The 10 Most Successful Companies to Watch 2018 march2018

Editor’s Note

A Game-Changing Idea that Powers Everything

Everyoneknowsthatbeingasuccessfulentrepreneurisnotacake-walk.Itrequiressomehighly

admirablequalitieslikestrongleadershipskillsandaknackforhiringexceptionaltalent.Most successfulentrepreneursarecalculated,clever,collaborative,composed,confident,andcreative. Thesetraitsgivethemthecharactertheyneedtoovercomeanumberofchallengingbusinessobstacles, butatthesametime,theyalsoutilizethesetimelessbusiness-buildingmethodstoachievelong-term businessgoals.

However,anuncannyabilitytogenerategame-changingideasisthemostessentialskillthatpowers everything.Havinganincredibleideaandaresolutebeliefissomethingthatinspirestheseentrepreneurs toput-intheirbestefforts,eveninadverseconditions.

KonosukeMatsushita’sisanenlighteningexampletopointoutthesame.Backin1917,a23-year-old JapaneseapprenticeattheOsakaElectricLightCompanywithnoformaleducationcameupwithalight socket.Theideawasquiteinnovativebuthisbossdeniedmaterializingit.Thisfurthermotivatedthe younggenius,andsubsequentlystartedmakingsamplesinhisbasement.Afterrigorouseffortsforfour longandtiringyears,Matsushitamanagedtofindhisownsmallcompany.Helaterexpandedhisportfolio ofinnovationswithbattery-poweredbicyclelampsandotherelectronicproducts.

MatsushitaElectric,Until2008whenthecompanyofficiallychangeditsnametoPanasonic.Till2008,the companywasknownasMatsushitaElectric,untilthenamewaschangedtoPanasonic,abrandwhichwe areallfondlyawareofinthisdayandage.Theyoungboyhadalmostnothingunderhisbelt;nomoney,

norealformaleducation,andnoconnections.Yet,hissmallfirmMatsushitaElectricAppliance Factoryflourished.Today,morethan20,000employeesworkatPanasonic,andtheoverall worthofthecompanystandsatawhopping$66billion.Matsushita’ssuccessmadehimJapan’s biggestyenbillionaire.Hehasalsomadehimselfthemostwidelyadmiredbusinessmanin Japan.Whenanintervieweeaskedhimwhatwastheempoweringfactorbehindhissuccesshe notedthatitwasthebeliefinhisideaanditspotentialthatkepthimgoing.Newandsuccessful entrepreneursarenodifferent;theextremelypassionateindividualsput-forwardtheirbestefforts andtaketheircompanytounmatchableheights.

InthisissueInsightsSuccesshaslisted“The10MostSuccessfulCompaniestoWatch,2018,” whicharedominatingtheirrespectiveverticalswiththeirinnovativeproductsandservice offerings.

®FeaturingastheCoverstoryisZudy ,acompanywhichismakingwaveswithitsrevolutionary ®no-codeappdevelopmentplatform,VINYL.AdreamteamofsolutionarchitectsatZudy create ortransformenterprisesolutionsindays,notmonthsoryears.

Themagazinealsoincludes,ProactiveWorldwideInc.;aglobaldecisionsupport,researchand consultingfirmthatprovidesevidence-basedstrategicintelligence;CanvasInfoTechInc., whichisacompanythathasbeenfulfillingstaffingneedsefficiently;Approyo,aleadingglobal SAPHANAtechnologysolutionprovider;MidwestRestoration,whichisafullservice propertydamagerestorationcompanythatoffersrestorationandreconstructionofresidential andcommercialproperties;AnalyticSystemWare,whichdesignsandmanufacturespower conversionproductslikeBatteryChargers,VoltageConverters,Inverters,etc.;andAllgress, whichisaleadingIntegratedITRisk,ComplianceandSecuritysolutionsproviderthatenables organizationstheabilitytocosteffectivelyreduceandmanagetheirbusinessriskwithless complexityandcost.

Also,makesuretoflipthroughourarticles,writtenbyourin-houseeditorialteam;aswellas CXOStandpointsofnotableindustrypersonalities.

Let’s start shall we?

Kedar Kulkarni

‘‘ ‘‘

Tom Kennedy Co-founder & CTO

Trish Kennedy Co-founder & COO

Fromglobaltechgiantstosmall enterprises,everybusiness wantsrobust,versatilesystems torespondtocustomerandbusiness needs.However,lengthydevelopment cyclesoftraditionalenterprisesoftware simplycannotkeepupwiththepace andcomplexityofevolvingmodern requirements.Themonthsandyearsof hard-codingneededtoimplementnew modernsystemsmeansyour developmentsbecomeobsoletewhile stillinthepipeline.Anentirely different,reliableandagilesoftware developmentplatformwasneeded,and theanswercameintheformofusing nocodeatall.Thisrevolutionary alternativeisfindingwidespread appeal.Ano-codesystemcanfulfill businessrequirementswithouttheneed ofcumbersome,traditionalhardcoding methodsusedwidelytoday.It effectivelymakesrobustenterprise applicationdevelopmentpossiblewith moreofafillintheblankandtrueor falsemethod. Evenanovice,with littletonocodingknowledge,can learntouseitwithinafewdays.For thetechindustry,whichhasalways beendrivenbysoftwaredevelopment teams,theriseofno-codehasbeena dreamevolution,orhasit?

Onecompanymakingwaveswithits revolutionaryappdevelopment

®platformisZudy .Theingenious visionoftheirNo-Codeplatform, VINYL™,alongwithadreamteamof ®solutionarchitectsatZudy createor transformenterprisesolutionsindays, ®notmonthsoryears.Infact,Zudy has developedtheworld’sonlyno-code end-to-endEnterprisegradeAppDev platform,VINYL™.Theplatformhas gainedwidespreadrecognitioninthe ®businessworld.Zudy hasexpandedto anewheadquartersinMiamiBeach, Floridaandcurrentlyworkswithmore thanfortyglobalcompanies:including Amazon,Stericycle,JCrewandthe NewEnglandPatriots.

AGameChanger

®Zudy ’sVINYL™platformhasthe abilitytodigitallytransformany companywithitsgamechangingNoCodeAppDevplatform.Itcan mobilizeandmodernizeanylegacy systemwithseamlessintegration,with anydatasourceinafractionofthe timeandcostoftraditionalmethods.

AllapplicationsbuiltinVINYL™are optimizedforbothmobileandweb. Thedynamicallyresponsivedesignand easilyconfigurableUImakefora pleasing,immersiveandeffortlessuser experience.Allofthisisachieved whileremovinghighcosttechnology barriersandleveragingtheexisting systemsoftheclient.Theend-to-end platformisfocusedonproviding guidedagiledevelopmentwith powerfulcross-platform-CRUD, automatedworkflows,built-inlifecycle management,andenterprisesecurity Eventhelargestmostcomplex Enterprisescanquicklyandpainlessly digitizeeverybusinessprocesseswith VINYL.

VINYL™:PromisingPotential Conventionalsoftwareandapp developmentteamstakemonthsto ®buildoneusableapplication.Zudy ’s solutiongivesenterprisestheabilityto buildhighlyconfigurable‘Enterprise Ready’appsinweeks.Theseappsare designedtointegrateseamlesslyinto

allexistingandfuturedatasourcesand systems.

VINYL™’sarchitectureisthekeyto ®Zudy ’sflexibledesignandbuild environment.Itconsistsofthreemain layers:Design,BusinessLogicand DataAccess.

Ÿ Design Layer:VINYL™’sdesign layerisextremelyeasytouseand offerscompletelycustomizable UI/UX.Thepresentationlayer allowscompletedesigncontrolso enterprisescanmaintaintheir brandingandspecificlookandfeel withoutcoding.

Ÿ Business Logic Layer:VINYL™ automatesbusinessprocessesin minutes.Thisincludeseverything fromsimpletocomplexbusiness logic,anduser-definedworkflows thatsupportnotificationsviaemail andtexts.

Ÿ Data Access Layer: VINYL™’s patenteduniversaltranslatorallows alldevelopmenttooccurinasingle environmentacrossalldata sources.VINYL™cansecurely readandmodifyenterprisedata withoutmovingdatafromyour enterprisesystems.

Ÿ VINYL™’sLiteIntegrationrelates anddisplaysdataattheUIlevelin minuteswithoutaffectingsource systems.Itenablescross-platform CRUDacrossmultipledatasources atthesametime.Italsoallows userstocreatebeautifulyet powerfulapplications,andcharts frommultipledatasources,which facilitatescomplexanalyticsonthe samescreenwithouttheneedfora singlelineofcode.

VINYL™canbeutilizedbyany enterpriseinanyindustry,regardlessof sizeorlocation.Theplatformhasbeen usedtobuildapplicationsforhundreds ofclientsrangingfromlargemediaand

telecommunicationsorganizationsto globalpharmaandbiotechfirms.Part ofitsappealisthatVINYL™-designed applicationsareeasytomodifyand maintain.Thisefficiencyand versatilityhasresultedin unprecedentedrevenuewithinayearof ® ®Zudy ’sestablishment.Zudy ’sCofounderandCOO,TrishKennedy revealsthatVINYL™hasbeenvery wellreceivedinthemarket.Sheadded thatthecompanygrewover1000% from2016to2017withforecastsof anotherexponentialgrowthyearin 2018.

APerfectPair

TomKennedy,Co-founderandCTO ®ofZudy hasoverthirtyyearsof experiencebuildingrapidapplication developmentplatforms.Fromhisrole asDirectorofApplication DevelopmentatTOMSoftwareinthe 1980stoKennedy&Associatesand thenBackOfficeAssociates,Tomhas architectedandsoldfourcommercially successfulplatformsoverthelast30 years.Theculminationofhisworkis nowVINYL™,themostadvanced Enterprisereadyapplication developmentplatforminthemarket today.Tom,afterspendingyears solvingthemostcomplexEnterprise systemissueshasbuiltatechnology thatincorporateshislearningacross hundredofGlobalEnterprises.Tom builtindustrychangingdatamigration anddatagovernancesolutionspriorto envisioningVINYL™.Hisworkwith dataqualityanddatagovernanceled himtounderstandtheneedfor Enterprisestomorefullytake advantageofthedatathatexistsacross theirsystemlandscapes,andofcourse availabledatasourcesoutsidethe Enterprisethatcanenhanceandbring powerfulcapability intoanEnterprise.

