The 10 Most Customer-Centric Companies in 2019 March2019

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March 2019 Key POS Trends Reshaping the Retail Sector Industry Trends
Social Media Marketing for Pharma Industry Market Dashboard Enabling Clients to Deliver Smarter and Improved Customer Experiences ustomer- en Collinson tric 10Most Collinson Companies in 2019 10The Vol.03 | Issue 08
David Evans Joint CEO

EReinventing Customer Experience Using Available Resources

Makingacompanycustomer-centricisnotaseasyasflippingaswitch.Establishedprocesses,routinesand

approachesaresometimesbarrierstothatchange.Thosecompanieswhichdon’tadaptthemselvesaccordingtothe increasingneeds,demandsandexpectationsofthecustomerswillperisheventually.

Identifyingtheneedsofcustomersanddeliveringbestpossiblesolutionsaccordingtotheirexpectationsistheneedofthe time.Customer-centriccompaniesshouldutilizetheorganizationaltalents,skills,abilities,resources,andlatesttechnologies tomeettheevolvingneedsofthecustomers.Acompanythatutilizesitsbestpossibleresourcestocreateapersonalized experienceforitscustomersislikelytostandthetestoftime.

However,customersnowadaysexpectfromthecompaniestoapproachthem-andtogivethemaproductive,pleasant,and personalizedexperiencethatmakesthemfeelgoodaboutthem.Smartorganizationsrespondtotrendingcustomer expectationsbyputtingcustomersinthecenter,engagingthemusingvariousways,andfocusingoncustomerserviceand satisfaction.

Thecompanythatisgenuinelycustomer-centrictodayusescurrenttechnologicaltrendstoreinventthecustomerexperience. Businessesnowhavetheabilitytoguesscustomerbehavioronthebasisoftheirpastexperiencesandpurchases,andtouse thatdatatodeliverservicesaccordingtotheirindividuallikingsandinterests.

However,withoutgooddataitismoredifficulttoconsistentlyenhancethecustomerexperience.Surveysandanecdotal feedbacksfromcustomersisnotenoughtoimprovethecustomerexperience,itisessentialtoanalyzeentireexperienceof customersovertime.

Technologiesamplifyserviceofcustomersinaverypositiveway.Therearemanytechnologiesthatcanbeusedtoimprove customerexperience.ThesetechnologiespredominantlyincludeBigDataAnalytics,ArtificialIntelligence,InternetofThings (IoT)etc.Thesetechnologieshavethepotentialtohelpcompaniesunderstanduniquenessofdifferentcustomerstoensure everycustomergetspersonalizedservices.

Utilizing the organizational talents, skills, abilities, resources, and evolving technologies is critical to deliver the pleasant customer experiences.

Tappingthepowerofthesetechnologiesisanimportantpartofimprovingcustomersatisfaction.Customercentriccompanies shouldalsoaimtohavegoodtouchwithcustomersthroughvariousplatforms.

Withkeepingcustomerssatisfiedbeingtheprimarygoaloforganizations,theyneedtoequiptheiremployeeswithright trainingandtoolstobeabletousevarioustechnologiestoachieveit.Havingintelligentandresourcefulemployeesisthe hallmarkofanyorganizationincreatingpleasantcustomerexperiences.

Inthefuture,thecompaniesthatwillflourishwillbethosewhichwouldbeabletogivecustomersexactlywhattheywant, thewayinwhichtheywantit,whentheywantit-evenbeforecustomersknowwhattheywant.

Recognizingtherenownedcustomer-centriccompanies,InsightsSuccesshasenlisted“The10MostCustomer-Centric Companiesin2019. ”

FeaturingasourCoverStoryisanotableCustomerCentricCompanynamedCollinson.WhatgivesCollinsontheedgein servingconsumersisitsrichheritage,uniqueexperienceandcross-sectorexpertisegainedoverthreedecadesworkingacross thetravel,commercialbanking,retail,insuranceandassistancesectors.Throughdirectlyservicingover50millionofitsown endcustomersaswellasthemillionsofitsclients’consumers,Collinsonhasuniqueinsightintodigitally-engagedmass affluenttravelersandmidtohighnetworthconsumers,conductingon-goingresearchwithclientsandendconsumers,to understandtheirever-changingneeds,attitudesandbehaviors.

Also,makesuretoflipthrougharticles,writtenbyourin-houseeditorialteamaswellasCXOstandpointsofnotableindustry personalitiestohaveabrieftasteofthesector.

Let’s start reading!

Sharad chitalkar
Cover Story Enabling Clients to Deliver Smarter and Improved Customer Experiences COLLINSON 08 26 Insider’s Insight Using Big Data and AI to Communicate When Seconds Count 38 Maestros Insights AI: From Artificial to Authentic Contents
The 2019 Articles Industry Trends Market Dashboard Key POS Trends Reshaping the Retail Sector Social Media Marketing for Pharma Industry 22 Agri Tech Agriculture Biotechnology: Revolutionizing Agriculture Process Globally 32 42 46 20 30 36 Celerant Technology 18 Enabling Retailers to Manage Entire Business Efficiently EPI-USE Labs Improving Performance by Leveraging SAP Systems Flutura Improving Two Core Business Objectives of “Asset Uptime” and “Operational Efficiency” HarrisData Delivering Adept Solutions for Business Management 40 InterSystems Seamless Solutions for Connectable Applications Reveal Group Unveiling Business Potential through Unrivaled Robotic Process Automation
sales@insightssuccess.com March, 2019 Editor-in-Chief Co-designer Senior Sales Manager Business Development Manager Marketing Manager Technical Head Technical Specialist Digital Marketing Manager Research Analyst Database Management Technology Consultant Pooja M. Bansal Managing Editor Anish Miller Executive Editor Sharad chitalkar Assistant Editors Jenny Fernandes Hitesh Dhamani Visualizer David King Art & Design Director Amol Kamble Associate Designer Nagesh Tembhekar Passi D. Peter Collins John Matthew Sales Executives David, Kevin, Mark, Vaibhav Business Development Executives Steve, Joe, Alan, Tushar Jacob Smile Aditya Marry D'Souza SME-SMO Executive Prashant Chevale Patrick James Circulation Manager Robert Brown Stella Andrew David Stokes Rahul Kavanekar Co-designer Copyright © 2018 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success. Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ www.twitter.com/insightssuccess We are also available on : Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-602-1754 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Off. No. 513 & 510, 5th Flr., Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017 Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85 Email: info@insightssuccess.in For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.in

Cover Story

Enabling Clients to Deliver Smarter and Improved Customer Experiences

Collinson's solutions drive more profitable customer relationships, enrich their travel experiences, protect what matters and assist in times of need.

“ The 2019
David Evans Joint CEO

InaninterviewwithInsights Success,theJointCEOof Collinson,DavidEvans,shares importantinsightsshowcasingthe valuablecontributionofthe organizationanditsjourneyin deliveringloyaltysolutionsand travelexperiences,insuranceand assistanceglobally.

Belowarehighlightsfromthe interviewconductedbetweenDavid EvansandInsightsSuccess:

Giveusabriefoverviewofyour companyanditsvisiontowards maintainingitsleadinthemarket. Weareagloballeaderincustomer benefitsandloyaltyandhavespent thelast30yearsenablingmanyof theworld’sbest-knownbrandsto acquire,engageandretainthemost profitable,butalsomostdemanding customers.Wehavedonethisby offeringadiversesetoftravel, insuranceandassistanceproducts thatdifferentiateourclients’value propositions,andloyaltysolutionsto helpthemwindeeper,morevaluable customerrelationships.

Ourpassionforputtingourclients’ needsfirst,hashelpedustogrowour customerbaseovertheyearsandwe arenowthechosenpartnerforthe world’sleadingpaymentnetworks, over600banks,90airlines,20hotel groupsandtopretailcompanies globally,generatingover$1billionof revenue.Someofourclientsinclude AirFranceKLM,AmericanExpress, CathayPacific,Chase,Hackett, Hilton,MasterCard,RadissonHotel Group,RSA,Sephora,UnionPay, VhiandVisa.

Whilstweoperateacrossanumber ofsectors,geographiesanddifferent revenuemodels,wearedrivenbya

simplephilosophy:todeliversmarter customerexperiencesthatsay‘a brandknowsme,caresaboutmeand willgothatextramile’.Wewill maintainourleadbycontinuingto investinourpeopleandrecruittalent thatenablesustodeveloprelevant, interestingproductsandservicesfor ourclientsandtheircustomers.

Ourcontinuedsuccessalsocomes fromharnessingtheentrepreneurial spiritthathasbeenatourheartsince wewerefoundedandlearningfrom runningsuccessfulbrandsinourown right.TheseincludePriorityPass™, recognizedtodaybyconsumers worldwideastheoriginal, independentairportexperiences program,aswellasourloyalty business,whichgrewfromthe anticipationthatcompanieswould needtobalancetheirfocuson acquiringnewcustomers,and understandingwhotheyaresothat theycouldbetterdeliveragainsttheir needs.

Howdoyoudiversifyyour organization’scustomer-centric approachinordertobenefityour clientele?

Weknowthatintoday’scompetitive businessenvironmentconsumers expecttobetreatedasindividuals andrewardedfortheirloyalty.As technologycontinuestoadvanceand consumerexpectationsincrease,the customerexperienceisandwill continuetobe,thekeybrand differentiator.

WhatgivesCollinsontheedgeisour richheritage,uniqueexperienceand cross-sectorexpertisegainedover threedecadesworkingacrossthe travel,commercialbanking,retail, insuranceandassistancesectors. Throughdirectlyservicing over50

millionofourownendcustomers–aswellasthemillionsofourclients’ consumers–wehaveuniqueinsight intothedigitally—engagedmass affluenttravelerandmidtohighnet worthconsumer,conductingongoing researchwithourclientsandend consumerstounderstandtheireverchangingneeds,attitudesand behaviors.

Weensurethatcustomerdatasitsat theheartofourapproachasthis providestheopportunitytodeliver moremeaningful,personalized interactionsateverystageofthe customerjourney.Understanding factorslikewhothecustomeris, whattheirpreferencesare,andhow theirbehaviorcanbeinfluenced,are keytoacustomer-centricapproach.

Everythingthatwedoisabout enablingourclientstodeliver smarterandimprovedexperiencesto theircustomers,whichdifferentiates themfromtheircompetitorsand helpsthemwinandkeeptheir customers.Wedothistohelpthem deepenengagementwiththeir customersthroughloyaltyand rewardsolutions,toenrichingtheir traveljourneythroughtheairport,or frominsuringandprotectingtheir interestswhentravelling,and providingmedicalandsecurity assistanceintheirtimesofneed.

