These days, high-end smartphones are getting more and more expensive, unless you wait for Black Friday sales or promotions. Even the latest iPhone XS Max is priced over £1400, which is quite a lot of money. This is the reason that so many smartphone users are opting for refurbished mobile phones to save some of their hard earned money. As refurbished mobile phones are actually quite common these days, in this article let’s discuss some of the top interesting facts about refurbished phones. And don’t forget to read the 3rd fact. It will entice you to buy a refurbished phone right now. But first of all, let us understand the definition of a refurbished phone. What is a Refurbished Phone? Refurbished phones, commonly known as refurb phones are those phones which, after their functionality defect, are returned back to the manufacturer. The manufacturer then repairs these phones and send them back to the market for re-selling. You might also see refurbished phones labelled as ‘pre-owned or reconditioned’ phones. Most of the times there is nothing wrong with refurbished phones even before they get their repairing. The owner might send back the device to buy a new one. When it comes to a new phone vs refurbished phone, there is not much difference except that the refurbished phones are carefully and lightly used before coming in your hands. In simple words, a refurbished phone is just like a new phone, though technically it is not a ‘brand new’ phone. That is why people like to buy refurbished phones because they are basically new. And you can get a refurbished phone at a discounted price as well. Interesting Things About Refurbished Phones Here are some of the interesting things about a Refurbished phone. After knowing these things, we are sure that you will never hesitate while buying a refurbished phone.
Saving money is one of the utmost desires of a common human being. And Refurbished phones fulfil this desire, as you can get an almost like new phone at a huge discounted price. These refurbished phones work like new smartphones. The discounted prices open new possibilities for you while selecting a new phone. If a brand new phone costs you around 1000 pounds, the same phone of the same brand in a refurbished form will costs you 50% less or even more than original pricing. So, the ‘low cost’ factor is one of the most important things about refurbished phones.
You should avoid buying phones with short lifespan. But as far as refurbished phones are concerned, you can buy them without any hesitation. Refurb phones work the same as new ones. But these phones are always repaired and tested by a skilled technician. When a phone is installed with replacement parts like a new battery, its lifecycle automatically increases and you get a chance to stick with your favourite phone a bit longer. That is why refurbished iPhone 5s is still common in mobile phone users.
Because refurbished phones get repaired and tested by professionals, so they come up with a long guarantee. Normally the guarantee time period is between 6 to 12 months. For comparison: if you buy a refurbished iPhone from Apple, you will get a guarantee of maximum 3 months, and if you buy a refurbished phone from a trusted online mobile phone marketplace then you will get a guarantee of up to 12 months. Alpha SmartPhones is one such company who provides 12-month long and extensive guarantee with its high quality refurbished phones. If mobile phone malfunctions in that time, you can return it without any hassle and get your cash back. And this condition applies to all mobile phones available at Alpha SmartPhones.
Buying a refurbished phone is more environment-friendly gesture than buying a new phone. Millions of smartphones end up at landfills every year. These phones are continuously polluting our environment due to the toxic materials inside them. So it is better to recycle these phones instead of throwing them. Refurbished phones contain good condition parts of these recycled phones. Thus, reusing refurbished phones is a great service towards protecting the environment.
