Theterm‘Innovation’hasdriventheindustriestoopenupanewworld.Therefore,theinnovations
thatweseeday-to-dayaremeantasdiscoveriestochangethethingsaroundus.Additionally,the productsandsolutionsdesignedthroughinnovativeideashavethepotentialtodisruptthemarket bychangingthestatusquoandreplacingwhatalreadyexistswithsomethingtotallyunique.Numerous organizationsincludingstart-upcompaniesaregeneratinginnovativesolutions,techniquesandservicesin ordertostandaheadontheirrespectiveindustries.Further,organizationsaretransformingeverysectorto satisfytheneedsandexpectationsofthecustomers.
Nowadays,innovationwhichismeantasakeyisspreadacrosseverycorneroftheworldandhastakenit bystorm.Thishasledtothedevelopmentofnewsolutionstoproblemsthathumanshaveinherentlyfaced. Sofar,practicallyeverysectorspresentontheearthhavemetwithsomeformofchallenges,butthese innovationshavetouchedoneveryaspectincludingmedicine,science,engineeringandsociallife.Inother words,mostofthecompanieshavestartedtounderstandthisconceptandhavealsoachievedthroughtheir observation,imaginationandthinkingoutofthebox.Withoutthese,everythingarounduswouldhave beencommonwithjustbasicideas.
Accordingtotheindependentresearchers,fordecades,scientistshavefocusedontheconceptofbeing abletoteachmachineshowtothinkandeventuallylearn.Thesebreakthroughshaveledtotherevolution ofartificialintelligencewherecomputersaretrainablebyfollowingarecognizablepattern.This technologyisevenpoisedtomakeelectronicdeviceslikecomputersandsmartphonesthinkproactively andundertakesensitiveactivities.
Inthenearfuture,technologicalinnovationsinvolvedinself-drivingcars,geneticsanddeliverydronescan makelifeeasierbytheendoftheday.Newinnovationcantakethestagesoftheworktowardsmaking
humanlifeeasier,efficientandintegratedinnature.Withprogressiveresearchintothetechnologies andotherprototypetechnologieswhicharestillbeingconceived,theworldisundoubtedlyboundto becomeabetterplace.
Keepingthisinmind,InsightsSuccessMagazinehasshortlisted“The30MostInnovative CompaniestoWatch2018”,whichhavespottedtheuniquedotstodiscovernewthingsthrough notion,unexpectedconnectionsandideas.
Onthecover,wehaveencompassedAllscripts,aleaderinhealthcareinformationtechnologywitha 30-yearhistoryofexcellence.Thecompanyhasavisiontobuildopenandconnectedcommunitiesof healththatadvanceclinical,financialandoperationalresults.
Further,wehaveshortlistedAppZen,theleaderinofferingartificialintelligencesolutionfor businessprocesses.Auxenta,aninnovativesoftwareengineeringservicesandtechnologyproduct consultingcompanywhoworkwithenterprises,independentsoftwarevendors(ISVs),startupsand notforprofitorganizations.CoreAxisprovidesauniquecombinationofhighimpactbusiness performanceconsulting,coupledwithcustomtrainingdevelopmentanddelivery Ensygnia,aUKbasedtechnologycompanyspecializingindeliveringagoodcustomerexperiencecombinedwith invisiblesecurity.Kaasproisafuturisticorganizationthatbelieveswebappsaredestinedtomake theworldmorecommunicativeandeasiertoaccess.MES,Inc.afull-serviceproviderofglobal manufacturingandsupplychainmanagementservices.
InthisIssuewehavealsoenclosedMHGSystemsLtd,apioneerinmanagementsolutionsfor forestryandbioenergysupplychainandlogistics.PACK’Darapidlygrowingstartupthatisona missiontofuelpotential.Procurifyisacloud-basedprocurementsoftwarecompanyofferinga cloud-basedprocurementsolutionwhichcanbeusedtomanagecompanyspending.TechR2,a GlobalSolutionProviderforEnterpriseOnsiteDataEradication&ITAssetRetirementServices. XTIVIAcreatessmartInformationTechnologysolutionsforcompaniesineveryindustry.Zappiis theworld’smostpowerfulautomatedconsumerinsightsplatform.
Apartfromthis,wehavecoveredfewarticlescontributedbyindustryexperts,“FutureTechnologies withaSpecialFocusonAIandLogoMaker”byRahulAggarwaland“BeSmart–orVanish WhyUtilitiesneedtoactivelydevelopsmartMicro-Grids”byDr.KarlKolmsee
So,let’sstartflippingthepagesoftheMagazinetoacknowledgetheinnovativeideasspotted!
Kaustav Roy
Paul Black CEO & Board Member
“
Allscriptsisaleaderinhealthcareinformation technologywitha30-yearhistoryofexcellence. Thecompanyhasavisiontobuildopenand connectedcommunitiesofhealththatadvanceclinical, financialandoperationalresults.
Itsinnovativesolutionsconnectpeople,placesanddata acrossitsvisionofanOpen,ConnectedCommunityof Health™.Thisconnectivityempowerscaregiversto makebetterdecisionsanddeliverbettercarefor healthierpopulations.
Allscriptscreatestoolsthataddressvirtuallyeveryaspect ofpopulationhealth,aneachofthesetoolsfacilitates real-timeanalysisandaction.Theyenablehealthcare organizationstoanalyzeandact–rightatthepointof care–toempowerchange,improvehealth,andreduce costs.
CareInMotion™isthecompany’scomprehensive populationhealthplatform.Itbringstogethercare coordination,patientengagement,connectivity,data aggregation,andanalyticsatthepointofcare.
PaulBlackcurrentlyservesasaBoardMemberand theCEOofAllscripts.Paulleadsthecompanyinits commitmenttobuildopen,connectedcommunitiesof health.
PriortojoiningAllscriptsin2012,Paulspentmorethan 13yearswithCernerCorporationinvariousexecutive positionsandretiredasitsCEOin2007.Duringhis tenure,hehelpedbuildthecompanyintoamarketleader inhealthcareinformationtechnologywithmorethan $1.5billioninannualrevenue.
Paulalsospent12yearswithIBMCorporationina varietyofleadershippositionsinsales,product marketing,andprofessionalservices.Hehasservedon theboardsofseveralprivatecompaniesandnonprofit organizationsinvolvedinhealthcareinformation technology,healthcareservices,andconsumerInternet marketing.
Heiscurrentlytheimmediatepastchairmanandan officerofTrumanMedicalCenters,a400-bedsafetynet academichospitalinKansasCity,MO.Paulholdsa BachelorofSciencedegreefromIowaStateUniversity andaMasterofBusinessAdministrationdegreefromthe UniversityofIowa.
CommittedtoClientSuccess
Allscriptsistheoriginalopen,connectedhealth platform.Thousandsofthetophospitals,healthsystems, physician’spractices,andhealthcarefacilitiesusethe company’sEHR,financialmanagement,andpopulation healthmanagementsolutions.
AsatruehealthcareITinnovator,Allscriptsintroduced theconceptofanopenplatformconnectingallpointsof thecarecommunityoveradecadeagoin2007.The organizationprovidesadvanced,reliable,client-focused solutionsthatenablesmartercaretobedeliveredwith greaterprecision.Thismakesforhealthierpatients, populations,andcommunities.
Ÿ Theorganizationcontributestoitsclients’successby: StrengtheningtheirITfoundationthroughthemost comprehensiveanduser-friendlyclinicaland financialsolutionsavailabletoday.
Ÿ Providinginsightsandinnovationssotheycanmeet theoperational,regulatoryandqualitydemandsof
“
We are the original open, connected health platform. A true healthcare IT innovator, Allscripts introduced the concept of an open platform connecting all points of the care community back in 2007. For you, that means evolved, rock-solid and client-focused solutions you can trust.
today’s-andtomorrow’s-healthcareenvironment.
Ÿ Connectingeveryoneacrossthehealthcare communitythroughopenandinteroperablesolutions thatempowercommunication,collaboration,and coordinationforbetteroutcomes.
Ÿ Innovatingtoimprovethepracticeofmedicineand theprocessofcaredelivery.
Allscriptsbelievesthathealthcaredoesn’tbeginandend withjustprovidersandpatients,anditistheonly companythatbringsallhealthcarestakeholderstogether.
Bycollaboratingwithpayers,healthplansandprograms, pharmaceuticalandlifesciencescompanies,and employers,Allscriptshasgainedawiderviewofthecare process.Itusesthatperspectivetocreateinnovativetools thatlowercostsandimprovecare.
Allscriptsofferstheindustry’sonlyvendor-agnostic patientengagementplatform.Withtheadvantageof openaccessacrossthecarecommunity,providerscan communicateeffectivelyandengagepatientsdirectly, creatinggame-changingimprovementsinpatient outcomesandoperationalperformance.
Allscriptsbelievesthatthepatientisatthecenterof everythingitdoes.Modernhealthcareconsumers understandthebenefitsofengagement,andtheyexpect tobeactiveparticipantsintheirowncare.The organizationpartnerswithproviderstodeliveran improvedpatientexperiencewhereindividualshavea
greatersayinthetreatmenttheyreceive. WithAllscripts,healthcareorganizationshaveattheir disposalthecriticaltoolsrequiredforongoing communication,effectiveeducation,andregular interactionwithpatients.Thesetoolsmakeiteasyfor caregiverstoengageandquicklyrespondtoconsumers whilealsoofferingthemfull,immediateaccesstotheir healthcareinformation.
WhenAllscriptswasfoundedin1986,itsprimary businesswasrepackagingmedicationforpoint-of-care distribution.Inthe1990s,Allscriptsstartedtransforming thedoctor’sofficewithcomprehensivepractice managementandelectronichealthrecord(EHR) solutions.
Toaddressfragmentedcaredelivery,Allscriptsmerged withacute-solutionleader,Eclipsysin2010.In2013, Allscriptstookseveralsignificantstepstosolidifyand advanceitspopulationhealthmanagementsolutions. ThisincludedtheacquisitionofdbMotion,aleading supplierofcommunityhealthsolutions,andofJardogs, thedeveloperofFollowMyHealth,apatientengagement solutionsprovider.
Lookingtothefutureofhealthcare,Allscriptslauncheda wholly-ownedsubsidiary,2bPrecise,agenomicand precisionmedicineplatform,in2016.InOctober2017, thecompanyacquiredEnterpriseInformationSolutions (EIS),theMcKessonCorporation’shospitalandhealth systemITarm.
“
Allscripts
at the point of care – to empower change, improve health, and reduce costs.
tools facilitate real-time analysis and action. Our solutions enable healthcare organizations to analyze and act – right
Thistransactionsignificantlyexpandedtheirclientbase inU.S.hospitalsandhealthsystems,anddiversifiedits solutionsportfolio.
Today,Allscriptsisateamofmorethan7,000devotedto fullingtheneedsofproviderstodayandcreatingthe healthITarchitectureoftomorrow.
ThehealthcareITindustryisextremelycompetitiveand Allscriptsdistinguishesitselfbycreatingtoolsthat facilitatereal-timeanalysisandaction.Itssolutions enablehealthcareorganizationstoanalyzeandact–right atthepointofcare–toempowerchange,improve health,andreducecosts.
Inaddition,thecompanyaddressesvirtuallyeveryaspect ofpopulationhealth.Allscriptsprovidesa comprehensivepopulationhealthplatform,brings togethercarecoordination,andpromotespatient engagement,connectivity,dataaggregation,and analyticsatthepointofcare.
Allscriptsacknowledgesthatitisbecomingincreasingly difficulttoretrofitEHRstotakefulladvantageofnew innovationssuchastheCloud,artificialintelligence,and mobility.Theorganizationbelievesthatmachine learningwillbeacriticalelementintheevolutionof EHRs.
AllscriptsbuiltitslatestEHRfromtheground-upusing human-centereddesign.Thisplatformissettotransform thewayphysiciansexperienceandinteractwith technology,aswellasimproveproviderwellness.
Machinelearningcapabilitiesincorporatedintothe systemidentifyclienttreatmentpatterns.Itcan
pre-populateinformationbasedonthesepatternsand deliverpreferencereminders.Byconstantlytracking user,organization,andregiontrends,itcreates opportunitiesformoreefficiency.
Thepowerofartificialintelligencerevealsinformation relevanttoapatient-providerencounterinrealtime,and thishelpsimprovethequalityandspeedofinteraction withthepatient.Ultimately,thisreducestheamountof timespentondocumentation,helpingaddressthe problemsof“EHRfatigue”andphysicianburnout. AllscriptsisincorporatingEHR-agnostic,precision medicine,andgenomiccapabilitieswithinproviders’ workflows.Thiswillhelpcaptureandstoregenomicdata fromarangeofsources,harmonizeclinicalknowledge andgenomicresearchtoidentifyrelevantinformation, andthenpushtheresultinginsightstothepointofcareto betterdeterminethemosteffectiveregimenforthe patient.
We offer the industry's only vendor-agnostic patient engagement platform. With open access across the care community, providers can communicate effectively and engage patients directly, creating game-changing improvements in patient outcomes and operational performance.
Gore helps manufacturers meet this demand by making vents that reliably protect mobile devices from liquids, dirt and dust. Consisting of housing, a substrate and a thin ePTFE membrane layer, our vents provide a reliable protective barrier to water and other types of particles.
Aktrea aktrea.com
VetriSelvan Manager&TeamLead, LokeshDhanasekaran Engineering,HeadofOperations, DineshKumar HeadofCustomerRelationships
Allgress allgress.com
Allscripts allscripts.com
AppZen appzen.com
JeffKushner CMO
PaulBlack CEO&BoardMember
Aktreahelpsmakecorporatelearningfun.Itcreatean empoweredworkforcebyimprovingemployeelearning& engagementandmakingthemagentsofchange.
Allgressisaglobalproviderofautomatednext-generationintegrated Compliance,ITSecurityandRiskManagementSolutionstoeffectively andefficientlymanagethebusinessriskoftheirorganization andpartners.
AllscriptsisleadingthehealthcareITmovementintothe value-enabledworldoftomorrow.
AnantKale CEO
Auxenta auxenta.com
BlueJLegal bluejlegal.com
BlueWhaleApps bluewhaleapps.com
PrasathNanayakkara ChairmanandCEO
AppZen’spatentedAIexaminesexpensereports,findsredflags, andultimatelyhelpsclientsrediscoverupto5%oftheirT&E spendwhilefinding10xmoreissuesthanmanualreviews.
AuxentaInc.isaninnovativesoftwareengineeringservices& technologyproductconsultingcompany.
BenAlarie CEO
PathikJayani CEO
BRUNSWICK CORPORATION brunswick.com
Cloudwords
MarkSchwabero Chairman&CEO
MichaelMeinhardt Founder&CEO
BlueJLegalmakesTaxForesightandEmploymentForesight. Itssoftwareanalyzesdatadrawnfromcommonlawcasesto helpyouconductbetter,smarter,moreefficientresearch.
BlueWhaleAppsdevelopsprofessionalmobileiOSapps forbusinesses.
Brunswickisamarketleaderinthemarine,fitnessand billiardsindustries.
CloudwordsisanAmericansoftwarecompanybasedinSan Francisco,California,specializinginSoftware-as-a-Service technology.
MarkZides President&Founder
CoreAxisisaprovideroflearningservicestoclientsacross industriesonaglobal-scale.
CoreDial alvopetro.com
Databricks databricks.com
CoreyC.Ruttan
President &CEO
AliGhodsi CO-founder&CEO
CoreDialprovideswhitelabelcommunicationservicestohelp theirpartnerssuccessfullysell,deliver&manage cloudcommunications.
DatabricksprovidesaUnifiedAnalyticsPlatformthataccelerates innovationbyunifyingdatascience,engineeringandbusiness.
Diversified diversifiedus.com
EnsygniaLtd ensygnia.com
ExtremeNetworks extremenetworks.com
FredD’Alessandro
Founder&CEO
Diversifiedwasformedin1993asafull-servicesystemsand mediatechnologyintegrationcompany,originallyaddressing thetechnicalneedsofthebroadcast,audio-visual,ITandRF marketsegments.
RichardH.Harris Founder&CEO
EnsygniaLtdisleadingcompanyprominentlyprovidingsecure onlinetransactionprocess.
EdMeyercord President&CEO
KaasproEnterprises kaaspro.com
MES mesinc.net
MHGSystems mhgsystems.com
KumarSubramaniam Founder&CEO
ExtremeNetworks(EXTR)deliverscustomer-drivenenterprise networkingsolutionsthatcreatestrongerconnectionswith customers,partners,andemployees.
Kaasprohasavisionofharnessingtechnologytobuildand synthesizeeconomical,cloudbasedITandITESproductsand solutions,toaddressthechallengesfacedinHealthcare andEducation.
HitenShah President&CEO
MES,Inc.isafull-serviceproviderofglobalmanufacturingand supplychainmanagementservices.
SeppoHuurinainen CEO&Founder
NatterboxLimited natterbox.com
OptimistTechnologies netshieldcorp.com
NeilHammerton CEO&Co-founder
MHGSystemsLtdisapioneerinmanagementsolutionsfor forestryandbioenergysupplychainandlogistics.
Natterboxenablesorganizationstodeliverclass-leadingservice levelstotheircustomersthroughefficientandeffective integrationofvoiceintotheirdigitalcustomercommunications.
EdWall CEO
OptimistTechnologiesoffersagentlessaccesscontrol, protectionfrommalware,phishing&ransomwareand vulnerabilityassessments.
PACK’D packd.co.uk
Procurify procurify.com
LukeJohnstone Co-founder
AmanMann CO-founder&CEO
PACK’DisrapidlygrowingstartupthatstartedwithFrozen SmoothieKits,theultimateshortcuttoahomemadesmoothie–inunderaminute.
Procurifyishelpingorganizationsfromaroundtheworldunderstand theirspendculturestogetthemostoutofspend,sothattheycan understandthewhybehindeachspenddecision.
SOMADETECT somadetect.com
SPARKCOMPASS sparkcompass.com
STORBYTE storbyte.com
StrategicMicroSystems stmicro.net
TechR2 techr2.com
Bethany Deshpande CEO
ErikBjontegard Founder
SomaDetectmeasureseverycriticalindicatorofdairyquality (fat,protein,somaticcellcounts,progesterone)fromeverycow ateverymilking.
SPARKCOMPASShasdevelopedafullyintegrated, contextuallyintelligentmobilecommunicationsplatform.
SteveGroenke CEO
TedPassalacqua President&Founder
Storbytedesignsandmanufacturesafamilyofall-flash& hybridflashenterprisestoragearrays,spinningdiskstorage systems,JBods,JBofsandGP/GPUstorageservers.
StrategicMicroSystemsprovidesmanagednetworksupport services,technologyequipmentsales,andWebdevelopment.
SepehrRajaie President&CEO
Vox verizonwireless.com
LowellC.McAdam CEO
TechR2isaleadingITsecuritysolutionscompanywitha portfolioofdataeradicationsolutions,soundexperience, industrybestpractices,andresourcestosupportyou.
Vox,isanAmericantelecommunicationscompanywhichoffers wirelessproductsandservices.
XTIVIA xtivia.com
StevePhillips Founder&CEO
DennisRobinson CEO ZappiStore zappistore.com
XTIVIAinnovates,integrates,implementsandcreates customizedqualitytechnologysolutionsforB2Benterprises acrossindustries.
Zappiisamarketresearchautomationplatformthathelps globalbrandsmakebetterdecisionstodrivebusinessgrowth, shapeproductdevelopment,andenhancetheiradvertisingand brandingefforts.
Engagementhasevolvedintoasubstantialaspectof learning,nowmorethanever,ascanbeseenbythe increasinginterestofpeopletowardsgame-based learning.Millennialsareentering theworkplaceataswift rateandareexpectedtocompriseasignificantpartofthe workforceby2020.Tocatertotheneedsofthemillennial audience,organizationsaredeployingtrainingprograms thatareengaging,on-demandanddigital.Thishasledtoa hugegrowthininnovativecorporatetraining.Meanwhile, organizationsaretryingtotacklethegrowingchallengesof skills-capabilitygaps.Capacitybuildingisacommon themeacrosscorporatemanagement,governments, regulatorsandthesocialsectorandthereisanincreasing expectationthatnew companieswillstep upandgenerate scalabledigitaltools toaddressthese challenges.