Describethelessonsthathave shapedthejourneyofyour company.

Customerneedscontinuallychange–tostayrelevantyouneedtoreally understandtheminordertofulfill theirneeds.

Spottheopportunities–theideafor PriorityPasscameaboutaftermy fatherwasfrequentlytravelingand

Despite our fast growth, we've been mindful to hang on to the agility and flexibility that comes with being a private company.
“ “
David Evans Joint CEO Christopher Evans Joint CEO

unabletoaccesstheexclusiveairlineloungesthat premium-classticketholderscould.

Embracediversityasit’sthekeytoworkingglobally–nobodythinksexactlythesame,soworkingwitha varietyofpeoplewithdifferingideas,perspectivesand experiencesdrivescreativityandperformance.Thisis trueforourclientsandstaffwhicharediverseand inspiring.

Putconsumerinsightattheheart–byunderstanding whatmotivatesconsumers,wecanencouragelong-term relationshipsbasednotonconvenienceorhabit,buton emotionalconnectionandwithexperiencesthataretoo goodtomiss.

Retainentrepreneurialagilityandthinking–despiteour fastgrowth,we’vebeenmindfultohangontothe agilityandflexibilitythatcomeswithbeingaprivate company.

Technologypowerssomuchofourbestcustomer experiences–it’snotenoughtounderstandcustomers’ wants,youneedtodeliveraconsistentomnichannel

experienceacrosstouchpointsinawaythatworksfor customers.In2019,thismeanssmooth,seamlessdigitalfirstdelivery.

Beapartnertoyourclients–wehavesomeamazing long-standingrelationshipswithourclients,whichareas muchaboutanticipatingtheirneedsandwhattheyare lookingtoachieve.

Challengeyourselftokeeplistening,adaptingand evolving–we’recontinuallylookingtodevelopto ensurethatwecontinuetomeettheeverchangingneeds andexpectationsoftomorrow.

Loyaltymustbeafundamentalpartofbusinessstrategy –it’smuchmorethanjustapointsprogram,it’sthe abilitytounderstandandengagecustomersina meaningfulway.

Howdoesyourcompanycontributetowardsmaking thebusinessbetteracrosstheindustry,andwhatare yourpersonalinputsforthesame?

Havingpreviouslybeenacollectionofcompanies operatingunderaholdingcompanystructure,we recentlytooktheexcitingstepofbringingthegroupof companiestogetherasasingleentity,Collinson.Wedid thistomakeiteasierforourclientstoaccessthefull rangeofservicesandsolutionsweofferacrossourfour divisions:loyalty,travelexperiences,insuranceand assistance.

Thisjoinedupapproachleveragesthebestofourpeople, products,platformsandglobalrelationships,makingit mucheasierforclientstoaccessthebreadthofour experiencetohelpsolvetheirbusinesschallenges.This alsobenefitsourtechnologypartnersandclients,aswe allworktowardsthecommongoalofenhancingthe customerexperience.

Giveadetailedexplanationregardingyourrole, influenceandyourfuturevisionstowardsthe organization?

AsJointCEOofCollinsonalongsidemybrother,I’m responsibleforleadingtheregionalexecutionofthe company’sglobalstrategy.Thisentailsdrivingregional performanceinlinewithlocalrequirements,while remainingtruetoourentrepreneurialspiritandglobal vision.

Understanding factors like who the customer is, what their preferences are, and how their behavior can be influenced, are key to a customer-centric approach.

Iamalsoresponsibleforsupportingtheteamacrossourpeopleand culturefunctiontoensurewesupporttheneedsofanevermobileand diverseworkforce.

Giventheincreasinglycomplexandcompetitivebusinesslandscape anddisruptionsbynewbusinessmodelsandevolvingtechnology,you havetomakesurethatyouareacreativeandsolutions-ledthinker, abletojugglemultipledisciplines.Atthesametime,itisimportantto remainthoughtfulandrespectfulforthosehelpingyoubuildandgrow thecompany,becausewithoutthehelpofourtalentedstaff,the businesswouldn’tbewhatitistoday.

DoesCollinsonenvisionanykindofmergers,acquisitionsor expansionwithregardstobothpersonnelaswellasbusiness? Collinsonhasinnovatedforover30yearsandseenphenomenal progressthroughacombinationofstrongorganicgrowth,aswellas strategicacquisitionandreinvestment.Beingprivatelyownedgivesus thestabilityandabilitytomakelong-termdecisions.

InSeptemberlastyear,weannouncedourinvestmentinGrab–an airporte-commerceplatformprovidingmobileorder-aheadcapabilities atairportsacrosstheUKandUS.Itenablestravelerstoskipthequeue, whileforairportfoodandbeverageandretailprovidersitincreasesthe potentialcustomerbase.Thisprovidessignificantopportunityacross ourbusinessandsolutions,aswellforourclientsandtheexperience theycanprovidetotheircustomers.

We take a customerfirst approach that's underpinned by robust, data-driven commercial models.
“ “
The Club MCO, Orlando FL International (Terminal B Concourse 4), available to Priority Pass Members

Wealsocontinuetodevelopexistingandnewstrategic partnershipstofurtherenhancewhatweoffertoclients, leveraginglong-termpartnershipswiththirdparties, includingcardissuers,retailbanks,processersand technologycompanies.Wehaveaclearroadmapfor developingourtravelexperiencesplatform,aswellas ourloyaltysolutionswhichcombineproprietary technologyandexpertiseandwecontinuallyutilizebest in-classpartnersandconsiderpotentialacquisitionsto achieveourvisionofprovidingconsumerswitha smarterexperiencethatenhancestheirlives.

Wewillcontinuetogrowourownexpertisewiththe developmentofproducts,servicesandsolutions,crosssellingintonewandexistingclientsandexpandinginto newgeographiesandincreasingourglobalpresence.

Consideringtherisingnumberofcustomer-driven strategies,howdoesCollinsonfocusonsustainingits competency?

Weprideourselvesonbeingacustomerbenefitsand loyaltycompanylikenoother–global,privately-owned andfamily-run.

Ourcompany’srootsandunderstandingofthemass affluenttravelerandmidtohighnetworthconsumers allowsustoadoptastrategicapproachcombiningour yearsofcustomermotivationandloyaltyexpertisewith proprietarytoolstodevelopacustom-madecustomer engagementpropositionforourclients.

Wevalueourlong-standingrelationships.Ontheclient side,we’reproudtohavepartneredwithanumberfor overtenyears,includingMasterCard,Visa,American

Express,Hilton,CathayPacificandVhi.Furthermore, welooktoleveragetheglobalbreadthofpartnerships thatCollinsonhas,bothwithinairportsandthroughour loyaltydivision.

Wetakeacustomer-firstapproachthat’sunderpinnedby robust,data-drivencommercialmodels.Weunderstand theimportanceofdataanalyticsandmodelingto improvecustomerunderstandingandoffermoretailored andpersonalizedexperiences,throughourprovenloyalty andcustomerbenefitsolutions.

Weareextremelyproudtohavewonmanyawardsover theyears.Mostrecently,werankedtenthinBritain’s top-250privatemid-marketgrowthcompaniesinthe SundayTimesGrantThorntonTopTrack250. Furthermore,ourChairmanandFounder,ColinEvans, wasalsonamedLoyaltyMagazine’sLoyaltyPersonality oftheYearawardin2017.

AbouttheCompany

WhatgivesCollinsontheedgeinservingconsumersis itsrichheritage,uniqueexperienceandcross-sector expertisegainedoverthreedecadesworkingacrossthe travel,commercialbanking,retail,insuranceand assistancesectors.Throughdirectlyservicingover50 millionofitsownendcustomersaswellasthemillions ofitsclients’consumers,Collinsonhasuniqueinsight intodigitally-engagedmassaffluenttravelersandmidto highnetworthconsumers,conductingon-goingresearch withclientsandendconsumers,tounderstandtheireverchangingneeds,attitudesandbehaviors.

The Club MCO, Orlando FL International (Terminal B Concourse 4), available to Priority Pass Members
Address : Country : City : State : Zip : Global Subscription Date : Name : Telephone : Email : READ IT FIRST Never Miss an Issue Yes I would like to subscribe to Insights uccess Magazine. , S SUBSCRIBE TODAY Cheshould be drawn in favor of: ck INSIGHTS SUCCESS MEDIA TECH LLC Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone (614)-602-1754,(302)-319-9947 : Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com CORPORATE OFFICE

Celerant Technology:

Enabling Retailers to Manage Entire Business Efficiently

Todayallretailersseekto manageallaspectsoftheir businessfromasingleplatform toimproveeffectivenessandefficiency. Withhumblebeginnings,Celerant Technologywasbuiltfromscratchto helpretailersmanageeverycomponent oftheirbusinessinasingleplatform. Fromitsveryfirstlineofcodetoits mostrecentsoftwareupdates,itsgoal hasalwaysbeentoputthepowerof scalableenterpriseclasstechnologyin thehandsofallretailerswithuserfriendlyinterfacesataccessibleprice points.Throughstrategicpartnerships, forward-thinkingdecisions,hardwork andapassionfortechnology,ithas grownintoanexperiencedsoftware company,servingthousandsof retailers,readytochangetheway peopledobusiness.Ithasrecently startedits20thyearservingtheretail industryandhelpingretailersbetter run,andexpand,theirbusinesses.

RetailSoftwarePlatforms

CelerantTechnologycurrentlyoffers tworetailsoftwareplatformsenabling retailerstomoresuccessfullycompete withbigboxretailers.WithCelerant’s newproductoffering,CumulusRetail, intendedforthesmallermerchants,as wellasitsStratusRetail,designedasa comprehensiveEnterprisesoftware solution,itstrivestobethego-to softwareproviderforretailersofany size,andacrossanyhardandsoftgood retailvertical.Bothcommerce platformsareweb-basedandmobile

friendly,accessiblefromanytablet, allowingretailerstomanagetheir entirebusiness-in-store,online, mobile,digitalmarketing-fromone system,withonesoftwareproviderand supportteamforalltheirneeds.

MaximizingBusinessGrowthand Efficiency

CelerantTechnologyisaleading providerofinnovativeend-to-endretail commercesoftwarethatmaximizes businessgrowthandefficiencyfor startuptoenterprisebusinesses.It supplementsthepowerandsimplicity ofitsretailcommercesoftwareforinstoreande-commercewithan experiencedteam,onlinemarketing services,industry-specificfeaturesand integrations,andflexiblepricing modelstoenableretailerstofocuson theirbusiness,nottheirsoftware.

