Category: Best Practices

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Why CIOs Need to Start Using Analytics More Effectively

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Analytics are becoming one of the most powerful tools that businesses and CIOs can have in their tool belts. Simply put, analytics is our ability to track information and use it to make more strategic and fact-based decisions. Gone are the days of making decisions based on gut-feelings or outdated industry reports.
Advancements in technologies, more sophisticated mobile devices, and the proliferation of the cloud, have all helped lead to a world where insightful business data can be tracked and managed efficiently and cost-effectively.
According to a survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) at their CIO Network Conference, business intelligence (BI) and analytics is one of the top priorities for CIOs today. In a Gartner survey, 41 percent of CIOs named BI and analytics as their top priority for 2015, ahead of infrastructure/data center and the cloud. Gartner also predicts that the importance of business intelligence and analytics will continue to grow into 2017.
However, just like any tool, analytics is only truly valuable if the owner knows how to use it. Accumulating data and analytics is not sufficient enough to improve the way you do business. Company leaders must turn those analytics into actions that will improve the overall success of their business. How can CIOs use analytics to help their organization grow?

Analytics for Data Security

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As the number and cost of cyber attacks increase, companies are placing high importance on data security. According to a 2015 IBM and Ponemon Institute report, the total cost of data breaches last year reached $3.8 million, a 23% increase from the year before. The average cost per record was between $145 and $154. Data security is an issue all industries face, however, the healthcare industry is hit the hardest. The cost in healthcare can reach up to $363 per lost or stolen record .
CIOs can use data and analytics to identify security challenges and weaknesses before attackers. Then, they can develop strong defense plans that help prevent costly cyber attacks from happening.

Analytics for Customers

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The IT department and CIO are becoming increasingly more instrumental to the customer service experience. Businesses can analyze the entire customer journey. Big data can also be used to identify prospects and consumer trends and use that information to improve the sales process. A survey conducted by McKinsey & Company found that 50 percent of businesses that use customer analytics are more likely to significantly increase sales.
One company that is using analytics to learn more about their target audiences and to improve the customer experience is Disney. In select Walt Disney Parks, visitors are given wearable devices when they arrive. The RFID armband checks guests into areas that they visit within the park, allows them to pay for merchandise and tickets, and personalizes their entire experience.
The key to Disney’s wearable initiative is convenience and personalization. Customers want to feel valued by the companies that they support. Organizations that invest time and resources into discovering more about their customers and what they want are more likely to build strong, fruitful relationships.

Analytics for Performance

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Engagement and productivity are major issues in the workplace. Now, company leaders have more tools to improve worker performance than ever before. For instance, employee satisfaction, turnover, and sales are all valuable pieces of data that can be analyzed. Learning more about your employees, how they work, what motivates them, and other behaviors can help identify strengths and areas of improvement.
Once CIOs have identified those weak points, then they can propose methods to improve them. Furthermore, when new technologies, collaboration tools, or processes have been implemented, they can track their effectiveness in real-time with analytics.
People increasing value data, analytics, and other fact-based statistics to support a point. If you are proposing a shift in strategy, additional funds for a new project, or another plea to your executive team or board members, it’s important to use strong analytics in your wireless presentation. New presentation software has tons of features that allow you to show analytics in interesting and clear ways that get the attention of your audience and help support your claim.
Data and analytics has changed the way that we learn about customers and has opened up a wide range of possibilities for businesses. The best CIOs are the ones that can help their companies use those analytics to improve performance, security, and drive sales.

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Additional Reading
What is the Role of the CIO in Driving Enterprise Analytics?
The CIO’s Role in Customer Analytics
 

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Best Collaboration Tools to Increase Team Productivity

