To Address Growing Technology Needs, You Need a Partner to Meet You Where You Are. Here’s What to Look for.
We live in a world where organizational technology needs grow greater every day. Companies are racing to take advantage of emerging technology like generative AI, and to do that they have to make decisions about where to store it, how to structure it, and how to visualize it that will impact them for years to come. And emerging tech is only part of the equation. You still have your existing technology needs, like building products and applications and creating engaging user experiences for your customers.
No company can do it all. At some point, you will likely need to partner with an external company to supplement your internal team. But finding the right partner isn’t always straightforward—you need one to meet you where you are with the right technology, the right people, and the right delivery model.
Behind every technology solution is a business challenge, or at least there should be. And while the challenge may be clear, finding the right solution isn’t always straightforward. It’s important to not be too prescriptive about the technology solution before you fully understand the problem. If you choose a partner who only does one thing, that’s always going to be the answer to your problem. That specific technology or even technology in general may only be part of the solution. Sometimes people and processes are what matter most.
Look for a partner who will take the time to truly understand your business challenge, then bring the right technology and wrap around services to bear to solve the problem.
The Ability to Assemble the Right Team
By 2026, more than 90% of organizations globally will experience impact from the IT skills crisis, amounting to some $5.5 trillion in losses due to product delays, impaired competitiveness, and loss of business, according to IDC. It’s a startling statistic that underscores just how complex the IT labor market is. Part of the complexity stems from how quickly technology is evolving—there are just so many emerging areas of expertise. But as the world becomes increasingly software and data centric, the broader IT labor market is becoming increasingly compressed, too. It’s hard to find people with the right skill set when and where you need them.
Look for a partner with proven, repeatable process in place and an established recruiting engine for bringing skilled experts to the table, ideally people they have long-term working relationships with.
A Flexible Delivery Model
Every organization is unique, as is every technology initiative. Sometimes the best solution is to completely outsource an initiative and ask your partner to own it from beginning to end, but it’s certainly not the only approach. In other instances, you may need your partner to manage a project side-by-side with your team or to augment your staff during peak periods. Flexibility extends to where the team is located, too. If you’re augmenting your team, do you need them to be onshore or can you take advantage of nearshore economies of scale?
Look for a partner who is flexible and offers a range of delivery approaches tailored to your business needs.
Meeting You Where You Are
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics currently projects that IT-related jobs will continue to grow at a much faster pace than average through 2032. Companies that strategically align themselves with a technology partner that can meet you where you are will be better positioned to navigate the advancing technology landscape and the increasing demand for expertise. When evaluating a partner, look for one who will take the time to understand your underlying business challenge, bring the right people together and the right technology to bear, and deliver in whatever way works best for you.
Partner with Kopius to JumpStart Success
Innovating technology is crucial, or your business will be left behind. Our expertise in technology and business helps our clients deliver tangible outcomes and accelerate growth. At Kopius, we’ve designed a program to JumpStart your customer, technology, and data success.
Kopius has an expert emerging tech team. We bring this expertise to your JumpStart program and help uncover innovative ideas and technologies supporting your business goals. We bring fresh perspectives while focusing on your current operations to ensure the greatest success.
Across virtually every industry, in healthcare, industrial, retail and other settings, IoT is a go-to way of monitoring everything from user behavior, to equipment to the environment. It can even be used to keep track of what’s happening within our bodies. But the bigger question is why? Why are you monitoring those endpoints, and what problem are you trying to solve? Fundamentally, IoT is about data, and it’s often just a starting point. It is part of a large ecosystem of other data sources and technologies that you can bring to bear to solve your organization’s—and in some cases, the world’s—most pressing challenges.
And in fact, long-term, sustainable solutions often extend beyond technology. People and processes may be at the root of your challenges, and you will need to look beyond the sensor to effect change.
From When to Why: How IoT Brought a People and Practices Issue to the Forefront
Case in point: a leading lumber company’s door manufacturing business was among its most profitable segments. They were looking to increase their return on investment by making their machines more productive. That meant finding ways to make them run faster and reduce idle time. They reached out to Kopius, and as a first step, we worked with them to put sensors on their machines so we could pull data to better understand when they were idle and for how long. It was valuable information, but to increase productivity, we needed to understand why they were idle.
It wasn’t because of mechanical issues. Instead, the answer had to do with the way orders are processed and initiated for manufacturing, which is a people and process issue. The company’s order fulfillment process was largely manual. When an order came in, a physical bill of material was created, then someone walked it over to the area of the facility dedicated to door manufacturing. Often, they were pulled away, distracted by a more time sensitive task or by a coworker. In other cases, materials for the doors would get delivered to the wrong area. So, to solve the problem of humans being prone to error, we recommended a change management process and leveraged automation to support better tracking of materials. The expected impact was a 40% increase in production and $50M increase in annual revenue for the door division.