Celerantistheonlycomprehensive cloud-basedretailcommercesoftware designedforenterpriseandsmall businesses,featuringbothin-storeand e-commerce.Itsend-to-endsoftware offersaseamlessupgradepathfrom single-storetoenterprise-level solutions,andhashelpeditsclientssee a22%growthinecommercesales, yearoveryear.Cloud-based,with optionsforlocalredundancy,and customizablewithspecific functionalityacrossindustries,it maximizesbusinessgrowthand efficiency.

NetworkingwithClients

CelerantTechnologydevelopslonglastingpartnershipswithitsclients whoutilizeitsplatformandhelp enhanceandmodifyitssoftwareto theirneeds.Thecompanyoffersan annualClientConferenceinwhichit invitesallofitscustomerstocomeand learnitsnewestfeatures, enhancements,integrationsandbest practices.Attheseevents,Celerant networkswithitscustomers,andthey witheachother,andlearnfromeach other.Itsindustrypartnersattendas well,givingitsclientstheopportunity tolearnhowotherinnovativeretailand technologycompaniesmightalso benefittheirbusiness.Thisyear,asit celebratesits20thAnniversary,itis havingacelebratoryclientconference inAtlantaandisinvitingallofits clientstocomeatnocharge.

SettingtheTrends

Celeranttakesprideinitsinnovation andtechnology,anditsabilitytooffer cutting–edgetechnologythatdoesn’t justkeepupwithtrends,butoften times,setsthetrends.Goingtobackto itsinception,itwasthefirsttolauncha nativelylivePOSbackin2000.From there,itstartedthefirstretailsystemto offerintegratedshippingtools,thefirst 100%Javaretailsystem,thefirstto offerRFIDforPOSandtransfers-all thewaytotoday.Itisnowthefirst retailsoftwareprovidertooffer personalizedemailmarketing integratedwithsalesandcustomer

|March 2019| 18

data.Itisconstantlylookingforits nextbigenhancementenablingits retailclientstodifferentiatethemselves fromtheircompetitors.

CompetentTeam

CelerantTechnology’sCEO,Ian Goldman,hasadevelopment background,andisveryhands-oninall aspectsofthecompany.Hisbrother andCTO,RobertGoldman,headsthe DevelopmentTeamandtogether,both basedinthemainHQinNY,theyset theframeworkforthecompany, workingcloselywithadedicated managementteamwithofficesacross4 states;NY,GA,CAandTX.

InnovativeRetailTechnology

CelerantTechnologyispreparingfor itsrebrandingwhichiscominginQ2 ofthisyear.Itisrepositioningitselfin theindustryasaleaderincutting-edge, innovativeretailtechnology,providing tier1functionalitytotier2and3 retailers.Itissupportingitsretail clientslongpastgo-live,andhelping themmanagetheirbusinessanddigital marketingmoreefficientlyand effectively.Itisalsohelpingthem increasetrafficandsalestoboththeir physicalstoresandtheire-commerce site.

OneStopSolutiontoRetailers

CelerantTechnology providesonestopsolution enablingretailerstomanage theirentirebusiness-pointof sale,inventory,purchasing, reporting,accounting,ERP, warehousing,e-commerce,online marketplaceintegrations,digital marketingsuchasSEOservicesand emailmarketingautomationandmore. Asanimblecompanyitisabletopivot andnotonlykeepuptherapidly evolvingmarket,butinmanycasesit isleadingtheway.Itsinnovationhas enableditsclientstobettermanage theirbusinessandultimatelyto increasesales.

ClientReviews

“Prior to Celerant, we were having all kinds of inventory and fulfillment problems. The main reason we chose Celerant was to have complete inventory availability and perfect integration across all channels, including Amazon. Now we are able to ship a thousand orders a day, and not worry about any of that. Celerant has helped us sell over 7 million dollars of products on Amazon last year.” –AnthonyQaiyum,

in 1883 and is on the National Registry of Historic Places. We were having a lot of challenges with our previous POS and inventory system; it wasn’t real-time and was limited on features and reporting. We’ve been with Celerant since 2008. They are forward thinking and constantly evolving their solution to meet our needs. I would recommend Celerant to other retailers.” – DavidCliett,Directorof Operations,MASTGeneralStore

Owner,Merz Apothecary
“Our flagship store originally opened
|March 2019| 19 The 2019
We are the only comprehensive cloud-based retail commerce software designed for enterprise and small businesses, featuring both in-store and online solutions.
Ian Goldman
CEO

EPI-USELabs: Improving Performance by Leveraging SAP Systems

S®AP systemscontainhighlysensitiveinformation, fromCEO’ssalarytopricingandrebate information.Ensuringthisbusinessdatais managedsecurelyisofutmostimportance.EPI-USE Labsisaglobalsoftwaresolutionsandmanagedservices companywithover35yearsofexperience.Itsproducts andservicesenableorganizationstoacceleratethe performanceoftheirSAPandSAPSuccessFactors systemsinareassuchastestdataandlandscape management,datacopying,datasecurity,anonymization andprivacy,HCMreporting,cloudsolutions,andmuch more.

GlobalPresence

AsaglobalcompanywithofficesthroughoutEurope,the Americas,theUK,Australia,thePhilippines,South Africa,theMiddleEastandTurkey,andover950clients across48countries,EPI-USELabs’98%clientrenewal ratespeaksforitself.

EnablingFaster,AccurateDecisions

EPI-USELabshelpsitsclientsmaximizetheperformance oftheirSAPsystemssotheycanmakefaster,more accuratebusinessdecisions.Itssolutionsandservices simplifyandspeedupdatamanagement,givingitsclients thetoolstonavigatesmallandlargebusinesschallenges successfully.Itssoftware,value-addedsolutionsand managedservicescreatebetter,morepowerfulSAP systems,savingclientstime,moneyandresources.

We help our clients maximize the performance of their SAP® systems so they can make faster, more accurate business decisions.
“ “
|March 2019| 20

ValuethroughInnovation

PhillipStofbergisthedynamicCEO andFounderofEPI-USELabs.The company’sstrongclient-centricculture isbasedonhisfirmbeliefinlistening toclientsandrespondingtotheir needs.

Hesays,“We are a fast growing company that has been a profitable business from day one. A big reason for our success is our loyal client base. We get a lot of quality feedback and ideas from them. Our clients are very astute, so we listen to them.”

Stofbergfurtheradds,“I view our clients as investors in our company that must get a solid return on the investment they made when they bought our software and the trust placed in our company. We have a constant dialogue with our clients. We make sure we respond to that feedback by building ideas and suggestions from our clients into our platform and our solutions.”

HesaysthatEPI-USELabshas investedsignificantlyinResearchand Developmentovertheyears,andits clientsgetevidentbenefitsfromthis. Thecompanyhasastrongbeliefin addingvaluetoitsclientsbygenuinely lookingafterthem,asreflectedinits slogan,‘valuethroughinnovation’.

Stofbergsays, “We relentlessly focus on creating innovative, wellengineered new solutions which add value to our clients. We respond to changes in the market not by just following the latest fad, but by really

standing back and looking at a bigger picture and trying to figure out what the real driver is for those changes, and then what solutions we can provide. That means our clients can be assured that we are constantly keeping on top of changes in the market and adjusting our strategy accordingly. We believe clients should have choices, so we want to expand their options.”

SolvingSAPChallenges

EPI-USELabshelpsitsclientstosolve theirSAPchallengesacrossawide rangeofareas.Theseinclude: Ÿ securingsensitiveSAPdata Ÿ achievingregulatorycompliance Ÿ deliveringnextgenerationHR Ÿ generatingreliabletestdata Ÿ optimizingtheirSAPlandscapes Ÿ simplifyingSAPupgrades. Itoffersindustry-specificscrambling policiesthatallowclientstoaccelerate theirdataprotectioninitiativesand providescontrolstoreducetheirdataleakagerisks.

ManagingInformationSystems’ Risk Organizationseverywhereincreasingly dependoninformationsystemsto acceleratetheircorebusiness. Everythingfromfinance, communications,humanresourcesand payrolltocustomerrelations,decisionmakingandmanufacturingcancome toavirtualstandstillifinformation systemsfail.Andtheydo,invarious ways.Withmillionsoflinesofcode fromdifferentvendorsinteracting, informationsystemsactinginunison aresomeofthemostcomplex engineeringprojectsofthebusiness

world.Ontopofthat,businesses customizesystemstofittheirunique requirements.Withallthiscomplexity comesarisk.Butriskscanbemanaged byemployingprecisesolutions.With hugeexperienceininformation systems,EPI-USELabshasdeveloped riskmanagementservicestohelp executiveteamsmeasureandmanage informationsystems’risk.

Cutting-edgeDevelopment

AttheheartofEPI-USELabsisa cultureofdrivingvaluethrough innovation.ResearchandDevelopment (R&D)isveryimportanttothe company,anditspendsaround23%of itsrevenueonR&Dactivities.This single-mindeddrivehelpsitdevelop superiorproductsandprovideongoing productupdates.Itmakessurethatthe company’ssoftwareisnotonlyatthe cutting-edgeoftechnological advancement,butisalignedwiththeir clients’changingneedsonanongoing basis.

ProtectingElephants,Rhinosand People

EPI-USELabsisaproudmemberof groupelephant.comwhichemploys 2,000peopleandislargelyemployeeowned.groupelephant.comalsoowns andfundsanon-profitentitycalled Elephants,Rhinos&People(ERP) focusingonthepreservationofat-risk elephantsandrhinosthroughthe economicupliftmentofruralpeople inareasadjacenttothese threatenedspecies.

The 2019 |March 2019| 21

Key POS Trends POS Trends

Retail Sector Retail Sector the Reshaping

Inrecenttimes,theretailindustryhasn’tseenamore excitinginventionsincetheinventionofcashregister. Withnewandinnovativetechnologieshelpingshape bothonlineandofflineexperiencesforconsumers,the landscapeiscontinuouslychanginginawaywhichwas unimaginableevenfewyearsback.Thebestpartisthat thereseemstobenoendoftheinnovation,whichonly influencingthepurchasedecisionoftheconsumers.

Nowadaysthemainfocusofretailersistocreateasafe, engaging,anduniqueshoppingexperienceforits consumers,it’sveryimportantfortheretailersto understandtheimportanceof Big Data and in-store analytics and adapting to the cloud. Withtheretailindustry atthevergeofmassivetransformation,wearelistingout fewkeytrendsthateveryoneneedstoknowtobe successfulintheecosystemthatistransformingquickly.