Usually, people get shy while buying a refurbished phone online for the first time. However, there is no such risk involved when you buy a refurbished phone from an online mobile phone marketplace. You can buy your favourite phone in a refurb form online with free home delivery. By the way, Alpha SmartPhones does provide such service to its customers with 30 days money back guarantee as well. So you can easily claim your money back if the mobile phone doesn’t meet your expectations. Share this:The post 5 Interesting Things About Refurbished Phones You Must Know appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/5-interesting-things-about-refurbished-phones-you-must-know/
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Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions were once the exclusive domain of large businesses. But time has changed, and now small to midsize enterprises (SME) are increasingly turning to ERP systems to streamline and improve their business processes. However, implementing an ERP system in an SME is a different proposition than doing so in a large business, for a handful of reasons. One of the most significant is that an SME generally work under tight budgets, leaving little room for error when selecting and rolling out an ERP solution. Another difference is that an SME simply have few employees, which translates to less specialized expertise in certain areas, which can be crucial to implementing an ERP system. Despite these specific challenges, SMEs can effectively and efficiently implement an ERP solution and begin to enjoy the day-to-day benefits such a system brings. To achieve success with their ERP system implementation, an SME must observe the following guidelines. Effectively Planning the ProjectIt’s no exaggeration to say that most companies that have failed with their ERP implementation can trace the failure back to the planning phase. The decisions made before the implementation begins are essential to setting the business up to succeed in implementing the ERP system. The planning phase should establish a solid foundation on which to build the entire implementation. It should cover areas ranging from choosing the ERP solution best suited to your needs from the host of offerings on the market to selecting the features and possible customizations you desire, to ironing out all the details of how the project will be implemented. Outlining Business RequirementsEvery business is unique, and a good ERP system should be tailored to an individual business’ needs and goals. To implement an ERP system, you’ll need to get a sense for what features your business will require. You’ll need to envision how your users will interact with the system on a daily basis, and what functionality they’ll need for the ERP system to improve their processes. ERP solutions can offer anything from an out-of-the-box system to dizzying array of customizable features, and you’ll need to determine what configuration fits your business needs. It’s ideal for you to draw up concrete workflows and strategize as to how the ERP system can integrate with the daily operations and activities of your business. You’ll also need to make choices as to whether you’ll choose an ERP system that will be installed on your premises within the hardware your business owns, or to use one of the increasingly popular cloud-based ERP systems. A number of ERP software providers even offer hybrid ERP solutions, with a mix of both on-premise and cloud-based features. Establishing a Project PlanAt this point, you’ve exhaustively diagrammed your business needs and how to fulfill them. Now you’ll want to work with your ERP software provider to establish a clear project plan covering the implementation from start to finish, and beyond. This plan should have concrete objectives and goals, and measures in place for monitoring your progress. You should have provisions in place for testing along the way, and a plan for dealing with any issues or setbacks in a timely manner before the system actually goes live. Finally, your project plan should give you a roadmap for your post-implementation needs. Too many businesses plan carefully up to the point where the system is live and expect everything past then to take care of itself. But sadly, this isn’t usually the case. You’ll want to have a plan for support and maintenance, as well as clear assignments for your in-house information technology (IT) staff, which will be responsible for ERP system support. Carefully review the terms of the software and implementation provider so that there are no misunderstandings down the line. Building a Dream TeamThe implementation process for your ERP system will be driven in large part by the disproportionate efforts of a select group of people whom you’ll task with assisting the process. Choosing the right group is critical to ensuring that the implementation goes smoothly and receives business-wide buy-in. Because an ERP system is a solution that spans the entirety of an organization, its users and the people affected by it will stretch across all parts of the business. Your implementation team should reflect this reality. You ideally want team members from all departments and all skill levels and technical expertise. Once you’ve created your team, the next step is establishing a communication schedule that lets the team members work together and keep all relevant parties in the loop as to the progress of the project. A number of available project management tools can be invaluable in helping with communication between team members. It’s worth noting that a team of otherwise highly suited and well-selected members can fail to do its job properly if the individual members cannot allocate enough time to the project. If team members are so busy with their regular duties that they can’t devote time to the implementation, that’s the major problem. This problem goes back to the planning phase, so make sure to take staff availability into account when making decisions. Managing ChangePeople are generally reflexively resistant to change, and this is certainly true in the business world. Implementing an ERP system represents a significant disruption in the way users do their jobs on a daily basis, and some resentment or resistance is natural. It’s your job to combat that resistance and mitigate any confusion as people settle into their new routines. This means making a point of emphasis to highlight the benefits of the new system at all levels of the business. Your employees should be able to understand how the new system works and how it helps both the business as a whole and them