Finance teams operate in a high-stakes environment, with competing priorities, limited hours, and unforgiving risk. Transcard’s answer wasn’t another dashboard. It was a Virtual CFO: AI agents that act, not just advise.
“Leaders wear too many hats,” highlights Jeff Kaufman, Executive Vice President (EVP) of AI and Data Insights at Transcard. “They manage fraud and risk. They make sure hundreds of suppliers are paid on time. They chase customer payments. Large firms have tools to help. But many smaller businesses still rely on spreadsheets. We knew AI could change that.”
To take some of those hats off, Transcard built Virtual CFO – a secure, proactive AI agent that works around the clock, orchestrating multiple AI agents to watch for risks, flag opportunities and anticipate issues before they become problems. It levels the playing field by enabling 24/7 financial automation, accelerating issue resolution and freeing up time to focus on growth.
But the real breakthrough isn’t just automation, it’s re‑imagination. Virtual CFO is a clear example of the future of AI – a roadmap for businesses ready to move forward.
Here are five important lessons from Transcard’s journey worth remembering:
1. Start with the most pressing challenges
For Transcard’s customers, that meant cash flow anxiety, fraud risks and manual payments.
What keeps your customers up at night?
“You need to listen to your customers directly,” explains Jeff Kaufman. “I call it the ‘day in the life.’ Spend time with them, watch what they do and understand their conflicting priorities. That’s how you find the real pain.”
And once you spot the issue, ask whether the process is worth improving.
“Plenty of leaders want AI to automate processes so employees are more efficient. But ask yourself: are you automating broken processes? That reflection matters,” says David Samples, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Transcard.
The cycle of improvement only works when the foundation is strong. True transformation means stepping back to create future-ready ways of working, rather than just speeding up old routines.
2. Set non‑negotiables early
Priorities define success. Without them, direction is lost.
Transcard established three essentials before writing a single line of code:
Accuracy, speed and security – must-haves in financial services
Customer-first design, shaped by advisory groups and “day-in-the-life” research
Action APIs, enabling AI recommendations to trigger real tasks
Clear frameworks make innovation faster.
3. Choose partners that accelerate learning
“Once we had our requirements, we knew we needed a partner we could trust to help smooth out the edges,” reflects David Samples.
The right partnerships accelerate progress. For Transcard, Microsoft delivered the AI and cloud foundation, along with workshops to develop the skills and shape the vision. Coretek, their implementation partner, assisted with refining infrastructure and building the AI agents.
Together, these collaborations gave Transcard more confidence to move faster and experiment bolder.
4. Ship in waves, earn trust
Not every customer is ready for automation. That’s why Transcard rolled out in waves, tackling urgent problems first, then adding features as trust grew.
“When a CFO logs in, they always have a top priority: send a payment, check fraud, resolve a hold. You must solve that first. Meet them where they are, then take them one step further,” points out Jeff Kaufman.
David adds, “It’s not easy to build an AI agent that executives trust to act autonomously. That’s why you have to co-create with customers. It has to be built with them, for them.”
5. Shape for scale, and beyond your industry
For Transcard, Virtual CFO is only the beginning. The organization saw that the same approach could solve challenges across teams, industries and geographies. Their ambition now is to expand the model to help more businesses tackle their toughest obstacles.
“In the digital world, everything is ones and zeros, you can do anything. Don’t box in good ideas because you think the tech won’t work. Start with the idea, then let the tech follow. The real stake in the ground should be: does it add value, and can you make it actionable?” enthuses David.
The bigger picture
Transcard proves that actionable AI is a design choice: focus on the most critical challenges, set the priorities, build for the final mile, and ship in trust‑building waves. Start now and make it cultural.
“Do this Monday” box
Do this Monday
Pick one finance fire drill (fraud hold, payment exception).
Define the action you want the agent to take (final mile).
Write your non‑negotiables (accuracy, security, speed).
Pilot with a customer advisory group; ship in waves.
Next steps
It’s your time to become an AI innovator.
“AI is one of those rare technology waves, like the internet, that will reshape industries for decades. To lead, you need to start now. Build the foundation. Make the shift cultural,” concludes Greg Bloh, CEO of Transcard.
AI-based software solutions provider Peak3 has joined forces with EaZy Digital to enable digital transformation in the Thai insurance market.
The agreement is set to support insurers and intermediaries in Thailand through an integrated digital framework.
This will link core policy administration with distribution functions, aiming to improve operational processes and data flow across insurance activities.
Peak3’s core platform is cloud-based and designed for scalability, supporting insurance operations from underwriting to claims handling.
EaZy Digital will contribute its expertise in front-end tools that address distribution, commission management and tracking sales performance.
EaZy Digital founder and CEO Harprem Doowa said: “We see tremendous potential in connecting the intelligence of Peak3’s core systems with the agility of EaZy Digital’s distribution solutions.
“Together, we can help insurers unlock new levels of transparency, efficiency and innovation in how they operate and engage their customers.”
The combined offering is aimed at enabling insurers to connect their core functions and distribution channels, facilitating real-time data transfer from underwriting through to commission payments.
It is also intended to allow insurers to adapt compensation models more flexibly, gain insights into sales performance, and improve user experiences for both agents and customers through a connected digital framework.
Another stated goal is to reduce the time needed to bring new insurance products to market by streamlining operations.
The collaboration between the two companies began with a project in Vietnam, where EaZy Digital’s platform was used alongside Peak3’s core Graphene system.
Through this partnership, Peak3 will expand its presence in Asian markets while working on new developments in digital insurance.
Peak3 APAC commercial head Arun Sangwan said: “By combining our intelligent insurance core platform with EaZy Digital’s distribution capabilities, we are helping insurers transform not just how they operate but how they grow.
“This partnership reinforces our commitment to supporting the Thailand insurance industry with adaptable, data-driven digital solutions.”
“Peak3 and EaZy Digital partner to digitalise insurance sector in Thailand ” was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand.
The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
The final group of counties to implement the eCourts conversion, which began in February 2023, went online Oct. 13. All 100 North Carolina counties now have online access to court records and services.
NC Administrative Office of the Courts
Raleigh
North Carolina courts this month crossed a major threshold into the digital age, shifting court records from a final batch of 13 counties from the courthouse to the cloud.
It’s a pivotal moment for state courts and their years-long effort to digitize an archaic system that relied on paper filings and a mainframe.
While AOC officials have been touting the system’s successes, they haven’t shared much publicly about the increased costs or expanded services included in what started out as a 10-year, $85 million contract with Texas-based Tyler Technologies in 2019.
A News & Observer review of contract amendments and add-on agreements indicates the total cost could be more than double that — at least $188.8 million — through 2034.
That is just the amount the state could pay Tyler, the company selected to digitize and integrate the many facets of the court system used by thousands of state employees, law enforcement and millions of residents.
State pay records obtained by the News & Observer indicate AOC has also spent millions of dollars on overtime, with the amounts climbing in 2023 and 2024 after AOC launched the conversion. In addition, AOC has spent at least $8.7 million on equipment and IT services related to the transition, excluding Tyler.