“Tomhasbeenageek-at-heart technologistandhasbuiltmany customer-oriented,successful applicationsthroughouthiscareer,” Trishsays, “Tom never called himself a

“If

visionary, he calls himself a ’listenary’, he emphasizes listening to customer problems and actually solving the problems they have, not inventing solutions to problems that don’t exist.”

®AtZudy ,Tomworksondevelopingtechnological solutionswhileTrishfocusesondeliveringcustomer success.Shehassuccessfullyhandledthesalesand marketingdepartmentsofthecompanysinceitslaunchand catalyzedrevenuebyworkingwithseveralglobalgiants, likeAmazonandtheNewEnglandPatriotstoutilizethis amazingplatform.Herpassionandenthusiasmhelpdrive ®theZudy teamtosuccess.Thispairoftwoextraordinary visionariesisdrivingapromisingplatformwiththeir inspiringcommitmenttoinnovation.

UnlimitedApplications,UnlimitedUsers

VINYL™canbegindigitallytransforminganybusiness withinaweek.Conventionaltechnologistswhoare accustomedtoappdevelopmentthatcantakeyearsare ®skepticalofthisclaim.Toallaysuchreservations,Zudy providesaone-weekproofofconceptwhichallows prospectiveclientstodeveloptheirfirstappusing VINYL™.“Ibelievemanyofourprospectstakeusupon thischallengebelievingwewillfail.”,saidTrish. “However,theensuingsuccessplaysasignificantpartin ®buildingZudy ’slong-termcustomerbase.”Feedbackfrom satisfiedclientelerevealsthattheyareespeciallyimpressed withVINYL™’scapacitytodrasticallyincreasetheability topursenewrevenuemodelsandnewbusinessmodels, manytimesachievingremarkableincreasesinrevenue. ClientsarealsoenticedbyVINYL™’sveryattractive pricingmodel,featuringunlimitedappsunlimitedusers. Theaveragecompanydevelopsanddeploysoneortwo ®applicationsperyearbutcustomersusingZudy ’sNo-Code solutiondevelop30-50appsperyear Thisunprecedented

facilitationofinnovationandagilityisfurtherreasonfor companiestotaketheleapintonocode.

SeamlessIntegrations

VINYL™Usersenthusiasmisevidentwhenyoutakea lookattheiroverwhelmingadoptionofthetechnologyonce theygetataste.TheadoptionrateofNo-Code in companiesthatuseVINYL™soarsoncetheyexperiencea newfoundabilitytodevelopanddeployatsuchalowrisk andlowcost.ManyusersdeclaretheVINYL™platformis ®tenyearsaheadofthecurve.Zudy hasthrivedwithina shortspanoftimebycontinuouslyfocusingoncustomer needsanddevelopingsolutionsthatexceedcustomer expectations.“Wehavethrivedovertheyearsbymaking sureeverycustomeriswildlysuccessfulwithour technologies.Wedon’tplanonstoppingnow!”,saidTrish ®Kennedy.Zudy plansfurtherexpansionandgrowthinits workforcesocustomerseverywherecanexperiencethe incrediblebenefitsofNo-Codeappdevfortheirdigital transformations.Thecompanyplansonaddingover100 resourcesbyyearend.

what we will do for

“Fast is good but quick is better.”

Management BriefCompanyName

Allgress allgress.com

AnalyticSystemsWare analyticsystems.com

Approyo approyo.com

CanvasInfotech canvasinfotech.com

GordonShevlin CEO&Co-founder

JamesHargrove CEO

AllgressisaleadingIntegratedITRisk,Complianceand Securitysolutionsproviderthatenablesorganizationstheability tocosteffectivelyreduceandmanagetheirbusinessriskwith lesscomplexityandcost.

AnalyticSystemWaredesignsandmanufacturespower conversionproductslikeBatteryChargers,VoltageConverters, Inverters,etc.

ChristopherCarter CEO

AlokBhatia Co-founder& President

ApproyoisaleadingglobalSAPHANAtechnologysolution provider

CanvasInfotechiscompanythathasbeenfulfillingstaffing needsefficiently.

MainePointe mainpointe.com

MidwestRestoration mwrestoration.com

StevenBowen Chairman&CEO

CoyneS.Borree CEO, JenniferRottier COO

ProactiveWorldwide,Inc. proactiveworldwide.com GaryMaag Co-founder&CEO

MainePointe,LLCisanoperationsmanagementand implementationcompanythatprovidessupplychainservices.

MidwestRestorationisafullservicepropertydamage restorationcompanythatoffersrestorationandreconstructionof residentialandcommercialproperties.

ProactiveWorldwideisaglobaldecisionsupport,researchand consultingfirmthatprovideevidence-basedstrategic intelligence.

TempoQuest tempoquest.com

Vindicia vindicia.com

ZudySoftware zudy.com

EugeneP.Pache,Jr President&COO

KrisNagel CEO

TomKennedy Co-founder&CTO, TrishKennedy Co-founder&COO

TempoQuestistheworldsfastest,mostadvancedweather forecastingsoftware.

Vindiciaprovidesenterprisesubscriptionbilling,consumer entertainment,andenterprisesoftware.

ZudySoftwareisrevolutionaryno-codesoftwareand applicationdevelopmentplatformthatdevelopsenterprise softwareandapplicationsinthematterofweek.

Massivetechnologychanges, neverseenorexperienced beforearerevolutionizing thebusinesseswithadventofthenew waveofdigitalinnovation.Fromcloud computingtomobility,tobigdata analytics,IoT,machinelearning,and artificialintelligence,these technologieshavecompletely transformedthebusinesslandscape irrespectiveoftheindustry—banking, retail,telecomorutilityalike.Thepace ofthistechnologicaladvancementis growingexponentially,establishing newbusinessmodelsandcreating tectonicshiftsinmarketdynamics.

Thetechnology-savvyanddigitally connectedcustomersoftodayare furtherforcingbusinessestotake cognizanceoftheirpreferences, expectationsandconsumptiontrends. Unlessbusinessalignstheirapproach andprocesseswiththiscustomer centricapproach,survivalmaybe thwartedinthecompetitivelandscape.

Today,theenergyandutilityindustry grappleswithitsuniquesetof challengescomprisingaging infrastructure,workforceretentionand recruitment,wideningdemand-supply deficit,evolvingregulatorymandates,

stricterenvironmentalcompliances, needtoincreasegridresilience,and economicandsocialramifications. Ultimately,utilitiesfacetheriskof disintermediationoftheirrelationship withthecustomer,allowingnew entrantstocapturethevalue,while theyareleftholdingthecosts.

Forutilitiestomeetthesechallenges whiledeliveringqualityserviceand sustainingtheirfinancialviability,itis paramounttoreexaminetheirapproach technologyanddigitalization.While thetraditionalenergyandutility industryhadbeenarelativelyslow adopteroftechnologycomparedto othersectors,nonetheless,ithaspicked uppaceinlastcoupleofyears.The energyandutilitycompaniestodayare beginningtocomprehendthevalueof digitalinnovationanditsimpacton improvingtheiroperational efficiencies,boostingservicelevels, reducingcostsandmostimportantlyon increasingcustomersatisfaction.This hasledthemtoexplorethe opportunitiesextendedbyadopting latesttechnologiessuchascloud, mobile,bigdata,predictiveanalytics, IoT,machinelearning,artificial intelligence,roboticsandothers.The industryisnowquicktoleveragelatest

innovationstomodernizeprocesses, gainefficienciesandgaincustomer confidence.

Byadoptinga“mobile-first”strategy, theutilitiescanenablereal-time connectivitywithcustomersandtheir workforcealike–fromanywhere, anytimeandusinganydevice.Thishas empoweredcustomerswhocaneasily manageormonitortheirreal-timeand historicusage,andmakebetterchoices basedondata-backedinsights.They canconvenientlyplanandmanage theirbillsandpaymentswithincreased easeandflexibility.Theutilitiescan usemobiletechnologytobecome proactiveinsendingalerts, notificationsandpersonalized communicationtothecustomers.Itcan alsoboosttheworkforceproductivity andefficiencybyequippingthemwith on-the-goupdatesusingmobile devices.Drivingcustomerengagement canhelputilityincreasecustomers’ adoptionforenergyefficiencyand waterconservationprograms.Thisin turnisawin-winforboth–the customerswhosaveonresourcesas wellasonbills,andeventheutility whichisabletomanagepeakloads andoptimizingresources;therebyalso meetingthestatemandates.

Eric Dresselhuys is the President at Smart Energy Water (SEW). He has been contributing in the energy, utility and infrastructure industry for 20 years. With his domain know-how, technical expertise and business acumen, Eric is responsible for the overall strategic outlook and business development at SEW. Over the years he has played a leading role working with utilities across 5 continents to help guide their digital transformation . Eric is a well-known speaker thought leader across the energy, utility and infrastructure industries.

Eric Dresselhuys Smart Energy Water

However,thisdigitalshiftposesanothersetofcomplexities forutilityindustry–hugequantumofcustomerdata,lack ofin-housetechnicalexpertise,implementationrisks, integrationcomplexitiesandongoingsupportconcerns. Thus,forutilities,theadoptionoftechnologyandsolutions necessitatesastrategicoutlookratherthantacticaldetours focusedonquickfixes.

Theindustrymustcarefullyassessandevaluatethe“build vs.buy”adagetobeabletodeploytechnologyorsolutions whichareabest-fitfortheirbusinessrequirementsandare alsocost-effectiveandefficient.Theymustlookfor solutionsthatcaneasilyintegratewithexistinglegacy systems,requireminimaldeploymentcostandcandeliver fasterreturnsoninvestment.Since,customerstodayare primedriversofchange;anotherimportantconsideration fortheutilityindustrymustbecustomeradoptionrate.The customersaredoubtlesslymoretechnologysavvytoday,but adoptionratedependsuponhowuser-friendlyaplatformis, anddoesitofferself-servicecapabilities.Similarly,how quicklyandeasilytheutilityworkforcecanfamiliarizewith thesolutionandcanuseitaddresscustomerconcerns. Carefullyweighingtheseconsiderationscanhelpthe industrytrulyleveragetheemergingtechnologiesandthrive onthewaveofdigitalization.

Theaccelerationofdigitaltransformationintheutility industryhaspredictablydrivenanupsurgeinthenumberof serviceprovidersofferingtechnologiestoaddressthese needs,eachwiththeiruniquevalueproposition,but generallyfocusedononlyasmallsub-setoftheoverall challenge.Thus,theutilitycompaniesmustbecautious whileidentifyingtheirdigitaltransformationpartners’basis notjustthetechnicalcompetenciesbutalsoensuresboth arealignedintermsoflong-termarchitecturalcompliance andaredrivenbyasharedgoaltobuildtheutility’s primacywithitscustomers.

