The advent of internet and its widespread penetration means that the world has shrunk into an interconnected community.

As per international world stats, there are over 4.1 billion users active on internet and they are still growing. The rising digital users are increasingly shaping the economic activity on the planet.

The high levels of interconnectivity means that digital technologies are now playing pivotal role in trade and business. It is shaping the way businesses and society operate today.

Consequently, companies are looking at digital technologies for tapping into the internet users, tapping new opportunities for reaching mass scale and global impact.

Here we explore how digital buyers are impacting business:

1. Digital Marketing : 

No one likes interruptions. The top businesses are looking for the most effective ways to reach their customers.

Digital marketing has become one of the most important ways to connect with the customers today. The best brands are creating great content and helping their targeted audience.

Many of these digital marketing campaigns leverage locations, context, demographics of users to improve marketing campaigns and ensure top ROI for their business.

2. Mobile Applications : 

More than two-thirds of the world’s population has a mobile phone, with majority of them using a smartphone. There are more users who prefer mobiles for accessing internet than any other medium.

Businesses are looking at ways to create engaging mobile apps to woo the users. Companies are looking to launch core products and services that can be accessed on mobile phones for their customers.  

Digital businesses are bringing together physical and digital worlds using mobility solutions.

3. Social Media Channels :

There are 3.3 billion social media users as of 2018. Businesses are using the social media data for personalised products & services to users based on their preferences, demographics like gender, income, age and location etc.

By using the data from the social media channels, businesses are obtaining higher ROI for their marketing campaigns.

The social media is also providing a platform for businesses to interact with their target groups get their feedback and inputs.

Customer support & service channels are also becoming quite popular on social media due to interactive and instant feedback.

4. Instant Communication : 

With increase of digital users, businesses are looking at ways to communicate instantly. For e.g. service providers are now engaging with users on chat based messenger tools, they are also using these for orders and payments etc.

With the help of chatbots and other messenger based applications customer can easily connect with companies. These applications make interactions with customer instantaneous and interactive.

5. Comparison Engines : 

There are more than 1.79 billion digital buyers today. Most of the purchasing is initiated with an online search about the products, services, features, pricing and other criterion.

Comparison Engine is a vertical search engine that allows buyers to filter and compare products based on their needs.

Companies with good web presence are highly likely to attract more opportunities from buyers around the world. Comparison engines will also work along with leading suppliers and vendors to generate leads for them.

6. Custom E-Commerce Portals :

Digital buyers are looking for convenience. They want everything online.

As per statista, the 2017 retail e-commerce sales worldwide amounted to 2.3 trillion US dollars. The retail sales is expected to double within the next three years.

A customised ecommerce portal can help businesses to launch their products and services for the digital users.

Companies are looking at ways to optimise their inventory, organise business and scale up sales using demand driven ecommerce portals.

Even traditional businesses like car manufacturers, restaurants, travel companies are offering subscription based services for tapping into digital customers. Digitisation is helping companies to create subscription based models for their traditional products & services.

7. Location Based Searches : 

Google found that 76% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit the business within a day.

The location based searches are on the rise with smartphones GPS and navigation based functionality. Businesses are doing their best to not only sell their products and services, but also build communities of followers using the digital world.

Kreyon Systems is helping businesses across the globe to create scalable digital products and services to reach wider audience for businesses. If you are looking for an offshore software company for building great software products, please get in touch with us.

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This infographic explains the offshore software development process. The design thinking enables software development and collaboration with ease. Kreyon Systems is a leading offshore software development company, if you are looking for any assistance, please contact us.

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Business is about maximising opportunities for growth for everyone associated with it. Offshore software development is one of the ways companies are building global businesses. One of the benefits of globalisation
means that you have access to resources at any place & anytime. Almost all the leading global companies have offshore software development centers. These centers are playing a pivotal role & adding great value for these companies. They are maximising opportunities for growth by reduced cost of ownership, world class resources, & end to end solutions.Choosing the right software development company is the key to a sustainable offshore development base. Here is a look at some of the ways in which you can choose the right company for your offshore software development work :

1. Check out their Web presence :

A software development company should have an impressive web presence. It should explain what they do, their offerings, where they are located, their previous works & clients etc. A great website and strong web presence establishes credibility in the digital age.

