Wouldyouratherhaveanaveragebusinessora
successfulone?Itisnosurpriseeveryonewould chooseasuccessfulbusiness.Howcanyou achievethatgoal?
Implementationofnewideasandcustomercommunication canaidanybusinessinimprovingcustomerexperience& buildingenduringrelationshipswithclients.AhandyCRM solutionoffersbusinessprocessautomationcapabilitiesthat willaidtheminimprovingtheefficiencyandperformance ofthecompanies.
CRMisalong-termstrategy,whenitcomestothefieldof communication,withtheprimaryfocusoncustomers.The maingoalofCRMistoprimarilyfocusonabetter understandingofthecustomerneedsandidentifyingtheir specificneeds.CRMcanhaveseveralpositivelong-term effectslikeimprovingbusinessrelationships,progress tracking,improvementinsales,andlastingcostsavings.
ImplementingtherightCRMgivesanedgeoverother competitors.CRMisevolvingquicklyandischangingthe wayweworkandhowwelive.Inadditiontoit,CRMis learningtoplayabiggerroleinsocialmedia.CRMenabled Chatbotwillguidesalesandmarketingdepartments towardstherightdemographicsandpredictivebehaviors thatwillonlyincreasethevalueoftheCRMsystem.
Withtheincreaseinvaluableproductivetime,teamsspend lesstimemanuallycompilingbusinessrelationshipdataand integratingcomplexinformationwithotherlinesof communication.Contactmanagementsoftwareallowsyou totrackcustomerinteractiongivingamoreenjoyable, personalizedcustomerexperiencetotheclients. ImplementingCRMcanhelptrackallleadsandmarketing campaignstoincreaseprofits.
CRMisnowthebiggestandfastest-growingsoftware market,companiesareadoptingCRMacrossall industries.CRMsoftwareworldwidegrew15.6%to reach$48.2billionin2018,accordingtoresearchfrom Gartner,Inc.CRMremainsboththelargestandthe fastest-growingenterpriseapplicationinthesoftware category.Companiesthataren’tadoptingthemost influentialsoftwareorthinkingabouthowtoaddto theircustomerexperienceareputtingthemselvesat seriousriskoffallingbehind.
Onthisleadingedgeofresponsivetechnology Insights,SuccessenablesThe10BestPerforming CRMSolutionProviders2020toimprovethe effectivenessincommunication.Thisplatformis especiallyusefulforbusinessesthathavelongor complexsalescyclesrequiringcontinualcustomer connection.
FeaturingourCoverStory-CoolLifeCRM’sstandard platformallowsclientstogobeyondtraditionalCRM andintotherealmofEnterpriseResourcePlanning (ERP),integratingwithothersystemsandservice providerswhileimprovingtheclient’sworkflow experience.Itisacollaborativesystemthatenables managementtoassessthestatusofcustomerprospects withoutdisruptingthoseinterfacingwithprospects, promotingtheseend-usersworkingtogethertoward commongoalsofcustomeracquisition.
Also,makesuretoscrollthroughthearticleswritten byourin-houseeditorialteamandCXOstandpointsof someoftheleadingindustryexpertstohaveabrief tasteknowledgeofthesector.
Sourabh More
CoolLifeCRMwillimproveyourknowledgeof youroperation,givinginsightintoareasthat needimprovementandimpactprofitability.
CoolLifeCRMwasfoundedwiththemissionto
makealow-costcustomerrelationship management(CRM)system,easytoimplement andmaintain.Suchasystemenablesbusinessownersto streamlineprocesses,allowingforswiftintelligent decisionstodriveanybusiness,regardlessofsizeand industry.Theorganizationisafull-servicebusinesse-suite thatenablesclientstoconfigure their customerdatabase withouttheuseofthird-partyconsultantsorprogrammers, unlikeSalesForceandotherleadinglarge-scaleCRM platforms.
CoolLife’sstandardplatformallowsclientstogobeyond traditionalCRMandintotherealmofEnterpriseResource Planning(ERP),integratingwithothersystemsandservice providerswhileimprovingtheclient’sworkflow experience.AmongthefeaturesCoolLifeCRMoffersare; Ÿ FinancialIndustryRegulatoryAuthority(FINRA) compliant
Client-specificuniquedatabase
Buy-SideSell-Sidefunctionality
Businessvaluationprocess
Advancedvaluationprocess
ProjectManagement
CustomerrelationshipmanagementCRM
eMarketingsuite
TasksandActionManagement
Emailintegration–(outlook,Gmail,etc.)
Abilitytoimplementarticlesandblogs
Reporting(canned,custom,user-generated)
Secureclient-facingportal
Screenmanager
ExpandedAPIintegration.
CateringDiverseSetofVerticals
CoolLifecaterstoadiversesetofverticals,fromsmall businessestoenterprise-sizedcompanieswithseveral subsidiaries.Theorganization'sstrategyforbuildingits customerbaseisatargetedoutboundstrategytogenerate inboundleads,combinedwithahigh-quality,informative andattractivewebsite,aswellassocialmedia,blogging, andexpos.
CoolLife’ssystemwascreatedwithversatilityand architecturebasedona‘noassumptions’philosophy.Asan
organization,CoolLifedoesn’tanticipateknowing everythingaverticaloranindividualmayneed.The architectureisextremelyflexibleinaddingorenhancing featuresandfunctionalitytoaccommodateany requirements.Thecompany’smissionistosignificantly streamlineandorganizeitsclients’businessprocesses, improvingonanalysisofdataviaqualityreporting,leading tobettermarketingexecution,insteadofjugglingone-off, disconnectedtasks.
CoolLifeisamoreadvancedsystem,providingfeatures andfunctionsthatcanintegrateeverydaybusiness processesacrossacompanywithseveraldivisions.The platformisespeciallyusefulforbusinessesthathavelong orcomplexsalescyclesrequiringcontinualcustomer connection.Italsoofferscollaborativeprojectmanagement tools,documentmanagementandarchives,event management,aContentManagementSystem(CMS),email campaignmanagement,andmore.
Itisacollaborativesystemthatenablesmanagementto assessthestatusofcustomerprospectswithoutdisrupting thoseinterfacingwithprospects,promotingtheseend-users workingtogethertowardcommongoalsofcustomer acquisition.
Likeitscompetition,CoolLifecanbescaledgloballyasa network,butwhatsetsCoolLifeapartistheeaseof
scalabilitythatitofferstomodifyoraugmentthesystem, accordingtochangingneedsofthebusiness.Thisbringsan immediatebenefit,andavoidsthetimeandexpense associatedwiththedrudgeryofhiringconsultants,writing businessrulesandmodifyingandtestingcode,asisso prevalentwithotherCRMsystems.
TheSecretofaHappyandCommittedWorkforce Workplacecultureisacriticalelementinthecompany’s success,andmanagementstrivesforahappyand committedworkforce.CoolLifeSeveralpeoplebegan workingremotelywhentheorganizationmovedtoNorth CarolinafromNewYork.CoolLife’suserbaseenjoy collaborationandcommunicationacrossdepartmental groupsaseachemployeehasthesameaccesstothecore platform,whetheritissales,customerserviceor programming,andthesameistrueatCoolLife–they practicewhattheypreach.CoolLifeoffersreimbursement foreducationrelatedtojoborindustryeducation.Senior executivesofthecompanyhaveplanstorolloutanoptions plantoallemployeesshortlyafterthecurrentfundraisingis complete.