For this company, the initial request for IoT sensors was just the starting point for long term efficiency, agility, and sustainability. It sparked ongoing discussions that have opened a world of possibilities for what other insights could be gleaned from their data. What kinds of sensors would generate data that would help them predict when their equipment needed servicing? How could they lay a foundation for storing and structuring their data so when the time is right, they can leverage AI to gain insights into their business that humans can’t see?
A Problem-First, Technology Second Approach
This experience underscores my initial point. IoT is just one element of a larger ecosystem of technology, data, and process improvements that can be brought to bear to solve your business challenges. If you stay focused on the why—your underlying business problem—and let that guide your technology approach, you can take your business farther, faster.
JumpStart IoT Success
Innovating technology is crucial, or your business will be left behind. Our expertise in IoT technology and business helps our clients deliver tangible outcomes and accelerate growth. At Kopius, we’ve designed a program to JumpStart your customer, technology, and data success.
Kopius has an expert emerging tech team. We bring this expertise to your JumpStart program and help uncover innovative ideas and technologies supporting your business goals. We bring fresh perspectives while focusing on your current operations to ensure the greatest success.
Retail technology, or retail tech, has transformed the industry for both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retailers. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one example of technology set to revolutionize how businesses interact with consumers forever.
Learning more about the current state of IoT in retail and where experts predict it will go can help your business determine how best to incorporate this technology in your everyday operations.
Although IoT and retail are still a fairly new combination for most retailers, it’s a promising technology that is set to transform retail as we know it.
IoT is the concept behind smart retail, which is an evolving practice that uses connected technology to create a seamless shopping experience designed to meet today’s increasingly advanced customer expectations. Whether people are visiting your stores in person or shopping online, an IoT experience is significantly more memorable and convenient than a conventional one.
What Is the Internet of Things in Retail?
The Internet of Things in the retail industry is a comprehensive network that collects, monitors, and analyzes customer data in real time using a range of internet-connected devices:
RFID tags: Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags use radio frequencies to continuously transmit signals for location tracking and identification. Unlike traditional barcodes, you can receive RFID signals over long distances, which is ideal for maximum efficiency in retail and shipping purposes.
Cameras: Internet-connected CCTV cameras with video analytics capabilities can capture behavioral and operational data in brick-and-mortar stores for valuable insights into potential areas for process optimization.
Sensors: Various internet-connected sensors, such as pressure sensors, accelerometers, and temperature sensors, can provide data on customer behavior, foot traffic, and store conditions to streamline operations.
Bluetooth: Bluetooth connectivity enables you to build wireless networks of connected devices, creating seamless communication paths between each system component.
Beacons: One of the most popular examples of IoT devices, a beacon is a device that detects when people are nearby and automatically triggers a preset action. For example, a beacon may deliver personalized marketing messages on a screen when a returning customer walks by.
The specific devices you should use in your IoT retail system depend on your specific business, the products you sell, and your preferences.
IoT Use Cases Driving Retail Experiences
While many believe brick-and-mortar business is outdated, combining IoT and the retail industry can bring in-person shopping experiences back in a new, exciting way. It can also enhance online shopping experiences through a greater potential for data collection and personalization than conventional e-commerce practices.
Here are some examples of real Internet of Things use cases:
In-Store Operations and Analytics
Using IoT data for research and analysis can help businesses make strategic decisions about operational enhancements that generate real results. Plus, automated devices free up store employees from handling time-consuming tasks like manual inventory counts and equipment checks so they can focus on value-added tasks.
Here are a few examples:
Staffing levels: IoT cameras and sensors near store entrances and exits can track customer foot traffic over the course of a typical day, providing valuable insights for scheduling staff.
Physical security: CCTV systems equipped with IoT capabilities can continuously monitor your store for suspicious behavior, automating surveillance and reducing your overall risk.
Store setup: Strategically placed cameras equipped with video analytics technology can also track customer movement patterns, helping you make strategic decisions about where to place products and displays.
Inventory: IoT-enabled devices can save your employees valuable time in manually scanning and counting items during peak hours.RFID tags and sensors attached to products can track customer purchases in real time, and an integrated notification system can alert you as soon as stock levels dip below a predetermined number.
Self-checkout automation: RFID tags and cameras can track when items leave the store, automatically charging customers for their purchase, as in the case of Amazon Go.
Predictive maintenance: Attaching IoT sensors to store equipment can help you save valuable time and money on preventive maintenance by monitoring equipment conditions in real time. When the sensor detects abnormalities in the equipment, it can flag your employees to perform maintenance.
Every retailer has a unique objective. That said, the “unique” aspect is exactly why IoT is so interesting. Understanding the various challenges and goals faced by customers, then developing and applying the best solution to meet said challenges and goals is what makes it fun.
Matt Wright, Principal Software Architect at Kopius
The applications for this information go well beyond managing your store in the current moment — you can also effectively prepare your business for the future using this data.
An integrated, AI-powered analytics solution can extract powerful insights from historical data, identifying trends and shifts in consumer behavior over time. Monitoring these trends will help inform your decisions about future-proofing your business, allowing you to create a retail experience that stays relevant for years to come.