2. Whitepapers, Videos & Blogs :

Today all the leading companies share information with their clients with active blogging, explainer videos, white papers etc. The core expertise of the company is well demonstrated with these. Reading through these will also give you a fair idea on the ideology of the company. The idea is to develop the understanding of the work culture, core focus areas and learn more about the offshore software development company.

3. Clarity of Deliverables :

When discussing work with the Offshore development partner, one of the most critical aspects is break-up of work. A good deliverable plan is where both parties come to a consensus regarding the project at the beginning. The clarity with which milestones dictate the course of the project. A good offshore software company will be able to articulate clear milestone for work that can be tracked on regular basis.

4. Domain expertise or past work :

A good understanding of the past work uncovers the domain expertise of the offshore development partner. Software products & trials to existing software solutions can be helpful in assessing the quality. The industry expertise or the past works are good indicators of the relevant skills of the offshore development partner to execute work. A successful track record of execution and current projects are important to assess the standards of work.

5. Frequent and Open communication for Improving Development :

The web has made the world a local place. Communication has never been easier than it is now. An offshore development partner will ensure availability, open communication and regular feedback. The nominated project representatives from your company & the offshore team can get on a conference call on weekly basis to track the deliverables. The demos for completed work can also be scheduled. The execution of work can be uploaded on the web, where both parties can access the ongoing work for effective communication.

6. Young energetic team :

The consulting teams of the past are now giving way to the youthful energy of the millennials. A great offshore team has a mix of the right experience & youthful energy to execute a project. These teams are full of innovative ideas & take a distinctively fresh approach to problem solving. An offshore team adds invaluable resources that add strength to companies. They help your company in launching products & completing developments faster with additional hours of work.

7. Outcome based Contracts :

With an offshore partner, you can negotiate contracts based on outcomes of the project. You don’t have to pay for time, but for work. The project is well defined & all stakeholders know the desired outcomes for the contract. A strong commitment towards deliverables is the basis of an offshore development center. When negotiating with the vendors, companies should ensure that the offshore partner has capabilities to deliver end to end solutions. The onus of the results should be with the offshore development partner once the contract is well defined. Building the right partnerships is very important for growth.

With digitisation taking center stage for businesses today, more companies are now looking to set up offshore development base. A great offshore base can deliver compelling value proposition, global presence & major positive impact on IT Deliverables.

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Most Enterprise IT projects fail. According to a study by Mckinsey in conjunction with Oxford, “On average, large IT projects (budgets over $15M) run 45 percent over budget and 7 percent over time, while delivering 56 percent less value than predicted.” Gartner studies suggest that 75% of all US IT projects are considered to be failures by those responsible for initiating them. But with the growing technology penetration in business, can companies run away from digitisation? Far from it. Infact, alignment of business with IT remains on top priority for most companies today.

Companies are looking for ways to make digitisation as a part of their core business strategy. They want to connect to the consumers today through apps, social media and other channels. These companies are looking at ways to ensure that their enterprise IT projects not only synch with the existing infrastructure but also power them to newer growth opportunities in the digital age. A look at 10 tips to ensure success for your enterprise IT projects & solutions:

1. Clear Requirements:

Software is meant to facilitate a business process. A clear understanding of the requirements for the project is a must before initiating the project. Below is an indicative list of few questions that an organisation should answer are as follows:

What are the key objectives of the project?
What are the evaluation criteria for acceptance of deliverables?
What is the software or application developed to accomplish?
What is the expected ROI from the project?
Does the application need to integrate with any of the existing IT Systems?

Evaluate the needs of user groups that are going to use the application. Who will be authorised to view & edit information etc. The key objective of these requirements is to set an agenda on what needs to be delivered for the project. Clarity of requirements is one of the most crucial aspects that can ensure success of an enterprise IT Project.

2. Stakeholder communication plan & Involvement:

An enterprise IT project is not the job of an IT Manager, vendor or third party involved in this business. It is a collective responsibility. The top stakeholders must be able to articulate their vision in terms of what they expect from the project. They should also evaluate the project on regular basis. A clear communication plan, feedback & involvement of the top executives are important for project’s success.

