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lawyergear10-blog · 5 years ago

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Is Devops Challenging? Please Note

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ÄHnliche JobsuchezurüCkweiter.

Easy Ways To Be A Reliable Software Program Tester.

An Aim To The Future Of Software Application Testing.

User Interface Designer.

Leading 10 Software Application Testing Courses.

ÄHnliche JobsuchezurüCkweiter.

Which type of software testing is in demand?

Yes, of course, you can learn Selenium without knowing Java. Selenium IDE is a GUI based tool but it works only in Mozilla Firefox. However, if you want to create test cases using Selenium WebDriver, you should know one programming language out of - Java, C#, Python, Perl, Ruby, PHP.

A subreddit for those with concerns about operating in the tech market or in a computer-science-related job. I feel that in Workflow as well as QA you can easily 'burn-out' because of the lengthy hrs and repetitive job. For me development tends to be one of the most 'fun' and also therefore lowers the stress degrees. I don't recognize how difficult QA job is as I've never done it.

Easy Ways To Be An Efficient Software Tester.

Is DevOps easy to learn?

Java language and programming for Selenium Java is a vast language. However, You don't need to learn full features of Java as that's not required for selenium automation testing. You only need to learn a selected portion of Java language. That's a good news.

Experience shows that the optimum length of a test instance is between 3-8 steps. Then you will do every person on your team a huge favor, if you write clean and also thorough insect records. It's great technique to keep every one of your important communication in one place. You will require to take another look at information traded in between you and participants of your group. You will certainly do your future self a support by making it available.

How long does it take to learn software testing?

Many employers look for software tester candidates with a bachelor's degree in computer science, math or engineering, although it's not always required. If you've got a lot of experience, a stable work history and solid references or letters of recommendation, it's possible to land a job without a college degree.

and also new ones are still being produced, one should note that roughly 90% of the concepts one learns in a specific language are likewise suitable to totally different languages. When opleiding java testers knows with the core essentials, establishing comparable skills with another language just boils down to understanding the syntactical nuances. creating or coding automation script, I am expanding a lot more burnt out. # 13) Find out more books, short articles, attend testing meetup and also seminars.

Constantly think of what you can do today to relocate closer to that goal and also act appropriately. Testers are extremely passionate at the start of their professions. But when the discovering curve is filled they start feeling bored. They promptly obtain tired of writing the exact same Pest reports and performing the same test situations repeatedly.

An Aim To The Future Of Software Program Testing.

When you develop an arranged framework to store all of your important information you have the ability to collect the appropriate information and form your testing approach for that task. If you do not have a method to keep this details, after that you will certainly miss vital details.

So, quick responses, supported by smart test automation systems, is going to be essential.

A lot more software is being developed, with a lower obstacle to entry, and faster time to market.

At the very same time, testing will certainly continue to become native to the island across other components of the software program lifecycle process, with fast-evolving devices bringing tests within the reach of a lot more staff member.

While they are frequently still the unsung heroes, the work that QA professionals do is significantly acknowledged for its contributions to DevOps.

You will certainly get advice on real-world software program testing, QA, monitoring, test automation, and also advancement proficiency in a wide variety of software growth firms varying from little to large scale.

You and also the developer need to be honored and also satisfied that what has simply been launched is pest totally free (" ish"), not just you. Eventually, as others have claimed, it's a different sort of anxiety. As QA, I was continuously worried that I missed bugs I should have caught. As a programmer, my anxiety comes from feeling like I should understand how to do something already as well as I don't. That stated, it is completely possible that my anxiety degrees in a dev function are not as high because I. still do not make a great deal of huge decisions.

How can I be good tester?

Robotic Process Automation (RPA): Advances in software and AI world have paved the way for Robotic Process Automation (RPA). It is the most recent technology which has the capability to re-invent the business process management landscape. To know more about RPA's role in the software testing industry.

It is important in this regard to look for some advice and real-world assistance from gamers who have some experience in the field, as well as whose insights can aid you when making that critical pre-development decision. to script code, over time, differences will certainly emerge in between the languages. Consequently, activities that operate well in a specific language could be counter and repetitive user-friendly in a various one.

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Interface Designer.

Growth can be rather difficult during crunch time when you're required to make style concessions as well as provided no time to clean up your work. But it can be a lot of enjoyable, also, which is in fact more frequently the situation for me. It's a GREAT DEAL easier to handle the job anxiety when you recognize the work and also your coworkers. Much easier to reduce, yes, equally as simple to outsource as development is however. QA is only demanding in that you have much less job safety and security than a dev.

I will collaborate with various other devs on my group if I'm unsure concerning a specific means of doing something, or the pros and cons of 2 things that, to me, appear similarly good/bad. I angle speak for QA given that my experience is in dev however from my interactions with them, it definitely does not appear like a cinch. As soon as you begin surrounding deadlines, everybody in the process feels the warm. I've done both, and also I've been burnt out by numerous aspects of each of them.

When your goals as a tester straighten with the goals of the app, you will certainly have the ability to provide significant outcomes. A tester's mindset can indicate the distinction in between discovering the most important insect in the app and finding absolutely nothing. You simply need to choose which response makes the a lot of sense once you comprehend what the inquiry is. You are provided an application, and also you should decide what must be evaluated, what the result should be, and apply a testing technique. You raise the possibility of somebody on your team falling short to carry out a job when you include more actions to an examination situation.

Discuss what they are doing, what they have actually developed, what situations they have taken into consideration, is there anything you can contribute to help them recognize the product much better. # 7) Collaborate with the QA groups from various other projects also.

Leading 10 Software Application Testing Courses.

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Consistency provided by the WebDriver API across languages, simplifies the procedure of porting examination expertise of one language to one more. Examination engineers come to be better assets to their organizations as they can be transferred to any kind of internet project, created in any programs language, and also still have the ability to produce tests for it instantaneously.

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readevalprint · 5 years ago

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Previewing images in and out of SLIME REPL

As any Common Lisp coder knows, a REPL is an incredibly useful tool. It can be used not just for development, but for running all sorts of tasks. Personally, I don’t bother making my Lisp tools into executable scripts and just run them directly from SLIME. As such, any operation that requires leaving the REPL is quite inconvenient. For me, one such operation was viewing image files, for example in conjunction with my match-client:match tool. So lately I’ve been researching various methods to incorporate this functionality into the normal REPL workflow. Below, I present 3 methods that can be used to achieve this.

Open in external program

This one’s easy. When you want to view a file, launch an external process with your favorite image viewer. On Windows a shell command consisting of the image filename would launch the associated application, on Linux it’s necessary to provide the name of the image viewer.

(defvar *image-app* nil) ;; set it to '("eog") or something (defun view-file-native (file) (let ((ns (uiop:native-namestring file))) (uiop:launch-program (if *image-app* (append *image-app* (list ns)) (uiop:escape-shell-token ns)))))

Note that uiop:launch-program is used instead of uiop:run-program. The difference is that launch- is non-blocking - you can continue to work in your REPL while the image is displayed, whereas run- will not return until you close the image viewer.

Also note that when the first argument to run/launch-program is a string, it is not escaped, so I have to do it manually. And if the first argument is a list, it must be a program and a list of its arguments, so merely using (list ns) wouldn't work on Windows.

Inline image in REPL

The disadvantage of the previous method is that the external program might steal focus, appear on top of your REPL and disrupt your workflow. And it’s well known that Emacs can do everything, including viewing images, so why not use that?

In fact, SLIME has a plugin specifically for displaying images in REPL, slime-media. However it's difficult to find any information on how to use it. Eventually I figured out that SWANK (SLIME's CL backend) needs to send an event :write-image with appropriate arguments and slime-media’s handler will display it right in the REPL. The easiest way is to just send the file path. The second argument is the resulting image’s string value. If you copy-paste (sorry, “kill-yank”) it in the repl, it would act just like if you typed this string.

(swank::send-to-emacs '(:write-image "/path/to/test.png" "test"))

You can even send raw image data using this method. I don’t have anything on hand to generate raw image data so here’s some code that reads from a file, converts it to a base64 string and sends it over SWANK.

(with-open-file (in "/path/to/test.png" :direction :input :element-type '(unsigned-byte 8)) (let* ((arr (make-array (file-length in) :element-type '(unsigned-byte 8))) (b64 (progn (read-sequence arr in) (cl-base64:usb8-array-to-base64-string arr)))) (swank::send-to-emacs `(:write-image ((:data ,b64 :type swank-io-package::png)) "12345"))))

Note that the first argument to :write-image must be a list with a single element, which is itself a plist containing :data and :type keys. :data must be a base64-encoded raw image data. :type must be a symbol in swank-io-package. It's not exactly convenient, so if you're going to use this functionality a helper function/macro might be necessary.

Image in a SLIME popup buffer

Inline images are not always convenient. They can't be resized, and will take up as much space as is necessary to display them. Meanwhile EMACS itself has a built-in image viewer (image-mode) which can fit images to width or height of a buffer. And SLIME has a concept of a "popup buffer" which is for example used by macroexpander (C-c C-m) to display the result of a macro expansion in a separate window.

Interestingly, slime-media.el defines an event :popup-buffer but it seems impossible to trigger it from SWANK. It is however a useful code reference for how to create the popup buffer in ELisp. This time we won't bother with "events" and just straight up execute some ELisp code using swank::eval-in-emacs. However by default, this feature is disabled on Emacs-side, so you'll have to set Emacs variable slime-enable-evaluate-in-emacs to t in order for this method to work.

Also Emacs must be compiled with ImageMagick for the resizing functionality to work.

Anyway, the code to view file in the popup buffer looks like this:

(defun view-file-slime (file &key (bufname "*image-viewer*")) (let ((ns (namestring file))) (swank::eval-in-emacs `(progn (slime-with-popup-buffer (,bufname :connection t :package t) (insert-image (create-image ,ns)) (image-mode) (setf buffer-file-name ,ns) (not-modified) (image-toggle-display-image)) ;; try to resize the image after the buffer is displayed (with-current-buffer ,bufname (image-toggle-display-image)))))) ))

Arriving to this solution has required reading image-mode's source code to understand what exactly makes image-mode behave just like if the image file was opened in Emacs via C-x C-f. First off, image-mode can be a major and a minor mode - and the minor mode is not nearly as useful. slime-with-popup-buffer has a :mode keyword argument but it would cause image-mode to be set before the image is inserted, and it will be a minor mode in this case! Therefore (image-mode) must be called after insert-image.

Next, the buffer must satisfy several conditions in order to get image data from the filename and not from the buffer itself. Technically it shouldn't be necessary, but I couldn't get auto resizing to work when data-p is true. So I set buffer-file-name to image's filename and set not-modified flag on.

Next, image-toggle-display-image is called to possibly resize the image according to image-mode settings. It’s called outside of slime-with-popup-buffer for the following reason: the buffer might not yet be visible and have any specific dimensions assigned to it, and therefore resizing will do nothing.

Here's an example of how calling this function looks in Emacs.

The position of the popup buffer depends on whether the original Emacs window is wide enough or not. I think it looks better when it's divided vertically. Use M-x image-transform-fit-to-height or M-x image-transform-fit-to-width to set up the auto-resizing method (it gets remembered for future images). Unfortunately there's no way to fit both height and width, at least with vanilla Emacs. I prefer fit-to-width because in case the image is too tall, it is possible to scroll the image vertically with M-PgDn and M-PgUp from the other buffer. Unlike other image-mode buffers, this buffer supports a shortcut q to close itself, as well as various SLIME shortcuts, for example C-c C-z to return to the REPL.

That’s it for now, hope you enjoyed this overview and if you happen to know a better way to display images in Emacs, I would be interested to hear about it.