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The way we work has changed in recent years. The individual contribution used to outweigh group efforts. Now, we’re seeing work assignments become project-based and requiring teams to complete tasks. In response, an increasing number of tools are on the market to help streamline processes, promote communication and transparency and to make sure everyone is working with purpose and focus.
Some of the best tools are for communication. Others are for knowledge management and transfer. Many work for project management.
For Presentations:
• Ubiq. Wireless presentations made easy with instant access to your meet’s Hive, central access point. It connects people using multiple device types to a presentation where they can share content through a data encrypted, secure system dedicated for your meeting. The added bonus will come in the form of remote presentations, which will open, yet secured access to those beyond the Hive in virtual locations.
• Canva. Presentations and other communication assets may require visual content. Canva is a free, online graphic design tool to create posters, infographics, email templates and more! As a collaborative tool, you can share your design with team members to work together, make changes/edits and gather feedback.
• Mural.ly. Mural.ly is a cloud-based whiteboard application, great for brainstorming sessions. Using virtual whiteboards, called “Murals,” you can invite team members to draw and type onto your board to gather ideas, map out workflows and more. Collaborate in real-time and visually track activity as your project evolves.
For Project Management:
• Asana. Designed to support teams through web and mobile applications, Asana is communication and project management tool that works to keep teams organized and promote open communication. It includes a multitude of features, like interactive checklists, to ensure teams remain on task and rely less on email, where things can get confused or lost.
• Trello. Trello is a card-based project management program. Its application focuses on the use of cards, which work great for online brainstorming sessions. Ideal for content and editorial development, users can pitch ideas, assign tasks, leave notes and visualize progress as cards are being worked.
• TeamWork. This project management system supports file transfers, task assignments and status updates. In addition, TeamWork promotes communication with each task having its own discussion board. It’s user-friendly where both the project owner and the end-user can assign, edit and update tasks based on security settings.
For Communication/Social Media:
• Skype. When Skype was launched in August 2013, it took the telecommunication world by storm. Being able to make calls over an Internet brought people together across country borders and oceans. It’s still relevant and significant to how we do business today. With easy to use software, chats and free audio and video calls to other Skype users are simple. Need to direct dial someone, Skype offers great rates for pennies per minute. Communication provides immediate access with cost savings.
• Yammer. Yammer turns your company’s internal communications into an enterprise social network. Employees access the network through their work email address to communicate with others by departments, groups and interest. Stay on top of projects, understand strategies and break down silos across the organization. Internal communication is no longer just receiving memos through email. It’s now about having actual dialogue amongst colleagues online.
• HipChat. This internal communication tool integrates chat, video and file sharing all within your organization. Set in the cloud, employees can engage in private/group chats, videos and screen sharing from remote locations. It works on a chat room platform, which allows full chat histories to be saved and referenced. We’ve been using HipChat for over a year now, and we communicate over HipChat more frequently than email!
Many of these tools integrate with other applications and can be used across multiple devices. Some have apps for smartphone and tablet available with data being saved and shared on the cloud. It makes collaboration easier to accomplish without having to have everyone in the same room at the same time.

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Meeting Rooms & Huddle Spaces: 5 Basic Ways To Optimize Them

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Stepping inside a meeting room can feel a lot like stepping inside a black hole: Once you’ve moved beyond the event horizon (i.e. the conference room door), the possibility of escaping within a human lifetime can seem extremely remote. Even huddle spaces — the meeting room’s younger, less time-draining sibling — have a well-documented tendency to hold whoever steps inside them captive for extremely long durations against their will.
But contrary to popular opinion, it is at least theoretically possible for groups of people to set foot inside meeting rooms or huddle spaces and re-emerge within just 30 minutes. Here are 4 ways to help accomplish this: 