individually. Keep your employees in the loop as to the implementation’s progress and the goals you’ve achieved. They should feel as connected to the process as possible. Make sure to offer training opportunities and additional resources to any employees who might desire or need them. Note that some of your employees will become super users, and they can be a wonderful resource for tricks and tips to the general user base. Your employees should feel as though they have the tools they need to understand how to best use the new system and thus benefit from it. Asking for HelpFinally, don’t be shy about leaning on outside resources in the situation calls for it. Most software vendors offer help desk and support services. Makes sure you use them as appropriate. In more extreme cases, a number of consultants and advisory firms specialize in ERP implementation and usage and can provide impartial advice and help. Implementing an ERP system can be a daunting process, especially in you’re an SME that may never have had an ERP system implemented before. Following the above guidelines can remove much of the fear and uncertainty while providing a clear path to lasting success and productivity for your business. CategoriesThe post Guide to SME ERP Implementation Success appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/guide-to-sme-erp-implementation-success/ These universities and institutes offer the best programs for professionals interested in a career in big data and analytics. Data science and analytics- There’s never been a better time to begin a career in data science: By 2020 the number of annual job openings for all data-savvy professionals in the US will increase to 2.7 million, IBM predicted. And those with data science skills can command an average salary of $139,840 in the US, according to Glassdoor. The massive growth in data has changed the way enterprises operate, and data science has become crucial for making smart business decisions. But how do you gain this coveted skillset? Analytics Insight Magazine has named the 10 best analytics and data science institutes of 2018, naming the top programs with experienced global faculties that offer real-world experience to their students, according to a press release. “The featured institutions offer a comprehensive curriculum in Big Data and Data Science, delivered by top-class faculties along with extraordinary industry exposure,” Ashish Sukhadeve, founder and editor-in-chief of Analytics Insight, said in the release. “We congratulate all the ten institutes for providing world-class analytical education and building impactful data professionals.” Here are 10 analytics and data science institutes that are at the forefront of education in the field. 1. Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public PolicyCarnegie Mellon offers a Master’s program in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (BIDA), and deploys the latest in analytical education, according to the release. 2. Cornell UniversityCornell offers a unique flagship program in Master of Professional Studies in Applied Statistics (M.P.S.). It also offers undergraduate degrees in statistics and data science, as well as M.S and Ph.D. degrees in these fields. 3. Great Lakes Institute of ManagementGreat Lakes Institute of Management is a leading business school in India, which offers a one-year Post Graduate Program in Management (PGPM), a regular two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), along with weekend and executive programs in analytics, for professionals who want to gain these skills while working. 4. International School of EngineeringThe International School of Engineering (INSOFE) in India is an applied engineering school with a focus on data science and big data analytics education, according to the release. The school offers courses in big data analytics, teaching the latest machine learning and deep learning techniques to solve real-world problems. 5. New York University Stern School of BusinessThe NYU Stern School offers a Masters of Science in Business Analytics degree that aims to help executives understand the role of data in decision-making. The program focuses on domain-specific areas such as analytics strategy, marketing, and optimization, according to the release. 6. Penn State UniversityPenn State University offers Master in Data Analytics, preparing students to work in positions that require the design and maintenance of big data and data analytics systems with exposure to real-world datasets. 7. Praxis Business SchoolIndia’s Praxis Business School offers a one-year post-graduate program in data science with machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities aimed at equipping students with the tools, techniques, and skills to enter the analytics field, the release said. 8. Saint Mary’s College, Notre DameNotre Dame offers a Master of Science in Data Science program provides students with a deep dive into the mathematical and computational skills needed to take on complex data challenges. 9. University of Chicago Graham SchoolThe University of Chicago offers a Master of Science in Analytics (MScA) program to help students analyze complex datasets and and solve real-world problems, the release noted. The post 10 top data science and analytics education programs of 2018 appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/10-top-data-science-and-analytics-education-programs-of-2018/ From explainable AI to natural language humanising data analytics, James Eiloart from Tableau gives his take on the top trends in business analytics intelligence as we head into 2019. Business analytics trends- Business analytics intelligence prediction number one: After the hype, the rise of explainable AI AI promises to enhance human understanding by automating decision-making. But, as organisations rely on AI and machine learning for data-driven decision-making, we’re seeing a rise in human hesitation about the trustworthiness of model-driven recommendations. Many machine learning applications don’t offer a transparent way to see the algorithms or logic behind decisions and recommendations. This need for transparency will drive growth of explainable AI in 2019. If you can question humans, why not have the same option with machine learning when making decisions? Business leaders will put greater pressure on data science teams to use models that are more explainable and reveal how models are constructed. AI has to be trusted to make the strongest impact, and the generated conclusions must be intelligible, simple and dynamically answer questions to help humans understand their data.
