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An Issue of Insightssucess “The 10 Most Prominent Field Service Solution Providers, 2018" apprises some of the top performing FSM companies with best-in-class solutions for different industries.<br>
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www.insightssuccess.com July 2018 Most Prominent 10 The Field Service Solution Providers 2018 Editor’s Pick Organic Networking The Impressive Impact of Imparting Wisdom Successful Personality Traits to Learn from Elon Musk Brice Adamson Senior Vice President Enterprise Fleet Management Innovative Industry Leaders with a Local Touch
Editor’s Note A Prominent Approach Taking Process Optimization to another Level aving an innovative idea and sufficient funds is enough to start a business. However, for rising H emergency services like transportation and healthcare keeping eye on every data is essential for proper execution. But it was utterly impossible to track every action and collect entire data, until the emergence of FSM solutions. and sustaining the business require the ability to execute. And an acute execution is only possible if someone creates apt strategies on the basis of overall data. Particularly, in the fields of FSM is a system for managing field operations through a mobile workforce. Initially, this entails scheduling service orders, dispatching agents, and tracking vehicle locations and job status. The right software solution helps automate these tasks and provide mobile access through a (usually) cloud-based platform. FSM is prevalent in numerous industries, but particularly those that employ mobile agents or contractors, such as waste management, utilities, telecommunications, public sector transportation, and even in-home healthcare. For businesses that need to provide remote services, Field Service Management is more of a necessity than a luxury. It enables better communication between customers, employees and dispatch. According to a survey conducted by CSG International, 89% customers want to stay updated on the location and estimated arrival time of technicians, and want to know relevant details regarding the technician dispatched. Along with facilitating this, FSM tools can also send mobile alerts to the client in case a technician is delayed, which is also a feature 56% of the survey respondents approved of. As customers grow savvier and more selective about the products and services they pay for, field service will become an increasingly competitive industry. An organization’s ability to deliver fast, efficient
solutions through a mobile workforce may be the difference between leading or trailing their competitors. FSM solutions can vary greatly depending on industry and use intent, ranging from “best-of-breed” applications for order scheduling to all-inclusive product suites for enterprises. Hence, to give a brief idea about the FSM industry, its capabilities and trends that revolves around particular FSM features or aspects of implementation we have come up with this enticing issue. An Issue of Insightssucess “The 10 Most Prominent Field Service Solution Providers, 2018” apprises some of the top performing FSM companies with best-in-class solutions for different industries. Featuring as a cover story we have Enterprise Fleet Management which is a privately-held, full- service fleet management business for companies, government agencies and organizations operating medium-sized fleets of 20 or more vehicles, as well as those seeking an alternative to employee reimbursement programs. We also have Stilog, a global software editing company based in France. Created in 1991, Stilog IST develops innovative solutions, using the most recent technologies available; Truckers Helper which is a total solution for Drivers, Owner/Operators and Fleets; Field Squared is a cloud-based SaaS solution provider that stands as the industry’s first unified Field Service Management Process Automation Platform; dayTrack is one of the leading field-force employee management app service providers; Wave Application which is an exclusive mobile app which helps people to meet their friends or relatives by sharing live locations on a private map; Joblogic is a field service management solution designed to connect the back office, mobile workforce and customers. Users can manage jobs, quotes and invoices through one platform; Glympse, a company that powers the interactive last mile of customer engagement with proactive notifications, real-time tracking, personalized offers and instant feedback capture. Also, make sure to scroll through the articles written by our in-house editorial team and CXO standpoints of some of the leading industry experts to have a brief taste of the sector. Let’s start reading! Kedar Kulkarni
CONTENTS Cover Story Enterprise Fleet Management: Innovative Industry Leaders with a Local Touch 08 Benchmarking Future Impact of Predictive Analytics in Field Service 18 Leader’s Take Transformational Appearance of Technology in Today’s Era 40 Articles Knowledge Keys Imparting Wisdom Editor’s Pick The Impressive Impact of Organic Networking Successful Personality Traits to Learn from Elon Musk The Glass Ceiling Effect: Another Perspective on Women and Leadership 46 32 24
dayTrack: Simplified Tracking of Field Employees 20 Field Squared: Digitally Transforming and Automating Field Service Management Processes 22 Glympse: Eliminating the Friction and Anxiety of Product and Service Delivery Experiences 28 Joblogic: Specialists in Managing Field Services 30 Stilog: Streamlining Operations to Drive Productivity 36 Trucker Helper: An Exclusive Online Trucking Business Management Solution for Drivers, Owner/Operators and Fleets 38 Wave Application: A Simplistic Approach on Location Sharing 44
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Anish Miller Managing Editor Executive Editor Assistant Editors Kaustav Roy Bhushan Kadam Kedar Kulkarni Jenny Fernandes Contributing Editors Hitesh Dhamani Visualiser David King Art & Design Director Amol Kamble Associate Designer Tejas Kulkarni Co-designer Sapana Shinde Art & Picture Editors Paul Jayant Belin Khanna Senior Sales Manager Passi D. Business Development Manager Peter Collins Marketing Manager John Matthew Business Development Executives Steve, Joe, Alan, Vishal Sales Executives David, Kevin, Mark, Manish Technical Head Jacob Smile Technical Specialists Amar, Pratiksha Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza Online Marketing Strategists Alina Sege, Shubham, Vaibhav K SME-SMO Executives Prashant Chevale, Uma Dhenge, Gemson, Irfan Research Analyst Chidiebere Moses Circulation Managers Robert, Tanaji Database Management Stella Andrew Technology Consultant David Stokes sales@insightssuccess.com July, 2018 Corporate Ofces: Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-602-1754 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com Insights Success Media and Technology Pvt. Ltd. Off. No. 513 & 510, 5th Flr., Rainbow Plaza, Shivar Chowk, Pimple Saudagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411017 Phone - India: +91 7410079881/ 82/ 83/ 84/ 85 Email: info@insightssuccess.in For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.in www.twitter.com/insightssuccess Follow us on : www.facebook.com/insightssuccess/ We are also available on : Copyright © 2018 Insights Success, All rights reserved. The content and images used in this magazine should not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission from Insights Success. Reprint rights remain solely with Insights Success.
Brice Adamson Senior Vice President
Cover Story Cover Story Most Prominent FIELD SERVICE Solution Providers 2018 10 The Innovative Industry Leaders with a Local Touch Thanks to our extensive network of local ofces and our afliation with Enterprise Holdings, we are uniquely positioned to assist our customers in managing their eets by combining Enterprise’s expertise with our local teams’ ability to develop and maintain personal customer relationships.