Poweredwitha missiontocreatea knowledgeableand empowered workforce,Aktreawasfoundedin2009attheheartofthe globalfinancialcrisistohelpcustomersimprovetheir practicesandprocessesaroundtheworld.Thecompany’s aimistochangethewayprofessionalslearnandshare knowledgearoundtheworld.Aktrea’sexpertisespans variousareas,includingfinance&markets,sustainability, compliance,designthinking,anddiversity,creating programmesusinggamification,simulations,andsocial learning.Thecompanyisheadliningtheusageofdigital toolstocreatelearningcommunitieswhosememberscan shareknowledgeandsolveproblems.
Sincetheinceptionofthecompany,theteamatAktreahas placedcustomersatthecenterofallitsworkandAktrea’s
Gamechangershaveworkedtogethertocreatemagic-in cross-functionalteamswithvariousareasofexpertise.The keytothisisthateveryoneisawareofthebiggerpictureof theprojectandcontributesacrosstheboard,ratherthan onlyfocusingontheirrolesasindividuals.Beingoneofthe pioneerstoadaptonlinegamesforcorporatelearning,these expertscommunicate,collaborateandworktogetherto delivervalueforcustomers.
Aktrea’sfourdivisions-Operations,Customer, EngineeringandInnovationlab–workthroughitsproduct cyclewhichrevolvesaroundthecustomer.Eachdepartment -designanddelivery-handsoverseamlesslytothenext.
Divingmoreintothe workingofthe company,the Operationsteam comprisesofdesign, creationanddelivery teams.TheCustomer teamcomprisesof marketingandsales professionals.The Engineeringteamhasdesign,development,andquality assuranceteams.Finally,theInnovationlabcomprisesof dataandanalyticsexpertsandengineerswhoarebuilding artificialintelligenceintolearningandsimulatingreal-life experiencesacrossindustries.
TheMagicalGamechangersofAktrea DineshKumar,HeadofCustomerRelationships, LokeshDhanasekaram,HeadofOperationsandVetri Selvan,Manager&TeamLeadinEngineering,arethe trailblazersofthecompany.Together,theyfocuson sustainablelearning&problem-solvingtools.Thesetools helpcorporatesandinter-governmentalorganizationsand otherentitiesinvolvedinsustainability,strategy,products anddaytodaywork.Further,thecompany’ssociallearning
Our solutions blend learning, engagement and technology.
platformcanhelpconnectpeopleandteamsthatare geographicallyspreadtosharestories,engageinactivities togetherandcollaborateusingdesignthinking.
AddressingChallengesthroughInnovativeStrategies CEOsaroundtheworldfacechallengesinengagingtheir employeesduringtheirjourneywiththecompany,and keepingemployeeskilllevelscurrent.Aktreaworkedwith seniorleaderstogettheirpeopletobeengaged,attend, activelyparticipateandfollowthroughtheirlearning journey.
Whenanorganizationisglobalorgeographicallyspread,it increasesthedifficultyofprovidingconsistenttraining becauseofgeographiclimitations,increasedcostsand languagebarriersacrossborders.Aktreaaddressedthese challengesbydeliveringconsistenttrainingacrossthe globe.
Measuringtrainingeffectivenessandevaluatinghowan employeeispayingbackthelearningtotheorganization wereotherchallengesthatAktreahelpedsolve.The companyfaceddifficultiesinfiguringoutwhichmetricsto use,howtogetdata,whentointervene,andhowtoensure futuretrainingwasconsistentwithcompanyvaluesand employeeneeds.Traditionaltrainingmethodsneednot workwiththecurrentaudienceandconstantlyevolving workplaceandbusinessdynamics.Leadersbelievethatthe presentandcominggenerationsaretechnologically proficient,buthavelowerattentionspansandneedtraining toolsthatengagethem.Howanorganizationcanprovide trainingthatspansmultiplegenerationsisanotherimportant challengefacedbytheindustry.
Toovercomethesechallenges,Aktreaworkedonthelatest technologiesandinnovativetechniques.Today,ratherthan beingjustatrainingorganization,itworksasapartner througheachcustomer’sjourney andnotjustasavendor orserviceprovider.Italsoworkscloselywithleaderssuch astheCEOandtheheadsofHR,Sales,Operationsand BusinessesanddesignslearningprogramswithhighROI.
Inaddition,Aktreahelpsorganizationsaddresstheneedfor rapiddevelopmentandroll-outofcontentandtrainingtoa largeaudience.
“Our vision is to change the way people engage and learn in this digital world.” assertsDinesh.
Aktreaisstrivingtobeprofessionallythebestintheworld, andalsocreatingleadersforthefuture.Someinnovative releasesbytheendof2018includeanintelligentauthoring toolwhichcanhelpanyonecreateagamifiedonline learningmoduleinminutesusingexistingcontent,anda uniquedesignthinkingsimulatorthathelpsteamstowork togethervirtuallyacrosslocationsandsolvecustomer, processandwork-relatedchallenges.
Dinesh Kumar Head of Customer Relationships
Lokesh Dhanasekaran Head of Operations
Vetri Selvan Manager & Team Lead, Engineering
Sincetheinceptionofthecompanyin2008,Allgress, Inc.hasbeenaleadingglobaltechnologycompany thatprovidesintegratedbusinessriskmanagement solutionstomanagecompliance,ITsecurityandthird-party vendorriskeffectively.Allgresshelpsenterprisesecurity, complianceandriskmanagementprofessionalstoautomate theprocessofassessing,understandingandmanaging corporateriskinasinglecomprehensiveplatform.
TheAllgressInsightRiskManagementSuite(IRMS) providestheabilityfororganizationstomanagetheir businessriskposturetoalignwithtopbusinessprioritiesfor effectiveinvestmentdecisionsanduseofresources.The suiteallowsoperationalefficiencyincomplyingwith regulations,policies,partnerrequirementsinlesstimeand withreducedcomplexitythenmanualmethodsorother solutions.Allgressempowersstakeholderstoanalyzeand addressbusinessriskswiththeleastamountofcomplexity, timeandcost.
TheIRMSisanintegratedmodularriskmanagement platformthatiscomprisedofservicesthatautomatethe datacollection,assessment,workflow,reporting,exception andincidentmanagementprocess.Italsocorrelatesrelevant dataacrossregulations,assets,policies,controls,processes andbusinesselementsoftheirorganizationandpartnersto clearlyidentifypotentialbusinessrisk.Themodular architectureofIRMSallowsitscustomerstodeploy functionalityinordertomeettheirspecificuse-caseswhen theyneeditandexpandthesolutioneasilyovertime withoutanyretraining.
Allgress’patentedvisualizationandreportingengine providesanimmediate,intuitive&easilyunderstoodview oforganization’sbusinessrisk,informationsecurityand third-partyriskposturebyeverystakeholderandexecutive
management.Thisenablesstakeholderstovisuallyseetheir riskposturefromabusinessperspectiveforimmediate prioritizationandremediation.
HelpingProspectsBuyITManagementSolutions
JeffKushnerleadsmarketingatAllgressastheChief MarketingOfficer(CMO)andhasbeenwiththecompany sinceJuly2012.AsCMO,heisresponsiblefortheglobal marketingstrategy,branding,positioningandmarket communications.Jeffbringsover30yearsofexperiencein avarietyofleadershiprolesintechnologymarketingand businessdevelopment.BeforeAllgress,Jeffhasheld positionsthatincreasedrevenueandmarketpenetration withmarketleadersincludingBindView(nowSymantec), BMCSoftware,SunMicrosystems(nowOracle)and consultingtomanyorganizations.Hiseffortshavebeen instrumentalinadvancingthedevelopmentandadoptionof application,complianceandriskmanagement.
The
Today,manycompaniesarefacingthechallenges associatedwith theuncoordinatedsiloedapproachofrisk management.AabundanceofITmanagementsolutions claimtomanage riskandcompliancebutonlyaddressa fractionofwhatacomprehensiveintegratedrisk managementsolutionshouldprovide.Thenthereisthe tedioustaskoffiguringoutwhichcomponentsyoumust purchaseandtheresourcesandtimetoimplementa solution.
Toovercomethis,Allgressdeliversafocusedinnovative modularintegratedriskmanagementsolutionthatgrows withyourbusinesstoprovidequickertime-to-valuewhile simplifyingthecomplexityandcostthatisusually associatedwithbusinessriskmanagement.Theyoffera platformfocusedonmanagingriskforcompliance,riskand securityprofessionalstoidentifyandprioritizebusiness
risk.Theorganizationsalongwithitsbusinesspartnerscan continuallyassessandvalidatetheeffectivenessoftheirrisk &complianceprogramforcontinuousimprovement.
AchievingRiskandComplianceManagementinthe Cloud
Allgresswasthefirstsolutionprovidertointroducea continuousmonitoringsolutiontocomplywithregulations intheAmazonWebServices(AWS)cloudusingtheirAPI andsolutionsinAWSMarketplacewithaofferingcalled RPM,(RegulatoryProductMapping).RPMisdesignedfor customerswithAWSenvironmentswhowanttoreducethe complexity,increasethespeed,andshortenthetimeframe ofachievingcompliancewithminimalhumaninvolvement.
RPMforAWShelpssecurityandriskprofessionalsassess, understand,andmanagecorporateriskbyanalyzing controlsagainsttherequirementsofcommonsecurityand complianceframeworks.AllgressRPMallowscustomersto maptheirregulatoryframeworksincludingbutnotlimited toISO,NIST,HIPPA,CJIS,FISMAandPCI-DSS.
AllgressrecentlyintroducedComplianceVisionthatbuilds onRPMleveragingtheAllgressmatureIRMSSuite,which
extendsmappingcontrolstoframeworkstocomprehensive automatedassessmentforcomplianceandriskoversight. ThesolutioncanbefurtherexpandedwiththeIRMSsuite toaddressmoreencompassingfunctionslike comprehensivepolicy,incident,exception,third-party vendormanagementriskanalysisandadvancedreporting.
Allgressisalwaysexpandinginnovationbyinteractingwith customersandparticipatingwithindustryorganizationsand businesspartnerstounderstandingtheircontinuing challengestomanagebusinessrisk.Thatinputcontributed tomanyrecentupdatesextendingalreadyencompassing functionalityincludingaportalforeveryusertocustomize theirexperiencetoachievespecificriskandcompliance managementgoals.Othernewfunctionalityconsistsofan enhanceduserinterfaceandstreamlinedworkflow,risk exceptionmanagement,smartsurveysforvendor management,updatedandnewstandardscontentandmore out-of-the-boxvisualreporting.
We enable enterprise risk, security, and compliance professionals to efciently manage their business risk posture.
Theenergymarketischanging rapidly.Thisistruenotonly fortheUSAandEuropebut onagloballevel. Possiblythemost importantchangeistheonetowards moredecentralizedsystems.Thisis challengingtheutilityindustry. Utilitieshistoricallyhavedeveloped byintegratingsmallmicrogrids whichgrewaroundmillsandother small-scalegenerators(todaywe wouldsayprosumers).Thisiswhy utilitiesdevelopedalongtheentire valuechain:Theyintegratedthese microdistributiongridsinamore stablelarger(Transport)gridand replaceddecentralizedgenerationby morecost-efficientcentralpower plants.Thishighlyefficient centralizedsystemwasallowing industrialdevelopmentasweknow it.Atitstimeitwaspossiblytheonly waytoservelarge,stronglyenergy dependingproductionlikesteel, paperortheupcomingchemical industry.Thecentralizedenergy systemdidnotresultfroman oligopolisticmarket,buttheindustry structurederivedfromanefficient technicaldesign.
Thereareseveralreasonswhythis formerlybeneficiarysystemis challengedtoday.Notallapplyinall marketsbutsomeofthemdo,so decentralizationofenergymarketsis aglobaltrend.Specifically,inmost
industrialmarketsthenewenergy regimeisdrivenbypoliticsfavoring smallscale,decentralrenewable generation.Subsidiesonrenewables devalueexistinglargethermicpower plants.Evenlarge-scalehydropower plantsdonoteasilypassstrict environmentalandsocialfeasibility analysis.Butindependentofany politicalsettingthereisanothermore fundamentalreasonforthegrowing competitivenessofadecentralized energydesign.Whilethefirstphase ofindustrialdevelopmentisknown foritsindustrialclusters(often grownclosetoenergysourceslike coalorwater)whichshapedmany geographicareasformorethana century,laterphasesaremuchmore dynamicanddolessdependon geographicproximity.Withina dynamicindustrysettingwhere businessesaresetupandclosedor movedsomewhereelseonaregular basisastaticcentralized infrastructurelosescompetitiveness. Inmanyemergingmarketsthis dynamismaswellexpandstowards thoseareaswhicharetodaynot connectedtothecentralgridbutoffer inexpensivelandornewagricultural productswhichcanbesoldabroadat highprices.Finally,thepoliticalwill andtheindustrialdemandfor decentralizedsystemstoday encounterrenewablegenerationeven atsmallsizeatcompetitivecosts
comparedtolargesizethermicpower plant.Forthemostprominent renewabletechnologyphotovoltaicin theNorth(withlessradiation)this competitivenessisgivenonlyasgrid parity,meaningcentralgeneration plustransportisasexpensiveas photovoltaiconsite.IntheSouthern hemispherephotovoltaicisalreadya competitivesourceempowering decentralizedenergyinfrastructure.
Whiledecentralizedgenerationhas caughtupwithcentralizedgeneration plants,distributionsystemswitha largeportionofdecentralized renewablegenerationcapacityare ofteninefficient.Therearebasically fourreasonsforthisinefficiency:(1) Missingpricemechanismsupporting gridoperations,(2)highcoststo operatesuchasystemstable,(3) largeamountofexcessenergy (exportedornotbeingusedatall) and(4)sub-utilizedinterface betweenmicrogridanditsfeeder system.Thesearebasicallythesame reasonsthatinthelastcentury supportedthecentralizationofthe gridsystem.Whatisneededisan intelligentorsmartdecentralized distributionsystem.
Anintelligentdistributionsystem withmainlydecentralizedgeneration requiresmorethansmartmetersand itisdifferentfromtodaypopularso
Dr. Karl Kolmsee the CEO of Smart Hydro Power, studied agricultural and philosophy at the universities of Hamburg and Goettingen, Germany. After his PhD he has spent most of his professional career in the energy business – first as consultant at A.T. Kearney later as manager at E.ON, Europe’s largest private utility, and member of the board at Schmack biogas, one of the pioneers of the biogas market in Europe. In 2009 Karl Kolmsee has been nominated professor for energy management at Applied University of Kufstein, Austria. His main areas of academic work are international energy markets and renewable energy. In 2010 he founded Smart Hydro Power to focus on design and commercialization of kinetic pico hydro power systems with main focus on rural electrification for emerging markets like India, Latin America and Eastern Africa. Today Smart Hydro Power offers complete solutions for off grid solutions and micro grids.
calledsmarthomeorhomestoragesolutions.Theseoffer photovoltaic,batteryandbasicloadmanagementforthe individualhousehold.Someprovidersofhomestorage solutionsintegratecustomersinacommunitymodelto allowexchangeofautogeneratedelectricity.Butthese communitiesarebarelymorethancontractpartners withinafixedpricenetmeteringmodel.Individualhome solutions–evenwithinsales-and-purchasecommunities –donotsolveanyinefficiencyissuesdecentralization faces.Thesesystemsareeithercompletelyself-sufficient –inthiscasetheyareexpensive–ortheyrelyoncentral gridserviceslikeaparasiteofitshost.Sustainable decentralizationrequiresanintelligentcontroland steeringmechanismbetweenthehouseholdswhichbuild amicrogrid.
Whiletherearepossiblydifferentsteeringmechanisms, establishingalocalmarketwiththepriceasvariablethat guidesdemandandsupplyaccordingtotheaggregated demandfunctionandtheaggregatedcostfunctions seemspromising.Technicallythisdoesrequirea dynamicforecastingandloadmanagement(atleastfor majorloadswhichareusedinaprice-sensitivemanner).
Atfirstglanceamarketmodelwouldsolvethefour majorissuesshownabove.Itwouldsetapricefor photovoltaicandbatterystoragewhichwouldcontrol demandandtherebyreducenecessaryinstalledreserve storageandgenerationcapacity.Thismechanismwould
aswellbeconsistentwiththefunctioningofthefeeder gridandcouldthereforesupplyitselfservicestothisgrid whichwouldbevaluedwiththesame“currency”.
Technicallythissteeringmechanismmightbe completelydecentralizedbasedonindividualprocessors ineachhouseholdliketheblockchaintechnology(once necessaryprocessingcapacitycomesdowntoacceptable limits)oritmightworkbetweenacentralunitand individualprocessors.Ineitherwayitsteersthelocal marketplacetowardsanefficientoptimumgiven generation,demandandbatterystoragecapacityata definedpointintime.
Microgridsdoopen(withinagivenlegalframework)a possibilityfortraditionalutilitiestore-definetheirrole usingsomeoftheirtraditionalstrengths.Butnew entrantscanequallywellenterthisspaceandperform wherevertheincumbentdoesnotadapt.Thisgivesroom tonumerousco-operationsbetweennewentrantsor betweennewcompaniesandtheincumbentofferingtheir servicesordevelopingnewbusinessmodelsalongthe valuechain.Incumbentutilitiesmaybesmart–or vanish.
EOG Resources, Inc. is one of the largest independent (non-integrated) crude oil and natural gas companies in the United States with proved reserves in the United States,Trinidad, the United Kingdom and China. EOG Resources, Inc. is listed on the NewYork Stock Exchange and is traded under the ticker symbol “EOG.”
EOG focuses on rate of return to create superior shareholder value
Despitethetremendouspace atwhichtechnologyhas surgedintovirtuallyevery aspectofourdailylives,certainareas seemtobeperpetuallyignoredand overlooked.Uptillveryrecently,the enterprisebackofficedomainseemed tohavebeenrelegatedtothat category.
Butnotanymore.AppZenishere.
AppZenisacompanythathas developedtheworld’sfirstback officeautomationsolutiondrivenby artificialintelligence(AI).
Thisbreakthroughtechnology incorporatescomputervision,deep learning,andnaturallanguage processingtoautomaticallydetect bothaccidentalerrorsanddeliberate fraud.Thespeedandaccuracywith whichtheplatformperformsmeans thatcompaniescannowachieverealtimecompliancewithFCPA regulations,IRSrules,andtheir internalpolicies.
WithAppZen,everyexpensereport, invoice,andcontractcanbeverified inseconds.Redflagstriggeralerts whicharedeliveredtodesignated personnelforfurtheraction.AppZen alsoautomatesexpensereport creation,compliance,andaudit.
Inaddition,thesolution automaticallyauditsandassignsrisk scorestoeveryexpense,protecting thecompanyfromexpensemisuse andregulatorynon-compliance. Thisapproachhelpsclients rediscoverupto5%oftheirT&E spendwhilefindingtentimesas manyissuesasmanualassessments.
ComplementaryLeadership AppZenwasco-foundedin2012by AnantKale,whoisitsCEOand KunalVerma,whoperformsthe roleofCTO.Theircollaborationon AppZenissimplyanotherpartofa decades-oldfriendship.
Ananthasspentover15years developingcomplexsoftwareandhe previouslyservedastheVPof ApplicationsatFujitsu.Heis responsibleforproductvisionand theexecutionofthecompany’s mission.
Kunalpreviouslyworkedasa ResearchLeadatAccentureTech Labs.HehasledglobalR&D engineeringteamsindeveloping toolsthatarecurrentlyusedby hundredsofFortune500companies. AtAppZen,heisresponsiblefor productdevelopmentand engineering,technologyarchitecture, anddevelopingtheIPforAppZen’s AItechnologies.
KunalearnedhisPh.D.inComputer Sciencewithafocusonsemantic technologies.Thisbackgroundand expertiseisthebasisofAppZen’s uniquetechnologystackandrobust AIsystem.
UnderAnantandKunal’sstellar leadership,AppZeniswitnessing phenomenalgrowth.In2018alone,it hasquadrupleditscustomerbaseto 290+ medium-sizedandlarge brands,includingseveralFortune 500name.