Business analytics intelligence prediction number two: Natural language humanises data analyticsNatural language processing (NLP) helps computers understand the meaning of human language. BI vendors will incorporate natural language into their platforms, offering a natural language interface to visualisations. At the same time, natural language is evolving to support analytical conversation—defined as a human having a conversation with the system about their data. The system leverages context within the conversation to understand the user’s intent behind a query and further the dialogue, creating a more natural, conversational experience. That means when a person has a follow-up question of their data, they don’t have to rephrase the question to dig deeper or clarify an ambiguity. Natural language will be a paradigm shift in how people ask questions of their data. When people can interact with a visualisation as they would a person, it allows more people of all skill sets to ask deeper questions of their data. As natural language evolves within the BI industry, it will break down barriers to analytics adoption and help transform workplaces into data-driven, self-service operations. Business analytics intelligence prediction number three: Actionable analytics put data into contextData workers need to access their data and take action—all in the same workflow. In 2019, expect more organisations to use data analytics exactly where it’s needed and not in isolation. Organisations will truly reap the benefits of how BI platform vendors are offering capabilities like mobile analytics, embedded analytics, dashboard extensions, and APIs. Embedded analytics puts data and insights where people are already working so they don’t have to navigate to another application or shared server, while dashboard extensions bring access to other systems right into the dashboard. And mobile analytics put data directly into the hands of people in the field. These advancements are equally powerful as they meet the needs of different business teams and verticals by empowering new audiences with on-demand data in context.
Business analytics intelligence prediction number four: Enterprises get smarter about analyticsBusiness intelligence initiatives often have a well-defined start and end date and it’s not uncommon for them to be considered “complete” after they are rolled out to users. But merely providing access to business intelligence solutions isn’t the same as adoption. Chief data officers, primarily, are re-evaluating how BI adoption plays a part in a strategic shift towards modernisation, because true value isn’t measured by the solution you deploy, but how your workforce uses the solution to impact the business. The assumption that everyone is getting value out of a BI platform just because they have access to it can actually be an inhibitor to real progress with analytics. As these internal communities on-board workers onto a BI platform, organisations can start to delegate analytical responsibilities and create new user champions. This will ultimately reduce the heavy lifting for maintenance and reporting, traditionally reserved for IT. More internal champions will start to emerge, acting as subject matter experts who socialise best practices and align people on data definitions. Inevitably, all of these movements will lead to more people using and getting value out of BI software. And most importantly, your workforce will become more efficient and your organisation more competitive. Share this:The post Top five business analytics intelligence trends for 2019 appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/top-five-business-analytics-intelligence-trends-for-2019/ Customer Data Analytics- Being a successful entrepreneur isn’t easy. A viable idea, a profitable niche, a target demographic and something of value to sell are the prime requirements to run a business. Aside from these customer relations also ranks high on the list. A customer responds better to what is done for them. An entrepreneur should catch his/her customer base, their preferences and purchasing behavior. For attracting and retaining profitable customers a systematic examination of customer information is needed. Customer data analytics is not just collecting numbers on product sale. It can lead to an accurate prediction about the future and provide actionable roadmaps for achieving desired goals. The process involves examining and capturing customer behavioral data. Descriptive analytics, Prescriptive analytics, and predictive analytics are three types of customer data analytics. The foremost one describes ‘what happened?’. This is the standard type of customer analytics, in which summarizing of raw data is done. They provide a clue into the past. Prescriptive analytics provide insight into a fruitful outcome. It is more like providing a solution. Predictive analysis try to answer the question ‘what could happen?’