Enterprise Fleet Management’s presence in more than 50 local markets allows for each customer to receive a dedicated account manager and customer service representative who meet with them at least three times a year. C efficiently, minimize costs and increase productivity. However, standing out in this complex and competitive industry isn’t easy. It requires a perfect blend of innovation and experience, and a remarkable ability to deliver reliable solutions. ompanies in the field service sector help their customers achieve sustainable growth by providing solutions to manage business processes more ability to develop and maintain personal customer relationships,” said Brice Adamson, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Fleet Management. In addition, Enterprise Fleet Management’s National Service Department – one of the nation’s largest – employs more than 100 Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)- certified technicians. These experts, who average more than 10 ASE certifications apiece, assist clients in expediting repairs and mitigating repair expenses. The National Service Department has been recognized with the ASE “Blue Seal of Excellence” award for 21 consecutive years, an industry record. Missouri-based industry pioneer Enterprise Fleet Management is one such field service provider. Founded in 1957, it is an affiliate of Enterprise Holdings Inc., the largest car rental company in the world, and owned by the Taylor family of St. Louis, Missouri. Superior Transportation Solutions Enterprise Fleet Management and its affiliate Enterprise Holdings together offer a comprehensive portfolio of transportation solutions, including car rental, car-sharing, vanpooling, car sales, truck rental, online ride-matching and fleet management services. With more than 50 fully staffed offices in the U.S. and Canada, the Enterprise Fleet Management team of experts can assemble a customized fleet management program for its customers. The team’s expertise covers the full spectrum of a vehicle’s lifecycle, including acquisition, registration, maintenance, use reporting, fuel card programs and resale, as well as fleet analysis and optimization. As a total mobility provider and an integral part of the automotive value chain, Enterprise serves the needs of a wide variety of businesses, consumers, government agencies and organizations. Enterprise Truck Rental, which provides seasonal and supplemental truck rentals, is an excellent complement to leasing. The wide array of Enterprise transportation solutions allows Enterprise Fleet Management to help its customers, right-size their fleets by leveraging other transportation options. Enterprise has the tools and technology to help customers maximize productivity, reduce costs and reach their corporate social responsibility goals. And with more than 520,000 fleet vehicles managed across North America, Enterprise also supplies most makes and models of cars, light- and medium-duty trucks and service vehicles. “Thanks to our extensive network of local offices and our affiliation with Enterprise Holdings, we are uniquely positioned to assist our customers in managing their fleets by combining Enterprise’s expertise with our local teams’ Renowned Customer Service Because of Enterprise Fleet Management’s affiliation with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, many Enterprise Fleet Management
Cover Story employees come from the rental business with extensive experience managing fleets, which they then are able to apply to managing customer fleets. In addition, Enterprise Fleet Management’s presence in more than 50 local markets allows for each customer to receive a dedicated account manager and customer service representative who meet with them at least three times a year. It doesn’t matter how big or small they are. Enterprise can help customers with important decisions that will help lower their total cost of ownership. maintenance and repair shop partners and is currently used by nearly 40,000 preferred vendors. This partnership allows the Enterprise team to seamlessly liaise back and forth with repair shops in real-time, thereby reducing driver downtime. Finally, Enterprise Fleet Management is able to leverage the extensive infrastructure of its rental affiliate, Enterprise Holdings, to help customers manage their fleets. In particular, Enterprise’s expertise in vehicle acquisition and resale allows Enterprise Fleet Management to provide its customers seamless support moving vehicles in and out of service. The trend is to provide customers who want it with more self-service capabilities. We want to ensure we can provide the technology and services our customers want today or will want in the future. As a result of these initiatives, Enterprise Fleet Management was recognized on the InformationWeek “Elite 100” list in 2016 for setting the bar on innovative and creative information technology (IT) programs that improve business operations. Innovative Technology Solutions In 2015, Enterprise Fleet Management announced it was investing more than $100 million in IT solutions to better serve its customers, including: Ÿ The development of a customer login website, which provides advanced insight into fleet performance and key metrics, enabling customers to lower their total cost of ownership. “The trend is to provide customers who want it with more self-service capabilities. We want to ensure we can provide the technology and services our customers want today or will want in the future,” said Adamson. For example, in 2017, Enterprise Fleet Management introduced a new mobile app, making it more convenient for both fleet managers and drivers to identify and address issues, such as maintenance needs or opportunities to improve fleet efficiency, in real-time. The deployment of new Microsoft Surface Pro devices to its entire North American sales team. Ÿ As Vice President and General Manager, Adamson opened and led the company’s newly formed operations in Manchester, U.K. In 1999, he took over the reins of the company’s London operations as Vice President and General Manager. Adamson’s achievements earned him a promotion to Corporate Vice President, and later, Senior Vice President of the U.K. and Ireland, where he helped develop the replacement market for Enterprise. The development of a web-based Fleet Planning Toolkit that allows the Enterprise sales team to access data for a customer’s entire fleet in real-time in order to provide the best advice on total cost of ownership, the right time to replace a vehicle, and so on. Ÿ Charting a Path to Success Brice Adamson started his Enterprise career on the rental side in Southern California as a Management Trainee in 1988, shortly after graduating from Utah State University with a degree in finance. His outstanding work earned him numerous promotions as he moved quickly up the rental ranks before raising his hand for an adventurous new opportunity in Europe. A partnership with Auto Integrate, a web-based repair and maintenance authorization tool, which is accessible to Enterprise Fleet Management’s nearly 100,000 auto Ÿ In 2008, the opportunity to return to the States and lead the company’s
Our partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management is not only saving taxpayer dollars, but also allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint and put our employees in newer vehicles with the latest safety features. generation data analytics powerhouse,” said Wes Carberry, Senior Vice President of Technology Services for Sense Corp. operations in the Southeast brought Adamson to St. Louis. In 2016, he was promoted to his current role as Senior Vice President of Enterprise Fleet Management and placed in charge of overseeing a network of more than 50 fully-staffed offices and a fleet of more than 520,000 vehicles. leadership position in the industry. Voyage understands that world-class fleet management is fundamental to the long-term success of autonomous fleets. The Enterprise partnership ensures that the Voyage team is able to focus on what they do best — developing autonomous technology and providing transportation services to community residents — without having to worry about acquiring and maintaining those vehicles. “Throughout our partnership, Enterprise Fleet Management has always been extremely helpful, professional and responsive. It’s like we’re members of the same team,” said Larry Monaco, fleet manager at Eden Autism. “Enterprise has worked diligently to find us the best deals and respond quickly to any maintenance requests we may have. With their support, we know we’re not out there alone.” Ÿ Sixty Years of Knowledge and Experience Enterprise has more than 60 years of knowledge and experience managing its own fleet of vehicles, which it leverages to create efficiencies and reduce total cost of ownership for its fleet management customers. This includes using Enterprise’s vehicle acquisition and resale experts (who are among the best in the industry) to buy and sell clients’ vehicles. Promising Future According to Adamson, there are many opportunities for growth in the fleet industry. In particular, Enterprise has been successful at developing partnerships with local governments. The company is gaining a