Retail CDP and Personalized Marketing
When it comes to marketing, taking a one-size-fits-all approach is a surefire way to reach no one. Personalization, or tailoring your messaging to your customers’ individual preferences, is essential for connecting with them in a way that inspires loyalty and enhances your reputation.
Tapping into retail IoT capabilities can help you create hyper-personalized omnichannel advertising and marketing campaigns for maximum effectiveness. For example, the data your in-store IoT devices collect can provide valuable insight into customer behaviors such as:
How often someone visits your store
Which items a customer typically purchases
What time of day customers are most likely to make a purchase
While in-store IoT devices can efficiently capture massive amounts of customer data, you need some way to activate that data to ensure a strong return on investment.
An integrated customer data platform (CDP) provides a centralized database for all the behavioral and demographic data your IoT devices collect. You can also combine your in-store data with information from your e-commerce channels for a 360-degree view of all your customers and their preferences.
Data analytics software can then extract valuable insights from that information for:
Better market segmentation
More accurate targeting
Enhanced messaging
These insights will help you identify where the best potential growth areas are in your business. For example, the audience you typically target in marketing may not be the same audience that shops from you — and good data collection and analytics will help you determine whether this is the case so you can adjust your strategy.
Enhancing Customer Experiences Through IoT
When properly implemented, IoT networks can significantly improve both in-person and online shopping experiences with capabilities such as:
Better inventory management: Attaching RFID tags to products or product packaging helps you accurately track stock movement and quantities in your warehouses, making it easier to ensure you always have enough product to meet customer demand without the risk of dead stock.
Memorable product demos: Connected systems create more memorable in-person product demonstrations by bridging the gap between the real and the digital. Customers can interact with your products in new and exciting ways, significantly boosting your chances of making a sale.
In-store marketing: IoT solutions like beacon technology enable retailers to offer customers tailored promotions and real-time discounts based on their preferences and previous purchasing behavior. It is important to seize opportunities that present a more pleasant experience through technology. The companies that utilize IoT and other retail technologies to improve the accessibility of their customers or their employees are the ones pathing a new way within their industries.
Eye-catching displays: Internet-connected lights, screens, and smart shelves come together to create memorable displays that capture customers’ attention — and change in real time to keep them looking.
Order tracking: When customers purchase products online, they want to ensure their order arrives on time and in good condition. RFID tags and sensors, combined with integrated shipping management software, give customers greater visibility into the status of their orders, providing peace of mind.
Ultimately, the best approach your business can take to IoT and the customer experience is understanding your customers first. Knowing who they are and what they look for in a shopping experience is critical for designing experiences they will love.
Addressing Data and Security in IoT-Enabled Retail
As with any technology that captures personal data, customers have concerns over whether companies that use IoT devices to collect their data will take the proper measures to protect it.
Safeguarding Customer Data
This is always an important topic with customers when implementing IoT solutions. Often times, the “edge” devices generating data are field deployed and outside physical boundaries controlled by the customer. Sometimes the devices have no way to prevent anyone from physically accessing the devices, which poses an obvious risk to data security and integrity. Luckily, there are numerous mechanisms within IoT to address some of these concerns – things like Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), data encryption, and physical mechanisms such as Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) can all be implemented to mitigate data risks.
Matt Wright, Principal Software Architect at Kopius
Before and throughout implementation, your business should follow best practices for protecting customer information within an IoT framework:
Segment your IoT network: Network segmentation breaks up your primary IoT network into multiple smaller networks, which enables you to quarantine and resolve security threats as soon as one appears.
Run frequent updates: Hackers often take advantage of known system vulnerabilities, and regularly updating and patching your network helps protect against these risks by remediating them.
Use advanced authentication technologies: Identity and access management, multi-factor authentication, and similar technologies prevent unauthorized users from accessing your data by requiring additional forms of authentication at login.
Test regularly: Regularly testing your system is essential for discovering potential vulnerabilities, helping you determine the best course of action to eliminate them.
Monitor all endpoints: The more devices you add to your IoT network, the larger your attack surface — and the greater your risk. A centralized software system that provides comprehensive visibility into each device in your network is critical for effectively protecting your customer data.
Train your employees: Over 70% of all data breaches involve the human element, and uninformed employees are often the reason why. Effective training is necessary to ensure everyone in your business knows how to securely use your IoT devices.
For retailers without extensive IT departments, developing an IoT cybersecurity solution in partnership with a reliable technology consulting firm is a cost-effective way to create a comprehensive solution that complies with all relevant cybersecurity standards. Your consultant will work closely with you to determine your business’s specific security needs so you can address all the potential gaps in your system.
The Future of IoT Security in Retail
One of the biggest developments in IoT security across all industries is the need for standardization and regulation.
The federal IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 bars the United States federal government from purchasing and/or using IoT devices that do not comply with standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology after December 2022.