. It provides information on what can be expected in the future. Together it becomes the backbone for all marketing activities. The key features of an effective customer insight are consumer research, data quality, database marketing, and analytics team. Customer’s perception of their behavior could not be neglected. Customer data management also is vital in data analytics. The predictive customer insight is proportional to the quality of data gathered. Database marketing is a robust way of testing hypothesis, a scientific method to know customer insight. A proficient team also is required for strategic marketing. There are many benefits to using customer data analytics. Primarily they help in improving business operations. It is used extensively to create promotion and campaigns. Provision into a better understanding of the target group helps in reducing campaign cost by picking up customers who are likely to respond. In future, this customer data can provide insight in designing new products too. Customers expect a faster customer service and instant gratification today. Relevant knowledge to address these pain points will nurture customer relationships which in effect will help in the business itself. Share this:The post Making the most out of Customer Data Analytics appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/making-the-most-out-of-customer-data-analytics/ Momentum is growing in the adoption of modern enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), like SAP S/4 Hana and cloud-based deployments, especially Hana Enterprise Cloud (HEC). Analysts predict cloud ERP deployments will become the default within the next two years, and traditional ERP software will be phased out. In fact, by 2025, SAP will end mainstream maintenance of its legacy ERP Central Component (ECC) software. At the same time, governments are increasing their efforts to reform financial processes. Numerous countries are at various stages of asking companies to comply with detailed processes for e-invoicing, accounting and tax reporting. These government mandates are forcing businesses to further accelerate digital transformations, from purchasing to a general ledger. Countries throughout Latin America have been leading the way, starting with automated tax reporting and evolving to more complex rules involving e-invoicing that must be validated in real-time (Brazil), e-assessments (Chile) and e-receipts (Peru). After watching these countries close their value-added tax (VAT) gaps, European nations are following Latin America’s lead. Spain now requires real-time visibility into business data. Therefore, companies have to adopt new technologies and dramatically change common practices. Hungary is tracking B2C and B2B transactions in real-time, with no human or manual intervention allowed. Italy went a step further, adopting a clearance model that requires e-invoices in the mandated format to be cleared through the government platform before goods can ship. Tax Compliance GapsConstantly changing requirements are an accepted part of the corporate regulatory environment. S/4 Hana and ECC both address compliance requirements by providing country-by-country tools to build custom workflows. However, these efforts add cost and complexity to SAP centers of excellence (COEs). In addition, compliance updates are handled through complex standardized code releases, forcing companies to adapt the code to their individual customizations. Many enterprises have global strategies to roll out SAP updates on a set schedule. This approach could cause them to fall behind in compliance. The major updates and testing required for e-invoicing and all forms of continuous tax compliance interrupt the COE’s calendar and can affect global operations. Companies that run an N-1 upgrade strategy are especially at risk, as their compliance measures won’t be up-to-date with new requirements. Nor does SAP account for local-level details, like certain fields, naming architectures, codes or character limits. These factors can result in implementation challenges and compliance gaps. In order to continue normal operations and avoid compliance cost increases, leading businesses are faced with a growing need to address VAT enforcement down to the transaction level, in real-time for every type of transaction. In Italy, for example, customer invoice acceptances or rejections do not need to be registered with the Italian invoice clearance platform, and the use of the SDI system for export and outbound intra-community invoices is currently optional. However, these processes are expected to become mandatory. Whether in Italy or other European countries adopting e-invoicing, companies will need to prepare all their business applications – from ERP to cloud-based transaction services – for what’s to come. ERP-Centric Tax Compliance AdministrationTax compliance must be proactively managed within S/4 Hana to address regulatory changes and avoid the risks, fines and penalties that occur from data discrepancies, errors and non-compliance. However, internal management of this process is no easy feat. It requires changes to the way global COE and shared service teams operate. Furthermore, it involves time-intensive IT projects, since frequent updates are needed not only for ERP and billing system, but also for other customer transaction and purchasing systems. When initiating a S/4 Hana project, companies must put tax compliance at the forefront to ensure they can manage the complexities of global tax laws. When evaluating solutions, companies should look for functionalities such as:
