Flipkart is not the first of the many e-commerce players to start their operations online. All has not been well for this industry in the past, both for consumers and investors. This has happened for various reasons including the entry of diverse competition as well as government policies—particularly demonetization. Following a offline to online strategy is only because of declining growth in the e-commerce industry is an overstatement. The idea is to provide interior designing consultancy and offer a holistic experience to the consumers for better decision making. Another reason for an offline presence is offering a platform for increasing brand credibility and cement its online business. Read more at https://theindianeconomist.com/online-offline-e-commerce-industry-declining/

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been a revolution in the field of technology. Big companies are leading the AI revolution and that's given them an edge over most consumer goods companies and retailers. AI marketing tools are both easier and less expensive to acquire, with software-as-a-service. AI tool was successfully used by Albert to increase the sale of Harley Davidson.AI evaluated what was working across digital channels to create more opportunities and allocated resources judiciously eliminating guesswork, gathering and analyzing enormous volumes of data, and optimally leveraging the resulting insights.AI can process millions of interactions a minute, manage thousands of keywords, and run tests in silica on thousands of messages and creative variations to predict optimal outcomes.. By acting instantaneously and autonomously it can modify its buying strategy based on performance parameters. The best way to discover AI's potential is to run some small, quick, reversible experiments, within a single geographic territory, or channel. Read more at https://hbr.org/2017/05/how-harley-davidson-used-predictive-analytics-to-increase-new-york-sales-leads-by-2930

All businesses that are able to invest in content development are in for the best investment in the long-run. When people ask that what are some of the biggest challenges of developing tons of content? The answer is mostly organization. The key mantra to effective content management is to manage or organize your own marketing.

Those businesses with a documented content marketing strategy are far more likely to consider themselves effective at content marketing. They will also feel significantly less challenged with every aspect of content marketing, as they will generally be considered more effective in their use of all content marketing tactics and social media channels. All this enables them to justify spending a higher percentage of their marketing budget on content marketing.

Read more: http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/5-useful-facts-regarding-content-development-01680328#Q5CHJbYX5MZkSVFG.97

A CRM to be successful must be built on four pillars. They are - People, strategy, processes and technology. CRM program to be successful must consider each of these elements with equal weighting and this in turn will help in increasing business. Read more at: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/the-four-pillars-of-crm-70890

To ensure long-term success of any community, they should balance strategy, operations and tactics well. Many organizations are focusing on the technical aspects of communities but not enough on developing its community team or systems to support them. So Companies Registry recommends to hire enough staff, provide professional development to the team and define the structure, culture and rewards through policy and governance. The best-in-class communities are almost twice as likely to have formal advocacy programs, and three times as likely to have multi-tier programs. Tactics are some quick wins that organizations take advantage of it in order to improve engagement. Defining company’s value, implementing new member welcome program, investing in community management training helps improve tactics. Read more about this article at:   http://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/how-to-maximize-the-value-of-your-online-community/ 

“Augmented reality is an environment in which elements are supplemented by computer-based sensory input.” This technology has now made a comeback and is gaining popularity in many fields. Its new uses are now being explored in strategy, analytics, retail, marketing etc. as it gives the users an experience of how a real world item may look in a particular situation. Ferrari’s Virtual Showroom application is an example of how AR enhances customer’s experience.

This technology can also be seen as a follow-up of following trends which the world is experiencing:

• Mobile Devices
• Internet of Things
• Cloud Computing

Thus, Augmented Reality is now emerging as a useful tool to connect with customers. To know more, read the following article by Pierre DeBois, Founder and Chief Digital Marketing Strategist, Zimana, at cmswire.com

http://www.cmswire.com/cms/analytics/the-latest-reality-on-augmented-reality-028928.php

Having the right market intelligence tools, talent and processes is the key to success. The programs help companies manage this increased uncertainty by taking a greater responsibility for strategic analysis. B2B brands achieve world class market intelligence in the following ways: Firstly, create external networks by identifying low value and time-consuming intelligence deliverables, encourage the involvement of investment relations teams in market intelligence, participate in market intelligence conferences and workshops Secondly, link to business strategy like conduct an intelligence needs survey and analysis to show how the market intelligence team can better support the business. Thirdly, become a trusted advisor. Fourthly, tackle sidetracking issues. Market intelligence needs to be put into the decision-making process in key areas such as innovation, strategy, sales and marketing. Read more at: 

When a company reaches out to someone, it shows that the individual is valued. By taking initiative to include an individual, the company makes itself stand out as an entity to be liked because people tend to like those that like them back. On the flip side, proactive marketing strategies are a win for leaders of companies because it means taking charge of the futures of their companies. Companies develop strategies to reach out to relevant people and acquire a fan base. Being proactive is ultimately a winning situation on both sides because not only can companies take charge of their image and client base, a customer is satisfied as well because they feel valued.