#common lisp #emacs #lisp #programming

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academichacktivist · 3 years ago

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Dreams of a Better Tomorrow

Everyone wishes to leave this world having made it better. Some choose to become doctors, others teachers, firefighters, mathematicians, and artists. All of these people have and want to make positive contributions that they will be remembered and respected for. Even now, the researcher who will go on to find the next breakthrough cancer treatment could very well be in their lab at this present moment working tirelessly to accomplish their goal. The teacher who will revolutionize education one day might currently be on their way to do just that. What these people have in common is that they received an education which prepared them to make their constructive impacts on the world. I like to think that what I have done over the past four years has prepared me to the same end.

It is my belief that my contribution to society will manifest through my knowledge of computer science and technical skills. What excites me about modern technology is its ability to augment and enhance humans’ innate senses and capabilities. Computers allow us to quickly evaluate complex calculations, process large amounts of data, and make decisions based on a myriad of variables. These capabilities have taken us to the depths of the ocean and to the outer reaches of the galaxy. We have mapped the human genome, created global positioning systems, developed self-driving vehicles and are on the way to completing artificial intelligences that mirror our own mental aptitude. Somewhere behind the curtain of each one of these endeavors, there is a programmer writing code that brings it all together. I hope to be that programmer one day, so that my contributions will be as far reaching as those of my laureled predecessors.

As a Computer Science major, I have been exposed to and trained in the fundamentals of making that dream into a reality. I have learned the foundational concepts upon which modern computing builds upon, from the transistors that create circuits to the nuances of computer operating systems. I have familiarized myself with distinct programming language paradigms and know how to methodically analyze problems to evaluate their computability and complexity. As a senior, I have applied these skills towards a real-world effort in my contributions to an open source software project, where I wrote code for a free web education app that teaches new computer scientists how to code. In doing so, I familiarized myself with my proverbial tools of the trade, such as the GitHub workflow, which provides version control for software repositories. I also collaborated with a team of like minded individuals to accomplish this, which will no doubt be a relevant skill to have when I inevitably need to work with others for a future employment.

The prospect of working in service of a project greater than myself is something I strive towards, and I have no doubt that my time as a student has duly prepared me to that end. Whether that project takes us to the stars, saves lives, or simply delights and inspires others, I will be glad to have contributed. My one hope is that my work makes the world a better place, even if just by a little bit. Until then, however, I’ll hold on to my dreams of a better tomorrow.

#technology #computer science #open source #computing #college #student #programming

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edwardpotts · 4 years ago

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Discover Emerging Genre-Level Trends with Sensor Tower Game Intelligence

Since the first smartphones were put in the hands of consumers nearly 14 years ago, gaming has been a leader in driving mobile usage and adoption. From viral hits like Angry Birds and Candy Crush to the introduction of new and novel play styles like Pokémon GO and the cross-platform engagement of Fortnite, the growth rate of player engagement and spend has only skyrocketed. According to Sensor Tower data, the mobile games industry alone is expected to reach $138 billion by 2025 across the App Store and Google Play.

In order to meet the needs of the ever-changing and competitive industry, Sensor Tower is proud to introduce a product dedicated solely to the growth and development of mobile games. Game Intelligence, a free addition to our enterprise Store Intelligence product, combines some of the most compelling views from our Mobile Success Suite with a proprietary classification system that highlights the most salient features of the world’s top mobile games.

Let’s take a look at how Game Intelligence can supercharge your mobile game roadmap, from development to launch and beyond.

Understanding Classifications

The centerpiece to Sensor Tower’s Game Intelligence is an industry-focused classification system, built on our Genre Taxonomy feature. Sensor Tower’s Genre Taxonomy expanded on its original dataset to classify the top 20,000 mobile games on the App Store and Google play into more than 70 sub-genres that better describe/classify gameplay mechanics, audience, and metagame.

In addition to these classifications, Sensor Tower has created its own proprietary set of characteristics to help you drill down further into the important qualities of a mobile game. Discover the differences in Setting, Theme, Art Style, and Camera POV in order to better understand how artistic and styling choices impact a particular game’s target audience and resonance in the market. From 2D Cartoon to 3D Realistic, Military to Lifestyle, or Sci-Fi to High Fantasy, select one of these identifiers or develop a combination of several to uncover key opportunities in the mobile gaming landscape.

Plus, alongside this release we’ve included a brand-new Licensed IP feature, which includes comprehensive identifiers for some of the most well-known entertainment brands that are prominent in the mobile games space. From Disney to Dragon Ball Z, My Little Pony to Harry Potter, your team can zero in on the properties that are gaining buzz and leading to success for game studios—and evaluate those properties’ potential for licensing partnerships.

All of these classifications will continue to receive regular updates, so your team will be able to stay on top of the latest trends in mobile games.

Inside Product Features

While the core of Game Intelligence is powered by our detailed and context-driven classification system, the product itself brings together some of the most impactful views found within Store Intelligence to create a control center for your games-focused needs. Here are some of the common workflows you can take advantage of directly within Game Intelligence:

Downloads and Revenue: Look into the store performance charts over time for any Game Intelligence descriptor. For example, how have downloads changed over time for MMORPG titles?

Market Analysis: Compare the size of different markets for identified game descriptors on a per-country basis. How do Match-3 puzzle titles fare in India, compared to Germany or the United States?

Publisher Breakdown: Understand which publishers have developed strongholds in certain genres, settings, or IP partnerships. For example, how much of a hold does Playrix have on the Puzzle & Decorate subcategory?

Monetization Metrics: Measure the performance of any game descriptor by Sensor Tower’s pioneering Revenue Per Download metric. Do 3D Realistic or 3D Cartoon shooters see more spending per install?

Taxonomy Exploration: Determine market viability of a new and novel game concept by exploring the games attached to any descriptor. Are there any Horror-themed Puzzle games with a 2D Cartoon Art Style? These are just a handful of examples of the way that Game Intelligence can make a direct impact on your game development roadmap. From product exploration to competitor analysis and merger readiness, many different working groups will benefit from combining key download and revenue metrics with Sensor Tower’s nuanced and industry-aligned classifications.

A Commitment to the Games Industry

Although there’s already plenty to dive into and uncover with Game Intelligence at launch, Sensor Tower is dedicated to enhancing this product over time with even more classifications and metrics that are core to the games industry. This product was formed specifically with the purposes and goals of our Enterprise-level gaming clients in mind, in terms they are familiar with.

In that spirit we’re committed to integrating a greater number of our customers’ favorite data views from across our Mobile Success Suite, so Game Intelligence will grow as a command center for all of your games industry research and strategic planning. Are you interested in learning more about Game Intelligence and the Sensor Tower Mobile Success Suite? Reach out to our sales team for a demo.

Discover Emerging Genre-Level Trends with Sensor Tower Game Intelligence published first on https://spyadvice.tumblr.com/

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jobessaysample964-blog · 5 years ago

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empmoniitor · 5 years ago

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WORKFORCE ANALYTICS: 05 REASONS WHY ENHANCED VISIBILITY HELPS INCREASE YOUR REMOTE TEAMS PRODUCTIVITY

For the last four months, we have been hearing a lot about employees working from home and how employers are monitoring their remote employees or teams.

Managing remote employees or teams gets really tricky as you can’t see what is happening there in real-time. This situation becomes more difficult as employees are no longer in the office, and also due to communication becomes much more difficult.

Managers or HRs need to see what their employees are doing and how they are doing. It can be done, with the help of a workforce analytics tool.

WHAT IS WORKFORCE ANALYTICS?

Workforce or HR analytic is a tool used to track and measure employees’ activities along with optimization of human resource management and decision making. Analytics is not just about keeping track of what employees have been doing; it is also about the return value of every individual hire.

Analytics also helps you identify insider threats and other potential risk factors by gathering user data and workplace trends. It also helps the managing team to evaluate the data and implement a much safer and friendly working environment.

Many organizations use such analytic tools to evaluate employment trends. In simple words, they tally the data to see which month or quarter has the highest number of applicants applying for jobs in their company. Using it, they adjust their hiring strategies and plans to stop resorting to a more invasive method that may not provide results in their favor.

BENEFITS OF ANALYTICS TOOL

The key benefits of analytics tools are as follows:

1. IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY

One of the main benefits of such tools is that employers can pinpoint the time and project where the employees are lagging and help improve their overall productivity. They can also implement a much effective and fruitful working strategy by analyzing the employees’ work patterns.

2. HIRING

With accurate statistics and patterns, it is easier for the management to figure out what type of talent, people, and experience is better for their particular designation. Using this stat, they can implement a much more effective hiring strategy and hire the perfect candidate on the single try rather than going through tons of applications and interviews manually evaluating the best.

3. RETENTION

Analytics tool is perfect for identifying the retention rate of your employees. Retention rate is the value that shows how many individuals have stuck and how many have left the company. It helps you pin down the correct factors that are affecting employees’ decisions. Management teams can use this data to retain more employees in their organization by providing them a favorable working environment.

Also Read –

Why Companies Should Adopt Evolving Productivity Tools To Stay Competitive How To Boost Productivity Through Employee Computer Monitoring Software?

CONCLUSION

These five reasons are not the only ones, there are many more, and it is time that you implement a workforce analytics tool inside your organization and find out the reason yourself.

Let me know down in the comments, how such tools help you manage your remote team more effectively.

Originally Published On: EmpMonitor

#employeeproductivity #Employeemanagementsoftware #employeemonitoringsoftware #Workforceanalytics

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shinydigitalbot · 6 years ago

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Digital Transformation with Intelligent Content

Today’s emerging businesses are born digital. Existing enterprises compete with these digital native businesses and seek ways to innovate without disrupting their established processes. In this path to competitive excellence, there are several hurdles they need to overcome. Namely personalization, localization, contextualization and digitization of information and work processes…to name a few. In the following blog, we address some common questions which are being asked by organizations on their transformation journey.

Which parts of my business need to be digitally transformed?

Digitizing business processes is imperative, but which processes holds precedence over others? Can a certain process be ignored while another given a priority? The digital transformation of an organization can be initiated from several functional areas and Business Units, such as – Business Model, Product Development, Data, Processes, Knowledge, Self-service and Organizational Culture.

It’s usually not a question of one or the other, rather a question of which aligns better with the immediate business objectives of the organization. Serving customers better impacts the top line directly, whereas addressing internal employee experience (EX) has a direct impact on the bottom line. Hence, to realize maximum impact both CX and EX need to be addressed.

The key to achieving competitive excellence in the era of continuous digital transformation is to focus on both top and bottom-line improvements. Customer experience usually has been the sweet spot for organizations to digitize the customer touchpoints since the results directly translate to topline gains, but focusing on it alone isn’t enough anymore. As much as an organization needs to focus on the external customer touchpoints, addressing internal customers aka its employees is equally important for overall productivity and bottom-line gains.

The cost of getting it wrong

Consumers today are drowning in a sea of information but barely find the information that they are looking for. In organizations, 70% of the employees struggle with missing information and it costs up to $5.4 million annually in lost productivity. This is an estimation for an organization with 1000 professional workers and it is the cost of poor information discipline.

Organizations have collaboration systems and Enterprise Content Management (ECM) in place but these tools are simply not keeping up with the demands due to an enormous information explosion. How can we address this challenge? The answer lies with content – we need to make content intelligent and responsive.

