December 2018

​“The only constant in life is change” – Heraclitus
In today’s day and age, business scenes are constantly evolving to keep up with the dynamic changes, in the environment. We can see digital technologies are changing the facade of business at an exponential rate. Organizations need to keep up with these changes in order to survive and grow. An organizations IT strategy is vital to its business strategynow more than ever. 
Digital technology has reached a point of omnipresence and it is no longer optional for a company to be digital or not. The world has had over 4 billion internet users in 2018 alone. Studies have shown that there will be a growth of nearly 800% in mobile data usage in the next year or two. 

In such scenarios, a digital transformation is paramount in the company’s vision for its future and growth.
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What is a digital transformation?
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 “The way out of these difficult times is not cost cutting. It is to innovate and embrace digital transformation.” – Steve Jobs (Apple Co-founder).
Digital transformation is integrating digital technology, into all areas of business, which fundamentally changes how you operate and deliver value to customers. Digital transformation, in other words business transformation, is driven by technology innovation, customer behaviour, demand and satisfaction and external environmental factors. 

In order to have a smooth transition, organizations would have to keep in mind external factors like

• Volatile economy
• Changing laws
• Ups and downs in the market
• Partner demands
• Customer expectations

The focus of business leaders would need to be on results, innovative methods of problem solving and scope of continuous improvement. A digital transformation allows these business activities and processes to fully leverage the changes brought about by digital technologies. This process is about how the changes are implemented with least disruption to the original flow of business.
The main challenge is change management as this metamorphosis affects all echelons of the organization. The aim and final goal of every business is to deliver a superlative customer experience. Hence the business leaders would need to challenge and push their companies to get the most out of this transformation.
Let us take a look at why companies need to embrace digital transformation in order to remain relevant in today’s economic ecosystem.

Competitive Advantage:
Initially, change can be cumbersome and take a toll on the employees, managers as well as company costs. However on the upside, it gives a company the advantage to cut out the competition. Any company not going through or not adopting digital transformation risks becoming obsolete and risks commercial oblivion as its competitors evolve to encounter the new actuality.

Global Reach:
New markets have now opened up to the world as location is no longer a barrier, thanks to the internet. These new markets are a great opportunity for all businesses which have the means and technology required to tap into them. The new communication and transaction tools available have made it possible for companies based in remote places to carry out their business internationally.

Streamlined Operations:
Implementation of new ideas, products and services gets easier as the digital technology makes feedback faster and more accurate. Catching and correcting flaws becomes possible at half the time it would take earlier thus reducing damages and increasing profits.

Employee Benefits and Growth:
A company’s vital asset is the personnel. This cliché has been true over the decades and has not changed even now. In order to make a company grow, the employees must thrive as well. If the employees are happy, they will ensure the customers are happy, which is beneficial for every organization.
The digital age has increased expectations of customers as well as of employees. In order to retain the best employees and keep turnover to a minimum, it is imperative for companies to give workforces the chance to develop and flourish. For example,
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• Communication: Effective digital transformation includes a more decentralized communication system, which leads to lesser issues, more unity and smoother operations.
• Core Functions: Manual functions like finance, HR and payroll can be automated. Allowing employees a chance to focus on wider business opportunities.
• Workplace flexibility: It is now possible for people to work from remote locations as long as they have access to the internet. For stay-at-home parents this is a great opportunity to continue work without having to physically be present at the office. Necessary meetings can also be attended virtually. 

This flexibility is beneficial to the company as well as the employee. It helps keep up employee morale and this gives the company’s bottom-line the perks of an efficient workforce.
Allowing employees this freedom also shows a sense of trust in the person which makes them strive to be an asset to the organization. It also attracts suitable and qualified candidates to apply and desire to be a part of the company.