By ensuring new solutions offer these functionalities, companies can address the challenges associated with SAP-native implementations and maintain the highest level of compliance despite frequent regulatory changes. CategoriesThe post The Challenge of SAP-Native Tax Compliance appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/the-challenge-of-sap-native-tax-compliance/ For decades, retailers, wholesalers and other business enterprises have leveraged customer relationship management systems to manage transactions and communicate with customers. The increasingly refined data gathering, analysis and collaboration capabilities of today’s CRM platforms are a powerful combination that enables faster response, more informed decisions, customized experiences and higher levels of customer satisfaction. While information sharing is a valuable tool for healthcare organizations, perhaps an even greater opportunity for CRMs is the ability to create communities between providers and patients. The use of CRM in care management can provide patients with a persistent, easily accessed haven of information and support. By integrating health management tools, including EHR data, caregivers can share relevant information with patients to enhance outcomes and streamline communication. Effective use of a CRM can also provide a low-cost tool for optimizing collaboration among clinicians and other healthcare support workers. CRM platforms effectively become a patient’s “neighbourhood,” where he or she is known and understood. It’s also not limited to patients and caregivers. Patients’ families, insurance providers, hospital systems and community-service providers can also share information pertinent to the patient’s well-being. Clinicians don’t traditionally have systems in place to connect patients with non-medical, but equally important, services, such as food or medication delivery, transportation and social support. By utilizing a CRM platform, they can connect patients with beneficial social and community resources to reduce the occurrence of ER visits, readmissions and the need for expensive medical interventions. Because CRM platforms can integrate seamlessly and cost-effectively with third-party platforms, they can also provide valuable data for enhanced clinical processes and workflow design. Effective use of a CRM can streamline care management, including:
As data is added over time, clinicians, community programs and insurance providers can then use that information to transform other areas of their business, such as authorizations and utilization management. CRM technology is continually evolving, simultaneously expanding its value as a health care resource. As alternative payment models that better address the needs of the patient population are designed and adopted, they can be easily incorporated. The automation of robotic processes can help CRM administrators customize and configure rules to identify socioeconomic programs offered by a health plan or community-based organizations, verify services for which a member might be eligible (significantly reducing the number of case-manager hours), help patients connect with those programs and track participation. The value of CRM is more than just its application to retail customers. Its value is in the management and enhancement of all business relationships. In health care, where personal contact and trust are key, CRMs can help providers anticipate and respond to patients’ needs more effectively; monitor, track and manage collaborative care activities more easily; and evaluate behaviors, outcomes and trends more quickly, all of which can lead to better diagnoses and, as a result, stronger patient relationships. CategoriesThe post How CRM Platforms Can Add Personal Care to Healthcare appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/how-crm-platforms-can-add-personal-care-to-healthcare/ Most ERP solutions originated in the manufacturing sector as materials resource planning (MRP) solutions for organisations that needed to manage a lot of inventory. From there, they were rapidly developed into solutions for every industry imaginable. But these roots mean that most standalone ERP software isn’t quite enough on its own to address the needs of organisations in asset-intensive industries such as metal foundries, mining, oil and gas, pulp and paper, energy and utilities, and construction and engineering. Companies in these sectors are not managing inventory as much as they are managing the capacity of a fixed asset over its lifecycle as well as handling large-scale infrastructure projects with long planning cycles. This is where enterprise asset management (EAM) comes into play, offering capabilities that are not found in typical ERP solutions. EAM systems are built to help organisations manage assets such as plants, heavy machinery, pipelines and industrial-class vehicles. These solutions enable organisations to track the location and status of assets and asset objects in real time, schedule work orders to maintain and fix the assets, and manage the storage of spare parts required to service them. As Africa’s governments, state-owned enterprises and private sector step up infrastructure investment, EAM has a vital role to play in ensuring that organisations drive