AstheFounderandCEOofCoolLifeCRM,Inc.,David Cummingsprovidedtheleadershipexperiencetoassemble ateamofprofessionalswhosuccessfullylaunchedthe companyin2003.UnderDavid’sleadership,theCoolLife teamhasdevelopedacuttingedge“Cloud”-basedproduct
Reachyouraudiencedirectlywithaproperly optimizedwebsite,Hoovers&LinkedInconnection, andacalltoactiontouseonwhitepapers andpublishedarticles.
thatwillrivalanyexistingCRMbasedplatform.From there,thecompanyevolved, withacarefullyimplemented strategicplan,andwithadesignanddevelopmentteamthat createdCoolLife’ssubscription-basedplatformin2016.It nowservesamarketthathasbecomemuchmore demanding,withmoreandmoredataandaneverincreasingmixofmediachannels.On-demandSoftware-asa-Serviceoffersreal-timedata,functionality,andreporting thatfacilitateseffectivemanagementofcompanies,with qualitycustomerinformationalwaysavailableand reportingthatallowsforgooduseofthatdata.CoolLife’s approachkeepsdataintegrityconsistentthroughouta company’suserbase,acriticaladvantageintoday’s communication-heavyworld.
BeingaSaaS-basedplatform,CoolLifeisnowonthe leadingedgeofresponsivetechnologiessothatclientscan accesstheiraccountfromanydevicewithanInternet connection.Theorganizationiscurrentlyinthefinaltest stagesofaCoolLifeappthatwillenableuserstoaccess andmanagetheiraccountswithoutanyInternetconnection.
Allthefeaturesandmodificationsontheappwillbe updatedautomaticallywhenthedevicereconnectstoWIFI orcellularservice.
TherearesignificantdifferencesthatseparateCoolLife CRMasaleaderinreal-timecustomerdata.
Ÿ
Everycustomerhasauniquedatabase-noshared databases.Eachcustomer’sdataremainexclusively ownedbytheclient,guaranteed,unlikemostofthe largercompetitorsintheindustry.
Ÿ
CoolLife’scustomercostofentryandongoing subscriptionoffersexceptionalvalue.Atnotimeisthe customerinneedofthird-partyprogrammersor consultantsformodificationsoraugmentationofneeds –unliketheleadingproviderswithintheindustry.
Ÿ
Theplatformallowsthecustomertoestablishaprocess thatfitstheirspecificbusinessmodel,needs,and workflow.CoolLife’scompetitorshaveamore inflexible‘template’approachthatlacksflexibility.
Withthesecriticalelements,theinstantreal-timedataand itsreportinggivebusinessleadersaccurateanswersabout theircustomerbasethatresultineffectivedecision-making. Ineverybusiness,timeismoney,andremaining competitiveintheCRMspacerequireson-pointdatafor swiftdecisionmaking.
TheMantraof‘NoAssumptions’ Accordingtothecompany,theexperiencesandrequests acrossseveraldiverseverticalsbroughtthecompanytoits mantraof‘noassumptions.’Theplatformarchitectureis modularandobject-orientedprogramming,makingiteasy toexecutenewfeatures,functions,orenhancementstothe baseattributesofthesystem.Thisversatilityisespecially vitaltopermissionsimplementedforaccessbyforusers, wherethedataiscontrolledbutalsoavailableacrossthe enterprise.Unlikethecompetition,CoolLifeCRMenables theclienttomodifytheirdatastructureontheirownand avoidexcessivetimeandcostwhenhiringacertifiedthirdpartyconsultanttocompletethediscoveryontheexisting structureandprocessflowstodeterminethenecessary changes.
Whenitcomestoversatilityandflexibility,CoolLifeCRM respondstonewrequirementsorintegrationbetterthan anyone.AsaSaaSplatform,theorganizationis continuouslyenhancingthesystemandpublishingthelatest enhancementsregularly.CoolLifeCRMoftenrollsout
improvementswellbeforeitsclientsevenrecognizethe need.
“We have been able to improve our effectiveness and become more organized in our communication.” Walker Morgan – Morgan Linen, Inc.
“By far, the best CRM value in the market. Ease of use and customization makes it perfect for our firm.” Andrew Smith, Houlihan Capital
“Keeps us organized, provides transparency to our leadership on the sales team, drives revenue, a great depository for all our data too!” Michael Yardley –Dowling Hales Investment Banking
been easy to use with no problems.” Fr Erik, Embrace Life Chiropractic
“The system has
CoolLifeCRMwillimproveyourknowledgeof youroperation,givinginsightintoareasthat needimprovementandimpactprofitability.
IfyouareanMPSprovider,youmayhaverealizedthe “singlebrandfromasinglevendor”solutionisfalling outoffavorwithendcustomers.So,whathaschanged andisMPSasustainableoffering?
Asof2018,weare20-yearsintothebellcurveforMPS. Formanyyears,prospectswerefirsttimebuyerswho viewedtheirenvironmentsasmessy.Printersandcopiers wereeverywherefromdifferentmanufacturersandvendors. Controlwasdistributedamongdepartments,Facilities,and IT.Acquisitionsmethodswerejustasdiverseandincluded purchases,leases,contractsfromlocaldealersandnational suppliesresellers.
Printwasabigmysterytocustomers.Theyhadnoidea howmanydevicestheyhad,howmanypagestheywere producingorhowmuchtheywerespending.Theyneededa clearpictureofwhattheyhadandpotentialsolutions.Then theystruggledwithsatisfyingallstakeholdersandgaining consensusonafinalsolution.Projectsweretime consuming,politicalandevenriskyfortheprojectlead.
YouplayedavaluableroleasanMPSvendor.Inthe customer’seyes,youweretheexpertwhotaughtthem somethingnewandshowedthemapathforward.You offeredexpertiseandpeopletofindoutwhattheyhave todayandwereabletodevelopacomplexsolution.The journeytookmanymonthsfromconcepttoassessmentto proposal.Youearnedtheroleoftrustedadvisorsoitwas onlynaturalthatthecustomerwouldseea“singlebrand fromasinglevendor”asthebestavailablesolution.
Pricingchanged.Youwrappedupthesolutionintobundled pricingthatsimplifiedcostsfortheendcustomerand
enabledyoutoshieldpricingforhardware,maintenance andsupplies.Afterall,thereweremanagedservices wrappedaroundallproductssothecustomeragreedwith thebundledpricingformat.Bundledpricingenabledyouto workwithmarginsbehindthecurtain.
Comedecisiontime,thecustomerrealizedthat Implementationwouldaffecteveryuserandthepotential costsavingsputitnearthetopforcost-savingsinitiatives. Thesetwofactorselevatedtheprojecttothemostsenior managementlevelsforapprovalandexecutivesponsorship. Thesalescyclegotlongerbuttheprojectbecamemore importanttomorepeople.Thefinalresultwasoftenacase studyofsuccessfultransformationfromamessy environmenttoalean,managedprintenvironment.
So,whatchangedinrecentyears?TheMPSmarkethad certainlymatured.Customershadlivedthroughthe transformationfromunmanagedtomanaged.Withtheend oftheirfirstMPScontractcameanewperspectiveand differentbuyerattitude.Thecustomerwasnolongersick andindireneedofexpertise.Theirfleetwasnolonger messy.Deviceshadbeenconsolidatedandprocesses streamlined.Customershadclearvisibilitytowhatthey devicestheyhad,howmanypagestheyproduced,andthe totalcostofownership.Themysterywassolved.