Thecompany’sclientlistfeatures someoftheworld’smost recognizablenames-Amazon,Citi, Comcast,Intuit,Salesforce,DHL, Hitachi,Airbus,Orange,Intuitive Surgical,FireEye,ArthurJ Gallagher,ZimmerBiomet,and Mortenson.
Thedayswheneveryitemonevery receipthadtobecross-checked againstdozensofvendorsand databasesisnowover.Dependingon thenumberofemployees,this processcouldtakeweeksormonths.
AppZen’splatformisdesignedto drasticallyreducetherelianceon manualprocessingofexpenses, whichareasignificantdrainon resourcesandstillpronetoerrorand
fraud.Itrunseveryexpensereportthroughaverified seriesofchecksinsecondsandproducesreal-time expensereportaudits.
Artificialintelligencetransformsthesheervolumeof informationfromaliabilitytoanasset,learningand comparingatarateandatalevelnotpossiblewitha humanauditor.Potentiallyerroneousorfraudulent expensesthatwouldneverbeflaggedthroughmanual checkshavenowheretohide.
Previously,timeandresourcelimitationsmeantthat companiescouldonlyreallyverifybetween10and20 percentoftheirtotalexpenses.AppZentakesthatfigure straightto100%.Itcreatesasystemwhereasingle-day reviewandpaymentcycleispossibledespiteneeding onlyatenthofthehumanworkforcerequiredbefore.
TheamazingutilityofAppZen’splatformandthe peerlesscapacityithasdemonstratedinrevolutionizing thewaybusinessesdealwithexpenseshasnotgone unnoticed.
Thecompanysecured$3millioninfundingin2016,and anadditional$13millionatSeriesAinNovember2017.
In2017,thecompanywasrecognizedasTheBestAI StartupandIOFMGameChanger.Thiswasfollowedup thisyearwiththeTiEInflectAwardforMostInnovative
Anant Kale CEO
FutureZen AppZenisfortifyingitsreachandefficacybybuilding robustpartnershipswithmajorexpenseplatformslike SAPConcur,Oracle,andCoupa.ItisalsoteachingitsAI toreadMandarinsoitcanfullyintegrateintothe ChinesemarketwhereEnglishisnotwidelyusedor understood.
Anunexpectedchallengehasbeenthrownupbyhow effectiveAppZenisatdetectinganomalies-the uncertaintyoffollow-upwhenfraudisdetected.Because manyfirmswereunabletoidentifysuchoccurrencesin thepast,theystruggletodealwiththediscovered misconduct.
AppZeniscontinuallyimprovingandstreamliningits platformtoalignwiththevaryingandevolvingneedsof itsgrowingnumberofclients.AstheAIcomponent learnsandbecomesincreasinglyself-sufficient,the companyexpectsitscustomerstobeabletodevotetheir humanresourcestomoreproductiveendeavors.
We provide the world's #1 expense report audit solution.StartupandBezingaAwardforBestinArtificial IntelligenceandMachineLearningSolution.
Onthepathofconqueringthechallengesentailing theopportunitiestorapidlyadapttoandevolve technologiessuchasmachinelearningandAI,is AuxentaInc.Thecompanyinvestsintouniqueframeworks, sothatitcandirectlycontributetotheacceleratedgo-tomarketwhilereducingTotalCostofOwnership.
HeadquarteredinSiliconValley,USA,Auxentaisan innovativesoftwareengineeringservicesandtechnology productconsultingcompany.Itworkswithenterprises, independentsoftwarevendors(ISVs),startupsandnonprofitorganizations.Theethosofthecompanyistoenable digitaltransformationbyleveragingafocusedsetofservice offerings.
Thecompany’sglobalclientsaredistributedintomultiple industryverticalsincludingTelco,FinancialServices, Logistics,Security,CapitalMarkets,Appareland Manufacturing.Itbelievesinacoresetofvalueswhichis anintrinsicpartofeachoftheirteammembers.
TheTechnopreneur PrasathNanayakkaraistheChairmanandCEOat Auxenta.Hehasextensiveexperienceindeliveringand managingglobalorganizationaltransformationsthrough technology.AftercompletinghisBachelor’sdegreein ElectricalEngineeringatMIT,PrasathdidhisMBAat INSEAD,France.HestartedhiscareerintheUSA,where heworkedasaSeniorConsultantatCambridgeTechnology PartnersandKenanSystems.
PriortofoundingtheSiliconValleystartup,hewasthe formerHeadofProjectDeliveryatVirtusa,SriLanka.He foundedAuxentawithShahaniMarkus,aglobaltechnology executiveandentrepreneur,backin2013.Subsequently, twootherco-founders,ChandanaRanasingheandNuwan Dehigaspitiya,joinedAuxenta.WithPrasath’sconsulting
andmanagementexperienceofover20years,he,along withtherestoftheleadershipteam,successfullypropelled Auxentaintoasought-aftertechnologypartnerformany largeglobalcorporations.
Theconventionalmethodsofmanagingworkforceshave ceasedtofunction.Thecompaniesarereinventingwaysand meansofimprovingengagementacrossthesegroups.In otherwords,theITserviceshavebecomehighly
Our ethos is to enable digital transformation by leveraging a focused set of service offerings.
commoditizedandthecompaniesinthisspacemust constantlyinnovateandreinventtheirkeydifferentiators. Eventheaccesstotalentisbecomingharderwiththe increaseindemandofskilledandqualifiedtalent.In addition,itisimperativetobroadenacompany’sspectrum oftechnologiestoarriveatcreativeclientsolutions.
Insequencetoovercomethesituation,Auxentainvented frameworks,reusableassetsandacceleratorstoconstantly gainastrategicedgeoveritscompetition.Italsousesits widespreadgeographiccoverageaspartofaradiation strategycoveringallkeycountriesgloballywithtargeted salespresence.Thecompanyachievesthiswiththehelpof astrongleadershipteamwhichhasmanyyearsof experienceindelivery,clientservices,andsalesformerly representinglargeestablishedproductandservices companies.Clientsolutionsarefurtherenhancedbythe influentialC-leveladvisorypanelrepresentingcompanies suchasGoogleandShutterfly.Auxentaalsoprovides rigorousinternaltraininganddevelopmentthrough establishedcertificationswithinallkeytechnologyareas. Auxenta’shealthyinternalcompetitionandgamification encouragestheiremployeestovoluntarilyreachtheirfullest potential.
Duringthefirstfewyearsofitsjourney,Auxentahasbeen focusingoncreatingaplatformofsuccessfulclient referencesacrossmultipleindustryverticalsandtechnology areaswhilebuildingreusableIP.Atthispointintime,the companyhasbeenrecognizedthroughnumerousawards whichincludetheBestStartupoftheYearin2016bythe ComputerSocietyofSriLanka.
Auxentahasalsoreceivedkeyclientaccoladessuchasthe InnovationAwardattheFleetTransportAwardsinDublin, Ireland.Thecompanyhasalsoformedpartnershipsinthe
areasofCloud,CRMandtestingthatcanpropelthe companymoreandenableittogainanupperhandin acquiringlargeenterpriseclientsforthefuture.
AuxentarecentlyhostedProfessorSoumitraDutta,the authoroftheGlobalInnovationIndex.Hisvisitwas centeredaroundaninauguralInnovationConference organizedinpartnershipwiththeSriLankaAssociationof SoftwareServicesCompanies(SLASSCOM).
Thecompanyoffersstate-of-the-artsoftwareengineering, cloudservices,crossplatformmobileappdevelopmentand digitaltransformationexpertisetoitsclients,while maintainingapristinefocusoncuttingedgeQAservices. Auxenta’sservicesenabletheirclientstofocusontheir creativeinsightsandbusinessgoalswhilethecompany managestheirinnovationinitiativeswithahighdegreeof creativity.
EnvisioningtheFuture
Auxenta’sgoalistocomeupwithcuttingedgeinnovative productsandservicestothemarketbyincubatingthem withinAuxentaInnovationLabs.Agoodexampleofa rapidlygrowingdisruptivelyinnovativeproductis MillionSpaces,anoutputofAuxentaInnovationLabs. BasedonthesuccessofitslaunchinSriLanka,Auxenta planstotaketheproductglobalstartingwithSingapore. Theyalsoplantobecomeakeycontributortoacademiaby influencingcurriculumintrendingtechnologyareas.
Moreover,thecompanyisnurturingandprovinginternal talentthroughbest-in-classcustomersolutionsand significantlyinvestingintoitstraininganddevelopment.It isalsogeneratinginnovativeIPintheareasofCloud, CRM,machinelearningandtesting.
CoreAxisConsulting,LLC (CoreAxis)isaleading providerofoutsourcedtraining andeLearningsolutionsforFortune 500companies.Itsteamof experiencedlearningconsultants, instructionaldesigners,HR professionals,e-learnings/content developers,andtrainingfacilitators averagesover15yearsofexperience. CoreAxispartnerswithitsclientsto developanddeliverhighimpact learningsolutionsthatarecustomdesignedtodeliverengaginglearning experiences.Theseexperiencesaretied tosolidlearningobjectiveswhich maximizeemployeeretentionand promotethepracticalapplicationof knowledgeandskills.
CoreAxishasbeenveryfortunate throughthegrowthofitsindustryand company.Itsclientsarewhatdriveits passionforsuccess.Itsconsultingand deliveryteamcontinuetopushthe envelope,asitrelatestodelivering just-in-timesolutionsforitsclients. Theprimarygoalhasalwaysbeento serveasatrustedadvisorforitsclients.
Aspartofitsofferings,CoreAxis buildsupontransformationalinitiatives andprogramstodeliverimpactful traininganddevelopmentsolutions.
Throughoutthepast18+years, CoreAxishasseensignificantsuccess, evenwhenthemarketwasnotready forinnovationandscale.Whenthe
economystruggledin2009,CoreAxis adapteditsbusinesstomeetmanyof itsclients’needsastheywere retractingtheirworkforce.That adaptationallowedCoreAxistowork withitsclientsonthereskillingof talentandknowledgemanagement. Thatwasachallengingtimeinits journeybutthroughitsagilebusiness model,CoreAxiswasabletothrive.
MarkZides,PresidentandFounder ofthecompany,isastrategicgrowth leaderwithover20yearsofexperience inoptimizingbusinessesandinspiring individuals.Inthepasttwodecades, MarkhastransformedCoreAxis Consultingintoapremiermanagement consultingfirmfocusedontalent, leadership,andtrainingintheglobal marketplace.Hisentrepreneurial foundationanduniqueabilityto provideinsight,innovation,and experiencehasenabledhimto implementbest-in-classsolutions developingtoptalentandelevate organizationaleffectiveness.Mark’s businessknowledge,expertise,and strongnetworkbringvaluetoavast groupofcompaniesandleadersinthe industry.
CoreAxisissuccessfulinexceeding theneedsofitsclientsthroughthe managedservicesapproachanda virtualoperationalmodel.Its competitiveedgeisrootedinits commitmenttobeagile,efficient,and impactfulineveryengagement includingcustomeLearning development,leadershipdevelopment, rapidcontentconversion,orstaff augmentation.Thismodelallows CoreAxistosustainitsworkwithin largeorganizationsandcontinueto builduponitsstrongcollaboration withinthesecompanies.
Thereisincrediblefragmentationin theLearning&Development marketplace.Manycompaniescannot offeramanagedservicessolutionfor theirclientsandthatmakesita challengeforcompaniestomanage severalvendorswheretheycanreceive incredible,costeffectiveconsulting fromacompanylikeCoreAxis. Additionally,fromadeliveryaspect, appealingtoamulti-generational audienceisachallengeaswell.With theworkforcecomprisedofBaby Boomerstomillennialstherearemany effectivemethodstodelivertraining. Accountingformultiplebackgrounds, experiences,agegroups,etc.corporate trainingmustbeagileandadaptable. Learning&Development(L&D)top challengesaretiedtodemonstrating
businessimpact.Learning professionalsmustshowwhattheycan delivertothebusiness.Thetangible benefitsofL&Dinnovationand technologytransformationcanbe difficulttoquantifybutit’sabout stayingrelevantandensuring organizationsareequippedtosucceed inthemodernbusinessworld.
CoreAxisapproacheseachengagement withthegoalofhelpingourclients meettheirbusinessobjectives.
Furthermore,theCoreAxisteam believesthattheL&Dlearning community shouldstrivetobecome strategicbusinesspartnerscontributing significantlyto,andalignedwith,the businessoutcomesofclients.They mustnotgetleftbehindbytherateof technologychangeandshouldrelyon theirownknowledgeoftechnology andproducts,notjustdefertoIT, becomingmorefluentinthelanguage ofdigitalandtechnology.
LookingtotheFuture
CoreAxiscontinuestoinnovateand buildimpactfulsolutionsforitsclients andcontinuestoexpanditsclientbase throughdeliveringcustomsolutions. Aheadoftheindustrycurve,CoreAxis iscollaboratingwithitsclientsto provideVR/ARsolutionsandbelieves thatlargeglobalfirmswillsoon integratethesetechnologysolutions intotheirofferings&cultureasa matterofcourse.CoreAxiscontinues tohirethetoptalentandconsultantsin themarketplacetoincreasethe ‘bench strength’ofitsinstructionaldesigners andcontentdevelopers,ensuringthat theyarehighlyskilledinthelatest technologiesandlearningtrends.This allowsthecompanytoremainan innovatorwhenitcomestodelivering customsolutionsthatinclude gamification,virtualtraining,µlearning.In2018,CoreAxissawan increaseinrequestsforvirtuallearning alongwithmoresophisticated eLearning.Thistrendhasallowedthe companytotaketheinnovative
approachtodevelopingsolutionsthat caneasilybeadaptedtodifferent modalities,astheclient’sneedsevolve. Finally,the LeadershipDevelopment offeringscontinuetoscaletoprovide world-classcustomprogramsforits clients.
AchievementsEarned
CoreAxishasbeenrecognizedfor manyawardsandrecognitions includingINC5000winner,CEO AwardWinnerbyBPI,oneofthe50 SmartestCompaniesoftheYearby TheSiliconReview,andseveral awardsfromTrainingIndustryasatop providerofContentDevelopment, Health&Safety,andTraining Outsourcing.CoreAxis’commitment tosuccessisimportanttoitsassociates, consultantsandclients.Itsfocusand determinationtodeliverworld-class solutions,iswhatdrivestheCoreAxis teamveryday.
Empower your employees with best in class learning and leadership solutions.
Rapidchangesinthetechnologyindustryrepresent thebiggestopportunityfortoday’sbusiness leaders.Thespeedatwhichthingsarechanging canprovidealeg-uponthecompetitionifanentrepreneur isinnovativeandstaysaheadofthecurve.
Diversifiedisaleadingglobaltechnologysolutions provider,deliveringacomprehensivesuiteofsolutionsthat connecttoday’sleadingenterprisestotheglobal marketplace.Itsteamofindustryexpertspartnerswith clientsfromdiversemarkets,helpingthemtoachievethe highestperformancelevels,enhancetheiroperations, increaseproductivityanddriveROI.
Whetheritisaboutconnectingorganizationswitheffective collaboration,medianetworkswithviewers,fanswiththe game,brandswiththeiraudience,facilitieswithpeaceof mind,orenterpriseswithreliabletechnologyinfrastructure, Diversifiedisadedicatedtechnologysolutionspartner committedtoconnectingclientswiththeirtechnology objectives.
In1993,FredD’Alessandro,FounderandCEOofthe company,setouttobuildaworld-classtechnology integrationfirmofferingspecializedsolutionsthatallow organizationstocommunicatemoreeffectively,streamline workflows,collaborateseamlesslyandrealizeagreater returnontechnologyinvestments.
Comingfrommodestmeans,D’Alessandrodraws inspirationfromtheworkethicofhisfather,whomhe doesn’trecallevertakingadayoff.Thisinstilledwork ethic,coupledwithabroadcastengineeringbackgroundand innatedesiretoinnovateandprovidequalityserviceto othershasdrivenD’Alessandrofromthefounderofa startuptotheCEOofa1700-personcompanywithmore than30officesworldwideandrevenuesexceeding$700M.
Akeychallengeforanyorganizationistofindemployees whoshareacommonworkethic,culturalvaluesanddesire toinnovateforsuccessfuloutcomes.Diversifiedhas maintainedastrongteamthroughstrategicrecruiting, effectivetrainingandacquiringcompanieswithsimilar culturesandbuildingareputationasthebestcompanyto workforwithopportunitieslimitedonlybyambitionand dedication.
Diversifiedbeganasabroadcastintegrationfirmandhas grownintooneofthetoptechnologysolutionprovidersin theworld.Reachingthispointwasn’teasy,butthevision foracompanypositionedattheforefrontoftechnology droveD’Alessandrototakerisksandreinvestinthe businesstokeepupwithgrowingdemands.
Aroundtheyear2000,Diversifiedbegantoseek opportunitiesinAVintegration,anewmarketinwhichthe teamsawagreatvaluefordiversifyingthecompany. Diversifiedhadfoundalucrativehomeinenterprise broadcastbuttobethebest,ithadtoprovidemorethanjust onepieceofthepuzzle.LearningAVwasachallengebut evenmorewasbuildingacrediblenameagainst competitorswhohadbeenintheindustryforsometime. Diversifiedtookeveryjobwhichitsclientsgave,even workedasasubcontractorforbigplayerstoearncredibility. Then,tolevelthepeaksandvalleysoftheintegration business,thecompanystartedtheDigitalMediaGroup,an earlyadopterofdigitalsignageandmanagedservices,a differentiatorthatwouldproviderecurringrevenueand additionalvaluetoitsclients.
Thecompany’svisionissteadilycenteredonbeingthebest andprovidingclientswithonetrustedpartnertomeetall theirtechnologyneeds.Furthermore,ithastakenacreative approachtothetypesofservicesoffered.Unopposedto steppingoutsidetheboxorcontradictingindustry expectations,Diversifiedconstantlyseeksthenextbigthing thatwillchangethegameandkeepthemaheadof customers’needs.
OneofDiversified’srecentventuresintoanewindustry focusesondeliveringuniqueandinnovatesolutionsto healthcareorganizations.Recognizingtheexpectedgrowth forthismarket,thecompanyisdesigninganddeploying ® medicalintegrationsolutions,includingCORIS that optimizesworkflowsandenhancepatientcare.This expansionofofferingshasallowedthecompanytosustain growth,eveninthetoughestmarkets.Ifoneindustry doesn’tperformasexpected,anotherpicksuptheslack. Thisadvantagebecameclearinthe2008recession,when manysingularlybroadcastorAVfirmswerestruggling whileDiversifiedremainedsafe,notlettingasingle employeego.Thisadvantagehasalsobecomethedriving forcebehindD’Alessandro’svisionforthefuture,whichis continuingtogrowverticallyaswellashorizontally,adding complementaryservicesthatprovidevalueandsolve virtuallyanycustomerrequirementsthroughunique,hybrid technologysolutions.
Throughopenlysharinghisphilosophyofbeingthebest andestablishingarobustcustomerbasewithrepeatable business,D’Alessandrohasseenanothermajoremerging differentiator—Diversified’sengineering-centricoperations. Truetoitstagline,ImaginationEngineered,Diversified takesgreatprideintheexecutionofprojectsand empoweringitsengineeringstafftobecreativeand innovativeintheirdesigns.EachindustrythatDiversified servesisdifferent,requiringcustomsolutionstailoredto eachclient’suniqueneeds.Overall,newsaleswillkeepthe dooropenbutstrongengineeringanddeliverywillbring thecustomerbackandagain,allowinggrowthbeyondwhat anyoneexpected.
Withawell-establisheddomesticfootprint,Diversifiednow focusesoninternationalexpansiontoserveagrowing globalclientele,expandingtheirmanagedservicesportfolio indigitalmedia,securityand“daytwo”support,and transitioningfromhardwareintegrationtosoftware-based integrationtomeettrendingtechnologydemands.Together theseinitiativeswillallowthecompanytomaintainits leadershippositionandcontinuedouble-digitgrowth.