When asked about the costs outlined in Tyler’s now 15-year contract and its amendments, AOC communications director Graham Wilson noted that changes to the contract added new services and customizations, including a digital warrant and appellate case management systems, “rather than cost escalations of the original agreement’s scope.”
He also wrote that it “is not consistent with the terms of the contract” to say that AOC has committed to paying Tyler at least $188.8 million through 2034.
“The contract provides a fixed cost structure for prospective software services that limits escalation fees over the 15-year period from 2020-2034,” wrote Wilson. The statement stressed that AOC can terminate the contract and will only pay for services provided in compliance with the contract.
That said, AOC has given no indication it plans to walk away from the cloud-based system it has spent years — and tens of millions of dollars — building and integrating.
Signs announcing that eCourts would soon debut at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Charlotte in September 2023. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
From courthouse to keyboard
Work on the new system began about a decade ago, aimed at replacing stacks of courthouse paper with a digital system accessible anywhere with an internet connection.
A committee of court officials from across the state spent months reviewing bids from potential vendors before unanimously backing Tyler’s plan, The News & Observer reported.
AOC signed the 10-year, $85 million contract with Tyler in the summer of 2019. North Carolina became the most populous state to use the company’s Odyssey software, according to a Tyler press release.
In July 2022, the state rolled out a new digital warrant system. By February 2023, Wake and three other counties became the first to pilot online access and filing through eCourts, giving residents the ability to file documents, pay fines and look up civil, criminal and traffic cases online.
Kevin Spruill holds up release paperwork that he carried in case he was stopped and detained by law enforcement on an arrest warrant that should have been recalled. Spruill is one of several plaintiffs who in 2023 signed onto a potential class action lawsuit alleging that the rollout of the state’s eCourt system violated their civil rights. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
AOC officials did not pursue the evaluation. They instead urged patience as court workers adjusted to the changes and Tyler made fixes. And it took steps to expand and increase Tyler’s contract.
The now statewide record management system does more than improve the public’s access to records previously available only in courthouses across the state. More than 47,000 people in law enforcement use it to send citations, warrants and magistrate orders straight to court officials. So do state Department of Motor Vehicles, Health and Human Services and Department of Justice staff, according to information from AOC.
As recently as last month, district attorneys from the three Triangle counties stated that the new system remains cumbersome and difficult to use, resulting in slow data entry, delays, and other challenges.
“People in the field have stopped attempting to report issues because issues reported never seem to be resolved,” wrote Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman in an email.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman in administrative traffic court in the Wake County Justice Center in Raleigh in September 2023. Ethan Hyman ehyman@newsobserver.com
How the contract evolved and expanded
Documents that The N&O obtained with public records requests show how the Tyler contract expansion unfolded before and after the conversion started:
February 2020: Tyler signs a $14.5 million contract with AOC for an eCitation program to integrate a digital solution system for citations.
July 2020:Tyler signs a $24 millioncontract with AOC to establish an electronic warrant processing system, which was launched in July 2022.
February 2023: Pilot counties, including Wake, Johnson, Lee and Harnett, implemented the digital eCourts system.
September 2023: Contract amendment number seven added $1.6 million in “post implementation custom development.”
December 2023: AOC extended the length of the Tyler Technologies contract from 10 to 15 years, according to contract amendment number eight, which included an optional $3.2 million for customer support account management fees. The potential cost: an additional $76.9 million through fiscal years 2030 and 2034.
January 2024 to September 2025: Contract amendments nine through 16 added nearly $2 million in “post-implementation custom development” fees.
Scanned cases for Superior Court on a shelf in the criminal division of the clerk’s office at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in 2023. The courthouse started using the new digital system that year. Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez mrodriguez@charlotteobserver.com
The contract and its amendments were signed and expanded over a period where AOC was run by three directors appointed by two North Carolina Supreme Court chief justices, a Democrat and a Republican. Boyce, the current director, was appointed in 2023.
The News & Observer asked AOC multiple times how much they have paid Tyler to date, but officials did not respond.
An N&O analysis of records obtained from the Office of the State Controller, however, shows it has paid Tyler Technologies $63.2 million for “software subscriptions” and “automation services” from January 2020 to Sept. 10, 2025.
In addition, AOC has paid $8.7 million to other vendors from Oct. 16, 2023 to April 29, 2025 out of two designated eCourts accounts for IT services, computer/printer equipment, workshops, lodging, transportation and meals.
More than half of those expenses — $5.2 million — was paid to one company, Computer Aid Inc., for “IT project management analysis services,” according to the expense records.
Other vendors include: 1st Run Computer Services Inc, $993,435; Mainline Information Systems, $443,468; and Lenovo Inc., $317,776.
A true accounting of the overall cost is a complex task, Wilson, the agency’s communications director, wrote in an email. An accurate analysis would weigh short- and long-term savings, as well as the project’s overall scope and longevity, Wilson said.
“It would be difficult to analyze comprehensively the inestimable value of online services for the state compared to paper processes, or to predict the potential future savings from automation, digital access, and other modern technologies that the new system supports,” Wilson wrote.
The Wake County Justice Center, the building on the right, was one of the first to pilot the new digital court transformation in February 2023. ssharpe@newsobserver.com
What records show about overtime pay at AOC
An N&O analysis of employee compensation records obtained from the Department of State Treasurer shows overtime pay for AOC employees started rising as the state prepared to launch eCourts in the pilot counties in October 2022, which was eventually delayed until February 2023.
Overtime costs, mostly paid to deputy clerks and assistant clerks, totalled $4.7 million in 2023 and reached $6.3 million in 2024.
That’s a significant contrast to the $2.3 million in overtime AOC paid over a decade, from 2010 to 2020.
When asked about overtime costs, Wilson provided information indicating that AOC authorized $4.78 million in overtime in 2024 and $1.1 million in January and February for overtime pay to employees related to the digital transition.
“The Judicial Branch authorized some employees to work limited overtime in recent years. This authorization equipped clerks, district attorneys, and judicial offices with resources to address the COVID-19 shutdowns and the implementation of digital courts,” Wilson said in an email response.
AOC did not provide any explanation of the difference between the authorized overtime costs and the overtime pay in the Department of State Treasurer’s records.
Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
Virginia Bridges covers what is and isn’t working in North Carolina’s criminal justice system for The News & Observer’s and The Charlotte Observer’s investigation team. She has worked for newspapers for more than 20 years. The N.C. State Bar Association awarded her the Media & Law Award for Best Series in 2018, 2020 and 2025.
From handwritten charts to real-time diagnostics, US healthcare has undergone a massive digital transformation. Now, with AI, we’re entering a new era – one as transformative as the advent of antibiotics or vaccines. Powered by Microsoft’s secure, enterprise-grade platforms, healthcare leaders have the tools to shape what comes next.
“AI is no longer a future concept; it’s a present-day catalyst for healthcare transformation. At Microsoft, we’re proud to partner with organizations that are using AI to deliver more personalized, accessible and efficient care.”