Yourrolechanged.Inmanycases,thecustomerwasmore experiencedinreal-worldMPSthanyoursalesteam.Sales peoplestruggledtoteachcustomerssomethingnew, somethingofsignificantpotentialvalue.Talkofpotential costsavingsbyswitchingvendorswasnolonger compelling–thebigsavingshadalreadybeentaken.The MPSstoryfromonevendorsoundedthesameastheother
vendor–infact,thestorysoundedexactlythesameasthe onetoldyearsearlierbytheircurrentMPSvendor.
Nowtheendcustomerwasaskingaboutyourabilityto supporttheirexistingfleet,todorepairsandprovide consumables.Thepotentialforplacingyournewhardware wasnotclear.ThesenewMPSopportunitiesfeltlikethey belongedmoretothevendorserviceandinsidesalesteams thantotheaccountsalesdepartment.Thecustomerwas nowclearlyincontrolanddrivingthesalesprocess.
Inthepastfewyears,manydealershaveexitedtheMPS marketandrefocusedontheirtraditionalsellingmotions. TheyfoundMPSoperationsdifferentandcostly.Salesreps werehardertotrainandittooklongertogetthemhitting quotanumbers.So,likearubberband,dealersre-focused ontheircorecompetency.So,whatdoesthefuturelooklike forthosedealerswishingtostayrelevantintheMPS market?
Itistimetolookinwardtotacklefivekeyobstaclesto growthandprofitabilityinMPS:
•Redefineyourvalueandhowyouwilleducatethe customer
•DefineastrategyforpricingandsupportingbothOEM andcompatiblesupplies
•Justifymanagedservicesindependentofproducts
•Learnhowtoparticipateinanopensourcingmodel
•Decideifafragmentedcustomerenvironmentand sourcingmodelisgoodbusiness
Thedaysofsinglebrandandsinglevendoraregone. Sourcingmethodshavechangeddramaticallyfor everything–includingprint–andthepaceofchangeis accelerating.Vendorsmustrethinkthevalueprovidedand howtoeducatethecustomer.MPSvendorswillstillspend monthsdoingassessmentsandproposalsonlytobefaced withthepurchasingprocessthatwouldunbundlepricing andforcetransparencytopricebyproductcategory.The decisiontheniscanyoure-inventyourpracticetoenable youtoparticipateinthisnewarenaandwin–profitably.
Founder Harris Technologies
Ben Harris is the Founder of Harris Technologies, Inc. Ben Harris enjoyed a 15 year career in corporate sales, selling and implementing large contracts to Fortune 500 companies around the country. In 2006, he decided to begin a new journey, leaving the big office and tie to start up his own firm. After years of perseverance and dedication, Harris Technologies has become a recognized leader in their space.
CRMsoftwarecanhaveasignificantimpactonthe
performanceofabusiness,byautomatingand streamliningtheinternalbusinessprocessesthat impacthowthecompanymarkets,sellsandprovides servicestocustomers.However,inordertorealizethe maximumvaluefromanyCRMsolutiononeneedsto complementthesoftwarewithexperiencedsales,marketing andservicepersonnel.Thechallengeisthatmanysmallto mid-sizebusinesscannotaffordtohiretheseprofessionals andstruggletoimplementtheinternalpoliciesand procedurestoimprovebusinessperformance.Commence Corporation,aleadingCRMsoftwareprovidercompany, hasaddressedthissituationbycouplingthesoftwarewitha highlyexperiencedteamofsales,marketingandservice professionalsthathelpcustomersimplementbestpractices forimprovingtheperformanceoftheirbusiness.
Belowarehighlightsoftheinterviewconductedbetween CommenceandInsightsSuccess:
Kindlytakeusthroughadetailedoverviewofthe company.
Foundedin1990,CommenceCorporationhasarichhistory ofprovingCustomerRelationshipManagementsoftware (CRM)andbusinessprocessautomationtoolstothesmall andmid-sizebusinesscommunity.Thecompany’ssuccess overthepasttwodecadeshasbeendrivenbyitsabilityto delivertopratedbusinesssoftwarecoupledwithbest practicesthatensurethatcustomersrealizethemaximum valuefromitsproducts.Thecouplingofabestinclass productwithanarrayofsalesandmarketingenablement servicesplacesCommenceCRMheadandshouldersabove thecompetition.
OneofthekeydifferentiatorsforCommencehasbeenthe highdegreeofcustomizationthatitssolutionoffers.Unlike traditionalcookiecutterCRMofferingsthatofferbasic functionality,andlimitedcustomization,CommenceCRM offersacomprehensivesolutionthatrivalsmanyhigherend
productscostingmuchmoreanditcanbeeasilytailoredto meetuniquebusinessrequirements.Thishasenabledthe producttobeutilizedinmorethan35differentindustries andmorethanadozencountriesaroundtheworld.
Inaddition,Commencehasanextensivesupportnetwork. Businesspartnersandvalue-addedresellerssupport customersoutsidetheUnitedStateswhileanexperienced teamofsales,marketingandserviceprofessionals employeddirectlybyCommenceCorporationsupport customersintheUSA.
Howdoyoudiversifyyourcompany’sofferingsto appealthetargetaudience?
Customerstodayarelookingformorethanmostbasic CRMofferingscanprovide,butnotthecostandcomplexity associatedwithhigherendproductsdesignedforlarge organizations.CommenceoffersarobustCRMsolutionthat rivalshigherendproductscostingmuchmorebutits flexibilityenablesthesolutiontobetailoredtoaddress industryspecificrequirements.Fewcompaniescanmatch thefunctionalityandflexibilityofCommenceCRM.
GiveadetaileddescriptionoftheCEO’scontribution overthecompanyandtheindustry.
LarryCaretsky,CEOofCommenceCorporation,is knownasapassionateoutspokenandhighlycompetitive chiefwithstrongleadershipskills.Accordingtohisbiggest assets—employees—hehasinstilledthephilosophythat Commencecannotbeallthingstoallpeople,butthatthe companyhastheknowledgeandexpertisetodoonetotwo thingsbetterthaneveryoneelse.“Let’sbeaninchwidebut amiledeep,”saysthesteadfastleader.Hisleadershiphas madeCommenceaformablecompetitorintheCRMsector.
Fromanindustryperspectiveheisconsideredanexpertin theCRMsectorandhaswrittennumerousarticlesabout howbusinessescanuseCRMtechnologytoimprovehow
theymarket,sellandprovideservicestotheircustomers. Hehasbeennominatedasoneofthe40MostInspiring LeadersinSalesLeadManagement,writtennumerous articlesontheuseofCRMsoftwareandistheauthorofan e-book,PracticesThatPay”LeveragingInformationto AchieveSellingResults.
BeingaleadingCRMsolutionprovider,whathasbeen thecompany’scontributioninthisever-evolvingsector?
FormorethantwodecadesCommenceCorporationhas continuedtointroduceproductsandservicesthathave traditionallyonlybeenavailableandaffordabletolarger corporations.Byreducingthecomplexityofnew technologyandprovidingthemaintenanceandsupportof ourproductswehaveenabledsmalltomid-sizebusinesses totakeadvantageofstate-of-the-artbusinesssolutionsand competewiththesametechnologylargercorporationshave beenusingforyears.
