Employee reskilling is the panacea for growth of tech companies. The new possibilities opened by advancements in technology can be best seized by those who have the know how & the expertise. Employee reskilling closes the gaps between the latest technological tools, capabilities and your organisational processes.

Employee reskilling and upskilling rank high on the agenda of companies that depend on innovative work. The future proofing of employees is a roadmap to insure the company against ceaseless forces of disruptions. As per WEF report, 42% of the core skills within roles on average are expected to change by 2022. 

The companies that invest in employee reskilling are sure to reap the rewards in terms of a more competent team that can deliver better solutions for clients. The best companies invest time, resources and rewards for learning and upgrading the skills of their workforce.

The future of work revolves around the skills, technology and ability to deliver the best solutions in the market. Companies with a strong team, work culture and ability to constantly adapt to the skills of the future are the basic needs today. Here’s a look at how the future of work revolves around employees reskilling.

1. Personalised Skill Development Plans

A personalised skill development plan is based on the career preference, existing skills and aptitude of an individual. The skill development plan can be personalised as per the choices, preferences and role of an employee.

The personalised training program can make use of AI based learning techniques to suggest the right courses for reskilling. The employee aptitude, performance, projects completed and interests are used for suggesting relevant reskilling programs.

Companies budget time and money for training of employees. The total time spent by every employee learning and practising skills is monitored for feedback. The personalised development program can be made more relevant and useful with experienced managers. 

2. Makings Bets with Experimental Learning

Most new technologies are best learned with experimentation. Companies that encourage experimentation and learning, end up innovating more than those that don’t. However, the experimental efforts of learning need to be channelised, else they become useless pile of trash.

Companies like Google and Amazon have reaped immense benefits of experimental learning. The accelerated demand for new products and services opens up avenues for taking the bets.

Companies can choose to devote time for trying out new things. For e.g. building your own projects once a month. It could help the company develop new ideas and services. There could be a strategic theme around building new products or services too.

The experiments for learning often aid employees to learn new skills. These skills could also be used by existing product or services teams in an organisation. The time on new experiments often results in innovative work that can be leveraged in existing products or services too.

3. Access and Collaborations 

The pace at which technologies evolve is only going to increase. Keeping up with the latest development requires access and collaborations with the best in class. The top companies are strategic about their reskilling. They collaborate with the experts in different domains, technologies and build networks to ensure the best learning tools.

Take an e.g. of security and data privacy. Companies often need to ensure that employees learn about the best practices around security and data management. In this case, the company could collaborate with expertise around security.

The ability to develop good networks and collaborate with other companies is becoming more relevant today. As customers prefer best of breed solutions, an interoperable ecosystem encourages access and collaborations.

4. Self Driven Learning

One of the biggest hurdles employees face in organisations to learn new things is the lack of time. The employees are constantly battling time and deadlines for their existing tasks and projects.

The reskilling initiatives are often put on the back burner by the management, ongoing projects or the tight schedule of employees. Self driven learning offers a way out of this predicament. Employees can spend time as and when they need to complete their training.

The self paced learning incentivises the employees a personalised as well as convenient learning program. Many companies use AI based learning programs to impart training for their employees. The gamification of the top learners and their achievements also creates an interactive organisation. 

5. New Tools & Technologies

Upskilling is the art of learning new skills, whereas reskilling requires employees to take on different roles altogether. The new tools and technologies will take on more and more tasks currently undertaken by humans.

But the new tools and technologies are also making employees more effective at their jobs. Consider the example of the tools used for development, with newer integrated development environments, the job of a developer becomes easier.

Companies need to continually explore new developments for maintaining their competitive edge by addressing questions like:

Is your team working with the right tools and technologies?
Are there new developments that make your products or services obsolete?
Are there gaps in the up to date skills needed today versus existing skills of your employees?
What new tools and technologies can improve your organisation’s bottom line?
Can automation replace the jobs of your existing employees?

6. Align Business Outcomes with Individual Aspirations

The explosion of knowledge base increases challenges for training. Many organisations feel let down when the training doesn’t achieve the intended business objectives. A company needs to understand the critical goals and outcomes it is looking to achieve from the reskilling initiatives.