3. Proper Scheduling & Milestones:

Large IT projects are complex, they overshoot budgets & time. The best way to manage these projects is to break them into smaller milestones. These milestones should be aligned to business priorities for the clients. The milestone and project planning should also mark the responsibilities of the enterprise IT Solutions vendor & the organisation clearly to avoid any conflicts. A proper and realistic schedule ensures sufficient execution time for the milestones. The skills of the team and their competencies should also be taken into account for a good project schedule. All relevant dates should be proactively communicated to everyone involved.

4. Eliminate Unnecessary Features:

Softwares which try to accomplish everything for everyone usually end up disappointing all. The features that don’t add value for a business shouldn’t be part of the application software. Elimination of unnecessary features is an absolute must at an early stage. The most important features should be prioritised in the scope of work. The features that don’t benefit end users or accomplish no useful task shouldn’t be included in the application. With the growing adoption of mobile devices, it is even more critical to have focused features for the users.

5. Application Design mock-ups for Users:

Design is a great way to sell ideas, communicate & effectively solve problems. The design mock-ups for the application or software can be shared with users on a regular basis. These designs are great ways to get everyone on the same page and understand the user needs. Identify the end user usage patterns? Do the end users prefer mobile screen or use desktops/laptops for work? Share the screens of the designs with users on regular basis for their feedback. Early stage feedback saves time and keeps the development process on track.

6. Review deliverables on regular basis:

End user involvement is one of the best ways to improve the outcome of a software project. The first step is to get the approval of all relevant stakeholders on key deliverables, then ensure that progress is shared with the users of the system. Sometimes, the priorities of deliverables can change according to business dynamics. While deliverables are reviewed by the organisation, authorised users may also be able to communicate any urgent or priority requirements.

7. Use the right technology & approach:

Technology is a tool to accomplish business requirements. The software should be developed to address the pain points of the customer. The right use of technology should be evaluated to serve the business needs. To evaluate the needs of the business, relevant questions may be asked:
Do you need to build a new application?
Do you need Data Migration from existing systems?
Is there an application upgrade required?

What are the security implications for the software?

What are the limitations of existing systems & users?
What platforms are needed?
Where is the application DB going to reside?

A lot of projects go off track because they prioritise technology over business objectives. However, technology should be chosen depending on the business requirement of the client.

8. Build Right teams:

Building the right team for a project is a great competency. The team should have the right balance of people who understand technology & business needs of the customers. The team has the right resources to ensure the success. Building the right team requires good communication to retain the team and get them to deliver on dynamically changing business needs.

Mapping the features against client requirements is critical. The team should have clear and well defined roles. A great team works on synergy effect and understands that technology is meant to solve problems. A good team communicates proactively, especially when something goes amiss. They bring it to the notice of the management at the earliest and fire fight their way out of trouble. They deliver work that meets deadlines, requirements and also the usability aspects of the application. The characteristics of a successful team can be summarised by the following two principles of agile project development:

i) The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.
ii) Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.

9. Resources:

Large scale IT projects can take time & resources. It is important to have a proper resource management plan before initiating the project. A careful evaluation of the key parameters is essential to make the project successful. The organisation’s commitment towards the project in terms of key resources like time, budget, and stakeholder involvement are a must before initiating the project.

10. System Integration & Go live support:

IT Projects are complex. They require time for implementation. Once the project is completed, organisations take time to get used to the processes and digitisation. The best IT teams offer best in class support to ensure that all data migrations from existing system to new system happen smoothly. The deployment of the applications, database migration, setting up of privileges and operational support should be planned for enterprise software. Systems where end users can interact with back-end teams and get their queries resolved improve communication. The Go live support can be a differentiating factor to make an IT Project successful.

Success of an organisation is largely dependent on the way it is run. Some of the best companies around the way are run with the most efficient software systems. According to a recent Gartner survey, Modernisation of the core enterprise applications remains high on priority for organisations around the world. The enterprise IT systems can transform businesses by helping them to modernise their processes with digitisation & prepare themselves to handle challenges in the technology era.

Kreyon Systems is an offshore software company for business process outsourcing and IT enabled services. Please reach out to us for any assistance or queries.

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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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