Patty Carrolo, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, US Health & Life Sciences
AI across US healthcare
In 2024, 94% of healthcare organizations considered AI central to their operations, and 86% reported using it extensively in some capacity. Among physicians, the shift is equally striking: 66% of US doctors reported using AI-powered tools – up from just 38% the year before1.
This isn’t a just passing trend, it’s a full structural transformation. Across the country, leading health systems and innovators, like City of Hope, Sayvant, Virtual Dental Care and Carle Health, are using AI to solve healthcare’s most persistent challenges.
With Microsoft’s secure, enterprise-grade AI platforms, these organizations are moving from pilot projects to real-world transformation. Together, they’re ushering in the new era of healthcare, where AI saves, scales and improves.
AI is a proven partner in healthcare: saving time, scaling access and improving outcomes.
AI that saves time and lives
Heath providers often face long hours, growing documentation demands and the emotional toll of care. Burnout rates are rising, and when clinicians are stretched thin, patient outcomes suffer.
AI is stepping in to help. Acting as a digital assistant, it’s lifting the administrative burden, freeing up time for what matters most: human connection and clinical decision-making.
Acentra Health saves 11,000 nursing hours with MedScribe, built on Azure OpenAI. With AI-powered automation, Acentra Health transformed its appeals process, reducing letter-writing time by 50%. Nurses now review up to 30 letters per day (up from 12), and 99% of AI-generated letters are approved without changes. Clinicians call it the most impactful tool they’ve used. See how MedScribe is redefining nursing efficiency.
AI that scales access and engagement
Access to care remains one of healthcare’s biggest challenges. The numbers are sobering: 4.5 billion people lack access to essential healthcare services2. AI is stepping in to help close that gap, bringing care closer, making systems more responsive and removing friction from the patient journey.
Virtual Dental Care (VDC) expands access with Smart Scan built on Microsoft Azure. VDC uses its AI-powered Smart Scan app to deliver screening results from just five photos, reducing school screening paperwork by 75%, detecting issues earlier and helping prevent advanced dental problems. Explore how Virtual Dental Care is simplifying screenings.
CareSource enhances the member experience with a human touch, powered by Microsoft AI. Committed to delivering healthcare with heart, CareSource uses Microsoft AI and cloud solutions to empower employees, improve member care and advance a human-centered approach to innovation. As a result, documentation timelines have been reduced from two months to two weeks, automation has delivered over $125K in savings, and GitHub Copilot has driven 20–30% productivity gains. See how CareSource is driving mission-led growth and service with Microsoft.
AI that improves outcomes and quality of care
AI isn’t just making healthcare more efficient; it’s redefining what’s possible. From enhancing diagnostic precision to enabling truly personalized care, AI is shifting the model from reactive treatment to proactive, predictive medicine.
A century ago, life expectancy in the US was just 47 years. Today, it’s nearly 793. With AI, we have the opportunity to go even further, extending lives, improving the quality of care and accelerating breakthroughs through earlier detection, smarter therapies and faster innovation.
One of the most transformative frontiers is research and drug development, where AI is already reshaping timelines, reducing costs and unlocking new possibilities for patients around the world.
Syneos Health accelerates drug development with Microsoft Azure and Azure OpenAI. Site selection now starts in 24–48 hours instead of months, cutting activation time by 10% in 2024. Predictive modeling and automation support faster decisions and free teams to focus on high-value work. See how Syneos Health is bringing new therapies to market faster.
The next era of care starts now
Across the US, AI is no longer a pilot or a promise, it’s a proven partner in healthcare. From easing clinician burnout to expanding patient access and accelerating innovation, AI is helping the system do more of what matters most: delivering better care, to more people, with greater precision.
And this is just the beginning. The future of healthcare will be shaped by technologies that not only analyze, predict and summarize, but truly understand how clinicians work. Dragon Copilot, the healthcare industry’s first unified voice AI assistant, is a clear step in that direction.
The next chapter of healthcare is already being written, with AI and Microsoft as co-authors.
RESTON, Va., September 3, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Brillient Corporation, a mission-driven digital transformation company, announced today that it has achieved “Awardable” status through the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s (CDAO) Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace.
The Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace is the premier offering of Tradewinds, the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) suite of tools and services designed to accelerate the procurement and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML), data, and analytics capabilities.
Brillient Corporation delivers intelligent automation, AI/ML, and data analytics solutions to a wide range of businesses, including 22 federal government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and commercial clients.
“Brillient is pleased to have our ALICE® DECLASS™ solution accepted as awardable on the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace,” said Sukumar Iyer, Brillient CEO.
ALICE DECLASS was designed using technology Brillient has successfully deployed at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It offers a fully customizable and extendable set of functionalities to apply (de)classification business rules and use AI to intelligently identify content, including text, pictures, graphics, and maps, for redacting sensitive content before the information is published. DECLASS can be stand alone with its workflow interface or integrate with existing agency software/technology investments.
Brillient Corporation’s’ video, ALICE DECLASS, accessible only by government customers on the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace, presents an actual use case in which we demonstrate how sensitive information from the JFK files could have been protected using ALICE DECLASS. Brillient Corporation was recognized among a competitive field of applicants to the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace whose solutions demonstrated innovation, scalability, and potential impact on DoD missions.
“DECLASS utilizes human in the loop AI to deliver up to 5X the productivity at 99% or higher accuracy,” said Iyer.
Government customers interested in viewing the video solution can create a Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace account at tradewindAI.com.
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About Brillient Corporation: Brillient is an award-winning Full Spectrum Digital Transformation company enabling clients to transform through the continuum of analog, to digital, to analytics leading to insight-driven decision making and mission execution. We help clients achieve better efficiency and lower costs in their digital government and IT modernization initiatives enabling friction-free interaction with citizens and business.
We bring highly trained professionals with the most relevant expertise to each project and are committed to delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions to our clients.
For specific information related to ALICE DECLASS, contact: ALICE@brillient.net
About the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace: The Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace is a digital repository of post-competition, readily awardable pitch videos that address the Department of Defense’s (DoD) most significant challenges in the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), data, and analytics space. All awardable solutions have been assessed through complex scoring rubrics and competitive procedures and are available to Government customers with a Marketplace account. Government customers can create an account at www.tradewindai.com. Tradewinds is housed in the DoD’s Chief Digital Artificial Intelligence Office.
Dive Into the Future of Gaming With Favor Games’ “Deepest Trench” – An Unprecedented Underwater Adventure
MIAMI, April 11, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– Favor Games, an innovative game development studio is about to launch its new game, “Deepest Trench.” This article explores Favor Games’ unique approach to game creation, the team behind it, and the anticipation surrounding its upcoming release.
Favor Games: From Startup to Powerhouse
Significant milestones mark Favor Games’ journey from humble beginnings to a creative powerhouse. Their upcoming release, “Deepest Trench,” an underwater co-op adventure, exemplifies their commitment to immersive storytelling, stunning visuals, and dynamic gameplay.
Behind The Scenes: The Diverse Talent Fueling Favor Games’ Success
Favor Games has a team comprising various skilled and talented individuals who contribute to the company’s identity. Helmed by Floridian-based influencer and CEO Roberto Boligan, alongside VP Frederick Boisclair, the team comprises skilled developers, artists, musicians, and other professionals contributing to game development.