Although the law only affects the public sector, stricter regulations for IoT devices are likely to impact the private sector in the coming years. The state of California, for example, has taken steps to legislate IoT security with the passing of Senate Bill 327 — also known as the California IoT Security Act — in late 2018. This law requires IoT device manufacturers to equip their products with unique first-time passwords as well as other appropriate security features, such as:
Data encryption
Regular software updates or patches
Secure APIs
Because SB-327 is a state law, it only applies to device manufacturers selling their products in California. However, as IoT implementation expands, other states may follow suit.
The Benefits of IoT in Retail
Some of the most significant benefits of implementing IoT solutions in a retail business include:
Cost savings: Automated IoT devices can help you reduce your operational expenses by identifying issues and adjusting your conditions to keep costs low. For example, smart lighting networks connected to motion sensors can raise store lights during peak hours and dim them when the store is quiet, lowering your energy usage.
Greater customer loyalty: Hyper-personalized marketing and memorable experiences improve customer satisfaction, inspiring customers to return frequently.
More accurate inventory: Tracking inventory movement in real time helps you ensure you have enough product available when customers want it.
Better customer service: Automating routine, time-consuming tasks like inventory counting and maintenance frees up your employees to handle more pressing tasks on the floor, such as assisting customers in finding products.
Gaining a competitive edge: Although many companies are starting to see the value in IoT for the retail industry, this technology is still in its early stages. Investing now can help you get a leg up over your competitors and plan a future strategy.
Data-driven decision-making: The data you collect from your IoT devices provides invaluable information about your customers’ preferences, purchasing habits, and shopping behaviors, which can help you make more informed decisions to grow your business.
It’s important to note that simply purchasing and deploying IoT devices is not the end of the story. Your IoT network should be seamlessly integrated with a robust digital infrastructure to support the high volumes of incoming data your devices will collect daily.
A Fortune 500 company worked with Kopius to develop a Sound Pressure Level proof-of-concept, which is a terrific example of a company gaining a competitive edge in the market by blending accessibility initiatives with IoT technology. Using microphones and real-time SPL data, we were able to better understand the soundscape of the store environment, while isolating specific sound sources that may cause discomfort to hearing aid users. This, in turn, provided usable insights for layout designers to make decisions about sound insulation and improve the accessibility of their stores for individuals with hearing disabilities.
Spencer McCluskey, Director of Delivery of Kopius
Preparing for What’s Next: IoT in Retail
The economic future for IoT technology is bright. Projections estimate that the global IoT retail market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 28.4% from 2023 to 2030.
That said, new technologies come and go at an overwhelming pace. Companies need to adopt a forward-thinking mindset when adopting the latest IoT tech. Working with an experienced, knowledgeable team of consultants can help you develop a streamlined IoT system that will help your business adapt to rapid changes in retail technology.
Contact Us to JumpStart Your Retail Technology Success
Investing in IoT and other emerging retail technologies helps your business stay competitive and resilient amid the constant shifts in the retail tech landscape — and partnering with the right organization is key to getting the most out of your investment.
With 600 expert team members dedicated to delivering excellence in digital strategy, development, and future growth, Kopius can provide our clients with custom, industry-leading solutions tailored to their unique requirements.
Thanks to our extensive experience designing solutions for retailers in various countries, you can count on the team at Kopius to unlock flexible, scalable digital possibilities for your business. Contact us today to learn more about our retail technology services or schedule a consultation.
The core of future-proofing your business lies in the incorporation of cutting-edge technological trends and strategic digitization of your business operations. Combining new, transformative solutions with tried-and-true business methods is not only a practical approach but an essential one when competing in this digital age. Using the latest digital transformation trends as your guide, start envisioning the journey of future-proofing your business in order to unlock the opportunities of tomorrow.
#1 Personalization
The importance of personalized customer experiences should not be understated. More than ever, consumers are faced with endless options. To stand out from competitors, businesses must use data and customer behavior insights to curate tailored and dynamic customer journeys that both delight and command their audience. Analyze purchasing history, demographics, web activity, and other data to understand your customer, as well as their likes and dislikes. Use these insights to design customized customer experiences that increase conversion, retention, and ultimately, satisfaction.
#2 Artificial Intelligence
AI is everywhere. From autonomous vehicles and smart homes to digital assistants and chatbots, artificial intelligence is being used in a wide array of applications to improve, simplify, and speed up the tasks of everyday life. For businesses, AI and machine learning have the power to extract and decipher large amounts of data that can help predict trends and forecasts, deliver interactive personalized customer experiences, and streamline operational processes. Companies that lean on AI-driven decisions are propelled into a world of efficiency, precision, automation, and competitiveness.
#3 Sustainability
Enterprises, particularly those in the manufacturing industry, face increasing pressure to act more responsibly and consider environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) goals when making business decisions. Digital transformations are one way to support internal sustainable development because they lead to reduced waste, optimized resource use, and improved transparency. With sustainability in mind, businesses can build their data and technology infrastructures to reduce impact. For example, companies can switch to more energy-efficient hardware or decrease electricity consumption by migrating to the cloud.