 To gather more insight read the article by Anqi Cong, student at Carnegie Mellon University, follow http://socialmediatoday.com/anqicong/2421436/why-are-proactive-marketing-strategies-so-effective

From marketers to waitresses to the guy down the street, web users everywhere have the itch to create something unique, sharable and profitable. While some web users are in it for fame, others are actively seeking ways to get their brand out to the masses. Their ultimate goal is to turn the hits into dollars. As for up-and-coming networks, platforms that encourage media in smaller formats are perfect for launching sharable content. The key lies in simply being human and understanding what makes people tick. 

To know more read the article by Katie Parr, Social media specialist of tCloud Solutions, follow http://socialmediatoday.com/katieparr/2394536/how-hits-turn-dollars 

Social media - one of the most sought after tool for marketers to increase their business. Using social media, you may probably think to broadcast your products, post updates to social networking sites and introduce promotions. But, that is not the whole thing.

Every action carries a strategy. It is true in this case also. Unless and until you give updates about your products, customers will not get it. You have to build a community like situation and not just concentrate on sales. You have to create relationships using social media and along with that build a value, which is really important. Social media is giving rise to a concept called co – creation, which is much like a give and take policy. You create value for your customers through interactions, sharing experiences, etc. and they provide value to you in the form of feedbacks, contributions to your community and growing your network.

So, what are the guidelines that you will follow so that social media can be truly made to work for your business? Read them at http://timesofsandiego.com/opinion/2014/05/16/make-social-media-truly-work-business/ .

According to a report by www.theinformation.com, Google plans to offer a premium Android experience with high end Android Silver line of products. The US market is the initial target. The number of non Google apps installation will be restricted in this product category. Android Silver products will also get prompt software updates and will have top-end features like advanced voice recognition and water resistance.Unlike Google Play Edition and Nexus products, Android Silver devices will be heavily promoted by the internet search giant. Unlike Google Play Edition devices, Android Silver devices are expected to carry Google's brand, not the manufacturers. The report also says that Google has already roped in LG and Motorola to produce the first Android Silver devices.This is not the first time that rumours about Google killing the Nexus line have surfaced in the news. It is needed to be seen that whether Google will annihilate their Nexus products to avoid any kind of cannibalization effect to its soon to be launched silver range or they will opt for a mutual existence strategy.

To read more, visit

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Google-to-replace-Nexus-line-with-Android-Silver-Report/articleshow/34419033.cms

A website is a container of various contents like product or services the organization offers, its mission, vision, values, contact centre etc. Nowadays no business can grow without a properly maintained website. That is where quality of website content comes into play. It is essential to regularly analyze performance of your website content to see what’s working and what hasn't hit the spot. Google analytics site content reports can help you to a great extent for this purpose. Information like which pages getting most of the views, time specific traffic generation, visitor location, entry and exit pages etc will help you to put your effort in a more systematic manner and eventually it will address your thirst for rising above the rest. Anna Lewis, Analyst, Google Analytics, speaks about the benefits of Google Analytics content reports and how it can help you with information on page views, unique page views, Avg. time on page, entrances, bounce rate, exit percentage, page value, content groupings, navigation summary, content drill down etc.

To read more, visit

http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2340779/Google-Analytics-Content-Reports-Understanding-the-Key-Benefits

The 25-bed critical access Monadnock Community Hospital faced a huge deficit as a direct result of an unexpected ice-storm that hit the state of New Hampshire in December 2008, causing a two-week power outage. The hospital was in deep financial trouble.Fortunately for the hospital and the region, the hospital management had decided to look into various options to bail the hospital out of this crisis. The hospital's lab department had some success following a lean Six Sigma model, so the hospital authority pursued the strategy hospital-wide. Mr. Peter L. Gosline, president and CEO of Monadnock Community Hospital, had highlighted the success of the hospital's five-year "lean" journey during the American College of Healthcare Executive's 2014 Congress in Chicago, a model that he estimates has saved the organization $1 million a year!

To read more, visit the link address given below:

http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/how-lean-strategies-saved-nh-critical-access-hospital-financial-ruin/2014-04-07

A recent research by Fast Company revealed that 93% of marketers use social media to promote their business.  It is the number one daily activity among Americans. Social media sites, email providers and the Google are eating up the largest chunk of the time spent over the internet. Social media is reaching beyond our traditional perception; it’s getting bigger and bigger with time. From a marketer’s Point of view, if you are not marketing on it, you are likely missing a large chunk of your target consumers. As a product of the Mark Zuckerberg generation, it is easy to understand why people are so obsessed with social media. For marketers, the potential to grow their business via these networks is endless. The following base strategies will help you take control of your social channels and give them a much needed facelift.

·         Create a game plan & stick to it.

·         Treat each channel as an individual entity.

·         Go above & beyond in Customer Service.

·         Embrace any kind of mishaps.

·         Track & talk.

·         Stay active on Google+.

To read more, see Margot da Cunha’s blog by visiting the following link address:

http://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/01/09/social-media-marketing-strategies

Big data is the buzzword and messenger, but not the whole story. Yes, tons of telecom use cases will fit the so-called 3 V’s of big data: volume, velocity of analysis and variety of technologies. But today, a rise of fourth V can be observed in the big data equation: Value, referring to optimizing performance, maximizing revenue & monetizing the telecom business in more sophisticated ways.

