Author: Justin Hesser

No organization owns a magic crystal ball, so industry trend predictions, especially in an area as erratic as fashion, will never be perfect. However, using data to forecast both the immediate and long-term future can allow companies to adjust their strategies to comply with any needed future changes.

An article in the online publication Information Age features a number of organizations that are using technology to improve business projections. One of the featured companies is German catalog shopping leader Otto. The clothing distributor is making major strides toward projecting customer behavior with greater accuracy, all with the help of its database software system. By using an analytics solution to determine the validity of its information, Otto is able to gain some crucial insights such as future product demand.

Thomas Friese, senior product manager for forecasting at Otto, spoke with the news source about the benefits of accurate projections, particularly as they pertain to reducing spending. By knowing what clothing items are going to be in demand, Otto can organize cost-effective shipping schedules.

“Many of the clothes we sell are manufactured in China, so a substantial portion of their retail cost is shipping,” Friese said. “If we can order enough in advance, we can ship the items across on cargo ships. But if we need more than we’d bargained for, we have to fly them over, which costs much more.”

As this blog has mentioned in the past, simply collecting data will not give businesses the resources they need to conduct accurate projections. Otto’s success stems from its database system. Companies in a similar situation would be wise to develop a FileMaker-based solution that can effectively collect and organize data, weed out non-pertinent information and present appropriate valuable insights that businesses can use to their advantage.

As companies evolve and adapt to growing data volumes, there are two factors that each organization must consider: how can they use their information to their benefit and how will they store all of it. 

Whether one is more important than the other is debatable. Depending on the business, one might carry greater weight than the other. Companies that thrive on data analytics will want to ensure they are getting the most out of their information. Sales and marketing professionals use data to generate more effective messaging and target more specific audiences.

Meanwhile, companies that process massive volumes of information have to be able to store it all. This is particularly important for businesses in financial industries that process terabytes worth of data each day while trying to maintain compliance with various regulations.

Tom Mendoza, vice chairman for data management firm NetApp, spoke recently with Business Today and said, "Efficient data storage a bigger issue than analytics." Mendoza stressed the importance of proper data storage management. 

"The amount of data has been enormous for a long, long time," Mendoza said. "That's not new. One of the things I'm careful about is when people get behind a buzzword. Storage grows five to 10 times every five years for an average enterprise and it's important to slow that growth. Why? Because for every dollar you spend on one megabyte of storage, you spend $6 to manage it. Even if it's cheap or free, you spend $6."

To slow the growth of data, companies need to manage it more efficiently. This includes finding and eliminating unnecessary and duplicate data files. By using FileMaker to develop a custom database software system, organizations can allow themselves the ability to properly monitor volumes and take appropriate action to alleviate any issues pertaining to data size. Additionally, organizations that place a greater emphasis on data analytics can use a system of this nature to properly monitor information and gain new, valuable insights.

Regardless of how you prioritize usage, having a custom-built system will help all operations pertaining to data management.

Companies around the world are discovering the rewards of using database software. With strong organizational and statistical records, businesses are able to increase efficiency and productivity, and consequently, products. While this isn't exactly news, a recent trend in the data tracking world is an increase in startups entering the industry.

An article in the Wall Street Journal detailed a number of new businesses offering this type of product as a "flood of capital is pouring into the database market." One car part supplier, for example, is using a new type of software to record types of cars driven in different regions and another is using a different new technology to determine where viewers place their cursors on photos, and for how long.

"A new wave of databases is attracting customers looking to boost their business with powerful and cost-effective tools to tap into the growing mass of unstructured data collected from company websites, supply chains and social channels," the Journal said.

While it's clear that these companies are realizing the value of database software, and the rewards that can be gained with keeping and analyzing data, companies should also keep something else in mind: the quality of these new innovations.

Since recording information is so vital to a company's bottom line, choosing a database software is as well. While some major companies are taking a risk and going the startup route, choosing a reputable and well-respected product, like Filemaker, is the preferred option. In addition, with brands that have a long history in the industry, the kinks and issues have long been worked out, giving companies using the software peace of mind and the ability to use the information to better their service more quickly than with other brands.

Integrated marketing is one of the fastest-growing practices within the industry, mainly because advancements in technology have made it increasingly simple to combine various channels into one focused campaign.

Time once was that marketing campaigns consisted of multiple professionals managing different channels in order to obtain inroads into new industries and marketing mediums. However, that was proven to be a risky venture, as unsuccessful channels were causing companies to waste valuable resources that yielded unfavorable results. Today, many marketing campaigns can be integrated and consolidated, which alleviates the negative ramifications of failed channel campaigns.

According to an article in Customer Think, this will become even more important in 2013. Tony Zambito, the article's author, suggests more organizations integrate their channels to help obtain maximum value from each campaign.

"Campaigns can be costly," Zambito writes. "When they do not add up, this can be painful – in the sense that you have shot your allocated resources on the wrong channels. Look for more focus in 2013 on how to leverage different channels and integrate campaigns. When developing campaigns, how integrating social media, content marketing, mobile, web, and newer emerging channels into the campaigns will leverage cost yet yield more results becomes a key driver."

This practice does have its fair share of new challenges, namely in data analytics. Organizations must find ways to better manage the information they glean from their campaigns, which could become quite the chore if data is all being funneled to one centralized location. Creating a custom database software system will give professionals proper insight into the value of their respective data and make appropriate decisions. By developing a system designed to accommodate their integrated marketing, companies can ensure they maximize the potential of each channel and campaign.