TheservicescomponentofCommenceCorporation’s offeringhasbeenasignificantwinfortheSMBcommunity aswell.Providingbusinesssolutionsalonedoesnotensure thatcustomerscantakeadvantageofnewertechnology. CommenceprovidestheIT,salesandmarketingservices thesebusinessesrequiresothattheycanfocus100%of theirtimegrowingtheirbusinessandleavingthe managementandmaintainabilityoftheirCRMsystemto theCommenceexperts.
Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessonslearnt thathasshapedthejourneyofthecompany.
Thesoftwareindustryhaschangedradicallyoverthepast decadeandthemigrationfromonpremisesoftware
implementationstocloudcomputinghasopenedthedoorto anumberofchallengesandnewproductandservice offerings.Customerstodayaremovedrivenbytheneedsof theusercommunitytheninthepastwhereITdecisions weretraditionallymadebytheITdepartment.Thishas causedCommenceCorporationtorestructurehowour productandservicesaredelivered,supportedand maintained.Itrequiredanewsetofskillsforcloud computing,differentbusinesspartnershipsandarestructure ofhowourproductsaresoldandimplemented.The companyhassuccessfullymadethistransitionandishighly toutedforthequalityoftheproductsandservicesit provides.
Kindlyhighlightcompany’sfutureendeavoursandhow itisplanningtoexpandglobally?
Goingforward,Commencewillbeintroducingseveralnew servicestothemarketin2020.OnewillbeaSales Enablementprocesswherebyweassistcustomersinputting togetherarticles,casestudies,customertestimonialsand competitiveanalysissothattheirsalesteamisfully preparedtoimmediatelyrespondtoquestions,prospect inquiriesandcompetitivebattles.It’sanewservicetargeted atsalesorganizationsthatdonothavethiscollateralin placeorsalesmanagementthatneedsassistancewiththis process.Wearealsotalkingwithcompaniesthatoffer artificialintelligenceandwehopetointegratethis technologywithourfutureproductofferings.
Whymanagecustomer relationshipswhen youcanMASTERthem withCommence CRM.LarryCaretsky CEO
Intheyear1450,whenBlacksmithJohannesGutenberg firstintroducedamovabletypepressintheGerman cityofMainz,aprintingrevolutionhadgoterupted. Thisinventionencouragedmorepeopletoproliferateand distributetheircreative/informativeideasthoughprinted texts.Sooner,plethoraofworkrelatedtoliterature, religiousscriptures,scientificpapers,ontologicaltreaties, lawtextsamongotherstartedpublishingoutinthe Europeanregionwhichlatergotadoptedgloballyatlarge scaleandhelpedindividualsandotherstopromote/selltheir ideas.
Thisprintingrevolutionstillconsideredasoneofthemost importanteventinthehistoryofprintingandforthe humankindasawhole.Withthepassageoftimemany otherinventionshavebeentakenplacesthathaveboosted theprintingbusinessatlarge.
Herewehaveenlistedsomeoftherecent developmentsthatareworthmentioning,and whicharealsoconsideredasaturningpoint forthearenaofprintingbusiness.
3Dprintinghaswitnessedmanyremarkablebreakthroughs inrecentyears,Nanoprintingisonesuchinnovation.Due tothiscutting-edgeprintingtechnologyitisnowpossibleto printandintegratetinycomponentsdirectlyontothe integratedcircuitsincludemicro-lensesontophotonic circuitsanddeformablestructuresonMEMSactuators.
Interestingly,whatwasadreamsomedecadesagohas becomearealitywiththistechnologyasitisnowpossible toprintmicroscopicobjectswithcomplexgeometryand sizesofnanometrestoseveralmillimetres.Suchthingscan beprintedonasingleprintingstepandthattooonascale whichwasnotpossiblebefore.Suchinnovativechangeof on-printingbringsnewperspectivesfordevelopingnano andmicroscopic3Dcomponentinahasslefreemanner.
Moreover,itsapplicationhassignificanceinmanyvital areasincludingArtificialOrgans,TissueEngineering,Stem cell-basedRegenerativeMedicineandTherapy,Fabrication ofNanoScaleDevicesamongother.Customersalsoreap hugebenefitbyutilizingthistechnologyasitprovidesgreat precision,stability,andsupport3Dcustomdesignatlarge scale.
Inthisprintingtechnology,Nanoscribe’sPhotonic ProfessionalGTsystemusesthetechniqueoftwo-photon polymerization.Inthisprocessalasergetsexposetoa photosensitiveresinbyahigh-numericalapertureobjective thattooinacontrolledtrajectoryfollowingCADdesign. Theinterestingthinghereisthatthematerialgetssolidified onlyinthelaserfocusedspotandthusallowsprintingthe exact3Dstructurewithsubmicronfeatures.Such advancementshaveexpandedtheuseofthistechniquefor printingpre-manufacturedcircuitsandopensnewwaysfor executingon-chipprintingaswell.Nanotechnologyfor printing–istrulyinnovativeasitaltersmaterialsatthe atomicandmolecularlevel.
Manyprintingtechnologiesuseinksmadefromharmful chemicalsubstanceswhichcreatesnegativeimpactonthe printer,wearerandtheenvironmentatlarge.Usageofharsh chemicalsandtoxicwastealsoalwayskeepvarious regulatoryagenciesonvigil.Therefore,therewasadire needofatechniquewhichcandoafineprintingby minimizingthebadeffectsonenvironmentatlarge.The birthofwater-basedprintingfulfilledthatneed.
Theinnovationofwater-basedprintinghasstartedanew erainprintingspacewhichishugelyconsideredas
environmentfriendly.Inthistechnology,theinkisnot madeofplasticandotherdamagingpetroleumorfossil fuels;instead‘water’hereisactasthemainsolventand thusmakesitanenvironmentfriendlyprintingtechnology. Moreover,whataremakingthistechnologyscalableand popularareitsotherfascinatingfeaturesfamouslyincludes itsfineprintqualityandaffordabilityovertheother prevailingprintingtechnologies.
Itssolventsdecreasethetimeandheatnecessarytoabsorb theinkfilmonfabricandinsteadofjustspreadingonthe outerlayerofthefabric,itsinkflowdeepintothefabric andcreateamuchbetterlookandultimatelyamuchbetter end-userexperience.Further,waterbasedinksarethinner andyoucanactuallyprintwithhigherprecisiontogivea goodtextureascomparedtothickerinkslikeplastisol.
Moreover,theincreasedsoftnessandflexibilityofwaterbasedprintshavethepotentialtowincustomersheartevery timewhentheytouchafabricprintedusingthistechnology. Manyleadingorganizationareconsideringthistechnology overplastisolanditisjustthematteroftimebeforethis technologybecomesanindustrystandardintheprinting business.
ConductiveInk: Inventionofconductiveinkisonethegreatestmilestonesin thebusinessofprintingandithasthepotentialtochange thefutureofprintingbusinessaswell.
What’suniqueinthistechnologyisits‘ink’whichcontains conductivematerialslikesilvernanoparticlesorconductive polymerswhichgivesthemtheabilitytoconduct electricity.Thisconductive(Silver)inkhasmultipleuses todayincludingprintingRFIDtagsasusedinmodern transittickets,theycanbeusedtoimproviseorrepair circuitsonprintedcircuitboardsaswell.Although,this technologyisinearlystageanditsmainstreamadoption mayprobablytakesseveralyearsbutitisapromising techniquewhichcanbeeffectivelyusedinmanydifferent applicationsincludingthecreationofinteractiveposters, billboards,andotheradvertisingmaterials.
