus software. The more effort you put into protecting your data, and the more measures you have in place in the event of a breach, the better.
With today’s technology, it is not a question of if your company will get hacked, but when. Even the most innocuous businesses can be targeted, which is why it’s important to get on top of your cyber security now. You don’t want to deal with information being stolen, and you don’t want to have to pay hefty sums to protect your data. Treat your cyber security as a priority, because as soon as someone has hacked into your systems your information, business, and credible reputation are at risk.
The post The Modern Rise of Digital Security appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/the-modern-rise-of-digital-security/
The Four Practices Every Business Should Be Doing
The world is changing so quickly that it can be hard for individuals and for companies alike to keep track. Some of these changes cause headaches, but others solve problems and make work life easier for everyone. These changes include means to share information more effectively, to store it more meaningfully, and to even create more value to your customers. To ensure that your business is working as well and as effectively as possible, then you need to implement these five practices:
1. Backing Up Your Data
One of the best new changes to our society is the cloud. The cloud is an online backup system for your data, however, the cloud as it exists on our phones or through Google isn’t as effective as it can be. Businesses should use SecureBackup for controlled uploading. This means that, instead of backing up one file, you can back up your entire hard drive. Similarly, you can also create filters so that you can back up the information that you want more effectively. Implementing this practice will ensure that you will never lose data again.
2. Using Management Systems
On top of backing up your data to an online database, you should also invest in proper management systems. These systems store information correctly so that you can easily retrieve and make sense of the data you have. There are many kinds of systems to choose from. There are database management systems (DBMS), Customer Relationship Management software (CMS) and much more. Use the systems that are right for you to help you manage and eventually expand your company.
3. Inputting Data Correctly
A practice that you should start immediately is inputting data correctly. Having the best management systems in the world won’t help you if you and your employees input information differently. Don’t miss out on crucial data. Instead, create a method for data input that you can train your employees in. That way, all information will be stored uniformly, and your employees will all be able to search and find what they are looking for.
4. Using AI to Customize Customer Experience
While artificial intelligence isn’t at the point of sentience, it is useful for everyday customer relations. Use AI features to provide your customers with more value. You can do this by customizing the experience for every single customer or client, using an AI. You will be able to provide better service without the headache of manual labor. For instance, you can create an email chain that sends customer’s reminders of unpurchased items in checkout, and you can send them recommendations based on their search history, and more.
Technology is allowing us to work more effectively and efficiently than ever before. Not implementing these technologies and systems into your workforce is a huge mistake. Having your data backed up securely online is useful for all occasions, from emergencies to working remotely. Similarly, using the appropriate management systems and training your employees to use them correctly is how you will all be more efficient. Once your data is stored and filed correctly, you will be able to provide your customers with a unique, custom experience that will grow your business. To succeed, innovate, and use technology to your benefit.
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/the-four-practices-every-business-should-be-doing/
How Master Data Management Will Revolutionize Your Business Marketing
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you will have heard of Master Data Management (MDM), an information management style that presents opportunities for the ways in which you use and interact with any data you may have that relates to your clients and customers.
No matter the industry in which you operate, each and every touch point that you establish will generate new data. The question is, how can you sort through all of this valuable information to use it to its full advantage? A Data Management Platform (DMP) could be the answer to your data-nightmare prayers. Think of it as a warehouse for all information that you have collected over the years from both online and offline channels: it imports information from different systems. DMPs enable you to store, categorize and analyze all the data in one place, prior to deciding the next steps to take to run successful customer analytic led marketing campaigns.
How Does a Data Management Platform Work?
Put simply, a Data Management Platform collects all the information and data that you receive during any interaction with your customers. This could be from a digital touch point, such as your company’s website, social media or even an app, and this includes e-mail addresses, customer ids, browsing history and spending habits; to offline data, such as from a call center or a form completed in store. Next, the system enables you to define your target audience, for example, ladies between the age of 53 and 65 who live in Maryland and who like a particular high-end retailer, based on the information that you have on the DPM.
The DPM can use the audience data to sync it in real time to identify the advertising needed to excite the customer, and fulfil your business needs: you are able to tap into a potentially lucrative new audience. This process runs in an almost constant loop, enabling you to use this valuable input for real time campaigns.
Is a DMP an ideal solution for my Business?