Let's face it, digital data growth is not going to slow down anytime soon. In fact, the amount of content either being created digitally or converted from traditional to digital format is increasing at breakneck speed. 

According to analysis from IDC, the volume of digital content in the world grew 48 percent from 2011 to 2012, coming in at around 2.7 billion terabytes by the end of last year. While that number may seem large, it is relatively tiny compared to IDC's projections. The global market intelligence firm predicts that by 2015, the amount of global digital content will reach 8 billion terabytes.

This data will be spread out through a multitude of organizations in various industries in different countries and continents so no one entity will be burdened with this much information, but the fact that data will nearly triple in the next two years is an alarming thought. It shows that companies cannot rely on traditional data management techniques and solutions if they want to succeed in the future.

They key to an organization's future survival is implementing systems designed to simplify and speed up that data management process. Companies will have a virtually endless supply of information to wade through, which could prove to be problematic if decision makers are tasked with finding specific data. Implementing a system designed to expedite the data management process will alleviate this concern.

Using FileMaker to design a custom database software solution can give companies the ability to better store and manage their information. It can also allow professionals to find what they are looking for without having to sift through duplicate or unnecessary data.

Digital information will continue to grow long after 2015, and those equipped with flexible and scalable solutions will be prepared to handle future challenges.

Bring-your-own-device (BYOD) is one of the most popular terms in today’s business circles. Brought on by the rapid evolution of mobile technology, this policy allows employees to bring their own smartphones and tablets into the office and use them as working machines.

At its core, BYOD is designed to promote business efficiency, but not everyone is on board with it. Security is always a major concern with business technology, and the idea of BYOD has heightened many of those fears. If an employee stores sensitive company data on his or her device, takes it outside of the office and then either loses it or has it stolen, the security of the entire organization could be put in jeopardy.

Even businesses that refuse to implement BYOD strategies know they can’t completely prevent an employee from using a personal device to store company data. As long as workers bring their smartphones to work with them, data is always going to be at risk. The New York Times recently featured a number of organizations that are creating solutions to avoid security risks brought on by personal mobile usage. Bill Burns, the director of IT infrastructure at Netflix, told the Times that you can’t avoid personal device usage, so it’s best to implement a system designed to build additional security layers.

“People are going to bring their own devices, their own data, their own software applications, even their own work groups,” Burns said. “If you try and implant software that limits an employee’s capabilities, you’re adding a layer of complexity.”

Companies should not be discouraging the use of personal devices in the workplace, because the need to do so usually equates to the desire to build personal productivity. Creating a custom database software system can allow companies to store sensitive data off of personal devices, while still giving them access through secure applications. This allows businesses to keep sensitive information onsite, while promoting efficiency through the use of smartphones and tablets.

Billy Beane and the Oakland Athletics – as portrayed in the book and film "Moneyball" – turned baseball on its head 10 years ago by changing the way players were evaluated. Instead of following traditional metrics, the Athletics' scouting departments looked deeper into personal statistics and collected a group of players who fit into their system. By implementing this strategy, the team maximized its potential and got the most out of its limited resources. Marketers can follow the same principle.

Not all companies are privileged with massive budgets and unlimited resources. The top global conglomerates – playing the part of the New York Yankees – can afford to spend a tremendous amount of funds on bringing in new customers. However, small and midsize companies – similar to the Oakland Athletics – do not have that luxury. That's why it's important to optimize the performance of marketing analytics tools, so that companies can get the biggest bang for their marketing buck.

An article in the online publication Customer Think addresses this idea. It suggests that while marketers can benefit from reevaluating the way they look at data and use it to assist their marketing efforts, yet many have yet to do so.

"Many aren't yet using the underlying big data and analytics to make the transition from one-size-fits-all marketing to behavior-based, personalized marketing programs," Akin Arikan, the article's author, writes. "That is despite the fact that both marketers and customers stand to gain when interactions are more relevant, helpful, and real-time."

Ultimately, for marketers to maximize the potential of their information, they need to find a better way to look at it. Using FileMaker to develop a custom database software system can allow organizations the flexibility to generate custom reports and allow them the ability to view information in new and unique ways. By doing this, marketers can enhance their efforts and add increased value to the organization.

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. 

This blog has spoken at great length on the value of employee productivity. Productive workers enhance a company's ability to service its customers, increasing profitability. There are many things companies do to improve production, and communication is near the top of the list.

An article in the online publication Dynamic Business lists communication as one of the top steps companies must take to improve worker productivity. Collis Taeed, the author of the article, lists it as one of his top challenges as a business manager.

"One struggle I've had is to realize that talking to my team is some of the most important work I can do," Taeed writes. "By coaching and supporting them I'm assuring their effectiveness, and that trickles down throughout the whole organization. It's also a great way to hear ideas and eliminate inefficiencies or pain points. An employee who feels [they] can be honest will tell you when tasks are useless or a time sink, and that can be really difficult to see from the top of an organization."

It might sound good in theory to sit down and talk with employees about everything it requires to ensure a productive organization, but it's not as effective in practice. All workers – whether they are managers or end users – are busy throughout the day. They are constantly on the go, so sitting down to discuss ideas will likely lead to counter-productivity.

Instead, businesses should invest in the development of solutions that can promote collaboration and communication, even if workers aren't close to one another. To compensate for a lack of proximity, companies are installing database software systems which allows workers to store and share pertinent information. This allows for better decision making.

This software will also assist with team building and allow valuable ideas to be shared at a greater rate. These benefits will improve all facets of an organization. 

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.