With their collective knowledge and passion for gaming, the studio’s primary goal is to provide engaging and immersive experiences for players worldwide.
Crafting The Experience: The Unique Game Development Process at Favor Games
Favor Games follows a systematic planning and script-based approach in their game development process. “Deepest Trench” features unique gameplay mechanics, complex puzzles, and a groundbreaking cooperative system that transforms how we play games.
Player Power: How Favor Games Puts Gamers at the Heart of Development
Roberto Boligan, the CEO of Favor Games, considers players essential to their growth and development. Under his leadership, the studio places great importance on the feedback and participation of players, seeking their input in decision-making processes.
In the game “Deepest Trench,” players have the power to influence the narrative and gaming experience, which is a testament to Roberto Boligan’s dedication to creating a player-centric environment.
Favor Games: Rising Above Competition
Favor Games stands tall among competitors like Abzu, Subnautica, and Bioshock. Their current in-game platform, “Deepest Trench”, promises to offer a competitive and affordable gaming experience.
Investing in Innovation: The Business and Technical Backbone of “Deepest Trench”
Favor Games has put millions towards creating “Deepest Trench,” utilizing Unity and Unreal engines. Favor Games owns all licensed assets and songs, and they are expecting the PC version to be completed by early May 2024.
A New Era of Gaming: Roberto Boligan’s Vision for Favor Games and “Deepest Trench”
Roberto Boligan, the CEO of Favor Games, is leading the studio’s charge to deliver unique and immersive gaming experiences to the eagerly awaiting gaming community.
Roberto Boligan’s commitment is palpable in the studio’s latest game, “Deepest Trench,” which promises to captivate audiences with its groundbreaking technology, captivating storytelling, and solid player-studio connection. Get ready to dive into a new era of gaming with Roberto Boligan and Favor Games at the helm.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 19, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– The Methodical Group, a global leader in staffing, business services, and IT solutions, with offices across the United States, Brazil, and the Philippines, is proud to announce the creation of its new subsidiary, Methodical Public. This strategic expansion aims to extend the Group’s comprehensive range of services to the public sector, including non-profits, educational institutions, and city, state, and federal entities, establishing a robust gateway to hundreds of services tailored to meet the unique needs of these organizations.
Introducing Methodical Public: A New Era of Public Sector Service
Methodical Public represents a significant milestone for The Methodical Group as it broadens its horizons to serve the public sector. More than just a contracting entity, Methodical Public is envisioned as a bridge connecting non-profits, educational bodies, and government entities to The Methodical Group’s extensive portfolio of services. These services include initiatives like technology upgrades for local cities and public schools, staffing services such as permanent placement or staff augmentation for municipal governments, and digital transformation projects for non-profits, ushering in a new era of public sector service. This initiative reflects the Group’s dedication to delivering innovative, reliable solutions across diverse sectors and its commitment to fostering positive change in communities through technology and expertise.
“We are thrilled to launch Methodical Public and to share our recent client success story, which together reflect our ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation,” said Joshua Mann, CEO of The Methodical Group. “By expanding our services to the public sector and continuing to deliver on our promise of rapid, effective solutions, we are poised to make a significant impact on a wider scale.”
Client Success Story: Rapid Deployment and Expertise in Action
In conjunction with the launch of Methodical Public, The Methodical Group is also excited to share a recent client success story that underscores its commitment to delivering exceptional service and tangible results swiftly and efficiently.
A leading SaaS-based platform specializing in the real estate sector approached The Methodical Group with a critical need: to migrate 500 client sites from a legacy platform to a new, advanced platform within a tight 12-month timeline. Understanding the importance of cost-effectiveness and timely execution, The Methodical Group devised a strategic plan leveraging its US and offshore capabilities.
The plan involved the onboarding of 21 resources, 14 from the Philippines and 7 US-based resources, with a challenging timeline of just 3 weeks for full team assembly on both fronts. Through meticulous coordination internally and with the client, as well as the dedicated expertise of its global teams, The Methodical Group successfully met the ambitious timeline, fully equipping the client to commence the migration project on schedule and on budget, thereby setting the stage for a seamless transition to the new platform.
This achievement not only highlights The Methodical Group’s ability to rapidly mobilize and execute complex projects but also its commitment to providing cost-effective, scalable solutions that do not compromise on quality or timelines.
About The Methodical Group
The Methodical Group, a beacon of innovation in the global staffing, and business and IT services sectors, continues to set the standard for excellence. With a robust presence in the United States, Brazil, and the Philippines, and recognized as one of the “50 Fastest Growing Companies of 2023,” the Group remains dedicated to delivering strategic, scalable solutions that empower businesses and organizations worldwide to achieve their objectives.
For more information about The Methodical Group and its innovative approach to public sector services through Methodical Public, please visit https://www.MethodicalGroup.com.
First Internet Bank selected Narmi, a digital banking solution provider, to help clients open business accounts digitally, last month. The move has helped the $4.5 billion bank decrease the time needed to open a business account by 65%, Craig Fortner, chief information officer at Firs4t Internet Bank, told Bank Automation News. Business customers can […]
The merger of parent HDFC with HDFC Bank will allow the larger merged entity invest more in infrastructure and mortgage projects, MD and CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan said in the bank’s annual report for FY23.
He said, “A bigger balance sheet post-merger will enable HDFC Bank to take a larger exposure in infrastructure projects. This means we can participate more meaningfully in India’s growth story and contribute to nation-building. In light of all this, the pace at which we aim to grow – we could be creating a new HDFC Bank every 4 years”.
Saying that the merger perhaps could not have been timed better, Jagdishan said that the emotion linked to home buying gets transferred to the home loan service provider and helps build lifelong bonds with customers. Further, only 2 per cent of HDFC Bank’s customers currently source their loans from the bank while 5 per cent take it from other institutions, which in “itself is a huge opportunity”.
HDFC Bank will build these customer relationships by offering a bouquet of the bank’s and subsidiaries’ products and services across saving and current accounts, personal loans, insurance, investments and home loans.
“A compelling value proposition to the customer, that probably does not exist in the market at the scale at which this is envisaged. Going forward this is clearly going to be a game changer,” he said.
Growth engines for the bank will be corporate banking, commercial (MSME) and rural banking, government and institutional business, wealth management, and retail assets and payments, Jagdishan said, adding that the bank is currently the largest SME bank in the country.
Digital transformation
Focus will be on digital transformation through new platforms and customer experiences, and more efficiency by reinforcing core technologies with enhanced performance and resilience at scale.
While the bank has seen a significant improvement in resilience and uptime (basis both internal and external public sources) metrics, it is “not perfect”, Jagdishan said, adding that the bank will continue to strengthen its core IT infrastructure.
In the last few years, HDFC Bank has often faced flak for it customer-servicing technology issues and frequent tech outages, prompting RBI to temporarily bar the bank from issuing new credit cards and launching digital products in FY21. The curbs on credit cards were lifted eight months later and those on new digital launches over a year later.