Interestingly,thistechnologyalsoholdspromisetoplay soundjustbytouchingapaperorconnectyoutoyour phoneappjustbyinteractingwithaposteronthewallthat islinkedtotheapp.Moreover,ithasthesamecapacitive sensingtechnologythatispresentinmoderndayelectronic devicesliketablets,smartphonesamongothers.
Withthegrowingusageofinternet,everybusiness nowadaysislookingtoautomatetheirbusiness processesandoperations.So,bornUkraine basedopensourcewebapplicationEspoCRM.The company’scloud-hostedsolutionprovidesitsclientswith pre-installedandconfiguredserversoftware.
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,thespokespersonof EspoCRMhassharedfewvaluableinsights,whichhas helpedtoshapethecompany’spathbreakingCRM solution.
BelowarethehighlightsoftheinterviewbetweenInsights SuccessandtheEspoCRM’sspokesperson:
Kindlytakeusthroughadetailedoverviewofthe company.
Foundedin2014,EspoCRMisanopen-sourceweb applicationthatoffersawiderangeofvarious functionalitiestosmallandmedium-sizebusinesses.Being currentlyutilizedbymorethan50000satisfiedcompanies andorganizationsthroughouttheglobe,theplatformisone ofthemostintuitive,easy-to-useandaffordablesolutionsin themodernmarket.
Theultimateaimofthesoftwareisempoweringyoursales andsupportteamswithfeaturesthathelptoboostbusiness performanceandefficacy.Itassistscompaniesin systematizingcustomerdata,providespowerfultoolsfor analyticsandreporting,andsubstantiallyautomates businessprocessestheydealwith.
Couldyouthrowsomelightonyourmissionandvision statement?
Whenthecompanywasfoundedrightbackin2011,wehad asimplethoughrevolutionaryidea.Wewantedtocreate CRMsoftwarethatwillbeflexibleandadaptabletothe requirementsofanybusinesswithouttheneedforcoding. Havinganalyzedthetrendsanddemandsofthemarket,we havestartedacomplicateddevelopmentprocessandafter
yearsofhardwork,wereleasedthefirstversionof EspoCRM.Nowadays,weareproudtoacknowledgethat oursoftwareisaperfect,cost-effectiveandfullyadjustable solutionforthecompanyofanytype,sizeorbudget.
Howdoyoudiversifyyourcompany’sofferingsto appealthetargetaudience?
EspoCRMcansatisfytherequirementsofbothsmalland largecompanies.Start-upswithalimitedbudgetcanstart withafreeversionencompassingallthenecessary functions,whilelarge-scaleenterprisesmayextendthe standardsetoffeaturesbypurchasingadditionalextensions. Apartfromthat,anycompanycancustomizethesystemto fititsspecificneedsbyconfiguringlayoutsfordifferent views,changingapplicationlabelsandmessagetemplates, creatingnewandmodifyingtheexistingfieldsorentities. Furthermore,thesoftwarecanalsobeeasilyintegratedwith third-partysolutionsviaopenAPI,whichhelpstoautomate thedatasyncprocessandeliminatestherisksofdataloss.
WhatinnovativemeasureshasEspoCRMundertakento stayaheadofitscompetition?
EspoCRMcanmakeboastofplenitudeandvarietyof featuresdevelopedbothforordinaryusersanddevelopers. ItoffersalotofeffectiveextensionsincludingBPMand Workflows,advancedreporting,Google,Outlookand MailChimpintegrations,etc.
However,weunderstandhowcrucialitistorespond quicklytotheneedsofthebusinessenvironment.Believing thatperfectionknowsnolimits,weareconstantly monitoringtrendsandtendenciesofthemodernbusiness marketinordertoincorporatethemintoourproduct.
HowEspoCRMisupgradingitselfwiththevolatile technologicaladvancementinordertoofferdisruptive productsorservices?
Takingintoconsiderationthedemandsoftheever-changing marketplace,weinvestalotoftimeandresourcesinto
featuresbypurchasing additionalextensions.
upgradinganddevelopingfeaturesforEspoCRM. Inthemodernfast-pacedworld,theperformanceofthe softwareoftentakesprecedenceovertheotherfactors.Due tothis,wehaveimplementedtheleadingtechnologiesto increasethesystem’sperformancebyseveraltimes. Anotherpointthatwetakeprideinisoursimpleand intuitiveinterfacethatallowsanewusertostartutilizing thesoftwarewithoutprevioustrainingoncetheinstallation isover.
BeingaleadingCRMsolutionprovider,whathasbeen thecompany’scontributioninthisever-evolvingsector?
EspoCRMprovidessmallandmedium-sizebusinesseswith theopportunitytobuildastrongcompanywithasound investment.Forlargecompanies,thesoftwarecanserveas apowerfultoolformanagingcompany’sbusiness processes.
Havingcreatedanadvancedsolution,wemakecomplex functionalitymoreaccessibleandprovideapremium producteitheratanaffordablepriceorfreeofcharge.
Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessonslearn
hasshapedthejourneyofthecompany.
Possessingalmostten-yearexperience,wehaveunderstood thatinordertobuildastrongandsuccessfulcompany,one requiresplentyofcomponents:hardwork,experience, knowledgeandthecourageofrisk-taking.Another,perhaps themostessential,constituentisthecohesivenessofthe team,thebondsthatpullpeopletowardsthecommonaim.
Onlyhavingallthese“ingredients”mixed,youwill succeed.
Kindlyhighlightthecompany’sfutureendeavours.And howitisplanningtoexpandglobally?
Inthelongrun,ourprincipalgoalistoevolvethesystemto meetitsextensiveroadmapandsupporttheindustryneeds. Weareplanningtoofferourcustomersmorebusiness processautomationcapabilitiesthatwillaidthemin improvingtheefficiencyandperformanceoftheir companies.
Theplatformisbeingcontinuouslydevelopedunderthe leadershipandguidanceofTarasMachyshyn,the company’sCEOandCo-founder.Hehasworkedforover 11yearsasasoftwaredeveloper.Possessinganenormous amountofinvaluableexperienceinthefieldofbusiness software,Tarasisactivelyinvolvedintheprocessofcode development,implementationofnewideasandcustomer communication.HebelievesthatahandyCRMsolution canaidanybusinessinimprovingcustomerexperienceand buildingenduringrelationshipswithclients.
that
EspoCRMcansatisfythe requirementsofbothsmalland largecompanies.Start-upswith alimitedbudgetcanstartwitha freeversionencompassingall thenecessaryfunctions,while large-scaleenterprisesmay extendthestandardsetof
Pam Bateson is an expert coach and mentor in business, training others to Masters level qualifications and supervising coaches. She has worked within the healthcare, retail, hotels, construction, media, agencies, education and public sector. She specialises in Coaching, Mentoring, Employee Engagement, Change Management, Learning and Development and Organisational Design. She has worked with all levels in organisations from graduates to the CEO. She has designed change programmes that connect projects, outcomes, training and coaching. The performance outcomes have been outstanding. She is CEO and Co-founder at Thrive Partners.
PamBatesonsetupThrive
Partners,anon-demand coachingcompany,three yearsago.Inthisarticle,she sharesherpointofviewonhow importanthumansareinamore digitalworld,whatshe’slearned asatechCEO,andwhatthis meanswhenyou’relookingto usetechinawaythat’sboth disruptiveandworksfor customers.