Customer Experience and Customer Retention:
Nowadays customer’s interaction with a company is more online or via a mobile app as opposed to face to face. For example, even when you call a toll free number, problems can be solved via automated phone calls. It is important to ensure that this experience is as smooth and efficient as possible.
Digitally transformed businesses can make the most of VR recordings to check and maintain quality, solve complaints and look into feedback. The data and information from these tools help companies know exactly what the customers’ needs and expectations are. Accordingly the steps can be taken to ensure a great user experience and a loyal customer.
If a company is not digitally savvy, all that data and information, which would help a company grow, would not get its due diligence. Keeping in mind the competitive markets, these companies would be left behind by the organizations who made the most of customer insights.

Artificial Intelligence (AI):
Artificial intelligence is said to be a game changer as an increasing number of everyday tasks are being automated. For a company, this means staff gets more free time to tackle other work and more serious issues. In the next few years, most problems will be solved by AI and only escalated in dire scenarios. As with the data and information, the company with AI developments will have a strategic and competitive advantage in their respective fields.

Cloud Services:
After digital transformation, the next step would be a progression to cloud services. Cloud is central to digital transformation as it offers businesses the space needed to grow their data necessities. A cloud platform along with the data analysed information allows the business to lay its foundation for growth and prosperity. 

Cyber Security:

The advent of the digital age also brought malicious cyber-attacks and crimes against organizations. This increased the need for cyber vigilance and security. Businesses would need to proactively protect the company’s interests and this would only be possible by improving their cyber security infrastructure. Failing to do so would leave the company open to security and privacy violations.
From the above, we see the importance of digital transformation for companies and how it affects all interconnected aspects of business i.e. its functions, processes, work models and daily activities. The main aim of digital transformation, apart from increasing revenues at reduced costs, would be to improve the customer’s experience.
If you need any further information on the importance of digital transformations, you can contact the App Scoop mobile app developers : https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html

Mobile app development has been on the rise for a decade now. As opposed to what was assumed, it was not a dream which fizzled out, but a trend which shattered the glass ceiling. According to Statistica, there were 2.1 billion smartphone users in the world (in 2016) and the revenue generated by mobile apps was about 60 billion dollars. By the year 2019, it is believed that the number of smartphone users will be 2.5 billion if not more.

Source: https://www.statista.com/topics/1002/mobile-app-usage/

Mobile app culture is something all smartphone users have got accustomed to, from their wide range of virtual or augmented reality to location based services. They are used on a daily basis for something as simple as ordering groceries to booking cabs to even planning vacations. These apps are not only efficient but also customize preferences as per each user. ​

The past year alone is said to have witnessed about 27 billion mobile app downloads. This upward trend of mobile apps has made the developers come up with renewed novelties to keep up with the current trend and user’s interests.
The year 2019 will witness innovation of existing apps, going a notch higher and giving the mobile developers more mobility to focus on app niceties. Let us take a look at which mobile app development trends will enrich the realm and directly impact the industry in the following year:

Native Vs. Hybrid App
What is a native/hybrid App? A native app is a smartphone application created for a specific mobile operating system. A hybrid on the other hand would work on all systems. They are said to be web apps in native paper.
For example: In 2010, the user experience for Uber app was different for an android user and different for an iOS system user.
Some iOS experts believe that native apps will dominate the market and grow as opposed to hybrid technologies. There are some ‘native only’ features which are added by companies like Apple and Google to their respective operating systems. This limits the technical entry points (like fixing bugs) for hybrid apps.
User experience could suffer with hybrid apps as they cannot offer all the features due to software compatibility issues. But native mobile apps are created for a specific platform and would not face this problem as they are augmented using the systems core programming and application performance interface (API).
Is a native app preferred over a hybrid app? This deliberation will likely see a leaning towards native apps as it will provide the ultimate user experience among other things.