Organisations can zone into the right trainings that will be relevant to their business as well as advance employee skills. The right balance is the key. The reskilling trainings can have an implementation roadmap and associated business outcome plans to increase the effectiveness. 

Other than the tangible and direct product or service benefits, organisations also benefit from increased retention and loyalty with learning programs for employees.

7. Measuring the Progress & Impact

The effectiveness of a training can be measured by its impact on the products or services that an organisation offers. The employee reskilling trainings could result in new developments for companies. It could offer potentially new ways of doing things better, by reducing say development time for building product features, it could lead to improved customer service scores etc.

The reskilling initiatives need to be evaluated for understanding how they can be improved further. It could make the company more resilient and agile. For e.g. companies that offer trainings but didn’t have an associated implementation plan found that trainings had negligible improvement in employee skills. But the trainings that were done with an associated implementation plan resulted in better outcomes.

The best companies regularly measure the impact of reskilling to iron out the gaps and improve the learning process. Employee reskilling is not only important to stay relevant, but also as a means to explore uncharted territories of opportunities for companies. 

The post How the Future of Work Revolves around Employee Reskilling & Collaboration appeared first on Kreyon Systems | Blog | Software Company | Software Development | Software Design.

Enterprises are gearing up to the challenges of digitization and disruptions in a globalised marketplace. There is immense pressure on controlling costs, dynamically evolving with market needs, satisfying consumers and creating long-term value. Gartner forecasts enterprise software spending of $351Billion for 2017. There is virtually no business that doesn’t use technology today. Infact, the leading businesses are looking to innovate and leverage emerging IT trends like AI, IoT, Mobile Payments, & Cloud solutions.

These enterprises are looking for various options to experiment and stay ahead of the curve. However, the rate at which technology changes can surprise even the best in the business. Most companies are looking for agile softwares and IT systems that can help them to get realtime data. These companies are relying on third party expertise and outsource software development to get quality work. The offshore technology partners are helping enterprises to build innovative platforms using state of the art technology. They take care of the solutions end to end so that the company can focus on its core business. The following is presented from a study of companies who have outsourced software development to get Quality work and great business results:

1. State of the art technology :

When you’re dealing with an offshore software company you can leverage the state of the art expertise. It is easier to build new systems, follow latest technological developments with an offshore technology partner. Ensure that your offshore development partner understand your technology needs and business objectives that need to be accomplished.

2. Project Manager :

Ensure that you deal with a project manager who understands your needs. Once you discuss the project deliverables, time and methodology with the offshore company, then it is the Project Managers responsibility to take control. You can track the progress and communicate regularly with the project manager. But managing resources, taking care of technology issues and ultimate responsibility for the deliverables lie with the offshore partner Project Manager. Often times, when clients tend to manage the offshore team, it leads to confusion and chaos. Hence it is good to deal with a designated Project Manager to keep things on track.

3. Digital Delivery Partner :

Offshore teams can help in digital transformation of enterprises. The advent of digital technologies allows enterprises to achieve results much more efficiently. The offshore partners help organisations to speed up their digital capabilities in relatively less time. When you have an offshore team that takes ownership of work, it creates good synergy and outcomes for your business.

4. Use Design Thinking :

The design thinking approach can improve software development significantly. The communication between your company and offshore partner can be improved with Design Thinking. The designs for the deliverables can be shared at the earliest. With the designs, even the abstract items can be visualized. These designs are delivered to the end users for feedback and then implementation is carried out. Design thinking methodology is a great asset for offshore software development. It helps development of products/services from the users perspective and keeps everyone on the same page.

5. Domain Experts and Niche Skills :

When building IT platforms, it requires niche skills and core domain expertise. Most businesses find it tough to keep pace with evolving technologies. With the offshore partner, companies can choose the domain expertise of IT professionals and niche skills that are relevant for the job. These experts can help them to build systems that can not only modernise their IT, but also improve their existing processes and improve productivity.