  1. Create a To-Do List. A to-do list will help you keep track of the meeting. Being able to check off tasks can help to build motivation and to maintain your focus. Our recommendation would be to create your to-do list for all meetings so you know actually what needs to be done for each person of the team. It’ll give you the opportunity to evaluate your performance and make adjustments in your meeting approach. It will also prepare you for what’s to come.
  2. Time Your Agenda. Your to-do list can help promote time management – which you will know what to speed up and what to slow down. Use your calendar, like Google or Outlook, to send out the agenda prior to the meeting. With Ubiq, you can send your calendar to your conference room TV or interactive displays prior to the meeting to make such that all of the attendees are on the same page. Reserve time to dedicate to projects and tasks, while setting your own expectations for timely completion.
  1. Set Yourself as “Do Not Disturb.” Many of us still get emails, and instant messages during meeting time. The reason for this is because we feel that we can do multiple things at once including replying back to emails or instant messages, and feel the need to reply back. The truth is that many emails can wait, and setting yourself as do not disturb can be a lot more efficient during meetings. Recently, I was in making a wireless presentation during a meeting. However, while I was making a wireless presentation, there were notifications that popped up from my email and instant messaging. One of the emails that I received was from my sister asking me what to eat for dinner. If I set myself as do not disturb, those wouldn’t pop up. Additionally, I would avoid the embarrassment of people reading my emails or messages.
  2. Delegate, When Necessary. It doesn’t hurt to ask for support of others when you need it. That’s the whole point of meetings. Discuss all the problems and best practices with your team. That way, everyone can benefit and sharing stories make meetings go a bit more bearable. When you want to achieve all your goals in meetings, delegate tasks to your peers or have shared tasks. Discussing key problems and delegation can help achieve goals in meetings and create more wins to the team.
  3. Implement a Wireless Presentation System. Every meeting in which users are forced to connect their laptops to the TV or projector with wires or adapters inevitably goes 15 minutes over schedule due to connectivity problems. By investing in a wireless presentation system that allows users to connect their laptop to any audio visual setup regardless of its video outputs, all of this wasted time can easily be avoided.

With fewer distractions and proper delegation of work, you can give proper attention in meetings, which leads to an increase in teamwork and productivity. The challenge comes in how you manage our time and efforts independently and collaboratively. These tips should set you on the right path to getting the most out of your meeting rooms and huddle spaces.
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4 Things to Look for in Unified Communication Tools

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Unified communication is the technological integration of communication from a variety of access points, software and platforms. It streamlines the flow of real-time interaction across an organization. From instant messaging to file sharing, it removes barriers of time zone, location and device type.
Having a unified communication tool will put communication solutions at employees’ fingertips from anywhere at any time. The need for travel is reduced, due to increased remote access for virtual team members and guests. By promoting internal and external connections anywhere at anytime, the goal should be towards productivity and efficiency for all. The greater the productivity and ability for clearer communication and sharing, the more motivated employees will be.
What about security? IT departments can better manage data flow and usage. The access parameters set will run across all integrated applications with the hope that future integrations or additions would be met with ease. It turns communication into an enterprise system. That system can lower administrative costs and the strain on team resources.
What should you look for in a unified communication tool?

  • Improved user experience. Every employee is different. How they interact with tools is determined by their flexibility, comfort and knowledge. Understand how your employees are currently communicating, meeting and engaging with each other. Find opportunities to improve the experience. Provide solutions and support to get them on board to change company culture in breaking down barriers. Recently, one of our staff members at Ubiq participated in a Twitter chat with users and IT professionals, and they were mentioning that if their unified communication tool is not easy enough for the users to use it, they won’t use it. However, they mentioned that it takes up to 3 months for users to understand how to use it and adopt the product.
  • Greater accessibility and collaboration. Your employees may be far and wide. They need a central point to come together to share ideas and create dialogue. A unified communication tool creates new means to gather information from a mix of traditional and non-traditional ways. From the twitter chat, it was obvious that instant messaging, email and presentation tools were key aspects for a unified communication tool to increase collaboration.
  • Data shareability. With technology, communication becomes data. That data needs to be processed…to go somewhere! How ideas are exchanged rely on data sharing. A unified communication tool will enhance collaboration by sharing files, screens and other information more readily. The optimal tool will not require a waiting period for analysis. It’s work that employees can now do together.
  • Seamless integration.  By integrating existing applications into a centralized system, it is important to not impact current workflows. Communication is very important to the success of a business. It should not be disturbed. It should be enhanced! Users care if the tools are easy to use and can be accessed all in one place, and your IT Department cares about one-time setup and putting less work for them after the integration.

As more business is being conducted in the cloud, communication needs to be seamless. Not only should it break down silos across departments, it should be open to the many touch points employees have to each other: phone, email, instant message, video, social media, etc. The way we speak and share with each other at work has changed. Unified communication tools will help take our interactions to the next level with ease from any place.