The Telecom Analytics & Big Data Market, a breakthrough analysis report by Dan Baker, editor of the Black Swan Telecom Journal & research director of Technology Research Institute, gives us new insights about telecom big data analysis. In an interview with Craig Galbraith, Mr. Baker speaks about competition, barriers of market entry, customer experience, network analytics, integration with cloud, outsourcing & big data.

Read more at...

http://www.billingworld.com/articles/2014/03/telecom-big-data-analyst-report-explores-solution.aspx

As most manufacturing firms know, Lean Six Sigma is a proven way to improve operations. It works best when initiatives are aligned with the broader strategic goals of the company.  However, Six Sigma initiatives must be aligned directly to a company's business goals. Senior leaders face a lot of challenges as they try to connect day-to-day activities with strategy. Lean Six Sigma initiatives address these strategic gaps and issues, generating breakthrough performance. Leading companies, that have adopted the Six Sigma methodology, have seen major improvements in their processes. Initiatives are originally sought by adopting what we call a Focused Lean Six Sigma approach. This approach takes a different perspective to create long-lasting change.

For call centres too, to make your task easy, there are different performance management solutions that you can put to use to know various aspects – out of which you can make out areas of improvements. But for this, you have to know how to use your performance management solution. Read more at:  

http://www.callcentrehelper.com/trade-secrets-getting-the-best-from-your-performance-management-solution-60462.htm

GoSigmaWay Consulting Services [www.gosigmaway.com] offers various training programs on “Lean six sigma”, apart from their arsenal of cutting edge consultancy solutions to enable your organization achieve its performance goals.

Recently, Harvard Business Professor Mikołaj Jan Piskorski, spoke about marketing strategy implementation through social media during a conversation with marketing guru & author Mr. Steve Olenski.

Drawing on his analysis of proprietary data from social media sites, Piskorski argues that the secret behind every successful organization is that they allow people to fulfil social needs that either can’t be met offline or can be met only at a much higher cost. This insight provides logic about how companies can leverage social platforms to create a sustainable competitive advantage. Companies need to help people interact with each other, before they promote products to their friends. If all goes fine and right steps are followed, a company’s social media should benefit its customers as well as the firm. Piskorski calls this ‘a social strategy’.

To read more visit the following link:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2014/03/17/social-media-and-branding-a-one-on-one-with-a-harvard-business-professor/

SigmaWay Consulting Services offer various solutions to help you align your social media efforts to your business goals, from brand awareness to targeting customer base to increase customer satisfaction. For more information, please visit http://www.gosigmaway.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=87&Itemid=555

Advanced analytics is an opportunity to redefine the banking sector. Some banks will seize that opportunity and will be able to explore the market & gain significant market share. Just like, some banks had initiated providing ATMs & internet services to customers, in order to truly create a differentiated position for themselves, enabling them to achieve competitive advantage over the rest.

Innovators are using big data and analytics to sharpen risk assessment and drive revenue. Banks who are implementing data analytics will be in an advantageous position for some period of time, while other banks playing catch up. So there’s an opportunity to make some smart, targeted investments. If you want to sustain your banking business in today’s volatile market, Think big, Think innovation! Think analytics!

To Read more, Visit......

http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/business_technology/how_advanced_analytics_are_redefining_banking

Enterprise Performance Management or commonly known EPM is a management field of Business Performance Management which considers the visibility of operations in a closed-loop model across all facets of the enterprise. 

Nowadays, big data analytics is helping EPM in factoring a lot more unstructured data than what was possible earlier, along with duly capturing customer sentiments and feedback. A second key impact of Big Data on EPM is that analytics will be a function not restricted to the IT team, but the wider organization will be able to deconstruct data with the use of easy-to-use analytics tools.

To read more, Visit the following link:

http://www.informationweek.in/informationweek/perspective/287755/impact-analytics-enterprise-performance-management

Outsourcing is an important dimension in this modern era of business, which is responsible for the execution and the handling of specific operational tasks. It allows an organization to allocate its full resources to its core area of interest, instead of deploying a substantial amount of resources in order to achieve specific operational tasks. Outsourcing provides strategic flexibility to an organization, apart from enabling it with a sense of concentrated focus towards its core playing field. 

With the Cloud services in offer, Globalization as its advantage, with competitive offerings from various outsourcing vendor organizations, Outsourcing is the taste of the time we are currently living in.

It is a bulls-eye strategy from an organizational perspective. 

Follow this link for a complete view on this aspect

https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&ved=0CFAQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fast.umich.edu%2Fpdfs%2FWhat-is-shared-services-102811.pdf&ei=8ewMU4GJNYazrgfetIDICQ&usg=AFQjCNFMU-Vool8nS2YKrDuPULXGevM80w&bvm=bv.61965928,d.bmk