lot of referrals from these satisfied clients that are operating local government fleets. The company considers these referrals fantastic opportunities and aims to develop consequent relationships in the future. “But there are growth opportunities in every industry, which allows us to diversify our business and continue to achieve success,” said Adamson. “This is what excites me most about the future.” “Our partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management is not only saving taxpayer dollars, but also allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint and put our employees in newer vehicles with the latest safety features,” said Bill Carpenter, Senior Directorof Maintenance and Operations at the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE). “We plan to apply the considerable savings we realize on fleet costs to other pressing needs for our students and schools.” Ÿ When asked about the significant moments that shaped the journey of Enterprise Fleet Management, Adamson referenced Enterprise Fleet Management’s separation into a standalone corporation in 2011 in order to secure the right type of funding needed for the business to continue to grow. “Fortunately, it was the right move for the business and has been a huge success to our operations,” said Adamson. Client Testimonials Ÿ “We’ve partnered with Enterprise Fleet Management for years and have watched their business steadily transform into a next- In addition, Enterprise’s recent partnership with autonomous vehicle company Voyage has reinforced its
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Most Prominent FIELD SERVICE Solution Providers 2018 10 The Management Company Name Brief Alphabet alphabet.com Alphabet offers a portfolio of services focusing on Financial Leasing and Business Mobility solutions. Norbert van den Eijnden CEO Altisource is a leader in providing services and technology for the mortgage and real estate industries. It provides end-to-end solutions in origination and servicing, and offer online real estate platforms for consumers and investors. William B. Shepro CEO Altisource altisource.com Saurabh Bhatnagar Co-founder Gaurav Gupta Co-founder dayTrack is one of the leading field-force employee management app service providers. dayTrack daytrack.in Enterprise Fleet Management efleets.com Enterprise Fleet Management provides automotive fleet services for more than 1.5 million fleet cars, trucks and vans. Brice Adamson Senior Vice President Christopher James Camut Director, President & CEO Field Squared is a cloud-based SaaS solution provider that stands as the industry’s first unified Field Service Management Process Automation Platform. Field Squared Inc. fieldsquared.com Glympse powers the interactive last mile of customer engagement with proactive notifications, real-time tracking, personalized offers and instant feedback capture. Glympse Inc. glympse.com Chris Ruff CEO & President Joblogic is a field service management solution designed to connect the back office, mobile workforce and customers. Users can manage jobs, quotes and invoices through one platform. Joblogic joblogic.com James Whatmore CEO Stilog IST develops innovative solutions, using the most recent technologies available Stilog Inc. stilog.com Christophe Poirmeur Co-founder & CEO Truckers Helper truckershelper.com Truckers Helper is a total solution for Drivers, Owner/Operators and Fleets John Ewing CEO & Founder Wave Application is an exclusive mobile app which helps people to meet their friends or relatives by sharing live locations on a private map. Wave Application waveapplication.com Manuel de la Esperanza Co-founder & CEO
Benchmarking Future THE FUTURE IS HERE Predictive Analytics for Field Service management Samar Singla Founder JungleWorks 18 July 2018
A future backed by statistically analyzed complex data, that too in a matter of seconds. The key to the future lies in the past and the present has to connect the dots to make the time travel journey successful. Astonishingly, this entire process is reduced down to an operational duration of just a few minutes with advanced predictive analytics tools. strologers and science-fiction writers have entirely lost their professional exclusivity with big data coming into action enabling anyone to predict the planning using historical data about when a part is likely to fail. Although there are abundant benefits of using Predictive Analytics not just in field services but in any domain, however, we cannot shy away from the risks that it brings along with it. For Predictive Analytics to properly work, there should be a huge volume of relevant data sets from a wide range of activities and even with the availability of such heavy data sets, algorithms can fail in anticipating human behavior which in itself is full of complexities. If we bring time into the frame, it makes things even more completed. The analytics design might be successful at one point of time but it might falter with changes in variables with respect to time. Field Service, in particular, is a goldmine of data from GPS and location to client details which had always been lying dormant inside company servers but are now, gradually, being channeled for greater purposes. Predictive analytics has become so important in field service because customers are, blatantly, expecting companies to understand their needs and customize their offerings before them expressing it. Companies can no more merely sell products and services and have to shift their focus to selling experiences to make a huge impact on the results. However, modern predictive analytics tools have managed to rise beyond the risks and have hit a very high accuracy mark in making analytical predictions. Especially in field services, the algorithms have been modified to adapt to the changes in location-based data and customer insights considering time intervals as well. Such level of accuracy becomes imperative in shaping how historical data is used in making business level and functional strategies for the organization. These are the major impact points of predictive analytics in the field service sector: 1. Demand Forecasting demand for products and services can support enterprises in better inventory management and help in calculating the number of staff required to meet a certain objective. 2. Pricing Although enterprises are still slow in adopting modern methods of pricing and still rely on the traditional ones, times have changed with predictive analytics making the pricing process much more accurate and flexible to various internal and external factors. Predictive Analytics platforms have started to become extremely prominent since 2017 with modern technology giving a push to business intelligence platforms supporting predictive analytics. Enterprises in the field service industry can look at platforms like Tookan and Kato to take a dive into predictive analytics and transform how they carry out their business. Tookan is a robust one-stop shop for all the field service management problems. Its analytical prowess gives you a glimpse of the future. Tookan diagnoses and understands the business with the help of its data mining and analytical functions helping to make business intelligent decisions to thrive in this volatile industry. 3. KPIs Superior performance strongly relies on actionable information which is why predicting KPIs has become so important for enterprises. The ability of predictive analytics to measure, monitor and react to KPIs becomes imperative in formulating both short-term and long-term strategies. 4. Operational efficiency Task scheduling and route optimization becomes much more efficient especially with a heavy reduction in unnoticed slack using the multifunctional aspects of predictive analytics. 5. Maintenance Preventative maintenance becomes much more sense- making with predictive analytics supporting accurate Kato is a fully equipped analytical platform which has a wide range of analytical offerings from data preparation, analytics dashboard to predictive insights. It acts as an AI and predictive analytics tool by offering plug and play ML algorithms that solve specific use cases for your business model. With predictive analytics supporting functional activities at every step, enterprises can, literally, visualize a better future and make business intelligent decisions based on historical data defining patterns of activities and behavior. 19 July 2018
