Able-One Blog

Over the past three decades, user interfaces have evolved from basic entry screens accessing batch-oriented systems to advanced, omni-channel, ubiquitous “experiences”.

In fact, user experience (UX) design is now defined as a “robust field combining elements of product design, service design, and innovation”.

For organizations committed to UX for their customer-facing platforms, or their “Customer’s Experience” (CX), this can drive significant competitive advantage, leading to increased sales and greater adoption and loyalty to their products and services.

However, for in-house applications, there can be a range of ‘user experiences’, sometimes cumbersome or redundant and for organizations managing legacy applications, this can have an impact on employee productivity, customer service, and the bottom-line.

Green Screens

Many traditional applications, developed for IBM i (aka AS/400) or IBM mainframes, had ‘green screen’ interfaces designed according to strict standards established by SAA/CUA (Systems Application Architecture/Common User Access) which helped advance the field of user interface design over 20 years ago. However, since that time, the world of software has evolved by leaps and bounds while many mission-critical enterprise applications still have these older interfaces. 

VansonBourne, a technology market research company conducted an independent global research study to assess how organizations and their respective CIOs worked with their existing back-end infrastructure. Respondents were polled from organizations varying in size, sector, and location. Nonetheless the issues seemed to be uniform across all firm characteristics with minimal standard deviation in key stats. Some figures that were pulled from the study include:

• 93% of organizations today still use green screen applications
• 54% of CIOs say working with green screen applications is having a negative impact on end user retention and recruitment
• 98% claim new features to green screens would enhance productivity

Negative Impacts on Productivity

Of the 590 CIOs and IT directors polled from nine countries around the globe, a staggering 89% have had complaints from end users about aspects of their green screen applications, with nearly two thirds (65%) claiming end users feel bored, frustrated, ambivalent or restricted when using these applications. IT leaders themselves appear to agree, with 55% believing green screen applications do not do a good job (VansonBourne).

Workforce Challenges

The other challenge involves bringing new talent into an organization to use older system interfaces. 45% of CIOs reported having difficulty hiring new employees with the skills they needed. The obstacles hampering modernization exist, but with the right outlook, problem identification and strategy, they can be easily overcome. Almost all survey respondents (98%) from the VansonBourne study agree that there would be a positive impact on productivity by adding newer capabilities over their green screen system.

So. while there may be an understanding that transforming your user experience will bring hard benefits, the associated costs and risks with the project must be weighed. Simply shifting from green screen applications to omnichannel, graphical user experiences can require a revaluation of your entire process, and a step towards greater efficiency while staying ahead of the competition.

Extending Legacy Systems

Today there are numerous options for extending legacy systems to take advantage of more current user experiences, involving new interfaces for deployment to browsers, mobile, and rich desktop clients, however, simply transforming a text-based CUA-style green screen into GUI does not reap the promised rewards of increased productivity and improved workflows without UX design and planning.

 Able-One has an upcoming event focusing on modernization of applications which will review approaches to leverage and extend existing systems. A key part of that discussion will involve UX design. And while simply changing green screens to GUI may not be a business driver, the impact that these interfaces are having on employee productivity may be.

Of note, Gartner has recently released their Top Ten Strategic Technologies for 2016. The top two, “The Device Mesh” and “Ambient User Experience” are good indications of how important this is becoming in the world we live in today. Below are excerpts from Gartner.

The Device Mesh

The device mesh refers to an expanding set of endpoints people use to access applications and information or interact with people, social communities, governments and businesses. The device mesh includes mobile devices, wearable, consumer and home electronic devices, automotive devices and environmental devices — such as sensors in the Internet of Things (IoT).

Ambient User Experience

The device mesh creates the foundation for a new continuous and ambient user experience. Immersive environments delivering augmented and virtual reality hold significant potential but are only one aspect of the experience. The ambient user experience preserves continuity across boundaries of device mesh, time and space. The experience seamlessly flows across a shifting set of devices and interaction channels blending physical, virtual and electronic environment as the user moves from one place to another.

The transition from green screens to a modern and relevant interface is a complex undertaking. To explore options for extending the value of your IBM i enterprise applications, join us for a special event on Wednesday December 2, 2015 from 12 PM to 4 PM in Toronto. There are a limited number of seats available. Register today.

Just over 80 days ago, when the election campaign kicked-off, the Liberals, with Justin Trudeau at the helm, had to battle the popular and omnipresent “He’s Just Not Ready” narrative that undoubtedly resonated with many Canadians and sought to diminish Trudeau’s ability to govern the country. 