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How to Reduce Stress on Your IT Department

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Is your IT department the life force of your organization? It may very well be! From your WiFi connection to figuring out how the new printer works, your IT department is continuously working on projects and tasks to support every individual in your company. No matter the size, the work can be stressful and put a strain on resources.
The impact of stress on your IT department can lead to decreased employee motivation, increased turnover and inefficient support. It can also create a backlog or overflow of requests, creating a risk of mismanagement. Without proper IT support, other departments can suffer if work cannot be performed or tools do not properly function.
5 Ways to Reduce Stress on Your IT Department:
1. IT Ticketing System. Having an IT ticketing system, allows users to submit trackable support requests. That means, your help desk teams spend less time on the phone trying to walk through issues and more time attending to the root causes. Many systems allow priority setting with transparency. Therefore, both the user and the ticket assignee can work together and communicate under the appropriate expectations until a matter is resolved. Less priority items can have quicker turnaround times and higher priority items can have the right people working through the problem.
2. Knowledge Database. For users seeking basic hardware/software assistance, having a knowledge database can provide faster solutions. Product manuals, quick step-by-step guides or frequently asked questions can be valuable resources for your colleagues. Making them searchable on your company’s Intranet brings information directly to them without having to go to IT, unless it’s necessary.

3. Assign by Specialty. Your IT department is a talent pools from coders to network operators. By assigning team members to projects and support tasks based on their expertise will deliver a subject matter expert into the discussion. It also can improve efficiencies related to that specialty, rather than leaving it in the hands of an IT generalist or just someone who happens to be available.
4. Resource Management. Map out your employees’ work. As your team is working through projects and help desk tickets, look at how their time is being managed. If some team members are being overworked, do you have others to whom those tasks can be delegated? While working with project managers, ask for their feedback on how IT is performing. If it seems that your team is being overextended, see where you can find support by adding another team member or having employees reassigned.
5. Checking In. Your team needs you, as much as you need them. Communicate with them to ask how they are feeling at work and in general. If you find a gap in performance or motivation, work with them to uncover ways to be productive for them and you. It could range from tapping into their specialty, providing more opportunities for professional development or just shifting assignments. From that open dialogue, take the opportunity to reflect about your management style as well as how to optimize and support your team.
Your employees want to work to their best abilities. You should want them to do the same. Stress can hurt your team, your colleagues and your company. By working to reduce stress on your IT department is a step in the right direction to boost morale and productivity across the board.

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Don't Use Teleconferencing for your meeting rooms Ever Again!

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With the shift towards video integrations, is there still a place for the telephone in conference room technology enhancements? Let’s explore!

Is the teleconference still relevant for business?

Telephone technology has changed the way we speak to one another, near and far. VoIP combined with SaaS (software as a service) has given us the ability to speak to our colleagues across time zones and country codes at low-to-no cost. Phone calls are no longer just 1-to-1; they are 1-to-many. The hardware (phones) now supports the capability with a simple “Conference” button. There are now companies that manage conference lines. Tools like Skype can easily bring multiple parties together with options in how to communicate. This shows that teleconferencing is alive and well, but for how long?

Should we all be on video?

Video conferencing has added a sensory layer to communication. Video gives more context to discussions with the ability to see body language and emotion. At the same time, clear conversation over the telephone can also give the necessary context. This would make video an option rather than a requirement in communication.
The shift in conference room technology has promoted video integration. Wireless presentations allow team members to connect across multiple platforms, including video, and devices to share ideas. They have allowed companies to become global villages, where team members can speak, see and hear each other from remote locations. However, there is the possibility for technical difficulties. While video may seem like the best option, the phone still has a role in communication, even as a back-up resource.
Sometimes, the face-to-face can prove to be more effective than just the audio to build understanding and support. However, face-to-face with video can take more time than a telephone conversation in coordinating schedules, resources and equipment. With teleconferencing, it’s usually just a phone and maybe a dedicated conference line. One really has to determine the need for video and how it will benefit the discussion.

The happy medium!