Asmoreandmoreutilitiesadaptandadoptemerging technologies,CIOshaveanimportantroletoplayasthey mustcarefullybalancelong-termandshort-term deploymentdecisions. Withtheevolvingutility-customer relationship,theymustprobeareaswheredigitalcanhelp themstrengthenrelationshipwithcustomers,while improvingoperations,bridgingorganizationalsiloes,and developingtoplineopportunities.Indeed,digital transformationopensarraysofopportunitiesforutilities, but,successwillrequireasignificantinvestmentinnew talentandcapabilities,andcarefulprioritization.

Allgress: An Elite Risk and Compliance Management Solution Provider

Asthetermexclaims,Riskand ComplianceManagementis thecoordinatedintegrationof allgovernance,riskmanagement,and complianceactivitieswithinan organization.Governancereferstothe coordinatedprocessesandstrategies establishedbythemanagementtomeet theirriskmanagementobjectives.Risk managementisthemanagementof uncertaintieswithintheriskappetiteof thecompany,andcompliancerefersto thecompanycomplyingwithpolicies,, laws,regulationsandpartner requirements.Theintegrated componentsshouldcomplementeach otherandalsohaveapositiveimpact ontheefficiencyoftheorganization’s people,process,andtechnology However,manyoftheriskand complianceactivitiesarecomplex whichextendsthetimetoindemnify riskstothebusiness.TheAllgress InsightRiskManagementsuite providesaplatformthatreducesthe complexitybyautomatingtherisk managementprocessbyintegrating workflow,visualreportingand mitigationfromasingleconsole. Their solutionovercomesredundancy,poor visibility,non-consistentprocessesand lackofaccountabilitybyproviding ease-of-usethatiscomprehensivein identifyingandreducingbusinessrisk inlesstime.

Allgressisanexampleofan innovativetechnologyleader, specializinginIntegratedITRisk, ComplianceandSecuritysolutions.

Sinceitsinceptionin2008,Allgress hasempoweredmanyorganizations withaninnovativerisk,compliance rdand3 partymanagementsolution whichallowsorganizationstomeet requirements,regulations,best practicesandobligations,anddrive themtowardssuccess.

AutomatingRiskManagementwith DesiredBusinessOutcomes

Allgresshasexclusivelyfocusedon providingintegratedGovernance,Risk andCompliance,management solutions,toawidevarietyofglobal organizationsacrossmultiplevertical markets.

Thesolutionsofthecompanyenable organizationsandtheirpartnersto automatetheirentireriskmanagement lifecyclebybringingease-of-use, automatedassessment,advanced visualization,remediation,andthe integrationofexistingdatafeedsinan integratedsolution.Thisfacilitation permitscustomerstoderivevaluein lesstimewithreducedcomplexity eliminatingtheneedforanarmyof consultants.

Thevisionofthecompanyisto addressitscustomer’schallengesby adaptingtocontinuingchangesof technologylikecloudcomputing, processesandpeoplebydelivering solutionsthatareeasiertouse, modularandquickertoimplement. TheseobjectivesallowtheAllgress platformtoprovidequick-time-to-

valuetoitsclientsandproveitsvalue throughitsforemostadvancements. Suchadaptivetransformationsallow clientsthedesiredfunctionalityin solutionsthathelpcustomersreduce theirriskwhichinternresultsinless potentialimpacttothebottomline.

PowerfulCombinations StreamliningtheRiskManagement Process

Thecompanyhasrecentlyannounceda visionaryandpowerfulsolutioncalled ‘ComplianceVision’(CV).CVisa comprehensivecompliancesolutionfor rapidautomatedcompliancemapping, assessment,reportingandremediation thatreducesbusinessriskwithless complexity,consultingandcostina fractionofthetimecomparedto manualprocesses.Thisefficientrisk andcompliancemanagementsolution identifiesthecontrolsthatneedtobe mappedtomeetregulations,best practicesandthird-partyrequirements thenpopulatesthosecontrolswith machineintelligencefortherelivent controlleddatafromexistingthirdpartysolutions.Itidentifiesrisksin lesstimewithmoreaccuracyand consistency,andsubstantiallyreduces themanhourstocompletean assessment.

DrivingtheAdvancements RelentlesslyWithPassionate Leadership

Allgressissuccessfullydriventowards theirdesireddestinationsofefficiently automatingmoreofthetaxingrisk

Gordon Shevlin CEO & Co-Founder

managementprocesses.Theprimeproponentsbehind Allgress’advancementsareGordonShevlin,CEO/CoFounderandJeffBennett,COO/Co-Founder.

GordonShevlinhasacareerspanningexperienceof twenty-fiveyearsandhassuccessfullyco-foundedmany organizationsovertheyears.PriortoAllgress,GordoncofoundedSiegeWorksadigitaldefenseservicesfirm.He grewthecompany,builtastronginternationalpresence,and manageditssuccessfulacquisitionbyFishNetSecurity (nowOptiv),thenation’sleadingresellerofinformation securitysolutions.

JeffBennettbringsmorethantwodecadesofbusiness leadership,productdevelopment,andITsecurityand complianceindustryexperiencetothecompany.Aserial entrepreneur,JeffhasledseveralcompaniesincludingCofoundingdigitaldefenseservicesfirmSiegeWorks. FollowingtheacquisitionofSiegeWorks,Bennettservedas executivevicepresidentofservicesatFishNet(nowOptiv). Hehasalsoservedontheadvisoryboardsofotherleading securityproviders.

GordonandJeff,bothhavearelentlessdrivetohelp customersreducethecomplexityofidentifyingand mitigatingITriskinlesstimewithreducedcomplexity Theycontinuouslyinteractwithcustomersandpartnersto

discussriskmanagementchallengesandinnovativewaysof expandingtheAllgresssolutions.Truetotheirpassion,their effortsofkeepingpacewiththerapidchangehave leveragedtheplatformtoitshighestlevel.

ExpansionofFeaturesandValueAddedserviceswith Innovation Allgresscontinuestoinnovatebyinteractingwithits customersandpartnerstoexpanditsease-of-use,reduce time-to-valueandautomatingassociatedtasks,thereby reducingbusinessrisksaccordingly.Itsproduct ComplianceVisionisaprimeexampleofsuchinnovation, thecompanyaimstoadvanceininnovationandmakeit moreefficient.ItplanstofurtherstreamlinetheentireIT riskandcomplianceprocessandmakeiteasierfor customerstodeploymultiplesolutionsfromdifferent providerswithintegratedintegrationandpackaging.

Inadditiontothis,anotherdifferentiatingfactorhasbeenits easeofuse.TheabilitytocraftjusttherightintegratedIT Risk,Compliance,andSecuritymanagementplatformto meetanorganization’sspecificriskmanagementchallenges providestheflexibilitytobuildoutanend-to-endsolutionif requiredoraminimaldeploymentdeployedinthecloudor on-premise.

We provide full featured Integrated Risk Management solutions that reduce Business Risk with less complexity that provide value on day one.

Analytic Systems

Electrifying Your Business with Power Conversion

Electrificationofourworldis continuingatanever acceleratingpace.Inaddition totraditionalsourcesofelectricity,new sourcessuchaswind,solar,tidaland geothermalarealldevelopingquickly; soisthedemandforthatelectricity whichisprojectedtogrow25% annuallyfortheforeseeablefuture. Demandfordevicesthatconvertthe sourceenergyintoaformrequiredby theuserisgrowingatasimilarpace. GlobalcompaniessuchasSiemensand ABBareinvestingheavilyinenergy storageandconversion,servinghigh volumecustomers.However,thereare manydemandstheglobalplayers cannotservice,creatingopportunities forsmallercompanies.Analytic Systemsisonesuchleading organizationmeetingtheneedsofthis market.

GroundbreakingProductsand CommissionedDesigns

AnalyticSystemsofferspower conversionsolutionsincludingPower Supplies(ACtoDC),Voltage Converters(DCtoDC),Inverters(DC toAC),FrequencyConverters(ACto AC),BatteryChargersandSolar ChargeControllersalongwithawide arrayofaccessoryproducts.High frequencypulsewidthmodulated

batterychargersandpuresinewave invertersareprimaryproductsinhigh demandbyMarine,Industrialand Militarymarkets.Theirextreme environmentsdemandrugged constructionusinganodizedorpowder coatedaluminumenclosures,stainless steelfasteners,andconservativedesign forhighreliability.Thecompanyalso usesitsadvanceddesignand manufacturingcapabilitiestocreate customizedsolutionsfortheirclients uponrequest.

CaptainCatalystandMotivator

Thecompanywasfoundedin1976by LloydHargrove,P.Eng.Hehada longcareerinelectronics,startingfrom ComputingDevicesofCanada,where hehelpeddesigntheHeads-Up Display(HUD)fortheinfamousAvro Arrow.Intheearly1970shealso servedastheChiefCivilianEngineer intheunderwateracousticssectionof theCanadianNavy’s‘Anti-Submarine Warfare’department.Whenhefounded hisowncompany,Lloydwanteditto havetheASWacronym,andcoinedthe nameAnalyticSystemsWareLtd.

Fromitsfoundingin1976until1993 thecompanydevelopedmorethan360 uniqueelectronicproductsincluding theworld’sfirstdigitallycontrolled marineautomaticpilot.

SteppingintotheShoes ofGreatLegacy

JamesHargroveP.Eng,CEOof AnalyticSystems,isaUniversityof BritishColumbiatrainedelectronics engineer.Hestartedhiscareerwith AnalyticSystemsin1981workingon theautomaticpilotproject.In1983this projectwasspunoffintoComNav MarineLtd.withJamesasVPof Engineering.JamesleftComNavin 1993,rejoiningAnalyticSystemsas CEOattheyoungageof36.He immediatelylaunchedAnalytic Systemsontoapathleadingfromjust threeemployeestoalmost100today ApartfrombeingCEO,healso overseesMarketingandR&D.He boastsanextensive35+yearsinthe industryandhastakengiantstridesin theshoesofhisfather.

EarlyImpedimentsand RemarkableEmergence

Jamesinvested$50,000in1993fora majorityshareofthecompanyand immediatelyinitiatedthedesignofthe world’sfirstpuresinewaveinverter, intendedtoruncomputersinthe hostilecommercialmarine environment.Ofcoursethatmoney quicklyranout,forcinghimtoremortgagehispersonalproperty multipletimestokeepthecompany

James Hargrove P.Eng. CEO

growing.Hisremarkablepassionandpersistent determinationsteeredhimtoworklonghoursduringhis initialyearsinthecompany.Hedidsalesandmarketing duringthedayanddesignedproductsatnight.Thisroutine ofworkingintotheweehourseventuallydeclinedasthe salesbegantogrowandthecompanyemergedwithabright futureinsight.