Multi-systemIntegration

Multi-systemintegrationwithvariousapplicationsgetsthe utmostpriorityfromtopretailers.Mostoftheretailerslist outPOSintegrationwithotherapplicationsasakeypriority alongsidetheimplementationofdynamicmarketingcontent throughmobiledevices.Thisismostlyduetotheretailer’s interesttostoreallthecustomerinformationandpurchase historyinadatabase,whichiscompletelycentralizedthat couldbeeasilyintegratedwithmultipleapplications. However,inordertodothat,aretailerneedstouseanERP databasethatcanhandleallthese.

Speed

Peoplealwayslookforquicksolutionsforeverything.A clockstartstickingthemomentacustomerenters,nomatter howgoodtheproductis,iftheprocessisslowandthe attentiontodetailsaremissing,thencustomerswillleave

disappointed.Asaretailer,onecannotpleaseeveryone,but withamodernandefficientPOS,theservicecanbe improved.AmodernPOSsimplifiesthecommunication betweenvariousdepartmentsandcansavealotoftimefor boththeretailerandthecustomerrespectively.

ManagingStocks

Keepingandmanaginginventoryisanightmareformostof theretailers,andit’squitenatural.Managinginventoryisa never-endingtaskandtakesalotofeffort,time,and manpower.However,itisquiteimportanttomanage inventorieswhenitcomestolong-timesurvival.An efficientPOSsystemalwaysmakestheprocessof managingtheinventorymucheasier.ThebestpartofaPOS is,onecanmonitorthestatusofstockeditems,shipped products,andnewordersanytime.Thisisahugetimesaver foracumbersomeandatediousprocess,andeventually helpsretailerstofocusonotherimportantaspectsof runningthebusiness.

CustomizedExperience

WithPOSsystems,retailersjustneedtoprovide personalizationthatscoopsouteveryshopper.Every passingyear,retailersareadaptingtopersonalized technologysolutionsthatallowaninteractiveuser experience.Thankstotheemergenceofallnewmobile POStechnology,nowretailerscanofferitscustomersmore choicestoaccommodatetheirshoppinghabitsbyletting themtocompletetransactionsanywhereinthestore.Now withtheinventionofimprovedPOSmarketersand customerserviceteamscancontactthebuyerateachpoint oftheirpurchasedecision.Withsomuchdataretailersand consumerscanhavebettercustomerservice,quicker paymentprocessesandaccesstobetteroffersandreal-time personalization.

Industry Trends |March 2019| 22

PromotionsandMarketingatitsBest

Nowadayswiththeadventofdigitaltechnology,marketing involvesmaintainingadigitalpresenceaswell.APOScan integratealltheadvertisedofferswithtransactions,making iteasiertokeeptrackofallthecampaigns.Additionally,it canintegratewithCRMandtrackcustomerbehavior.When anoffergetspopularamongthemasses,thentheretailer willseeitinhistransactiondata.

UsageofBigDataanalytics

Inordertocompetewithe-commerce,retailersarenow takingthehelpofBig-Dataandinstoreanalyticsjustto haveabetterideaaboutwhat’shappeninginsidethestore. Big-Dataanalyticshelpsretailerstotrackhowfrequentlya specificitemmovesfromshelftoshoppingcartallows retailerstoknowthetrendsthataredominantinthemarket. Analyticshelpstheretailindustryinabigwaytobetter understandconsumerpurchasepatternandbehaviors.

KeepingTrackofEmployees

Torunabusinesssmoothlyaretailer,needfewpeople.A POSsystemenablestomanagethemwithgreataccuracy. WithaPointofSalesysteminplace,employeescansignon oroffeasilyandthesystemwillautomaticallylogtheir workhoursandbreakhours.

Security

Aboveall,aPOSsystemoffersgreatsecurityprotections thathelpkeepingcustomerdatasafe.Retailstoresand businessesarealwaysprimetargetsforCyberCriminals, andadatabreachisnotgoodforabusiness.So,byusing standardencryptionandfirewall,businessescanbesecured fromcyber-attacksandcustomerscanswipetheircards withapeaceofmind.

So,herewehavelistedoutfewofthePOStrendsthatwill shapethefutureoftheretailindustry.Aswelookahead, thesetrendswillbeonfocusforbothretailersand customers.ThemainadvantageofanadvancedPOSsystem isgreaterefficiencyandoptimization,itlinksallthe departmentstogetherwhicheventuallyallowstohavebetter controlovertheinventory,betterprofitability,andto manageprocessesinanefficientway.

|March 2019| 23

USING BIG DATA AI AND

TO COMMUNICATE WHEN SECONDS COUNT

About the Author

A serial innovator, published author, Founder and CEO of SPLICE Software, Tara Kelly is passionate about technology’s potential to change lives for the better. She has consistently channeled that belief into developing technologies that enhance operations, enable better service delivery, and improve the customer experience. This has resulted in creating three customer experience companies and turning an innovative idea into a patented, proprietary technology (US Patent Number 9348812) that harnesses data streams to create personalized, automated messages. SPLICE solutions were included in Gartner’s “Cool Vendors in Insurance, 2016” report and Forrester’s “IoT and Analytics Startups Can Turn Insurers into the Good Guys” brief.

Insider’s Insight |March 2019| 26

Organizationslikepropertyandcasualty insurancecompanies,utilitiesandother businessesthathelppeoplerecoverfrom naturaldisastersaregearingupforthe2018Atlantic hurricaneseason,whichbeginsonJune1.Everyoneis hopingit’snotasactiveaslastyear’shurricane season,whichwasamongthemostdestructiveon record,withsixmajorhurricanesandmorethan$280 billionindamages.

Recoveryisstillongoinginmanyareas,notably PuertoRico.Buthurricanesaren’ttheonlydangerto livesandpropertythatinsurersmustaddress.Wildfires canoccuratanytimeoftheyear,especiallyunder droughtconditionsandwhenwindsarehigh.Floods occuryear-roundandcancausecatastrophicdamage, ascantornados,hail,blizzardsandarangeofother weather-relatedevents.

Organizationsthatneedtourgentlycommunicatewith customersoremployeesbeforeandafteraweather eventoftenencounterdifficultiesbecausetheydon’t havethecontactinformationtheyneed.Eitherthedata theyhaveisoutofdate,orthey’reusingachannel (workemailaddresses,landlines,etc.)thatthepeople they’retryingtocontactaren’tmonitoringduringthe emergency.

Afteradisaster,organizationsencounterevenmore difficultiesincommunicating.Customersmayhave lefttheareaorareinalocationwherethe infrastructuresufferedsignificantdamage.

Organizationsthataretryingtomovecrewsintoplace toaddressthedamageoftenhavetroublemobilizing theirpeoplebecauseofcommunicationbreakdowns anddifficultyvisualizingconditionsontheground.

Big Data, Small Data and AI to the Rescue

Fortunately,it’spossibletoplanahead,gatherneeded dataanddeploytechnologies,includingartificial intelligence(AI)anddatavisualizationtools,toenable criticalcommunicationwhensecondscount.For businesseslikepropertyandcasualtyinsurance companies,usingtherighttechnologyassetscan

About the Company

SPLICE Software creates stronger connections and improves the customer experience by delivering personalized messages to your customers via their channels of choice, at the most critical points along the customer journey. Our cloud-based Dialog Suite™ uses Big Data & Articial Intelligence to ® deliver Data-Driven Dialogs that can be leveraged across phone, SMS messaging, and AI-assisted devices like Amazon Alexa and Google Home. It’s just part of how SPLICE combines art & science to help you connect with your clients in new ways. Our award-winning Suite enables Retailers, Insurance companies, and Financial Services rms to collect and manage customers’ permissions and preferences so you can personalize, communicate, test, and measure like never before.

|March 2019| 27

enablecommunicationwithcustomersbeforeandafter disasterstrikes.

Itallstartswithdata.Companiesthatneedtocommunicate withcustomers(orstaff)duringanemergencyshould preparebygatheringsmalldata,suchascompletecontact information,makingsuretodistinguishbetweencellphone andlandlinenumbers.They’llalsoneedtogetpermission tomakecontactandaskwhichchannelspeopleprefer,e.g., text,email,voicemail,socialmedia,etc.

Withthesmalldatatakencareofthroughpre-disaster outreachanddatacleanupprojects,organizationscanput bigdataandAItoworkbeforeandafteradisasterto communicatewithcustomersandemployees.Insurance companiescanreachouttocustomerswhoareinanarea threatenedbyadisaster,providinghelpfulinformation onmakingaclaim.

SortingcustomerinformationbyZIPcodetopinpoint customersinthepathofdanger,insurerscanusebigdata andAItosendautomatedmessagesviathechannel customersprefer,remindingthemtomovetoasafe locationandincludingtipsonwhatdocumentation they’llneedtofileclaimsandinstructionsonhowto contacttheinsurancecompanyoncethedangerhas passed.

Thistypeofoutreachishelpfultobothcustomersand thecompaniesthatsendthecommunication.Itcanhelp insurersavoidlossesbywarningcustomersofimpending danger,andinstructionshelpcustomersreceivethe promptservicetheyneedafteradisasterstrikes. Personalizedoutreachalsohelpsstrengthenthebond betweenbrandsandthecustomerstheyserve.

Oncetheimmediatedangerhaspassed,organizations likeutilities,claimsadjusters,emergencyresponse teams,etc.,needtodeployfieldcrews.Asoftware solutionthatcanharnessAI,advanceddatavisualization capabilitiesandmasscommunicationstoolscandeliver theinformationdecision-makersneedwithspeedand accuracy.

Bigdataisessential,butinformationaloneisn’tenough —decision-makersneedtobeabletovisualizeitto maketherightcallsandcommunicatewithaffected

stakeholders.Forexample,afterahurricanehasmoved throughanarea,powerrestorationandcivilengineering crewsmaybeonhand,butwithoutanaccurateviewof conditionsontheground,it’simpossibletodeployassets effectively.

Aweathereventthatknocksoutpoweranddamages infrastructurecandelayrecoveryefforts,leaving customersstrandedandcrewsidledjustwhentheneed forhelpismostacute.However,adatavisualizationapp thattakesinbigdatafrommultiplesourcescanprovide clarityonconditionsontheground,allowingleadersto makeinformeddecisions.

Pictureutilityteamleaderswithseveralpower restorationcrewsinadisasterzone.Datapouringin fromsocialmedia,weatherservicesandothersources canhelpthempinpointwhichcrewstosendtoaddress specificsiteswithinfrastructuredamage.Butdata visualizationtoolsthatshowconditionsinrealtime,such asroadandbridgeclosures,canhelpthemtakedecisive actionimmediately.

The Secret Sauce Is Simplicity

Emergencymanagementtoolsthatintegratebigand smalldataandleveragethepowerofcrowdknowledge andAIcanprovidecriticalinformationthatcanbe visualizedandunderstoodinseconds.Theabilitytosend masscommunicationsisalsoimportant.Automated voicemessagescandelivercatastrophewarnings,postcatastropheserviceupdates,officeclosurenotifications andmuchmore.