Chances are, if you deal with any amount of data or information on a daily basis, then using a DMP will help you to optimize your marketing campaigns or projects that you are running across your business. Of course, your DMP will quickly become central to the success and growth of your business, and the data it holds the golden goose. You must ensure that your data is protected and stored safely – it will become your biggest asset, and with that comes new responsibilities and risks. If you suspect that an employee is fraudulently using your data, you must seek legal advice as it is theft. Your legal team will employ digital forensic services to confirm the position, and advise you on the next steps.
Using a Data Management Platform can help you to navigate the multi-channel ecosystem of today’s business world, gaining valuable new insights from any level of touch points.
The post How Master Data Management Will Revolutionize Your Business Marketing appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/how-master-data-management-will-revolutionize-your-business-marketing/
Effective Tips That Will Enhance Your New Law Practice’s Marketing Efforts
It takes a special kind of person to be able to open their own business or practice. You need to have skills, drive, the ability to take risks at the right time, know-how, confidence, and a creative mind. If your dream has been to open your own law practice, then all of the above-mentioned skills will definitely play into your success.
Of course, to be successful you’ll need to have clients, which requires marketing on your part. You likely spent all your time in law school studying all there is to know about the law, which means you probably don’t have much in terms of marketing experience. This is exactly why you’ll want to look at some effective tips to help you enhance your marketing efforts and start to build your client list.
Ensure You’ve Got the Skills to Back Up Your Claims
The first thing you’ll want to check off your list should be a given, and that’s the fact that you’ve got the skills and educational background needed to open your own practice. What this means is that you’ve attended law school at a prestigious location such as the University of South Dakota. This particular school is unique in that it prepares students to be able to practice law anywhere in the United States, which not all programs do. It’s this kind of background that will prep you for your future.
The University of South Dakota ensures students are well prepped by allowing them to be published articles in the South Dakota Law Review, practice facing off in a national courtroom competition, and take part in the National Convention for the Student Bar Association. It’s all about giving students the educational backing they need to be a successful lawyer. You can learn more about the USD law program at http://www.usd.edu/law.
Pick a Niche
There are plenty of industries where having a niche is imperative to your success, and the law is one of those. Before you set out with your marketing efforts, it’s important that you’ve thought about what niche you intend to practice in. Ideally, you should have focused on this area of the law while you were in school. This is different to choosing a specific type of law; you would have already done that in school. A niche is really specialized and narrows things down even more.
Give Thought to Your Online Presence
Nowadays, so much of the business people conduct is done online. With that in mind, it’s important that your law practice not only has an online presence but the right kind of online presence. A website is a given, but outside of that, there are other ways you can make yourself be known online. This online presence can also include Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks.
You’re in Charge of Your Future
Taking control of your marketing efforts puts you in charge of your future as a lawyer. What this means is that you need to be prepared to make the right moves.
The post Effective Tips That Will Enhance Your New Law Practice’s Marketing Efforts appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/effective-tips-that-will-enhance-your-new-law-practices-marketing-efforts/
Tech giants are paying huge salaries for scarce talent in artificial intelligence
Customer Service Wins With Partnership of 2 Major Companies Supporting VoIP and CRM
Sunday 29 October 2017
Inaugural Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator programme commences in Singapore
ERP Software Market 2017: Oracle, Epicor, QAD, Microsoft, SAP SE, Sage, Consona Corporation, Syspro, Infor, NetSuite, Syspro
Go to Source
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/erp-software-market-2017-oracle-epicor-qad-microsoft-sap-se-sage-consona-corporation-syspro-infor-netsuite-syspro/
Amazon’s $18 billion cloud business continues to crush Microsoft and Google – here’s the latest scorecard for the cloud war
Go to Source
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/amazons-18-billion-cloud-business-continues-to-crush-microsoft-and-google-heres-the-latest-scorecard-for-the-cloud-war/
Saturday 28 October 2017
Facebook’s head of AI wants us to stop using the Terminator to talk about AI
Wall Street’s research jobs are the most likely to be upended by artificial intelligence
Friday 27 October 2017
Google Pixel 2 review: dated design lets down smartphone that almost had it all
Thursday 26 October 2017
FinancialForce Announces New PSA Innovations
FinancialForce’s latest fall ERP release empowers professional services organizations to dynamically optimize time and talent, and deliver more predictable business performance with next-generation analytics and forecasting.