Jamesbelievesthatforanycompanytheprimaryassetisits people.HestatesthattodayAnalyticSystemshasa dedicatedstaffwithamixofbothlongtermexperienced andenthusiasticyoungemployees.Thiscombinationof experienceandenthusiasmisthekeyfactorthathelpsthe companyfindthebest,mostcost-effectiveandinnovative solutionsforitscustomers.

ProtectedPreciosityofProducts

AnalyticSystemshasinvestedheavilyinitsinfrastructure andmanufacturesallproductsinitsownVancouver,BC basedfacilitiesthatinclude;electronicandmechanical design,assemblyforbothsurfacemountandthrough-hole technologies,wiringharnesses,transformerwinding, automatedconformalcoating,andCNCmachiningof enclosuresandcomponents.In-housetestingincluding radiatedandconductedemissions,electrostatic

susceptibility,temperatureandvibrationareallavailable andutilizedduringdesignandtesting(particularlyforhigh reliabilityproducts).

AllprocessesareISO9001qualitycertifiedandthe companyiscertifiedcompliantwiththeCanadian ControlledGoodsDirectoratesotheycandobusinesswith internationalcompaniesregisteredwithITAR(International TreatyforArmsReduction).

ProgressiveDigitalizationtoImprovePowerDensity andProductReliability

TodayAnalyticSystemsfocusespredominantlyonDigital SignalProcessortechnology,utilizingittodesignproducts thatareinnovative,flexibleandmeettheneedsofa worldwidecustomerbase.TheIoT(InternetofThings) meansthatnewproductsmustintegrateintothedigital world,providinginformationontheiroperationandtaking operationalcommandsfromawidevarietyofsourceswhile atthesametimeprovidingmorepowerinlessspace.

Visitanalyticsystems.comformoreinformation.

Whether you need Power Conversion for marine, industrial, telecom, COTS or full MilSpec, one unit or a thousand, we can do it.

Forcenturies,humanshavehadapropensitytopittwoormoreteamswithdistinctivefunctionalitiesagainsteachother –evenwhentheyareonthesameteam.Thisdynamiccanbewitnessedevenintraditionalbusinessenterprises, betweensoftwaredevelopersandoperationalstaffers.

TherivalrybetweenDevandOpshasbeenprevalentfordecadescausingoneofthemostprominentchallengesfor organizationstomanagetheirITcapabilities.Overcomingfromthisriftandidentifyingeachotheraspartnersratherthan rivals,canbecrucialforabusinesstoattainsuccess.Butduetoopposingpriorities,africtiongetscreatedwhentheyare combined,makingitevenharderfordevandopstocommunicateinanefficientmanner.

ConflictbetweenDevelopmentandOperations

Althoughthereisn’tanydoubtconcerningthevarioustechnicalaswellasbusinessadvantagesthatanorganizationcanreap uponcombiningDevandOps,buttheycompriseofentirelyuniquegoals,metrics,andapproaches. Developmentprimarilylaysfocusonproducingnewsystemsandapplicationsandensuresthatcustomersget tousethesameasfastaspossible.Onthecontrary,operationslookfromadifferentaspect altogether;whereintheyprimarilyfocusonensuringaspeedyandbug-freestablesystem. Additionally,bothdevandopsstrivetowardsachievingasimilargoalofmakingtheir customersfeelhappyandsatisfied,yettheyutilizecompletelycontradictingapproachestoreach thatpurpose.Ononehand,developmentaspirestoimpressitscustomerswiththeirnewenhancements. Whereasontheotherhand,theoperationalteamwantsitscustomerbasetouseastableandtestedsystem –freefrombugsandoperabilityinconveniences.

TheBattleScenario–BeforeandAftertheAdventof DevOps

BeforeDevOpscameontothescene,bothDevelopment andOperationsworkedinanisolatedmanner.Theonly timetheycrossed-pathswereduringthereleasephase.The developmentteam,alreadynotifiedaboutthereleasedate, intendedtointerjectsomenewandadditionalfeatures beforethetimeofrelease.Whereastheoperationalteam knewfrombeforehandwhetherthecurrentreleaseversion hadanyneworadditionalfeaturesinterjected.Thisway, beforedeployingthereleasetothecustomer’ssite,theOps teamperformedrigoroustestingtobesatisfiedwithits stabilityandoperabilityandonlythenpermittedits deployment.

ThearrivalofDevOpsanditsriseinadoptionledtoa paradigmshiftfromthisculture.Developersnownolonger needtowaitforareleasedatetobring-forwardnewand enhancedfeatures.Instead,theyhavethecapabilityto releasenewfeaturesonaregularbasisbyusingtheconcept ofContinuousIntegrationandDelivery Thishasprompted developerstoemphasizethattheoperationteammust managethisregularflowofnewfeaturesimperatively beforeitgetsdeployedtothecustomer’ssite.Butthis approachgaverisetoanewproblem,asOpshavetodeal withapipelineofreleasesataregularintervalduetothis. Theynowneedtobeextremelyattentiveandcarefulabout thequalitytestingofthesystemsasthedeployedbuildson thecustomersitemayormaynotbeentirelyfreefrom bugs.

TheResolution

Themostfeasibleandobvioussolutiontothisopposing frictionisthesynchronizationbetweenDevandOps, popularlytermedasDevOps.CoinedbyPatrickDebois, knownas“thefatherofDevOps,”DevOpsisanoperational philosophythathelpstobridgethegapbetween DevelopmentandOperationsbyemphasizingupon integration,collaboration,andcommunication.

Industry Insider

Itisthemostsalientmethodologythroughwhichan organizationcancheckandassureabalancebetween developmentandquality.Inordertoreachanequilibrium pointinthisresolution,bothDevandOpsneedtoembrace theDevOpsmethodologiesbymodifyingtheiroutlookand theirwayofworking,asfollows:

FromtheOperationsPerspective

Extensivemonitoringofallrunningenvironmentssuch asstagingorproduction,soastoreactandpreventany issuesfromcroppingupandspreading,respectively.

Ÿ Operationsneedtobemuchmoreflexibleintheir approachinacceptingregularorfrequentchanges.

Ÿ Operationsshouldfacilitateaneffectiveandhealthy collaborationwiththeDevelopmentteam.

FromtheDevelopmentPerspective.

Ÿ Soundengagementneedstobeperformedtoassessthe qualitymetricsthatOpsemphasizeson,totrackcustomer productionsystemsandquality.

Ÿ Devneedtobemoreinvolvedwiththetestingoftheir owncodeintheproductionphaseinsteadofleavingout fromthefieldafterwritingthesystemorapplication code.

Ÿ Developersshouldfacilitateaneffectiveandhealthy collaborationwiththeOperationsteam.

Hence,itcanbesafelyexclaimedthatbothDevandOps teamneedtochangesubstantiallyintheirfunctioningand outlooktosuccessfullyadopttheDevOpsmethodology AdaptingtoDevOpscultureisbynomeansasilverbullet, asitbringswithitselfaconsiderableamountofchanges. Butuponsuccessfulcommunicationbetweendevelopers andoperators,anorganizationwillbeabletoreap significantadvantagesthroughthesame.Thebattlebetween DevandOpsmaycontinueforyears,butDevOpshasthe distinctcapabilitytobridgethegapbetweenthetwo.

Approyo:

Purpose-Driven Cloud Solutions

ChristopherCarter,CEOof Approyorecognizedtheneed foracompanythatcould providecost-effectivestrategic solutionsusingthebestofSAP,cloud andbigdataanalytics.Thismotivation ledtotheinceptionofthecompany backin2011.

ApproyoisaleadingglobalSAP solutionsproviderthatcreates customizedcloudenvironmentsforits customersbyrevolutionizingtheway SAPandSAPHANAsolutionsare adopted.Itworkswithcustomersto helprealizebusinesspotentialthat drivesgrowth,improvesROIand lowersrisks.

SettingupanApproyoplatformis quickandeasy,akeyfactorinits popularity.Sinceitsinception, Approyohasbecomeoneofthelargest U.S.-basedSAPHANAfirms.Todayit employsalargenumberofSAPHANA experts,withover200SAPS/4HANA andSAPHANAworldwidecities.

Thecompanyheadquartersarelocated inWisconsin,anditmaintainsData CentersinColumbus,OH,Atlanta, GA,Palo-Alto,CA,aswellasaLatin AmericanHQinSaoPalo,Brazilanda EuropeanbaseinBrussels,Belgium.

Approyoworkingstrategyisbasedon theplatformeco-systemtrend,which hasbecomethetechworld’sprevalent

facilitator Thissolutionhasattracted manytechgiantstoitssolutions; Approyo’sclientportfolioincludes Apple’siOS,Google’sAndroid,and Salesforce’sForce.com.

SupportingEnterpriseswith Innovation

Approyosupportsfirmswhichare lookingfortheknowledgetogrow throughcurrentbusinessprocess, whereanincreaseofjust1%translates tomillionsofdollarsinbusinessflow. Itsupportsclientsinmakingtheshift totheSAPHANAplatformby developingready-to-deployandsecure predictiveanalyticssolutions.

UsingthissolutionfortheHANA platformgivesabusinesstheabilityto fitstructuredandunstructureddata directlyintothesystemwithoutthe hassleofmassivehardware deploymentandtheresultingcosts.It alsoallowsitscustomerstochoosea pay-as-you-gomodeloramonthly subscription.

ApproyobringsBigDataandSAP HANAtoeveryoneinaquickand efficientmanner.ItsSAPHANA Solutionsaretypicallyupandrunning withintwotofivedays.TheSAP HANAsolutioncondensesHANA’s variouscomponentsintoasingleneat andeasypackage.Companieshavethe freedomtoeitherusetheentire packageorindividualcomponents.

Thisversatileapproachmakesitoneof thebestsolutionsinthemarket.The company’ssupportteammanagesover 200SAPlandscapesinitscloud platformandoffers24x7supportto itsclientswhichfurtheraidsefficiency

ShapingCloudSolutions

CEOChristopherCarterworkswith manybusinessesaroundtheglobe.He assistscloudsolutionproviderswith theusageofbigdataintheformsof Hadoop(ClouderaandHortonwork’s) andSAPHANA.