#4 Cloud Migration
More and more companies are migrating their data from on-premises to the cloud. In fact, by 2027, it is estimated that 50% of all enterprises will use cloud services1. What is the reason behind this massive transition? Cost saving is one of the biggest factors. Leveraging cloud storage platforms eliminates the need for expensive data centers and server hardware, thereby reducing major infrastructure expenditures. And while navigating a cloud migration project can seem challenging, many turn to cloud computing partners to lead the data migration and ensure a painless shift.
Future-Proof Your Business Through Digital Transformation with Kopius
Innovating technology is crucial, or your business will be left behind. Our expertise in technology and business helps our clients deliver tangible outcomes and accelerate growth. At Kopius, we’ve designed a program to JumpStart your customer, technology, and data success.
Kopius has an expert emerging tech team. We bring this expertise to your JumpStart program and help uncover innovative ideas and technologies supporting your business goals. We bring fresh perspectives while focusing on your current operations to ensure the greatest success.
Winning the interest and loyalty of customers means more than just offering a superior product or service. The secret lies in a powerful strategy called personalization – a dynamic approach that tailors the customer experience to meet individual needs and preferences. As businesses across industries strive to create lasting connections with their customers and meet their evolving expectations, the importance of personalization in the customer experience should not be overstated. Read on to explore the compelling case for customer personalization and a step-by-step guide on how your business can embark on this journey to elevate the customer experience.
Let’s face it, generic offerings are outdated. Today, customers yearn for something more; they want an experience that resonates with their unique tastes. Personalization is the magic ingredient that taps into this desire. By tailoring products, services, and interactions to individual preferences, businesses create a sense of connection that fosters lasting loyalty. And beyond that, research from McKinsey found that companies who implemented a personalization strategy generated 40% more revenue than their counterparts who placed less emphasis on this approach. All signs point to tailored customer journeys.
Data lies at the heart of personalization, offering insights into customer behaviors. More than ever, companies have access to a wealth of customer information, such as past purchases and browsing habits, that act as the building blocks to these insights. Leveraging advanced analytics and artificial intelligence, businesses can uncover valuable patterns and trends, guiding them to craft personalized experiences for their customers.
Building a successful personalization strategy requires thoughtful consideration and calculated execution. If you are just getting started, follow these steps to build an improved and tailored customer experience that will drive remarkable results for your business:
Step 1: Gather as Much Customer Data as Possible.
At the core of every successful personalization strategy lies a deep understanding of your customers. To lay this solid foundation, start by gathering valuable data from multiple touchpoints along their journey, including website interactions, purchase history, and customer feedback. Take advantage of powerful tools like customer relationship management (CRM) software, website analytics, and social media insights to gain a holistic view of your customers’ preferences, behaviors, and pain points.
Step 2: Divide Your Customers Into Audience Segments.
With an abundance of data at your fingertips, it is time to move on to segmentation. Divide your customers into distinct groups based on shared traits like demographics, purchase behavior, and interests. Audience segmentation empowers you to personalize your messaging or offerings, address individual customer needs with accuracy, and create a sense of relevance.
Step 3: Get Personal With Your Messaging.
Now that you have completed the segmentation process, it’s time to get personal! Start by creating interesting content with tailored product recommendations, and design exclusive offers that cater specifically to the unique preferences of each of your audience segments. By doing so, you will create truly personalized experiences that captivate your audience and leave an impression.
Step 4: Automate Dynamic Content Delivery.
Offer real-time digital experiences that resonate with your customers’ interests and past interactions. Embracing innovative technologies like artificial intelligence allows you to analyze customer data, predict behavior, and implement an effective personalization strategy that delivers tailored experiences on the fly. AI-powered chatbots take personalized support a step further, offering instant assistance to resolve customer concerns and boost overall customer satisfaction levels.
Step 5: Track Your Personalization Campaigns.
Monitor the impact of your personalization strategy on customer engagement, satisfaction, and business performance. Evaluate key metrics like conversion rates and customer retention to assess their effectiveness. Utilize any insights gained to identify areas for improvement and modify your approach accordingly.
The possibilities for designing a personalized digital experience are limitless. AI-powered chatbots provide real-time personalized support, making customers feel valued and cared for. Dynamic content delivery ensures website experiences are based on individual preferences. Personalization will enrich the customer journey, increasing engagement and conversion rates. If you are ready to deliver personalized experiences, Kopius is here to help. Let’s team up to create extraordinary customer experiences for your business!
JumpStart Success with Kopius
At Kopius, we’ve designed a program to JumpStart your customer, technology, and data success.
Our JumpStart program fast-tracks business results and platform solutions. Connect with us today to enhance your customer satisfaction through a data-driven approach, drive innovation through emerging technologies, and achieve competitive advantage.