“This journey has to be accelerated every year. More remains to be done and I am fully committed to improving our customer centricity further,” he said.
The bank will look to add 1,500-2,000 branches in FY24, of which 675 will be in semi-urban and rural (SURU) locations. In FY23, the bank added a record 1,479 branches, a majority of which were SURU branches.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
While it’s true that CFOs spend an exceptional amount of time looking at numbers, many have sat in other seats within their organization and know that there are times when big decisions shouldn’t be based solely on numbers and a budget.
This is especially true when it comes to digital transformation. because the project itself is anything but black and white. The way in which it is presented is critical.
For this reason, there need to be elements in your plan that go beyond a dollar presentation when asking for buy-in from your CFO (or other leaders who manage your company budget). After all, digital transformation is more about storytelling — painting a clear picture of what to expect before getting into dollars spent.
Here are three things that must be in your plan to ensure buy-in and ROI with digital transformation.
Analyze your approval process and determine who your players will be
To start your digital transformation plan, I recommend that you do a deep dive into your current organizational processes.
Ask yourself questions such as:
How are big projects currently being managed?
Where do bottlenecks and inefficiencies lie?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your current systems and processes?
Doing this will help you put a plan in place for digital transformation, ensuring that a seamless process follows. One of the biggest missteps a company can make is to skip this step, and as a result, the project gets stalled or put on the back burner because there isn’t a predetermined system in place.
In addition to analyzing internal processes, you need to figure out which departments will need to be involved in the digital overhaul. Who will your “players” be to ensure the project is successful? Also, and just as important, what are their goals? Your IT department will have very different wants and needs than marketing or sales, so it’s important to identify who the involved parties will be from the get-go.
Once you’ve analyzed your current approval process and determined which departments will have a say in digital transformation, the next step is to designate who the approvers will be. For example, reducing from six people down to one or two will help to eliminate redundancies, streamline and avoid bottlenecking when it comes to moving things forward with digital transformation.
Create KPIs that are tracked while the project is happening
Another common mistake companies make when creating a digital transformation master plan is that they create KPIs to measure once the digital transformation is complete, but they don’t think to put ones in place in real-time for a pre-evaluation of effectiveness.
This is also a great way to entice buy-in from your CFO by creating milestones as you go. Doing so will not only help you to deliver updates to your CFO along the way, but it will also help if and when you need to request more dollars for a change order because you can showcase the KPIs you have met — making the ask easier.
Also, as different features become available online, you can use these KPIs to start to show the sum of actions and how they will help lead to the ultimate outcome: ROI. Time on site, or the number of pages visited, are great measurements, and once you can see dollars converting, it will allow other data points to tell their own story. Best of all, by measuring the business impact of new functionalities, you can refine your project backlog and prioritize features that will deliver the most value.
Don’t cap your budget from the get-go — monitor in real-time
Never go to a CFO and say, “I need a million dollars, and then I won’t need anything after that.”
This will only create frustration (and potentially stall the project) when unforeseen needs such as ongoing support, licenses or updates undoubtedly arise. A successful digital transformation project should not have a defined endpoint.
Instead, your plan should focus on continuously improving your digital processes to adapt to changing business conditions, onboarding new employees and deploying new technologies. With each ongoing change, there will be a need to continuously ask for dollars and resources, so make sure this is in your plan from the get-go. This is where real-time KPIs come into play and will make your life easier when asking for more dollars.
Lastly, real-time monitoring of your digital processes, once you get started, will be essential for identifying emerging issues that could impact the transformation. However, if you proactively address potential problems, you can mitigate risks and ensure the ongoing success of your digital project. Real-time monitoring also enables you to optimize your processes continuously, further increasing your ROI.
While there are many things that need to be taken into consideration when it comes to getting buy-in from your CFO, utilizing the above tips will ensure a successful digital transformation, ultimately leading to a new influx of happy, life-long customers.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Businesses across every industry strive to keep pace with the rapid evolution of digital transformation, recognizing the importance of embracing new technologies and solutions to stay competitive. Along the way, however, many become distracted and overwhelmed by the flashiest new thing and its projected benefits — losing sight of it is actually the right approach based on the unique needs and considerations of their own organization.
With so much at stake, let alone the significant time and resources required in adopting new tech-driven solutions, companies must employ a sound innovation strategy to guide their journey. Leaders can feel pulled in differing directions, but the keys to successful digital workplace transformation can be broken down into three categories: empowering your employees, listening to your customers and optimizing your processes and product offerings.
Empowering your employees
First and foremost, having “buy-in” from your employees is vital. Employee recognition can be a powerful driver of employee engagement and satisfaction. By having open conversations with workers, leaders can foster a culture of openness and encourage higher levels of performance. Resistance to change is one of the most significant challenges leaders face in these efforts. More often than not, employee pushback is primarily due to a lack of familiarity with new technologies — or fear that automation will cost them their jobs.
Likewise, if employees don’t understand why change is occurring and what makes it important, it can be harmful to morale and performance. Rather than let hesitation fester, empower employees to advance at their own pace, even if it is more foundational first steps, such as migrating to a cloud-based format.
Another major challenge in uniting the company around an undertaking of this nature is a lack of communication. Leaders need to educate their employees every step of the way and strive to implement valuable feedback. Once enacted, leaders should clearly define individuals’ roles and responsibilities so they align with the transformation’s goals and help the organization’s needs. Let’s face it, employees are closer to the day-to-day realities of the business than leadership teams, making their input critical to long-term success.
Success is also more likely to occur when business upskill their workforce during the company’s digital transformation journey. One way to do this is to establish continuous learning opportunities and environments at work.
Most companies only look inward when embarking on their digital transformation journey. However, in today’s increasingly competitive environment, what sets businesses apart comes down to the quality of the customer experience. Customers expect a world-class experience, and they aren’t shy about taking their business elsewhere if interacting with your company is too cumbersome.
The customer is at the core of any business improvement initiative, and a clear understanding of their role offers key insights to inform and enhance your own approach.
With the majority of customer interactions taking place online, organizations have an excessive amount of data at their fingertips. With this data, you can track patterns and identify areas for improvement, providing superior support and strengthening your customer relationships at scale. Additionally, data collection can be leveraged to improve operations, increase revenue streams and accelerate product development.
Having key insights from employees and customers is only part of the equation. All businesses should be focused on optimizing their processes and service offerings by evolving their core business to stay current with technology advancements. This is all about changing your core business to stay current with technology. When undertaken correctly, there are several resulting advantages, including flexibility, scalability and cost savings. Additionally, businesses can streamline processes and eliminate manual, repetitive tasks.
If you’re used to delivering a catalog of products that rarely changes, then it’s essential to modernize. Focus on real business needs and current performance challenges, building on solutions that have already worked well at individual sites and can be rolled out pragmatically across the network.
It’s no secret that investment in new technologies can be daunting, but failure to adapt is ultimately more costly in the long run.
Only a decade ago, digital transformation seemed like a foreign concept for many. Today, it is table stakes for businesses that want to stay competitive. Whether stuck in pre-strategy purgatory or under mounting pressure to demonstrate outcomes, companies can become frustrated, distracted and discouraged. By working through systems in the old, pre-digital manner, there are many redundancies and areas where the time lag is so significant that it can impact your whole business.