InOctober2015,Igaveupasuccessful careerasamanagementconsultantand coachtosetupThrivePartners.Lotsof peoplethoughtIwascrazy.Iwas approaching50,withtwochildrenstill athome.Butforthedecaderunningup tothatdecision,I’dbeenthinking aboutabetterwaytodelivercoaching –supportedbydigital,tosharemore widelythecoachingtoolsI’dusedto helpclientsformanyyears.
ThiswasthebusinessIsetouttobuild threeyearsago.Today,we’reworking with25clientsonfivecontinents–deliveringourownbrandof on-demandcoaching,backedwith insightsforthewholebusiness.The learningcurvehasbeensteep–particularlyforsomeonewho,bytheir ownconfession,didn’thavealotof experienceinlearningtechnology.So here,Iwantedtosharesomeofthe thingswe’velearned–andwhatit mightmeanforyourbusiness.
Ididn’treallysetouttobuilda businessthatwouldbeconsidered disruptive,butmybackgroundasa leanengineerandcoachdidmeanthat werippeduptherulebookwhenit cametothecoachingindustry.We scrappedtheideathatyouneededto meetfacetoface,andthatsessionshad tolastanhour,oreventwohours.And wemadeitaloteasierforpeopleto accessacoachtoanswerthequestions theyhadthereandthen–increasing accesssopeoplecouldchattoan expertwithinanhour.
Workingwithmyco-founder,wethen rebuilttheindustrybyaskingthe biggestquestionswecouldimaging. Whatifwecouldmakecoaching availabletowholeorganisations?What ifwecouldgetlisteningasvaluedas speaking?Andwhatifwecouldhelp organisationslearnasquicklyas individuals?
Ifoundthesequestionsirresistible: IwantedtodoforcoachingwhatUber haddoneforgettingataxi,Netflixhad doneforhomeentertainment,and Tinderhaddonefordating.It’sthese
bigdreamsthathavegalvanisedour successinthelastfewyears–and whichhassetusintherightdirection forthefuture.
Despitebigdreams,we’vealsomade ourfairshareofmistakes!Alotof themmistakeshappenedwhenwetook ourattentionawayfromourend customers.Itsoundsobvioustoseeit thereonthepage.Butitcanbeeasyto losesightofthecustomersthatmatter most,especiallywhen,asatechCEO, sometimewegetpreoccupiedwitha shinypieceofnewtechnology.
So,whattoconsiderfirstwhenit comestousers?Themainthingtobear inmindisthattheyexpectexperiences thatareeasyandfasttoaccess–ashift broughtaboutbywhatwecallthe ‘AmazonPrimeMindset.’Inthisera, clunkyuserexperiencesreducethe chancesofuptakeofservices.Inshort, ifyourtechnologycan’tmatchor exceedthequalityofdigitalexperience peoplegetintheireverydaylives,then you’llneedtogobacktothedrawing board.
Createwinsforthemany So,ifuserscomefirst–whoelsecan weharnessthepoweroftechnology for?
Ouranswer?Everyoneelseinthe system.
Earlyoninthedevelopmentofour MyThriveplatform,werealisedthat deliveringdigitallywouldenableusto domorethanjustscaleandfacilitate coachinginglobalorganisations;it wouldalsomeanwecouldspottrends andpatternswithincommunitiesof users,inorganisationsorsocietyat large.Justascarefullylisteninghasa powerfulandtransformativerolein one-to-onecoachingconversations, carefullylisteningtoandanalysing anonymisedversionofthe conversationswehosthasapowerful andtransformativerolewithinwhole organisations.
Thewhole-systeminsightswe producedhashelpedtomakesales processessmoother,improved communicationsandcreatedmore opportunitiesforpeopletolearn.
Withsuicidebeingthebiggestkillerof menunder45,lonelinesssweeping throughdevelopedeconomiesin epidemicproportionsandathirdofall youngpeoplesufferingfromanxiety, Istronglybelievethatwehaveaduty tokeeptalkingtoeachotherasa society.
Webelievethatkeepingtheartof conversationaliveinthisdigitalageis essential;onlyhumanscanmaster creativity,empathy,humourand imaginationinawaythat’scompelling. Informationiseverywhere,sowe’re usingtechnologydifferently–tooffer realhumanexperiencesatscale,atany timeoftheday,wheneverourclients needaconversation,foreverything youcan’tGoogle.
Andwhatofthefuture?Curiously, eventhestructuresofartificial intelligenceandmachinelearninglook settomimichumanpatterns.It’sstill earlydays,butleadersinthisspace talkof‘deeplearning’withAI–by layeringupdifferenttoolsthatconnect inthesamewayasourbrain’sneural networks.
Andso,thenextthreeyears?
Myrecentexperienceshaveledusto askevenbiggerquestionsthanwedid tobeginwith–whichIsuspectwill leadtoournextirresistiblesetof adventures!Whatifwecould transformlearningmanagement systemsintolearningecosystems? Whatifanycommunityoflearners couldconnectwithanycommunityof teachers?Andwhatifabetter understandingofoutcomesfrom learningcouldhelpbothindividuals, organisationsandsocietytothrive?
Iforonebelievethereareexciting timesahead.
CRMisaquitelong-termstrategy,whenitcomesto the fieldofcommunication,withtheprimaryfocus oncustomers.ThemaingoalofCRMisto primarilyfocusonbetterunderstandingofthecustomer needsandidentifyingtheirspecificneeds.Takingthis significanceofCRMintoconsideration,eWay-CRMwas inceptedtoprovidethebestinclassCRMsolutions.
InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,JanLalinskythe CEOandCo-founder&RomanStefko,CTOandCofoundersharevaluableinsightswhicheventuallypavedthe wayofsuccessfortheorganization.
Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterview.
KindlytakeusthroughadetailedoverviewofeWayCRM.
Weareateamofdeterminedprofessionalsfromallaround theworldsittinginPragueandKansasCity.
WefocusonlyoneWay-CRM,aCRMtoolforMicrosoft Outlook.Formorethan10years,wehavebeenhelping companiesinmanagingtheirsales,projectsandcustomers. Ourstrongfocusgivesustheopportunitytodoonething anddoitwell.
Wehavethousandsofusersfromindividualsto multinationalcorporations.Wearenotindustryorientedand suchabroadrangeofvariouskindsofclientshelpsusget thebestfromdifferentareasandofferaflexibleproduct. Ourcustomerscomefromdifferentpartsoftheworld. MainlyfromtheUnitedStatesandCanada,butalsofrom EuropeancountriessuchasUnitedKingdom,Czech Republic,Germany,Slovakia,etc.WehaveclientsinAsia andAustraliatoo,butwetendtokeepourfocusonthe NorthAmericanandEuropeanmarket.
Thisorientationforcesustoworkindifferenttimezonesin ordertomakesurethatallcustomerrequestsarebeing properlyhandled.
Ourproductwasoriginallycreatedinourparentcompany MEMOSSoftwareasacustom-madesoftwareforan internationalteamoflawyers.Theyneededtokeeptheir
mattersundercontrolandsortallcommunicationhistory. AstheyworkwithOutlook,theyinsistedtokeepthe softwareasanOutlookaddin.ThisishoweWay-CRM1.0 wasborn.Soon,ourparentcompanyrealizedthepotential ofsuchaproductandtheyturneditintoacomplexCRM software.
Couldyouthrowsomelightonyourmissionandvision statement?
®
eWay-CRM helpscompaniesworldwidebetrulyeffective. Wehavebeendeterminedinfollowingthismissionfor morethan10years.