With customers having countless options at their fingertips, the importance of delivering seamless customer experiences cannot be overstated. Offering a great product or service is no longer enough. In today’s fast-paced online world, businesses must go above and beyond to ensure each touchpoint in the customer journey is exceptional if they want to stand out from the competition. One key solution that has emerged to help companies stay relevant and meet growing customer expectations is digital transformation. IBM defines digital transformations as a customer-driven, digital-first strategy that uses “AI, automation… and other digital technologies to leverage data and drive intelligent workflows… that drive faster and smarter decision-making.” But why should companies who are looking to improve the customer experience invest in digital transformation? The benefits of shifting to a digital-first business model are plentiful, impacting those both inside and outside of the organization. Let’s delve deeper into how adopting a digital transformation strategy can supercharge the customer experience and benefit your business.
Offer Seamless Omni-Channel Experiences
Meeting and exceeding customer expectations requires delivering a consistent and continuous experience, regardless of which channel they choose to utilize. By integrating mobile applications, social media, websites, and other online platforms, digital transformations allow customers to interact with businesses through their preferred channels. Providing this level of convenience means customers can start their journey on one channel and easily continue to another without skipping a beat.
Deliver Personalization and Customization to Increase Customer Engagement
Research by Accenture showed that 91% of customers preferred brands that offered relevant offers and recommendations. Digital transformations help businesses unlock the power of customer data, by collecting and analyzing vast amounts of information to derive meaningful insights in a matter of seconds. By tapping into advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence, companies can gain valuable knowledge about buying behavior, preferences, and trends. This helps pave the way for targeted promotional campaigns, individualized interactions, and tailored product recommendations, cultivating elevated customer satisfaction.
Decrease Downtime, Increase Efficiency
Inquiries, requests, or the occasional complaint are inevitable, but how your business handles them can be a make or break for your customer. Swift and efficient customer service and support is a must. Digital transformations empower businesses to optimize processes and minimize response times, resulting in expedited customer interactions. Through automation technology, AI-powered chatbots, and self-service options, companies can deliver immediate support around the clock. Thus, customers are able to engage with brands at their desired time and place.
Digitally transforming the customer experience is a necessity for businesses wanting to thrive in the digital era and offer seamless, tailored experiences. Ensuring speed, customization, and convenience across multiple channels leads to improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, driving tangible return on investment (ROI) for your brand. Are you ready to elevate your customer experience to new heights? Contact Kopius so we can create remarkable customer experiences that will drive your goals and revenue forward!
JumpStart Your Digital Transformation
Innovating technology is crucial, or your business will be left behind. Our expertise in technology and business helps our clients deliver tangible outcomes and accelerate growth. At Kopius, we’ve designed a program to JumpStart your customer, technology, and data success.
Kopius has an expert emerging tech team. We bring this expertise to your JumpStart program and help uncover innovative ideas and technologies supporting your business goals. We bring fresh perspectives while focusing on your current operations to ensure the greatest success.
Seattle, March 20, 2023 – Today marks the launch of Kopius, a nearshore digital solutions business co-located in Seattle and Buenos Aires. Kopius has been formed through the combination of Valence, a Seattle-based digital consulting firm, and the Latin American division of MajorKey, a Chicago-based technology services business. Both companies are part of The Acacia Group, specialist investors in digital transformation companies. Acacia is backing the formation of Kopius to service rapidly growing client demand for the exceptional nearshore digital consulting and delivery teams the combined business offers. MajorKey’s U.S. business will remain focused on the Identity and Access Management market.
The launch of Kopius transforms the combined company’s value to its commercial and public sector clients. It brings together a highly skilled team drawn from the U.S. and Latin America, capable of working at scale and speed to tackle complex challenges across the array of digital technologies central to effective enterprise transformation. Today Kopius supports nearly 100 U.S. commercial and public sector clients with more than 600 consultants, designers, and engineers. Kopius delivers end-to-end capabilities across digital experience and strategy, technology solutions, and engineering and operational services.
“This is an exciting day for everyone at Kopius. It crowns the integration of two great companies to create a new digital powerhouse. The whole team is united around the mission to solve digital tech challenges creatively,” said Jim Darrin, Kopius CEO. “Our true value to clients lies in our ability to achieve strategic clarity, build practical solutions for today, and continuously plan for what’s next. That way, we help clients get more value from their technology investments and navigate the future with confidence.”
“Central to our strategy for Kopius is sustaining a challenging and rewarding home for the best technical talent in the business across the U.S. and Latin America,” said Matias Mazzuchelli, Kopius Chief Operating Officer. “Our work helping some of the world’s biggest brands retain their edge creates an exciting and diverse range of opportunities for consultants, designers, engineers, and developers to work at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. We’re excited to welcome new people to the Kopius family as we grow.”
“The launch of Kopius exemplifies our approach to building stronger businesses that achieve a greater impact for their clients and create new opportunities for their people,” said Tim Matthews, partner with Acacia. “Client demand is growing for the kind of agile, scalable, and high-value digital services that Kopius offers. With such an outstanding team, we know that they will make a major impact in their market.”