the highest possible value from their new assets, whether these are telecoms networks, railway systems, ports or power plants. According to the World Bank, Africa needs to spend around $93 billion a year over the next decade to address its infrastructure backlogs, about one-third of that cost is for maintenance. In 2008, World Bank found that about 30% of the infrastructure assets of a typical African country needed rehabilitation. These numbers point to the urgent need for organisations across the continent to take a more proactive and preventative outlook towards the maintenance of their key infrastructure and assets. Implementation of EAM can enable organisations to better track, manage and maintain assets to prolong their lifespan and enhance return on investment. From asset planning to construction to operation to decommissioning and replacement, EAM allows organisations to maintain, manage and optimise assets over the entire asset lifecycle. By helping companies to increase asset productivity and availability -while reducing total cost of ownership- EAM can have a direct impact on profitability and financial sustainability. Good EAM solutions can also be paired with corporate performance management and analytics tools to let organisations analyse operation disruptions and determine and address the causes, such as maintenance issues, inadequate training, or design faults. Technological advances, along with the associated price drop for smart products being developed for the Internet of Things (IoT), now make it possible to monitor almost any asset in real-time from nearly any location across the globe. This further boosts the power and usefulness of an EAM solution. It is imperative that the EAM solutions that are implemented are built on robust, newer technologies that can easily support IOT, AI and smart bots. EAM and ERP: A Critical PartnershipTo sum up, ERP manages business operations, while the EAM system manages all the monitoring and operations of the asset. That means for most companies it isn’t an either-or choice because they need both EAM and ERP to drive optimal business performance. Some organisations opt for so-called ‘best of breed’ EAM and ERP solutions from different providers. Yet integration can be a headache. The challenges include master data synchronisation and transaction integration. The company may also need to consider whether the ERP or EAM system is the better fit for a particular transaction or asset type. However, for most organisations in asset-intensive industries, the ideal solution is an ERP system with extensive EAM capabilities: a system built from the ground up to manage not only basic business functions but also assets and their maintenance. Such a solution provides one complete solution spanning key processes and data. This approach enables the organisation to truly manage and maximise value over asset lifecycles. It also empowers the enterprise to organise operations around the assets and individual asset objects it uses to create value for stakeholders, customers and the community. For most asset-intensive companies, delivering EAM capabilities as part and parcel of an integrated ERP solutions, simplifies their business systems landscape, giving them a single source of truth. The same arguments apply to project management and workforce management systems. Organisations seeking to transform their business by standardising processes and leveraging reliable, real-time data will benefit from an ERP system with all of these capabilities, setting them up to adopt IoT, artificial intelligence, or whatever other new technologies are coming up next. By Mohamed Cassoojee, MD and Country Manager, IFS South Africa and Africa CategoriesThe post Integrated EAM and ERP Solutions Can Power an Asset-Intensive Business into the Future appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/integrated-eam-and-erp-solutions-can-power-an-asset-intensive-business-into-the-future/ Advanced analytics is being deployed to make sense of the masses of machine data in IT operation, but complex environments is making this harderMachine data analytics- A survey of 250 executives across the UK, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany whose companies use machine data reported that IT operations remains the top use case for machine data analytics. The 451 Research report for SumoLogic, Using machine data analytics to gain advantage in the analytics economy, found that machine data analytics was being used in IT operations in 56% of the organisations surveyed. Data scientists were the second biggest users (45%), while security analysts (37%) was the third highest user group. Nancy Gohring, senior analyst at 451 Research and author of the report, wrote: “Although IT operations, the typical use case for machine data analytics, still tops the list in terms of ownership and usage of these tools, we were surprised at the wide array of employees in other roles who commonly use machine data analytics – a result that again emphasises that companies do recognise the many ways that machine data can drive intelligence across the business.” 