Importance of Marketing
Marketing campaigns play a significant role in the success of any product and it is the same with regards to mobile apps. Most developers focus only on app features, making sure it’s unique and appeals to the key demographic. They do not pay as much heed to a marketing campaign to promote the app and unfortunately this would work negatively in the apps favour.
In such cases a user might try a new app but might not be a repeat user i.e. will only use the app once. It is possible that the app might be used for a short period but when the novelty wears off, the user, will move on to other apps. The value for a mobile app is not only in finding new users but also in retaining old ones. Marketing companies will play a chief role to ensure the same.
Some experts believe that there will be more investment in mobile engagement campaigns and this will be a prime strategy in 2019. Engagement platforms will help to include and absorb old users and will also ensure additional in-app purchases.

Role of “Moment-Marketing”
We have grasped the important role played by marketing for mobile apps in the points above. However getting the right message in front of the right consumer at the right time is also a crucial factor in any campaign. Personalization of the web or mobile experience has been seen for the past decade. This element is critical as it helps users receive more specific and not generic communications. 
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In order to engage users, marketers have to react to key customer moments driven by offline triggers like TV and so on i.e. Micro-moments (term coined by Google in 2015). Real world customer intent is yoked with mobile as a natural gateway.  More and more companies are going for specific contexts to interact with users, vibrant offers, and coupon redemptions.
2019 is said to be the year, where new steps will be taken in targeting specific personalized campaigns to certain audiences based on the user’s daily habits and choices.

OTT (Over the top) Development
Over the top (OTT) content includes audio, video and other media content broadcasted or streamed over the internet. Globally the OTT market has seen a huge swell of users which is expected to reach over 300 million by 2019.
Some examples OTT apps are:

• Netflix
• Amazon Prime
• Hulu
• HBO Go
• Viewster

The mobile app development market already has the necessary infrastructure in place to harness OTT and reap the benefits. All a user would require is WiFi, TV, smartphone or a tablet. Analytical companies are looking into targeting features which will be more refined and tailored as per the user. Marketers will pay more attention to their users’ needs and understand their desires before creating messages specific to them.
Using OTT marketing means having access and being able to tap a larger audience. Any mobile app developer who would want to succeed in the coming year would need to evolve with the markets requirement and can do so by developing this strategy.

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology has grown exponentially in the past few years. Mobile enterprises have even developed their own software and apps in hopes that it will benefit their own companies. For example:

• Apple has created ARKit
• Google has created ARCore

Apples goal is to be recognized as the leader in AR and ensure its benefits are spread across all iOS devices. Wearable devices like the Apple watch is a prime example for what these apps can do! It is not only the fitness industry which is using the wearable devices, but also the healthcare industry.
Pokemon Go is one of the best examples of an app using AR and VR to engage its users. Developers predict that the revenue generated by these creations could be well over 200 billion dollars in the next few years. Social media apps offer AR integrated filters which can be used to digitally enhance or change the user’s image.
Developers are constantly creating more apps which benefit from this technology and it will certainly help the users practically not just digitally. This software makes it possible to edit photos, design 3D presentations, and study the solar system and so on. Some mobile applications already using these technologies are Google Arts and Culture, SketchAR, GoPro VR and so on.
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Apart from the points mentioned above, cloud technology (back-up), low-power sensors, location mapping (GPS), smart objects (watches or shoes with sensors), artificial intelligence (Siri and Alexa) are some of the age old apps which would also be tweaked and improved in the upcoming year. Mobile app developers will be creating new ways for users to have a more custom-made, real-time involvement where they can share their experiences and use the apps as seamlessly as possible.
As the New Year comes in we can look forward to the new and improved mobile apps created by some of the finest developers. If you need any more information on the rapidly growing industry of mobile app development and the expected trends in 2019, you can contact the App Scoop mobile app developers : https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html
 

“Imagine if the line between the virtual and the real simply didn’t exist.
Your classroom could become the cosmos.
The past could be as vivid as the present.
And the familiar could look like nothing you’ve ever seen.”
Source: https://www.apple.com/in/ios/augmented-reality/
 
The expectation from the tech world has increased rapidly in the past few years. The millennial users want to experience the world by living within four walls. They want an experience that could get them to the edge of the seat while playing a game or take them into virtual worlds.