The foundation for future businesses: Intelligent Content

Intelligent content has the capability to meet consumer needs better, both internal and external since it is readable and usable by both humans and machines. Before we dive into intelligent content further, let’s define the key characteristics of intelligent content:

Structured

Stored in topic-specific components

Reusable

Format-free

Enriched with metadata

Intelligent content forms the basis of the information fabric of an organization that wants to digitally transform itself. A unified approach towards intelligent content across the organization has several benefits, ranging from:

Cost savings with content reuse

Information governance with access rights and change tracking

Adaptive delivery of consistent information to any digital channel and

Discovering insights

Intelligent content really shines when it is centralized across the organization without the barriers of departments.

How to create intelligent content?

Intelligent content inherently describes its meaning, purpose, and relation to other content. It can be created using structured authoring tools. Structured authoring is a concept and way of working; XML is a specification that lets you implement structured authoring.

Structured authoring lets organizations define and enforce the consistent organization of information in smaller, reusable chunks (components) that can then be dynamically assembled into any deliverable.

Traditionally a lot of companies assemble documents, whether printed or online, but the same content can be reused in, for instance, mobile apps, chatbots and other IoT applications. Due to its componentized nature, it’s also easier to translate and to reuse existing translations from translation memory, saving massive costs for global enterprises. In all these benefits lies the power of structured content.

Organizations are adopting structured authoring because it enables them to overhaul and streamline their content processes; it is the foundation of content automation. Intelligent content is created using structured authoring tools, and by enriching the information with the right metadata and classification information such as taxonomy terms.

How can an organization be truly digital to the core?

A truly digital organization is one that has digitization embedded across all the organizational processes required to transform both customer and employee-facing touchpoints. One common element to both CX and EX is the content or the knowledge of the organization, which is used to store, communicate, curate and serve the organizational goals. Treating content as a strategic asset is vital to successful digital transformation initiatives.

Agile processes and automation are necessary to augment the skill set of our present workforce to enable them to work together with the machines of tomorrow. In other words, human first and machine augmented is what organizations should strive for. For machines to be able to work with human knowledge, the information has to be in a machine-friendly format, or in other words, it has to be intelligent content. Intelligent content creation is the first step towards turning any business into a truly digital business.

Organizations need intelligent content, in order to become truly digital. Centralized intelligent content has several benefits for organizations, namely consistency, reduced information redundancy, adaptive delivery to any channel, reduced desktop publishing costs and improved localization workflows. By itself, knowledge centralization is not enough, we need unified collaboration to make it possible to create consistent and accurate information by breaking departmental silos.

Structured authoring offers the prospect of intelligent content creation and better management of information. A fundamental shift in the mindset is required from an entire organizational perspective on how valuable information is treated, and how to manage and manipulate it for desired transformations (print, digital, embedded in smart devices etc.). A starting step to adopt such a change is to evaluate existing skillsets and identify new skills that are required, both to implement a structured workflow and to work within it. In our next blog, we will look at unified structured authoring and collaboration for enterprises to take the first step on this journey.

Unstructured content

Unstructured content includes emails, documents, videos, photos, presentations, webpages and many other kinds of business documents. These documents have no associated data model and include many different formats.

These types of content often do not have any associated metadata, and if they do, it is often inconsistently applied. This means you cannot access the benefits that structured content provides.

To structure content or not?

So, does every organization need to structure their content?

A structured content approach makes sense when content is business-critical and plays a vital role in digital transformation initiatives.

These digital transformation initiatives can be anything from dynamic content assembly for self-service portals, to intelligent knowledge hubs and product and services documentation. Because structured content enables content reuse, you can eliminate unnecessary duplication of effort and ensure consistency anywhere common content is reused.

Simply stated, structured content improves business agility, provides governance and control and enables findability to both external customers and internal employees.

When deciding where to start, consider how you want to manage this content and how you are defining your broader content strategy.

Early adopters of this approach include manufacturing, financial services, business services and life sciences industries. These organizations are quickly recognizing the benefits of a structured approach to content in comparison to document-based management.

#digital transformation #intelligent content #information management #content management

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cecillewhite · 6 years ago

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Podcast: Selecting Association Software – With Chad Stewart of SmartThoughts

WELCOME TO EPISODE 21 OF THE TALENTED LEARNING SHOW!

To learn more about this podcast series or to see the full collection of episodes visit The Talented Learning Show main page.

EPISODE 21 – TOPIC SUMMARY AND GUEST:

As an independent learning systems consultant, I’m obsessed with finding the ideal solution for each client’s unique needs. Fortunately, I’m not alone in that quest.

For example, today’s guest, Chad Stewart of SmartThoughts LLC, specializes in helping non-profit organizations navigate the software selection process for all kinds of operational needs.

I invite you to join Chad and me, as we compare notes about key technology trends and their implications for association software buyers.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Thanks to technology innovation, member-based organizations are facing significant opportunities and challenges.

In particular, the center-of-gravity for association software has shifted from all-in-one AMS platforms to diverse ecosystems.

With so much at stake, software selection has become a strategic priority that non-profits can’t afford to treat lightly.

Q&A HIGHLIGHTS:

You and I are two sides of the same coin, Chad. We both help associations find software that meets their strategic needs, right?

Yes, our missions are very similar. At SmartThoughts, I work with non-profit organizations that are struggling to find the right systems. I assess their existing technology and help them find the best fit for their particular needs.

Our approach sounds identical. But I focus on learning solutions, while you focus on the rest of the association software ecosystem…

Also, like you John, I don’t derive any income from software implementation, training and support – although I think those services are very important. In fact, I originally offered implementation, training and support when I founded SmartThoughts in 2001.

Back then, software was installed on desktops and servers, so clients had different needs. But now with cloud computing, it’s more important to focus on the front-end of the process, helping clients find the right fit.

Interesting. I don’t cross paths with many other systems selection specialists. Why did you move to this side of the fence?

Honestly, so many new products are available and there’s so much confusion about how to choose systems. There’s a huge disconnect between buyers and sellers. So it makes a lot of sense to rely on an intermediary as an independent guide and advocate.

REPLAY THE WEBINAR NOW!

And why do you specialize in association software?

That shift was actually a gradual process. I started as a specialist in ERP and CRM systems for organizations of all types. But over time, as we began serving more member-based organizations, that naturally became our focus.

Excellent. So, what are the major technology components associations rely upon today?

Oh, gosh, it’s all over the place. And nomenclature is, too, because systems in the for-profit world are similar, but the acronyms are a bit different.

How so?

For example, a customer relationship management system (or CRM) is the terminology most businesses use when talking about customer-focused systems, right? Well, in the association space, the equivalent is an association management system (or AMS).

But an AMS is much more than just a CRM. It’s really an ecosystem that can include a website, marketing automation, event management, ecommerce, membership dues management, financial accounting and online community functionality. Sometimes even learning management is part of AMS capabilities.

With so many moving parts, how do you find the best fit?

Great question. An AMS may purport to be an ideal all-in-one solution. But an AMS can’t be all things to all organizations. And with so many components in the typical association software stack, best-of-class systems may be a better option for some capabilities.

OK. So let’s use learning functionality to understand this concept. How do you know when a specialized LMS is needed beyond the AMS, itself?

With each organization, I start by defining the situation. As we pull back the layers of the onion in that discovery process, it reveals what an AMS uniquely means to that organization.

For some, education and training may be critical, so specialized learning management capabilities would be a requirement.

That makes sense…

LMS components definitely are not a core competency of an AMS, in general, but you may find the capacity to track education activities. For example, you’ll see the ability to track continuing education credits or certifications.

But my job is to define what’s most important for a client. What makes that organization unique? That’s the key.

Absolutely…

Usually, that ties back to money. What’s are primary sources of revenue? Sometimes its dues. Sometimes it’s education. Sometimes it’s conferences fees. Often, there are multiple choices.

An organization needs to understand what drives revenues and choose a system that is strong at supporting those functions.

Agree. So, what are the top trends you’re seeing?

Well, that’s a good segue, because I see an increasing need to integrate with third-party systems. As organizations evolve, they sometimes outgrow specific capabilities in their AMS, so there’s a need to tap into more sophisticated, specialized functionality.

This is especially true of organizations using dated, all-in-one AMS platforms. But the need for expanded technology doesn’t necessarily mean an organization, itself, is growing.

Good point!

For example, one of my clients is a small association with a staff of less than five people. But this organization has relatively sophisticated needs.

They have international reach and their financial accounting is fairly advanced. They also host some very unique events, and most of their revenues come from those events.

They realize that a traditional AMS isn’t enough. So they want to find a system with strong event capabilities that also integrates with their core AMS and their website.

Makes sense…

It’s important to be open to a “best-of-need” approach. This calls for third-party APIs and services that integrate specialized applications into everyday workflows, so associations don’t have to give up anything in terms of understanding member information.

How do you see that playing out?

An association may not be able to get the best standalone platform for every need – for example, job board, email marketing, community management and learning management. But they’ll find an AMS with strong membership management at its core. Then they’ll add-in components to achieve their mission.

So, the underlying AMS will continue to play its primary historical role, but the organization can look beyond the AMS for specialized functionality. That’s more like a best-of-class strategy.

Excellent. Any other notable trends on your radar?

A related trend is increasing interest in what the for-profit world calls customer data platforms or CDPs. With so many systems working in tandem, associations want a central repository that provides access to a persistent, unified “master” record of every member.

It’s essential to consolidate and synthesize relevant data into a “true” single member profile. With a CDP in place, an organization’s relationship with each individual is more accurately and intelligently reflected in reports.

RSVP FOR THIS LIVE MAY WEBINAR!

Interesting. So the AMS is no longer the center of the universe. But are associations struggling with the technical aspects of data integration?

Well, one reason why organizations move to a new system is just what you mentioned – integration issues. Their AMS is based on a closed architecture, so they’re opting for systems that are open and based on standards that facilitate back-and-forth integration.

Many systems of yesteryear were based on closed logic. Those legacy systems may not yet support full data exchange. But modern AMS systems usually offer open APIs to connect back-and-forth with other systems.

I see…

So, integration issues often motivate associations to change. They may change to a new AMS if their system isn’t keeping up with their integration needs. Or they’ll look for an integration services provider that knows their system fairly well and has a third-party relationship with whatever specialized system they want to add.

So about API strategy, are you seeing a trend in how AMS vendors approach this?

I can’t say there’s a clear trend, per se. But I think AMS providers definitely realize that they need to develop integrations for and with specialized systems that offer popular functionality.

What would you say those systems are?

Well, every year, I ask organizations which third-party systems they use in conjunction with their membership management system. Usually, the top of the list includes email marketing, mobile apps, job board, advertising, LMS and community management platforms.

It sounds like the AMS market is as diverse as the learning systems realm. Currently, we see more than 800 learning-related systems on our radar…

800? My goodness, that’s a lot of systems to track!

I’m tracking 128 AMS platforms – or vendors that say they offer membership-based systems. Every few weeks, I find another system that I may not have known, or a vendor goes out of business. So it changes. But it’s around 130 systems…

Oh, I’ve personally reviewed only about 200 of the 800+ systems on our radar, so I have a long way to go. How much do you track about each AMS? What’s your methodology?

That’s a great question! We publish a variety of lists on our website, and there’s no cost to be included. I’m just inquisitive by nature and it’s my job to be aware of the landscape. So I continually explore, evaluate and categorize systems.

I reach out to vendors and review their platform in-depth, even before I have clients that may be an applicable fit. I talk with these companies about their product positioning and I’ll go through a demo process. Then I’ll develop what I call a product report. Finally, I categorize the system and assign a specific fit, based on heuristics (or industry rules-of-thumb).

Yep. Our approach is nearly identical…

Also, since technology is constantly changing, I may re-evaluate a product once a quarter – or sooner, if a client is interested in a particular category.

Do you talk with customers about their experience?