6. Set Clear Expectations on Your Business Goals :

An offshore software development company should be treated like a business partner. They should know what you are looking to accomplish with the software project. A clear understanding of your business goals will help them to prioritise and plan things accordingly. An offshore development partner should take complete ownership and responsibility of the deliverables. When the responsibilities are well defined, then it creates a stronger value proposition for both parties.

7. Be Open for Feedback and Take Inputs :

A good offshore software development team will always bring true value. They will not only dig deep, research and execute the planned deliverables, but also come up with alternate ideas on how things can be done. It is like working with an extended team. When you’re open to feedback and inputs from the offshore team, it can enhance the quality of your product/service drastically. Look for signs of creativity in the past projects and their communication.

Building a global enterprise has become relatively easier with the penetration of technology. Businesses today are adopting models that give them the best of both the worlds with outsourcing. While organisations can focus on their core competence and business, offshore teams can provide them with niche skills & build high end technology solutions. In the age of software driven world, outsourcing is a necessity and a boon for companies.

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What makes a great software product? A great software product satisfies and fulfills a deep need for its users. It changes the way people do things and often times how industries operate. The market embraces quality products. The top software products make people more creative, productive and better at their craft. Great software products are addictive. They not only solve the problems for the users, but also create joyful experience and interactions for them. Here is a glance at some of the top qualities of highly successful software products:

1. User experience:

More often than not the difference between a successful and unsuccessful software product is not the features, but the user experience. The user experience makes a software product usable. It is not the first, but usually the best products that rule the markets.

2. Consistency:

A great software product is consistent. Consistency in design interfaces makes the products easy to follow. The Principle of Least Astonishment says that “When two elements of an interface conflict or are ambiguous, the behavior should be that which will least surprise the human user.” Consistency in design, data visualization and operations are highly desirable for a software product.

3. Reliability:

Great software products are completely reliable. A product that works seamlessly without any interruptions and with complete predictability establishes trust. Software products are used for launching satellites, managing banking transactions and data for billions of users across the world. The reliability of a software product is extremely crucial for its success and mass adoption.

4. Solution:

What problem does the product solve for the customer? People essentially use products for solving their pain points. For e.g. Whatsapp made real time texting possible. It solved an essential need for people. It provided a solution to an existing need and became instantly popular. Users embrace the product, when it provides solutions to their existing problems and pain points.

5. Adaptability:

The top software products change with time. They are adaptable to new environments and user needs. The constant evolution in technology makes it absolutely necessary for products to adapt quickly. For e.g the way software applications are used has changed a lot, now users want everything to be operated from their mobile device. The top software products change and adapt to keep pace with modern technological trends.

6. Universality:

The best software products are available everywhere depending on the needs of the user. They are not restricted in terms of the environments. They are accessed from various operating systems, browsers, devices alike. The deployment models of top software products are also flexible as per the needs of the operating environments.

7. Performance & Scalability:

The performance of a software product is very important for user experience. Gone are the days when users would put up with a slow application that wastes their time. Today the best software products are built to create smooth interactions with users and reduce application wait time. Successful software products also scale well with growing users and adoption.

8. Change the way industry operates:

The top software products change the way industries operate. iTunes changed the way people buy music, it created a digital music store that transformed the industry. Skype transformed the way people do business. Uber transformed the way people commute, AirBnB changed the travel industry. The top software products not only make things more efficient, but many times drastically change the way industries operates.

9. Intuitive and easy to master:

How easily users can interact with the products is a critical success factor. The best products don’t require manuals and instruction guides. They are intuitive and easy to learn. The ease with which users are able to pick up the features determines the usage of the product.

10. Unique features:

There are plenty of products available in the market. Every product needs to differentiate itself. When a product offers something truly valuable and unique, it gets noticed. The unique features of the product are important for attracting customers. Cloning existing products seldom works. When Google launched gmail in 2004, there were several email providers. However, gmail differentiated itself with its unique features and usability aspects grabbing the market share of other products.

11. Mass Appeal:

The best software products have a mass appeal. They cater to a wide range of users across various industries. They offer tools and features that create value for users. With the growth of cloud based platforms, it is easier to benchmark the number of users for a particular software product. The best software products typically cater to a huge user base and evolve frequently as per the needs.