451 Research also reported that security, monitoring and big data insights top the list of application areas for machine learning analytics. The study found that more than half of respondents felt new cloud and container IT architectures did not hamper their ability to get data fast decision-making. However, 451 Research found that in organisations using continuous integration and continuous deployment tools, respondents were more likely to say that the adoption of those technologies made it more difficult to get the data they needed for fast decision making. “We have seen tools evolve to collect the granular data required in application environments built on technologies such as containers and microservices,” Gohring wrote in the report. However, the study also found that 47% of survey respondents said the adoption of modern technologies makes it harder to get the data they need for speedy decision making, indicating that a notable portion of the market is still underserved in this regard, according to Gohring. Colin Fernandes, director of product marketing at Sumo Logic, said: “Getting effective oversight across systems and users with machine data makes delivering better services easier alongside improving security and operations. It’s gratifying to see that European organisations already understand the value in using machine data analytics for security purposes.” The post IT monitoring tops uses for machine data analytics appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/it-monitoring-tops-uses-for-machine-data-analytics/ The technology holds a lot of promise for security, but there’s still a long way to go before it sees serious enterprise adoption. Cybersecurity Blockchain- Blockchain is one of the biggest tech buzzwords of the last few years, and the technology is marketed as a cure for everything that ails you, including cybersecurity. In practice, at least as far as security is concerned, blockchain might actually cause more problems than it solves. The basic idea behind blockchain is that you’ve got a list of items, or a ledger, that you’re sharing with your peers. A clever bit of encryption keeps you from changing the previous elements on that list, unless the majority of your peers sign off on the change. It’s pitched as being better than having one trusted central party keep track of the list and make corrections when needed, because the trusted central party usually charges money for the service. So, for example, banks can get together and move money from one to another without any centralized gatekeeper. Security experts seem to agree that the technology has a lot of potential in their space. “Blockchain holds great promise,” Phil Quade, CISO at Fortinet, the Sunnyvale, California-based cybersecurity firm, said. One example is its potential to improve efficiency of key and certificate distribution, David Cook, CISO at Databricks, the San Francisco-based data analytics firm, told us. “I think there’s some business value to it,” Cook said. The downside is that when there’s a problem with a transaction, instead of having that central entity step in and resolve the dispute and correct the ledger, you have to negotiate with everyone else in the system. This happens a lot with cryptocurrencies, which are currently the biggest and best-known implementations of blockchain. And those implementations haven’t been without problems. For example, more than $500 million worth of the Ethereum cryptocurrency has been lost because people accidentally left a payment destination address field blank. “In a traditional [system] you have the ability to roll back the transactions,” said Cook. “With blockchain, it’s permanent.” Another $500 million of the Ripple cryptocurrency was recently lost when its billionaire owner died, since he was the only one who had access to that currency wallet. Hackers typically don’t go after the core blockchain encryption technology. Instead, they go after poorly implemented wallets, attack currency exchanges, and launch man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept money transfers. Without a central authority, there’s nobody to complain to when things go wrong. In the first six months of this year alone, hackers stole $1.1 billion worth of cryptocurrencies, according to security researchers at Carbon Black. Besides hacks and reversibility issues, there are the practical problems of adapting business processes and technology platforms to blockchain. “In my prior position, I ran operations for data centers, and based on the legacy code in the infrastructure, I would say we are far from actually implementing it,” Cook said. As a result, data center operators haven’t yet started deploying blockchain technology to any noticeable degree, he said. “In my dealings with other CISOs, nobody is using it.” Cook said he also wants to see major vendor support and mainstream acceptance before considering using blockchain. “I would probably wait until one of the bigger companies, like Google or Microsoft, starts to adopt this,” he said. “There are a lot of questions about this technology. On the surface, it seems super secure, but I do feel that it’s going to take a while to adopt based on what I see with my infrastructure.” The post Can Blockchain Fix Cybersecurity? appeared first on Statii News. from http://news.statii.co.uk/can-blockchain-fix-cybersecurity/ |
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