A week ago, after a couple months of campaigning, the tide seemed to shift, and a Liberal minority government was the predicted result by many media and polling outlets. Oct. 19^th, 2015, Canada headed to the polls and elected a Liberal majority government.

What happened? How did the red tide swell and wash over the country so quickly? Many answers can be given as to how a successful campaign was executed, but we won’t be getting into the political side of things.

Rather, the focus of this blog will be on how the Liberals were able to harness the power of social media to support their cause and how lessons can be drawn and applied within your own business to make sure your own initiatives are successful.

Social Media Strategy 

The Liberal Party social media strategy right from the beginning was branded, 24/7 and most importantly, personal.

Through social media, Trudeau was able to retain a really strong emotional connection with a large group of Canadians by giving them constant access to what he was doing through internet mediums that were accessible, communicative and visually appealing. The strategy was based off of Trudeau’s own convictions for how the internet was revolutionizing outreach.

Trudeau explained his belief that “the new public square is online” in a CBC interview back in 2013 and continued by saying “The idea that political parties can somehow bring people into their lecture halls or bring people into their political organizations, rather than going out to them where they happen to be gathering on Facebook through social media anyway, is something that people are going to have to come to grips with.”

Does this kind of focus on internet strategy mean every other part of a political or business initiative must be placed on the back burner? Far from that. What’s important to take away from the Liberal Strategy is that they used social media simply to bolster each and every one of their existing activities – as opposed to having social media as simply a side strategy.

The Liberals’ 2015 campaign ads all unmistakably seem to emphasize the vitality of their leader. However, besides how the Liberals brand and advertise their leader round-the-clock, there is much behind the scenes work used by the campaign team to harness internet and social media to accentuate the effectiveness of campaign staff and volunteers.

Inspiration from Obama's Campaign 

The Liberals drew many lessons about the power of social media from the Obama campaign team. Rahaf Harfoush, author of Yes We Did: An Inside Look At How Social Media Built the Obama Brand examines how the Obama campaign’s social media use "allowed him and the campaign to act like a start-up — agile, flexible, responsive — instead of being limited by a decades-old political playbook," adding as well that “this created a strong sense of loyalty among his supporters and spurred them into action more readily”.

Obama's strategists also mobilized volunteers on a micro level. Instead of overwhelming supporters with large tasks, they offered prospective volunteers opportunities to get involved in smaller ways: subscribe to emails, watch a video, make one phone call or send out a tweet (CBC/Metronews).

The Obama campaign and the Trudeau campaign essentially modernized they’re entire approach to reaching supporters through the power of social media. Bite-sized and engaging way of connecting supporters with their initiatives allowed them to quickly scale new ideas nationwide very quickly.

Marie Bountrogianni, a former Ontario Liberal cabinet minister who is supporting Trudeau, says she was “blown away by the high degree of sophistication in the Obama organization — the technology, the discipline and its ability to execute large shifts in strategy…”  

The Liberals realize that this level of refinement requires certain hardware and they have worked behind the scenes to build an intricate technical capability for data-mining and database organization. Once the social media structure is set up and the hardware is in place, all that is left to do is send the right message to engage your followers.

While other parties focused on well staged, folksy, and old-fashioned “share if you agree” type of messaging, Trudeau and the Liberals (by accurately gauging the demographic), were able to portray a polished, authentic and personal social media strategy that emphasized connection and discussion foremost.

Other Examples of Standout Campaigns 

Beyond political campaigns, companies and non-profits alike can learn the same lessons from innovative social media strategies employed by those running for office. Some standout campaigns include:

AMC With Breaking Bad on Facebook

AMC used a Facebook application “Breaking Bad Name Lab” allowing fans to quickly theme their Facebook profile picture and cover photo with a personalized Breaking Bad nametag. The social media campaign took the website by storm and even Facebook users who did not watch the show participated.

Make-A-Wish on Twitter

5-year-old Miles Scott from San Francisco diagnosed with Leukemia wanted to feel like Batman for one day. By organizing the story and creating a hashtag #SFbatkid, Make-A-Wish spawned a nationwide promotion and donation campaign that led thousands of volunteers and city officials to convert the city in Miles’ playground for a day.

Oreo on Vine

Nabisco capitalized on its iconic Oreo cookie by using Vine, the 6-second looped video application, to create fun, pop-culture themed videos that enticed consumers to use their purchased product to showcase their creativity and connect with the brand online.

IKEA on Pinterest

IKEA, famous for its endless variety for its products and Pinterest, famous for its ability to use up an hour of your time browsing their image and project share boards, teamed up to create a DIY board. The DIY board allows users to take inspiration from one another, share ideas and create their own IKEA project.