ChrishasbeenintheSAPindustryfor almost25years.Hehasbeen nationallyrecognizedbyTheAmerican SAPUsersGroup,SAPHadoopWorld andbymanyotherglobally-recognized researchers.

PrimaryGrowthFactors

Approyomainfocusisessential simplification,andthishasbeenthe primedrivingfactorforthecompany’s success.

Network-ChrisCarterandhisteam bringawealthofrelationshipsintothe SAPecosystem,andthisfurther acceleratesbusinessandpartnerships.

Expertise-Chrishasover25yearsof BigDataandtechnologyexpertise.He wasthecreatorofthefirstcustomer SAPHANACloudEnvironment.His teamhasworkedwithover100SAP

Christopher Carter CEO

HANAcustomercloudenvironments.Thisresourceful experiencehascreatedunbeatableagilityandadaptability insolutions.

GlobalConnectivity-Approyohascradledacrosstheglobe andprovideditssolutionsacrossunexploredterritories. Thisglobalconnectivityhasbeencrucialforthecompany’s credibility.

Team-TheApproyoteamisdedicatedinhelpingits customersrealizethebusinessbenefitsofbigdata,the InternetofThings,andcloudcomputing.

Technology-Approyobelievesithelpscustomersachieve theirdreams.Thesolutionsaretailoredtothecustomer’s businessneeds.Hence,everycloudenvironmentisbuilt fromthegroundupforSAPHANA,S/4HANA,Hadoop andothertechnologysolutions.

Additionally,thefirmishelpingitspartnersuncovernew businessopportunitiesthroughtheuseofbigdataandSAP HANA.Theutilizationofbest-in-classtechnologypartners intheSAPecosystemhasseededconsistentgrowthandthe empoweringfeaturesconstructivestrategizing,uniqueness, andagilitycreatedproductpopularity.

RevolutionarySolutionswithaPurpose ApproyorecentlylaunchedSAPS/4HANAIgnitethatgives companiesanorganizedSAPS/4HANAsandboxthatcan beutilizedinminutes.Thistechnologyhasthepotentialto revolutionizetheSAPworldwiththemosteconomic productiongradesandboxwhichcostsjust$3,000per monthwithasecurenetwork.

ThetechnologyisagamechangerforSAPcustomerswho wanttotrySAPS/4HANAandneedtotesthowtheycan migrate.Carterstressesthatallcurrentandupcoming productsofthecompanyaremadewithonepurpose:To helpcompaniessucceed.

Headds,“Wehelpcompanieshaveabetter,strongermore costeffectivesolutionattheirfingertips,onethatsupports theirneedsandhighstandards.”

We can bring our SAP HANA cloud offerings to our customers faster and more efficiently than anyone in the SAP ecosystem, and we have the experience to back it up.

By Alisée de Tonnac, CEO of Seedstars

Photo Courtesy: Daniel Lopez-Paullada

ComparedtoSiliconValley, themarketsweoperateinare eagertokeepupbycreating environmentsforentrepreneursand startups.Thisisdrivenby investmentsininstitutionsand infrastructure,however,ingeneral, thecountriesstilllagbehindwhenit comestothenumberofopportunities (evenworsewhenitcomestothe “entrepreneurshipculture”).

Intermsofhavingtheright institutionsandinfrastructures,all regionsaredoingwellexceptAfrica. CountriesfromCentralandEastern Europehavebeenspecifically successfulhere.Asiaisdefinitelythe mostdevelopedregionconcerning entrepreneurship.

OneofthebiggestchallengesI observeisthat,unfortunately,many ofthesecountriesareconfronted withbraindrain,althoughstartup hubslikeSingaporeandHongKong areabletoattractoutstandingminds.

Fortunately,investmentsstarttoflow tothesecountriesnow,asmany companies,businessangelsand venturecapitalistsalreadyseethem asopportunities:entrepreneurhubs likeMexico,BangkokorCapeTown areattractingmorefundingevery year.

Ontopofinfrastructuresand institutionsthere’sanotherdifficulty: trainingandmentoringhabitsare missinginmanyplaces. Nevertheless,wecanseesomehubs emergewhileacceleratorsand investmentsintrainingschemesare created:Singapore,Shanghai,HK, SantiagodeChile,Nairobi,Mexico City,CapeTown,BeloHorizonte, andothers.

Theonethingthatisreallydifferent forthosecountriesisthat entrepreneurshipisjuststartingtohit theirculturenow.Nowhereinthe worldarethereasmanyself-declared entrepreneursasinSanFrancisco. Foremergingmarkets,cultureseems tobethebiggestchallenge,with notableexceptions:Singapore, Nairobi,LagosandCapeTown.

Whatisinterestingaboutthese frontiermarketsisthatoutoftheir challengesrisestheopportunityto disruptthestatusquoandeven sometimesbethetestmarketfornew innovations.Wewitnessinmoreand moreindustriesthatphenomenaof leapfrogging throughwhichyou wouldskiponetechnology movementdirectlytothenext-less costly,moreefficientandusually moresustainableone.Fromtheir weaknessescomesalsothe advantageofmaybelessregulation, lesslobbyingandalesserhurdleof consumerhabitstochange.Themost obviousexampleisthatofskipping landlinesdirectlytomobilephones.

Itispredictedthatby2020,over 80%ofallsmartphoneswillbe locatedinemergingmarkets!When youthinkaboutbusinessesinthese marketsyouconsideramobile economyfromday1.The opportunitiesofdisruptioninthe financialsectorswithmobile payment(50%ofKenyanGDP passesthroughM-PESAmobile paymentapplication),healthcare sectorandotherscamefromthere.

Youalsoseetheriseofsolar poweredorelectricpoweredenergy solutionsforremoteareasduetothe inefficienciesofthenationalgrid.

There’sareasonforthecollaboration ofEuropeanorAmericancompanies

withentrepreneurshipinthese markets:theopportunitiesfor innovationarewider.Iamtalking, forexample,aboutdronecompanies whoworkwiththeRwandese governmenttochangeaerial regulations,inordertoallowthefirst nationaldroneairportintheworldto resideintheirlandofathousand hills...

Talentsareeverywhere

WhatIseethroughoutallregionsand countriesthough,isthatnomatter whatthedifficultiesare,passionand dedicationalwaysmakethings happen.

Iliketoshoutoutthattalentsare everywhere.Noone’spotentialis linkedtoanenvironment.It’strue thatagoodeducationandasecure contexthelp,butthegood“seed”can beinanyone,regardlessofthesocial environment.Anyonecanbuild anythinggreatfromscratchifyou givethemtime,resources,patience andhelp.

Iagreethatmotivationsdiffer accordingtocircumstances.Some havenochoiceandareentrepreneurs outofnecessity,somefundamentally believeitistheirmissiontochange thestatusquointheirlocal communitiesandcountries,whilst othersarebornwiththatDNAof wantingtobuildsomethingnewand involveothersintheirjourney

Iwonderifitisalsogenerational. We,millennials,seelifedifferently anddoputalotofemphasisonour personalpurpose.We’reverymuch attractedbythenomadiclifestyle that,manytimes,adigital entrepreneurcangive.Ithinkthe previousgenerationdidnotrealizeor

plainlyabusedofthewaywetreatourplanetand entrepreneurshipbecamesomethingveryrelevantto solvethemajorchallengesoftoday.

Doonethingthatscaresyoueveryday

Intheend,Ithinkthatentrepreneurshipismorea lifestyleandamindset,ratherthanaposition.What reallymovestheneedleisthencourageandcapacityto gooutofyourcomfortzone.

Iwasworkingforabigluxurycompanyincosmetics andIhadthisfeelingofdissatisfactionandunhappiness. Ineededtofindaprojectwhichmademefeelcomplete anduseful.Ifeltitwasashamenottoworkforaproduct capableofchangingtheworld.Icameacrossaquote fromEleanorRoosevelt:“Doonethingthatscaresyou everyday.”IrealizedIwasdeeplyinmycomfortzone andnotdoingthisatall,soIdecidedtogooutofmy comfortzoneandtourtheworldfromNigeriato Colombiain2013,withthegoaltomeetthebest entrepreneursinthosecountries.That’swhereSeedstars Worldwasborn,astartupcompetitionfocusedonlyin emergingmarkets.Nowthatwe’returningfive,onecan surelysayitisourmaintooltoimpactmillionsoflives throughtechnologyandentrepreneurship!

TodayIworkhardtobecomfortable...being uncomfortable.Iwouldn’tsayit’saneasythingtodo andthatIexcelatiteveryday,butit’swithagood attitudetowardsitthatyouwillgetthere.Thisiswhat wecallthe“GrowthMindset”atSeedstars.Wefocus particularlyonthatonewhilerecruiting.

Adviceforentrepreneurs Themostimportantthingforanentrepreneuristhatyou knowyourself.Youneedtounderstandyourselftobe abletodefinewhatkindofentrepreneuryouare(and yes,thiscanevolveovertimeandexperiences).Areyou thekindthatbuilds/creates?Areyouthetypethat followsandscales?Areyouthekindthatmanagesand leads?

Thishasbeenthemostchallengingandoverwhelming journeyIhavelivedtodate.Butitis,byfar,the “healthiestofinsanities”,onewithapurposethatmakes thewholejourneygreatandworthit.Alotislinkedto thenumberoffailuresyouwilllive,yourabilityto masterthesemomentsandbuildagilityandresilience.

J.K.Rowlinggaveitallit’smeaningwhenstatingthat “somefailureinlifeisinevitable.Itisimpossibletolive withoutfailingatsomething,unlessyouliveso cautiouslythatyoumightaswellnothavelivedatall–inwhichcase,youfailbydefault”.

Forallentrepreneursandprofessionals,I’lladviseto:

Surroundyourselfwithgreattalentandmore generallyinyourlife,cutoutthosewhopullyou down;keepthebestofhearts,mindsandlaughs.

Ÿ Cutoutthenoise(realityisnotwhatyoureadontech magazines)andstayfocused.

Ÿ Don’tunderestimatethetimetodefineandbuildthe culturewithinyourorganisation.Someoneoncesaid, “cultureismanagementatscale”.

Measure,measure,measure.

Chooseyourcoreteambecauseyoualignwiththe values,notbecauseyoualignintermsofskills.

Coach-don’tmicromanage(mostdifficult experiencewhengoingfromfoundertomanager).

Andfinally,makeyourdreamsreality.It’sallinthe doing.Untildeathhasbeencured/resolved/augmented, weneedtorespectthetimewehaveandbecontentof whatweachieveonourdaytoday.