dayTrack: Simplified Tracking of Field Employees T inherently brilliant, many employers find it a challenge to keep track of remote employees and maintain optimal productivity standards. he outsourcing industry is booming as more businesses, particularly startups, embrace remote workforces. While the concept of remote work is record Minutes of Meetings (MOM) and responses to survey and feedback forms, and set reminders for future visits to contacts. The team at dayTrack has a proven track record of applying innovation to solve problems. The company has over 15 years of experience working with clients across a wide- range of industries that depend on mobile-based communication and field employees. dayTrack recognized this concern and crafted a solution to it in the form of an innovative employee management app. This app has now become one of the world’s leading field- force employee management platforms. Using the insights and technological vision gained from this experience, dayTrack is able to consistently gain fresh perspectives into its customers’ businesses, and use it to help them accelerate operations and reach their full potential. It enables clients to track the GPS location of every sales employee and manages their daily activities by capturing updated data at the point of execution. Back in 2015, dayTrack was just a small idea that allowed customers to keep a track of their field employees; about their attendance and whereabouts. Later on, the company realized that the potential was much bigger as companies didn’t have any authentic way of keeping track of their field employees and ensuring their reporting in an authentic and detailed manner. From that instant, the journey of dayTrack took the turn and it never looked back ever since. Integrity, the pursuit of excellence, accountability, collaboration and passion are the core values in which dayTrack believes. It strives to serve its clients by providing the highest quality of professional services to address their business issues. To achieve this, the company attracts, recruits, and retains the most knowledgeable and passionate professionals, and provides a collaborative culture which enables them to thrive both professionally and personally. An Industry Leader dayTrack has been developed by Snowebs Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a software services company based in India. Their development and global delivery center is located in the city of Noida. Comprehensive Abilities dayTrack app is a complete solution developed with input from various business verticals like publishers, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, footwear manufacturing, garments manufacturing and many more. The dayTrack app automatically tracks and records activities performed by field employees. This includes marking attendance at the start of the day, tracking visits to contacts, booking sales orders, and recording collection of payments. By ensuring simplified sales employee tracking, it allows employers to focus on the growth. The app assists with most common tasks which a sales executive has to perform on a regular basis. This includes meeting customers, giving samples, taking orders, collecting payments, recording feedback, placing promotional material at customer locations and much more. It also has the ability to capture images in real time of merchandise at the retail point and any object or any scene, 20 July 2018
analytics without involving other employees, thus saving on manpower. A Formidable Duo dayTrack was created by Co-founders Saurabh Bhatnagar and Gaurav Gupta, each of whom has over a decade of experience in the IT industry. Since 2005, the company has handled various IT projects and, from 2015, has been focusing primarily on dayTrack. Gaurav plays a major role in the development of the app, new innovations and adapting new technologies for the future. Saurabh, on the other hand, handles sales and is actively involved in both the online and offline marketing processes. Simple and Affordable Solutions The core strength of dayTrack is its intimate understanding of its customers’ needs and expectations. It works closely with them in the implementation phase to help them achieve their business goals and expectations. “ Gaurav Gupta Co-founder Saurabh Bhatnagar Co-founder administrators who can download the details from the admin panel itself. We provide all that a customer wants from an employee tracking and repor?ng app, and at a price they wish for. In this way, dayTrack keeps sales staff, reporting managers, and the company on the same page. This helps the organization to grow as they have better access to market information. dayTrack stands apart from its competitors in terms of its ability and capacity to upgrade the app to every client’s unique needs. Apart from this, dayTrack offers services at a reasonable cost and includes regular free updates. Feedback from clients is given utmost priority and changes stemming from that feedbacks are implemented accordingly. dayTrack’s development team always sees a problem as a window of opportunity to upgrade the app and help customers achieve more. The dayTrack app also gives sales employees the option to capture and upload pictures of outdoor marketing activity with GPS details as well as feed information into their daily expense records. dayTrack enables users to feed their daily expenses into the app. This makes it easier for the company to pay employee expense claims because they are reported and collated on the same day instead of the employee posting all expenses at the end of the month, which complicates verification. Sales employee can enter client order details directly using the App and the order is visible in real-time to the head office, branch office and/or sales manager. This greatly reduces the risk of error in conveying daily order details and eliminates delays altogether. Future Expansion The company’s target is to increase its user base by 300% in the current financial year. They are in touch with investors to expand its wings further down the road and are planning to open offices in major business cities across India. Additionally, dayTrack helps its users send daily reports to their seniors with details of visits, details of discussions and orders, payments, plans for future interaction and business expectations. all this is done by the dayTrack app automatically and it then sends emails to reporting managers and Other sales employees and managers can easily pull sales performance reports with the information that is tracked real-time in the app. This gives them access to advanced sales dayTrack is also working to expand its footprint globally. It has already acquired customers outside India and the entire team is striving hard to make dayTrack a truly global product. 21 July 2018
Field Squared: Digitally Transforming and Automating Field Service Management Processes F Platform. ield Squared, Inc. is a cloud-based SaaS solution provider that stands as the industry’s first unified Field Service Management Process Automation In the Age of the Customer, it’s all about improving the customer experience. This is especially true for field service organizations whose business model relies on customer satisfaction and quick resolution of work orders. Field Squared addressed this challenge from day one with their Notifications Engine, enabling the field workforce to send real-time status updates via text, email, or phone call directly to the customer. Ultimately, real-time notifications provide a better customer experience and improved communications, as well as complete documentation related to the customer and their work orders. Disrupting the field service management space, Field Squared is flexible, scalable, and purpose-built to optimize the efficiency of the mobile workforce in the field. Focusing on business process automation, Field Squared enables enterprises to digitally transform, completely automate, and streamline their field service operations, from the frontline to back-office systems. Cutting Edge Solutions and Services As one of the last markets to adopt technology that enables digital transformation, most field service organizations today continue using manual, paper-based processes that are wrought with error and inefficiency. At a time when technology is enabling businesses to move faster, field service organizations can achieve operational efficiency by focusing on the process automation of field service management. About the Trailblazer Mr. Christopher James Camut, Director, President, and CEO of Field Squared, has a track-record of building successful technology companies and exceeding revenue goals. Prior to Field Squared, Christopher was the President of Integra Telecom, Inc., which was acquired by Zayo during his tenure. Christopher’s experience and expertise in Software-as-a- Service (SaaS) and managed services align with Field Squared’s business model and growth goals. With Christopher at the helm, the company achieved record year-over-year triple-digit revenue growth and greatly expanded and improved the Field Squared platform in 2017. Field Squaredsolves key field workforce efficiency challenges through predictive scheduling and route optimization, asset management and visibility, digital Smart Form automation as well as other capabilities that power the needs of field service organizations. For instance, team locations are tracked continuously using the built-in GPS of the devices used by the field workforce, even in remote areas. While field service is notorious for inadequate or unavailable cellular and WiFi connectivity, Field Squared’s Mobile, Offline, Sync, and Merge Engine automatically synchronizes and restores all data and location information, ensuring no loss of data. “Field service is at an inflection point as it moves from paper-based processes to reaping the efficiency gains of the digital era,” stated Christopher. “There is no better time to be a part of Field Squared and help field service organizations make that shift.” Out of the Box Interoperability Field Squared recognizes that one of the greatest 22 July 2018