Social Media Take-Aways

Three important lessons can be drawn from these highlighted social media strategies: First, find the right platform for your business. Second, find the right way to reach your audience- sharable pictures, relevant articles, or a fun contest. Finally, find something unique that will catch their attention and cash in on the most interesting part of your business.

The number of things to consider in a social media strategy can seem daunting.

Couple that with the exposure your company can face by being constantly accessible online and having to craft every image to ensure both acceptability and success, and you might begin to think that the liabilities are too vast.

This apprehensiveness, while understandable, is not necessary. Social media is now integrated to every part of our daily lives and is much more of an opportunity, rather than a liability. More than anyone, political campaigns realize the risks that exist with a constant social media flow.

Trudeau is very aware that his every move is being recorded and can instantly be disseminated. However he stressed on the campaign team from the start that he wants the electorate to view his public persona as simply an extension of the man he is at home.

While this is impossible in reality, the resulting social media strategy forces the campaign to brand itself wisely, engage in constant discussion and remain accountable to what it portrays. For a company, this means having great product marketed in creative way that can be promoted and sold to consumers through a variety of social media outlets ultimately leading to increased interaction and sales.

Organizations must move away from seeing their social media strategy as simply one side of the business.

Previously, a business manager might ask him or herself how to incorporate a social media dynamic to one part of the business. Now the question has become how do I restructure each relevant part of the business to be social media facing and mobile accessible.

Furthermore, each new part of a business can’t simply have final paragraph in an internal document or a footnote to a section with regards to the social media strategy. Rather, the social media and Internet strategy must mesh inside every aspect of the business. Each operation, initiative and campaign established by the business must be examined for its social media potential. The result will be a company that is accessible, accountable and profitable.

To learn more about how your company can modernize its social media strategy into your IT campaign in order to stay on top of the competition, contact us today for a free consultation.

2015 was another red-hot year for mobile technology. 

The number of mobile devices has now surpassed the global human population. More than ever, consumers are interacting with businesses using their mobile devices before going through any other channel. "Millennials are changing the mobile landscape," Steven French, Global Vice President from Amdocs said, "the group is projected to have a purchasing power of $2.45 trillion by 2015 and prefers mobile as their number-one way to be reached and interact”.

However, Millenials are not the only age group to put under the magnifying glass. Research indicates that 72% of Baby Boomers with an income over $75,000 have a smartphone. It’s a grave mistake for any company trying to market its revamped mobile business to dismiss the 50+ age group. 

It is true that Baby Boomers have slower adoption rates; however, they also control 70% of disposable income in the United States and spend nearly $7 billion per year online on consumer purchases. On average, Boomers spend 19 hours a week online and 71% use a social networking site daily. Furthermore, recent research shows that boomers are quickly closing the gap between themselves and Millennials with regards to new technology adoption as their technical prowess continues to advance. 

Becoming Mobile-First

As “mobile-first” becomes the norm for every age group, consumers from all demographics are able to quickly understand each other when referencing products and services that have captured their interest. Whether it’s via face-to-face interaction, email, a text message, a Dropbox shared folder or an Instagram direct message, the language is clear and the smartphone is the sharing tool of choice. This trend of convergence and mobile is accelerating quickly, and the question becomes: which businesses will be able to successfully market & monetize their mobile arm? 

Heather Cox, the Chief Client Officer at Citigroup reflects on how these trends are affecting every way that she shapes her customers experience and overall marketing strategy. Mobile has forced her business to adapt to a new marketing approach that has shifted from just selling to providing a personalized buying experience  centered on each consumer’s own habits, preferences and constraints. Cox explains: "The whole element of moving the position from sell to buy is something we're going to be working on over the course of 2015 and beyond: how to engage customers with products and services very differently … the notion of the marketing funnel fundamentally changes. It becomes much more about a lifecycle, that circular notion of over time — how do we catch people, using data, and actually help them in the moment".

Adopting Mobile in Business

Businesses in 2016 will have to realize that, through mobile, customers data is organized in a way that gives each business immense information and power over how to reach their customers. Each business can now use the mobile platform to offer new products and services on a rolling-basis, while automating and keeping track of how each consumer shift their spending choices based on financial and non-financial constraints. 

Businesses that have resisted the switch to mobile now have no choice. More than just a matter of increasing customer interaction, a business must enable its employees to work anywhere, anytime with a mobile platform that increases productivity and efficiency. For instance, a fully-enabled mobile sales force will prove to be crucial for each sales representative to automate their information gathering process, showcase presentations, utilize the power of images and video to entice customers, and access pertinent product and company information to close a sale. 