EnsygniaLtdisaUK-based serviceprovidercompanywith amissiontohelpprovidea secureenvironmentforonline transactions.Thecompanyisalready workingwithmajormarketleadersto helpdeliverinnovation,trustand securityintoonlinetransactionsin ordertoboostrevenue-generation.Its solutionfocusesonasimpleuser interfacetosmooththecustomer journeyandincreasecustomer satisfaction.
Thecompany’svisionistomake consumers’digitalliveseasierand safer.Ensygnia’sunifiedbusiness solutioncentersonthekeysalespoint inthecustomerjourney–thepointthe marketersrefertoasthe‘call-toaction’.Ensygnia’ssolutionmakesit easiertotakethataction–itallowsthe customerstomakeone-touch purchaseswithouttheneedfordetailed form-fillingandmultiplecheckpoints.
Itcandoallthiswhileboostingthe securityofthetransactionandreducing theriskoffraud.Ofcourse,itgivesthe customertheopportunitytoconfirm thesaleandthefinalpricebeingpaid, butitcanmakebuyinggoodsor servicesfromalmostanywebsite simple,secureandfriction-free.
Ensygniabelievescompaniesshould beabletoclosesalesquickly,witha brilliantcustomerexperience,best compliantsecurity,andeasiest paymentmethod.Thecompany’s expertiseinboththesecuritymarket andinmobiletechnologyhashelpedto createasafe,securemobiledevice transactionprocesswithbank-grade
securitythatuserscantrust.The companybelievesthatgreatusability andworld-classsecurityshouldcome hand-in-hand.
UnifiedProduct/ServicesOfferedfor EasyandSecureSolutions
Ensygnia’sflagshipsolutioniscalled OnescanOnescan . The solution compromisesacloud-basedsecure platform,amobileapp,andaSoftware Developer’sKit(SDK)thatenables companiesandwebstoreownersto integratesecure transactions Onescan intotheircustomerjourney. Onescan canturnacall-to-actionintoasaleina matterofseconds–whetheronline,instore,oron-the-go.
Ensygnia’s Onescan solutionenables companiestocreateatruly omnichannelsalessolution,allowing customerstomakepurchasesor interactwithabrandonline,from printedadvertising,frombillboards, throughstorewindowsorwithinthe storeitself. Consumersknowthat Onescan givestheminstant,secure transactions–whetheritistobuya product,registerforaserviceorentera competition–fromwherevertheyare andwhatevertheyaredoing.
Ensygnia’ssolutionensuresfast service,securetransactions,anda trustedconsumerenvironment.
ForewordoftheFounder/CEO RichardH.HarrisistheFounderand CEOofEnsygniaandstartedthe companyin2010.Sincethenhehas beenworkingonandimplementinghis ideastomakeiteasierandsafertobuy thingsonline–bothfortheconsumers andthesuppliers.
RichardgraduatedfromLondon Universityintheearly90s,witha degreeinTheoreticalPhysicsandset abouttryingtopredictandmonetize industrytrendsthroughinnovation. Richard’sapproachhasledhimto generatemillionsinrevenuesfor multiplecompanies.
WithEnsygnia,hisapproachevolved tofocusonhowretailerscould instantlysellanything,anywhere, anytime–andhowconsumerscould securelybuyanything,anywhere, anytimewithminimumeffortandtotal peaceofmind.
Richardexplains:“We create an environment where the Call-to-Action can instantly become a transaction. And it really is ANY call to action on a customer journey that we can facilitate. It can be as focused or as multi-layered as our customer requires – for the consumer it stays simple and is delivered instantly and securely by Onescan. per their need. Our customer’s prospective business will only be limited by their imagination.”
Headded:“Whether Consumers are buying a product, registering or transferring information, entering a competition, completing a survey, filling in and registering a warranty card or just proving their identity online – the same, simple Onescan process can deliver all of these transactions instantly and securely from any location.”
Inhissparetime,RichardenjoysCeroc andscubadiving,isacampaignerfor therightsofvulnerableadultsand
mentalhealthissueswhenpossible,workingwithMentalHealth ResearchUK.
Ensygniawasestablishedin2010,anditsservicesarecoveredbya rangeofinternationalpatentscoveringthepaymentandinteraction processesincludingthescanningofQRcodes.In2013,the companyreceiveditsfirstinvestment,anddelivereditsfirstproduct tothemarketinthefollowingyear.Sincethen,theEnsygnia platformhasdelivered100%uptimeonitssystemsandprocesses andcontinuedtogrowitscustomerbaseconsiderably.Itisnow processingmorethanonemillioninteractionspermonth.
Richardbelievesthat,fromaretailperspective,Ensygnia’sbiggest challenge–andindeedthebiggestchallengertoanycompany lookingtosellonlineisAmazon.Theretailinggianthasnailed everypartoftheprocess:Thebuyingexperienceisquick,simple andsecure,customerscaneasilycomparereviews,andthedelivery serviceisquickandreliable.What’smore,thecompanycontinues toinnovatewithdronedeliveries,pick-uplockers,re-orderbuttons, voiceordering,andsubscription-basedpurchasingetc.
Ensygniaisworkinghardtohelpmakethatsimplicityofthebuying experienceavailabletoeveryretailwebsitesothatcompaniescan looktocompetewiththeAmazonexperience.
Richardsays: “Other retailers rely heavily on habit and brand loyalty which will only go so far. They need to be innovative to survive and they need to innovate well to thrive.”
Ensygniahasfacedmanyapproachestochallengeitscompetitive placeinthemarket,butthetechnicalexcellenceofitsplatformand thestrengthofitsworldwidepatentportfolio,hasseenoffmany imitators.
Richardexplains: “There are competitors who burn through tens of millions trying to copy just to follow the same platform. But why waste years and millions when the customer can buy a secure, compliant and reliable solution from Ensygnia and gain its market in days or weeks.”
Ensygniahasestablisheditscredentialsandproveditslongevityin afast-developingmarket.Thecompanyspentyearsbuildingits platformandensuringitscompliancewithindustrystandards.It nowprocessesmorethanonemillioninteractionspermonthand hasmaintainedhas100%uptimesinceitslaunchin2014.What’s more,usingtheEnsygniaplatformdramaticallyreducestheriskand costtocompaniesofsecurityandcomplianceastheplatformmeets theregulationsandstandardsfordataprotection,privacyand securitysuchasPCIDSS,PSD2,andGDPR.
ReframetoAchievingzenithsonestepatatime. Atpresent,theindustryremainsfragmentedwhichmeansEnsygnia
expectstoseemarketconsolidationandapproaches fromothercompaniesoverthecomingyears.Thereis alsotheriseofcryptocurrenciesandblockchainto considerasthisiscreatingnewdecentralizedand currentlyun-regulatedopportunities.Ensygniais watchingandpreparingforthesedevelopmentsandis focusedonworkingwithafewkeypartnerstoexpand itslistofclientsandusers.Ensygniaisexcitedbyall themarketopportunitiesthataredevelopingandby theexpansionofitsglobalmarketpresence.
Our mission is to make consumer’s digital lives easier and safer.
“
Richard H. Harris Founder & CEO “
Legendsneverneedanintroduction.Theytendtobe
victoriousdespiteoftheiruneventfulhistories.They sticktocaptivatingtraitssuchasDiscipline, determinationandself-beliefwhichhelpthemaccomplish wondersinthelongrun.OnesuchexampleofanextraordinarypersonisElonMusk,aSouthAfricanBusiness Magnate,Investorandanengineer.
Muskisthefounder,CEO,andchiefarchitectofSpaceX; co-founder,CEO,andproductdesignerofTeslaInc.;and co-founderandCEOofNeuralink.AsofFebruary2018,he isthe53rd-richestpersonintheworldandhasanetworth of$20.8billion,whichisfarmorethanthenetGDPof Greecetakenintoconsideration.
Whileeachentrepreneurpossessesauniquesetoftraitsthat makeshim/hersuccessful,thisTechfounderhasafewtraits muchdifferentfromanyotherordinaryCEO,whichhas allowedhimtobuildsomeoftheworld’smostrespected andinnovativeorganizations.Muskoncequoted,“When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.”
Let’shavealookonthesepersonalityattributesand characteristicsthatmakehimacontenderforthemost innovativeintellectualentrepreneurofthecenturyalive.
ElonMuskisahard-workinginnovator,workingforabout 100hoursaweek,andhasbeenproductivesincemany years.Hemayevenbeconsideredasthehardestworking employeeofthecompany,settingstandardsforhis colleaguestofollowandimplement.Sincethefieldofwork liesinsidehisradiusofinterests,heenjoysittoevery momentandbitwhenitcomestolearningandexecution.
Foundingastart-upinvolvesagreatdealofuncertaintyand risk.Astudyfoundthatafter10yearsofbeinginbusiness, 96percentofthestart-upsfail.Goingbythestatistics, Muskmusthavefacedthesameoddsagainsthim,whenhe haddecidedtoleaveanotherwisecomfortablelifetostarta riskyanduncertainbusinessventure.
Forinstance,MusklefthisPhDprogramatStanford UniversitytofindacompanycalledZip2withhisbrotherin theyear1995.Later,thecompanywassoldtoCompaq computers,profitingMuskabitover$20million.
Followingthis,Muskonceagaintookagreatriskby investingmillionsofdollarstofoundacompanycalled X.com,oneoftheworld’sfirstonlinebanks.
Anastoundingandless-knownfactaboutElonMuskisthat heisself-taughtinprogrammingandinmanyadvanced levelsubjects.Hereadandunderstoodavarietyofbooks, whichhelpedhimgainendlessandpersistentknowledge andunderstanddiverseconcepts.
Thebestpieceofadviceonlearningandimplementationis toconstantlythinkabouthowthingscouldbedoneina bettermannerandquestionselftoseektheanswers.
Itisofprimeimportancetorecognizethepresentsymbolor otherwise‘statusquo’inthemarketasanorganizationand re-positionaccordingly.Musksolicitsconstantfeedbackof thecompaniesandexecutes‘self-analysis.’ Heinduces effortsanddivergentstrategiestoimprovecustomer feedbacksandstrivestowardsperfectionism.
Forexample,heseeksouthiscritics andtriestoconversewiththem.This habitofself-reflectionatregularand considerableperiodsispivotalforany entrepreneurororganizationtosucceed inthelongrun.
TendencyforVerticalIntegration
Verticalintegrationisastrategywhere anorganizationorafirmacquires businessoperationswithinthesame productvertical.BothTeslaand SpaceXembracethisconcept.For example,Teslanotonlyproduces electriccars;theyalsogeneratepublic awarenessabouttheircarsviaTesla showroomsacrossvariouscountries.
AndSpaceXdoesnotonlyhavethe primarygoalofrocketpropulsions; theydeveloptheirownrocket architectureaswell.
FaithinSelfandtheFoundingTeam Muskundoubtedlypossessesa profoundbeliefinhisowncapabilities
aswellasthepotential-seekingfactor ofitsfoundingteam.Hedoesnot hesitatetogambleonlargescaleunless heisgenuinelyawareoftheexpected end-results.
Itisequallyessentialtomaintain clarityofdoubtinanylargescale organization.Underhissupervision, Muskencouragesincreatingapositive andcomprehensiveenvironmentacross hisfirms.
PreferringtoStandOutFromthe Crowd
Muskelectstobringupinnovationat everylevelofhisunderstanding.He tendstoimparttheoreticalknowledge atthebaselevel,applyingchangesand executingthesameonthepractical level.Hereliesmoreontransitional aspectssuchasresearchand development,therebyincreasingthe probabilityofground-breaking inventions.
TeslaMotors,afarheadedfirmheaded byElonMusk,isanti-ordinary.Its compellingmarketplacehasbecomea one-stopdestinationforpotential buyerswheretheycaninteractabout productspecifications.Theyalsohave videotestimonialsthatfaroutperform inthesales-dominatedindustry.
ThereisnoambiguitythatMusk,by far,hasbeenapillarofinspirationfor buddingentrepreneursandinvestors becauseofhisprolificandoptimistic approachtowardslife
AllthesetraitspossessedbyMusk,in somemannerortheother,coincide withmostofyourhabits.Theonly thingthatstandsasapotentialbarrier betweenthesetwoisidentifyingyour strengthsandworkingonthemona continualbasis.Goon,applythese traitsintoyourdailylife,andyoumay becomethenextbigCEOtheworldis inneedoftoday!
Nowadaysthemedicalworldhasstarted
acknowledgingthebenefitsofdigitizedmedical documentationsystemsandisclamoringto adoptthemostsuitableoneforthem.Legalmandates andmedicalcompliancerequirementsarealsoproviding avitalthrusttowardsthesame.Thus,withavisionof harnessingtechnologytobuildandsynthesize economical,cloudbasedITandITESproducts& solutions,andtoaddressthechallengesfacedintwo fields,namelyHealthcareandEducation,Kaaspro underwentitsconception.
Theorganizationstarteditsjourneybybuilding 75Health,acomprehensiveElectronicMedicalRecord (EMR)software,whichensuresthatallthecriticalhealth informationofapatientareavailablewithinthe applicationandalsoenablesthemedicalprofessionalto accessanyinformationthattheyrequireinorderto addressapatient’shealthneeds.75Healthfacilitateseasy andaccuratepatientrecordsmanagementandhence, minimizestheconsequentialerrorsarisingoutof documentloss,mismanagement,oromission.
KumarSubramaniam,analumnusofP.S.G.Instituteof Technology,India,istheFounderandCEOofKaaspro. Heisalsotheco-founderofKumaranSystems,heading theInternetProductsandServicesdivision.Drawing fromhiswidegamutoftechnicalexperienceasacofounderofKumaranSystems,Mr.Kumarwasinspired tostartKaasprobydeveloping75Healthwhenhe handledthecumbersomeprocessesofsafelykeeping
medicalrecords,labtestreports,andprescriptionsforhis wifewhowasunwell.Atthatpoint,hefelttheneedto buildabetter,simpler,andsaferwaytohandlepatient relateddocuments,soastohelpmedicalprofessionals takequickandsecuredecisionsrelatedtoapatient’s health.
ADistinctiveOrganization
Kaasproisalwaysevolvingandleveragingtechnologyto enhanceitsproductsandsolutions.Innovationbasedon clients’needsisoneoftheprimemotivesandthe organizationbelievesthatthiswillhelpittotackle competitioneffectively.
Thefirstproduct75Healthremainsaoneofitskindin termsofsimplicityofuseandthesheermagnitudeof informationbeingavailabletoamedicalprofessional. 75Healthiscloudbased,builtonrobusttechnologies, andcustomizedtonotonlysuittheneedsofthe customersbuttoalsogoafewstepsaheadbyproviding themwithcompleteaccesstoallthenecessaryrecordsas wellasfacilitatinginteractionwithotherdoctors. Furthermore,75Healthisfree,compatiblewithall mobiledevices,doesnotrequireanyadditional hardware,andauserjustneedsawebbrowsertoaccess thedigitalmedicalrecords.Kaasproalsostrongly believesthatblendingtechnologywithconveniencewill alwayshelptheorganizationtostayaheadofits competition.
TacklingUnevenRoads
Inspiredbyaneed,Kaasprohasalwaysbelievedthat
Innovationwillbethefuelforitsgrowth.Asmentioned earlier,theorganizationhaskick-starteditsjourneywith 75Health.Kaasprohasalwaysusedeverychallengeas anopportunitytoenrichitsproduct.Thefollowingtwo instanceselucidatethispoint:
Duringtheyearsinwhich75Healthwasbeingbuiltand tested,Kaaspro’sclientshadrequestedforadditional featureswhichKaasproaddedinordertomake75Health themostcomprehensiveEMRinthemarket.For example,oneclientwantedtohaveconnectivitywith theirpatientsevenwhentheytravel.Theywantedtobe accessiblewhenanemergencyarisesfortheirclients. Hencethevideo-conferencingfacilitywasintegrated withintheappinordertoensurethatdistancesdonot comeinthewayofpatientcare.
SomeofKaaspro’sdoctorsfelttheneedtohaveafacility toreferapatienttoanotherspecialistwithintheapp, insteadofhavingtorelyonanothermediumof communicationsuchassay,emailsorphonecalls.They feltthatthisfacilitywouldensurethattheother specialistswillalsohavecompleteaccesstothepatient’s EMRanditwouldalsomaketheprocesshassle-free. ThisledKaasprotodevelopareferralmodulebuilt within75Healthtofacilitatedoctorstoreferandbe referredusingonlytheapp,anddocumentingtheprocess internally,therebykeepingallthedoctorsandpatientsin loop.
Whenitcomestothefuture,Kaasproisintheceaseless processofbuildingacompleteEMRpackage.The organizationisalsodevelopinganAIproductwhichwill providevitalinputstohealthcareprofessionalsbyusing aregionalandglobaldatabase.Atthesametime,the organizationisfocusedonbecomingagloballeaderfor EHRsandislookingtotakethefootprintsof75Health acrossmajorgeographies.
Currently,itisfreeandKaasproislookingtopartnering withlike-mindedindividualsorinvestorswhocanhelp intheexpansionoftheproduct’sreach.Thecompanyis alsointheprocessofwhite-labelingthisproductforits clients.Lastly,apartfromEHRsandEMRs,Kaasprois undergoingthespadeworkforpracticemanagement system,whichwillsoonhitthemarkets.
“
Our ultimate aim is to provide affordable cloud based-solutions for enterprises ranging from single users to multi users.
“
Kumar Subramaniam Founder & CEO
HeadquarteredinColumbus,OH,MES,Inc.isa full-serviceproviderofglobalmanufacturingand supplychainmanagementservices.Thecompany worksintheverticalsoflighting,agriculture,automotive andspecializesinthemanufacturingandsupplyofmetal componentsincludingcasting,forgingofmachinepartsand assemblyofrubberandplasticparts.
MEShelpsdevelopcustomizedengineeringsolutionsby utilizingglobalmanufacturingresourcesandapplying completesupplychainsolutions.Thecompanyachieves thisbyfollowingfivedistinctstepsincludingfindingand auditingsuppliers,developingtheirqualitysystems, consolidatingshipmentsatvariousports,performing domesticvalueaddedoperationsandwarehousingnear customersandshipping.
HitenShah,theCEOandPresidentofMES,believesin buildingbusinessandpeoplewithvalues.Thesevalues include,creatingwin-winsolutionsforcustomerscreating anexcitingandchallengingworkenvironmentfor associates,anddevelopingsuppliersandpartnersglobally. HitenholdsanMBAinInternationalBusinessfrom FranklinUniversity,Ohio.HefoundedMESin2007 and hasbeensincebeenthedrivingforceofthecompany’s progress.
Hitenpossessesaglobalbusinessexperienceandsternly believesinbeingpersistentandcommitted,whichinturn, hasbuiltMES’sworldwideoutreach.HeiscurrentlyanInc. 5000entrepreneurandaninvestor. “If you have a winning business idea and passion to work, I can help develop the business plan as well as provide financial investment,” Hitenexpresses.Hitenadvocatesthefactthatfailingaids thedevelopmentofone’scorecompetence. “To grow, you must learn to fail,” iswhatHitenbelieves.
Hitenhasbeenadornedwithnumerousaccoladesand honorsinhisentirecareer.Afewofthesearebeingfeatured inthe2018issueofColumbusCEOMagazine;being electedasapanelistofthe2017AACGEconomicSummit; andbeingelectedasapanelistofthe2017Diversityin BusinessAwards.Hitenwasalsoselectedasthehonoreeof C-SuiteawardsandSmart50awardsin2017,hewasthe finalistofErnst&YoungEntrepreneuroftheYearAwardin 2016.
AccordingtoHiten,thebenefitofthisreputationunderlines thesharingofhisperspectivewithintheorganizationas wellaswithoutsiders,whichwouldinstillasenseof inspirationamonghisfollowers.Hitenalsocomprehends thatthiscommendableexperienceandreputationalso enhancesMES’scredibilitywhilepotentialcustomerswish toknowabouttheorganization.
GreatSupplyChainManagement(SCM)isastrategic sciencethatgoesintoimprovingthewayyourcompany sourcescomponentpartsfrommanufacturers.MEShas developedprovenstrategiesforeachphaseoftheSupply ChainManagementprocess.MESbenchmarkseveryaspect ofourSupplyChainManagementservicesagainstbest-inclassmetrics.Wefocusonquality,efficiency,andcostsavingsineverystep.