Video is trending across all media. It’s essential for some industries, but not so much for others. While your IT team should support the request and use of video, it should also be mindful of its effectiveness to the company. Your company should also evaluate existing phone usage across the business, especially for meetings that involve remote and external resources. If you find that video is a “nice to have” option, perhaps more resources should be available to support teleconferencing with phones, VoIP, conference lines, Skype, etc.
As it stands, video conferencing is emerging and holds a strong place in business. They serve a purpose based on time and need. Video may represent stronger face-to-face interactions from remote locations. There’s a benefit in promoting active communication. Choose wisely how you want to engage with your teams and partners.

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6 Tips to Organize Breaks For Your Meetings to Ensure Productivity

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You’ve rallied the troops. Now it’s time to hunker down in the conference room. You and your team have a mission to accomplish, and you’re going to get it done no matter how long it takes.
But excessive mental strain can take its toll. Those who may have been energized at the beginning of a meeting may feel exhausted and defeated by the 20-minute mark and may need to be carried out on a stretcher by the end. To accomplish goals and ensure productivity, you want a team that is motivated, refreshed, and charged. And just as you wouldn’t drive from New York to L.A. without stopping for gas, it’s generally ill-advised to have a long meeting without organizing a break or two.
Tips to Organize Breaks in Your Work Sessions

  1. Set an agenda. Having an outline of what to cover and when sets expectations. Allow time for short breaks (10-15 minutes). If work is going all day or into the night, you may need to account for meal times. Include those into your agenda as well. The team will need to refuel to stay productive!
  2. Gauge the atmosphere. If you’re not able to set an agenda, try to get a feel of the room and the people in it. If there are lengthy periods of silence, it may be time for a break. Give the team a chance to take a short walk, grab some water or coffee, check email, etc.
  3. Get some exercise. A quick stretch can keep the mind limber. If things get sluggish around the table, get everything to stand up, run in place, get the energy flowing and then get back to work. Movement can be as refreshing as a nap. It also can jumpstart productivity in the room.
  4. Grab a bite. You may not be yourself when you’re hungry. The same may go for your team. Set aside a lunch or snack break. If you can have snacks available in the room, great. Allow people to grab something as the meeting continues on. Otherwise, have a meal together and talk about things other than your work project. It’s a great to learn about each other and create bonds.
  5. Introduce the Pomodoro Technique. Need to structure your work/break balance? The Pomodoro Technique may just be the lifesaver your team needs! Named after an Italian cooking timer shaped like a tomato, the technique is simple: Work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute-long break, then work for another 25 minutes. You can adjust to meet your team’s needs. Having a Pomodoro app, stopwatch, or alarm clock can help manage your time to allow everyone to focus on the task at hand and take much-needed rests.
  6. Utilize Conference Room Technology. Meetings can be boring, especially when they last longer than the Lord of the Rings trilogy. During breaks, it might be best for users to learn about new technologies that the organization will be rolling out or new products that will be introduced to the whole organization. For example, letting users’ try out a new wireless presentation tool will allow them to give feedback, and get a feel for the product prior to deployment. This will help the IT Department with the evaluation process as well. This can both be fun and educating for users.

Locking your team in a room until a solution is found may sound like a great thing. It may force everyone to work hard together in situations where they may not have done without a push. However, you could be creating a pressure cooker effect, if you don’t allow everyone time to catch their breath.
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Selecting the Right IT Ticket Solution for your Business