The sooner you start investigating, investing in and deploying new technology, the better position you’ll be in to grow, improve efficiency, and achieve longevity in the rapidly changing market. Digital transformation can streamline these processes so that your business runs optimally and, perhaps more critically, at the pace of the digital age.
Southern Bancorp Chief Innovation Officer Vance Smiley focuses on in-house innovation to solve client friction within wealth management and access to capital.
“We’re focused on identifying problems first and then being methodical about looking for solutions,” Smiley told Bank Automation News. “Some of those can and will be found externally, but only after determining our exact needs. Of course, with an innovation team on hand … we can tinker around solving these problems ourselves and have a little fun doing it.”
Vance Smiley, CIO, Southern Bancorp
The $2.5 billion, Arkadelphia, Ark.-based bank’s innovation lab, TeamWALT, has introduced new digital services for Southern Bancorp clients, including automated savings app Wealthable and savings game Envie Envelope Challenge, each of which launched in fewer than 120 days.
BAN caught up with Smiley to discuss Southern Bancorp’s innovation lab strategy and how automation plays into innovation. What follows is an edited version of that conversation.
Bank Automation News: How does Southern Bancorp prioritize its digital strategy?
Vance Smiley:It’s a high priority, but it’s also running parallel to the needs of the traditional, geographically focused side of the business, which is what made us what we are today and continues to be a strong growth driver, so we continue to look for innovative ways to grow.
However, much like within our traditional markets, there are individuals, families and small businesses across the country experiencing challenges to their own wealth-building journeys, and a digitalization strategy focused on those problems and addressed with purpose-driven mobile apps is how we’re working to scale.
BAN: How does the bank decide on an innovation project to pursue?
VS: We do a lot of prototyping and testing, both internally and in our markets. We talk to our staff on the ground, who are working with people to overcome challenges, and then we design solutions with their input to test.
A large focus of ours lately is working to get capital safely into the hands of those who aren’t using the traditional financial system. Either because of a bad experience or a general mistrust of banks, these folks have opted to utilize what we call the alternative financial system, which is high cost and often predatory. Our mission is to develop alternative solutions that are affordable, trustworthy and easy to use and access.
BAN: What role does automation play in your approach to digitalization?
VS: In the process of innovation, we learn, then build process improvements that make sense to share with the traditional bank, which doesn’t always have the time to stop and determine them for itself. Automation is one of those areas that can result in valuable enough process improvements that you could actually pay for an entire innovation department’s budget with the savings.
BAN: What is the bank’s approach to in-house innovation?
VS: While I’m certainly not opposed to developing partnerships, especially when it comes to improving efficiencies and scalability, I do come from the school of thought that says the main parts of innovation can’t be outsourced, and I don’t believe that we as banks can buy our way into innovation.
It takes smart, creative thinkers who deeply understand the mission and operations to imagine solutions for the problems we face. Once we do that, assembling the technology is the easy part, and we’ll often look for partners to assist with that.
BAN: What is your best leadership advice?
VS: The first is that we can’t outsource what makes us … us. If we do, then we might as well get out of the way and let someone else do it. Another piece of advice I strongly believe in is to go get good at something. I think too many banks seek to be generalists when focusing on serving specific groups and types of customers. Finally, recognizing that the customer relationship is moving from in-person to online, whether we like it or not. So, we better prepare accordingly.
Payments technology and the ability to facilitate real-time payments is top of mind for many financial institutions as the U.S. government’s real-time payments service FedNow is set to launch in July. Consumer adoption of digital payments proves that clients are ready for more advanced payments technology, and financial institutions are investing in tech to catch […]
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A retail shopper looking for a specific type of handbag. A city citizen who needs better transit options. A B2B executive who wants to help other companies complete analytics with new software.
What do all of these people have in common? They’re all stakeholders — customers who want to build and use a fantastic product or service. Whatever you offer, you offer it for them, not for yourself.
Regardless of your sector, the concept of the voice of the customer (VOC) is something that everybody is familiar with. Connecting VOC and digital transformation — which connects to virtually every operation you’ve got — is one of the most powerful ways to put customers in long-term control of your organization for better results.
VOC is the foundation for your digital transformation
The golden mantra in business, government, non-profit or other sectors is that your organization has value when you meet the customer’s needs or wants. It’s all about solving some kind of problem they have and collectively sharing the same core values. As Simon Sinek put it, people don’t buy your product or service, they buy the whybehind the product or service. Or looking at it from a slightly different angle, it’s the customer you market to and design for who ultimately will have to deal with the positive or negative consequences of the digital transformation you implement.
With this in mind, if I had one stream of data I could look at to drive the direction of my business and digital transformation within it, hands down it would be the voice of the customer — because unless it’s an operational necessity your customers can’t see, there’s little point in transforming processes that stakeholders have zero interest in. You have to understand your customer’s pain points and barriers to entry. Can these barriers be lifted with a digital solution? How can you reach this solution collaboratively? You have to work with your customers if you want your digital transformation to be successful.
Imagine you’re in a rally car, and your course is digital transformation. Your business is in the driver’s seat while your customer is your co-driver — your navigator — providing step-by-step directions of how to get to your destination. Without them, you may make the wrong turn, but with them, you’ll rocket over the finish line.
Markets are unpredictable. Five, 10 or 20 years down the road, customers will want something different than they want now. So, listening to VOC is a continuous process, not a one-shot or one-study approach. Consistently listening to your customer teaches you to prioritize your most important stakeholders’ needs — which are constantly changing. What will work for a digital transformation now will likely not work in 10 years. Getting to know your VOC well sets your organization up to always be evolving and improving with your customer. It’s this ability to consistently turn feedback into insights and then into action that moves the needle for a business.
If VOC needs to drive your digital transformation, the next logical question is how to get the customer’s feedback. You’ve got plenty of options, like surveys, focus groups, panels and emails. Which one you use depends on your goals and resources.
Your best results happen with a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. Many common metrics, such as net promoter score (NPS), don’t do much to tell you how to take action where you’re not scoring well. Additionally, go omnichannel — the customer experience isn’t a single point.
Suppose a customer came into your store. They walk up and down the aisles for 60 minutes and buy three items. You could look at pure numbers and say that visit was a success because the customer made a purchase. But what the numbers don’t say is that 55 minutes of those 60 minutes were spent in frustration, and the person had come to the store looking to buy 30 items, not three. The only way you’d know how to improve their experience would be to ask them for their perspective and then take that feedback and use it to better their experience next time.
Remember to talk to the people who didn’tbuy, too. The conversion rate in physical retail is only 20-40%. On a website, it’s down to 2.5-3%. So, if you don’t get feedback from the people who haven’t converted, you’re ignoring most of your potential market.
No matter how you collect your feedback when you talk about VOC, you also have to talk about the employee’s voice. Your team members are on the front lines and in the best position to understand what your customers want and need.