Speedandaccuracyareimportant,butsimplicityisthe secretsauce.Asoftwareplatformthatintegratesallof theseelementsandallowsthepeoplewhoaremanaging criticaleventstovisualizecomplex,evolvingfactorsin realtimecanbeagame-changer.Whether communicatingwithcustomersoremployees,when secondscount,bigdataandAIareindispensableallies.

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Flutura:

Improving Two Core Business Objectives of “Asset Uptime” and “Operational Efficiency”

Thedominatingevolutionof ArtificialIntelligencehas spurredaheateddebate globally.Assciencefictionstartsto becomereality,AIproductsareslowly enteringtheregularhouseholdand workplaces.

Withthefocusonimprovingtwocore businessobjectivesof“AssetUptime” and“OperationalEfficiency”,Flutura, anAISolutionscompanywasfounded. Theorganizationdoesthiswith Cerebra,theAIPlatformtunedfor IIOTinOil&Gas,ProcessChemicals, andHeavymachinerymanufacturing industries,poweringconnectedasset andconnectedoperationsusecases.Its valuepropositionisbasedon deliveringtangiblebusinessoutcomes within90daysorless.

Fluturahasbeensuccessfulinbuilding astrongclienteleacrossOilandGas, ProcessChemicalsandHeavy machinerymanufacturingindustries throughitscustomer-centricityand solutionrelevance.Inadditiontothe

customers,Fluturahasestablished strongindustryconnectionswith thoughtleaders,analystsand technologistsintheseindustries.This networkofdeepdomainexpertise enablesFluturatofocusonasetof problemsthatarerelevanttothe industryandcreatesolutionsforthese pressingproblemsleveragingFlutura’s platform,Cerebra.Throughthe adoptionofCerebra,theorganization’s customersgaintheadvantageof collectiveknowledgeoftheentire ecosystemincludingothercompanies, thoughtleaders,analystsand technologistswithintheindustry.

LessonsthatChangedtheCourseof Action

EarlyinFlutura’sjourney,the organizationdecidedtohave unflinchingverticalindustryfocus aroundOil&Gas,ProcessChemicals, andHeavymachinery.Leveragingits platformfunctionalitieswithinthese verticalindustries,Fluturahaspaid specialattentiontoPressurePumping, Drilling,O&GProduction,Gas

We at Flutura believe that the future for Industrial companies consist of embracing the outcome economy.
“ “
|March 2019| 30
KrishnanRaman Co-founder&CEO

Processing,SpecialtyChemicals, Catalysts&OEMdigitalizationand arecurrentlyexpandingtoSubseaand specializedequipment.

Ÿ

Basedonearlyfeedbackfromthe customerstheorganizationrealized thatitsnicheinthefieldofIndustrial IOTa)IsanUnderservedmarketb) hasamuchmoretangibleROI.

Ÿ Fluturacontinuestoreplicateits provenmodelofsocializingwith earlyadoptersandindustry organizationsfortheinvaluable inputsforitssolutions.

Ÿ

Fromitsearlycustomerengagements Fluturagotalotofinputsonits product.WorkingPrototypesthatare ReleasedEarly&ReleasedOftenis somethingittakesseriously.This helpedinunderstandingitsendusers mentalmodel,whichhelpedthe companytofinetuneCerebra’s featuresthatarealignedtoan Engineer’smentalmodel.

ExtractingMaximumValuefrom IIoT

Fluturabelieves,maximumvaluefrom theIIoTsolutioncanbeunlockedat theintersectofEngineeringoperations, BusinessprocessesandEconomics. Fluturacontinuestoaddnewfeatures tounboxthevalueatthisintersect. Herearesomeofthekeypointstohelp clientsacrosstheindustries:

Ÿ Fluturahasalibraryofmost commonrepeatableassets(suchas rotaryequipment-pumps,engine, compressor,turbine,etc)anda libraryofflowbasedprocessmodels usedintheindustriesitistargeting. Hence,Flutura’sfoundational platformbeingassetandprocess centricistailoredtothenichefocus industries.

Ÿ Theorganizationalsohasaunique machineMetamodeltoonboard assetandprocessdigitaltwinand therehavebeeninstanceswhereit

hasbeenabletointegratecomplex assetsinacoupleofdaysbecauseof thisarchitecture.

Ÿ Fluturaalsohasanenduser customergroupthatisfocusedon usecaseelicitation,usecase detailingandROIcalculations. Fluturaisinconstanttouchwithits customersandconductsperiodic focusgroupsessions/workshops bothwiththeexistingandnew customers.

GuardiansofFlutura Fluturawasfoundedontheemerging ideaofoutcomeeconomyandtherole ofdigitalbusinessmodelstodeliver resultsintheoutcomeeconomy.The foundersofFluturabelievethatthe successofbusinessinoutcome economyisbuiltaroundtwocore values–TrustandTransformation. Trustsummarizesitsintegritytodothe rightthings,intentandcapabilityto driveapositivechangeandtodeliver tangibleoutcomes.Transformation encapsulatestheelementofjourney andfocusontheto-bestate.

Fluturawasco-foundedbythreevery experiencedleaders,whoare;Derick Jose(Co-founder)whohascompleted BTechfromBITSPilaniandservedas theVicePresidentofMindTreeLtd beforeco-foundingFlutura,Krishnan Raman(Co-founder&CEO)has servedincompanieslikeGrindwell NortonLtd.,PricewaterhouseCoopers India,&MindTreeLtd.,andSrikanth Muralidhara(Co-founderandChief CustomerOfficer)hasservedin organizationslikePSIDataSystems andMindtreeLtd.

Allthethreeco-foundersofFlutura havebeensuccessfulininculcatingthe corevaluesofTrustand Transformationintoallaspectsof Flutura’sbusinessincludingcustomer relationship,productdevelopment, employeerelations,allianceand

partnershipsandinvestormanagement. Thefoundersactasguardiansofthese corevaluesandembodythemintheir day-to-daylifesothattheentire organizationcanembracethesecore valuesandreplicateitintheiractions andbehaviors.

AReliableIndustrialIntelligence

Whenitcomestothefuture,the organizationwantstobealeaderin providingReliableIndustrial Intelligence.Currentlytheorganization leadsinitsfocusedverticalsby deployingbusinessimpactingAI SolutionstunedforIndustrialIoTuse cases.

Belowarefewkeyhighlightsof Flutura’sstrategy;

Ÿ

Majorityoftoolsinthemarketare dataandITcentricandittakesalot oftimetobuildindustrialsolutions usingthesetools.Itisimminent thesesolutionswillfailtodeliver valueandhenceFluturahasfocused oncreatinganAssetandProcess centricplatform.

Ÿ Flutura’sfocusisoncreating verticalizedCerebraNanoappsfor itsfocusedIndustrysectorstosolve highvaluebusiness/engineering problems.

Ÿ

EngineeringandOperationsteams arethekeyusersofFlutura’s solutions.Theorganizationstrongly believesindustrialengineershaveto beempoweredtoharnessthepower ofdatascience.Hence,Fluturais launchingworld’sfirst“Engineer’s workbench”fordemocratizationof AIforIndustrialoperatorsand engineers.

The 2019 |March 2019| 31

SocialMedia Marketing

for

The absence of pharma brands on social media creates a significant void of reputable healthcare information to aid

patients,” writesDawnLacallade,LiveWorld’sChiefSocialStrategist.

Socialmediainfiltratevirtuallyeveryfacetofanindividual’sdigitallife.Today,patientsareusingsocialmediaasamajor sourceofinformationandhealthcareresearch.Thus,itisessentialthatpharmacompaniesshouldbepresentonsocialmedia toprovidefullandaccurateinformationtotheconsumers.Tocomprehendhowsocialmediacanassistpatients,itiscrucial tounderstandwhatcompelspeopletousesocialmediaasasourceofinformation.

Socialmediaallowsinteractionamongpeoplewhichinvolvesexchangeandcreationofinformation.Itistheperfectconduit forpharmaceuticalcompaniestoconnectwiththeircustomers,patientsandphysicians.

AccordingtothecurrentFDAregulations,pharmacompaniesarenotabletoeasilyjoininaconversationtoprovideaccurate andbalancedinformation.Regulationsdictatethat,inasinglesocialpost,brandsarerequiredtoprovideprecisefactsonthe benefitsandhazardsassociatedwithconditionsandproducts.Duetothecharacterlimitationsonmanysocialmedia platforms,mostpharmacompaniesprefertostayoutoftheconversation.Thisresultsincirculationoffalsifiedinformation. Thisinformationcanbeeithermarginallyinaccurateorsignificantlyharmful. Market Dashboard |March 2019| 32

Althoughthecommunicationofpharmaceuticalindustriesishighly regulated,theyaregraduallyadoptingsocialmediaplatformstoreachand interactwithconsumersandhealthcareprofessionals.Herearesomeof thetopsocialmediapracticestolookoutfor:

CraftingCustomerExperience

Severalmarketersthinkthattheirjobisfinishedoncethesalesteam takesover,butinreality,itisjustthebeginning.Thewaypeople experienceyourbrandwillimpactthewaytheythinkaboutyou,which willhaveanenormouseffectonthesuccessofyourcompanyin thelongrun.Devotingapartofthemarketingbudgetto nurturetheexistingclientelewillmaketheirexperience splendidandthuspromotebrandloyalty.Itisalsocrucial torespondwheneveryourbrandinmentionedpublicly, whetherpositivelyornegatively,whichwillhelp cultivateastrongandlastingrelationshipwithyour customers.Youngergenerationsareincreasingly withdrawingfromtraditionalsocialmediaplatforms andadoptingmoreinnovativechannelsthataremore intimateinthewayofcommunication.Tokeepupwith thischallenge,companiesneedtofindawaytoautomatethe processwhereverpossible.

RegulatingContent

Pharmacompaniesneedtodevelopcontentmarketingstrategiesthatmergeeach pieceofcontentoneverychannelwiththeirorganization’sobjectivesand customers’needs.Creatorsneedtohaveaclearbusinessobjectiveincludingthe valuethatwillbedeliveredtodistinctaudiences.Allcompaniesneedtohavea socialmediacomplianceofficerwhowillworkcloselywithacorporatelegal counselanddevelopacompletestrategyanddecideiftherewillbeconsolidated socialmediapostingorifindividualemployeeswillhavetheconsentto participate.Andlastly,itiscriticalthatallemployeesunderstandtheirrolein corporatesocialmediaandbetrainedontherules.