Because Field Squared focuses on business process automation, customers have seen unprecedented leaps in productivity and savings virtually immediately after implementing the platform. systems through integrations with such solutions as CRM, ERP, AI/analytics, HR/payroll, GIS and more, is the first step. Field Squared provides out of the box interoperability across back- office systems via API, web services, SFTP, and more. Everything from scheduling, routing, and work order management is connected and available in the platform. Further extending the functionality is the Workflow Builder. Unique and proprietary to Field Squared, the intuitive Workflow Builder enables event-driven field service business process automation and orchestration in an easy to use drag-and-drop interface. The Success Factor As with any company, Field Squared went through a discovery process to find the ideal balance between customer needs with the cost and expense associated with the development of a full-fledged platform. The company focuses on the depth and breadth of its solution in order to build a field service management platform that works across any industry. Christopher adds, “To this day, the configurability of the Field Squared software, without the need for custom development, is one of the reasons many of our customers have chosen us over other solutions or building something themselves.” Christopher James Camut Director, President & CEO “ A Unified Platform Field service is one of the last sectors to make the shift to digital software. That shift is happening now and its accelerating. The beauty of SaaS is that, even at the enterprise level, it is easy to adopt and see the immediate impact across the entire business. We are at an inflection point as field service organizations move from paper-based processes to reaping the efficiency gains of the digital era. The Best is Yet to Come With thousands of people using Field Squared to power their field service organizations, the company saw triple-digit revenue growth in 2017 and expects to continue on that trajectory. Field Squared is unlike any other field service management solution provider currently available in the market. Most other providers offer a few components for field service management, as opposed to providing a full platform. Field Squared goes well beyond that by focusing on business process automation, providing a truly unified platform for full end-to-end field service management process automation. The demand for a unified field service management platform for true business process automation is accelerating, much like the demand for a CRM platform was ten years ago. Field Squared also sees the convergence of Augmented Reality (AR) and field service process automation, where it is already an industry leader. challenges field service organizations face, regardless of industry, is the lack of communication between disparate back-office systems, the corporate office and the field workforce. Adopting a business process automation solution that is interoperable across back-office “Without a unified platform, you lack the full picture. Field Squared is leading this paradigm shift of digital transformation in the field service management space,” says Christopher. 23 July 2018
Editor’s Pick The Impressive Impact of Organic Networking T he main reason for the invention of website, Internet and technology devices that provides the platform for software to run and connect with each other is mainly to make networking of services, products and people possible. Technology leaders such as Cisco, Arista and Apple are dedicating their resources to provide various business enterprises and the masses the ability to communicate their values through technology mediums called as Networking. The works and provisions of these organizations are very outstanding, and are believed to last for ages. This is because the growth of technology is not going out of style so soon, but rather it is believed to continue into the future. Technology networking strategies is good, but to make it more effective there is the incessant need to incorporate organic strategies. You may be asking what I mean by Organic Networking or Strategies. The organization that will survive in the market in the near future, considering the increasing rate of competition are the ones who take the necessary steps, to develop more human connection for their business, more than they do for machines such as provided by AI. The Factors to Consider for an Effective Organic Networking: Even as our age is encouraging more of technology strategies, if we must survive the future of it all, then we must connect more people, than we do for machines. As an 24 July 2018
Networking is an innovative concept with high profile technology terms. If one does not implore deep interest and concentration while exploring this realm, there may be a serious distortion of original motive of indulgence, and this can lead to serious breakdown of enterprise infrastructure. Sometimes, it maybe direct and other times, it will be indirect, but in all, it will always have an impact. The future of technology is very bright, and that is mainly dependent on how available we make the resources to help manage what we have today in the near future. For this to be possible, the networking solution providers must incorporate more of organic sense in their solutions and industry advancements. innovative networking solution provider, it is going to pay more, when you include human intelligence and physicality in your networking strategies over machines. people networking and how best to utilize human intelligence in their business quest. For example; if you write an article and share it on a website, who do you expect to read your article; human beings or machines? It is obvious that the organic networking aspect of computing will never go out of style; else, there will be a day in the future that digital connection and values will be measured on the number of bots that read your articles and/or that paid for your services. So, remember to balance the rate of your people to machine deployment, by acknowledging the need of human networking over technology networking. Imagine a day that the machines are going to have a serious breakdown, and the owner organization do not have the capable persons to figure out the cause of the breakdown and possibly provide a feasible solution? What will be the fate of the organization? This means that, there will be a great loss of value and possibly a strike off the industry. I know you would never want that to happen. So, plan from now, to never pay for the loss in the future. Balance Your People to machine Deployment Social Medias are for networking, Newspapers and various Medias are also for networking, but there are people behind the arc of this innovation. The more you incorporate AI and machine learning strategies, always remember the need for Control Engineers and those are human beings. The most successful organizations identify the major importance of Technology will advance, more machines will be connected, devices will be programmed to run independently, but in all these things, the humans in the network will still rule the universe. The more organic you make your networking strategies, the lesser the fear of a disastrous future for your organization. The Need for Organic Sense in Networking and the Future: Technology is the miracle of our age, Artificial Intelligence is a major molding factor of this development, IoT is the liberator from machine isolation by providing the platform to interconnect millions of them over the virtual platforms, but humans make these things possible. 25 July 2018
Glympse Eliminating the Friction and Anxiety of Product and Service Delivery Experiences I Consumers are movable and untethered, which means they need accurate, real-time visibility about when they need to be home to meet a service representative or delivery person. Glympse is a built-for-mobility SaaS leader that helps Fortune 1000 companies empower their customers by eliminating the anxiety and uncertainty around these product and service deliveries. n today’s on-demand economy, convenience is the new currency. This is especially important to consider during deliveries and service calls. presentations at Mobile World Congress Americas, CES and NPR to name a few. Diversified Product Offerings Glympse began its journey in 2008 as a consumer location sharing app. The app is still free and available for everybody. Glympse was founded on the belief that location sharing should be safe, secure, temporary, private and easily accessible, which it solves for by not requiring the recipient to create a username and password. As the pioneer of real-time temporary location sharing technology, Glympse has a powerful platform which informs customers with live ‘Uber-like’ views of their field service technician or delivery representative on the way to an appointment. The Company applied the same approach in developing a solution that enables field service organizations to share real-time location of their technicians and a very accurate Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) countdown with