ARKit

Apple has recently released iOS 11 that gives the user the experience of augmented reality. Apple’s SDK – ARKit has moved beyond simple 2D camera overlays and moved on to 3D images that uses visual inertial odometry.
What does visual odometry do? It estimates the position of a moving camera in three dimensions relative to its starting position, i.e. it tracks a bunch of interest points (corner-like pixels in an image) across images in a video and uses 3D projective geometry to estimate their relative positions.
It is said that ARKit could give Google a run for their money and take Apple to the next level when it comes to giving the user an augmented reality experience on their phone. 

ARKit Features

Let’s take a look at the features that ARKit offers that are beneficial to the app developers:

• Used to improve individual elements of existing AR apps
• Used to scale objects
• Does not use the phone’s CPU (which means that it does not make the functions of the phone slow)
• Wider number of developers can track capabilities of iPhones and iPads
• Reduces development time
• Apple’s new machine learning framework can also help identify objects in a screen
• Apple’s advantage with ARKit is that it works with iOS, which has a less fragmented ecosystem than Android, as Apple controls both the hardware and software for all its devices. Post release of ARKit, independent software developers created incredible-looking experiences for the iPhone.

iOS Device that Works with ARKit
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iPhone

• iPhone XSiPhone ten s
• iPhone XS MaxiPhone ten s Max
• iPhone XRiPhone ten r
• iPhone X
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone SE

iPad

• iPad Pro (all models)
• iPad (6th generation)
• iPad (5th generation)

Examples of ARKit App
There are various groups which make popular use of the ARKit app. Right from apps used for editing images, gaming apps, lifestyle/home décor apps, etc.
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Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly talked about groups, the augmented appearance application:
 
“Mirror mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?”
-Snow White (Fairytale, 19th Century)
As much as we would hate to admit it, we live in the ‘selfie’ age where pictures are not only taken and uploaded but are heavily filtered/edited as well. AR offers “lenses” or a variety of filters which can be added to the images. With the help of apps, we can alter the following:

• Add Stickers to our images
• Alter looks by using filters or stickers
• Change our appearance (skin colour, eye colour, make-up, hair colour, etc)
• Create an illusion of wearing make-up

Hence, it is no surprise when market leaders like ModiFace offer ARKit apps for the beauty industry along with something known as the “magic mirror” software. 

Practically everything can be done virtually nowadays. Thanks to the ARKit Apps, popular make-up brands, like Sephora, have caved into the benefits of technology; you no longer need to visit the store physically. You just need to take a selfie and then try on all the makeup that you wish to with just a click or a swipe!
Not only does this save your time but there is also no tedious clean-up involved before trying on different shades. This not only makes it beneficial for the brand where they save up on testers and makeup representatives but also the consumer (you) who can try endless numbers of combination and colours and be spoilt for choice.
The latest rendering of the augmented reality is seen in Apples latest creation of an app which takes a 3D photo. Virtual objects are in the background i.e. 2D camera image and the virtual content is made to appear as a 3D object.

Real-Estate and Home Décor Applications:

Everyone likes to make changes to their home now and again. Whether you are setting up a home for the first time, or its time to refurbish, you always know how you want your ideal home to look. But that’s not necessarily how things end up looking! For example, the couch looked perfect in the store, but at home it looks dull and much too big/small for the space or does not match with the rest of the furniture.
Real-estate, home design and décor apps help buyers see exactly how the products would look in their home. They can also re-design the entire look with just a few swipes and click.

Let’s take a look at some real-estate and home décor apps which use ARKit apps:

• TapMeasure uses augmented reality apps to be able to create 3D models with the room builder feature. Since this app can measure your interior space, the models created are exactly to the point. It also allows you to share your work via a simple url.

 

• PLNAR gives some useful tools for creating building plans. These tools can benefit home owners, as well as interior designers. This app measures the room, lets you mark doorways, flat surfaces and measure the distance and objects. Using these AR features makes it simple to customize projects and share the same with home owners, as well as designers.