Businesses must therefore look at the future of mobile through a two-pronged approach: continuous customer interaction and equipping their workforce to capitalize on this new era. Both strategies can be tackled by making sure that every part of the business' buying and selling process is accessible through mobile. 

Mobile-Centric Customer Experiences

40% of users will choose another result when searching for a product or service if the first one is not mobile-friendly. Mobile users who find your business online have a conversion percentage nearly three times higher than the same search done on a desktop or laptop. Why? Mobile users are on the go. When you’re browsing, you grab the laptop and start researching or just satisfying curiosity for products or services. When you grab your smartphone to search, you have a specific intent in mind, whether it be food, clothing or an oil change for your car. Mobile searchers are buyers, assuming you can meet their needs.

In the coming months, companies that aren't already mobile-centric will start to cross the divide to increasingly screen-agnostic mobile platforms, allowing employees to keep working, no matter what devices they're using. Laptop/desktop applications will begin to emulate their mobile counterparts as mobile continues to become the business tool of choice. 

After a day of working in the field, interacting with customers and holding meetings, a sales representative will arrive at the office and seek to access information on his or her laptop/desktop interface that closely resembles the information gathered that day on his or her mobile device. 

Internet of Things

Furthermore, apps are increasingly becoming experiences that live across multiple endpoints, from wearables to phones, tablets, and web applications. As this trend proceeds in 2016, offerings that can seamlessly transfer between these states as you move from one device to the next will have a huge advantage.

In 2016, mobility will peak with new facets that will enable handsets to link to a plethora of gadgets, vehicles and personal electronic equipment. Moreover, by 2020, the number of devices connected to the Internet is expected to exceed 40 billion. As Larry Page, co-founder of Google Inc. observed: “We are no longer in a mobile first world, we are in a mobile-only world”.

To learn more about how your company can integrate these mobile trends into your IT strategy to stay on top of the competition, contact us today for a free consultation.

Mobile adoption has grown for years and in 2014 overtook desktop/laptop as the top source of digital consumption. Consumer use is also heavily influencing businesses’ mobile adoption and deployment strategies.  One of the areas that is most impacted by the move to mobile are sales teams. There are significant opportunities and benefits of this shift.

Businesses have realized that they need to support this move to mobile. Research by TechValidate shows that 43% of companies now rank mobility as their top business functionality. From the same study, 79% of companies surveyed said they have to integrate their applications into existing technology, with the majority of businesses having to ensure that their new applications integrate with up to 15 different existing systems. This means that an organization’s legacy systems on old servers, IBM Power Systems and others will need to be modernized to support mobile devices.

There are many opportunities for sales teams to take advantage of the move towards mobile.

1. Supporting the Sale

There are many situations where your sales team may be working out of the office.  Mobile devices and tablets are a great way to support the sales process improving demos, presentations and sharing of images.  The use of tablets also enhances a customer’s experience in situations where they come to a company’s location, such as at automotive dealers, restaurants and financial institutions.

2. Useful Off-the-Shelf Apps

There are plenty of great free mobile sales tools that can be found in app stores such as LinkedIn, Evernote, Twitter, and integrations to your CRM.

3. Real-Time Sales Information

The biggest opportunity for many businesses and sales teams is in having their mobile devices connected directly to their legacy systems.  This would mean having real-time access to pricing, inventory, and other information that can assist in more effective customer engagement and closing a sale. This should shorten the sales cycle and lead to more sales as the data is accurate and live.

4. Faster Processing for Sales Orders

In many situations, the sales person may collect orders in paper formats and then bring them back to the office for processing. This means a delay between when they receive the order, when they get to the office and when they finally are able to input the order into the system.  Submitting the sale on a mobile device at the customer’s site can reduce product delivery time which makes for a happier customer. For the business, it means increased productivity and quicker inventory turnover.

5. Better Visibility on the Sales Process

There are many benefits of mobile data at head office for the marketing, finance and operations teams. A smartphone with a built in camera could collect what displays look like in a retail location for the marketing department.  The finance team will benefit from orders being placed in real time, versus relying on slow manual processes.  The operations team can manage inventory and the delivery process more effectively and efficently.

6. Sales Enablement

Poor preparation is one of the top 3 reasons sales are lost today. When the sales team has access to mobile technology, there is the opportunity for them to better utilize sales enablement tools. Sales enablement is a better way of training and helping your sales team with the right tools at the right time to close a sale.

If you are interested in understanding the impact of having your business applications enabled for mobile devices, please connect with us for a consultation.