Oh yes. Because we’re always gathering references and we know people who are using these systems, we capture their feedback, too. That adds another dimension to our understanding of each platform’s strengths and weaknesses.

Yeah. Anecdotal information is a great reality check…

FOR MORE QUESTIONS AND COMPLETE ANSWERS, LISTEN TO THE FULL PODCAST NOW!

WANT TO LEARN MORE? REPLAY THIS WEBINAR:

Technology vs. Innovation: Association Learning Strategies in Practice

REPLAY THE WEBINAR NOW

AI. AR. VR. Digital breakthroughs like these are capturing headlines every day. Clearly, these innovations are promising. But many associations are focused on making the most of learning technologies that are already in place.

So how are these resourceful organizations actually transforming member learning experiences?

Join John Leh, CEO and Lead Analyst at Talented Learning, and Michelle Brien, VP Marketing at WBT Systems, as they explore real-world examples and discuss innovation strategies that will help you create lasting value. You’ll discover:

The push/pull relationship between technology and change

How to develop an innovation roadmap that works for your organization

Tips for creating a business case your board will support

How to avoid missteps when expanding your learning technology stack

Guidelines for measuring results

REPLAY THE WEBINAR NOW!

Need Proven LMS Selection Guidance?

Looking for a learning platform that truly fits your organization’s needs? We’re here to help! Submit the form below to schedule a free preliminary consultation at your convenience.

First Name*

Last Name*

Email Address*

Company

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IMAGE CREDIT: Paul Hudson

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dorothydelgadillo · 7 years ago

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A Brief Guide About Competitive Analysis

Mayur Kshirsagar

2018-08-30T14:00:57+02:00 2018-08-30T12:00:56+00:00

In this article, I will introduce the subject of competitive analysis, which is basically a method to determine how well your competitors are performing. My aim is to introduce the subject to those of you who are new to the concept. It should be useful if you are new to product design, UX, interaction or digital design, or if you have experience in these fields but have not performed a competitive analysis before.

No prior knowledge of the topic is needed because I’ll be explaining what the term means and how to perform a competitive analysis as we go. I am assuming some basic knowledge of the design process and UX research, but I’ll provide plenty of practical examples and reference links to help with any terms and concepts you might be unfamiliar with.

Note: If you are a beginner in UX and interaction design, it would be good to know the basics of the design process and to know what is UX research (and the methods used for UX research) before diving into the article’s main topic. Please read the next section carefully because I’ve added reference links to help you get started.

Recommended reading: Standing Out From The Crowd: Improving Your Mobile App With Competitive Analysis

Competitive Analysis, Service Design Cycle, Five-Stages Design Process

If you are a UX designer, then you might be aware of the service design cycle. This cycle contains four stages: discover, explore, test and listen. Each one of these stages has multiple research methods, and competitive analysis is part of the exploration. Susan Farrell has very helpfully distinguished different UX research methods and activities that can be performed for your project. (You can check this detailed segregation in her “UX Research Cheat Sheet”.)

The image below shows the four steps and the most commonly used methods in these steps.

(Large preview)

If you are new to this concept, you might first ask, “What is service design?” Shahrzad Samadzadeh explains it very well in her article, “So, Like, What Is Service Design?.”

Note: You can also learn more about service design in Sarah Gibbons’s article, “Service Design 101.”

Getting workflow just right ain’t an easy task. So are proper estimates. Or alignment among different departments. That’s why we’ve set up “this-is-how-I-work”-sessions — with smart cookies sharing what works well for them. A part of the Smashing Membership, of course.

Explore features →

Often, UX designers follow the five-stages design process in their projects:

empathize,

define,

ideate,

prototype,

test.

The five-stages design process. (Large preview)

Please don’t confuse the five-stages design process with the service design cycle. Basically, they serve the same purpose in the design thinking process, but are explained in different styles. Here is a brief explanation of what these five stages contain:

Empathize This stage involves gaining a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve from the user’s point of view.

Define This stage involves defining the correct statement for the problem you are trying to solve, using the knowledge you gained in the first stage.

Ideate In this stage, you can generate different solution ideas for the problem.

Prototype Basically, a prototype is an attempt to give your solution some form so that it can be explained to others. For digital products, a prototype could be a wireframe set created using pen and paper or using a tool such as Balsamiq or Sketch, or it could be a visual design prototype created using a tool such as Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD or InVision.

Test Testing involves validating and evaluating all of your solutions with the users.

You can perform UX research at any stage. Many articles and books are available for you to learn more about this design process. “Five Stages in the Design Thinking Process” by Rikke Dam and Teo Siang is one of my favorite articles on the topic.

The most frequent methods used by UX professionals during the exploration stage of the design life cycle. (Nielsen Norman Group, “User Experience Careers” survey report) (Large preview)

According to Nielsen Norman Group’s “User Experience Careers” survey report, 61% of UX professionals prefer to do the competitive analysis for their projects. But what exactly is competitive analysis? In simple language, competitive analysis is nothing but a method to determine how your competitors are performing, what they are offering and how well they are doing it.

Sometimes, competitive analysis is referred as competitive usability evaluation.

Why Should You Do A Competitive Analysis?

There are many reasons to do a competitive analysis, but I think the most important reason is that it helps us to understand the rights and wrongs of our own product or service.

Using competitive analysis, you can make decisions based on knowledge of what is currently working well for your users, rather than based on guesses or intuition. In doing competitive analysis, you can also identify risks in your product or service and use those insights to add value to it.

Recently, I was working on a project in which I did a competitive analysis of a feature (collaborative meeting note-taking) that a client wanted to introduce in their web app. Note-taking is not exactly a new or highly innovative thing, so the biggest challenge I was facing was to make this functionality simpler and easier to handle, because the product I was working on was in the very early stages of development. The feature, in a nutshell, was to create a simple text document where some interactive action items could be added.

Because a ton of apps are out there that allow you to create simple text documents, I decided to do a competitive analysis for this functionality. (I’ll explain this process in more detail later in the section “Five Easy Steps to Do a Competitive Analysis”.)

How To Find The Right Competitors?

Basically, there are two types of competitors: direct and indirect. As a UX designer, your role is to study the designs of these competitors.

Jaime Levy gives very good definitions of direct and indirect competitors in her book UX Strategy. You can learn more about competitive analysis (and types of competitors) in chapter 4 of the book, “Conducting Competitive Research”.

Types of competitors. (Large preview)

Direct competitors are the ones who offer the same, or a very similar, set of features to your current or future customers, which means they are solving a similar problem to the one you are trying to solve, for a customer base that you are targeting as well.

Indirect competitors are the ones who offers a similar set of features but to a different customer segment; or, they target your exact customer base without offering the exact same set of features, which means indirect competitors are solving the same problem but for a different customer base, or are solving the same problem but offer a different solution.

You can search for these types of competitors online (by doing a simple web search), or you can directly ask your current and potential customers what they are using already. You can also look for your direct and indirect competitors on websites such as Crunchbase and Product Hunt, and you can search for them in the Google Play and the iOS App Store.

Five Easy Steps To Do A Competitive Analysis

You can perform a competitive analysis for your existing or new product using the following five-step process.

5 steps to do a competitive analysis. (Large preview)

1. Define And Understand The Goals

Defining and understanding the goal is an integral part of any UX research process. You must define an accurate goal (or set of goals) for your research; otherwise, there is a chance you’ll get the wrong outcome.

Draft all of your goals right before starting your process. When defining your goals, consider the following questions: Why are you doing this competitive analysis? What kind of outcome do you expect? Will this analysis affect UX decisions?

Remember: When setting up goals for any kind of UX research, be as specific as possible.

I mentioned earlier that I recently performed a competitive analysis for a collaborative meeting note-taking feature, to be introduced in the app that I was developing for a client. The goals for my research were very general because innumerable apps all provide this type of functionality, and the product I was working on was in the very early stages of development.

Even though your research goals might be simple, make them as specific as possible, and write them all down. Writing down your goals will help you stay on the right track.

The goals for my analysis were more like questions for which I was trying to find the answers. Here is the list of goals I set for this research:

Which apps do users prefer for note-taking? And why do they prefer them? Goal: To find out the user’s behavior with these apps, their preferences and their comfort zone.

What is the working mechanism of these apps? Goal: To find how out competitors’ apps work, so that we can identify their pros and cons.

What are the “star” features of these apps? Goal: To identify functionalities that we were trying to introduce as well, to see whether they already exist and, if they exist, how exactly they were implemented.

How comfortable does a user feel when using these apps? Goal: To identify user loyalty and engagement in the apps of our competitors.

How does collaborative editing work in these competitive apps? Goal: To identify how collaborative-editing functionality works and to study its technical aspects.

What is the visual structure and user interface of these apps? Goal: To check the visual look and feel of the apps (user interface and interaction).

2. Find The Right Competitors

After setting the goals, go on a search and make a list of both direct and indirect competitors. It’s not necessary to analyze all of the competitors you find. The number is completely up to you. Some people suggest analyzing at least two to four competitors, while others suggest five to ten or more.

Finding the right competitors for my research wasn’t a hard task because I already knew many apps that provided similar features, but I still did a quick search on Google, and the results were a bit surprising — surprising because most of the apps I knew turned out to be more like indirect competitors to the app I was working on; and later, after a bit more searching, I also found the apps that were our direct competitors.

Putting each competitor in the right list is a very important part of competitive analysis because the features and functionality in your competitors’ apps are based on exactly what users of those apps want. Let’s assume you put one indirect competitor, XYZ, under the “direct competitors” list and start doing your analysis. While doing the research, you might find some impressive feature in XYZ’s app and decide to add a similar feature in your own app; then, later it turns out that the feature you added is not useful for the users you are targeting. You might end up wasting a lot of energy, time and money building something that is not at all useful. So, be careful when sorting your competitors.

For my research, the competitors were as follows:

Direct competitors br>Quip, Cisco Spark Meeting Notes, Workboard, Lucid Meeting, Less Meeting, MeetingSense, Minute-it, etc.

All of the apps above provide the same type of functionality, which we were trying to introduce for almost the same type of user base.

Indirect competitors br>Evernote, Google Keep, Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Microsoft OneNote and other traditional note-taking apps and pen-paper note-taking methods.

The user base for all of the above is not exactly different from the user base we were targeting, but most of the users we were targeting were using these apps because they were unaware of the more convenient ways to take meeting notes.

3. Make A Competitive Analysis Matrix

A competitive analysis matrix is not complex, just a simple spreadsheet. You can use Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers or any other tool you are comfortable with.

First, divide all competitors you’ve found into two groups (direct and indirect) and put them in a spreadsheet. Jamie Levy suggests making the following columns:

competitor’s name,

URL,

purpose,

year founded.

Example of competitive analysis matrix spreadsheet from UX Strategy, Jaime Levy’s book. (Large preview)

I would recommend digging a bit deeper and adding a few more columns, such as for “unique features”, “pros and cons”, etc. It would help to summarize your analysis. It’s not necessary to set your columns exactly as mentioned above. You can modify the columns to your own research goals and needs.

For my analysis, I created only four columns. My competitive analysis matrix looked as follows:

Competitor name br>In this column, I put the names of all of the competitors.

URL br>These are website links or app download links for these competitors.

Features/comments br>In this column, I put all of my comments, some ”star” features I needed to focus on, and the pros and cons of the competitor. I color-coded the cells so that later I (or anyone viewing the matrix) could easily identify the difference between them. For example, I used light yellow for features, light purple for comments, green for pros and red for cons.

Screenshots/video links br>In this column, I put all of the screenshots and videos related to the features and comments mentioned in the third column. This way, it became very easy and quick to understand what a particular comment or feature was all about.