Thecompany’soutstandingsourcing-to-deliverysolution allowsittopassonsavingstoitscustomers.Thecompany achievesthis,notjustincomponentcostsandshipping rates,butalsobyloweringleadtimesintoolingandthe manufacturingprocess.MESprovidescontract manufacturinginIndia,China,Taiwan,Malaysia& Vietnam.Itssuppliermanagementprocessutilizessourcing agentsandqualityengineers.Thecompanysources manufacturingsuppliersbasedonquality,deliverytimeand price.AllofitssuppliersmustbeISO-certifiedandpassa
stringentauditformanufacturing.MES’scriteriaforsuppliersinclude ISOcertification,advancedmanufacturingfacilities,provenabilityfor thecompetencepromised,engineeringresources,QA,andon-time production.
MESutilizesprojectmanagementtools&APQPtotrackeverystepof thetooling&manufacturingprocess.Itmonitorsandcontrolsthe toolingdevelopmentandPPAPsubmissionprocesswithitssuppliers. Thecompanyreviewscriticalspecswithcustomers,relays informationtosuppliersattoolingkickoff,performssupplier inspectionstoinsureaccuratemethodandmeasurements.Itperforms thirdPartychecksofrawmaterialsatindependentlabsalsomonitors &communicatingdeliverytimelinesandalsoprovidescustomerapprovedtoolingdesign.
MEScarefullymanagesthegloballogisticsprocesstosavetimeand moneyoninternationalshipping.Itselectstheprovider,consolidating ordersincontainerswhereverpossible.Itmanagesimport/export procedures.Thecompanymonitorsportconditionsandre-routes shipments,ifnecessaryandalsoexpertlynavigatescustoms requirements,paperwork,andfees.
“Many customers have custom requirements which require domestic manufacturing operations to facilitate special orders. MES offers a range of operations domestically to streamline your component requirements,” statesHiten.Partscommunization,specialE-Coating, paintingorpowdercoating,additionofpartfeaturessuchasholes, markings,assemblytoreducecustomercostsetc.areafew requirementswhichMEScatersto
MEShasenhanceditsorderprocessing,billing,inventory management,ERP,andEDIsystems,whichallowsittomirrora customer’swarehousingsolutions.Thecompanymanagesinventory processesandprovidesJITshippingofpartsandcomponents.MES’s warehousingfacilitiesarelocatedinUS-LosAngeles&Ohio;MXMonterrey,Juarez&Tijuana;Europe-Poland.
MES’sorganizationalstrategyistobemoreefficientandcompetitive byfocusingonkeybusinessmethodsviz,on-timedelivery,quality testingmethods,inventorymanagementmethods,etc.Themost significantaspectthatcreatesadistinctivepositionforMESinthe globalmarketistheautomationofthecompany’sprocesses.
Customersupportanddocumentation,extensivequalitymanagement throughoutaproject,andothervitalprocessesareautomatedatMES usingaheavydoseofcontemporarytechnology.MEShasdeveloped auniquephoneapplicationforitsinhouseaswellascustomer-side engineerstoreportqualityanalysisandissuesaswellasforits warehousestoreportshippingissues.
Thecompanycomprehendsthevolatiletrendsin theSupplyChainManagementindustryandthus advocatestheattitudeofceaselesslyembracing changeandconstructivecompetition.Hiten personallybelievesthatwhilecontinuingtogrow asanorganization,takingchancesandmaking mistakesiswhatmakesupforimproveddecision making,teamdevelopmentandmanagerialskills. Committingtoworkandenjoyingitplaysasa catalystforMES’sgrowthintonewgeographies, industriesandnewcommodities.
MES’sfutureendeavorsincludeadditionofnew localmanufacturingcapabilities,realizingbusiness opportunitiesintheUK,andexpansionoflocal warehousingfacilitiesacrosstheglobe.
Our mission is to deliver top-quality components in a timely and efficient manner.
“ “
Hiten Shah President & CEO
MHGSystemsOyLtdisa Finlandbasedcompany involvedinofferingnext generationsmartICTsolutionsfor ForestandBiomassmanagement.The companyinnovatesbyintegratingopen softwaretechnologywithyearsoffield experienceintheforestryandbiomass businessbehinditsback.The combinationofinnovationand experienceresultsinagileanduserfriendlyITservices,aimedat facilitatingflexibleandresilient businessmodelsintherapidly changingbusinessenvironment.Its portfolioofservicesincludes,butnot limitedto,remotesensingservicesfor forestassetmanagement,mobile solutions,andfieldworkmanagement. Itoffersthebelow-mentioned solutions:
Wuudis:Fullrangeserviceindigital forestpropertymanagementplatform, connectingforestownerswithlocal contractors,timber/biomassbuyers, andauthorities.
MHG Biomass Manager:Thecomplete solutionforBioenergyproduction, procurement,managing,harvesting, andlogistics.
MHG Mobile:Mobilereal-time managementofforestassets,biomass, andhumanresourcesenablingmore productivebusinessmodels.
MHG Bio-Plant Optimizer:Feasibility assessmentserviceincludingbankable reportsforBio-energyInvestment.
MHGSystems’visionistobecome oneoftheworldleadersinICT solutionssegmentforforestry management,timber/biomass procurement,andtopossessallthe requireddatathatboostany stakeholderbusinessintheforestry industry.Thiscanbeenabledby digitalizingtheglobalforestresource andallbiomassflowsthroughMHG Systemsservices.
Mr.Huurinainenwassufferingfroma problemofmanaginghismorethan 1000hectaresofforestpropertyinan easyandprofitableway.Almost13 yearsago,thevisionnamedMHG SystemsstarteddevelopinginMikkeli, Finlandtokillthisproblemand revolutionizetheforestandbiomass supplychainbusinessthroughdigital services.AccordingtoMr. Huurinainen,hisforestpropertyworks asa‘sandbox’totestMHG’sICT services.
Today,MHGSystemsisoneofthe mostinnovativeandfastestgrowing SMEsintheEUwith5000+ commercialusersinWuudisservice, dedicatedSaaSaccountofWuudis withFinnishForestauthority,several
activeaccountsofMHGBiomass ManagerServiceasSaaSand dedicatedSaaS,consultancyprojects andparticipatinginseveralEUand internationalprojects.TheMHG Systemscommittedateamof10 multidisciplinaryprofessionalstomake thischallengingjourneypossible.
SeppoHuurinainen,theFounder& CEO,hasacumulativeexperienceof 35yearsinforestry,entrepreneurship, andinformationtechnology.Heholdsa broadacademicexperienceinGIS,IT, andsilviculturewithfiveuniversity leveldegrees.
HefoundedMHGSystemsin2005, whichcurrentlyofferspioneeringICT solutionsforforestandbiomass management.Priortobecomingan entrepreneur,heheldseveral developmentandresearchpositions withintheforestandagriculture industryandhasworkedfor organizationssuchastheFinnish ForestandParkService,Metla, FinnishForestCentre,Metsäliitto, StoraEnso,andtheNationalBoardof Education.
Globallyover2billionpeoplerelyon forestsentirelyorpartiallyfortheir livelihood,creatingamarketof246
billionUSDfromtheglobalexportsofforest-based products.Despitethishugenumber,thereareveryfew digitalsolutionsavailableforsustainableforest management.Thereasonliesintheusageofold-fashioned businesspracticesforperformingdailyroutinesinthe sector.However,MHGSystemsistakingadvantageofthe forestdigitalizationboominFinlandtoproducenext generationtoolsandservicesforthesustainable managementofforestandbiomassflow.
“We understood that innovation is the key strategy to become competitive in today’s market. In our company we realize innovations via our participation in the EU research projects, where EU wide best stakeholders from the sector are collaborating with each other to develop the most innovative and useful services and products. Till date, we have raised a total of 1M€ from EU Commission for our research and innovation activities” assertsMr. Huurinainen.
MHGSystem’scurrentserviceshaveacompetitiveedge overexistingsolutions,asitcoversallforestmanagement andbiomassflowinoneplace.Thismeansallforestdata andinformationintoonesolution,analyzesandvisualizesit andshowsit,tailoredtotheuser’srole.
MHGSystemsisintheprocessofdevelopingaccurate forestinventorymanagementsolutionsutilizingdrone technology(fromthirdparty)tocapturehighqualityaerial
imagesandthereafterstandardize,process,andvisualize thoseimagesinitsWuudisplatformsolutiontomake usableinformationforforestowner,forestassociation,and forestcompanies.Thissolutionwillbringsignificantbenefit inimprovingforesthealthduetodataoneverysingletree. Anotherinnovationunderdevelopmentistailor-madeforest datatotheforestcontractors,timberbuyers,forest companiesetc.withaviewtoimprovingtheirprofitability.
Globally,theimportanceofforest-basedindustriesis slightlyoverlookedduetomanyreasons.Forexample, manyprivateforestownersliveincitiesandarenotaware oftheeconomicpotentialoftheirforestassets.Thereason islackofforestmanagementtoolsandserviceswhichcan enableforestmanagementrightfromtheirlivingroom. Moreover,thetraditionalvaluechainofforestrybusinessis dominatedbybigindustrialplayersandtherebyhindering thegrowthofforest-basedentrepreneurs.So,thereisaneed ofneutralsolution,whichsupportsthegrowthofoverall forestsectorincludingprivateforestowners,forest industries,forestentrepreneurs,andcontractors.
Seppo Huurinainen Founder & CEO
“
We are committed to revolutionize the forest and biomass business through meaningful and usable digital and big data based solutions.“
Foralongtime,thetelephonyindustryhasbeen dominatedbyorganizationsbasedon-premiseand aimedattheenterprisespace.Companiesbring themonboardtocreatebespoke,expensivesolutionsthat comewithassociatedredundancyandbackup.Natterbox,a UKtelephonycompanyfoundedin2010,wassetupto changethistraditionalwayofthinkingaboutthetelephone andthecustomerexperiencebyembeddingvoiceatthe heartofbusinesscommunicationsanddevelopment strategies.Whenfirstfounded,Natterboxbuiltitsown platformin-houseandiscurrentlytheonlycompanyout thereabletoprovideaplatformthatsitsdirectlywithin SalesforceasaunifiedSalesforcePBXsystem.Thismeans thatcustomerscanimproveandtransformtheirphone systemwithoutitbecomingamassiveinfrastructure project,whichishowmostcompaniesviewtelephone systems.
Natterboxenablesorganizationstodelivermarket-leading servicelevelstotheircustomersthroughtheefficient integrationofvoiceintotheirdigitalcustomer communications.Thecompanyaimstotransformthe telephonyexperienceoforganizationsandtheircustomers. It’sre-definingalong-standingbusinessmodelwithan offeringbuiltaroundacloudtelephonyCRMplatform embeddedentirelywithinSalesforce.Thispropositionis revolutionizingthecustomer’sinteractionsoverthephone andprovidingthemwithamorestreamlined,informedand personalizedexperience.Beyondtheimprovementof customerserviceexperiences,Natterbox’saimistohelp businessesmakethemostoftheinsightsanddatagenerated byvoicecommunications.Thiscustomerdatacanindeed provideinvaluableinsightsvitaltosales,product developmentandstafftraining.
Sinceitsinception,Natterboxhasseenexponentialgrowth year-on-yearandisworkingwithover250companies aroundtheworld.CustomersrelyonNatterboxtosetnew standardsincustomerexperiencetodrivemeasurable increasesinsalesefficiency,competitiveadvantageand organizationalsuccess.
NeilHammerton,CEOandCo-founderofNatterboxhas spentmostofhisprofessionallifeintheITsector.Hebegan hiscareerinsecuritysoftwaresales,whereherecognized theimportanceoflisteningtocustomerrequirementsand businessesaccesstoatelephonesystemthatgivestheir customersandstaffthemostefficient,flexibleand enjoyableexperiencepossible.Theideaofestablishing Natterboxoccurredtohimwhenherealizedhowpoorlya bigcompanyhewasworkingfordealtwithincoming phonecalls.Thoughhehadlimitedknowledgeofthe telecommunicationsectorpriortosettingupthecompany, Neilandhispartnerstaughtthemselvesaboutthemarket withthehelpofanindustryveteran.Neilispassionate aboutthetelecommunicationindustry,technologyandthe potentialpowerofvoicetotransformtherelationship betweenbusinessesandtheircustomers.
Talkingaboutbusinessopportunitiesinthe telecommunicationindustry,Neilsays: “I realized that there are a huge number of companies missing out on new business opportunities and the ability to provide personalized customer service because they don’t offer the same experience over the phone that they do via email or apps. Whilst many brands are able to track customer activities and preferences online, there wasn’t a way to collect this same information from a phone call – which is still many people’s preferred method of communicating. It became obvious to me that there was a market gap in there waiting to be filled – and that’s how Natterbox was born”.
Natterboxwassetuptodisruptthetraditionalwayof thinkingaboutthetelephone.Theimpactofthisnewcloud telephonytechnologycanshapeorganizations competitivenessbymaintainingpersonalizedservicesand speedofengagementbyintegratingtelephonywithinthe servicecloud.Natterboxoffersacompletebusinessphone systemandcontactcenter100%nativelyembeddedin Salesforce;meaningthatadministratorscanpersonalize callerjourneysandauthorizenumbersthroughSalesforce. AvailablefromtheSalesforceAppExchange,Natterbox advancedvoiceservicesprovideacompleteCloudPBX withcontactcentreforSalesforce.Theappisdesignedto eitherreplaceacustomer’sexistingphonesystemwithone thatis100%embeddednativelyinSalesforceorcanbe integratedwiththeexistingphonesystem.
Thesystemallowsadministratorstocreateandmanage theirentireendtoendphonesystemandcontactcentre
Hammerton CEO & Co-founder
globally.Natterboxisavailableworldwide,servicedbyits globalnetworkofdatacentreinfrastructureproviding qualityofservice,reliabilityandreducedcomplexityat greatvalue.
Natterboxisoneofthefastestgrowingcompaniesinthe industrywithhasthelowestchurnrateofcustomers.It’s nowontracktoachievethefoundingaimofbecomingone oftheworld’sbiggesttelecommunicationcompanies.It’s focusedontakingadvantageofemergingtechnologiessuch asAI-looking tointegrateitintotheplatformtoanalyze sentimentsandidentifythegoodcustomerservicecalls fromthebadones,whichcanhelpsupportcompanies whiletrainingcustomerserviceagents.Additionally,other areasofdevelopmentforNatterboxincluderesearch projectsfocusingontheapplicationofemergingtechnology suchasuniversaltranslationinrealtimeandthe possibilitiesitoffersbusinessorganizationtoovercome languagebarriersandexpandglobaloperations.
Natterbox is always one step ahead of the game and makes voice work for business.
VideoAmpturns4yearsoldthismonth.Somany memories,andsomuchgrowth.Let’sreflecton someoftheworstdecisionsandassociated learningsthathavebeenfundamentaltoourgrowth.Why theworstyousay?Becausewhenyouaccelerateyour learningrateinafail-fastenvironment,itthenallowsyouto makefastdecisionsvs.theanalysisparalysispredicament.
Oneofmyfavoritewildcardinterviewquestionsfor managersis:“Describethefailureyou’remostproudof.” Thissometimescatchespeopleoffguard,soI’llsharemine firsttogettheconversationgoing.Inevitablyitcomesdown tochoosingbecausetherearesomany.
Youcan’ttalkaboutgrowthandsuccesswithouttalking aboutthesefailures.Unlessyou’re somekindofhybridAIrobot-space-alienwho’sabsolutelyperfect,there’sgoingto bemistakes.What’simportantisthatasaleaderyouown yourmistakesandbetransparentaboutthem.
Findingtherightpeopleisthesinglemostimportantaspect ofgrowingastartup.Thebiggestmistakesinhiringhave been:
Ÿ
“Hiringoutofhand”,orshortcuttingthenormal processesbecausethecandidateiswellknownbyother engineersinthegroup.
Ÿ
“Promotingoutofhand”isanothervariationof thiswhereyoudon’tputsomeonethroughthe normalduediligencebecausetheyalready present.Inourcase,individualcontributor(IC) engineersdon’tgothroughtherigorous referencechecksthatnewmanagersdo.
“Hiringunderduress”,orloweringyourbar simplytomeetheadcountgoals.Istrongly advisetohirefewer“full-fullstack”senior engineersvs.abunchofjuniorormid-level careerdeveloperswhorequiremoretime, nurturingandpreciousattentionunitsfromyour seniorstaff.
Thisisamovingtarget,andonewhichhasdefinitelybeen anongoingseriesofblogs.Intheearlystage,we“over prescribedscrum.”Somethingthataveryearlystage companycando,alongwithtoomuchagileprocessestoo soon.
Forexample,prototypesandproofofconceptsshouldnot havearigorousdefinitionofdone,withendlessunit, functional,andend-to-endtestsbecausetheproduct’s requirementswillprobablyzig-zagwildly.
Conversely,havingtoolittleprocesswhenyouare supportingenterprisecustomerscanalsobea problem. IspentmypriordaysasanICand
contractorretrofittingandscalingCI/CDpipelinesand trainingengineershowtowritebettertests.
Thechallengeisright-sizingthisallalongtheway,andthe triggerpointsonwhentochangemaynotbeobvious.Isay thisbecausewegrewheadcountby22engineersfromOct 2017toFeb2018,andintheprocesswedidnotmodifyour simplifiedKanbanapproachtoaprescribedScrumprocess quicklyenough.Growingpainsemerged,tosaytheleast. Nowwe’reinaspotwherewecanwithstandamagnitude scaleofgrowthwithroughlythesamesquadandtribe-level process.
RiffingoffrapidgrowthofBrainsinengineering,wedidn’t scalemanagementfastenough.Almostallstartup engineeringorgsstartveryflat,withallICsandno management.Youhave“techleads”whomaysplittheir timedoinglightmanagerialfunctions,buttheyallwrite codeanddiveintotheoperations.
ThebiggestfailhereinscalingtheICswasnotscalingthe organdmanagementstructuretofollow.At~44engineers anddatascientists,wehaveadutytodeliveronourmission toprovideanenvironmentwheretheyhavetheopportunity todothebestworkoftheirlivesandbeworthmoreinthe marketplace.
Withoutthisvitalmanagementstructure,thereisavacuum. Donotboltthisonlater,builditasyougo.Wetook inspirationfromSpotify’smodelofengineering organizationalscaling.
We’vetalkedaboutallofthesefails,howaboutsomething thathasworkedwellforus?
Whendoinginitialcontactwithacandidate,Ioftenask “whyareyouinmarket?”Ihaveseencountlessfolkswho arelookingbecausetheircurrentmanagementdoesnot havetheirgrowthandcareerpathinginmind.Inextreme cases,theycandoaday’sworkinfourhours,feellikethey areunder-challenged,andhavenotlearnedanythingin years. TheyworkinanenvironmentlikethemovieOffice Space.
Takinganoppositeapproachistoengageinthegrowthand pathingofeveryindividual.Wedothisby:
Ÿ aligningthegrowthoftheindividualwiththe company’sgrowth.
Ÿ havingmanagementcheckinfrequentlyonthesuccess ofthis,and
Ÿ settingupformalquarterlycheck-insonmeasuring thesegoals.GoogleadoptedthisearlyonfromJohn DoerrintheformofOKRs,andtherearegreat platformsouttherewhichcanformallymeasureand tracktheseobjectives.
Careerpathingisalonger-termconcern.Iaskcandidates fromthestart“sowhat’sthenextjobafterVideoAmp?” Thisoftencatchesthemoffguard,thenaftercarefulthought mostreplywitharole1-2levelsbeyondwherethey’reat now.It’sourgoaltohelpsteertheminwhateverpaththey currentlysee.
Manyearlier-careerengineersthinkmanagementistheir ultimatepath,butIhavefoundthatmanywillstayona tractofengineeringexcellence.Whetherit’saPrincipal EngineeroraVPofEngineering,thegoalistoorientthe newchallengesinamannerwhichgrowstheminthat direction,evenifwecan’tfullyrealizetheirultimate pathinggoalwhileatthecompany.