Canvas InfoTech Inc.:

Fullling

Staffingindustryisoneofthe mostwell-known,excitingand diverseindustriesaround.Ithas flourishedfromafairlynarrowsector, speciallyknownforprovidingoffice personneltoreplacesickor vacationingworkers,toamajor industrywhichnowprovidesafull rangeofhumanresourceservicesto virtuallyeverytypeofbusinessand employer.Nowadays,itisbelievedthat theindustryisresponsiblefor employingclosetothreemillion people,andisgeneratingrevenuesof morethan$125billion,contributingto apayrollinexcessof$90billion.With thetargetofhelpingpeoplegettheir dreamjob,CanvasInfoTechInc.a minorityownedstaffingandsolutions companystarteditsjourney. Headquarteredin Fremont, CA., CanvasInfoTechInc.hasbeenoneof theleadingproviderofprofessionalsto theFortune500clientsinUnitedStates since2006.Withacommendable experienceofmorethanelevenyears, thecompanyhasthemassivenetwork andresourcestofillwidevarietyof positions.Canvasworksacrossawide zonespanningoverseniorlevel positions,suchasC-levelExecutive search,tojuniorindividual contributors.Canvasofferscontract staffingservices,full-timestaffing services,andpay-rollservicesaswell. Additionally,thecompanyprovides

Needs

immigrationassistance,byfillingH1BsandGreenCardsforitsemployees whoareworkingatthecompany’s client’ssiteonaprojectthatitgotfor them.

Asperthecompany,itisaconsortium ofseasonedconsultantswithgreat experience,workingtogetherin deliveringsuccessinERP implementation,detailedbusiness requirementsgathering,creatingSRSs, developingWebBasedApplications, andbuildingrobusttestcasesforERP implementations.

TechnologyStaffingSolutionsatits Best

Canvasprovidesprofessional technologystaffingsolutionstovarious respectedcompaniessuchas Xerox, Visa, Verizon, The Walt Disney Company, Toyota, T-Mobile, Symantec, Tata Consultancy Services, Levi’s, Red Bull, Motorola, Nokia, Logitech, Kia Motors, HP, HSBC, HCL, eBay, Dell, etc. Withmorethandecadeof experience,Canvasalsobranchedinto providingprofessionalcertifications andworkingwithScrumAllianceto provideCSMandCSPOtrainingtoIT professionals.Canvasalsoprovides ITILtrainingwithspecialtrainingin MSProjectandSAFeAgilistand SAFePractitionertraining.The

companyalsoprovidestrainingslike PMIACP,PMI,PMP,PMIPgMP,and PMPPfMP.

Canvasspecializesinvarioussectors including,Technology: All aspect of Software Development and implementation and infrastructure development and Support. Business Operations: Product Managers, Project managers, Analysts, Communications. FinanceandAccounting: Controllers, Assistant Controllers, Junior Accountants, Senior Accountants, Credit Managers, Office Managers, Payroll, Cost Accountants, Financial Analyst. MarketingandSales: Account Managers/Executive, MarCom, Director of Sales, and Communications.

TheForerunnerofCanvas

Backin2006,Canvaswasco-founded byMr.AlokBhatia,whoisalsothe Presidentofthecompany.Overthe periodoflast6years,hehasprovided morethan800consultantstoFortune 500companies.Alokwasalso involvedinmultipleprocess improvementprojectswhichincludes ITbasedsoftwaredevelopment projects.Withover21yearsof experienceintheITindustry,hehas

Alok Bhatia Co-founder & President

Our Mission is partnering with clients to provide robust Information Technology Solutions.

pickedupseveralcertificationsincluding PMP, CSM, CSPO, PMI-ACP, CBAP, SAFe Agilist and SAFe Practitioner, ITIL, and MS Project 2013. Allthesetraining hashelpedhimbuildtheneededskillstohelpagroupof peopleprogressfrom ‘forming and storming’towardsthe goalofbecomingagreatperforming,continuously improving,andself-organizingscrumteam.Workingfor Fortune500companiesearlyinhiscareerhelpedhim understandthehugemarketandthepotentialforabusiness inthisfield.ThisinturnledAloktobuildCanvasInfoTech Inc.

WhenClientsandEmployeesareFirstPriority

Canvasalwaystakesprideinservingitsclient’sneedsto thebestofitsability.Fulfillingitsclient’sneedsgivesthe organizationanimmensesatisfactionandeachofthe successistheorganization’smotivation,whichaddstoall theexcitement.

Canvasalwaysbelievesemployeefriendlyworkplace cultureisakeytoacompany’ssuccessandwinning workplaceculturedoesn’thappenbychance,noritcanbe forced.Accordingtothemanagementofthecompany, workplaceculturesshouldincludeopenlinesof

communication,aclearorganizationalmission,careful hiring,worklifeflexibility,competitivepayandbenefits. Andlastly,nottoforget–funthatincludesmultipleteam eventsthroughouttheyear.

TacklingRoughPatchesandFuturePlanning

Justlikemostotherorganizations,Canvastoohaditsown shareofinitialstruggles.However,duetothehardwork, persistence,andperseveranceoftheextremelydedicated team,thecompanyeventuallytackledalltheinitial struggles.

Thankstothesolidteamofthecompanywhichismissiondrivenandunderstandstheconstantmarketchangeand adaptstoallthesechangesaccordingly.Canvasishopingto bethenumberonestaffingagencyinthebayareaandalso thebesttraininginstituteforcertificationstraininginthe nearfuture.

cquiringorbuyinggoods,

servicesandworkoftenvia tenderingorcompetitive biddingprocessisknownas procurement.Corporateandpublic sectorsunitseeksittobeafairand opencompetitionprocessoftradefor theirbusinesswithminimizingrisks, suchasexposuretofraudand collusion.Procurementprocessinclude businessaffectingfactorssuchas marginalbenefit,shipping,delivery andthefluctuatingpricesofmany goodsandservices.Conventional procurementprocessgenerally consumesacertainamountof resourcessuchasemployees,timeand moneyofanorganization,whichis countedingeneralasthenon-liable assetsanditaffectsthegrowthofan organizationinthecurrenttech-arena. Theadvancementintechnologyhas givenaboomtotheprocurement processandfortheleading procurementorganizations;itdoesnot justactasquickdecisionenablerbut alsoakeydriverofnext-level performanceandresults.

Procurementteamsarenow capitalizingoninnovativesourcesof technologytooptimizeprocesses, buildingtrust,andtoenrich relationshipstoimprovetheirstrategic reachanddeploycutting-edge procurementresources.Technologyis continuouslydrivingimprovementsin processes,data,insights,andasall technologiesareultimately implementedtosavings.Followingare thecurrentmarketdrivingtechnology, whichareaffectingprocurement processes:

CloudServices

Theeaseinbuying,sellingandgetting therightresourcesacrossafullarray ofbusinessservicesandgoodsarethe naturalneedsfortheyounggeneration oftech-professionalsto driveinto budgetmanagementroles.Thishas nowbecomepossibleduetocloudorientedservicesavailableinthe marketforprocurementprofessionals.

Leadingtoaquickeningpaceincloud services,thecompaniesarenow lookingtoditchclunky,in-house systemsandarereplacingitwith accessiblecloudsolutionstoavoid beinglumberedwithrapidly supersededsystems.Cloudisproving tobeveryhelpfulindetermining servicessuchassupplychain,a processtopay,purchasing,andmuch more.

OnlineGlobalAccesstoMarketplace

Technologicaladvancementin procurementprocessesishelpingto recedegeographicallimitations, resultingingreaterparticipationof organizationstoaccessglobalpoolsof suppliersforbusinessservicesand resources.Withthisadvancement, largerenterpriseswillachievegreater efficienciesandcaneasilyidentify hiddencostsavingsfactorsacrossthe widerareasoftheirbusiness, particularlywithintheirindirect spending.Onlineplatformsare streamliningtheirpurchasingpotential andhelpingthemtogetquickaccessto high-qualitysupplierswhileensuring in-housecompliance.

ExpenditureManagement

Manyorganizationsarestrongat expenditureanalysisbutstill,thisonly provestobealittleaspectof expendituremanagement.Eventhis taskisfullofdifficulties,withnosetof particularstandardstodefinehow muchandwhatgoesintowhich categoryduringoperations.Oncean organizationstartslookingatthe detailsacrossitsbudgets,itgetsreally difficulttounderstanditslevelof expendituresandwhetherthebest valueisachieved.Withtheavailability oftechnology,organizationsare improvingtheirviewonfuture expenditures.

ArtificialIntelligence&itsFuture Scopes

AIisgainingtrustacrossdifferent sectorsinalmostallleading organizationsandwillcontinueto evolvetillweadoptmoreconsumer buyingbehaviorsatdifferent workplacesinleadingprocurement organizations.Theareaofexpertise, locations,sizeandthecreditscore requirementsofalmosteverysupplier isrequiredtogetclarityoverproject deliverables.Organizationsaregetting supportfromAIplatformstoincrease thespectrumareaofsearch,speeding uptheirprocessesandavoidingtherisk ofbias,fraudanderrorrectifications producedbyhumans.

AIisprovingtobeaboonfor Procurementorganizationsbutstill, thereisalongwaytogoin advancement.AIcanhelpin

submittinge-biddingoftendersorin purchaseofmaterialbyrelocating resourcesaccordingtorequirements, thearrangementofdataandsheetsin arrayfashion,specialdedicated software’sandmanymorethingswill getlined-upinaccordancetotime evolution.

MobileApplications

Mobilechannelsarehelpingmicroserviceslikeraiseofpurchaseorders, approvals&continuouscheckson deliverytimes,andbillingespecially forprocurementsgoodstogetfaster andreliable.Theseserviceswill continuetoadoptlighterclient-side mobileapps.Appsalsohelpwith measurement.Businessgoodsareon

tighttimelineanddatafromAppswill improvemeasurementofeachstepon procurementjourney.Mobile applicationsarealsohelpinginthe transferofdatathroughsecured channel,cost-cuttingandbetter resourcesutilization.

Summary

Technologyhasprovidedtheabilityto deployspendmanagementplatforms thatwillhelpinautomatingorenable employeeself-servicefortactical procurementactivitiesandduetoit, procurementorganizationswillfind mundanesupplieractivitieswaning. Thiswillprovideprocurement professionalswithextrahands-ontime tofocusonhighervalue-addfrom

suppliers.Further,technologywill continuetoevolveoverthemediumto longertermtoamodewithacore “container”withamyriadof transactionalapps.Companieswillsee theimpactastheystarttocontrola muchlargerpercentageofindirect spend.Withtheintegrationofsources, purchasingandprocurement technology,anditsinterface,intowider andspecializedbusinessapplications, hasbeensingle-handedly transformationalforeveryorganization thathashadtheacumentoimplement ittodate.Iforganizationshaven’tdone ityet,itisimperativeforthemtostart today!