(Large preview)

4. Write A Summary And An Analysis

Once you are done with the analysis matrix spreadsheet, move on and create a summary of your findings. Be as specific as possible, and try to answer all of your questions while setting up a goal or during the overall process.

This will help you and your team members and stakeholders make the right design and UX decisions. This summary will also help you find new design and UX opportunities in the product you’re building.

In writing the summary and the presentation for the competitive analysis that I did for this collaborative note-taking app, the competitive analysis matrix helped me a lot. I drafted a document with all of the high-level takeaways from this analysis and answered all of the questions that were set as goals. For the presentation, I shared the document with the client, which helped both the client and me to finalize the features, the flows and the end requirements for the product.

5. Presentation

The last step of your competitive analysis is the presentation. It’s not a typical slideshow presentation — rather, just share all of the data and information you collected throughout the process with your teammates, stakeholders and/or clients.

Getting feedback from everywhere you can and being open to this feedback is a very important part of the designer’s workflow. So, share all of your finding with your teammates, stakeholders and clients, and ask for their opinion. You might find some missing points in your analysis or discover something new and exciting from someone’s feedback.

Conclusion

We live in a data-driven world, and we should build products, services and apps based on data, rather than our intuition (or guesswork).

As UX designers, we should go out there and collect as much data as possible before building a real product. This data will help us to create a solid product that users will want to use, rather than a product we want or imagine. These kinds of products are more likely to succeed in the market. Competitive analysis is one of the ways to get this data and to create a user-friendly product.

Finally, no matter what kind of product you are building or research you are conducting, always try to put yourself in the users’ shoes every now and then. This way, you will be able to identify the users’ struggles and ultimately deliver a better solution.

I hope this article has helped you plan and make your first competitive analysis for your next project!

Further Reading

If you want to become a better UX, interaction, visual (UI) or product designer, there are a lot of sources from which you can learn — articles, books, online courses. I often check the following few: Smashing Magazine, InVision blog, Interaction Design Foundation, NN Group and UX Mastery. These websites have a very good collection of articles on the topics of UI and UX design and UX research.

Here are some additional resources:

“Chapter 4: Conducting Competitive Research”, UX Strategy, Jaime Levy

“User Research Cheat Sheet”, Susan Farrell, Nielsen Norman Group

“Competitive Usability Evaluations: Learning from Your Competition”, Amy Schade, Nielsen Norman Group

“How to Do a UX Competitor Analysis: A Step by Step Guide”, Steven Douglas, Usability Geek

“How to Check Out the Competition”, Sarah Khan, UX Booth

“A Designer’s Guide to Competitor Research”, Dan Lachapelle, Wayfair

“A Product Designer’s Guide to Competitive Analysis”, Chandan Mishra, Toptal

(mb, ra, al, yk, il)

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rafi1228 · 5 years ago

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kadobeclothing · 5 years ago

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Marketers Deserve Enterprise Software That Doesn’t Suck

“Old and clunky”

“So hard to use” “This makes my head hurt” “The product feels like it was built without any customers in mind” Perhaps enterprise software providers should consider one of these phrases for the tagline of their next campaign. After all, they are direct quotes from users of their tools, left on review site G2. The general consensus? Their software sucks. Really sucks. How is this still the case in 2020? We live in an age of artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and augmented reality. We are awash with incredibly advanced technology. But marketers still can’t find an enterprise software solution that doesn’t make their head hurt. As far back as 2009, there were calls on enterprise software providers to pay more attention to the user-friendliness of their products, but like the proverbial ostrich, they put their head in the sand, rested on their laurels, and blindly trusted the lazy assumption that customers will forever accept pain as the price of power. It’s one of the most extreme examples I’ve seen of Jim Collins’ ‘tyranny of the OR’ concept — the destructive tendency of some businesses to view all decisions as binary; a choice between A or B, but never both. Enterprise software providers have for years had the option to offer marketers tools that are both powerful and easy to use. But they haven’t. Rather, they’ve consistently fallen victim to the ‘tyranny of the OR’, pushing out endless features that are only powerful and never, ever easy to use. Frankly, there’s no excuse for this. In recent years we’ve seen companies like Zoom, Shopify, and Slack refuse to compromise like other enterprise software providers. They’ve listened to customers, they’ve embraced advanced technologies, and they’ve completely transformed their industries by offering consumer-grade usability along with the deep power needed by rapidly growing businesses. Y Combinator co-founder, Paul Graham, recently called out the vulnerability of enterprise software providers still stuck in the past, suggesting that they could someday “suddenly crumble.”

That day is coming sooner than you might think. One third of B2B buyers say their customer experience expectations have increased. Even more say they’re ready to switch to a better solution. It’s time marketers were given an enterprise software solution they’ll actually enjoy using. One that combines power and ease-of-use. One that doesn’t suck. The Burden of the Legacy System So how did enterprise software providers lose their way? In short, they failed to adapt to the breadth of needs of the modern marketing team, which has undergone a major transformation over the past decade. The explosion of marketing technology accelerated this transformation and significantly expanded the archetypes of marketers. New tools gave rise to new specialties and skill sets, which, when combined well, can make modern marketing teams greater than the sum of their parts. Enterprise software’s race to keep up was choppy at best, and it sacrificed usability as it added new features. Heading into the new decade, growing businesses have no choice but to demand more from their enterprise software. Customer expectations have risen to new heights, thanks to a wave of new B2C innovators that have disrupted entire industries by prioritizing user experience above all else. Casper will ship a mattress to your door as if it was delivery pizza, Robinhood will let you trade stocks while you wait for the bus, and Netflix will give you — yes, you, personally — a carefully curated list of movie recommendations every time you sign in. So why is it still so infuriatingly difficult to build a simple email campaign with most enterprise marketing tools? Today’s providers, despite their big promises and wordy taglines, slow businesses down precisely at the moment they need to be moving faster. Over time, their software becomes overloaded with unnecessary forms, fields, workflows, and more, all of which get in the way of marketers trying to deliver the type of experience their customers expect. For marketing operations leaders, this pain is multiplied. Whenever any marketer on their team is let down by their software — be they an email marketer struggling to segment a list, or a marketing analyst trying in vain to generate a report — the ops leader feels their pain. They are deep in the weeds with every tool, forced to wrestle daily with unwieldy systems that aren’t fit for purpose. And when those systems inevitably fail, they’re the ones on the front lines, trying to find a fix. So why do so many marketers and operations leaders still put up with all of this complexity and clunkiness? Why don’t they simply switch to a different platform more suited to their needs? Enterprise software providers have convinced their users that complex tools are in fact essential if they want to do complex things. They present confusion and clunkiness as an indicator of power, and ease-of-use as an indicator of technological limitations. It’s a myth. And it’s perpetuated by incumbents to dupe their customers into sticking with the same outdated, counter-intuitive platforms year after year. For too long, enterprise software providers have gotten away with foisting tools built for the past on businesses trying to create the future. Move Fast and Market Things What growing businesses deserve is enterprise software that’s built for the modern era — solutions that combine power and ease-of-use, and make it easy for them to put their most innovative ideas into practice, fast. Speed has always mattered in marketing. The early adopters of email marketing saw open rates that marketers today can only dream of. The first Facebook advertisers got phenomenal bang for their buck. The quickest SEO strategists enjoyed years of first-page SERP rankings. To take advantage of marketing’s new frontiers and stay ahead of the competition, marketers need to be able to innovate quickly and execute efficiently. And yet, slow strategy execution and insufficient digital capabilities remain top concerns of business leaders heading into the new decade. These two concerns are opposite sides of the same coin — without the right tools, strategy execution will never be fast enough. The enterprise platform you buy in 2020 should be able to evolve and adopt new technical approaches in such a way so that it is almost an entirely different platform by the time you hit 2022. It should combine innovation within its own feature set with extensibility found through integrations and an active app ecosystem. Slow-to-evolve technology leads to outdated marketing strategies. Maintaining seamless usability while steadily evolving will be the superpower of the next era of enterprise software. Putting Enterprise Software to the Test With the wealth of powerful technology now available, growing businesses have an opportunity as never before to truly delight their customers, and gain a competitive advantage by doing so. But when it comes to choosing an enterprise software solution to fuel this growth, information asymmetry can get in the way of buyers picking the right provider for their team’s needs. The software evaluation process is notoriously noisy, as salespeople bamboozle buyers with bells, whistles, and add-ons they don’t need and will never use. To cut through the noise and simplify the buying process, marketing and operations leaders should focus on five key ‘tests’. If the software doesn’t pass all five with flying colors, it isn’t right for any business that wants to grow better. 1. The Speed Test — enterprise software should significantly reduce the amount of time it takes marketers to complete essential tasks like building an email campaign and running a report. The less time it takes to complete standard tasks, the more time there is to focus on delighting customers. 2. The People Test — it’s a given that every type of marketer, from data analyst to creative designer, should be able to work with their company’s enterprise software, but they should also each have an equally positive experience with it. If even one marketing function isn’t set up for success with its software, it will negatively impact all aspects of the team’s work. 3. The Customer Test — enterprise software should make marketers’ jobs easier, and should therefore be loved by its users. If its reviews on sites like G2.com and Capterra aren’t glowing, it’s a sign that there could be usability or functionality issues, which may only show up after a contract is signed. 4. The Window Test — if completing standard marketing tasks requires multiple windows and tabs open at the same time, it’s an indicator that the software is not built with user-friendliness in mind. The more tabs open, the greater the likelihood of oversights, errors, and ultimately, unhappy customers. 5. The Extensibility Test — enterprise software should grow with a business. Full stop. As a team’s needs evolve, it should be easy to integrate new tools directly into its flow of work, and to sync data bidirectionally. Systems that lack this ability can stifle innovation and create stagnation. Customers’ expectations are always evolving and marketers need to be able to adopt new tools that help them offer ongoing delightful experiences. It’s 2020. Businesses should not have to compromise on any of these essential requirements of a modern enterprise marketing solution. Emailing should be enjoyable. Reporting should be reliable. Segmentation should be straightforward. A/B testing should not test your patience. This is what enterprise software should look like. And with the newly revamped Marketing Hub Enterprise, it does. At the beginning of this post, I shared quotes from G2 reviews of enterprise marketing software. And I will leave you with the words of another exasperated enterprise software user whose advice to marketers is to simply, “Save your time and use HubSpot.” HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Enterprise now includes new revenue attribution reporting, partitioning, AI-powered A/B testing, and ABM features, as well as increased limits on lists and workflows. Marketing Hub Enterprise: Always Easy. Now deeply powerful. Source link

source https://www.kadobeclothing.store/marketers-deserve-enterprise-software-that-doesnt-suck/

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eddiecowell · 6 years ago

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Top Web and App development companies in VIETNAM 2019 ranked by CLUTCH

Nowadays, more and more businesses notice Vietnam IT outsource for its groundbreaking growing IT infrastructure, educated talent pool and reasonable cost. If you are searching for Vietnamese Web and App development companies, we hope this rundown of Top Web and App Developers from Vietnam would help you to find the right partner.

This web and app developer ranking is not made by us but listed objectively by Clutch – a prestigious, independent B2B research, ratings and reviews site that identifies leading IT service providers. Clutch evaluates companies based on over a dozen quantitative and qualitative factors, including client reviews, company experience, client list, industry recognition, and market presence.