OverallIntegration

Pharmacompaniesshouldstopthinkingaboutcontentmarketingandsocialmediaas add-ons.Toboosttheiroutcomeforclients,contentandsocialmarketingneedtobeapart ofalmosteveryprogram.Todevelopafullyintegratedprogram,companiesneedtoinvolve influencersandcontentmarketersduringtheinitialstages.Implementinganorganized approachtocontentandmoderationwillnotonlyoptimizetheprocesses,butalsoaidinassuring authoritiesthatallthebasesarecoveredtoprotectandprovidevalueforthebrand.

InvestinginEmployees

Anindependentsurveydiscoveredthat72%ofsocialmediausersexpectresponsewithinan hourfromthebrandstheyfollow.Thishascausedbrandstostartheavilyinvestingincrossfunctionalsocialmediateamsthatcankeepupwiththeincreasingnumberofclientpings

|March 2019| 33

everyday.Encouragingandincentivizingteammemberstosharebrandmessagesontheirownsocialmediaaccounts,is predictedtobeagame-changerinthecomingdays.Howeverthiscannotbeforced,itisessentialforemployeestowantto sharecompanyposts,andalongwiththisthecontenthastoresonatewiththeirownaudiences.

InfluencerMarketing

Influencermarketingwillcontinuetodevelopandbecomeanevenmoreestablishedpartofthestrategy.Currentlymany brandstryinfluencermarketingandfailasitisnoteasytofindeffectiveinfluencers.Additionaldatawillhelpinselection oftherightinfluencersandanalyzetheresultsfrominfluencercampaigns.Today,inhealthcare,influencersareoften regularpeople.Somearedirectlyaffectedbyadiseaseorarebeingtreatedwithaspecificproduct,whileothershave gainedalotofknowledgeaboutaconditionandareconsideredasSubjectMatterExperts.Thecommontrendistoselect someonewhohasanever-increasingcommunityoffollowerswhovaluetheiropinion.

Numerouscompaniesstillthinkofsocialmediaasmerelyamarketingtoolwhichisnottrueanymore.Consumerslearn aboutproductsondifferentsocialnetworksandseekcustomerserviceonmessagingchannels.Moreover,goodstorytelling hasalwaysbeenanessentialpartofeffectivemarketing.Butsocialmediaischangingthewayaudiencesconsumestories andpharmacompanieswillberequiredtokeepupwiththeevolutionofsocialstorytellingiftheywanttoremainrelevant.

Yetthereisstillanoteofcautionwithcompliancebeingtheforemostpriorityofpharmaceuticalcompanies.Butas industriesarestartingtoadoptsocialmediawithoutclearregulatoryguidance,remainingcompliantwillbethemain challengetoface.

BUSINESS MARKETING

|March 2019| 34

HarrisData:

HarrisData: Delivering Adept Solutions for Business Management

Advancementintechnologyhas augmentedeverysectorwhere becomingafastgrowing companymeanshavinganimproved managementsystem.Enterprisesare nowfacingchallengeswiththe traditionalmethodsofmaintainingday todaytasksandaremovingonto secureandreliablesolutions.Withover 45yearsofsuccess,HarrisDataoffers anumberofsolutionssuchasERP, CRM,HRISandFinancial Management.Theyhavesucceeded since1972throughacommitmentto excellenceandadeterminationtoserve customerswell.HarrisData’s determinationtobethebestinthe marketplacereflectsontheirdedication toqualitypeople-peoplewhoare satisfiedonlywhentheydevelopand marketexcellentqualitysoftware, supportservices,andeducation,and whooperatewithinaqualitywork-life environment.

CustomerCentricServices

HarrisData makes it a priority to listen to clients and view the relationship from their perspective via user groups/conferences, customer tours, even interviews of competitor’s customers. Every listening opportunity

is a chance to learn about a way to improve customer focus. Every client voice provides a unique perspective that needs to merge with their overall vision to deliver maximum value.

AnEstablishedLeadership Lane Nelson is the Chief Evangelist at HarrisData. He combines experience in sales, marketing, and management positions at Pansophic Systems, Pilot Software, and the largest franchisee in the Budget Rent-a-Car system, with knowledge gained at Yale University and the Wharton School, to provide the HarrisData community with leadership and long-term vision.

ImprovementistheKey HarrisData is a nearly 50-year-old software company, their CEO has over 35 years in the software business, and they have learned many lessons along the way;

Continuous improvement is critical to survival – helping clients improve continuously is the best way to forge long-term relationships.

Never assume that one-size-fits-all –clients can and will customize products to meet requirements, unless their vendor makes it too difficult.

Project success comes from owning the project – make sure clients have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to execute projects; reduce the

knowledge, expertise, and time required to complete projects wherever possible.

Automate. Do not perform the same service twice when you can develop a product to do it.

ComprehensiveStrategy

HarrisData sets non-traditional performance benchmarks based on customer behaviors. The three key metrics traditionally used are retention, adoption, and focus.

Retention is a key metric in software, even more so in a subscription-based world. Customer retention represents a win for HarrisData, but they do not measure customer retention with naïve user counts. Instead they look at retention from the perspective of revenue retained. Before cloud-based solutions began automatically updating themselves, clients running business software had to decide whether and when to upgrade those solutions. Even when an upgrade promised substantial upside, clients resisted any changes because of the costs and risks of implementing that upgrade.

Adoption is measured at HarrisData by the number of clients that adopt new versions over time as a performance goal. As high-value upgrades are delivered more frequently to clients, HarrisData focuses on delivering

|March 2019| 36

Software on your terms.

upgrades with exceptional low cost and minimal risk. In a cloud-based world, software is upgraded automatically whether the client is ready or not, making this metric irrelevant for HarrisData cloud applications. However, the management goals associated with HarrisData’s decades-long focus on adoption is still relevant: make certain that the value of the upgrades are clear and significant, and that the costs/risks of the upgrade are negligible.

Focus is measured as the percentage of revenue earned from product licensing as a percentage of total revenue. For many ERP solution companies, the Focus metric would be about 50%. Because HarrisData is a product company not a services company, that metric exceeded 90% annually for over 20 years. HarrisData won’t make money by saying ‘yes!’to every client request, fulfilling it with cheap offshore labor, just because it looks profitable at the transaction level.

LongTermGoals

HarrisData has been re-tooling their application platform to deliver on the vision of dramatically reducing the mundane, repetitive labor in the administration of a business in the same way robots are eliminating mundane, repetitive jobs in the warehouse and the factory floor. They are creating software designed around

information robots to automate administrative tasks – such as a “hands-free” payroll solution. Additionally, the company is developing plug-ins to allow for seamless end-to-end integration of information flows both inside and outside the organization.

Also, HarrisData is collecting data that machine learning algorithms will use to make recommendations to decision makers about which products to buy and which bills to pay today. There are many innovative solutions being created around the edges of decades-old ERP solutions implemented just before Y2K. However, delivering true end-to-end, hands-off information processes to their market is going to require a new set of core applications designed around information robots – and AppsInHD is going to be one of them.

UserFriendlyApproach

There are always new, marketingdriven fads that claim to provide a new level of customer intimacy. The HarrisData approach is based on proven success. The company exemplifies by giving two instances-

Collaborative Development Program for client enhancement requests. Unlike other software companies, HarrisData will evaluate client enhancement requests and provide a

quote in writing with a fixed price, a guaranteed delivery date, and support for the enhancement. Client management can quickly and easily determine whether the investment will provide enough return to justify the expense.

Customer-centric licensing, HarrisData listened and studied the typical complaints about software licensing, and created simple, easy-tounderstand licenses including a variety of client-centric terms such as guaranteed access to source code.

TestimonialsfromHarrisData’s Clients

We shopped around extensively for other software companies last year and found out we prefer to stick with Harris for a host of good reasons… cost wise, user wise, support wise and everything else in between.”

“The effort and support from HarrisData was superb,” “Went Live on HarrisData on time and under budget”

The 2019 |March 2019| 37
Lane Nelson HarrisData

WithsomuchattentionfocusedonArtificial Intelligence(AI),it’sworthrememberingthat onesizedoesnotfitall.Therearespecific business-relatedpainpointsinmindwhenacompany decidestodeployAItechnology,somakingtheright choicescanbeatrickytask.

Forexample,severalmonthsago,anAIrelated breakthroughwasannounced–arobotlearnedand demonstratedtheabilitytoperformaperfectbackflip. Whileitiswellacknowledgedthattheinvestedresearch anddevelopmentforthismissionwashugeandthe commercialpotentialforsomeapplicationsisenormous,it issomewhatunclearhowthisspecificinnovationorthe coremodelsandalgorithmsofit,canserveotherindustries andverticals.Hereinliestheproblem.

About the Author

Mr. Jay Klein drives Voyager Lab’s technology strategy and core intellectual property. He brings more than 25 years of experience in data analytics, networking and telecommunications to the Company. Before joining Voyager Labs, he served as CTO at Allot Communications where he steered Allot’s data inspection and analytics core technology offerings, and as VP Strategic Business Development at DSPG, where he was responsible for strategic technology acquisitions. He also co-founded and held the CTO position at Ensemble Communications while founding and creating WiMAX and IEEE 802.16. He also served as the CTO and VP of R&D at CTP Systems, acquired rst by DSP Communications and later by Intel. Jay Klein holds a BSc in Electronics & Electrical Engineering from Tel Aviv University as well as numerous patents in various technology elds.

AI: From Artificial to Authentic

GaugingAIsuccessinonefieldinmanycasescanbe meaninglessforanother.Tomakethingsworse,evenwhen tryingtogodeeperintothetechnologyandattemptingto evaluate,forexample,whichMachineLearningalgorithms areutilizedbytheproduct,orwhatarethenumberof layersintheDeepNeuralNetworkmodelsmentionedby specificvendors,intheenditwillbepossiblypointlessas itdoesnotdirectlyreflectthesolutiondeployment ‘success’implications.

Nevertheless,itseemsthatthemarketignoresthisreality andcontinuestoevaluateAI-basedproductsbybuzzword checklistsusingfamiliarandrelatedAIterminology(e.g.,

Maestros Insights |March 2019| 38

Supervised,Unsupervised,DeepLearningetc.).While checklistsareaneffectivetoolforcomparativeanalysisit stillrequiresthe‘right’itemstobeincluded. Unfortunately,whattypicallyisabsentaretheitemswhich areimportanttothecustomer,fromaproblem-solution perspective.

IntroducingAuthenticAI

Givenallofthis,thereisaneedtochangethenarrative aroundAItechnologyandsolutionstosomething meaningfulandauthenticthatreflectsthereal-life challengesandopportunitiesthatbusinessesarefacing. ThisisthetimetointroduceAuthenticAI.

