The more sophisticated the customer, the more sophisticated the customer relationship management (CRM) system needs to be. Today’s Gen X customers are less likely to spend unless state-of-the-art technologies support the procurement and acquisition process. Emotional, optimistic, and endowed with leadership qualities, Gen X shoppers represent the new onslaught of consumers who take the helm in evaluating, recommending, and even testing products before they approve the payment.  Economic Impacts  A weak economy only heightens the awareness of consumers looking to optimize their spending. Take the perspective of a business regulating prices based…

Dozens of new articles come out every day about the Internet of Things (IoT) and the possibilities that it’s bringing to light. Still, there is some confusion. What is this Internet of Things? And what, exactly, does it have to do with enterprise resource planning (ERP)? First, the easy question: the Internet of Thingsrefers to the connection between people, devices, or machines and the applications that can turn all of the data those connections generate into intelligence. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? It is. That’s where the ERP connection to the IoT becomes paramount.…

When it comes to selecting a customer relationship management (CRM) solution, there are many different opinions about what the most important criteria should be. One way to make sure that everyone’s voice is heard is to make a prioritized list of requirements from representatives who work in marketing, sales, and customer service, because these are the people who will be working with the system. After this information has been collected, a request for proposal goes out, and then budget becomes a factor; sometimes, companies include IT in the mix to…

I had the distinct pleasure of presenting to many local CIOs and IT professionals at Evanta’s CIO Executive Summit in Boston last Tuesday.  In speaking with a variety of attendees, one common topic revolved around how we must change our conversations and working relationship with our business users. It is no surprise that today’s business leaders are faced with a trifecta of challenges – unwavering competitive pressures; shifting business and budgetary priorities; and unprecedented new technologies, such as cloud, analytics, mobility and social media.  Traditionally, we would do all we could to help,…

When it comes to enterprise software deployment, whether of a new application or an upgrade to an existing one, mistakes happen. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions are no different. There are literally hundreds of horror stories out there that document the problems and mistakes made. Unfortunately for many organizations, these mistakes have the potential to be costly. ERP implementations can sometimes cost millions of dollars and require hundreds of hours. Delays and problems not only drain additional resources but can severely limit a business’ productivity. Despite knowing the ramifications of…

Microsoft’s announcement of the imminent arrival of real-time speech-to-speech translation software in the shape of Skype Translator will need to ride a wave of public scepticism, before it lives up to the hype of bringing a revolution in communication that it promises to deliver. In Douglas Adams’ fabulously humorous science fiction adventure, The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, instant translation is achieved via the Babel fish, which fits in the ear of the user and instantly allows you to understand anything said to you in any form of language. Yahoo even…