I. Why Vietnam is an attractive IT offshoring destination?

Are you wondering why so many businesses are leaning towards hiring web and app development companies? It is easier to outsource website designing rather than hiring a full-time team of developers. This not only eliminates staff expenses, but it also reduces the expenses of infrastructure. As an emerging software outsourcing destination, Vietnam is recently considered as a perfect fit for companies looking for a technological advance for several reasons:

Young, well-educated and hard-working workforce: “Vietnam has the highest-performing computer science students I’ve ever encountered,” said Neil Fraser, a software engineer at Alphabet Inc’s Google. As 60 percent of the population is under 30 years old, Vietnam has broad of profuse young, fast learning and hard-working resources.

Cost Saving: Affordable labor cost is one main factor for Vietnam IT outsourcing’s appeal. To hire labor here, it doesn’t cost your business much. Outsource to Vietnam is about 90% cheaper than developing software in the United States of America. Compared to India, developing software in Vietnam costs between one third and one-seventh times cheaper. These are very convincing figures for companies to start venturing their offshore development to Vietnam.

Due to the popularity of custom website development services, the number of web and app development companies in Vietnam has seen a boost in recent times. With the help of Clutch’s list, we hope you can hire the best web and app developer in Vietnam for your business.

II. TOP 5 Web Developers in Vietnam on Clutch

Clutch’s TOP 5 Web Developers in Vietnam belongs to CO-WELL Asia, IWA, Siclo, Waveley, and Elinext respectively

1. CO-WELL ASIA

Being on the top of this list is CO-WELL Asia. It was founded in Vietnam in 2011 and is a member company of CO-WELL Co., LTD (Japan). More than 450 employees work in 2 offices in Hanoi and Da Nang, and nearly 100 staff work in Tokyo and Miyazaki, Japan. More than 250 software development projects have been undertaken for global customers including Web & App Development, E-Commerce, Business Solution, etc.

Service Provided: Web and App Development, E-Commerce Development, AR- VR Development, Software Testing, Business Solutions, Sharepoint Solutions, Cloud Integration, Digital Transformation. Regarding Web Service, they offer website consulting, designing and developing for different purposes: Corporate and Enterprise; Shopping malls/ Product introduction; Recruitment and job searches; Reservation, booking & orders management, Other online services.

Web Development Service focus: 30%

Size: 500+ employees

Location: Hanoi, Danang, Tokyo, Miyazaki

Hourly rate: < $25/hr

Min Project size: $5000+

Key Client in Website service: AnamaImages, AEON Mall Vietnam, Daibiru Group, Bitexco Group, Vinschool, Vinmart, etc.

“The new website design is more attractive and high-tech with structured information, which draws visitors’ attention, helps them to find our building’s info easily and keep them on our site longer. Besides, it allows our team to manage and update content easily. The site is a step up from what it used to be. Their team regularly complied with deadlines and always communicated delays well ahead of time. We communicated exclusively with Skype, email, and phone. With important decisions, we arranged face-to-face meetings where CO-WELL always brought excellent ideas and useful consultancy to the table. Mr. Dung and his team were knowledgeable about our industry, easy to communicate with, and overall very organized. They not only finished the tasks but also always gave useful advice and recommendations for the best outcome.” (A review from Mr. Nguyen Minh, Administrative Supervisor, DAIBIRU CSB CO., LTD.)

“As an education system, we want to bring about the best experience for our customers whenever they visit our website. It’s great I would say when we were working with CO-WELL team to realize our plan into operation. Mr. Dung – The project manager was so supportive. It took us about 2 months to finish. They committed to all the deadlines and we are very satisfied with the service.” (A review from Ms. Linh Do)

Reasonable price, a huge talent pool, together with a long list of high-profile Japanese and Vietnamese clients and positive customer reviews, CO-WELL Asia deserves its No.1 position on Clutch and is surely a candidate that you should take into account when searching for a trusted Vietnamese Web Development company.

2. IWA Ltd

IWA was founded in 2009 in Finland. They are a team of front-end, back-end and full-stack developers, UX designers and business developers

Service Provided: Different from CO-WELL Asia, their service focus only on web and mobile apps services. Regarding Web service, they offer end-to-end service from Innovation, Development to Operation.

Technology: Ruby on Rails, HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, LESS, Android, iOS Swift/Objective-C, Angular, Angular 2, Unity 3D, Amazon AWS, Bootstrap, Capybara, CoffeeScript, Cordova, ECMAScript, Elixir, Ember.js, Ionic, Java, NativeScript, Node.js, Phoenix, PhoneGap, PHP, React, React Native, RSpec, Sass, .NET, SharePoint, Tizen, TypeScript, WordPress and Xamarin

Web Development Service focus: 40%

Size: 50 – 249 employees

Location: Finland, Thailand, Abu Dhabi, Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

Hourly rate: $50 – $99/hr

Min Project size: $10,000+

Key Client in Website service: Likennevirta Oy/Virta Ltd, Talokeskus Oy, Rakennustieto Oy, Goland Group Oy, Epecci Oy

“They were exceptionally flexible. I change my mind if I think of a better way of doing things. They’re great at dealing with me doing that because it’s probably a frustrating thing for a developer. They had positive ideas and concepts that I hadn’t thought of that turned out to be excellent. They were on budget and schedule. A lot of things were finished sooner than we thought, which was great. The budgeting was spot on. It was a fair price and wasn’t biased one way or another. They gave me a quote on the initial agreement of the project. There were some additional charges for things I added that were way off target. I felt happy and it was good value.

I had a Skype conversation with the lead developer every week, and sometimes, twice a week. We chatted and explored ideas through Skype. We also used Asana, which was the best way to communicate things to make sure everyone had a clear understanding.

With regards to areas they could improve, there were some communication problems with the DevOps doing the hosting and technical stuff. They were sometimes a bit slow when I needed results right away. I was a little frustrated with the developers hoping things were going to get done sooner, mainly when we got to the testing stage. It wasn’t a big deal and was resolved quickly.” (A review from Mr. Justin Sanderco – Owner and director of Justin Guitar Ltd.)

3. Siclo

Established in 2015, SICLO is a digital agency based in France, Singapore and Vietnam, specialized in branding, website creation, web business applications and mobile native applications (iOS & Android) for companies. They also allocate their resources and teams to client projects over the long term in Paris or Ho Chi Minh City.

Service Provided: Design (UI/UX, Branding); Software Creation (Mobile, Web, Back-end); Consulting

Web Development Service focus: 40%

Size: <50 employees

Location: Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

Hourly rate: $25 -$49/hr

Min Project size: $10,000+

Key Client in Website service: CEL Consulting, Trip On Demand, Expert Eyes.

“They’re not a typical IT company. They listened before thinking, which is an important characteristic when keeping an open door to non-IT inputs within the context of an IT relationship. This was actually amazing, and it’s a rare thing to find.

With regards to areas they could improve, Siclo is a company put together by one individual, without whom not much would work. They’re dependent on the drive and vision of Eric, so they’re not 100% autonomous. On the other hand, it was great to have the principal of the company working directly on the project.” (A review from Managing Partner, CEL Consulting)

4. Waverley Software

Waverley is a US software engineering firm with development teams in Ukraine and Vietnam. It was founded in 1992 with US-based C-Suite, and now with engineering talents from Ukraine and Vietnam.

Service Provided: Software Architecture, Mobile & Web Development, Cloud Solutions, Embedded Software, AI & Machine Learning, Blockchain & Tokenization, Cybersecurity Consulting, UI/UX Design, Quality Assurance

Web Development Service focus: 10%

Size: 50 – 249 employees

Location: US (Headquarters), Ukraine (Development center), Vietnam (Development center)

Hourly rate: $25 – $49 / hr

Min Project size: 50,000+

Key Client in Website service: YouSendIt, WageWorks, TripIT, Qualcomm, Nespresso.

“I classify development partners in two groups: the do-what-you-say ones, and the do-what-you-want ones. Waverly Software is definitely in the latter category. They can sit down and understand what we’re trying to accomplish so that we don’t have to specify anything. They came up with many good ideas around UI design, workflow, and everything else associated with the project.” (A review from an independent consultant working for American Express)

“The project managers on both sides had a daily scrum call, managed the backlog with Agile: Pivotal, and helped develop the scope of each sprint. We communicated over Skype and used Slack and Basecamp for collaboration. The time difference with their team in Ukraine made project management complex, but they did an above-average job of being disciplined, structured, and organized throughout the project. There were no major language barrier problems, and rarely had issues understanding each other” (A review from COO of Zott)

5. Elinext

Founded in 1997, Elinext Group is an app, software development and consulting company focusing on web, mobile, desktop, and embedded software solutions, QA and testing. They own offices in the USA, Ireland, France, Germany, Singapore and main delivery centers in Belarus and Vietnam.

Services Provided: Web Development, Custom Software Development, Mobile Development, CRM/ERP/SAP Development, Salesforce Integration, Infrastructure Management

Technology/Platform/Language: Java, PHP, .Net, Sharepoint, Front-End, C++, SaaS

Service focus: 15%

Size: 250 – 999 employees

Location: The USA, Ireland, France, Germany, Singapore, Belarus, Vietnam

Hourly rate:$25 – $49/hr

Min Project size: $5000+

Key Client in Website service: CA Technologies, AIG, Tuttidare

“The depth of Elinext Group’s knowledge and their experience is amazing. We can throw any request at Elinext Group, and find someone who has knowledge of it at an expert level. This can go from SQL [Structured Query Language] databases to Apache Hadoop and Spark, to anything on the user experience side. Elinext Group has very good web and middle-tier development teams.

Regarding areas Elinext Group could improve, on the product management side, we would like to have someone on Elinext Group’s team, not necessarily an engineer, working closely with our product managers. This is more our problem than theirs.” (A review from a client for Elinext on Clutch)

III. TOP 5 App Developers in Vietnam on Clutch

Clutch’s TOP 5 App Developers belongs to: SavvyCom, InApps Technology, Ventuso, CO-WELL ASIA, QSoft respectively. CO-WELL Asia is the only name that is listed on both 2 rankings

1. Savvycom Software

Founded in 2009, Savvycom is one of the leading software outsourcing company, with deep roots in Vietnam. It was also recognized in Top 30 Global Mobile App Developers by Clutch in 2017.

Service Provided: Web Application Development, Mobile Application Development, Enterprise Management Solutions, Cloud & DevOps

App Development Service focus: 50%

Size: 100+ employees

Location: Vietnam (Hanoi), US, Australia

Hourly rate: Undisclosed

Min Project size: $50,000+

Key Client in App service: Capitaland, FeedbackStr, Esoftflow, iHeartLocal

“Their project management was amazing. Savvycom Software works in agile methodology and communicates with us over Slack every day. Our teams shared a Google Doc that they would update with questions that I would then go in and answer. Every member of their team is smart and is able to explain the product I was trying to make. They were always willing to ask questions when they had them, which I really appreciated. It was a smooth seamless process.

About areas they could improve, there were a few changes to our team early on which caused a few setbacks. I had to explain the project to different members of their team. Other than our internal chances, we were really happy with our team at Savvycom Software” (A review from Ms.Emily Isacksen – Founder and CEO, dressCODE)

2. InApps Technology

Founded in 2016, InApps Technology is a new-comer in the software industry. From a small team of 10 people, it increased in size to a 20-people team in 2018. Despite being established not long ago, InApps has undertaken more than 85 different mobile app development projects.

Service Provided: Mobile App Development, Web Development, Creative UI/UX Design, Offshore Development.

Technology: Native iOS: Swift, Objective C; React Native, Xamarin, Ionic; Native Android, Kotlin, Flutter.