VOC doesn’t just tie into one neat part of digital transformation. It’s the force behind so much of it that you need a process to help undertake digital transformation guided by your stakeholders. When you listen to customers and evolve with them over time, you build a foundation for the future and a loyal base. Your stakeholders will stay with you if they know you are using their feedback to meet their needs.
As you sift through the data your stakeholders have provided, you may find that your customers would benefit from updating your website, creating a more user-friendly app or introducing new technology like self-checkouts or item look-ups in your brick-and-mortar store. Their feedback will ultimately guide your digital transformation.
Whether you’re a small retailer looking to venture into ecommerce for the first time, a mature organization that needs to modernize outdated processes or even a government agency that wishes to provide more accessible services, tapping VOC protects you from operating in a silo and making unwanted, ineffective offers. Organizations that will survive have to be listening brands that are genuinely customer-centric. The sooner you commit to an ongoing, omnichannel feedback process, the sooner you’ll be ready to walk alongside your customers to produce long-term, competitive digital change.
RSI’s TaxMaster is the tax industry’s leading audit execution software that supports field auditors with end-to-end tools through every stage of the audit process.
PEMBROKE, Mass., March 28, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Revenue Solutions, Inc. (RSI™), a leader in providing tax software and services enabling digital transformation for state and local governments, is pleased to announce the launch of TaxMaster®, the advanced version of its solution for tax field audits.
TaxMaster® is RSI’s tried-and-true audit workpapers solution that provides tools and templates to drive auditor efficiency and consistency. TaxMaster V5 contributes a brand-new set of tightly integrated functionalities that support more than 30 tax types and assist audit managers, supervisors, and auditors with maximum efficiency and productivity and enhanced functionality, adaptability, and innovation.
It is a testament to RSI’s more than 25 years of experience that governments and revenue and tax offices throughout North America continue to choose TaxMaster as their preferred software when carrying out audit execution processes. To illustrate, three of the most prominent state tax offices in the U.S – Alabama’s Department of Revenue, Ohio’s Department of Taxation, and Pennsylvania’s Department of Revenue – have decided to broaden their partnership with RSI in the third quarter of 2022 with the utilization of TaxMaster.
RSI’s latest TaxMaster version drives audit execution and supports field auditors every step of the way through a modern, intuitive user interface that allows for increased workflows while improving usability and experience. While TaxMaster V5 adds new features and services, it also demands less screen space and creates an elevated experience and better control of the course of action for its users.
Daily tasks are carried out more quickly than before, and TaxMaster saves valuable time and resources for governments’ offices, including the value of added integrated help that supports auditors to accomplish their daily activities in an autonomous and self-productive manner.
“We’re excited to launch TaxMaster V5, the next-generation tax audit execution software,” CEO John Skinner said. “V5 represents our commitment to innovation and the delivery of enhanced functionality, adaptability and support for more than 30 tax types.”
“TaxMaster is the preferred software for carrying out audit execution processes in revenue and tax offices throughout North America,” Skinner said. “We’re delighted to be the go-to option for state and local tax offices like Alabama’s Department of Revenue, Ohio’s Department of Taxation, and Pennsylvania’s Department of Revenue.”
Integrating an easy and seamless configuration, TaxMaster adapts to any pre-established state or county structure. As tax, penalty, or interest rates change, the configuration settings are managed centrally and distributed to auditors automatically.
RSI’s objective is to make hands-on user tasks easier by future-proofing its solutions. TaxMaster can adapt to any type of circumstance and supports multiple types of audit methodologies, including detailed, sampling, and stratified random sample audits.
“With its enhanced features and services, TaxMaster V5 enables auditors to complete their work more efficiently and productively, setting the benchmark for enhanced workflows in tax and revenue offices all over the U.S.,” Nicholas Thermenos, Chief Revenue Officer, said. “A tried-and-true solution like TaxMaster is the reason why RSI is at the forefront of serving the needs of state and local governments.”
To position itself as a leader in providing tax administration solutions, RSI continues to evolve technologically. TaxMaster reflects the company’s commitment to modernization: leading governments into the future through the delivery of transformative technologies.
About Revenue Solutions
Founded in 1996, Revenue Solutions, Inc.™ is the trusted, collaborative partner leading governments to innovation with the only cloud-native packaged software solution, revX™. Offered as Software as a Service (SaaS), revX™ is the preferred platform for government revenue processing. We empower public agencies and offices with solutions that improve citizen services, increase operational efficiency, collect additional revenue, and maximize compliance. For over 25 years, RSI™ has delivered transformative technology solutions across hundreds of client projects throughout the United States and Canada.
Allan Hancock College selects Pathify to drive student engagement via a customized communications portal
Press Release –
Mar 2, 2023
DENVER, March 2, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Pathify — the only centralized user experience hub for higher ed — proudly welcomes Allan Hancock College (AHC) to the growing community of customers obsessed with improving the student technology experience.
Dedicated to offering resources in support of student success and meeting the needs of the student body, AHC amplifies itssupport with a unifying platform tailored to current students, faculty and alumni needs.
“It has been a long-term goal to have a high-quality campus mobile app for students, and we are excited to partner with Pathify to make this happen,” Director of Information Technology Services at Allan Hancock Andy Specht said. “At the same time, we are using Pathify’s platform to develop a modern portal experience for our students and employees.”
Pathify fills the gaping UX void at the center of the higher education digital ecosystem, creating a centralized user experience unifying all technology, content, communications and people. Offering highly personalized experiences for users at every point in their journey, the Engagement Hub encourages system-agnostic integrations, collaborative social groups, personalized tasks, and multi-channel communication with full web/mobile parity.
“Community colleges serve highly diverse student populations with a ton of different needs, and providing a modern experience has never been more important,” Pathify Chief Revenue Officer Matt Hammond said. “We’re thrilled AHC shares our mission in creating a unified experience for students regardless of background.”
Allan Hancock College joins existing California community college customers such as Antelope Valley College, Chaffey College, Ventura County Community College District and Lassen College.
About Allan Hancock College
Allan Hancock College is located in northern Santa Barbara County, California. The college is ranked as one of the five best community colleges in California and one of the top 120 community colleges in the nation.
Approximately 11,500 credit students enroll each semester at one of the district’s four locations in Santa Maria, Lompoc, Santa Ynez Valley or at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The main campus is in Santa Maria, a 105-acre park-like setting that provides students with exceptional teaching and state-of-the-art technology.
About Pathify
Obsessed with making great technology while developing incredible long-term relationships with customers, Pathify remains hyper-focused on creating stellar experiences across the entire student lifecycle — from prospects to alumni. Delivering cloud-based, integration-friendly technology designed to drive engagement, Pathify pushes personalized information, content, and resources to the right people, at the right time — on any device. Led by a team of former higher ed executives, builders, and technology leaders, the team at Pathify focuses every day on serving the needs of learners everywhere.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. They supply and care for our families, support economic growth and stability, and foster meaningful relationships with the people they serve. Nobody understands the value of small businesses more than those who live in communities that are most likely to experience disinvestment and neglect from corporate investors — which are disproportionately communities of color.