Midwest Restoration: A Brilliant Emergency Platform

Built by a Great Team

Ateamisformedwhen individualswithacommon taste,preference,liking,and attitude,sharesacommongoal.Team playsavitalroleinorganizationsas wellasinourpersonallives.Henry Fordoncesaid“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” Anorganizationrequiresan adequateteamthatworkscuriouslyto drawthesuccession.Agreatteam startswithagreatleadershipteam. MidwestRestorationisafullservice propertydamagerestorationcompany thathasinitiatedsuchaleadership team.Thecapableleadershipof CoyneS.Borree,CEOandJennifer Rottier,COOofMidwest Restorationhassuccessfullyformeda specializedteamwhichhasenhanced thecompany’ssolutions.Thefirmis privatelyownedandanexpert companythatfacilitatesthe restorationandreconstructionof residentialandcommercialproperties damagedbyfire,water,storms, vandalism,oranyotherincident. Establishedin2008,thecompanyhas restoredmanypropertieswith noticeableutilityacrossthecountry.

RestoringtheResidentialand CommercialPropertiesCostEffectively

Theorganizationrestoresand

reconstructsseveralresidentialand commercialpropertieswithan unparalleledefficiency.Itutilizestop ofthelineequipmentinthefieldand asoftwareand communication/documentation systemsthatsetsthebarofservices veryhigh.

Theplatformalsoprovidescarpet cleaning,hazmat/traumacleanup, generalremodeling,roofing/siding, ultrasoniccleaning,andother essentialservicesrelatedto restoration.Althoughtheindustry expensestandardsareveryhighitisa toughtasktoprovide100%paperless operationscost-effectively.Midwest Restorationhasmadethecourse possibleandexpertlydeliversoneof thebestfullcirclerestorative operationsavailabletotheirclients. MidwestRestorationworksforthe homeownersandfocusesontheir customerbeinghappywithagreat productattheendoftheday irrespectiveofthebudgetandprofit margins.

DeliveringtheServicesPassionately

BothCoyneBorreeandJennifer Rottierareextremelypassionateabout theverticalandstrivetoprovidetheir besttodeliveracrediblerestoration platform.

Mr.Borreehasyearofexperiencein boththeinsuranceclaimsindustryas wellasarestorationbackground. Whenyoucouplethesetwofields togetheryouhavearecipeforsuccess inthepropertydamagearena.After workingforlargenational corporations,herealizedtheneedfor alocalcompanythathaditslocal client’sbestinterestsinmindand formedMidwestRestoration accordingly.Hementions“We provide all the services, but, at the end of the day, seeing all of my clients around the area and knowing that I have helped them out in a time of need while knowing that it was done in their best interests.”Inhispositionof PresidentofMidwestRestoration, Coyneoverseesallday-to-day operationsoftheorganizationwithan emphasisonhisclients,buildinga successfulteamofemployees,and beingagoodcorporatecitizen.Coyne isactiveinnumerousFoxValley businessassociations,andcharities includingthelocalChamberof Commerce,PoliceandFire Departments,NARI,TheBBB,Home BuildingAssociations,TheRed Cross,andHabitatforHumanity.

JenniferRottier,COOofMidwest RestorationhasanAssociate’sdegree inArts&SciencefromtheUWFox Valley,alongsidebeingagraduateof

YOUR Emergency is OUR Priority.

theEMTprogramatFoxValleyTechnicalCollege.She hasheldanumberofmanagementandexecutivepositions throughouthercareer.BeforejoiningMidwest Restoration,JenniferwasdirectlyinvolvedwithTheda Clark’sICUandIntermediateMedicalandStrokeUnit. Priortothat,Jenniferearnedthetitleofthenumberone salesassociateforsevenyearsstraightatoneofthe largestriskmanagementandworkplacecompliance organizationsinthenation.

JenniferjoinedMidwestRestorationinDecemberof 2015,servingastheVicePresidentofBusiness Development.Duetohermassivesuccessinbusiness development,withheradding1.2milliondollarsin revenueduringherfirstyearinthecompanycreated numerouspositionsthatstreamedtocontinuedeliveringa qualityproducttoitscustomers.InJanuaryof2017 Jennifertookonachallengingroleofaprojectmanager tocurblargelosses.Unsurprisingly,Jennifercompleted severalprojectsoverthecourseof2017anddiditsowell thatthecompanyre-wrotetheprocessofitsproject managementbasedonhowshemanagedherprojects.She waspromotedastheChiefOperationsOfficerin2018, withtheultimategoalofcreatingaduplicablesystem beingabletohavefranchiseesacrossthecountry,giving

otherstheopportunitytoprovidethesamequalityservice anddeliverthesamequalityproductthatwasstartedin Januaryof2008.TheastutenessofCoyneandJenniferas ateam,together,simplifiesthefurtherprogressionswith deliberateswiftness.

HandpickedAssociateswithInsightfulAbilities Risingasthemarketdominatorwithinasmallamountof timeisnotaneasytask.MidwestRestorationhasproved itsreliabilitywithinnotimereceivingmultiplelocaland nationalawards.Theprimereasonbehindthesuccessis insightfulabilitiesofthecompany’shandpicked employees.Ithasverylowassociateturnoverandputs-in massiveamountsofcontinuededucationandconstant trainingtokeepthemwithinthecompanywithreal-time industryinsights.Jenniferstates “We believe in treating our associates and clients with the same level of value and respect that we provide to our customers.” The companyunderstandstheimportanceoftrustedadvisors togetoutofatoughspot.Thus,itaimstodelivera leadingrestorationandreconstructionplatformto selectiveregionalandnationalfranchises,withthesolid teamofitsfacilitatorsatthehelmofaffairs.

Coyne S. Borree CEO

Jennifer Rottier COO

Backend-As-A-Service for Payments-As-A-Service

ThegrowthoftheFintechecosystembroughtwithit aninfluxofPaymentServiceProviders(PSP). Thesenewarrivalsarechangingthewaythe industryisservingandinteractingwithitscustomers.

GrowthTriggersFreshChallenges

Itdoesn’tmatterifyouareaB2CoraB2Bcompany,you arenowfacingamoreinformed,savvier Customer/Merchantwhoislookingnotjustforthebest pricingbutforthebestvaluefortheirmoney.

Thisevolutionofthecustomerrequiredtheserviceprovider toevolveaswell,simplytokeepup.Providershavehadto consideradditionalservicesaspartoftheirvalue proposition–notalwaysaneasytaskforcompanieswith limitedresourcesandlegacysystems.

Themarketbecamemoreaccessibletoyoung,freshbrands offeringagileandinnovativeapproachestopayments. Manyveteranplayershavebeenlefttofollowtheirleador risklosingbusiness.Customerstodayarelookingforfaster onboarding,fewerquestionsandmoreservicesoffered instantly,from“one-click-checkout”totheabilitytologin withsocialnetworksandeveneasywaystoshareexpenses onthego.

SquareGetsitRight

PaymentServiceProviderSquareisanexcellentexample ofaPSPwhoactedquicklytorespondtocustomerdemand. SquarestartedoutwiththeircardreaderandMPOS,then quicklyexpandedtheirservicestoecommerce,scheduling andmanymoreoptionsdesignedtohelpSMBs(Small MediumBusiness)expandandscaletheirownenterprises. Square’seaseofusehashelpedthousandsofmerchants improverevenuesandtakecontroloftheirdaytoday activity

AtCoriunder,wehavebeenfocusedonthePSP-As-AStartup(PAAS)approach,wherethePSPischangingtheir strategyandallocatingtheirbudgetstobecomemore

competitivewithnewer,moreagileproviders;thisledto anotherPAASapproach.Thisone hasbeenaroundfora whilebutwasn’tconsideredasanalternative;PaymentsAs-A-Service.Thisoptionpavesthewayforwhitelabel gatewayprovidersthathavebeenenablingthequicksetup ofaPaymentServiceProviderwithouttheneedofalarge technicalteamandthesecuritycertificationsthatcomewith it.

Themajorityofprovidersarefocusingonthelargenetwork ofacquiringbanksandalternativesolutionsinsteadofon theflexibilityneededforthePSPtobuildhisclientbase. Butit’snotjustaboutthepayments.

OurSolutionforthePAASDilemma

Ourapproachisslightlydifferent;webuiltaBAAS (Backend-As-A-Service)modelthatgivesourclientstools tomanageCustomers(Cardholders/Users),Merchants, Affiliatesandeventheirownemployees.Thisprovidesour clientswitha waytobuildappsandservicesaspartof theirofferingandtomanagethebillingand“standard” servicesallwithinone,PCILevel1certified,management suite.

ThisapproachmadePaymentsan“Add-on”tothePSP’s serviceandnotthemainservice;weseesomeclients expandingourMerchantManagementPortaltoallow schedulingandinvoicing.Otherusersarebuildingriskand fraudtoolstoextendtheKYCchecksandtransactions monitoringtheyhaveinplace.

WeserveasahubthatprovidesthePSPwiththeoptions theyneedtointegratetoeveryserviceprovidertheywish to.Together,theycancreateintuitiveworkflowsthatbetter servetheirbusinesslogic.

BAASandFraudPrevention

Anevolutionofacustomercomeshandinhandwiththe evolutionofthe“Fraudsters”.Inmanycases,thePSPisleft exposedonbothfronts;theyneedtobothcatertothe

About Eliad Saporta

Eliad Saporta is the Managing Director of Coriunder With a background in law and an MBA in finance, Eliad has always been drawn to product management and design. He worked as a consultant for various companies, assisting them in their efforts to build products in the payments ecosystem. Today, he helps entrepreneurs not only by assisting them, but also by offering the right tools and services for building their vision.

Mentor's

customerandcombatfraud.ClientsadoptingBAASare usingtheBackendsolutiontomanagebothtransactionsand customers,sotheynowhavetheabilitytointegrateRisk andFraudtools.Inmanycases,theycanevenbuildtheir owncustomtoolstodefineworkflowsthathelpthembetter mitigateriskandmoreeffectivelyfightchargebacksand fraud.

Weseethestrugglesofourcustomersasasharedchallenge, soweofferaC2C(Client-to-Client)integrationaspartof thecorefunctionality,brandscanhelponeotherfind solutionsmorequickly WithC2Cintegration,additional revenuestreamscanbeestablished,asclientsdeveloping newservicesorexpandingtonewterritoriescanassistone anotherwithgrowthandopportunity.

