Author: Justin Hesser

Product development has always been a risky operation. If a specific item doesn't resonate with its intended audience, businesses can suffer in multiple ways. Not only will they fail to yield projected profits, their reputations could be irreparably damaged. 

However, technology has evolved to a point where companies can improve their product development operations by acquiring and processing real-time feedback almost instantly. This is a tremendously valuable addition to the development process because it allows workers to adjust their strategies before it's too late.

For example, software developers may want to get a sense of how their audience feels about a new app before it is released. By sharing components, typically through social media channels, companies can process their responses and utilize it to benefit their own practices.

An article in the online publication Hypebot lists a handful of trends that will dictate the future of product development. Social media and big data are both listed and, in this scenario, they go hand-in-hand.

However, Max Engal, article's author, says that while companies can collect more information, they must shift their concentration towards how to better process it.

"Users now exist in a world where their feedback is constantly collected in real-time, and the challenge is not how the sites get the data, but instead how to best analyze it in a meaningful way to gain actionable insights," Engal writes.

Implementing a database software system designed to give workers better access to pertinent data can prove to be beneficial to any product development initiative. The sooner the data is processed, the sooner it can be used to assist product management. Moreover, these applications can be used to give decision makers deeper insight as to the meaning of their information, in addition to expediting analytics. FileMaker can serve as the ideal tool for developing this sort of software. 

Efficiency in the healthcare industry is of the utmost importance. Organizations are always searching for innovative ways to cut costs while building productivity, all in the name of ensuring patient safety.

In Canada, this is the industry’s top priority, so on February 6, the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) hosted a forum for industry leaders to share ideas and discuss key initiatives that can spur greater efficiency. Prior to the event, CFHI vice president Maureen O’Neil released a statement indicating that the three most important topics to addressed during the forum were building efficiency, reducing spending and providing a better patient experience. 

“There is no single way to achieve this triple aim of healthcare, however experiences gleaned from the best evidence and emerging practices in parts of Canada are transforming healthcare systems and institutions for the better,” O’Neil said. “There are innovations underway that are proving quality care, efficiency and a strengthened patient/family-centered approach, are not mutually exclusive.”

Finding a comprehensive solution to meet all three needs can be accomplished with the help of custom application development. By building a database software system designed to track pertinent healthcare data, organizations can better manage their information and use it more effectively.

Hardware innovation is rampant in the healthcare industry, as many hospitals are ditching traditional desktops for laptops and mobile devices. Instead of printing out patient information from a stationary computer, doctors can simply access it on their tablet or smartphone in front of the patient, improving service and giving the patient a better overall experience. By using FileMaker, organizations can build powerful systems that can improve all components of hospital operations, thus enhancing the level of care they give to each patient. 

Social media strategy is still a relatively new concept to business executives, but it has become increasingly important over the year. Recently, this blog examined the value of marketing through various social channels, but companies can’t simply launch a social media campaign without properly preparing themselves ahead of time.

There are many risks associated with social media marketing. Depending on the channel, it’s very likely that all activity is going to be public. Unless properly set, all tweets are public and can be seen by anyone who logs into Twitter. Facebook business page messages can be seen by everyone as well. This is ideal, at least on paper, because companies should ultimately be doing what they can to further engage their audience through these channels, but it also means that businesses have to be careful about how they conduct themselves online.

Walt Harrison, a guest journalist with the Nashville Business Journal, wrote recently about the risks of social media marketing. He implored organizations to be cognizant of any potential dangers and underlined a number of the more severe risks.

“There is danger in ignoring or underplaying the risks associated with unmanaged employee Internet and social media use,” Harrison wrote. “Doing so invites harassment claims, discrimination suits or other legal distractions.”

That’s why companies should use the resources at their disposal to properly organize social media campaigns so they can mitigate the risk of improper use. Using FileMaker to develop a custom database software system can help organizations track social media posts and users who have access to each account. This will let executives know who is posting to various social channels, what they are saying and at what time the messages are being posted.

While database software can also help track social analytics, no benefits are possible until social campaigns are properly strategized.

Mobile devices aren’t going away any time soon. In fact, their growth is being felt in more areas than ever before. Businesses are implementing bring-your-own-device (BYOD) strategies to assist with daily operations and provide employees with the convenience needed to effectively do their jobs from any point and at any time.

As gas prices remain a national issue, more companies are incorporating a work-from-home policy which lets employees do their jobs from a remote location. By letting workers bring the same personal device they used at home into the office when they come to work, companies can reduce the risk of lost data or inefficient processes because employees will simply continue where they left off on that device.