App Development Service focus: 60%

Size: > 50 employees

Location: Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

Hourly rate: < $25 / hr

Min Project size: $10,000+

Key Client in App service: Pay2 Wallet, Alliver (Food App), Travelr

“Communication is key, and their employees had excellent communication skills. Their workflow was outstanding and superb. They always understood when I needed to clarify a question or explain new functions. Communication is key, and their employees had excellent communication skills. Their workflow was outstanding and superb. They always understood when I needed to clarify a question or explain new functions.” (A review from Ms. Adam Feragne – Founder, Adam Alexander Publishing LLC )

3. Ventuso LLC

Founded in 2010, Ventuso is a Mobile App Development Company in Vietnam. They focus on Mobile Application Development, Technical Consulting as well as Supplying Team of Engineers onsite and offshore.

Service Provided: Mobile App Development, Custom Software Development, UX/UI Design.

App Development Service focus: 60%

Size: > 50 employees

Location: Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City)

Hourly rate: < $25 / hr

Min Project size: $25,000+

Key Client in App service: Fi Interactive, Ztrip, Supershuttle, Wingstop, UnCruise, Do4You, MVP Finance

“Ventuso’s team is willing to work until 1-2 AM, and they made sure to keep me posted on a weekly basis. Ventuso built additional features that were not included in the original requirements without charging me extra, making the final product better than what I submitted.

About areas they could improve, my main issues have been with the project manager assigned to me. He doesn’t have a lot of experience, but he’s been learning. Ventuso could improve in terms of timing. There were times when they didn’t deliver. It’s good to keep the client updated but also to stick with the timelines. Postponing by a week doesn’t work business-wise, especially if I had to present the work to a client. The quality provided by Ventuso is good, but time is money; I need to sell my idea to people. Ventuso probably needs to add additional staff.” (A review from Founder/CEO of Financial Literacy Program)

4. CO-WELL ASIA

CO-WELL Asia is the only IT solution provider that appears on both Clutch‘s Top 5 web development companies and Top 5 application development companies in Vietnam. It is understandable because of its reasonable hourly rate, a huge talent pool with more than 500 staff and 10-year experience of delivering high-quality services for projects from small to enterprised-sized.

App Development Service focus: 30%

Size: 500+ employees

Location: Hanoi, Danang, Tokyo, Miyazaki

Hourly rate: < $25/hr

Min Project size: $5000+

Key Client in App service: AEON Mall Vietnam, VinID, Tokai Group, Saint-Works, IDOM Inc

“Everything went smoothly and we are extremely satisfied with their service. They brought an eager attitude to all their tasks. The project manager was experienced and professional. He made sure there was no miscommunication throughout the project. When the scope of work expanded, the team did not hesitate to double their efforts to support us.” (A review from Mr. Nguyen Dang Cong, Manager of Production Control Dept., KOKUYO VIETNAM Co., Ltd)

“We value CO-WELL’s team high capacity and professional working style. They quickly responded and supported us every time we needed it. We received ample warning if the deadline wasn’t going to be met, which only happened once” (A review from Mr. Ha Tong – CEO, SSI GLOBAL COMPANY LIMITED)

Being trusted by a long list of giant corporations from different industries is not an easy thing but CO-WELL ASIA has achieved it, which has proven its ability to deliver high-quality services for huge-sized projects with complicated requirements.

5. QSoft Vietnam

Founded in 2005, QSoft Vietnam defines its stand as an one-stop destination to all software needs. It has achieved CMMI Maturity Level 3 company

Service Provided: Website Design & Development, Mobile App Development, Software Outsourcing Development

App Development Service focus: 60%

Size: 150+ employees

Location: Vietnam (Hanoi)

Hourly rate: <$25/hr

Min Project size: $25,000+

Key Client in App service: Kasikornthai, Panasonic, InXpress, AT&T, Big Splash, FLC Group, etc.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give the project management a 7, to give them room to improve. They’re very responsive. We communicate almost every day via email, Gchat, or the tool we have. I’ve had no problems with their communication. The standout thing is that they work really hard, burning the midnight oil to get things done. The time zones are different, so sometimes I work with them at night when it’s daytime there and vice versa. They have a strong sense of urgency, so we can rely on them when we need them.

Regarding areas they could improve, they need to beef up the QA team so they can catch issues and bugs and fix them. My team and I did a lot of QA and got back to them. Maybe the problem isn’t that specific resource, but they do need to understand each project and what it’s about. Ours is the U.S. health care system, so they need to put together a QA process flow for that, though I’m not sure if it would be easy for them to do.” (A review from Mr. Alvin Vo – Co-Founder, MDKINECT)

Conclusion

All in all, it is going to be a long and hard process to select the most suitable web and app development company for your business.

After making a list of potential web and app development companies, you need to identify which company would be most suitable for your website. It requires some basic research work on their portfolio, experience, technology, and one of the most important factors: whether the cost they are charging is reasonable or not.

Do not be in a hurry, contact 3 to 4 developers that are appropriate, share the requirements with them, analyze their proposals then make up your mind.

Bài viết Top Web and App development companies in VIETNAM 2019 ranked by CLUTCH đã xuất hiện đầu tiên vào ngày Cowell Asia.

source https://co-well.vn/en/tech-blog/top-web-and-app-development-companies-in-vietnam-2019-ranked-by-clutch/

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youinmyhoodnowson · 7 years ago

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Timesheet Reporter

Using the timesheet reporter software program inside iPlanWare you may monitor actual time spent and financial performance precisely. The Hubstaff time tracker can provide probably the most correct perception into how billed hours are being spent. For example, Hubstaff lets you keep observe of whether or not your employees are working by letting you timesheet reporting with tsr report up to a few screenshots per hour while they're on the clock. The cellular app also permits you to monitor time working or driving and gives fleet or worker location monitoring by way of GPS. The app tracks time for various duties and might routinely report idle time when there is no keyboard or mouse activity. The efficiency of HRIS, the methods are able to provide more effective and sooner outcomes than will be completed on paper. It is focused on enhancing your team’s workflow and helps to plan your budgets and time extra efficiently. As well as it helps in providing actual-time announcements by e-mail. This, in flip, helps streamline their invoicing, improve bid accuracy and scale back unnecessary prices.

Hand readers measure and analyze the general construction, form and proportions of the hand (i.e. width, size and thickness of hand) and manages to nonetheless maintain accuracy when fingers are dirty or injured. There are many causes companies choose to replace their worker time and attendance methods. TAMS put all worker advantages information on-line and created an open enrollment possibility when TAMS modified healthcare providers. In my artistic course of, I are likely to have tabs upon tabs open. On that observe, now we have created a step-by-step information for developing an employee time and attendance administration system. These ongoing prices ought to be factored into your worker time clock software evaluations and closing funding. Clarify that the livelihood of the corporate and all of its staff depends on correct time tracking and administration. General the software is the proper online solution for challenge cost monitoring. Selecting a PSA (Professional Companies Automation) answer shouldn't be a simple job. Whereas there may be all the time resistance initially as it's one other process to be completed, there is more and more a better understanding of the need for doing this. This is called the relationship or better but, a linking concept that determines the similarity of two or more entities from each other.

In actual fact, timesheet information also can enable you to get significantly better perception into the working course of. In late December 2205, an Ameriprise Financial staff laptop that contained unencrypted knowledge on roughly 230,000 prospects and advisors was stolen from a automobile. Additionally it is difficult to separate an overall PSA selection, which might embrace mission administration, useful resource timesheet reporter administration, timesheet administration and expense management, in addition to challenge accounting and invoicing, from the wants specific to skills tracking. You'll be able to customise and export timesheets in lots of codecs including PDF, CSV, XLS, HTML, in addition to create invoices. Accounting options: Customizable quotes, estimates, and invoices. Nitin Mantri, CEO, Avian Media, may be very optimistic about using timesheets, he says, “Indian PR professionals are shifting in the direction of timesheet reporting format of their organizations. Organic integrations with Concur and Expensify make this an excellent software for companies that use software to automate time monitoring, billing, and funds.

It contains schedule, time & attendance tracking, and payroll modules and is on the market for Windows, Linux and MacOS. Review the method: map payroll tasks from start to complete. Effortless arrange of duties and tasks, no training required, and one hundred% internet based mostly, make Internet TimeSheet the ideal mission management software program! If you’re in search of a simple but powerful time administration tool, Paymo might need the reply. Simple Mission Planning & Tracking. Modern worker timesheets software options have superior time tracking options. Worker timesheets are used by corporations of all sizes for quite a lot of reasons. Employee monitoring features are particularly helpful if you’re working with a distant group. Cons: Costly. Lacks some options. Wiki says "A timesheet is a technique for recording the quantity of a worker's time spent on each job". You may determine at what stage you observe time including venture, activity, business as typical activities and time off and absence codes with the timesheet reporter

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idontevenwannaknow · 7 years ago

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Timesheet Reporter Software Review

Utilizing the timesheet reporter software within iPlanWare you may monitor precise time spent and financial performance accurately. The Hubstaff time tracker can present the most accurate insight into how billed hours are being spent. For example, Hubstaff lets you retain monitor of whether or not your workers are working by letting you document up to 3 screenshots per hour while they are on the clock. The cell app also lets you track time working or driving and affords fleet or worker location tracking via GPS. The app tracks time for various tasks and might automatically file idle time when there is no such thing as a keyboard or mouse exercise. The efficiency of HRIS, the methods are able to provide more practical and faster outcomes than might be performed on paper. It is focused on bettering your team’s workflow and helps to plan your budgets and time more effectively. As well as it helps in offering real-time bulletins through e-mail. This, in flip, helps streamline their invoicing, enhance bid accuracy and reduce pointless prices.

Hand readers measure and analyze the overall construction, form and proportions of the hand (i.e. width, size and thickness of hand) and manages to nonetheless maintain accuracy when fingers are dirty or injured. There are many reasons businesses choose to replace their worker time and attendance techniques. TAMS put all worker advantages info on-line and created an open enrollment possibility when TAMS changed healthcare suppliers. In my inventive course of, I are likely to have tabs upon tabs open. On that observe, we have created a step by step information for developing an employee time and attendance management system. These ongoing prices ought to be factored into your employee time clock software evaluations and ultimate investment. Clarify that the livelihood of the company and all of its employees depends upon correct time tracking and management. General the software program is the perfect online answer for project value tracking. Deciding on timesheet info a PSA (Skilled Providers Automation) resolution is not a simple task. While there's all the time resistance initially as it is another job to be accomplished, there's more and more a greater understanding of the need for doing this. This is called the connection or higher yet, a linking concept that determines the similarity of two or more entities from one another.

The truth is, timesheet knowledge also can help you get significantly better perception into the working course of. In late December 2205, an Ameriprise Financial staff laptop computer that contained unencrypted information on roughly 230,000 prospects and advisors was stolen from a automotive. It's also tough to separate an total PSA choice, which can embody undertaking administration, resource timesheet reporter

administration, timesheet administration and expense administration, in addition to project accounting and invoicing, from the wants specific to expertise monitoring. You'll be able to customise and export timesheets in lots of codecs including PDF, CSV, XLS, HTML, in addition to create invoices. Accounting features: Customizable quotes, estimates, and invoices. Nitin Mantri, CEO, Avian Media, may be very optimistic about using timesheets, he says, “Indian PR professionals are shifting in the direction of timesheet reporting format of their organizations. Organic integrations with Concur and Expensify make this a wonderful tool for companies that use software program to automate time tracking, billing, and funds.