end-customers. This has resulted in enhancing the experience for customers. An Entrepreneur with a Passion for New Technology Glympse’s CEO and President, Chris Ruff, has been running growth enterprise companies for nearly 2 decades. Being an entrepreneur with a passion for new technology and disruptive business opportunities, Chris has over 20 years of experience in various executive leadership roles in the software, mobile and IoT industries. He has deep operational experience in defining corporate strategy, developing business plans, closing strategic partnerships and raising millions of dollars in venture capital which is required to create successful high-growth technology companies. Customers receive multiple, proactive notifications, all directing them to initially view and then check back with a unique URL, where it displays and updates the Glympse journey. As each customer’s appointment draws closer, Glympse updates that experience from a simple confirmation with capabilities to reschedule or add to calendar, to a ‘live’ view of the technician on the way, arrival confirmation and even an instant request for feedback. The end result is happier and more informed customers who don’t have to sit around waiting all day for a field service representative to arrive. The brands that use Glympse experience significant reductions in customer not-at-homes and ‘Where’s my tech?’ calls to the call center. Prior to joining Glympse, Chris was the President and CEO of UIEvolution (now Xevo), a global leader in enterprise software for connecting cars, mobiles and the Internet of Things. He has spoken on panels and given 28 July 2018
preparation and handoff for no-wait curbside pickup scenarios. vendors are its excellent partners. Where many solutions focus on complex routing, scheduling and resource management, Glympse is focused on building an incredibly rich last mile experience for the field service customer. Fundamental Fortes Glympse has mastered the nuances of building interactive experiences based on location data. The company can automate the updates of customer’s perspective, based on sophisticated arrival detection & geo- fencing logic, and optimized battery life. Through this it can balance all of that with smooth UX/UI capabilities. Glympse’s platform approach solution is incredibly flexible and customizable. Every customer designs a customer-facing experience that matches their brand and business processes. The Glympse-powered customer journey experience drives incredible engagement beyond simple text-based notifications with broad ETAs. End customers spend more than 5 minutes actively engaged with each journey, which makes Glympse a powerful channel for customer service, customer marketing, creative e-commerce and up-sell/cross-sell revenue opportunities. The Company can integrate any of these capabilities directly into the experience. Glympse blows any SMS or email based customer notification system out of the water, as its experience starts with a proactive notification but truly engages the end-customer in a multi-step, highly engaging experience that makes field services finally feel human. The Glympse team states, “Customers get their time back, and field service teams can focus on what they do best, save money and even accelerate revenue in the process.” Chris Ruff CEO & President “ Plans in the Upcoming Future Glympse is experiencing fantastic interest and adoption from field service organizations around the globe with high volumes of customer-facing interactions. They expect the business to keep growing and at the same time are looking for emerging field service use cases for their technology. We call it Glympse. Customers call it personalized insight and engagement for every step of their journey. Beyond field service, the company is expecting to do a lot more business in some of the emerging industries they are testing today, which include roadside assistance, hotel courtesy shuttle trackers, on-demand/mobile delivery services, and curbside pickup which is known in the grocery industry as ‘buy online pick up in store.’ Glympse excels at collecting immediate and actionable feedback and gives end-customers the chance to provide a rating and anecdotal feedback the moment a field service technician finishes their job. They then route poor feedback to a customer care agent for immediate follow up, or prompt a customer to share positive feedbacks on social media. Beyond field services, Glympse also applies the same web-based journey approach with solutions specifically designed for food and product delivery experiences. Their platform can even enable consumer-to- business (C2B) location sharing, to empower grocers, retailers and restaurants streamline their order Partnering with their Vendors The team at Glympse does not view the company as in competition with other traditional field service software providers. Rather, these 29 July 2018
Joblogic: Specialists in Managing Field Services I productivity. It takes a lot of time and a high volume of resources which means that jobs and invoices are inevitably missed. The lack of efficiency in such operations led to the necessity of Field Service Management (FSM) software. FSM refers to the management of all the field related operations through a mobile workforce. It is a category of software product that enables enterprises to improve their performance. It is estimated that the FSM market will be valued at more than $3.5 billion by 2019. t is difficult for a service business to manage their field operation with responsibilities such as dispatching jobs to mobile workers, recording data, and ensuring increase productivity, and ensure compliancy. The company has international offices in Sydney, Australia, and Lahore, Pakistan, and employs over 40 people to develop, support, implement, and sell their FSM software. Joblogic is used by service contractors in the building maintenance industry to streamline their business operations and maximize productivity. The software consists of a powerful back office system, a mobile worker app for smartphones and tablets, and an online customer portal where customers can keep informed about job updates. It enables service contractors to support their business growth by boosting productivity, reducing paperwork, and improving cash flow. Joblogic is one of the leading enterprises in the segment of field service management. It was founded in 1998 and is a global software company with headquarters based in Birmingham, UK. The company’s mission is to provide contractors with world-class field service management software that enables them to grow rapidly, save time, Recently, Joblogic has entered its 20th year and most of its key people have been in the business for more than 10 years. The company believes that its elegant user interface, world-class mobile app, and affordable pricing makes it a popular choice for companies who have aspiration to grow their business. Providing Universal Solutions Joblogic has customers in both the commercial and residential markets, catering to a range of trades from facilities management to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), and specialized trades such as water hygiene. One of the strengths of Joblogic is it being an off- the-shelf product with the ability to create bespoke workflows that work for each trade. For example, a heating contractor can complete gas safety certificates on the mobile app, whilst a refrigeration technician can complete F-Gas log books. 30 July 2018
The Emergence of a Leader Resilient End Users James Whatmore, CEO, joined in 2000 as a sales executive and built an established customer base before progressing to sales director in 2007. In 2013, he led a successful management buyout and started implementing growth plans for the company which led to 30% year over year growth in the 5th year, accompanied by team growth from 11 to 40 people. In order to make a successful product, it must be designed in such a way that it is immediately attractive to the customer base. Joblogic believes that software needs to be design-led to ensure that the system is user-friendly and intuitive. Joblogic has a mobile app for field technicians that works completely offline (no signal required) for iOS and Android devices. Additionally, the software is hosted on the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform which guarantees best-in-class hosting, security, and availability to ensure that it is always live and secure. Badge of Honor The second decade of Joblogic’s existence has seen impressive growth. The recruitment of software architect Yacoob Moolla (current CTO) and the later development of a robust mobile app enabled the company to grow significantly. Additionally, it also helped it to compete at a higher level than other established software companies. Joblogic has also been selected by the highly respected Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) to provide its software to their members. This is a development that helps companies in the service maintenance industry to remain compliant with environmental legislation. Aspiring Globally James Whatmore CEO Joblogic is already launched globally and the next stage of its growth is to be a major player in the North American market. It has spent the last 18 months researching the US and Canada with a view to a hard launch in Q3, 2018. Also, during the second half of this year, it built some strategic partnerships in the UK that will add significant growth to the business and its customer base. Right now, the company is recruiting an additional 6 senior software developers and has set up another office in Vietnam to support its worldwide growth. “ Field Service Management software that connects your back office, mobile workers and customers together in a single cloud- based system. “ 31 July 2018