Mick Slattery, an IT solutions executive, spoke with eWeek about the efficiency companies gain by implementing a BYOD policy.

“The nature of work and how business gets done is going through a transformation. Consumer technologies in the workplace are a significant catalyst for this transformation,” Slattery said. “Executives are capitalizing on the opportunity these technologies offer by adjusting business processes and updating policies with measurable results in areas such as customer service, profitable growth, happier employees and bringing new products and services to market faster.”

Companies that implement this policy will need to have the proper software solutions in place to maintain mobile communication strategies while upholding data security. Oftentimes, BYOD is a way to meet a specific need to mitigate a certain pitfall pertaining to operational efficiency. If this is the case, the importance of having the right software in place is paramount. Custom application development may be needed to create desired software solutions to run on each mobile device, but the advantages gained in doing so will allow any BYOD policy to reach its maximum potential. 

ZTE was once a leading provider of telecommunications and network solutions, as it has worked with the top carriers and mobile software developers to produce fantastic devices. However, the company’s success has dwindled and now executives are searching for answers as to how to turn things around.

A report in the online publication China Daily examines the Chinese company’s struggles, such as a loss of profits last year. According to the article, this may be due to the fact that ZTE has completely separated ownership from operation, meaning that none of the company’s employees – who man the daily operations – are shareholders. 

The article suggests that this structure can only yield two possible results: either the company operators don’t have the incentive to work hard for the shareholders or the shareholders will lose control of the company because they are not immersed in the day-to-day grind, thus leaving managers with no ownership to make decisions.

“The former result can be seen in some state-owned companies where the efficiency is low and corruption is rampant,” the article says. “While the latter one can be found in some multinational corporations, to avoid the management hurting the interests of owners, the shareholders usually offer the executives big salaries and a benefits package that includes a golden parachute.”

Owners likely prefer the latter as it gives them an opportunity to manipulate operational control, but all of this can be avoided if companies simply invest in new software solutions that build efficiency and promote communication and transparency. Using FileMaker to build a custom database software solution can collect data and display it in a way that ownership has a clear view of what is happening, what’s working and what isn’t.

Such a solution could have helped ZTE improve its economic viability. Its ownership structure isn’t necessarily wrong, as long as proper actions are taken. 

Earlier this month, this blog examined the fact that a number of companies are looking to decrease their carbon footprint as a 2013 initiative and discussed the strategies that can assist in that action. Custom application development can help increase the usefulness of mobile devices in the workplace, which in turn limits the amount of traditional energy used in a standard office space. However, simply suggesting that these plans will go into effect is not enough, as companies must ensure they have implemented a system designed to track any energy-saving project.

Any organized plan should be properly managed with the right database software. If a company is truly committed to reducing energy consumption, it is crucial to develop a system that tracks energy usage while allowing organizations to map out energy-related goals and strategies.

More companies expected to focus on energy efficiency in 2013

Power quality professional Michael Mallia spoke recently with the online publication ARN Net about the energy efficiency trend that has taken over a number of industries. He indicated that the trend’s growth will continue on its steady path in the coming year.

“It will be more of the same and we don’t foresee anything too significant taking place,” Mallia said, although he agreed that space consolidation is a trend that should continue to grow. “Businesses may decide to consolidate facilities, and that will become more prominent this year.”

Mallia went on to say that energy efficiency will be driven by a number of needs. While saving the planet is a good idea in theory and it does wonders for public relations, what’s really fueling the need to cut down on energy usage is the rising costs of heat and electricity.

Developing a program in FileMaker will give companies the resources needed to properly focus on cost-effective energy management programs.

Businesses need the flexibility to change processes whenever doing so is required. Oftentimes, any delay in making operational adjustments could cause irreparable damage to an organization. Whether internal processes change or customer behavior requires companies to amend their product lines and marketing strategies, they have to be made efficiently.

Take the retailer Borders Group, Inc., owners of the once-popular book, movie and music retailer. The company was once one of the prominent sellers of media, but it failed to adjust to changing times and in 2011, it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. There were many reasons why the company went out of business, but one of the main theories is that it didn’t adjust to consumer reading habits.

A couple of years before Borders closed, the e-reader exploded on the scene and many readers ditched their paperbacks for tablet-sized devices. Amazon’s Kindle began the trend, which was later picked up by Barnes & Noble – Borders’ closest competitor. Borders, however, did not incorporate a tremendous amount of resources into developing its own e-reader. This half-hearted effort was recognized by consumers and the device did not sell well.

Had Borders been able to view pertinent consumer data, it may have been able to adjust its offerings with greater success. Instead, the company is now closed.

