August Wrap Up: Data, Knowledge Creation and Imperfect UX
As the summer comes to a close and the leaves begin to turn color, it is the time of year to refuel on industry knowledge and inspiration. This list is a carefully compiled collection of August’s best reading materials.
1. How Automation Could Save Your Business $4 Million Annually
This is a critical moment for enterprise companies, and one that will define the next era of the digital workplace. For proactive, forward-thinking CEOs, automation and AI could be the proverbial gold pot at the end of the rainbow. According to an article by Jeff Wald in Forbes, 78% of business leaders posit that automation can free up to 3 work hours a day (360 hours per year). If numbers are crunched, savings for an average Fortune 500 company comes out to a whopping $4,700,000.00 per year.
2. Data Can Do for Change Management What It Did for Marketing
Another factor is revolutionizing the way business is conducted — data. “Judgments that used to depend on human intuition alone are now supported by insights gleaned from complex analyses and predictive modeling.” This capability to predict outcomes with high accuracy has already changed the face of marketing. This article from the Harvard Business Review suggests that the same strategy could be applied to the world of change management. If you are looking to end the cycle of underperforming transformations, data might just be your ticket.
3. How Google Home and the Amazon Echo give a new twist to the home phone
Who would have thought following near total extinction, the home phone would get a second wind? This time around, it will not be competing for your dial up internet. Google has announced that starting Wednesday it is adding hands-free calling to its Google Home smart speaker. Google Home owners can now use the device as a stand-alone speakerphone. Read up on the details in The Washington Post’s overview. While this is not a revolutionary feature — Amazon, Microsoft and Samsung offer similar smart hubs with calling capabilities — it marks an important development in smart home evolution. What a time to be alive.
John Hagel III and John Seely Brown make a strong case for knowledge creation over knowledge sharing. This article from the Harvard Business Review teaches some valuable lessons on how to revitalize organizational learning.
“Without diminishing the value of knowledge sharing, we would suggest that the most valuable form of learning today is actually creating new knowledge. Organizations are increasingly being confronted with new and unexpected situations that go beyond the textbooks and operating manuals and require leaders to improvise on the spot, coming up with new approaches that haven’t been tried before.”
5. The Science of Increasing Customer Loyalty
If you have ever wondered what the best method to measure customer loyalty is, how to increase it, or why you should even care — this article is for you. Alex Birkett packs this article with actionable value. From A-Z, your customer loyalty education starts here.
6. It is all in the name – What does “Data and Analytics” Mean?
Buzzwords such as data and analytics are often thrown around, especially in tech. How often do we sit down and define what exactly we mean? Andrew White does just that in this article for Gartner. It’s never too late to screw down the basics.
7. You Will Never Get UX Right
The bad news is — your UX will never be perfect. The good news is — our very own Raphael Sweary has covered the topic effectively and eloquently in a guest post for one of our favorite UX blogs. The opposing forces of innovation and standardization are constantly deteriorating the user experience. How then can UX designers combat this effect and strive for excellence? Read this article for all the answers.
8. Enterprise Service Management Drives Engagement
Charles Betz of Forrester describes a customer care issue that many enterprises are all too familiar with,“Your employees are full participants in the consumer-driven economy, and have high standards. When their experience suffers, so do your real customers. Today’s intensive knowledge work requires better tools than ERP systems linked by email.” Establishing a solid digital management system will benefit large organizations. Here is why.
9. AI-Fueled Customer Service Delivers Real Results
The enemy of purchasing is uncertainty, according to data from Forrester. Organizations must invest in customer education, feature discovery, and in-product guidance, as these activities take the customer through the first critical steps to success. By infusing AI into the customer experience, business owners can relieve the uncertainty of the experience. This is just the beginning of how AI can boost your brand. Read Kate Leggett’s breakdown to get the full scoop.
Last but not least, we will leave you with a video detailing some exciting industry news. Get the scoop on a new round of financing for innovative chat platform, Slack, and the Leading Digital Adoption Platform, WalkMe.