Knowledge Keys 32 July 2018
The Glass Ceiling Effect: The Glass Ceiling Effect: Another Perspective on Women And Leadership T ---Ann Morrison, American Author The term “Glass ceiling” can be defined as an unacknowledged upper limit in corporations and other organizations, above which it is difficult or even impossible for women to reach out to the highest ranks.“Glass ceiling” is a popular metaphor widely used for the hard-to-see informal barriers that prevents women from getting promoted or achieving further opportunities in leadership positions. The metaphor of “glass ceiling” has also been used to describe the limits and obstacles faced by racial minority groups. “ Rather, the glass ceiling applies to women as a group who are kept from advancing higher because they are women.” he glass ceiling is a barrier so subtle that it is transparent; yet so strong that it prevents women from moving up the corporate hierarchy” The Elements behind the Glass Ceiling: It is pretty obvious that women are facing a lot of hurdles to break through the glass ceiling and reach to the highest leadership position throughout the ages. Preventing both women and organizations from reaching their full potential, the invisible “Glass Ceiling” denies us all of the maximal benefits of gender diversity in leadership. Some of the most common barriers are highlighted below: Job isolation: Women are offered the same kinds of job roles like staff, public relations or occasionally finance specialties that rarely lead to the more powerful management positions. Over time, women are eventually excluded from jobs in the mainstream of business, the route taken by CEOs and presidents. The U.S. Department of Labor’s 1991 definition of glass ceiling is “those artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevents qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management- level positions.” (Report on the Glass Ceiling Initiative.) Famous American actress cum author Ann Morrison defines the concept of the Glass Ceiling as: Old-boy Network: There are many instances when men gets the managerial powers in an organization who manages greater numbers of people, enjoys more freedom of hiring and firing, and controls the company’s assets directly while women are deprived of such authorities and powers. “The glass ceiling is not simply a barrier for an individual, based on the person’s inability to handle a higher-level job. 33 July 2018
It is the “Old-boys” of the organization that makes all the policy; where the women are kept virtually absent. Sex Discrimination: In a recent survey, working women were asked about the greatest obstacle they had to overcome to achieve success; “simply being a woman” was the most frequent response. In another survey by the Wall Street Journal, women leaders quoted their most serious obstacle in their business careers to be “male chauvinism, attitudes toward a female boss, slow advancement for women, and the simple fact of being a woman.” These instances are enough to prove the prevalence of sex discrimination in the workplace. Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment remains one of the biggest barriers for women in managerial roles. A corporate environment that tolerates sexual harassment intimidates and demoralizes women executives. Even after the adoption and enforcement of numerous laws against sexual harassment, women do not feel sufficiently encouraged and empowered to speak out for fear of compromising their work. Benefits of Women in Leadership: Studies found that inclusion of women in business leadership has significantly improved such factors as firm value, financial performance, economic growth, innovation and social responsiveness and philanthropy. The additional benefits of women in corporate leadership include stricter monitoring and supervision and fewer legal infractions such as fraud and embezzlement. A better balance among women in leadership positions can create a more diverse team of leaders with different perspectives and a greater ability to contribute new ideas and thus enhancing the profitability. The transformational leadership style often used by women tends to be a good option for contemporary organizations, as it encourages employee morale, motivation and performance. Overcoming the Barriers: Strategies Women’s progress up the corporate ladder is still limited by the “glass ceiling” despite the myriad of Government policies and programs which have been introduced to ensure that their talents and skills are recognized and accepted. Women can help themselves to overcome this career hurdle by: Ø Acquiring appropriate business skills and know how; Ø Taking up line-management positions rather than management service roles; Ø Seeking career counseling; Ø Volunteering for leadership and executive positions; Ø And lastly, acquiring the ability to measure their operating effectiveness in the workplace. socio-economic situation is creating different “glass ceilings” in the form of the downsizing of organizations, parents. Ø Gaining the necessary experience through “apprenticeship” and “acting positions”; An awareness of the emergence of new barriers to their progress is also worth considering. The current new differentiated and self-directed career paths, the advent of the contractual worker, and the care of aged Conclusion: th Since the latter half of the 20 century, women have made great paces in increasing their representation in the work force. However, a considerable gap remains in achievement of leadership positions across different fields. Renowned feminist Gloria Steinem stated it best: “Clearly no one knows what leadership has gone undiscovered in women.” It is far past time we strive to find out and finally shatter the glass ceiling. 34 July 2018
Stilog: Streamlining Operations to Drive Productivity S companies, including tailor-made IT projects and Visual Planning, their collaborative scheduling platform. tilog is a global software editing company founded in France in 1991. It develops innovative time-saving applications for major multinational Christophe has helped to foster a customer-centric culture at Stilog, one that is geared towards problem- solving and efficiency. He is constantly on the lookout for better, more comprehensive solutions to issues that his clients face and has steered clear of a cookie cutter approach. Visual Planning is used by more than 5,000 companies and over 200,000 individual users around the world. A dedicated team of consultants assists with each implementation to ensure that maximum utilization of the system’s capabilities. Versatile Visual Planning Every business that needs to schedule and manage resources effectively can benefit from Stilog’s solutions. Visual Planning has a diverse portfolio of features and can be adapted to each customer, including packages for smaller business that need a narrower range of capabilities. Stilog’s best-in-class customized development services are sought out by major global firms in the most demanding industries, from aeronautics to energy. Strong Leadership The remarkable flexibility of Visual Planning and its features means that organizations can create schedules and reports from the ground up. Depending on what the client needs, they can employ one or more of the platform’s versatile tools: Christophe Poirmeur is the Co-founder and CEO of Stilog. He comes from a scientific background and has a PhD in Geophysics. Christophe used to specialize in mapping and building digital representations of soil for the oil & gas industry. In the 90s, Visual Planning focused on bringing advanced graphical representations & UI to the office productivity/business software world, which was not really going in that direction. Visual Planning for employee tracking Visual Planning for project management Visual Planning for field service and maintenance Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Stilog strives to stay aligned with market trends and provide its clients with the resource management aids 36 July 2018