TheMerriam-Websterdictionarydefines‘Authentic’as both ‘worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact’and ‘conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features’.Thisisnotabout‘Fake’tobe contrastedwith‘Real’.It’sabouttheessentialfeaturesof AIwhichneedtobeacknowledged,andhence,redefine the‘checklist’.Often,theseessential‘authentic’features arehiddenandonlysurfacewhenaCIO/CDOisfaced withanewproblemtobesolved.Thisisseenespecially whentheAIaspectsofaproposedproductorsolutionare fullyexploredbyaskingquestionssuchas:

- IstheAItechnologyutilizedbytheproductaimed specificallyformyproblem,optimally(e.g., performance,cost,etc.)?

- Isitcapableofaddressingthecompleteproblemor onlyapartofit?

- Canitbeassimilatedintotheexistingecosystem withoutimposingnewdemands?

- Canitaddressthecompellingenvironmental conditionsoftheproblemspace?

Theseissuescanbegroupedintothreedifferent‘classes’‘Original’,‘Holistic’and‘Pragmatic’:

Original–Howinnovativeisthesolution?Thiscanbe quantifiedbyassessingthefollowing:

- theinventionofnewalgorithmsorevennewmodels and

- theuseofcomplexorchestrationtechniquesor - throughthecapabilitytohandlecomplexdataformats andstructures.

Whilethereisnoneedtore-inventthewheelrepetitively foranyproblem,therearedistinctivecharacteristicswhich requireoptimizing.

Holistic–HowcompleteistheproposedAItechnology?It takesintoaccountthecapabilityofhandlingtheend-to-end aspectsofthesolution,thecompetenceofharmonizingthe operationofthevariousAIcomponentsofthesolutionand theabilitytoadapttoeverchangingconditionsoftheAI application.

Pragmatic–Canthetechnologysolverealworld problemsintheiractualandnaturalspaceina commerciallyviableway?Thismeansthatforexamplethe datasourcescanbeprocessedintheirmostnativeformat (bothunstructuredorstructured)aswellasprovide insightsorresultsmatchingthepragmaticneedsofthe specificmarketexpectations.Inaddition,theabilitytobe quicklydeployedandrapidtoactareassessed.

Alloftheseelementsshouldbeusedtosystematically assessandevaluateAI-basedproductsandsolutionsto assesstheirauthenticityandthereforeeffectivenessin specificusecases.

Forexample,manyhome-loanmortgageevaluationand recommendationsystemsutilizeasomewhatisolated machinelearningbasedapplicantclassificationmethod, oneofmanyotherprocessesincludedwithinthesolution. TheAIinthissolutioncannotbeconsideredAuthenticAI toahighdegreeasit‘scores’lowonthe‘Original’and ‘Holistic’classesasitisn’tinnovative‘enough’(froman AIsense).Inaddition,theAIcomponentitselfdoesnot coveronitsowntheend-to-endaspectsofthesolution (henceaffectingtheoverallperformanceandprecision).It couldbeconsideredtobe‘Pragmatic’tosomelevelifit canhandletherequireddatasourcesoffinancial institutionsorthecustomerapplicationsnatively,andifthe solution‘output’aretheexplicitresultsrequiredasa specificrecommendation(e.g.,loanconditions).However, thedeploymenttimeline(time-to-market)andcommercial aspectsneedtobeevaluatedaswell.Thisisjustone exampleofmanyothers,coveringallkindsofvariations.

Perfectbackflipsmaygrantyouagoldmedalifyouarea gymnastbutifyouareamasterchessplayerdon’texpecta winningmove.

|March 2019| 39

InterSystems: Seamless Solutions for Connectable Applications

InaninterviewwithInsights Success,GeneralManagerof InterSystemsIRISData Platform,CarlosNogueira,shares valuableinformationofInterSystems anditsnoteworthycontributionin healthcare,businessandgovernment sectors.EverythingInterSystems buildsisdesignedtodrivebetter decisions,actions,andoutcomesfor thepeoplewhostaketheirlivesand livelihoodsinitstechnology.Itsdata platformandconnectedcaresolutions havereceivedglobalindustry recognition.

Belowarehighlightsfromthe interviewbetween Carlos Nogueira and Insights Success:

Giveabriefoverviewofthe company,itssolutionsandservices. InterSystemsisaverydifferentkindof technologycompany.Formorethan40 yearsnow,wehavebeenquietly poweringsomeoftheworld’smost importantapplications.Ourdata platformbusiness–ledbyourflagship product,InterSystemsIRISData Platform™–enablessoftware developerstorapidlydevelopand deploydata-intensive,missioncritical applications.Itspowercanbeusedin somanyways—itcanhelpahospital bringitsdatatothecloudtomakeit availabletoresearchers,forexample, oritcanhelpaworldwideshipping companykeeptrackofallofitscargo aroundtheworld.Ourdataplatformis

alsoinusebysixofthe10largest financialinstitutionsintheworld.

Howdoyoudiversifyyourcustomercentricapproachthatwouldbenefit yourclientele?

Weareanexceptionallycustomerfocusedcompanyinanumberofways. First,weareaprivatelyheldcompany withnoventurecapitalinvestorsor stockholdersdictatingwhereweput ourprioritiesorinvestments.Our companyisledbyourfounderand CEO,TerryRagon,whohassteadfastly remainedfocusononekeypriority throughoutourhistory:enablingour customers’success.Ithasworked.We havegrownintoa$700million companybyinvestingourtimeand

|March 2019| 40

passioninourcustomersandgrowing alongsidethem.

Inadditiontoofferingsuperior products,ourserviceisakey differentiator,aswell.Wedonotput customersthroughanendlessphone treetogethelp.OurWorldwide ResponseCenteroperatesaroundthe clock365daysperyear,andwedonot closeticketsuntilacustomeris “wowed”byoursupport.

Describetheexperiences, achievementsorlessonslearntthat haveshapedthejourneyofthe company.

ManyoftheearliestInterSystems clientswereinhealthcare,andthat remainstothisday.Wearethetrusted partnerforanumberoflargeand importanthealthcareapplications.The electronicmedicalrecordEpic,for example,runsonourdataplatform, andweareatrustedtechnologypartner fortheU.S.DepartmentofVeterans Affairs.Majorhospitalsandhospital networkstrustourtechnologyto integrateandnormalizedata,whether itisforpatientrecordsthemselves, researchdata,orotherdatathathasa criticalelementtoit.Andour technologyinhealthcaregoesbeyond thewallsofhospitals,too–itisthe underpinningbehindmanyhealth informationexchangesthatenablea unifiedpatientrecordnomatterwhere apatient’sprovidersare,anditisalso usedbypayerstobringclinicaland claimsdatatogethertohelpbetter understandthepopulationtheyserve.

Howdoesthecompanycontribute towardsmakingthebusinessbetter acrosstheindustry?

Forcustomersusingourdataplatform, weenabletheirsuccessbyallowing themtocreatenewdata-intensive applicationsquickly.Thisisduetothe

flexibilityoftheInterSystemsIRIS DataPlatform.Developerscanuse theirownprogramminglanguage,spin uponthecloudplatformoftheir choice,andgetupandrunningvery quickly.It’saverysimpleinterface withalotofpowerbehindit,andalot ofcarewasputintomakingitintuitive, robust,anduseful.

WheredoesInterSystemsseeitselfin thelongrunand/orwhatareits futuregoals?

InterSystemsseesabrightfutureahead foritsdataplatformsandhealthcare businesses.Infact,wecreated InterSystemsIRISwiththefuturein

January2019,wewerenameda Customers’ChoiceforOperational DatabaseManagementSystemsby Gartner.OurreviewsonGartnerPeer Insights,oneofthemosttrustedratings inourspace,aresuperb;wehavea4.7 ratingoutof5.0,whichishigherthan anyothercompanylistedonthe GartnerMagicQuadrantforour industry.Thisratingcomesdirectly fromourcustomers’voices.

TestimonialsbyClients

“Intersystems is a fantastic vendor. Their support staff excels at meeting your every need. I have not had a single bad experience working with Intersystems.” –DBAintheServices Industry

“Professional and customer oriented. The support is one of the best I met. Fast, effective, always in touch.” –CEOintheServicesIndustry

AbouttheLeader

mind.Thiswillbethetechnological underpinningbehindawholenew generationofimportantapplications. Acknowledgingourstrengthin healthcare,wecreatedInterSystems IRISforHealthspecificallyfor healthcareapplications.Theabilityto createfast,data-intensivehealthcare applicationsusingthelatestlanguages, standards,andtechnologieseasilyisa gamechangerforourcustomers.

Consideringtherisingnumberof customer-drivenstrategies,howdoes InterSystemsstandoutfromits competitors?

EveryoneattheInterSystemsis empoweredtocalluponanyresource toensureacustomer’ssuccess.In

AsGeneralManagerforInterSystems IRISDataPlatform,CarlosNogueira overseesthebusinessstrategyand executionforthecompany’snewest product,InterSystemsIRISData Platform.HejoinedInterSystemsin 2000toleadoperationalbusinessfor InterSystemsinBrazil,Chileand remainingcountriesofSouthAmerica. Hehasagreatvisionand understandingofemergingglobal marketsduetohisextensivework developedinLatinAmerica,South AfricaandIndia.

|March 2019| 41 The 2019
“InterSystems is the trusted partner where data is critical and decisions are of vital importance.”

Agriculture Biotechnology: Agriculture Biotechnology:

Biotechnologyisatheexplorationanddevelopmentofvarious biologicalprocessestoachievemainlyindustrialandvariousother purposescultivationoftheplants,andimprovementsthrough breedingprograms.Theprocessesalsoemploysartificialselectionand hybridizationwhichemphasesitsfunctionality.Atpresent,themodernusage alsoincludesgeneticengineeringaswellascellandtissueculture technologies.

Inearlierdaysbiotechnologyprocesswasinitiatedbyfarmerswhodeveloped improvedspeciesofplantsandanimalsbycross-fertilizingorcross-breeding.In recentyears,biotechnologyhasexpandeditscorefunctionalitywidelywhichnow focusesonsophistication,scope,andapplicability.

Awell-knownandauthorandwriterisvagueandcanbeunsubstantial,forexample, ClaytonChristensensharehisviewsas, “There are other dimensions of biotechnology. If you think of biotechnology like the Internet, it’s not a category - it’s an infrastructure that can be deployed to sustain or disrupt. In healthcare, the most complex problems at the high end have to be dealt with in a problem-solving mode by the best, most experienced physicians you can find.”