® ThatisalsowhyeWay-CRM isembeddedstraightinto MicrosoftOutlook.Thisway,weareabletotransformthe well-knownOutlookenvironmentintoafull-featuredCRM toolformanagingclients,sales,andprojects.Moreover, youcancreateprofessionalbulke-mails.
Howdoyoudiversifyyourcompany’sofferingstotarget theaudience?
OurproductisintegratedrightwithinMicrosoftOutlook. Thereareplentyofgreatweb-basedcompetitors,butwe believe,thatpeopleneedonegreatandeffectivetool.Since mostcompaniesuseMicrosoftOutlook,wedecidedto embedeWay-CRMrightintoit.
WhatinnovativemeasureshaseWay-CRMundertaken tostayaheadofitscompetition?
Weunderstandthateverybusinessisunique.Often,two CEOsofdifferentcompaniesfromthesameindustryrun theirbusinessesdifferently.Webelievethatasoftware shouldadjusttocompanyneedsandnottheopposite.This iswhywemadeeWay-CRMextremelyflexible.
Withthelevelofcustomizations,weareabletocompete biggestplayersatareasonableprice.Weprovidelarge databaseoftutorialsandifcustomersdon’thavetimetoset upeWay-CRMbythemselves,weprovideateamofhighly experiencedconsultantswhodoitforthem.
HowiseWay-CRMupgradingitselfwiththevolatile technologicaladvancementinordertoofferdisruptive productsorservices?
WefocusoncustomerswhowantaCRMthatworksandnot themostmoderngeekygadget.Ifsomebodywantsashiny nice-lookingproduct,theygosomewhereelse.Wearechosen byprofessionalswhoknowwhattheywantandlookfor,i.e. somethingthatwillhelpthemkeeptheiragendaundercontrol. Therefore,wecarefullyconsiderwhatnewfeaturesweimplementand whattechnologiesweuse.
Atthesametime,welistentoourcustomers,totheirneeds,andtrytostayon topofnewchallenges.Weunderstandthesedayssalesrepsandprojectmanagers workdifferently,theyneedtoworkfromanywhereandfromanydevicethatisby hand.ThisiswhyeWay-CRMcomeswithmobileappsforAndroidsandiOS.Also,we areworkinghardonaweb-basedinterface.Wewanttodeliverauserfriendlyand accessibleplatform.
BeingaleadingCRMsolutionprovider,whathasbeenthecompany’scontributioninthis ever-evolvingsector?
ThemarketisfullofsinglepurposewebCRMsthatareeasytousebutcan’tgrowwithyou.eWay-CRM isdifferent.eWay-CRMcangrowwithyou.Sincewehaveexperiencewithindividualsalongwith multinationalcorporations,weknowwhatchallengesacompanyfaceswhengrowing.Wedecidedtomakeaproductthatis simpletouseifyouareasmallbusiness,yetcomplexwhenyouneedit.Thisiswhatmakesusunique.
Describetheexperiences,achievementsorlessonslearnedthathaveshapedthejourneyofthecompany. Thebiggestlessonlearnedisthatyourtimeislimited,andwecan’tmeeteveryone’srequirements.Asasmallstart-up,we veryoftenusedtobuildcustomizedfeaturesoneortwocustomerscouldbenefitfrom.Wegotthedeal,butourdevelopersgot stuckwith–let’sbehonest–notthatgreatfeatures.Asaresult,wecouldn’tfocusonsomethingthateverybodycould benefit.
Oneday,wewokeup10yearslaterandrealizedthatwespenttoomuchtimeworkingonuselessthingsandworkingwithnot therightpeople.Wegotoutofourway.Wehadtotakeacoupleofunpleasantstepsandmakepainfuldecisions,butwewere abletogetbacktoourtrack.
Thelessonlearnedis–keepyourvision,trustyourselfanddon’tstepaside.Yourtimeislimited.Everysecondmatters.
JanLalinskyisthecompanyCEOandco-founder.Hisroleistoformthevisionandoveralldirectionalongwithmakingit cometrue.Hefocussesonthebusinessdevelopment,marketingandpeoplemanagement.Hemakessurethatheadsofall departmentsareonthesamepageandontrackinordertodeliverhealthyandsustainablecompanygrowth.
RomanStefkoisthecompanyCTOandco-founder.Heisresponsiblefortheproductdevelopmentandallothertechnical challenges(incl.eWay-Cloud,security,internalinfrastructureandmuchmore).Asaformerdeveloper,hehasdeep knowledgeofITwhichhelpshimchallengeanything.
eWay-CRMisanOutlook integratedCRMsoftwarethat helpscustomersmanagetheir customers,salesandprojects.RomanStefko CTO&Co-founder
Technology,technique—nameit, theworldhasbestowedsome remarkablyadaptive implicationsandstimulatedtheminto becomingaglobalbrand.Yet,many organizationsarestrivingtoattainthe fullbenefitsofbeingaglobally recognizedbrand.Tostretchout confinements,variousorganizations oftenofferfranchiselicensesto franchiseownersinpotentially profitableregionsforacquiringabetter customerapproach.Insteadofstarting fromascratch,anindividualcan purchaseafranchiseandstartwitha provenbusinessmodelthathasamore probabilityofachievingsuccess.
Withadequatemanagementand guidance,onecaneasilyflourishinthe businessworld.Franchisebusiness strikesdowncertainhardshipsand strugglesthatmightbefacedinthe start-ups.Choosingfranchise
businessesoverastart-upcouldprove asabetteridea,asithasmorefruitful benefitsthatofanyinitial-staged businesses.
Unlikeanystart-ups,afranchise businessallowsanindividualtocarry outtheoperationdirectlyfromthe establishedfoundation.Frombrand cultivationandmarketingtofuture plansandcustomerbase,anew franchiseownerisblessedwithalmost everything.Anoutletofafranchise ensurestheideaoffollowingthe similarbusinessmodulesand operationalmethodscanbemore effective.And,implementingsome newtweaksinsuchabsoluteaspects makesthetaskeasierforadistributor.
Inaddition,italsoallowsprofessionals tooverviewthebusinessreportsand keyperformanceindicatorswhichaid
onetoadaptandmakeappropriate businessdecisions.Besides,astrong supportsystemisoftenanecessity ratherthanawant.Itsupportsan individualinmaintainingbalance betweenbothindependentideologies andthebrand’sbusinessmodules.The supportmostlyincludesthevast knowledgeaboutthefranchiseandan expertiseoutlookonproducts.With suchsystem,manynewbusiness personalitiescanperpetuallysustainin themassivemarkets.
Oneoftheprimaryconcernfactorand themisconceptioninfranchise businesslieswithinthelimitationof autonomy.Unlikeindividual enterprises,afranchisebusinessmight befacingsomeproblemsregarding receivingafullscaleautonomywhich canbeoverruledthereafter.Itrequires
compassionoverchoosingafranchise whichismoresuitablewitha purchaser’sbusinessethics.This reducestheriskofbeingdominatedby franchisorsandotherinvestorentities andhelpsindraftingownrulesto followon.
Thoughafranchisecomeswithawellestablishedplatform,itdoesrequire consistenteffortsonbringingthe organizationupwards.Accordingto variousreportsandfacts,ithasbeen alsostatedthatthesuccessrateof franchisebusinessisquitehigherthan anindependententrepreneurial venture.Asfranchiseesoperateundera systematicbusinessmodel,theygetan indirecttraininginmarketingaswell asstaffhandling.Withalarge-scale marketing,thefranchiseescan promptlyattainmorecustomer attractionresultingintoahigher growthrate.