Whenwelaunchedourserviceweaimeditatstartups lookingtobuildtheirideaontopofourBackend;wesoon welearnedthatthePSPmarketwasindireneedofa servicelikeours.WearenowservingPaymentService Providersglobally,withpartnersbasedinHongKong,the UnitedStates,Cyprus,Malta,CostaRicaandmore.By addressingtheneedsofthisrapidlygrowingindustryand

helpingclientscreateinnovativecustomsolutions,BAAS canresolvethedilemmafacedbytheaveragePSP

AboutCoriunder: CoriunderisaBackend-As-A-Serviceplatformforfintech andecommercecompanies.Whateveryourservicesmight be,Coriunderprovidesyouwithreachmanagementtoolsto monetizeyoursolutionandenablesyoutoexpandglobally withourPaymentoptimizationtoolsandasinglepointof integrationforallofyourservices.

Withover300availableintegrationstoacquiringbanksand serviceproviders,CoriunderisthelogicalBackend-As-AServiceforthePaymentServiceProvider.

Eliad Saporta Managing Director Coriunder

Leading Insights to Become the Most Successful Person This Year

Experiencingaseamlessgrowthisnotamiracle, butanappealinactionableprocess.Successisa universalconceptandnotsolitudeforacertain people,classororigin.So,withthisidea,successis actuallyopenforeverybody,livinganywhereatany time.Ifyouwantyourprovisionstobemostpreferred overanother,youneedtoputmorepreferencein providingnon-horizontallineofsolutionsintheindustry Provide,peoplewithwhattheyhaveneverheardof,and theywillseekforyoueveninthemosthiddenplaces. Whenyougainsuchattention,andafteralongstrive, happiness,andlonglastingjoywillfillsyourheartthen thisiswhatsuccessisallabout.

Tostandoutuniqueandbemoresuccessfulthanyou havealwaysbeen,exploittheactionplansmentioned below Youmaynotbeabletoimplementeachand every-one,butattemptingthemwithadisciplinecan helpyoutoimproveinunparalleledmanner.

Self-ControlandDiscipline

Youarematureenough,butthefutureiswiserthanyou. So,ifyouwanttoreachthedesiredfutureinamore effectivewaythenlearntoorganizeyourself,and arrangelineofactionwithatimeconsciousness.Always rememberthat,timegonewillnotcomeback.Onemust optimizehisdailyactivitiestobemoreorganized.The hardworkswillsurelypaybackwithahugesuccessand aworthwhileROI.

ListentotheInnerVoice

Awisemanwillnotfellintothetroublethatasmart personwouldcomeoutof.Learnthepeoplearoundyou. Thesocietyisnotyourhome,butyourextrapersonin multitude.Ifyoucancontrolhowthesemultitudes

interactwithyourinnerpersonandneverbedistracted bythem,youwillsucceedinalmosteverythingthathas todowithpeople.Remember,youwillnotalwaysbe successfulineverything,butyoucanbementally successful,whenyourfirststepwastakenwithhigh degreeofoptimism.Soalwaysbepositiveanddonot allowthebadhappeningofthenow,todistractthe possibilitiesofthefuture.

BetheLeaderofYourToday Althoughyoufailedonce,italsomeansyoutried,and youhavethechancestobesuccessful.Ifyounevertried anewthing,youwillneverknowhowfaryoucould havegoneinlife.Inall,justlearnfromyourfailuresand alwaystrytoclimbup.Neverregretanything,justlearn fromyourmistakesandbecomeabetterversionofyou. Whenyoumeetnewchallengesin2018,alwaysfaceit withconfidencebecauseyoumightbejustastepbehind thegreenpastureattheotherend.Letyouractionsbe leader-oriented,withcleargoalsandbuddedwithpure passionandallowyourselftoflyhigh.

LearninBits,GrowinBulk Donottrytolearneverythingonce,youwillalways makealotmistakes.Aslongasyouliveandinteract withpeoplein2018,alwaysfindsomethingnewtoadd toyourknowledgestore.Learnfromthedigital platforms,thecrowd,butinall;learntooptimizewhat youhaveassimilated.Observeeachandeveryaction takenbyyouandhaveanabilitytounderstandtheright one.Itwillhelpyoutostayaheadofthemasses.Ifyou knowwhateveryotherpersonknows,andaddyourown extraknowledge,youractionswillstandasreference pointforthegenerations.Socontinuelearningto continueearning.

Proactive Worldwide: A Global Leader in Strategic Intelligence Services

Atfirstglance,businessresearch andconsultingfirmsseem somewhatsimilar True,their staffqualifications,capabilities, presentations,andfeestructuresdon’t appeartovarymuch.However,the devil’sinthedetails.Thesefirmscan differgreatlyinphilosophy,processes, tools,andoverallsuccessratesin facilitatingaclient’sbusiness outcomes.ProactiveWorldwideisa caseinpoint.Unlikemostother consultants,PWWspecializesin servingclientsthroughitsexpertisein strategicintelligenceresearchand relatedservices.

ProactiveWorldwidehasleveragedthe powerofBigDataasthecatalystfor innovationsinevidence-based competitiveintelligenceandmarket intelligence.Toachievetheseends, PWWworkswithsoftwarepartners andemphasizesresearchand development(R&D).Asaresultof theseinnovativestrategies,PWWhas becomeaglobalforceinintegrating dataanalyticswithcutting-edge expertiseinprimarymarketresearchto deploymoreconstructivestrategic intelligencesolutions.

ProvidingTrailblazingSolutions

Intoday’svolatilemarketeconomy, anyfirmneedstotakeadvantageofthe bestbusinessstrategiestosurviveand prosper.ProactiveWorldwideexcelsin

thisarena. ThePWWexpertshelp customersfromawiderangeof industriestooutdothecompetition throughtheuseofIntelligence-Based StrategicPlanning,Competitive Intelligence,MarketIntelligence,and CustomerInsights.ThePWWcultural andoperationalapproachhasbeen honedthroughmanyyearsof experienceindevelopingcustomized evidence-basedsolutionstoaddress market,customer,andcompetitive challenges.

ProactiveWorldwidesharesits expertisebypresentingworkshopsthat alwayshaveanenthusiasticfollowing. Amongthemostpopularworkshop topicsisadiscussionofROIandthe waythatisaffectedbyusingevidencebasedintelligencewhenmaking businessdevelopmentdecisionsin emergingmarkets.

MeetingtheManattheHelm GaryMaagistheCo-Founderand CEOofProactiveWorldwide.With morethan25yearsofexperiencein competitiveintelligence(CI)research andconsulting,hedirectsallof Proactive’sglobalbusiness development,sales,andmarketing activities.Forhisachievements,Maag hasreceivedtheStrategicand CompetitiveIntelligenceProfessionals’ (SCIP)CatalystAwardaswellas NorthernIllinoisUniversity’s

DistinguishedMarketingAlumnus Award.

PartneringwithSoftwareDevelopers

Morethanmoststrategicintelligence professionals,ProactiveWorldwide’s executiveleadersengageinsignificant R&Dwiththeirsoftwarepartnersto developnewinnovations.The organization’sadvancedrapidresponse service,“AskanAnalyst,”isone typicalendeavor.“AskanAnalyst” wasdevelopedtohelporganizations quicklyauthenticatetheirpositionson anynumberof strategic/competitive/marketing/custo merbenchmarkingmetricstoprovide insightanddirectiontowardmore profitabilityandgrowth.

DevelopedbyPWW’sPresidentDavid Kalinowski,thefirmalsooffersa highlystrategicWarGamingservice. AsKalinowskiseesit, “War games are particularly relevant in a fluctuating global marketplace, and when done right, can expose more predictively reliable pathways to help businesses tactically strengthen their position among their competition.”

StayingAheadofthePack

ProactiveWorldwideworksincessantly toincorporatenewtechnologiesas theyariseandtobuildmoreinclusive modelsaroundexponentially increasingvolumesofavailabledata.

Gary Maag Co-founder & CEO

Todothisrequiresahighlytrainedandknowledgeable staff. Fortunately,itsstellarreputationhasmadePWWa meccaforbothattractingandretaininghighcaliberpeople whosharethefirm’svision,professionalism,andrespectfor eachother’stalents.ProactiveWorldwidecreditsitsteam mindsetwithformulatingapositivegrowthstrategyand intentionaldirectionwithintheorganization.Everymember oftheteambringstothetableauniqueskill-setthat contributestothefirm’soverallexpertiseandtothe knowledgebase. Asaresult,thefirmhasgrownand prospered.

ProvidingSpecializedTools

TheteamatProactiveWorldwideneverrestsonitslaurels. Nowtheyaretakingevidence-basedfindingstoahigher level,particularlythroughstrategicsimulation,competitive responsemodeling,andscenarioplanning.The organization’sleadingpractitionersarewell-knownfortheir developmentofstandardpracticesinCompetitive Intelligence(CI),andtheyprovideinformationtothosein theCIspaceatprominentforums,workshops,and conferencesthroughouttheyear

ProactiveWorldwide’sprovenservicemodelstresses collaborationwithclientstoincreasetheirabilitynotonly togatherdata,butalsotoorganize,categorize,and

disseminateinformationefficiently.ProactiveWorldwide createscustomizedintelligencewebportalstomakethis easierfortheirclients.Thesewebportalsareahighly effectivewaytosortandsharecriticalintelligencewith thosewhocanmostbenefit.Thesecustomer-specificweb portalshelpcustomersmakecriticalbusinessdecisionsin near-realtime.

SteppingUptoAidGrowthIndustries

Changesintechnologyandmethodologyoccursorapidly todaythatmanyindustriesfinditdifficulttokeeppace. Nowhereisthismoreapparentthanintheburgeoning healthcareindustry.ProactiveWorldwidehassolutions. Currently,theorganizationisdevelopingcutting-edge technologicalinnovationsthatwillhaveanimpacton decisionmakinginvariousareas,includinginsurance coverage,mergers,andpatientcompliance.Oneof ProactiveWorldwide’snewestproductentries, “MedForecast™,”isasubscription-basedmodelthattracks newdrug-treatmentsolutionsastheygothroughthe approvalprocess.

Emergingmarketsaroundtheworldarealsoonthehorizon. ThePWWteamlooksforwardtothesenewchallenges.

Strategic intelligence is like oxygen in the corporate environment—if enough gets to the heads of executives, it becomes easier to think clearly.