The leadership of Kopius combines industry-leading experience in technology strategy, solution design, engineering, and technical recruiting and team-building. Together, they will be relentlessly focused on designing quality solutions delivered by teams drawn from the best onshore and nearshore talent, technically skilled for the problems they solve, and culturally compatible with the clients they serve.
About Kopius
Kopius is a nearshore digital solutions company. We are resourceful and practical leaders of digital transformation. Kopius operates across all stages of the digital transformation journey with integrated consulting, design, and engineering services delivered by nearshore consulting and delivery teams. Applying creativity, curiosity, and resourcefulness to everything we do, we guide clients on their technology journey, helping them adapt to change and exploit new digital advances, driving continuous value from their technology investments. For more information, visit www.kopiustech.com.
The Acacia Group is a specialist investment firm building stronger businesses by harnessing the power of digital transformation. We work closely with management teams as engaged and supportive partners, fostering resilient cultures of collaboration and innovation to make companies more valuable to their clients, employees and co-investors. By empowering skilful leaders, nurturing exceptional talent, investing in innovation and building distinctive brands, we create the qualities business need to achieve lasting success. For more information, please visit The Acacia Group or follow us on LinkedIn.
By joining forces, Kopius and MajorKey offer an even greater set of cloud services for businesses that want to power their digital transformation with cloud technologies.
MajorKey works with clients to migrate business applications to the cloud, and Kopius builds services on the cloud. This is one reason these businesses are such a powerful combined force.
The cloud refers to software and services that run on a (usually) regionally located server owned by the cloud service provider, instead of on an on-premise server owned by a customer. Cloud servers are in data centers all over the world. By using cloud computing, companies don’t have to manage physical servers or run software applications on their own machines.
It’s big business. In fact, one of our partners, AWS contributed 14.5% of revenue to Amazon’s overall business in 2021, which would have operated at a $1.8 billion loss in Q4 without it – and AWS revenue was up nearly 39% compared to 2020.
There are many ways to use and understand the business impact of cloud technology. We are breaking down the distinction between cloud services and cloud migration for you here!
Simply put, cloud migration is what happens when a company moves some or all of its software onto cloud servers.
In other words, cloud migration is moving your software to a managed server operated by the cloud provider; and cloud services are technology solutions built on top of those managed servers. There’s a whole range of capabilities bridging the two.
Let’s take a closer look.
Cloud services range in how much they abstract away from the customer. A good example is Amazon Cognito, which is a user management cloud service. Amazon Cognito has implementations of basic user functions such as login, logout, sessions, and security, so a customer doesn’t have to worry about a deeper technical implementation of these features and can focus on managing users.
Cloud services are so flexible that there are seemingly infinite ways to deploy them for a business. Cloud services are the infrastructure, platforms, and software hosted by cloud providers, and there are three common solutions:
Infrastructure as a service: The renting out of virtual machines and space to customers, while providing a way to remotely manage the resource. When a company migrates to the cloud, they are using this service.
Platforms: Providers like AWS and Azure build specialized software on top of their own cloud hardware and offer the software to customers as a service. These are specialty services and can provide patterns for things such as Data Analysis, Compute, IoT, APIs, Security, Identity, and Containerization. We wrote about Digital Twins in a previous post, which referenced Digital Twin platforms offered by AWS and Azure.
Software as a service (SaaS): Software can be built on top of the platforms offered by the cloud providers. Software developers can also partner with other third parties to provide fully built instances of software that typically come with subscription rates, customer support, and personal configurations of the software. Examples of this include Atlassian Jira and Confluence, Dropbox, Salesforce, and G suite.
These services can be transformative for businesses in general, but it’s not always easy to know the best way for your business to use them. The added benefits to this migration range per case, and here are four examples:
Scalability: Cloud services often offer on demand scaling options that can satisfy unexpected or planned growth. Depending on your product, this can be a lot easier than upgrading on-premise hardware, but not always cheaper.
Cost: Although we expect the costs to be passed to the consumer in some way, the logistics of maintenance and upgrades to the cloud systems is handled by the provider. In many cases this can translate to a huge amount of money saved for the customers.
Performance: Performance-enhancing services like CDNs and regional hosting, when understood and configured properly, can have tangible and positive performance impacts.
Local Management: Being on the cloud means access to the digital portals to manage the services (most times). This creates a lower bar of entry for employees to manage and observe the resources.
Many businesses start their digital transformation journey by migrating infrastructure or applications from on-premises servers to the cloud. Notably, cloud migration can also refer to a situation where a business needs to bring the cloud resources they manage into an on-premises environment. It can also describe a situation where a business moves its data resources from one cloud provider to another.
Cloud migration to use cloud services is a process that presents many upsides, and is worth investigating! The process will add additional complexities – specifically, security and governance will generally be instituted upfront as a base for the rest of the migration. We design and engineer performant, scalable, and maintainable applications that save businesses money, fill in knowledge gaps, and provide users with a positive experience.