It consists of schedule, time & attendance tracking, and payroll modules and is on the market for Windows, Linux and MacOS. Assessment the method: map payroll duties from start to complete. Effortless set up of tasks and projects, no coaching required, and 100% internet based mostly, make Net TimeSheet the perfect challenge administration software! If you’re in search of a simple but powerful time management software, Paymo might need the reply. Easy Project Planning & Tracking. Fashionable employee timesheets software program solutions have advanced time monitoring options. Employee timesheets are utilized by firms of all sizes for a wide range of causes. Worker monitoring features are especially useful if you’re working with a distant staff. Cons: Expensive. Lacks some features. Wiki says "A timesheet is a method for recording the quantity of a worker's time spent on each job". You can decide at what stage you observe time including mission, process, business as traditional activities and time off and absence codes with the timesheet reporter .

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vrheadsets · 7 years ago

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Accessible XR Development After VRTK

As a developer moving from the web and app world into 3D and XR, I’ve had to constantly re-evaluate my platform and tool choices as the industry evolves at tweetstorm velocity. Today’s XR development pipeline is clogged by a glut of proprietary hardware and software APIs and SDKs by competing firms like Oculus, HTC Vive, Microsoft, Google, Apple, Sony and SteamVR — to say nothing of emerging third-party peripherals like Logitech’s VR-tracked keyboard, the new AR-enabling Zed Mini dual-eye camera for the Rift or Vive, or any other industry-disrupting Kickstarters that might’ve sprung up since I started typing this paragraph.

Left to right: a bunch of cool stuff I want.

Each platform’s fine — even technologically stunning, one might argue — with respective strengths, weaknesses and use cases. But the distinctions force XR developers to ask hard questions: Where is the market going? How do I invest my skill-building time? What devices should my app support? What platform can I get a job working on? Developers must be business analysts as much as creative technologists to stay relevant. It’s easy to suffer choice paralysis with such a wide array of options, and easier still to bet on the wrong technology and lose.

Personally, I also face certain technical, logistic and financial realities as an independent XR developer in the Midwest (US), where the industry hasn’t proliferated as it has in major coastal cities. Thankfully, game engines like Unity and Unreal are rapidly democratizing this space. Both engines seek to bridge the gaps between the various XR SDKs, employing thousands of engineers to ensure their software plays nicely with just about any significant third-party API. For example, as I wrote about in August, the Oculus SDK integrates beautifully with Unity and comes equipped with many of the scripts and prefabs needed to quickly prototype, develop and deploy a custom Rift app.

I miss bossing around my hand-modeled #MadeWithBlocks BB-8. Check out my deep dive on this project, The Future of VR Creation Tools.

That’s fantastic, but it’s still non-standard. To port the same Unity app to the HTC Vive or a Windows HMD is non-trivial — not impossible or even terribly difficult, but non-trivial. Maintaining your app for multiple SDKs over the long haul is similarly non-trivial. Non-trivial costs money and time and we’re all short on both.

Instead imagine if XR practitioners had to worry less about betting on the right platform or device and could instead focus on creating unique and compelling experiences, content and UX. The first step down that path was VRTK — but sadly, one of the best tools to combat the VR SDK surplus will soon be hobbled by the loss of its founder.

VRTK: The Open Source Approach

This free, open source Unity toolkit aims to knit together a single workflow for a variety of VR APIs. It comes with the same stock prefabs and scripted mechanics you might find included in any single proprietary SDK, but makes each piece of functionality identical whether deployed to Oculus, SteamVR (read: Vive and, with v3.3.0, Windows HMDs) or Daydream — covering all major VR HMD manufacturers today.

It’s a boon to anyone wanting to dip their toes in the waters of VR development. Think of it: Want to implement teleportation locomotion over a Unity NavMesh? Just drop the component onto your player prefab. Want to test out grab mechanics, or a quick bezier pointer? VRTK’s demo scenes have you covered, and they’ll work easily on a variety of devices. Since it’s open source, you’re also free to dive in and customize the code. Struggling to get a feature working in your own project? Check out this implementation on a varieties of SDKs — not a bad way to grok new XR coding concepts.

Sadly, VRTK’s creator is sunsetting the woefully underfunded project. The UK-based developer TheStoneFox — who until recently was actively seeking contributors, partnerships and support — announced recently that he would will be stepping back from the project post-version 3.3.0. Though VRTK boasts an active Slack community, a growing list of “made with” titles and a recent Kickstarter, TheStoneFox was unable to attract the support necessary to sustain it for the long term.

Now, as the opportunity to contribute to and utilize a premier open-source VR development pipeline expediter will fade going forward, what if anything will replace it?

OpenXR: One API to Rule Them All

The VRTK approach —using Unity scripting to knit together similar mechanics across a spectrum of VR SDKs — is necessary in the current fragmented development landscape, but there are downsides. Some community still has to monitor the various proprietary SDK updates and your end-user VRTK app still has to be mindful of VRTK’s changes over time. In this way, VRTK treated the symptoms of the VR SDK overload, but was not equipped to address the root cause. Enter OpenXR, The Khronos Group’s upcoming industry standard:

The standard, announced December 2016, is being written now and is quickly gaining traction among industry players (with the notable exception of Magic Leap). Instead of forcing developers to grapple with variable propriety SDKs and all the accompanying business consequences, companies will instead tailor their hardware and software to comply with OpenXR’s spec. Khronos, the non-profit responsible for shepherding the Vulkan, OpenGL, OpenGL ES and WebGL standards, is leading the charge. Cue the infographics!

On the left, the problem — on the right, the solution:

Images courtesy of https://www.khronos.org/openxr.

“Each VR device can only run the apps that have been ported to its SDK. The result is high development costs and confused customers — limiting market growth,” reads some fairly accurate marketing copy on their website. “The cross-platform VR standard eliminates industry fragmentation by enabling applications to be written once to run on any VR system, and to access VR devices integrated into those VR systems to be used by applications.”

A working group of industry heavyweights have agreed the standards be extensible to allow for future innovation and should support a range of experiences — anything from a 3-DoF controller all the way to a high-end, room-scale devices.

The only thing missing is a realistic timetable before this standard has an impact on the development community and its day-to-day workflow. Until the market-movers get their act together, we’ll be left scrambling (and patching up VRTK projects, in many cases).

OpenXR supporters: everyone except Magic Leap.

The Cinema of Attractions: Slow Your Reel

But should we so quickly welcome industry standardization while the technology is still so new and full of possibilities? That’s the question asked in a recent Voices of VR podcast by Kent Bye and Rebecca Rouse. The two discussed the early days of cinema — when exploration and experimentation were the status quo — and Rouse drew striking parallels between that era and the current period in XR production and development.

Pure spectacle then and now. Left: a Cinema of Attractions-era still. Right: Chocolate VR.

“[Scholars of early film] came up with this term ‘cinema of attractions’ because they saw an incredible wealth of diversity and kind of range of exuberant experimentation in those early pieces, so they were very hard to sort of clump them together — there was such diversity — but this ‘attraction’ idea was a large enough umbrella, because all of those early pieces are in some way showing off the technology’s capabilities and generate this experience of wonder or amazement for the viewer. And the context in which they were shown is that of attractions, so they were shown at world’s fairs and as a part of vaudeville shows with other kinds of performances and displays.”

— Rebecca Rouse, assistant professor of communication & media at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Sounds eerily familiar, huh? The whole podcast is well worth a listen, but tldr: while there are obvious consumer and market advantages to XR standards, Rouse argues that perhaps we shouldn’t jump the gun here— not during this era of frenetic, often avant garde XRexperimentation across art, science, cinema and gaming. Looking around the industry, it’s hard to disagree.

EditorXR

One man-eating-the-camera-brilliant new application of XR technology is Unity Labs’ EditorXR. Created by Unity’s far-future R&D team (whose roles often find them working on projects and products five-to-ten years away from consumer adoption), EditorXR offers you an interface to create custom XR Unity scenes entirely within virtual reality.

Oh! And there’s flying, among other superpowers — soar through your scene like Superman or scale the whole thing down to a pinhole. They’ve literally ported the Unity inspector, hierarchy and project windows (again among others) to an increasingly user-friendly VR UI pane on your wrist. With the latest update, you’re able to:

hook into Google’s Poly asset database web API in real-time inside VR

create multiplayer EditorXR sessions for editing Unity scenes with friends and collaborators

run EditorXR with Unity’s primary version 2017.x editor

It’s still new and I’ve encountered bugs, but it’s a foregone conclusion that this tech will become a standard feature of Unity’s scene creation process as XR technology matures and proliferates. Even their alpha and beta efforts evoke the same sense of wonder and possibility that early Cinema of Attractions-era moviegoers must have felt.

For more insight on the design side, check out this deep dive on the future of XR UX design by Unity Lab’s Dylan Urquidi or the Twitter feed of Authoring Tools Group Lead, Timoni West.

ML-Agents

Another experimental Unity project, ML-Agents, explores one of the most promising avenues for the future of XR development, design and UX: machine learning. Using so-called “reinforcement learning” techniques which expressly don’t feed the AI model any sample data or rules for analysis, ML-Agents instead applies simple rewards and punishments (in the form of tiny float values) based on the outcomes to their [usually very narrowly defined set of] behaviors.

Stretched out over hundreds of thousands if not millions of trial-and-error training sessions, the computer experiments with its abilities and forms a model for how to best achieve the desired goal. In this way, your Agents become their own teacher s— you just write the rubric.

The original GitHub commit contained some basic demo scenes and the development community quickly took up the torch from there. Unity’s Alessia Nigretti followed up the original blog with one describing how to integrate ML-Agents into a 2D game. On Twitter, @PunchesBears has been demonstrating similar concepts — and showing that often enough, Agents respond to developers’ carefully calculated reward system in ways they don’t anticipate. Similar to actual gamers, no?

In one of my favorite applications of ML-Agents, the developer Blake Schreurs actually brings a 6-DoF robo-arm Agent trained to seek a moving point in space into virtual reality — with slightly terrifying results once he assigns that moving target to his face.

youtube

Imagine someone applying this training model to actual robotics and fat-fingering the wrong key. Or don’t, whatever.

He’s down for the count! I was immediately reminded of the audiences pouring out of theaters in 1895, afraid they’d be run down by the Lumière brothers’ Arrival of Train at La Ciotat. We’re still in the salad days of both machine learning and XR development compared to where we hope to be 10 or even 50 years from now. In that time, some combination of traditional or procedural AI with these new machine learning approaches will doubtless lead to great developments in gaming and XR at large — or even in the very design process and daily workflow of computing itself.

Rift OS Core 2.0

With Rift’s new Core 2.0 OS, your entire Windows PC is accessible from your right-hand menu button. Being able to view and use your desktop apps, as well as pin windows inside other VR apps, introduces new possibilities for XR workflows (and even for traditional computing workflows) in VR.

While working on my next project, entirely within VR, I can watch Danny Bittman’s great Unity rendering and lighting tutorial on YouTube in a pinned browser while messing with those same settings on my wrist in UnityXR. I can watch @_naam craft original assets in Google Blocks at the same time I do, or I could gather assets from the Poly database and deploy them to my Unity scene in real-time VR, pulling up Visual Studio to code some game logic as I please.

That sounds pretty goddamn metaversal to me — and before long, we likely won’t even need code.

The XR Developer of the Future Is Not a Developer

If XR technology is to go mainstream, the development process must be as efficient and accessible as possible — and likely even open to non-developers through content creation and machine learning applications. Spanning sciences and disciplines, there’s so much more to talk about and speculate over that this piece hasn’t even touched on (next time I’ll examine WebVR and A-Frame as viable XR development pathways). More and more pieces of this accessible, standardized XR development pipeline will fall into place as the immersive computing revolution rolls on, though I’m thankful the XR industry isn’t ready to ditch its Cinema of Attractions ethos quite yet.

from VRFocus http://ift.tt/2Bk9BIP

#VRFocus #vr #virtual reality #canada

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