FinancialForce, the number one customer-centric ERP vendor, announced several new innovations and capabilities for its Professional Services Automation (PSA) solution, including enhanced forecasting, resource optimization, and scheduling tools. The new capabilities help organizations better serve their customers in the new services economy.
“Leading organizations are completely reimagining their businesses with FinancialForce’s customer-centric ERP,” said Lori Ellsworth, GM for FinancialForce PSA. “In our latest release we have delivered new Shift Management and Forecasting capabilities to give our customers greater control and predictability over their projects and the resources assigned to those projects.”
FinancialForce Forecasting for Services Companies
The latest release of FinancialForce PSA enables services companies to forecast every part of their business with greater predictability, accuracy, and visibility. New forecasting and predictive capabilities include:
- Predictability
- Real time forecasting combining both Services opportunities and projects under execution offering a single source of truth (available due to the seamless connection between CRM and PSA on the platform)
- Accuracy
- Forecast based on how revenue will be delivered by applying “curves” to Opportunities and unscheduled backlog
- Flexibility in forecast elements including Actuals, Expenses, scheduled assignments and milestones, resource requests and Backlog
- Configurable weighing of forecast elements and forecast category definition
- Visibility
- Roll up forecasts to Region, Practice and Group
- Leverage both Salesforce reporting and Einstein Analytics
- Build different forecast scenarios
This enhanced ability to forecast delivered revenue complements the depth already offered in terms of resource forecasting, from the Opportunity through Project Delivery and our ASC606/IFRS15 compliant Revenue Recognition capabilities for services.
Easily aggregate forecast data across multiple factors and inputs—including services pipeline and projects—using Salesforce Einstein dashboard capabilities
FinancialForce Shift Management for Services Companies
FinancialForce PSA also now includes new Shift Management functionality, enabling organizations to rapidly adapt their delivery models with integrated scheduling tools across traditional projects and shifts. New capabilities include:
- Rapid creation of multiple team assignments using schedule templates
- Advanced team and individual shift planning and scheduling
- Fully integrated shift and project management using one platform
- Real time staff visibility, updates, and reporting
FinancialForce PSA Leads the New Services Economy
Purpose-built for today’s services-driven organizations, FinancialForce PSA seamlessly unifies data across the entire customer experience, increasing utilization and billing rates, project profitability, revenue, cash flow, and employee and customer satisfaction.
Multiple independent industry analyst reports recently recognized FinancialForce as a leading solution in the PSA market, as it uniquely joins front and back office systems to support the entire services lifecycle from opportunities and delivery to billing and collections.
- In IDC’s MarketScape: Worldwide SaaS and Cloud-Enabled PSA ERP
Applications 2017 Vendor Assessment, FinancialForce was rated a Leader. - According to the latest G2 Crowd PSA Report, FinancialForce PSA was rated as a Leader, based on customer satisfaction and market presence. G2Crowd also recently ranked FinancialForce PSA in the top 3 PSA Software Providers for Enterprise.
- Year on year FinancialForce customer consistently rank in SPI Research’s Best of the Best Professional Services Organisations list
About FinancialForce
FinancialForce is the leading cloud ERP for the new services economy. The #1 ERP native to the Salesforce platform, FinancialForce unifies data across the enterprise in real-time, enabling companies to rapidly evolve their business models with customers at the center. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in San Francisco, FinancialForce is backed by Salesforce Ventures, Technology Crossover Ventures, Advent International, and UNIT4. For more information, visit www.financialforce.com.
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source http://news.statii.co.uk/financialforce-announces-new-psa-innovations/
High-flying Shooter ‘Skyfront VR’ to Hit Steam Early Access November 10th
How AI And Machine Learning Are Used To Transform The Insurance Industry
ERP Power Demonstrates World’s Smallest Driver for Indoor LED Lighting Applications
Wednesday 25 October 2017
Why traditional manufacturing theories don't work
Complexity and variability are the new norm in modern business. Changing customer behaviour, shorter product lifecycles and a rising complexity in global supply chains is making life increasingly difficult for production planners. Here, Roger Fleury, Managing Director of resource management software specialist Ardent Solutions, explains why he believes the traditional theories of manufacturing are outdated and how taking a demand-driven approach is the answer.
Today’s business customer is a very different creature to one that existed ten years ago. From order to fulfilment, today’s customer demands speed and flexibility. Whether it’s a smartphone giant that needs to launch the latest device every 12 months, or a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company that needs to deliver seasonally relevant and customised soft drinks, meeting market demand is a challenge.