Bypayingcarefulattentiontothesedetails,wehavefound ourannualretentionrateinthehigh90%.
Atpresenttime,industrialadvancementis elaboratingwithconsultingengineeringplatform whichprovidesprofessionalservicesthatdefine independentexpertiseinengineering,science,industries, developers,governmentsandconstructionfirms.Optimizt Technologiesisamultidisciplinaryengineering consultancyfirmmainlyengagedinprovidingengineering design&simulationserviceslikeProductDesign, Validation,Prototype&Staffingservices.Thecompany majorlyfocusesonIndustrysectorsincludingAutomobile, OffRoadVehicles,Machinery,MedicalEquipments, Energy,ProcessIndustry(Oil&Gas)andCivilStructures.
OptimiztTechnologieswasfoundedin2010atPune,India, withqualifiedandexperiencedprofessionals.Itwasformed withthecoreobjectiveofprovidinghighleveltechnical andvalue-addedbusinesssolutionsandfocusingonits customertogetaqualityserviceattheend.Thefirmhasa strongexperienceindesigningaFinalProduct,Engineering ProductSimulationservices,Prototype&Testingservices, andtheProjectManagement.Today,thecompanyhasmany successstories&clientsfromacrossIndia,USandEurope. AlfaLavalLtd,AtlasCopcoLtd,BehrHella Thermocontrol,ForbesMarshall,Emerson,GEOil&Gas, JohnsonControlsLtd,TATAConsultancyServices, Putzmeisterarefewofitsclientstowhomithasbeen providingdesign&simulationservices.Inshorttimespan, OptimiztTechnologieshasstrengtheneditsfootingsinthe domestic&overseasmarket.
Thefirmhasreceivedacoupleofawards&appreciations asInternationalArchofEuropeAwardin2015atFrankfurt byBIDGroup,Spain. Alsoin2012,itwasawardedfor WestIndia’sBestTechnicalCentrebyPTC,USAbyits Indiancounterpart.Ithasbeenhighlyappreciatedin recognitionofcommitmenttoQuality,Delivery& TechnicalExpertisebyitsClients.Inrecenttime,Optimizt Technologieshasbeencontinuouslygettingnominationsfor manyothernationalawardsundernewstartupsinIndiaby variousmarketresearchorganizations.
OptimiztTechnologiesstronglybelievesingivingbackto thesocietyandhasstartedaninnovativewaytocontribute
tothefieldofmechanicalengineeringcommunity.Ithas beentrainingmorethan100studentseveryyear,inthefield ofdesigntoolsstudyingatalessprivilegedengineering collegeinIndia.
ExemplaryLeaderwithTechnologyExpertise
JitendraJagtapistheFounderandCEOatOptimizt Technologies.HeisaMechanicalEngineerwithmorethan 13yearsofrichindustrialexperience.Hehasversatile experienceinmultidisciplinaryengineeringdomains&has successfullyexecutedmanyInternational&National projectsforAutomotive,Aerospace,OffRoadVehicles,Oil &GasIndustry.Inearly2010,Jitendrastartedhisown consultingfirmasafreelancerandthengraduallyformeda scalableorganizationnamedasOptimiztTechnologies.
Jitendraisaninnovativethinker,ethical,subjectmatter expertwithsoundtechnicalandprojectmanagementskills. HeisalsocertifiedprofessionalinCAD/CAM/CAE technologytoolsbyUSAbasedsoftwareOEMs.Hehas servedworld-classorganizationsasdesignationsincluding ManagerR&D,PLMConsultant&COO.
ConfrontingIndustrialParadigm
Today,theindustrialparadigmhasamajorshiftbecauseof theneedofthemarket&consumerism.Therearemany technologieswhichareupbringingtheindustrialevolution alongwithunifiedengineeringfunctions.Jitendraasserts aboutindustrialchallengesas, “Today key challenges up fronting industrial aspects are, advancement of technology, automation, cutthroat competition, skilled talent & its retention, environment changes & related norms, local presence & closeness to clients, along with the tight delivery model.”
ThefirmisalsofocusingonEngineeringServicesIndustry whichprovidesinnovative&value-addedsolutionsata competitivecost.Thefirmutilizesitsfunctionalitieswith theproperblendofplanning&coordination,operational efficiencycontrol,timemanagement,andskilledresource utilization.Ithasexpansionplanistoreachouttocaterto demandsininternationalmarketbycollaboration&grow businessmodel.
OptimiztTechnologiesisdiligentlyintheprocessof developingnewconcepts,provendesignswithsmart technologiesfortheproductsofitsexistingclientsbyusing simulation,valueengineering,optimizationandtesting tools.IncollaborationwithgiantITcompany,ithas recentlycompletedthermomechanicalsimulationof BatteryPackformediumdutyElectricVehicle,whichis underdevelopmentbyUSAbasedElectricTruck Manufacturer.
Thus,thecompanyenteredintoElectricVehicle(EV) engineeringservicesdomainandiscontinuingtoenhance thisareaofserviceintheupcomingyears.
“The role of engineering service providers (ESPs) is changing and driving the industry’s growth substantially. Unlike earlier typical model of providing limited degree of complexity services, need is to gradually becoming value added stakeholder in Customer’s product development process & timeline. We are strengthening our core competencies & spreading wings to serve new growth sectors like Electric Vehicle, Energy, Automation, Medical Devices, Composites etc.” assertsJitendrafurther.
OptimiztTechnologiesisaMicro,SmallandMedium Enterprise(MSME)thatovercomeschallengesintroduced inthenewindustrialera.Itdrivesgreatergrowthwitha competitiveadvantagebygoingupthevaluechainand buildinganecosystemwithhighly-skilledandemployable talent.
Jitendra Jagtap Founder & CEO
“In my opinion biggest potential would be in Disruptive Innovation Business Model. Designing smart products of the next generation with cutting-edge technology integrated engineering disciplines, environment-friendly and for the welfare of humanity will bring revolution in the market as well as in the society,” addsJitendra.
PioneeringInnovationbasedonNewTechnologies OptimiztTechnologieshasalwaysapproachedits technologieswithunifiedinnovationbaseincludingthe marketanalysis&marketresearchwhichinvolves executionofthedesignmodeltochangethepricing strategy.Thefirmhasdecidedtofocusonnicheareasof engineeringserviceslikeValueEngineering,Design OptimizationandSimulationservicesusingFEA&CFD technology.
Jitendrastatesthat, “As our business has grown & client demands also increased, we had expanded our infrastructure, team & other business assets to meet these demands. I would like to express my highest gratitude to our esteemed clients for their continuous support and confidence reposed in us & the team members for their tireless efforts and hard work.”
Innovationistheessenceofarevolutionconceived fromreformativeideologies.Itcanchangethecourse ofdevelopmentofanindividual,asociety,anindustry oranation.Therehavebeenoccurrencesofeminentideas invariousindustrialsectorssinceages.Someperished throughthepassageoftime,whilesomestayedprolific.
PACK’D isonesuchspecimenofaninnovativeidea,now emergingtogloriousheights.Itisonamissiontofuel potential.Theorganizationbelievesthatpeopleshouldhave thetools&opportunitiestoreachtheirpersonalbest.It comprehendsthatrightnutritionisthekeytoahealthyand fitlife.Itsvisionstartswithnutrition,butultimatelyis determinedtomakeapositiveandlastingimpact worldwide.
TheFrozenSmoothieKitsby PACK’D arethefirstoftheir kindwith100%natural,wholefruit,vegetables& superfoodstoprovideatargetedhealthhit.Thesekitsare designedwithanassistingexpertiseoftheelitesports nutritionist, Matt Lovell,asantidotestounhealthybottled drinks,andafitnessenthusiast’snaturalperformance enhancers.
Eachkit–Energy, Detox, Defence,containsperfectly portionedchoppedfruit&vegetableswithsuperfoods&
organicproteinforsavoringtheultimatesmoothieinless than1minute.Eachretailpackcontains2SmoothieKits.
Theingredientsandtheirbenefitsofthe Energy Kit areas follows:
TheFruitandVegetablePouchcontainschopped strawberries,banana,blueberries,raspberries,blackcurrants andspinachleaves.TheSuperfoodSachetcontaining milledflaxseed,maca,cacao,andguaranapowder.Thiskit helpsreducetirednessandfatigue,supportsenergy-yielding metabolism,andhelpstomaintainhealthybones.
Theingredientsandtheirbenefitsofthe Detox Kit areas follows:
TheFruitandVegetablePouchcontainingchopped pineapple,apple,kale,ginger,spinachleaves,andlemon zest.TheSuperfoodSachetcontainingspirulina, chlorella,wheatgrass,andbarleygrasspowder. Thiskithelpsprotectcellsfromoxidative stress,toreducetirednessandfatigueand tomaintainhealthyskin.
Theingredientsandtheirbenefitsof the Defence Kit areasfollows:
TheFruitandVegetablePouch containingchoppedpineapple, mango,papaya,banana,gingerand gojiberries.TheSuperfoodSachet containingmilledflaxseed,sunflower seed,pumpkinseedandbaobabpowder. Thiskithelpsenhancethefunctionof immuneandnervoussystemsandhelpsprotect cellsfromoxidativestress.
PACK’Disnowavailablein2,000+storesnationwide includingSainsbury’s,Tesco,Iceland,Costco,Ocado, WholeFoodsandPlanetOrganic,andhasbeenvotedasthe ‘BestNewHealth&WellnessProduct’.Itissoontolaunch adirect,toconsumerofferingviaitswebsite.
LukeJohnstoneistheCo-founderof PACK’D andholdsa pivotalpositionintheorganization.HeholdsaBAHonors DegreeinHistoryfromtheUniversityofNottingham.Prior toco-foundinghisbrainchildalongwithAlexStewartin 2013,hehasworkedwithBBCasaresearcherwithroles inclusiveofresearchingforawidelyacclaimedliveTV show,producedbytheBBCNaturalHistoryUnit.
LukegrewuponanestateinPeckhamandwasselectedfor atennisscholarship.Thoughforcedtogiveupthefutureof asportscareeraged15duetoinjury,hispassionfor
nutritionremained.AfterworkingattheBBC&Groupon, heteamedupwithschoolfriendAlexStewarttodevelop hisideaofcreatinghealthysmoothiestosuitabusy lifestyle.AlexalsoholdsaBAHonsinInternational RelationandModernHistory,andbeforeco-founding PACK’D,heworkedatDeloitteasaSeniorCaseHandler. Likeeveryotherinnovativeleader,Lukequithisjob& movedintoashedtoworkontheproject,atoughfewyears followed.AlexandLukeworkedmultiplejobsincluding TennisCoachingandselling PACK’D kitsatmarketstallsin Hackneybackedwithloansfrom The Prince’s Trust
Whileimpartinginsightsovertheevidentchallengesfaced by PACK’D,Lukesays, “Being a start-up in an industry dominated by big businesses is one of our biggest challenges at the moment. We’ve been very fortunate to receive funding from The Prince’s Trust & Virgin, and ensuring we’ve got the funds and team to achieve our mission is something we’re working towards.”
ThecompanywasthefirsttolaunchFrozen SmoothieKitsintheUKandthustakespride inpioneeringthewayforotherstofollow.It comprehendstheemergingnumberof competitorsbutonlyenvisionsthisas categoryexpansionandapositivestepfor thefutureofhealthyfrozennutrition.
“We designed our Smoothie Kits with nutritionists to ensure they’re the best product they can be so are very confident in our concept and everyone at PACK’D is united behind a desire to help fuel potential. This is what makes us unique and our approach to competition will always be to stay authentic to ourselves,” statesLuke.
PACK’D startedwithitstargetednutritionrangeof SmoothieKitsin2014.Thecompanylaterexpandedin October2017withthefirstProteinSmoothieKits,withno syntheticflavors,sugarsorsweeteners.Thecompany realizedthattolockinthenutritionwithoutusing preservativesfreezingwastheidealmethod.
“Everything we do starts with nutrition, and we are always working on exciting innovation,” saysLuke.The organizationstrivestohaveahugeimpactworldwide, helpingtofuelpeoplewiththerightnutrition. “Nutrition is only the start, whether fueling young athletes or helping alleviate youth unemployment we are passionate about making a positive and lasting impact worldwide,” headds.
Humanbeingshavealwayslookeduptonatureand madeeffortstolearnfromitsbasicprinciples. Sonarswereinspiredbydolphins,lightbulbsby fireflies,suctioncupsbyoctopusandrobotsitselfto replicatehumanbeings.Onesuchinstancethathasbeen enthusedbymicroorganismsisdistributedledger technology(DLT),widelyknownasblockchain.
“The blockchain is an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value.”
-Don&AlexTapscott.
Itrecordstransactionsbetweentwoclientswithoutany thirdpartyauthenticationwhichisanefficientprocesswhen itcomestostabledata.Blockchainprovidesdata managementwithoutthethreatofunauthorizedaccessor manipulations.Itisprovingtobeasolutionforfrequent problemsinvariousfields. Blockchaintechnologyhasthe capabilitytodisruptapproximatelyeveryindustryranging fromfinance,toeducationtopower.
Oneoftheareasintheenergyindustrywhereblockchain technologycandisruptthemarketissmartgrids.Lately, blockchainhasbeenwell-thought-outasoneofthe developingtechnologiesthatcanbeusedfordeveloping decentralizedgridtopologiesandrevisingthedistributed managementofenergybusinesses.Blockchaindatabaseis sharedbyallthenodesinthesystem.Anodeisanactive devicewhichcanbeconnectedtointernetandhasanIP address.Examplesofdevicesincludecomputers,tablets, phonesandevenprinters.Thejobofanodeistoupkeepthe networkbymaintainingacopyoftheblockchainand processtransactions.
Blockchaincanaidnumerousutilityindustryrequirements. Itcanactasafoundationstonewiththepossibilityof disruptingtheprevailingecosystem.Withthepromotionfor e-vehiclesandindividualsshiftingtoelectriccars,supply anddemandofenergyneedstokeeppace.Hereblockchain comesinthescenariowithitspeer-to-peerinterconnectivity andsharing.Thisbalancesthedemandfromseveral foundationsandmakesthegridsmarterbydirecting sharing.
Astherearesmallandcompactsmartgrids,consumerswith thehelpofblockchaincansimplytradeenergywithone anotherthussavingtimeandearningafewdollars.Inthe powerindustry,blockchaintechnologycanensurea5D Impact:decentralization,digitization,democratization, distributionandderegulation.
Smartmetersareusedtorecordelectricalusage.These metersenableustomonitorourelectricalconsumption morepreciselywhichwillhelpconsumersmakebetter energychoices.Throughblockchain,clientscandirectlyget theamountspentwhicheradicatesmiddlemanthussaving money.Thiscreatesamoreresilientnetworkforgadgetsto runon. Smartmeterscanalsoprovideaccuratedatatothe providerwithoutneedingadirectlinktothemeterof particularusers.
Withthehelpofblockchain,producersofsmartgridsdo nothavetoinvestahumongousamount.Heretheproducers getpaidinstantly,whichleadstolesscapitalexpenditure. Besidesthis,blockchaincanplayaseriousroleinadjusting powerflowsthroughtheamalgamationandoptimizationof localgridsmeasuredbythepublicorconsortiummodes.It canaidinthemaintenanceofpermanentrecordsby servicers,givingaflawlessviewofaparticularobjector partofinfrastructureatanygiventime.Thisinformation canberetrievedeasilyasthestructureisbuiltonashared platform,whileretainingtheauthenticityoftherecord.
WhilethepossiblebenefitsoftheSmartGridareusually discussedintermsofrenewableenergygoals,economics andnationalsecurity,ithasthepotentialtohelpsave moneybymanagingyourelectricityusageandchoosingthe besttimestopurchaseelectricity.Consumerscansaveeven morebygeneratingtheirpowerwiththehelpofblockchain. Lately,duetothespeedygrowthinthedeploymentof DEPsthesmartgridorganizationproblemscannolonger beproficientlyaddressedusingcentralizedapproaches, thus,thenecessityforvisionarydecentralized methodologiesandarchitecturesiswidelyrecognized.
Itisassessedthattheblockchaintechnologywilladd another$3.1trillionby2030.Lately,duetothespeedy growthinthedeploymentofDEPsthesmartgrid organizationproblemscannolongerbeproficiently addressedusingcentralizedapproaches,thus,thenecessity forvisionarydecentralizedmethodologiesandarchitectures iswidelyrecognized.
Lastly,blockchaintechnologymayeventuallyfast-trackthe evolutiontowhatthepowerindustrycallsa“distributed world.”Itisthesumofbothsmallandlargepowergenerationstructuresforcommunities,businessesand home.Toprosperincapitalizingthepotentialofdistributed generationandsupervisinglessforeseeableandmore capriciousrenewablepowersources,thetrade's infrastructuremustfirstbecomemoreagileandless centralized.
Managingfinancesisnevereasy.Notfor individuals,anditisinfinitelymoretedious andcomplicatedfororganizations.Butdo thingsnecessarilyhavetobethatway?Onecompanydoes notthinkso.
Understandingthe‘Why’ Procurifyisonamissiontoreinventthewayorganizations spend,andhelpthemgainagreaterunderstandingofthe ‘Why’behindtheirexpenses.Byfamiliarizingthemselves withthiscrucialelementofthepurchasingand procurementprocess,theyareabletoinculcateacultureof responsiblespendingandfullycapitalizeoneachoftheir investments.
Thecompany’sCo-founderandCEO,AmanMann stressesonhelpingorganizationsunderstandtheir‘spend culture’.Thistermreferstothecollectionofbeliefs, attitudes,andactionsacollectivegrouphastowards spendingresources,andhowtheymanagethoseresources.
Everyorganizationwantstogrowandprogress,andthey evaluatetheirsuccessbymanagingandmeasuringtheir topline.However,thebottomlineisoftenneglectedand manyorganizationsdonotunderstandtheirspendculture.
Withoutknowingthereasonbehindeachspending decision,itisdifficulttodecidewhetherornotthat decisionisworththeinvestment.Procurifyishelping organizationsfromaroundtheworldunderstandthisand getthemostoutofeveryoutlay.
“
Our mission is to reinvent the way organizations spend.
— Aman Mann Co-founder & CEO
AmandevelopedtheconceptbehindProcurifyovermany yearsasheworkedatnumerousjobsindifferent companies.Henoticedthatdespitethediverseoffices, companycultures,andorganizationalSOPs,inefficient businessprocesseswereaconstantfeatureofthe workplacelandscape.
Thegreatestbarriertobetterefficiencyandconducive workenvironmentswasaresistancetochange.However, Amanalsosawthatitwasalwayspossibletofurther streamlinebusinessprocessesevenatthemostprogressive organizations.
Withtheirdiverserangeofspendcultures,companies wereerringbyusinglegacysystemsandERPswhichare allinherentlyrigid.Theseall-in-onespendsolutionsoffer multiplefeaturesandtoolsforfinanceprofessionalsand executivesliketheCFO,butareneitheruser-friendlynor versatileenoughfortheaverageworker.
Theirdesktop-boundorserver-limitedoptionshave disproportionatelylengthyonboardingandtrainingtimes. Intoday’sworldofconvenientmobileappsforvirtually everytask,suchimpracticalsolutionsinspirelessuse,not more.
Ultimately,thefactthatthesetraditionalsystemscome withextendedimplementationtimelinesandheftyfees havecreatedanatmosphereripeforchange.Procurifyis perfectlyplacedtoexploitit.
Oneofthechiefchallengestowidespreadadoptionof Procurifyisthepresenceoflegacyfinancialmanagement productsthatdominatethemarket.
However,theplatform’sabilitytobecustomizedtoevery organization’suniqueworkandreportingcultures,the appealoferror-freerecords,andthedrasticreductionin proceduraltimelinesmeansthatProcurifyisattracting extraordinaryattention.
Someoftheworld’sfastestgrowingcompanies,including A³byAirbusandSamumed,theworld’slargestbiotech start-up,havealreadyimplementedProcurify.
Aman’svisiongoesbeyondjustdominatingthe purchasingmanagementsegmentofthemarket.He intendstotransformProcurifyintotheSmartSpend
Hub™,whereallpurchasesandspendingcanbecaptured ononeplatform.