Here are two examples of cloud services that we’ve built for clients:
Building cloud applications with AWS lambda: We have bridged the gap between multiple third-party APIs and created new databases that consolidate data and deliver it to a web application. Cloud services remove the need for our clients to interact with these multiple services, which saves them time and money. At the same time, we used AWS Cognito to help our customer manage roles and users in a secure and trusted way. This removed the need for our engineers to write our own user management software, a cumbersome task.
Data pipelines: We identify problems in our customers’ current database providers and migrate data to a more performant and better structured database in cloud-to-cloud migrations.
We will continue to build and migrate while we investigate the future of the cloud. What are the new services and platforms? Who can benefit the most from them? How can we do it right? We will be prepared for the cloud migration and services needed from the real world to the metaverse, and beyond.
JumpStart Your Success Today
Innovating technology is crucial, or your business will be left behind. Our expertise in technology and business helps our clients deliver tangible outcomes and accelerate growth. At Kopius, we’ve designed a program to JumpStart your customer, technology, and data success.
Kopius has an expert emerging tech team. We bring this expertise to your JumpStart program and help uncover innovative ideas and technologies supporting your business goals. We bring fresh perspectives while focusing on your current operations to ensure the greatest success.
Every business needs a strategy to manage its data, and that strategy should include a plan for data retention. Before setting a data retention policy, it’s important to understand the purpose of the policy and how it can contribute to organizational goals.
There are four values that drive most businesses to do anything:
To make money and increase revenue
To save money by decreasing costs
Because they must comply with regulations
Because they want to use the business as a platform for social good
While each of these values will be represented in any organization, some investigation will usually reveal that one or two of these values outshine the rest. Which values are most important will vary from one organization to another.
Organizations need to start by clearly stating the goals of their data policy, and then build a policy that supports those goals. We help companies unearth business drivers so data policies can contribute to the company values and goals rather than compete with them.
In this post, we explore best practices in establishing and maintaining a data retention policy through the lens of these business drivers.
What are the goals of your data retention policy?
Value: Make Money
Companies that rely on advertising revenue like Google and Facebook want to keep as much data as necessary to maximize revenue opportunities.
Companies that mine their data can spot trends in their data that inform product enhancements, improve customer experience (driving brand loyalty), and reveal revenue opportunities that would have otherwise been hidden.
In both cases, the data retention policy should focus on what data can contribute to revenue, and how much of it is needed. Balancing aggregate data versus more granular data is the key so you retain enough data to achieve your objectives without retaining unneeded data that adds cost, complexity, and security or privacy risks.
Value: Save Money
Many businesses focus on the bottom line and prioritize efficiency to avoid wasting time, money, and energy.
Businesses that want to save money can use data retention to make the organization more efficient. While data storage is inexpensive, it isn’t free – and access can be more expensive than storage. So, for an organization that wants its data policies to help save money, the policy might focus on retaining only the data that is necessary to avoid extra storage and management overhead.
Further, retaining more data than you need to can be a legal liability. Having a data retention and disposal policy can reduce legal expenses in the event of a legal discovery process.
There’s also an efficiency cost to data – the more data you have, the slower the process will be to search and use that data. So, data retention policies can and should be part of a data governance strategy aimed at making the data that is retained as efficient to manage and use as possible.
Value: Comply with Regulations
Many industries have their own regulations while some regulations cross industries. Businesses that must have a data retention policy may need it to comply with laws that govern data retention such as the Sarbanes Oxley Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or IRS 1075. Even US-based companies may be subject to international legislation such as the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and companies that have customers in California need to understand how the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) can impact data retention. Government agencies in the US are also bound by the Freedom of Information Act and some states have “Sunshine” laws that go even further.
Businesses that are motivated to comply with regulations will need their data retention policy to reflect federal, state, and local requirements, and will need to document compliance with those requirements.
Value: Business as a Platformfor Social Good
Whether an organization was established as an activist brand or has been drawn to social responsibility as investor demand has risen social responsibility, many companies are finding ways to use data to understand their social and environmental impact. This impact is often also reported on through Environmental Social Governance (ESG) reporting, Carbon Disclosure Projects, and reporting structures like GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark).
In these cases, organizations that use their business as a platform for social good, may identify key metrics such as energy consumption or hiring data that can be used to inform reports on social responsibility.
In closing
By understanding your organization’s values and priorities, you can ensure that its policies support those values. Every company has data to collect, manage, and dispose of, so it’s critical to have a roadmap for how to address data requirements today and into the future. This framework is a starting point to that effort because there’s nothing worse than going through the effort to implement a complex policy, only to discover that it moves the business further from its goals.
JumpStart Successful Data Retention
At Kopius, we’ve designed a program to JumpStart your customer, technology, and data success.
Tailored to your needs, our user-centric approach, tech smarts, and collaboration with your stakeholders equip teams with the skills and mindset needed to:
Identify unmet customer, employee, or business needs
Align on priorities
Rapidly prototype solutions
And, fast-forward success
Gather your best and brightest business-minded individuals and join our experts for a hands-on workshop that encourages innovation and drives new ideas.