Companies need to be able to view information and make necessary changes when their data suggests that doing so is required for future viability. Jason Whitehead, a contributor with the online publication Customer Think, suggests that necessary changes vary in how easy they are to identify.

“While some changes are harder to map out and recognize [e.g., organizational culture change] other changes [e.g., adopting a new system or adhering to new policies] can be mapped out with clarity,” Whitehead writes.

By implementing a FileMaker-built custom database software system, organizations should be able to identify and organize all important information and make proper changes accordingly.

Business is constantly changing, regardless of the industry. Technological advancements have improved hardware functionality, which has benefited business operations. However, it has increased expectations and companies must ensure they can adjust and cater to new customer needs.

Since the development of the first software applications, businesses have been using them to improve operations. However, many apps are limited in functionality, which can hinder their usefulness. It’s up to businesses to optimize their application usage and get the most out of their solutions.

Custom application development can give organizations the flexibility and scalability needed to grow and adjust as needed. Companies that develop apps this way will not be confined by the restrictions of standard development and they will break through traditional barriers to achieve new levels of efficiency and productivity.

An article in ITWeb addresses the importance of application optimization and lists a number of benefits the practice can offer. One of them is the added value of new technological investments. Instead of holding back on new procurements due to software limitations, organizations can have the confidence to acquire new tools to really better their businesses.

“With guaranteed application performance and improved end-user experience, businesses will also have the confidence to evolve computing models by deploying other forms of technology that can positively impact on workforce productivity and business efficiency, like mobility, unified communications, software as a service and desktop virtualization,” writes Sean Nourse, the author of the article.

Improving traditional software applications can be accomplished a number of ways. However, FileMaker-based custom development can build applications that will truly deliver superb results. Organizations can benefit tremendously from their solutions created this method and many application development projects conducted in this environment are quick and cost-effective.

Social media engagement has become one of the most effective ways for companies to market themselves. Posting content on business Facebook pages or tweeting links to pertinent pages on the company website can develop an influx of new customers. However, this is a complicated process that must be properly managed.

As the digital information age took off roughly five years ago, it became apparent that having a website just wasn’t enough to develop an adequate online presence. Social media pages became increasingly crucial as networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Google Plus grew in popularity. However, simply having these pages is no longer enough. Companies must actively participate on them to engage online consumers.

Doing so does accomplishes a number of business goals. It shows customers that the companies they “like” or follow online care about their brand image and actively participate in customer engagement. Creating content on the company’s behalf goes a long way in building stronger relationships with consumers.

“People share content more readily than they sign up for a stream of brand chatter. Content still works as a badge,” writes Matt Rosenberg, the author of the article. “Content is happy just being shared and does not ask for anything more. You’ll have to create more solid, not-overly-promotional content and spread it with a light hand.”

This strategy can also help businesses compile pertinent consumer data, which can be used to target specific demographics or even specific individuals. Suppose a company posts a video on its Facebook page and 300 saw it through their friends without actually liking the page of the organization that posted it. Those likes are important pieces of data because it gives companies targets to further engage and turn from prospects to regular customers.

However, this data must be properly managed. A FileMaker-based database software system can capture this information and allow marketers to process it in a way that enhances their customer engagement strategies.

Productivity is the key to a successfulbusiness. When employees show up to work, they have to get tasks done in order to make their company money. While managers have been spending over 100 years trying to formulate strategies to improve their workers’ production, the key to productivity in 2013 is improved technology.

Cloud computing is a powerful solution that allows individuals to share, store and access data from a multitude of devices. Today, businesses use the cloud to let workers do their jobs either when they are on the road or in the office. It can protect companies from targeted cyber attacks and spur disaster recovery efforts, but it can also improve the day-to-day workload.

Matt Smith, a guest blogger with the online publication ERP Cloud News, shared the benefits of cloud computing in a recent article.

“One of the ways productivity has been increased of late is via the development of cloud computing,” Smith wrote. “It cannot be denied that cloud computing is having a tremendous positive effect upon integrating technology and making life easier overall. This is also true in the workplace, and more and more businesses are reaping its benefits.”

Businesses need to ensure they have the right solutions in place to capitalize on cloud capabilities so they can increase productivity. Using a FileMaker-based custom database software system, data can be stored and accessed with great ease. Oftentimes, cloud storage can hurt the efficiency of information access and slow down processes, thus diminishing productivity. If data isn’t properly organized, no organization will experience a return on their cloud investment. With this custom solution in place, users can enjoy the benefits of the cloud without slowing down their business.