ThecompanymadethefirststeptothisgoalinMarch 2018,whenitacquiredVendorBase,anindependentonline buyer-supplierplatform.Undertheacquisition, VendorBasewasrebrandedtoProcurifyExchange(Pex), anRFQ(RequestforQuote)solution.Itiscurrently availableforfreeasanadd-onfeaturetocurrentProcurify users,orasafreestandaloneplatform.
Procurifyisalreadyworkingatimprovingtheplatform’s capabilitiesbyincorporatingAIandmachinelearninginto itsfuturefeaturesets.Thiswillcreateasystemthatcan moreeasilybetailoredtoeachuniqueenduser.
Despiteitsobviousutilityandvastpotentialforpractical application,Procurifyhashadanythingbutasmooth journey.
Whenitsco-founderstravelledtoSanFranciscotoseek SeriesAfunding,theyweresostrappedforcashthatthey crashedonAirbnbcouchesandatecupnoodlestosave money.Theteamhadpinnedtheirhopesonthehundreds ofemailsthattheyhadsenttopotentialinvestors.They didnotreceiveasingleresponse.
Itwasintheverylastfewdays,whentheyhadjustabout lostallhope,thatacallcamethrough.Thatledtoa meetingwithaninvestorwhohasgoneontobecomeone oftheirmostvaluedmentors.
Thecompanyhasalsohadtodealwithhumanresources issues,particularlyintermsofhiringthewrongpeoplefor thewrongreasons.Painfullessonshavebeenlearned abouthowtherightpeoplearewhatmakeacompany great.
However,theteamhasincorporatedboththepositiveand negativeintoarepositoryofexperiencesonwhichthey relytodoabetterjobeveryday.Ithelpsthemtackleevery newchallengewithexcitementratherthanfearwhich,in turn,transformsuncertaintyintoopportunity.
Amanbelievesincelebratingsmallwins,andinthevalue ofteamworkandcourage.Thisempoweringmentalityhas allowedProcurifytogrownotjustasacompany,butas thesumofthepeoplewithinit.
TheInternetofThings(IoT)has broughtthevisionofamore connectedworldintoreality duetoanemergingvolumeofsensors, devices andnumerousservicesthatare connectedanddeliveringdatavia heterogeneousaccessnetworks. Correspondingly,cloudcomputinghas emergedtoprovideenormousstorage, computingfacilities,anddatasharing opportunities.Moreover,the convergenceofIoTandconnected cloudcanprovidenewopportunities forbothtechnologies,particularly whenconnectedinanintelligent manner.Itcanopenanewhorizonfor ubiquitoussensing,interconnectionof devices,servicesharing,datastorage andprovisioningtosupportbetter communicationandcollaboration amongpeopleandappliancesinamore distributedanddynamicmanner.Thus, suchconvergencecanenablethe developmentofinnovativeapplications andnewsolutionsinvariousemerging areastoimproveallaspectsoflife.
Poweredwithavisiontocreateabetter world,TotalCommunicator Solutions,Inc.hasdevelopedafully integrated,contextuallyintelligent mobilecommunicationsplatform, SparkCompass™.Thesolution leveragesreal-dataanalyticswithrealtimeactionsandeventsbasedonthe collecteddata,combinedwithlocation, user,andactivityknowledge,todeliver curatedexperiencesonmobiledevices andotherassociatedIoTconnected devices.
Thecompany’spatented,contextually intelligentcommunicationsplatform, integratesnumeroussmartcitysensors, smarthomesensors,proximity
beacons,NFC,augmentedreality,and IoTsensorsintheenvironment,in equipment–evenincars.Spark Compassisusedbyenterprisessuchas airports,hospitals,universityfacilities, sportvenues,andconventioncenters. TotalCommunicatorSolutionsis headquarteredinSanDiego,CA,with itsbrancheslocatedinUSA,Spain, Mexico,UK,Norway,andNew Zealand.
ErikBjontegardistheFounderof TotalCommunicatorSolutions,who hasover30yearsofexperiencein areasrangingfromaerospacetoretail. HeholdsaBachelor’sdegreein MechanicalEngineeringfromthe UniversityOfSalford,UK
Erikbeganhiscarrierasarocket scientistwithNASAandlater asa CorporateR&DExecutiveat QualcommCorporateR&D.Heholds patentsatQualcommandisthe inventorofthepatentedSpark Compassplatformwithnumerous additionalpatentedpatentsfiledacross theglobe.He,alongwithateamof industryexpertsarchitectedand developedtheone-of-a-kindSpark Compassplatformasaservicewhich connectsexistingsensornetworks, devicesandtheirusers.
Asaninnovatorandmultiplepatent holder,Erikhasbeenawardedandwon recognitionsfromRedHerringto awardsattheWhiteHouse,hehas beenaspeakerateventsfromlarge investormeetingstoMobileWorld Congressandhasbeenshowcasedby conglomeratesandtrusted
organizationslikeQualcommand SamsungatCES,MWCandnumerous othertechnologyindustryevents.
TheSparkCompassplatform™ collectsdatafromuserdevices, wearablesandsensornetworks, enablingthedeliveryofsmartcontent basedontheuser’scontext.Thisis performedbyanalyzingdatapatterns, settingspecificrulesandcombining existingdatasources.Powerful analyticsoncollectedperformance data,real-timebehaviorandactions providegranularvisibilityina centralizedplatformensuringtheright curatedcontentisdeliveredtotheright userattherighttimeandplace,onthe rightdevice.
TheSparkCompass™mobile proximityplatformisthe‘brains’that isenablingawiderangeof experiences.Basedonitspatented technology,ittakesadvantageofthe latestinnovationsinproximity beacons,sensorintegrations,geofences,augmentedrealityandvirtual realitytonameafew,toenable businessesandorganizationsdrive dynamicmarketing,servicesand communications.Theendresultisthe abilitytoeasilybringreal-time, contextuallyintelligentexperiencesto peopleinplaceslikeconvention centers,universities,airports,medical centersandhospitals,events, conventioncenters,officebuildings andtouristdestinations.
Inaddition,theplatformwasdesigned todelivercompellingrelevantcontent
withinauniquelocalizedexperienceto theuser,whilecapturingrelevantuserbehaviordataforplatform stakeholders.Today,SparkCompassis coveredbyanawardedUSpatentwith numerouspatentedpatentsinUSAand worldwidewithprovidersandpartners, channelpartners.Ithasalsobeen endorsedbyleadingsystemintegration partnersrangingfromATOS, Qualcomm,CGIandSamsungto smallerlocalBOT(BuildOperate Train)partners.
Erikasserts “We are finally out of stealth mode and are deploying with some powerful brands and partners. The Spark Compass platform has been tested and validated in real commercial enterprise deployments, across multiple vertical markets. It drives conversion and result, now endorsed and promoted by our channel partners globally
Nextgenerationofintelligentstorage ofrealworlddataisbeingdeployed withthepatentpatentedSpark CompassIntelligenceofEveryThing blockchainplatform. Thisadvanced distributedledgerdatastorageplatform enablesselectdatasuchasinformation
acrossaproductprocurementand distributionprocesstobecaptured efficientlyandcosteffectivelyviathe SparkCompassIoTPlatformand storedsafelyandsecurelyinthe blockchainforfutureusealongthe supplychainbyauthorizedusers.
Hecontinues: “Integrating our advanced data storage options as option to traditional cloud storage enables our clients to be future proof and store their data securely. Our platform turns the data into actions. We then verify that the results of those actions are the desired outcomes, thereby ensuring conversion and desired results”
SparkCompassenablesinnovationand leadershipinusingtechnologytodrive outcomesandconversiontobe deliveredbasedonintelligentuseof data.Itleveragesandcombinesthe bestfromothersunderoneumbrella andbybeing‘inclusive’while respectingeachpartner’sownership, thebestsolutionsareintegrated, leveraginglegacywithnewtechnology
todeliverthebestcombination.The company’svisionistocreateabetter worldbyenhancingenduser’s interactionsintherealworldby intelligentlydeliveringcuratedcontent andenhancementstotheirdaily interactionswiththerealworld.
“When it comes to the future of technology, it’s clear that artificial intelligence (AI) is the final frontier. However, as major tech companies have begun creating various AI-driven technologies and capabilities, they’ve started to think about AI in an entirely new way. Rather than viewing AI as systems with the goal of replicating and surpassing human intelligence, experts in the field and leading research companies understand AI is better represented and produced as ‘Augmented Intelligence,’since these systems will instead enhance and augment human capabilities – this is our AI vision, Augmenting the human intelligence.” Erikstates.
Lofty goal, yes, but we are proving it can be done - by doing it!
Robotshavealwaysbeen
picturedasaman-made advancedtechnological creativity,whichdoandwillfavorthe humanspeciesforfuture.Asrobotics isvibrantlyglobalized,soonitwillbe mainstreamedinvariousfieldsand sectors.Currently,therearenumerous enterprisesworldwidewhichare implementingroboticsintoindustrial, healthcareandcommercialuse. Whereas,roboticshaveexperienceda lotofup’sanddown’sduringthis tenure,butwiththetime,ithelda strongholdinthedigitalworld.
Wheneverthediscussionarisesabout theapplicationsofrobotics,the industrialsectorhasbespoken benefits’.Robotshavebecomemore affordable,smartandproductiveover theyears.Thesectorslikeagriculture, construction,warehousingand logistics,andcustomerservices.By investingmoreinrobots,anenterprise
willbesolvingcertainproblemsmore accuratelyandefficiently.Meanwhile, utilizingrobotswillhelpenterprisesto pushtheirlimitsinordertofillupthe productivityvoids.
Witheachslippageoftime,the technologyisupgradingsodoesthe robotics.Theadvancementsinrobotics fieldwillbeaboontotheenterprisesin ordertoincreasegrowthand productivityrate.Therearecertain parametersthatshouldbeconsidered whileimplementingroboticsinthe enterprise,suchas
FollowingupParametersbefore ReachingtheDepthofRobotics
Modifying; as per the user’s need Generally,robotsusedtorequire advancedtraininginordertooperate comfortably.It’snotanissueforthe bigenterprisesastheyacquirethe skilledpeopletodealwith,wherethe smallenterprisesarenotsogiftedwith
loadsofassetsinitially.But,withthe newadvancesinroboticstechnologies, ithasbecomeeasierforsmallventures toinvestinrobotsforincreasingthe productivitygeneratingmorerevenue. Justbygivingwirelesscommands fromanIOT,demonstratingtasksto therobotsgetseasier.Nowadays,there arenumerousvarietiesofrobotsto carryoutmultitasks,thusasperthe user’sneed,onecaninvestinrobots fortheindustrialpurpose.
Unlikethebigmanufacturingrobotsin hugeindustries,therearevarious collaborativerobotswhichare speciallydesignedtoworkalongside andtoassisthumanworkersina varietyoftasks.Earlieritwassortof stressfulforanenterprisetoallot specificman-powerforcertaintask, butbyimplementingco-botssuch issuesareresolved.Asthesizeand shapeofco-botsaregettingmore
compact,itmaybenefittheenterprises invariousterms.
Earlierrobotswerenotabletoprogram easilyduetotheincompatibility betweentheuserinterfaceand hardware.But,nowRoboticOperating System(ROS)isdominatingthe industrybyprovidingsolutionsfor variedrobotsinordertoperformthe taskwithoutlagging.It’sanopensourceframeworkwhichhelps developerstoredirecttheprogramming indifferentways.Thisopen-source frameworkisdominatingthegrowth towardstheconstructivedirection.
st
The21 century—istheeraof implementingnewideologyand technologiesinvarioussectors.While technologicaldisruptionhas collectivelyaffectedeverypossible
sector,roboticsisstillunaffected.Frompastfewyears,the technology,aswellasitsimplementation,hasincreased substantially.Havealookonsuchfewareasforpossible applications.
Cobot’s:
Unlikebigmanufacturingrobots,collaborativerobotsare designedtoworkwithemployeesinenterprisesand corporates.Thedesignissmartenoughtoassisthumans andalso,compactenoughtohandle.Generally,thesmall andmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)areslightlyboonby implementingco-botsindaytodaylife,astheyareeasily adaptable,easytoprocessandmostimportantlyit’s affordable.Accordingtosomeexperts,there’sapossibility ofenormousgrowthinthebusiness,ifCo-botsare implementedwidely.Themainmotiveofindustrialrobots istotheprioritizedsafetyofemployeesandworkers,yet thechancesofaccidentsarealwaysathighrisk.Whereas, co-botsworksasaservicerobot;theycomeinvarious shapeandsizeseasingtheworkabilityandreducingthe liabilityofemployees.Inordertogetsanctionedasservice robots,anyco-bothastopasscertaintestingparametersby robotmanufacturingcompanies,factorssuchaseasily compatiblewithotherdevicesandprograms,safein use,easytocommand,andprocessingatafaster rate.Currently,co-botsareusedforprocesses likemachinetending,packaging,andmaterial handling.Inspiteofindustries,co-botsare usedinvarioussectorssuchasinfarming, hospitals,healthcareandfacilities,and labs.Itdoescomeunderrobot-as-aserviceformat.
Imagineanenterprisewith robotsthataretotallyindependent totheusercommands,inother words,noexternalprogramming mayrequireinordertoprocessrobots forthevarioustasks.Inaccordanceto that,aUserInterfacetobeexactmightnot beneededinthefuture,asmachinelearningis alreadyonitsvergetogetexplored.Currently,in ordertocarryoutcertaintasksrobotsarebeentoldto whattodousingtheinterfacewhereas,cloudrobotics directlytwitchcompatiblecodefromthecloudswhich arerequiredforthetasks.Toworkalongsidewith humans,robotsmustbedeeplearningthesubjects simultaneouslyabletopointoutproblemsandprovide solutionsrightaway.Meanwhile,itwillbeaboonforthe enterprisesiftheemployeeswillgettointeractwithrobots asapersonifiedobjectratherthanamachine.Soon,there
withpersonalroboticscloudwhichwillhelprobotstotake andgiveinformationdirectly.Dependingontherobot,it canprocessvariousfunctionssuchaslifting,leveraging, handlevision,objectrecognitionandother,thuscertain robotsacquiresuchskillsandwillprovideinformationto thecloud.Then,thisinformationhelpsotherrobotstoget enlightened.Insimplewordstosay,robotswillteachother robotsforthebettergoodoftheenterprises.Ontheother hand,asrobotsaregettingmoreandmoreevolved,filtering ofessentialinformationfromrestwillgetmucheasier.This willcomfortbothbigandsmallenterprisestomanagebig datamoreprecisely.
Withtheemergenceofadvancementinrobotics,theyareon thevergetotouchskiesalready.Ifconsideringtheabove possiblefactors,thisevergreeneraofroboticsislesslikely togetsaturatedduetotechnologicaldisruption.Asthe technologiesaregrowingfaster,theenterprisesmustto catch-upwiththemaccordingly.It’shightimetoimplement newtechnologiesespeciallyoftheroboticsasitsutilization isnotonlysubjectedtowarehousesbutalso,towardstheinhouseenterprisework.Hopefully,there’sapossibilityof robot-orientedindustriesinthefuture.
The StealthStation S8 technology includes a new and improved software interface, a two-cart platform design, and electromagnetic technology to complement the surgical workflows.
Amajorchallengeformany businessestodaycomesinthe formoftheexponential growthinthequantityofinformation thatisgeneratedandhastobestored. Thisdatafacesamultitudeofthreats anditsprotectionisimperative.
TechR2isaleadingsecuremedia retentionsolutionsproviderwitha portfolioofon-sitedataeradication solutionswhichcanbedeployed withinanyenterprisescenario.Itis backedbytwentyyearsofexperience withindustrybestpracticesandthe resourcestosupportanytypeof businessdata.
Establishedin1997,theTechR2 headquartersislocatedinColumbus, Ohio,andthecompanyservesclients acrosstheUnitedStateswho themselveshaveaglobalpresence.Its missionistoprotectenterpriseand
brandsfromtheveryrealthreatofdatabreaches.TechR2isproudto haveacompletelyuntarnishedrecordofkeeping100%ofitsclients protectedfromdatabreachesinitstwentyyearsofoperations.The companyiscurrentlyoneofthefastest-growingbusinessesinthe industry.
TechR2’sseniormanagementhasoversixtyyearsofcollective experienceinthedatasecurityindustry.TechR2meetsallrequired compliancessuchasGDPR,NIST,HIPAA,HITECH,PCI,SOX,and GLBAasaleaderoftheITsecuritysolutionsmarketplace.
Atruevisionary,Sepehr(Sepp)RajaieistheCEOandPresidentof TechR2.HeimmigratedtotheUnitedStatesasastudentfromIran. UpongraduatingfromNorthHighSchoolinColumbus,Ohio,Sepp continuedhiseducation,matriculatingtoandgraduatingfromOne Tech(nowknownasDevryUniversity),OhioDominicanCollegewith aBachelor’sdegreeinEngineering,andfinallyFranklinUniversity withaMaster’sdegreeinEngineering.
Hethenembarkeduponhisprofessionalcareer,successfullybuilding threemultinationalcompaniesbeforeturninghisattentiontothe
technologyindustry.Hisperseverancepaidoffinearly1991 whenSeppwaschosentoattendtheIBMBusinessPartners WhartonSchoolforExecutiveEducationProgram.
HiscareerhasnowcomefullcirclewithTechR2beingnamed anIBMPartnerworldmember,offeringitsTear-a-byte(TAB) processandsolutionstoIBMcustomersworldwide.Sepp holdsUSPatent9430654,whichisthebasisforTechR2’sTAB process.
Whilespecializinginon-sitedataeradication,Seppalsobuilta dataretentionpowerhouse.ThecompanyprovidesITasset trackingthroughRFIDtechnologyfordata-bearingmediasuch asstoragedevices,tablets,andmobilephones.
TechR2adheresstrictlytobestpracticesandhighstandards.Its patentedTABprocessisamanifestationofbestpracticesfor dispositionofdata-bearingassetsattheendoftheirlifecycle. Obtainingapprovalofthepatentforregistrationwasthefirst challenge.Thecompanywantedtomeettherequirementsof theworld’smoststringentstandardsregulatingdataandits disposition.Secondly,obtainingamethodpatentandto becomeISO-certifiedwasincrediblydifficult.TechR2 submitteditselftoISOauditorssothatitcouldguaranteebest practicestoitscustomers.
Today,itistheonlysecuremediaretentionsolutionprovider thatoperatesundertheISO27001,9001,18001,14001and, soon,32001certifications.
TechR2continuestoperfectitsownstate-of-the-artsolutions foranever-changingmarket.Thecompanydedicates considerableresourcestoeducatingandtrainingemployeesso theyremainonthecuttingedgeoftechnology.Oneachproject, itcollaborateswithitscustomers’compliancedepartments, conductsariskassessment,andthenimplementstheir solutionsbasedontheindividualclient’sneeds.
TechR2isbackedbytheglobally-recognized InternationalStandardsOrganization(ISO) certifications(IS0-27001,ISO-14001,ISO9001,andsoonISO-32001)andother standards(OHSAS-18001).Thisallowsthe companytoprovideindependentcertification ofdatadestructionbackedbythemost powerfulinsurancepolicyforriskmitigation, offeredbyLloyd’sofLondon.
Seppsays, “We have continued to expand our services - security for data-bearing devices from cradle to the grave with our RFID IT Asset Tracking and further innovations regarding risk management.”
TechR2’spatentedprocessofTAB(Tear-AByte)issoongoingtobecometheindustry standardandmanyOEMsareparticipatingin useofitsprocessglobally.
Secure media retention, tracking, containment, destruction and VERIFICATION of the previous steps within the data center premises.
Theadoptionofnext-generationtechnologiesisa direnecessityforcompaniestostaycompetitive. Technologiessuchascloud,dataanalytics, internetofthings,blockchain,virtualreality,augmented reality,analytics&measurement,workforce management,qualityassuranceandknowledge managementhavebecomeakeyfordrivingcustomer successandretaining.