If manufacturers fail to meet this demand, their customers will simply go elsewhere, which is why companies have spent the last fifty years honing and refining their global supply chain and manufacturing models.
With the advent of computerised systems in the sixties and seventies, companies began using a variety of formal planning methodologies to improve the flow of materials and information through the supply chain.
Traditional manufacturing theories such as Material Requirements Planning (MRP), Lean manufacturing, the Theory of Constraints (TOC) and Six Sigma were used to try and improve lead times, reduce inventory and reduce waste. However, since they were codified over 40 years ago, these theories have not adapted to meet modern demands.
Supply chains have elongated and fragmented, while customer tolerance times have dropped drastically and there are now more products with shorter life spans. This disparity means that manufacturers have to plan much further in advance, which involves initiating supply orders using forecasted sales demand. The problem is that forecasted sales are highly inaccurate, especially when made so far in advance.
The result is distortion being created in the demand and supply signals travelling up and down the supply chain, which means that manufacturers are left with either too much inventory or too little.
The answer is to use a demand-driven approach such as DDMRP. This methodology takes the best aspects of the traditional theories — namely the focus on eliminating bottlenecks, improving throughput and reducing inventory and waste — and improves them by giving production planners an accurate way of modelling, planning and managing supply chains to protect and promote the flow of relevant information and materials.
DDMRP achieves this by using a three step process: position, protect and pull. The optimal balance of stock positioning is created by using decoupling points at strategic locations in the supply chain where inventory is held. Buffers are used at these points to protect the supply chain from shocks and these are dynamically updated daily to allow businesses to plan and execute order fulfilment in accordance with actual demand.
Because DDMRP uses qualified sales orders, the system is much more accurate and manufacturers can reduce a typical eight week lead time down to one week. This visibility gives planners the ability to prioritise orders based on buffer status rather than an arbitrary due date.
The result is that, by using a demand-driven approach, businesses can compress lead times, hold just the right amount of stock and improve customer service by increasing order fulfilment rates. With DDMRP, business leaders can forego the nervousness associated with using traditional manufacturing theories and dedicate their time to meeting customer demands, whether that’s creating the next best smartphone or soft drink.
The post Why traditional manufacturing theories don't work appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/why-traditional-manufacturing-theories-dont-work/
Cray Partners With Microsoft to Bring Its Supercomputers to Azure Cloud
Two new open-source security projects are joining the Cloud Native Computing Foundation
AssureSign Brings eSignature to LinkedIn and Dynamics 365 CRM Integration
SAP: Cloud Provides Massive Upside Potential
SAP (SAP) is currently investing heavily in its cloud business and this has severely hurt its margins and cash flow. The cloud business does not currently seem to generate any free cash flow but this could change in a few years if the company manages to meet and exceed its volume targets. Considering how positive SAP’s management is about its future, investors can expect a significant increase in free cash flow margins and hence dividends after a few years.
A Closer Look at SAP’s Cloud Segment Profitability
In order to see how profitable SAP’s cloud business has been from cash flow point of view, we need to compare the latest cash flow figures to figures before the cloud-era. Even though SAP has been investing in its cloud business for many years, it was not until 2014 when the management decided to put much more focus on this segment.
The post SAP: Cloud Provides Massive Upside Potential appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/sap-cloud-provides-massive-upside-potential/
Amazon will soon let you order from restaurants using the Amazon app on your phone
Tuesday 24 October 2017
IFS Study: Digital Transformation Requires Good Software Usability
Digital transformation is difficult when companies can’t make enterprise software conform to changing business models
IFS, the global enterprise applications company, has released a primary research study that shows a strong relationship between usability of industrial companies’ enterprise software and their readiness for digital transformation. The study surveyed 200 industrial users of enterprise resource planning (ERP), field service management (FSM), enterprise asset management (EAM) and other types of enterprise software in North America.
Key findings of the study include:
In many companies, ERP still stands for Excel Runs Production. Faced with poor software usability, 88 percent of respondents would abandon enterprise software for disconnected spreadsheets, defeating the purpose of an enterprise application.
There is a strong correlation between usability and digital transformation. Respondents who said their enterprise software prepared them for digital transformation, for instance, were 400 percent more likely to say their enterprise software was very easy to use.