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Your business is global. Your employees, clients and vendors are far and wide. As you try to bring people together virtually, there will be times when technical support will need to be called. How can you ensure that your IT department, especially your help desk, has the right tools to manage support calls and tickets?
What is the right IT ticket solution? There are many IT ticket solutions on the market like Zendesk, Gemini and Freshdesk to name a few. Each offers a number of features, ranging from live chat to ticket deflection. What will work best for you? You know your business and your team. However, in this virtual age, you need a solution that will support new forms of communication from conference room technology to wireless presentation. A ticketing system that can be accessed by many from multiple locations requires flexibility to meet company needs.
These are 5 simple ways to selecting the right IT ticket solution:
Do your homework. Is your current solution working? Examine how employees are currently communicating with your help desk. If possible, conduct a company-wide survey to gather feedback on the current support structure and process. Share that information with your IT support team. Brainstorm on ways to improve efficiencies and identify features of an IT ticketing system are mandatory, nice to have or not needed. This will help you to budget wisely and evaluate costs of implementation and maintenance as many providers work on a subscription basis.
The bells and whistles. The “hot” features sure look great, but are they really necessary? Don’t be sold on looks alone. For instance, Gemini offers email integration and a Knowledge Base. Freshdesk has added features like live chat and social media integration. What you should consider is how the platform operates and fits into your team’s structure and processes. For example, you should evaluate if you can dedicate team members to live chat. Ask providers for a demonstration of the solution, and have help desk team members participate. If providers can provide you with a trial to test the solution and its features, go for it! Many solutions also come with free trials, like Zendesk provides, which will allow your team and other key employees across departments give proper feedback and recommendations.
Global technical support. As your company’s employees are connected across multiple countries, platforms and devices, you’ll need to have an IT ticket solution that everyone will be able to access and work together. IT support teams will also need a way to communicate with them on an as-needed basis through devices and across time zones. Some solutions, like Freshdesk and Zendesk, offer mobile applications for Android and iOS.
Language and translation. While your company may do business globally, does everyone speak the same language? Maybe or maybe not. You might need to consider multi-language support for your ticketing solution, especially if you embed frequently asked questions or a knowledge database. For example, Zendesk offers support for over 40 languages, which administrators can configure through account settings. Having content available in more than one language may help employees readily obtain answers rather than getting lost or misunderstood through tickets.
References and recommendations. When considering IT ticket solutions, some providers might provide you with references from their client pool with whom you can discuss how the solution has worked for them. You may also want to gather references and recommendations of providers from colleagues or your professional network. The feedback you gather may be useful in determining a final list of top providers to consider or select.

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Promote Office Productivity with IT Ticketing Systems

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The rise of the conference room technology is allowing teams to be more interactive and flexible across multiple platforms and devices. In order to support the growing amount of hardware and software, IT teams have to adapt their processes to promote alternative means of communication and collaboration, such as a wireless presentation. However, with new technology comes a greater need of support for fellow employees. How can help desk teams efficiently manage the influx of support calls and requests? A lot comes down to organization with an online IT ticketing system.
IT ticketing systems allow for a central repository for project requests, defect logs and “How does this work” questions. These systems assist IT help desk teams in estimating the level of effort, assigning tasks, setting priorities and creating visibility to track the status of tickets. For example, in conference room technology, a ticketing system should provide immediate access to the help desk, due to the “live,” time-sensitive nature presentations and meetings. However, without the right structure, the system and help desk support can become overwhelmed with the volume of tickets and the ability to prioritize them.
Help desk support teams needs to efficient and productive. An inefficient workflow or the absence of a ticketing system may bog down the help desk. Therefore, calls may not be resolved in a timely manner, incorrect expectations could be set and employees may be left frustrated.
Here are 3 ways helpdesk teams can become more productive with the help of an IT ticketing system.
Define Team Structure. An IT ticketing system is only as good as the team managing it. By instituting a structure which will account for resource management, priority settings and help desk knowledge, tickets can be assigned appropriately, worked efficiently and avoid drain on a single team member. The goal is to use the system to balance the workload in order for team members to be available to assist more employees while having resources free to handle critical matters.
Setting Expectations. Employees may think that tickets are worked as soon as they are received. In many cases, they are. However, an IT ticketing system can be used to set real expectations for resolutions. Some systems will allow the end user to set a priority, which may not always be correct. Therefore, having a system that allows the end user to track their tickets can help convey how tickets are prioritized, when they will be addressed and how they are being handled. By giving visibility to employees, there will be a reduction in status calls
Knowledge Database. There are often frequently asked questions or FAQs. Those calls can eat away at time and resources. Having a mix of FAQs and a knowledge database with operating procedure guides will give employees an opportunity to get the guidance they need on their own. This will empower them to resolve easy, low priority matters without needing IT support.
The help desk is your IT customer service. They want to do a good job and provide assistance to all who need it. By providing them with a ticketing system and the right structure to assist their fellow employees, the help desk can be invaluable and attentive to support your business and reach its goals.

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