12. Save Time and Efforts:

The hallmark of a great software product lies in its ability to make things better for its users. The successful products respect user’s time and efforts. They are developed with empathy for the users. Great products are built with users at the heart. They are meant to create value for their users.

Software products are changing the way everything operates around us. They provide simple ways to accomplish complicated tasks and use technology to deliver the solutions. Whether it is day to day operations or complex business decisions, softwares are powering & fast tracking things. As we advance into the age of technology, the future will be intriguing and software products will be shaping the world.

Kreyon Systems has innovative software products & solutions for Business Process Automation software, asset management system, ERP Software etc. If you need any assistance for software product development, please get in touch with us.

The post The Top Qualities of Highly Successful Software Products appeared first on Kreyon Systems | Blog | Software Company | Software Development | Software Design.

The traditional mode of work was bound to time, but today’s work is about creating value. We live in an era where technological skills become obsolete very fast. Organisations are increasingly pressed to improve process speeds, focus on core business areas, cut down costs and improve revenues. One of sure fire ways of achieving this is to outsource tasks, especially those not related to core business areas. Outsourcing is one of the ways companies can tap into the talent pool around the world & build a global business.

The renowned management consultant, Peter Drucker once said, “Do what you do best & outsource the rest.”  With internet becoming all pervasive, it is far easier than ever before to remain connected with the virtual work force. The goal of outsourcing is to create value. A look at how companies are outsourcing work & building global businesses:

1. Evaluate Work:Companies which are extremely successful have a way to figure out their core areas of expertise. Whether it is the managed technology services or functional areas like payroll, human capital management, finance, digital document management, successful companies are able to outsource these tasks.

2. Milestone based Work:One of the most significant advantages of outsourcing is you pay for the work not time. Milestones are clearly articulated to the offshore development companies based on client’s business requirements. The progress, quality, deliverables are tracked on the basis of these milestones.
3. Talent Pool:A global workforce with diverse skill sets can change the trajectory of business. With outsourcing it is possible to tap into the talent pool of remote countries at competitive rates and top quality. You can get quality software developers when you need them.

4. Integrated Solutions:Outsourcing tasks with clearly defined roadmaps and ownership make things easy. In most situations, an offshore company that can offer end to end integrated solutions is better than multiple vendors.

5. Working Partners:It is always helpful to work with a company that shares your values, passion and commitment levels. Offshore companies are partners for organisations. The end goal & objectives of both should be the same. Organisations that successfully outsource tasks create win-win partnerships with other companies.
6. Communication:Establishing a clear communication plan can help you to meet your needs for outsourcing. The medium of communication, frequency and service level agreements should be well clarified to both parties.

7. Support Plan:A good offshore development partner provides excellent support as per the needs of the business. A good support plan includes all relevant contact details and with high alerts to the top management for best results.

8. Business Continuity:An offshore business is often located in a country with different time zone. This adds more working hours for businesses & business continuity during time when they are off. Whether it is handling customer escalations or other critical tasks, additional hours from offshore teams can add value to organisations.

9. Reduce Costs:Managing full time employees and their perks are often expensive for companies. However it is easier to subcontract work where organisations only have to pay for the delivered work. Most companies are able to reduce costs drastically by outsourcing work to offshore centers. They also speed up execution of work by employing more people on offshore development centers.

10. Tangible ROI:Organisations that successfully outsource work make it easy to measure the results. Well defined metrics and ROI should be articulated to the offshore partner. The deliverables for the project, quality of work and timelines along with other metrics can be used for ROI calculation.

The information technology is a key enabler for outsourcing today. Business process automation and managed IT services are among the top outsourced services by companies. Outsourcing has become one of the key drivers for cost cutting, quality assurance, & global workforce management. It offers a significant competitive advantage, enhanced work & top performance for companies.

Kreyon Systems is an offshore software development company providing high quality services to clients around the world. We build high quality and scalable software products for business. If you are looking for an software company for outsourcing, please get in touch with us.

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