Software usability can affect employee retention among experienced staff. Almost 46 percent of the important middle age demographic surveyed would consider changing jobs due to poor enterprise software usability
IFS chief technical officer in North America Rick Veague said, “Usability is much deeper than a graphical user interface. The underlying architecture of the application must be amenable to supporting agility. Putting a fancy interface on enterprise software that fundamentally cannot deliver agile processes does not deliver real usability. Respondents who said their software did a poor job preparing them for digital transformation were 28 percent more likely to want their software vendor to make it easier to align their software with their business. So in a software selection process, it is important to ask software vendors to demonstrate their ability to support different business processes, modes of manufacturing and encompass different sites that do different things all in the same business solution.”
IFS vice president of marketing in North America Steve Andrew said, “Before we can be understood, we must first understand. Conducting research like this is one way we at IFS can ensure we are successfully addressing the needs of the complex industrial organizations we serve. Sharing this research lets us be go-givers, helping companies facing digital transformation understand the current state of the market.”
The post IFS Study: Digital Transformation Requires Good Software Usability appeared first on Statii News.
source http://news.statii.co.uk/ifs-study-digital-transformation-requires-good-software-usability/
SAP Real-Time Tennis Analytics Will Be Now Available for Media
SAP and the Women’s Tennis Association introduced a brand new portal that provides real-time tennis analytics for media during WTA tournaments. SAP solutions, including SAP Leonardo Machine Learning capabilities and SAP Predictive Analytics software, enable new portal to provide deeper analysis based on historical and live data.
SAP and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced a new online portal that provides data and insights to media in real time during WTA tournaments. SAP® Tennis Analytics for media is the latest technology stemming from an ongoing partnership between SAP and the WTA. The software uses innovative technologies and analytics to enhance the sport for tennis for players, coaches, tournament organizers, media and fans. SAP Tennis Analytics for media will be available exclusively for the WTA credentialed media at the start of the 2018 WTA tour. The announcement was made at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global Developments Pte. Ltd., the culmination of the WTA season.
SAP Tennis Analytics for media applies SAP Leonardo Machine Learning capabilities and SAP Predictive Analytics software to provide deeper analysis and insights based on historical and live data. It includes instant side-by-side player, tournament and career comparisons during live matches. The software provides a brand-new “alerts” feature that notifies users of any outliers in benchmarked player data and gives media access to stats with context – data accompanied by meaningful insights.
“The role of data in tennis continues to grow in importance across the entire tennis community, and particularly among tennis journalists who play an integral role in storytelling throughout the season,” said Micky Lawler, president, WTA. “The opportunity now to have access to SAP’s blueprint of real-time insights can take the art of tennis journalism to new heights. Our fabulous partnership with SAP continues to deliver innovations that improve the sport for our fans and all of our stakeholders around the world.”
To ensure that SAP Tennis Analytics for media is a valuable resource optimized for reporters’ unique needs, SAP has been securing feedback from key tennis media and the tennis community for the last few years.
Following the success of the performance-based SAP Tennis Analytics for coaches, SAP Tennis Analytics for media was specifically developed as a resource for media covering WTA tournaments. The software helps enhance stories before, during and after matches and serves as a comprehensive database housing key and informative WTA stats gathered over the course of 20 years.
Eighteen-time Grand Slam champion and tennis broadcaster Chris Evert has been collaborating with SAP on the development of SAP Tennis Analytics for media. “As a broadcaster, having access to SAP Tennis Analytics for media is really valuable,” said Evert. “I am more informed, concise and my commentary is more insightful. The data is great because it reinforces what I see during the course of a match and that allows me to deliver a better experience for the viewer.”
SAP Tennis Analytics for media delivers a tailored experience that can be customized based on individual needs. The technology is available across devices, including mobile phones and tablets, so the media can access the portal no matter where they are located as well as when they are on the go.
“We’re excited to bring the same deep level of data and analytics seen in SAP Tennis Analytics for coaches and the Tournament Performance Center to our media partners,” said Jenni Lewis, head of tennis technology, SAP. “The real-time nature of insights provided by SAP Tennis Analytics for media has the ability to help media create richer content and change the way our audiences utilize data before, during and after tournament play.”
Now in the fifth year of their partnership, SAP and the WTA continue to collaborate on providing innovative technologies for the tennis community that help advance and grow the sport around the world.
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