Customerengagementisoneofthe mostcrucialanddifficultprocessesina businesstobear.Togainmorenumber ofcustomers,anorganizationhasto investtheirtimeandeffortson processingvariousmarketingaspects. Incaseoffranchisebusiness,theodds arequitesimilarbutwithfewerefforts. Asmostoffranchisebrandshavea nationaloraglobalrecognition, franchiseesarerequiredtocontribute intoa“marketingbudget”through whichtheparentcompaniescould processoutanextensivepromotion campaigns.Meanwhile,franchiseecan alsostartanindependentcampaignin ordertogaininstantcustomer engagement.
Belowaresomemethodsthrough whichfranchiseescanupliftthe business,independently. Focusingontargetaudiences—instead ofexaggeratingovercustomer approaches,onecannarrowdownthe targetaudiencestohighlyqualified prospects.Itallowsbusinessownersto concentrateandcomeupwithbest prospectstodeliver.
Return-policy—beingthemost traditionalandeffectivewaytoattract customers,utilizingreturn-policiesin franchisebusinesswillaidthe franchiseestogetbettercustomer approach.Providingsomethingin returnandofferingvariousschemes helpsincreatinganadversemarketing network.
Quiteafewrequirementsareneededto befulfilledbyaprospectivefranchisee ownerinordertogetqualifiedfor licensingthebrand’sname.The qualificationrequirementssignificantly varyfromonefranchisortoother.It oftenincludesmaintainingahighernet worthandagoodcreditscorefora largerinitialinvestment.Inaddition,a franchiseemustbehavinganother sourceofincomealsoan industry/managementexperiencefor guidingbusinesseffectively.
Subsequentlyconsideringallthe factors,thefranchisordetermines whethertheprospectiveowneris worthyenoughtobequalifiedforthe businessornot.
AFranchiseagreementincludescertain setsoftermswhicharerequiredtobe followedbythefranchisees.After beingqualified,anindividualsignsan agreementwherehe/shehastopaya franchise-feeinordertoacquirethe licensetousethebrandsnameandits businessprocesses.Simultaneously, thefranchisorassistsfranchiseeswith allocation,supplierconnections,storemanagementandstafftraining. However,italsobestowsvariousfacets likespecifictestedoperatingsystem, withcreativemarketingstrategies.
Initially,theopportunitiesof implantingreinventioninfranchise businessarenarroweddownasthe focusofafranchiserisondeliveringa consistentexperienceacrossallthe locations.Amultiplefranchised locations,afranchiseecaneasilyattain increasedpurchasingpower.Also, Franchisebusinessallowsbusiness personstobeflexibletotrynew productsorservicesinordertotestin thereal-timemarketscenario.Thusby consideringaboveaspects,itcanbe concludedthatthefranchisebusinessis mostsecureandbestoptionto investin.
Optimove’smissionistohelpmarketersdrive measurablegrowthbyautonomously transformingcustomerdataintoactionable insights.Thecompany’suniquetechnologysuiteenables thesmartorchestration,measurementandoptimization ofhighlypersonalizedmulti-channelcampaigns,at scale,resultinginimprovedcustomerexperience, retentionandlifetimevalue.Optimoveisusedby hundredsofleadingbrandsofallsizes,including Staples,Deezer,GVC,FamilyDollar,GroupeDynamite, PaperSourceandSweatyBetty.Optimoveemploysover 250peopleinitsUnitedStates,UnitedKingdom, Singapore,andIsraeloffices.
Thecompanywasfoundedandoperatedasabootstrap companyfrom2009to2016,whenitreceived20Min
Yakuel Founder&CEO
growthfunding.Optimovegeneratedgrowthandprofit fromthedayofitsinceptiontopresentday,thankstoits smartandtalentedemployeeswhocontinuouslyraisethe baroninnovationandsolutions.Asacompany, OptimoveisproudtohavebeenincludedinGartner’s MagicQuadrantforthepastfewyears,andinthe Forrester’sWaveforthefirsttimein2019.
Optimoveaimstohelpitsclientsunderstandtheir customers,whileusingadvancedpredictiveanalytics modelstoforeseetrendsandbehavior.Asacompany, Optimovepracticeswhatitpreaches.Theorganizationis constantlyevolvinganddevelopinginordertoofferits clientsthebesttechnologicalsolutionsfortheir marketingneeds.Optimoveisacompanythatthriveson
learningandperceiveseveryemployeetobebotha teacherandastudent.ThatpartofOptimove’sDNAis translatedintoitsconstantquestforbetter,faster solutions,developingstrongerrelationships,andcreating newproductstoassistitsclients.
TheKnight PiniYakuel-foundedOptimovein2009andhasledthe company,asitsCEO,sinceitsinception.Withtwo decadesofexperienceinanalytics-drivencustomer marketing,businessconsultingandsales,heisthe drivingforcebehindOptimove.Hispassionfor innovativeandempoweringtechnologiesiswhatkeeps Optimoveaheadofthecurve.HeholdsanMScin IndustrialEngineeringandManagementfromTelAviv University.
Optimovepridesitselfoninnovation.Amostobvious examplewouldbetheSelf-OptimizingJourneysthat maximizecustomerlifetimevaluebyautonomously identifyingallthecampaignsacustomeriseligiblefor, evaluatingalljourneypossibilities,probabilitiesand potentialgains,andservingthenext-best-actionforeach. AnotherexampleisOptimove’sdatabaseinfrastructure, enablingbrandstoaccesstheiralwaysup-to-dateunified customerdata,shareitwithinternalsystemsandteams, includeitinproprietarymodels,anduseittocreate bespokecustomerattributes.
AimingtoInnovate
Optimoveconstantlyaimstoupgradeitsowntechnology andproducts,aswellasitsownservice.Inthatrespect, thecompanyharnessesthepowerofAIandMachine LearningforSelf-OptimizingJourneys,inwhichthe customer’sjourneyisvirtuallymanaged.Thismeansthat
prioritizingcampaignsinmarketingisnolongera complexissue.It’sanon-issue.
IntermsofupgradingOptimove’slevelofservice,ithas initiatedmigrationofitsdataintegration,transformation andsharingprocessestoSnowflake’sCloudData Warehouse.CombiningOptimove’ssophisticateddata calculationsandtransformationswithSnowflake’s scalablecloud-basedinfrastructure,willprovide Optimoveuserswithfaster,directaccesstotheirsinglecustomer-viewsandpredictiveanalytics.
TheOptimovesoftwareorchestratestheautomated executionofallpre-scheduledandactivity-triggered customercommunications,overawiderangeof marketingchannels,puttingatruemulti-channel personalizationpowerhouseatthetipsofmarketers’ fingers.TheOptimoverelationshipmarketinghub empowersmarketerstotarget,manageandrefine hundredsofgranular,homogeneouscustomersegments, increasingcustomersatisfactionandengagement–and maximizingcustomerlifetimevalue.
Inrecentmonths,OptimovehaspenetratedAPAC, openingaSingaporeofficeandemploying representativesinIndia.Optimovehasmultipleclientsin theregion,forwhomitaimstoprovidefastandeffective meanstoincreasetheirgrowth.Thecompanyisalso strengtheningsupportforadditionalverticals.
WithaCDPatitscore,the Optimovesolutionisbuilton thenotionthateverycustomer’s behaviorisdifferent,dynamic andmulti-faceted.