 

• Housecraft is another app which helps customize projects and redesign homes digitally before actually making any changes. Using the ARKit features, it allows for fully rendered 3D models to be created with the help of convenient tools.

 

• IKEA has also created an ARKit app known as Ikea Place, which shows you how their furniture would look in your home. This app not only scans the room but also shares ideas about what Ikea furniture would be best for your home.

 

• Other companies like Mongoli Market, Overstock, and Houzz App have also created more AR experiences which show how their products would look in your home. You also have extensive design samples which can help you redesign your own home. It is a digital market place that shows you 3D models of what you can expect.

Educational Applications:

Everything is now digital, virtual or online. We now have new learning apps which help give you knowledge regarding everything from languages to even technical know-hows.
ARKit apps have gained popularity in making practical lessons which complement each other and aid as a teaching and educational tool. A wide range of subjects are covered by these apps like anatomy to math to language to coding in Swift. Thanks to the tools available via these apps, children as well as adults can learn about the world around us with a swipe.

Technical Design Skills with the Help of ARKit Apps

SketchAR – this app helps artists as the name suggests to practice their skills. It helps artists draw their pictures and also provides a library with various images of nature, wild life, food, etc.

Astronomy with ARKit Apps

• SkyORB:  For all the astronomy enthusiasts out there, this app has a 3D star map, planetarium and sun clock. The AR tools (with the help of GPS) allow users to get the names of stars and planets just by pointing to them. An added benefit is that it also alerts the observers for any astronomical events worth seeing such as, an eclipse.

 

• Augmented Reality Solar System App: This app focuses on the planets in our solar system, their distance from each other and their orbit radius on a realistic scale.

Conclusion
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If you are not an Apple user fear not on missing out the experience of an augmented reality app. Just like ARKit, ARCore software development kit has been previewed by Google. ARCore also adds the same functions of augmented reality to Android phones.  Currently, it works on Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel and soon will also be available to Android 7.0 Nougat users.
If you wish to know more about augmented reality, you can contact the App Scoop mobile app developers: https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html. 

Our economy today is made up of more multinational companies than ever before. However, due to the unsettled economic times facing us, one of the fundamental problems for a company has been how to sustain itself and grow. Most companies struggle with this i.e. how to ensure low production costs and high quality products and profits. 

Have you been mulling about outsourcing your company operations to other business providers? Usually this is very beneficial as it reduces the long term investment in infrastructure, thus reducing costs. However, it is very important to ensure strategic relationships are set up keeping in mind the state of affairs of both parent and partner companies. According to Forbes, there are approximately 300,000 jobs outsourced by the United States each year.

Source:https://www.forbes.com/sites/deeppatel/2017/07/17/the-pros-and-cons-of-outsourcing-and-the-effect-on-company-culture/#43effa7b562d

​Company executives and CEOs are sometimes under the impression that purely outsourcing the business to a company makes the business function the outsource providers responsibility. This is not entirely true. In order to form a successful outsource partnership, a thorough analysis is required of both parent and partner companies. If this is not done, the result can be disastrous.
In an unsuccessful alliance, depending on the function or functions being outsourced, companies can lose clients, good employees, as well as profits. Operations like production, accounting, HR, admin and sometimes even core operations can be outsourced. Companies like Apple, Nike, Wal-Mart, IBM, etc are some of the biggest outsourcing companies. A number of factors are looked at while outsourcing like a company’s goals, duration of alliance, clear details of decision making power (which company is in charge), companies culture, etc.

What is Organization Culture?

An organizations culture is made up of the following:

• Core values
• Beliefs
• Principles

This framework helps guides how an employee would act or react to any given incident at work. It is seen not only in social interactions but also business interactions between employees. It defines what is appropriate and acceptable i.e. it is learned behavior.