These small businesses are also most often owned and operated by Black entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs of color. Despite their value to their communities, racial inequities persist, and many Black-owned small businesses lack the financial resources necessary to grow and survive an economic crisis.
Luckily, in today’s tech-driven economy, Black small business owners have new digital tools to help their businesses survive, thrive and stand out among corporate competitors. Here are three reasons Black small business leaders should meet this moment and embrace digital transformation.
Businesses that rely on foot traffic to reach clientele were hit hardest by pandemic-related shutdowns. The needs and interests of business leaders and their clients drastically changed, and those without the infrastructure to adapt to our new normal were at the greatest risk. As experts continue to signal that we’re nearing an economic recession, agility becomes increasingly necessary for the survival of small businesses.
When small business leaders adopt digital tools and infrastructure, it allows them to shift quickly to ensure they can continue providing services to their customers. Whether through eCommerce websites or social media campaigns, digital adoption can help small businesses stay afloat amid global economic disruption. If business leaders start planning and implementing digital strategies now, they will be better prepared to meet whatever challenges they face next.
One of the many reasons Black-owned businesses struggled to survive amid the pandemic was due to the direct economic impact it had on the people they serve. Many Black-owned businesses operate in predominantly Black communities, which are disproportionately affected by job loss and illness spurred by COVID-19 because of economic and healthcare disparities.
Business leaders have to seek new ways to expand their customer base. Digitizing operations can open new markets for small businesses to explore, which generates more significant growth opportunities. Through online advertising, cloud computing and mobile commerce, small business leaders can extend their reach beyond local communities and into national or global markets. This will not only advance the success of small businesses but also ensure they are still around to serve their communities well after an economic crisis hits.
Corporate competitors routinely receive more investment than small businesses, which means they have the resources to position themselves as better service providers. Small business leaders can stand out among corporate competition when investing in digital tools. These tools offer a more efficient means for handling inventory management, data analysis and marketing automation — resulting in faster turnaround times and better decision-making processes.
Small businesses, especially Black-owned ones, often lack the financial capital and investments needed to innovate and keep up with their larger competitors. The good news is there is support for small business leaders, especially those who are shut out of financial opportunities due to pre-existing racial inequities.
One of the groups I work with, the Small Business Digital Alliance (SBDA), connects small business owners with digital tools, training, and other opportunities to reach new customers by expanding their digital networks. Services and resources provided by the SBDA can help small businesses adopt digital strategies to grow and sustain their businesses – and they are free of charge to those within the network. This can help small businesses better understand the needs of their customers and quickly fulfill their expectations. By investing in digital solutions, small businesses can level the playing field and put themselves on equal footing with larger corporations.
There is no way to predict an economic crisis’s impact on our businesses, but we can take steps to prepare and mitigate risks. Beyond business survival, going digital offers many advantages for Black small business leaders who want to stay competitive in an increasingly tech-driven landscape.
ETT’s Executive Chairman & CEO Christopher Condon states, “Our mission at ETT is to lead the worldwide path for Digital and Economic Transformation in sectors ripe for positive disruption.”
Condon adds, “ETT is strategically partnering with some of the world’s largest Software Integrators to utilize their infrastructure for the implementation and sales processes, and to obtain immediate access to the world’s largest corporations.”
ETT is aligned with Network Hardware & Data Storage companies to stay relevant and on the razor edge of Digital Transformation by adding data platform services to the underlying infrastructure, and with large Telecom companies to take the Edge of Cloud Data from gadgets and devices through their data ingestion engine to create predictive, real-time actionable data.
“Our PaaS interoperability solution is a game-changer for enterprises,” said John Czelusniak, ETT’s Chief Growth Officer. “It enables them to seamlessly integrate and manage their data sources in a single, unified platform, resulting in improved efficiency and effectiveness. This solution allows enterprises to facilitate quicker scalability.”
ETT’s platform is designed to offer a comprehensive solution that enables businesses to operate efficiently while enhancing their productivity. ETT’s services are geared towards streamlining processes and improving the bottom line of companies by leveraging technology. The company’s focus on digital transformation, combined with its state-of-the-art platform and skilled team, makes it a valuable partner for companies seeking to optimize their operations in today’s digital era. For more information, visit www.ettworld.com.
LOS ANGELES, February 14, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Moonware, a venture-backed California startup, is solving some of the biggest challenges in air travel. With recent news of significant delays due to IT failures and air traffic control issues, Moonware’s technology aims to improve efficiency and reliability in commercial and cargo aviation with intelligent airport systems.
Holiday travel is near pre-pandemic levels, but that has brought a host of new challenges. This year, airlines left thousands of passengers stranded or with missing bags, and thousands of flights were canceled, delayed or diverted. A Christmas blizzard that affected airlines across North America has highlighted the fact that many stakeholders have been slow to invest in upgrading their IT systems, where archaic tools like walkie-talkies and paper are still prevalent.
Moonware comes into the picture at a challenging time for air travel. The company is developing an “airside OS,” HALO, which coordinates the ground crew and equipment responsible for servicing aircraft with tasks such as baggage loading, fueling, cleaning, catering, and more. Optimizing these ground operations helps carriers reduce delays and turnaround times while increasing aircraft utility.
Weather-related issues affect the scheduling of staff needed to operate flights, ranging from pilots and cabin crew to ramp agents and ground handlers who are responsible for servicing aircraft. Moonware’s HALO app “Uber-izes” airport ground logistics, pairing ramp agents with flights through an automated system, which also uses smart routing to help ground crews navigate across the tarmac. Efficiently allocating people and vehicles across the airfield saves time and fuel, cutting emissions and costs.
Real-time data is key in the system’s ability to redistribute staff and assets during last-minute schedule changes, which is absent in existing operations. Today’s legacy scheduling tools lack built-in redundancies for unscheduled changes and setbacks. Systems that account for the complexities in operational disturbances, regardless of weather, seem to be needed more than ever. “Our technology has the potential to revolutionize the way aircraft are serviced and turnarounds are handled, resulting in a more efficient and sustainable airport experience,” says CEO Javier Vidal.
Antiquated scheduling tools were greatly responsible for propagating the effects of the Christmas blizzard, where Moonware is modernizing the ground operations portion of the puzzle. But the company’s plans don’t stop there.
Beyond software, part of the company’s roadmap includes deploying autonomous and electric ground support equipment (GSE) to augment “last-mile” airside tasks. “The biggest advantage of deploying autonomous vehicles in an airport is the controlled environment of operation. When compared to public roads, airfields are simpler to map, where markings on the tarmac and a myriad of signs can serve as built-in navigational cues,” says CTO Saunon Malekshahi.
Moonware is currently working with industry leaders to bring its technology to market, with plans to start testing HALO in the coming months. Its mission is to enable what the company calls the “next-generation of aerial mobility,” with automated and sustainable airfields.
Wells Fargo is keeping to its multiyear digital transformation path and planning further investments in its online platforms in 2023. WHY IT MATTERS: Since 2020, the $1.8 trillion Wells Fargo has decreased its headcount by more than 10%, or 30,000 people, and there are more gross expenses within the company that can be reduced, Chief […]