Biotechnologyisimmenselycontributingtowardsagriculturewhichenhancesits functionalitytothenextlevel.Agricultureaspectshaveextremelychangedwith biotechnologyfunctionsandincreasereadabilityoftheprocess.

WhatisAgricultureBiotechnology?

AgriculturalBiotechnologyisalsoknownas Agritech.Itisanareaofagricultural scienceinvolvingtheuseofscientifictoolsandtechniques.Thereareseveral

Revolutionizing Agriculture Process Globally Agri Tech |March 2019| 42

techniquesusedinagriculturebiotechnologysuchas GeneticEngineering,MolecularMarkers,Molecular Diagnostics,Vaccines,andtissueculture.Anditalso modifiesthelivingorganismslikePlants,Animals,and Microorganisms.

Inrecenttimes,Cropbiotechnologyhasbeendeveloped itsfunctionalityinagricultureandisalsooneofthemain aspectsofagriculturebiotechnology.Itsdesiredqualities areexportedfromaparticularspeciesofCroptoan entirelydifferentspecies.

HowisAgricultureBiotechnologyUsed?

GeneticEngineering:Thetermisderivedfrom scientificresearchprovidesinformationabouthowto movegenesfromoneorganismtoanother.Thisisknown asgeneticengineering(GE)orgeneticmodification (GM).Geneticengineeringincludesthetransferof usefulcharacteristicsbyinsertingDNAofPlants,animal ormicroorganismfromanotherorganismtoanother.

MolecularDiagnostics:Moleculardiagnostics significantlydetectgenesorgeneproductsthatarevery preciseandspecific.Moleculardiagnosticsisthemethod usedinagriculturetomoreaccuratelydiagnose crop/livestockdiseases.

TissueCulture:Tissuecultureistheprocessof regenerationofplantsfromthedisease-freeplant.This techniqueallowsreproductionofdisease-freeplanting materialforcrops.

UnifiedMethodsUsedforCorpModification

TraditionalBreeding:Traditionalbreedingmethodhas beenusedforcenturiestoimprovecropqualityand quantity.Thecrossbreedingdescribesthecombinationof twocompatiblespeciestocreateanewvarietywiththe desiredtraits.Thecrossbreedingcanbeonlyutilized withinthesameorcloselyrelatedspecies.

Polyploidy:Polyploidyisthemethoddescribeswhich canbeinducedtomodifythenumberofchromosomesin acropinordertoinfluenceitsfertilityorsize.Through naturallyorwiththeuseofchemicals,thenumberof chromosomescanchange.Theprocessresultsinthe

fertilitychangesinmodificationwithin thecrop.

ProtoplastFusion:Protoplastfusion isalsoknownasSomaticfusion.It isatypeofgeneticmodificationin plantsbywhichtwodistinctspecies ofplants.Inthismethod,itincludes joiningofcellsorcellcomponentsto transfertraitsbetweenspecies.

Transgenics:Transgenicsisthemethod whichinvolvestheinsertionofonepiece ofDNAintoanotherorganism’sDNA.It worksinordertointroduceanewgene intotheoriginalorganism.Thisadditionof genesintoanorganism’sgeneticmaterial createsanewvarietywithdesired qualities.

ImpactofAgricultureBiotechnology onEconomyandSocialLife

Thetechnologyusedinagricultural productivityimproveditsusability andfunctionalitywithsomemajor factorssuchascombine harvesters,chemicalfertilizers,and thegreenrevolution.Likeevery technology,agriculturalbiotechnologywill alsohaveitsmajorimpactoneconomic andsocial.

Inagriculture,cropsusingbiotechnologies haveimproveditsqualityandalsobeen usedsafelywithbenefits.Thetechnology influencesthewholeprocessbythe reductionofpesticideuse.Atpresent agriculturalbiotechnology,oneofthe factorsthatinfluencethehealthand welfareofthefarmersandothercitizensin thedevelopingworld.

InfluenceofAgriculture BiotechnologyintheFuture

Theaimofagricultural biotechnologyistopresentthe

|March 2019| 43

functionalityoftheapplicationsusedinagriculture biotechnology.Theapplicationsareeagerly awaitedtoincreasetheproductivityofcrops, primarilybyreducingthecostsofproductionby decreasingtheneedsforinputsofpesticides.The processismostlyusedincropsgrownintemperate zones.Theapplicationofagricultural biotechnologycanimprovethequalityoflifeby developingnewstrainsofplantsthatgivehigher crops.Thecropscanbegrowninawiderrangeof environmentswhichgivebetterrotationsto conservenaturalresources.Italsoprovidesmore nutritiousharvestedproductsthatkeepmuch longerinstorageandtransport,andcontinuelowcostfoodsuppliestoconsumers.

AccordingtoCropScience,thecompanywith credibleauthorityontheprogressandfuture implicationsofAgriculturalbiotechnologystates that, “Farming is evolving in the 21st century with the development and use of biotechnology crops. Scientists and agronomists work in the lab and greenhouse to come up with genes that improve crop yield and make corn, soybean, cotton and canola plants more resistant to insects and more tolerant to herbicides, drought, and stress.”

Thebiotechnologyanditsprocessistheevidence ofthecontributionstowardsruraldevelopment aroundtheworld.Itservesasthesourceof inspirationforemergingnationstocomplement existingpracticeswithagriculturalbiotechnology.

|March 2019| 44

Reveal Group: Unveiling Business Potential through

Unrivaled Robotic Process Automation

Thepaceatwhichtheworkforceandwork processesaretransformingtodayis unprecedented.Organizationsthatrecognize thepotentialofthischange-andlearnhowtowield itspower-arelayingthegroundworktobecomethe industryleadersoftomorrow.

Aswithallthingsrevolutionary,itiscriticalthata focusontheendgoalsistemperedwitha deliberateplanofaction.Whenthelargest companiesintheworldstrugglewitheffective planningandexecutiontogetthemtothese endgoals,theyturnto Reveal Group.

Deciphering

theFuture

InsightsSuccessspokewithIanCrouch, theFounderandCEOofReveal Group.Ianworkedatthemostsenior levelsofthefinancialservicesindustry beforefoundingRevealin2005.

“Reveal started off with a focus on the local financial services industry in Australia,” Iantells. “Very quickly, we discovered that our desire for growth was matched, if not exceeded, by an overwhelming response from clients in very diverse sectors and from every corner of the planet.”

undertaken. A track record

stands at 100%

Ianattributesthissuccesstothe emphasisheplacesonnotjusttheearly adoptionoftechnologybutonanticipating andpredictingchangesacrossWorkforce Management.

Success comes from utilizing technology to transform otherwise sedentary components of a business structure. There is a need to be able to predict where tech will be 5, 10, or even 20 years into the future and align existing systems to coalesce seamlessly when that arrives, and quickly.”

Thatisnotjusttheory;RevealGroupembodiesthat

“ We have been successful in every single project that we have
that
- I don’t believe very many other companies in the world can claim that!
” ”
|March 2019| 46
— Ian Crouch Founder & CEO

philosophy.

We have specialized in RPA (Robotic Process Automation) since 2013 and foreshadowed its advent as far back as 2002. As soon as the technology became available at an enterprise-level we were quick to adopt and incorporate it into the solutions we offer. Today, Reveal Group is one the largest implementers of Robotic Process Automation in the world.”

RPATrailblazers

ThatshifttowardsRPAisoneofIan’s proudestachievementsandhispassion forthetechnologyisevident.The mannerinwhichhehaschanneledthat passionintoreal-worldresultshas takenRevealGrouptothehighest echelonsofservicedelivery.

Recognizing the potential of RPA, I believe, is an achievement in its own right. That is not solely because we made a precise judgement but because it has given us a head start that translates into an almost insurmountable competitive edge with regards to depth and breadth of experience. While other leading competitors are trying to cover ground, we are breaking new ground.”

Inthis,IanisreferringtoReveal Group’sroleindevelopingbest practicesforRPAimplementationas wellasthecompany’srolein establishingtheassociatedtraining framework.

Our work on operationalizing the required skills and disciplines into the successful, comprehensive training programs they are today is a testament to the experience we have with delivering successful Process Automation programs around the world. Incorporating our best practices and benchmarks into our Training Academy courses, from Foundation to Advanced Developer, are what sets us, and our trainees apart. Sharing this knowledge through training gives us a considerably larger footprint in the industry, which we

leverage to deliver transformative results for our clients.”

Thoseresultsarealready beingenjoyedby companiesinover25 industriesglobally.The acceleratedpaceofReveal Group’sexpansionisa sourceofgreatpridetoIan, butheplacesone achievementaheadofthat.

“We have been successful in every single project that we have undertaken. A track record that stands at 100% - I don’t believe very many other companies in the world can claim that!”

MaximizingResultsthrough Technology

Technologyenablesorganizationsto moreclearlymaintaincomplianceand governance,especiallyinhighlyregulatedindustrieslikebanking, governmentandaviation.Reveal Grouphasworkedsuccessfullywith Australiannationalcarrier,Qantas,and countsanother10internationalairlines amongitsclients.

“Process compliance in certain industries is a no-compromise factor. Mistakes are very costly, both in terms of finances and man-hours. Reveal Group’s RPA services deliver quality and reportability in a secure, auditable environment that cannot be replicated anywhere else.”

“International companies don’t just seek Reveal Group out for process automation; they are drawn to the results-heavy, cost-efficient immediacy of our solutions.”

RevealGrouphavedeveloped proprietarymethodologiestodeliver resultsthataretimeandcost-effective. Dynamicworksprintsenablethe deliveryoftheseresultsinweeks, ratherthanthenumerousmonthsthese wouldotherwisetake.

TheFuture,

Secured

RevealGroupisgrowingatarateof 100%year-on-yearandIanCrouch doesnotseethisstagating.Whilethe company’sgiantstrideswouldseem liketheend-gameformany organizations,heseesthemsimplyas stepstowardslargergoals.

“Reveal Group dominates the market segment in the English-speaking world. Apart from our offices in Australia, we have established regional offices in the US, Singapore, and Africa. Now, we are expanding our reach to the nonEnglish-speaking world and are poised to launch into Japan and Europe.”

Behindthisdrivetoestablishatruly globalpresenceisIan’sappreciationof theunprecedentedchangecompanies willfaceinthecomingyears.

“The global changes we have seen in the past 150 years will pale before the developments and transformations we see in the next 15 years,”hesays, “Intelligent Process Automation – the technology suite around digitization, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, and Business Intelligence – will induce and support revolutionary solutions.”

“We want to be the preeminent specialists in how you apply these technologies.”

WithIan’sleadership,RevealGroupis ideallyplacedtohelptheirclients adoptthetechnologyquicklyandcosteffectively.

|March 2019| 47 The 2019

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