Importance of Culture

Every individual and company has its own culture. Some of the latest hiring techniques also make recruiters look at employees as being a cultural fit apart from other qualifying factors. Yet culture is often neglected or not given due diligence when it comes to outsourcing. In a lot of cases culture is the missing link between a successful and failed partnership.
Your employee’s behaviour affects every aspect of your business. Culture is the framework which guides your company or an individual’s behavior. It impacts happiness of your employees which in turn affects productivity. Ultimately it is your organization’s culture that dictates how your employees would work together.
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Culture and Outsourcing
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An employee’s behaviour is strongly influenced by culture, since “behavioural competence stems from our own individual attitudes and experiences.”
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309650396_Culture_and_the_Impact_on_Customer_Service_Considerations_for_Offshoring_to_India

While outsourcing, employees from different backgrounds get to work together. Usually the outsourcing takes place with company’s located in different countries. In such scenarios, the cultural differences play a pivotal role and can lead to misunderstandings and undesired results. Most executives do not understand that outsourcing is usually an alliance and a partnership, where both parties need to acknowledge and be aware of each other’s work, expectations and most importantly culture. 
It is safe to say that employees work best when they understand who they are working with and working for. While working with people from different organizations or countries they have to look at various aspects like:

1. Time difference
2. Difference in troubleshooting
3. Communication
4. Company goals (are they the same or different?)

For instance, either the companies might want a successful partnership or one company would want to increase profits while the other only wants to minimize costs.

1. Cultural similarities and differences

Pros and Cons of Choosing Companies with Similar Culture

Pros:

• When a parent company and partner company have similar cultures, it becomes easier to avoid issues.
• Interactions go a lot smoother as usually everyone is on the same page.
• Not many variables need to be monitored in this scenario. Communication styles are also similar. Training required in these cases would be minimal.

Cons

• A lot of issues can get over looked and lead to future problems.
• Executives do not look too closely to verify details as they assume they would be the same again jeopardizing the collaboration and work which needs to be done.

Pros and Cons of Choosing Companies with Different Culture

Pros:

• When a company is aware about the differences in their partners work ethos, they pay more attention to detail.
• This would help ensure less issues cropping up in the future. Interactions are a lot smoother because each side pays attention to how the other side behaves. Especially when applied to the global scenario.

Cons:

• If the company is extremely different from the parent company, it could lead to a lot of misunderstandings and friction.
• The time taken to understand the differences would lead to a delay in expected results. This is because executives would have to look at even minute details and wait to collect all data to avoid overlooking any critical factors. It is not possible to assume the details have been understood. These delays could lead to an increase in unforeseen costs.

Finding the Right Partners

While looking at outsourcing business, be it a small fraction/tactical support or a core business need, it is important to find the right partner! Companies have to keep in mind that these agreements are with partners and not vendors. The rise in outsourcing has also given rise to companies who help form alliances based on customised requirements.
An outsource service provider will always look at minute details of business required, as well as cultural fit when it comes to creating a partnership. This will ensure a smooth transition and help both companies understand the requirements and differences in culture.
This helps tremendously when the company is outsourcing to an offshore account where the possibilities of cultural differences is very high, thus, reducing time and cost needed during the initial phases.

To Sum It All Up

Since outsourcing means you are extending your company, a cultural fit is important. We have also seen the important role played by culture in a company and its employee’s growth. The informal culture is lot more telling in such scenarios. Communication styles play a huge role here as executives have to work with the partners.
For example, if the informal culture of a company rewards secrecy and division in the team, then assuming they encourage openness and teamwork would be a huge error. This can lead to a lot of future problems down the road. Also, people would only be working with selectively passed on information leading to errors and misgivings.
Since corporate culture has a direct impact on your business outcome, it is imperative to look at the prevailing cultures in both companies before partnering them. This not only makes the entire operation cost effective and productive but also helps in ensuring a successful outsourcing relationship.
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If you need to know how to make the right decision to outsource, you can contact the App Scoop mobile app developers: https://app-scoop.com/contact-us.html.