Therefore,inordertoachievethis,VOXNetwork Solutions-Amoderntechnologycompanywas launchedin2006whichtrulyaimatmakingadifference intheworld.Itembracesinnovation&creativityand darestothinkaboutchangeintermsofmonumental paradigmshifts.Thecompany’sapproachofcreatinga changeintheindustrysetsthemapartfromothers.VOX isinfusingadeep-seededbeliefincreatingcommitted partnerships,engagedcommunitiesandempowering individualstohaveastakeintheprocess.Itcreatesa collaborativeprosperitythatcanpositivelysupportthe people,businessesandtheworld.
Scott Landis Chairman, President & CEO
Atitscore,VOXisdrivenbyadiverseteamof consultants,entrepreneursandtechnologists.The companyhassixfundamentaltechnologypracticessuch asConsulting,ContactCenter,Collaboration,Network, Security,andManagedServices.Byusingaprescriptive processmethodology,itseekstoempoweritsclients, partnersandemployeestocreatesomethingbetter.Asa resultofthiscooperativeapproach,VOXhasbeen
namedasoneofthefastestgrowingcompaniesinthe UnitedStatesandhasstrategicpartnershipswithindustry leaderssuchasCisco,Avaya,andMicrosoft.
ScottLandisistheChairmanoftheBoard,Presidentand CEOofVOXNetworkSolutions.Atthestart,Scottworked forsixyearsinsalesandsalesmanagementatNortel CommunicationsSystemshavingreceivedaBSinBusiness Administration&MarketingfromSanDiegoState University.PriortoVOX,Scottco-foundedUnitedTelecom in1997.Duringthattime,UnitedTelecomexperienced tremendousgrowthwhichwaslateronsoldtoNetVersant SolutionsinDecember2000.AndScottcontinuedtoplaya roleasthePresidentofTelephonyforNetVersantfrom 2000-05.
Foundedin2006,VOXhasbeenthroughanumberof challengesincludingeconomicdownturn,keypartners goingbankruptandincreasedtechnologycomplexity.In otherwords,thecompanyhasfallenintoValueAdded Resellers(Resellers)category.Since,itsgreatestchallenges areprovidingvaluetoitsexistingclientsandseparating itselffromcompetitorsthroughthisattentiontovalue.Over thelast24months,thecompanyhasworkedtoevolvetheir organizationintoapowerhouseConsultingServices company.Itwasalsofocusingonhelpingcustomersto createandexecutetherighttechnologystrategiesand tacticsinordertodrivepositivebusinessoutcomes.
Sinceitsinception,VOXisdrivenbyadiverseteamof consultants,entrepreneursandtechnologistsandhas evolvedtobecomealeaderinConsulting,ContactCenter, Collaboration,Network,SecurityandManagedServices. Today,ithasbeenabletoweatherthestormsandgrowan averageof25%yearoveryear.Organizationally,the companyhasconvergedeverybusinessunitanddepartment intoafullyintegratedalignment.Additionally,ithas implementednewsystems,processesandarobustcustomer engagementmethodologynamedVOXEnterprise Lifecycle.
TheevolutionofVOXintoaConsultingServicescompany isakeydifferentiationstrategy.Ithaspropelledthroughthe company’sproprietary,consultativeframework,VOX LifecycleProgram. ThroughtheVOXLifecycleProgram, itguidesclientsthroughatruebusinessjourney. The
company’scomprehensiveframeworkprovidesmultidimensionalinsightintobusinessgoals/strategies,staffing, processes,technologies,financeandriskmanagement.
VOXisdrivenbyagreatervisionwhichbelievesthat businessismorethanthepursuitofprofit.Thecompanyis apartofaglobalcommunity,throughconviction, compassionandforceofwill;ithasboththeopportunity andprivilegetochangetheworld. Tothatend,VOXis committedtotheirEmployees,Communityand Partnerships.
Thecompanyrespectsthetalents,experiences,andvalues theemployeesbybringingthemtothetableandprovides opportunitiesforpersonalandcareergrowth.Itengagesin thecommunitybyinvestinginthetime&resourcesby promotingandenablingvolunteerismtomakeameaningful difference.Additionally,italsodevelopshealthy&dynamic valuepartnershipsthroughsteadfastcommitment,superior communicationandasenseofurgency
VOXcontinuestoinvestheavilyinthepeople,offerings andinfrastructure.VOXiscommittedtobeinganinnovator withtheirconsultativeservicesandareconstantlyworking toincreasetheirvaluetotheclients.Asorganizationsfindit difficulttofindtalentedpeoplewhoarebothbusinesssavvy andtechnicallyastute,thecompanywillcontinuetobuild itsteamofexpertsanddevelopitthroughon-going education.
Inthefuture,theflagshipContactCenterPracticeofthe companywillcontinuetospreaditswingswithinnovative technologies,broaderassessmentsandmoreservices. Further,theindustryawardedManagedServicesPractice willalsocontinuetoexemplifysuperior,human-centric service,real-timemanagement,andcomprehensive coverage.
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At Tyson Foods, our renowned chefs, culinologists, sensory experts, and researchers are working to reimagine the possibilities, seeking new ways to make more and better food.
Theworldoftechnologyisdrivenbyinnovation. Enterprisesmustsurvivetheimpactofgrowing competitioninsaturatedmarkets.Companiesare pushingtheirboundariestocreateproductsandservices thatdelivermaximumvaluetotheircustomers;innovative technologyisthefulcrumthatthisshiftrestsontodeliver stellarcustomerexperience.Thedemandforexpertservice providersis,accordingly,ontherisetohelpcompanies achievetheirgoalsmoreeffectivelybyleveragingthese technologyinnovationsand,additionally,byenhancing performanceoflegacytechnologyinvestments.
XTIVIAisapremiertechnologyinnovationandintegration companyknownfordeliveringleading-edgesolutionsto meetcustomers’specificrequirements,regardlessofproject complexity.XTIVIAaimstodelivercustomized,quality technologyintegrationandinnovationsolutionsthrough long-termrelationshipswiththeB2Benterprisecustomers. Itbringsnext-levelbusinessoperationstorealitythrough ApplicationDevelopment,BusinessIntelligence,Data Warehousing,DatabaseSupport&Management,Enterprise InformationManagement,DigitalExperienceSolutionsand EnterpriseResourcePlanning.Thecompanybelievesits successisderivedfromademonstratedabilitytodeliver deepexpertiseviaprofessionalservices;thisdeepexpertise empowerscustomerstoleveragetheirchosentechnology successfully,competitivelyandprofitably.
DennisRobinsonistheCEOofXTIVIA,leadingthe companysince2001.Hehasmorethan25yearsof experiencewithanemphasisonP&Lperformance, financialmanagement,marketingstrategy,strategic businessplanninganddevelopmentofinformationsystems
andtechnologies.Hisphilosophyofassistingcustomersin achievingtheirperformancetargetsthroughtechnology, regardlessofprojectnuances,hasbecomeahallmarkof XTIVIA’ssuccess.Thishasalsoledtorecruitingand retainingthemostqualifiedworkforceavailable,making XTIVIA’sbreadthanddepthoftechnicalexpertise unparalleled.Personally,heisahusband,fatherandafanof ‘allthingssteampunk’.
PriortoXTIVIA,DenniswastheVicePresidentof WorldwideXceedGroup,Inc.Heheldthesamepositionfor technicalsalesinSterlingCarteret,Inc.,whereheworked forthreeyears.DenniswastheDirectorofOperationsfor Walmart,whereheestablishedthefirstUNIXoperationsfor 24/7availabilityfor35distributioncenters.Previousto that,hewaswithFoxMeyerDrug.Dennisheldseveralroles inIT,includingestablishinganewdatacenterfor FoxMeyercustomersandpartners.Asaresultofhis personalexperience,heunderstandstechnologyfromfrontlineaccountabilitiesthroughcomplexintegrationsand maintenance.
Technologyisadynamicandever-evolvingindustry.The onlycompetitivedifferentiatorforcompaniesintoday’s digitalbusinesslandscapeisdeliveringaunique,seamless anddelightfulcustomerexperience.Inordertodeliverthat levelofpersonalizedcustomerexperienceonamassscale, companiesneedtechnology.Enterprisesusemorethan 1,000applicationsintheirITarchitecturetoday-simplyto runtheiroperations-andallofthemneedtobe implemented,integratedandmaintained.Aminorchangein anypartofthesystemcanleadtoconsequences.Taking thesefactorsintoconsideration,XTIVIAhelpsB2B
enterprisecustomersbridgetheircurrentandnew technologywiththeirbusinessgoals.Thein-house expertsinXTIVIAtakeonanddelivertechnicalprojects toitscustomers,workingwiththenuancestheyfind ‘underthehood’ofthecurrentITarchitecture,sotheir customerscandelivergreatervalueandapersonalized experiencetotheirclientsandusers.
XTIVIAgoestheextramileforcustomersbydelivering onprojectsandmakingdeepexpertiseaccessibleas needed.SpecialareasoffocusthatsupportXTIVIA’s successincludeSEO,cross-sellingwithintheexisting customerbaseandbeingstrategicinallaspectsof digitalbrandpresenceandmarketing.Denniscoinedthe term“Stop,DropandDial”toprioritizeform submissionsthatcomeinthroughthewebsiteand/or socialchannels.
AccordingtoXTIVIA,agilityisthekeyforcompanies tomeetdynamiccustomerneedsandconversations.The complexityinvolvedindesigningtoday’stechnology platformsrequiresdeepexpertiseinmultipleareas. Companiesneedtohavetechnicalskillsavailableand demonstratesuccessinimplementingdigitalsolutions. XTIVIAbelievescustomersnotonlyneedaccessto theseskillsbutalsofortechnicalexpertstounderstand theirbusinessgoalsandspeaktheirlanguage.Service vendorslikeXTIVIAmustbeabletospeakabout technologyaswellashowpotentialsolutionssuittheir customers’needs,connectwithdisparatesystems,and ensurecohesivedataflowforaunifiedviewofthe customerjourneyaswellasproviderobustbusiness intelligence.
InXTIVIA’searlydays,theCEOhandledmarketing andsaleswhiletheCTOfocusedonprojectsand customerrelationships.Everyoneworemultiplehatsto gettothepointwhereXTIVIAcouldattractandafford therighttalenttobuilditsinfrastructure.Theprojects duringstartupweresmallerinsizeasthecompanybuilt itscustomerbaseandreferences.Overtime,everything changed-thesizeoftheprojects,thenumberofstaff, thebreadthofservicesandmorethatcomeswith healthycompanygrowth.However,thephilosophyof thecompanydidnotchangebecausethefocusison doingrightbyXTIVIA’scustomers.It’saboutmeeting customerswheretheyarewiththeirspecificneeds,
CEO
wantsandrequirements.Ultimately,XTIVIA’spassionisaround makingcustomerssuccessful,throughnotonlyqualityproject implementationsbutalsothroughbuildingtrust,loyaltyand relationshipsthatstandthetestoftime.
XTIVIAiscommittedtocreatingthesolutionsthatcustomers needtoachievetheirbusinessgoals.Inherentlywithinthat commitmentisXTIVIA’sconsistentandreliablesupportto innovate,implement,integrateandtroubleshoottechnology withinthecustomers’ITlandscape.Futuregrowthofthe companywilldependonthisfocusaswellexpansionintonew technologiesandservicesthroughcompanymergersand acquisitions.
Formoreinformation,visit:www.xtivia.com
Your brand experience rests on the technology that delivers it. Enhance your competitive advantage through the right technology. The future of your business depends on it.
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Contrarytopopularperception,itisavery hopefultimetobeamarketresearcher. Althoughtimeandbudgetsaresqueezed,an opportunityhaspresenteditselftoembraceinnovation. Techisalreadyenablingresearcherstodomore,think more,anddoanalysisthatwasn’tpossibleinthepast.
Businessleadersneedtowatchoutforthesynergy betweenAIanddataintegration.Hereliesthefutureof manydevelopmentsthatcouldchangethebusiness landscapeasweknowit.Onecompanybuildingthe futureofmarketingresearchbyusingAItechnologyis Zappi
Zappiisbuiltformarketersandinsightsprofessionals whorespectthevoiceoftheirconsumersasthemost influentialpartoftheirdecision-makingprocess.Zappi automatesthecollectionandmodelingofdatausing provenmarketresearchmethodologies;fromaudience configurationtoreporting.Itunderstandsdataata semanticlevel,anddrivesmeaningfulanalysisinrealtimeviaanintuitiveinterface.Zappi thebusiness learns goalsofclientsinacumulativemanner,growingmore strategicwithmoreuse.
Ultimately,theplatformenvisionsamoreintelligent future.AccordingtoStevePhillips,CEO,“Ourmission istohelpclientsbuildmoreeffectivebrands,produce strongerproducts,anddeveloptheabilitytoadaptin
ever-changingmarketsutilizingthebestconsumer insights.”
Stevehaslivedinandworkedacrossfourcontinents withafocusoninternationalresearch.Hisworkon ConsumerPurchaseJourneyshaswonmultipleawards andhehasbeenaregularspeakeronthistopicat industryevents.
HehasbecomeadevoteeofBehavioralEconomicsand hisworkontheimpactofthisthinkingwonthe ESOMARBestPaperawardin2011.Hehasalsowon the‘BestNewThinking’awardattheMRSConference, andbecamearecipientofboththeARFGreatMinds certificateandtheindustriesInnovationaward.
WhenSteveisatwork,heisknowntobemanythings. Mostimportantlyatechnologyenthusiastandforwardthinker,hisdedicatedpursuitdoesn’ttakeawayfrom whoheisandeverythinghelovesaboutlife!Inhisspare time,Stevealsorunsalocalcricketteam.
WeaskedSteveaboutthebiggestthreatloominginthe sectorofmarketresearchandhisviewswereinsightful. Stevesaid,“Thereisaperceptionthattechnologyisone ofthebiggestchallengesforthemarketresearch industry.However,marketresearchersareindireneedof faster,simpler,andmoreeconomicalresearchinorderto keepaseatattheircompanies’tables.Technology,
especiallyaroundAI,canhelp-onlyifit’strulyaccepted asvalid.”
Hisviewsareechoedintheindustryandthelatest researchsupportingtheneedforaqualitybigdata solutiontoupliftthemarketresearchindustry.Recently, AMAresearchtitled,“The2017Q3-Q4GreenBook ResearchIndustryTrends(GRIT)report”statedthat “technologyandinnovationarethebiggestchallenges facingthemarketresearchindustry.Marketresearch suppliersreportfeelingthreatenedbythepervasiveness offraudulentsurveyrespondents,disillusionmentwith theactionablevalueofBigData,skillsshortagesin advancedstatisticalmodeling,andtheloomingthreatof AIeliminatingresearchjobs.”
AccordingtoSteve,thefutureofresearchautomation willtakeplaceononeofthefewmajorplatforms.Steve envisionsZappitobethatplatform.Underhis leadership,Zappiengineersarebuildingnewcapabilities andgettingclientstoconducttheirresearchandcollect dataatoneplace.
Thecompanyhopestomakeclientsrealizethatusinga singleplatformismorebeneficialasopposedtousingan arrayoflimitedandunconnectedproviders.Additionally, theZappiteamhopestoprovideaclearunderstandingof theirextensivecapabilitiestoclientsviaprovenresults.
Phillips Founder & CEO
ThegroundworkforZappi’sprogressandvisionwaslaid outin2010whenSteveidentifiedthattherewaslittle demandforfurthermethodologicalinnovationinmarket researchandspottedanopportunityfornewthinking aroundtechinstead.
In2013,heimaginedanautomated‘appstore’for buyingandsellingself-serveresearchsolutions.He foundedZappiandshortlythereafter,Intellection SoftwareCTO,DaveBirch,sawthevalueinthis propositionandjoinedastechnologypartner.
Aheadoflaunch,hisnewlyfoundteamspentayearin development,testingnewresearchtools,reporting software,andthewebsite.Thefollowingyearswere spentestablishingmeaningfulpartnershipswithresearch providersleveragingtheirIP.
Zappihasnowbuilttheworld’smostpowerconsumer insightsplatform,capableofsimplifyingcomplexmetaanalysisprojects.Thecompanyfrequentlyspeaksofits ethosaroundmachinelearning:augmentedintelligence trumpsartificialintelligence,andinfusingadvancedtech withcodifiedhumanexpertisetodeliverexceptional results.
We revolutionize the way companies gather and utilize consumer insights to build great brands, strong products, and adapt in ever-changing markets.
Thewordmillennialhasbeen thrownaroundcarelesslyfor awhilenowbutonlyafew haveunderstoodthesignificanceof whatthismeans.Theyarenotthe loudandself-absorbeddemographic thatthemediahasmadethemtobe, butratherahighlyintelligent,welleducated,multitaskinggeneration withaspendingpowerofcloseto $3.39Trillionin2018,accordingto Oracle.
Sowhoarethey,andwhydothey matter?Millennialsarethoseborn between1977and2000.1in4 millennialsareparentstoday,andare 2.5timesmorelikelytoadoptanew technologycomparedtotheirolder counterparts.Millennialsarea generationofsmartphonewielders, andthegrowthontherelianceof mobileapplicationsthatsavetimeis ontherise.AccordingtoEdelman Digital,42%ofmillennialshave alreadymadepurchasesusingtheir smartphones.
Instashop is the easiest way to order groceries and have them delivered to the customer’s doorstep in less than 30 or 60 minutes average time depending on the location. The organization offers a convenient and seamless grocery shopping experience that frees its clients from the unavoidable chore of heading to the supermarket with all the challenges they may face there. The result? Customers get much more time to enjoy doing the things they love the most with the people they love the most!
Howyoucommunicateisas importantaswhatyou communicate
Aconversationaltonalitythatis accessibleandhumaniswhat connectsthemillennialstoashop andbrand.Bytakingamorepersonal approachadcampaigns,customers canfeelmorevalued.Ratherthan justtalkingtothemasses,brandsthat havestartedusingsocialmedia networkingpagestoadvertisetheir productsareabletocommunicate directlywithindividuals.
Intelligentlypersuasivecontentwill inevitablyattractanaudience.It’s thistypeofaudiencethatwillalsobe interestedinfuturecontentpieces andacceptthebrandasatrustedand informativesourceofwanted information.Thislongterm relationshipcanthenbedottedwith compellingreasonstopurchaseand convertreaderstobuyers.
John Tsioris is the Founder and CEO of Instashop, the leading on demand grocery shopping app in the GCC, operating in the region since 2015 and having been nominated for two consecutive years as one of the most promising startups in the Arab world by Forbes. Instashop is present in 4 countries & expanding.
A 30-year old working mother comes home to a crying baby, and remembers that she needs to purchase milk. She quickly whips out her phone and places an order from the nearest online grocery shop without the hassle of calling, communication mishaps, and cash withdrawals.
Toconnectwiththisrisingsmartdemographic,brickand mortarsupermarketscannotsimplyrelyontraditional industrytechniquesthatwereprevalentinthe1990sand the2000s.Inthatperiod,marketingwasdonethrough conventionaltechniquesofleafletdistributions,and generalwordofmouth.Butthishasshiftedslowlybut surely.Areputationofabrandorasupermarketmayin factbedictatedsolelybasedonwhethertheyhavean onlinepresenceornot.Atrendingon-demandapp culturehasbeentakingoverthemillennialgeneration.In 2015,onlinegrocerysalesinUSaloneamountedto$7 billion,andisexpectedtoriseto$18billionby2020.
Convenienceandreliabilityisthecriticalfactorthat keepsthisgenerationloyal.InstaShop,aUAEbased onlinegrocerydeliveryappbackedbySouq.com,Jabbar InternetGroup,andVentureFriendswhopartnerwith localsupermarketsandbrands,noticedthatthosewho havedownloadedtheappsorderatleastonceperweek.
The platform allows users to access their nearby supermarket directly through their mobile app and shop for groceries with delivery straight to their door in 30 to 60 minutes depending on location. in 2016, Souq.com invested In Instashop.
Limitedpushnotificationsonphoneswithregular discountshasbeenquitesuccessfulinincreasinggrocery purchase.However,toomuchofthat,andtheusermay uninstalltheapp.
Attheend,brick-and-mortargroceriesandsupermarkets needtobuildanewcontentstrategyandpartnerwith onlinedeliveryshoppingapplicationsthatwillhelpto transitiontothisneweraofdigitaldeliveryoptionsto ensureexistingdemographicsarenotmissedouton.