that allow them to excel. Mobility and field updates are very important today and Stilog’s VP Go app, available on both iOS and Android, incorporates geolocation features to assist in that regard. Past, Present and Future Stilog has come a long way since its creation in 1991. The company has a strong network of partners all over Western Europe, which is a powerful asset that accelerates its growth internationally. When the Goal is to Make Clients Happy In 2013, Stilog made a foray into the American market with Visual Planning. A year later, they created Stilog Inc. and opened an office in Hoboken, New Jersey, a move underpinned by their commitment to providing exceptional service and support to every customer, everywhere. In 2014, the organization joined the ICEGroup which enabled faster growth and more means for future projects. Stilog works around the clock to deliver quality to its customers at every step of their interaction. Visual Planning’s field service scheduling software is matched to every client’s processes so they can make the best out of their after sales service. Stilog also helps clients to build the application that best fits their business requirements, transfers knowledge so they can get the most out of the software, and supports them at every stage of the partnership. Christophe Poirmeur Co-founder & CEO “ Stilog plans to keep improving and expanding Visual Planning to provide its customers with powerful features to run their business more efficiently. Stilog’s another goal is to create a new line of product, 100% SaaS with only the essential features for specific scheduling need. We acquired expertise through the development of time-saving applications for the largest international organizations. Standing Out from the Competition Visual Planning from Stilog is a fully tailor-made application. The capacity to customize the application and the extreme flexibility of Visual Planning makes the company stand out from the crowd of competitors. Before starting a project, a Stilog consultant goes through the customer’s project requirements to plan the best schedule for their needs. Visual Planning then creates a solution 100% compatible with the client’s business. 37 July 2018
Trucker Helper: An Exclusive Online Trucking Business Management Solution for Drivers, Owner/Operators and Fleets E most integral part of e-commerce industry is person-to- person shipments. The trucking industry is playing a vital role in ensuring efficiency in shipment. This has increased the demands of trucks worldwide, as it is proving to be a pillar of the e-commerce industry. A company named Truckers Helper was founded with a vision to build a smarter and effective trucking business management solution. Truckers Helper is a total solution for drivers, owner/operators and fleets. It delivers all the tools that are required to manage its clients trucking business right from ‘booking’the load to ‘paying’the drivers. The wide array of its tools includes invoicing, a complete trucking specific accounting package, and maintenance tracking and reminders for trucks and trailers. -commerce is growing internationally due to rapid advancements in internet and mobile devices in the emerging markets. However, the There was a time, when recession hit the business hard and at the same instant Sheila Ewing became seriously ill and needed a care giver. Hence, John devoted his time to be with Sheila and had to leave the business to run on its own. In 2017, Sheila gave up the fight and passed away. Since that time, John has been looking for ways to get the business back where it used to be as a leader in the industry. John is considered an expert in the area of computers, software and accounting for the trucking business. In addition to this, John has been part of Land Line Now, a radio show where he answers the questions of truckers regarding these areas in their business. . Bringing a Company into Existence Truckers Helper was originally conceived in 1990 by John and Sheila Ewing, with a need to efficiently manage paperwork regarding transportation. John developed the original macro powered spreadsheet based program during that period to catalyze the idea. Truckers Helper’s secure web based solution provides its clients access to their business from the office as well as road. Its mobile solution makes it easy for the whole company to comply. In 1992, they became Owner/Operators and their needs expanded. John set out to rewrite the program to meet their new needs. And the program began to expand to meet their ever growing needs to keep up with both, the technology as well as the changing rules and regulations. After ensuring the program is working, they started sharing it with their friends and colleagues, and as their request and needs expanded, John responded to meet them all. A Decisive Leadership It is the determination of John Ewing, CEO and Founder that has enabled Truckers Helper to be a leading Trucking and Transportation Business Management Solution. 38 July 2018
driver, the owner/operator and thefleet owner. The program consists of everything that is needed to manage a trucking business. It also enables enterprises to operate their business faster, easier and smarter than ever before. tracking & reporting, routing & fuel optimization, payroll & tax reporting and a comprehensive reporting module can simplify your paperwork. The Unique Perspective The power of any solution is based on a company’s ability to gain compliance from all its users. The better and more complete the data is, the better and more efficient the business can run. The Truckers Helper encourages compliance by making the users’ job easier than before. The company has developed itself with the ‘auditor’ in mind and have a long string of happy owner/operators and fleet owners who have come through their feared audit with ease and success. A Simple, Integrated and Single Platform Truckers Helper comprises both, standalone and online version of the program. The standalone is the classic program, whereas the online is the latest version of the program. Its 2 user subscription model is designed specifically with the Mom and Pop business model and provides enterprises with 2 logins in its cost efficient monthly subscription. In the standalone program, it has separate versions for drivers, owner/oppressors and fleets. And in the online program it has a single truck version for drivers and leased owner/operators and also a fleet version for those who need the billing related modules. John Ewing CEO & Founder “ Since Truckers Helper has incepted, it has been their vision to allow its users to guide its growth and development. The company has been and will continue to be designed by its users who are the ultimate authorities on what they need to most effectively manage their business. The comments, suggestions and opinions from a company driver, owner/operator or the president of a trucking company are the key aspects that drive the design and functionality of the Truckers Helper. Additionally, Truckers Helper is tracking the new rules and regulations and is constantly updating to meet its customer’s requirements. The company is adding more adept programmers and support personnel as growing revenues allow, and its visions cater to its loyal customer with unmatched efficiency. We offer an affordable single source solution for managing a trucking business. Trucking is also an ever changing business and Truckers Helper is constantly evolving in response to the new rules and regulations that affect the trucking industry. It is a simple, integrated, single platform, where businesses can manage their entire Transportation business. It offers a complete, fully integrated, and real-time Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution ready to use and designed by truckers. By 1996, John got involved in advancing the program and meeting user needs. He then decided to turn that program into a full time business and this is how Trucker’s Helper grew exponentially. Today, with both an Online and Standalone versions, the Truckers Helper is a full-fledged fleet business management solution with comprehensive services that aid the All its clients’ billing, load management & tracking, dispatch, brokering, accounting, safety compliance, maintenance, fuel tax 39 July 2018
Leader’s Take Transformational Appearance of Technology in Today’s Era C change the world; it’s all about efficacy -- the ability to identify a goal, put a plan in place to achieve it, and then do just that. hange the world! That’s really the point of our existence, isn’t it? Sometimes we change the world to provide us with better opportunities, resources, enjoyment; sometimes we change the world to solve problems that are plaguing ourselves and others. I partner with organizations to position people to Clearly, the brain is the best tool for achieving efficacy. Technology, however, can be a power partner in one’s accomplishments. It all depends on how technology is used. When technology was first embraced by the masses, it was viewed as an “automational” tool: I can store and retrieve information more easily than on index cards; I can write and make changes more easily than on a typewriter; I can manage my finances and generate calculations more easily. This view of technology focuses on doing what we already know how to do, but doing it better, faster, and more easily. Technology is more powerful as a “transformational” tool: what can technology allow me to do that I could not do without it? I can now gather and analyze enormous quantities of data for more accurate forecasting and decision-making; I can connect instantaneously with others around the world; I can work from remote locations. One of those transformational benefits of technology is that of three-dimensional reading and writing. With the advent of the printing press came reading and writing in two dimensions: across and down a page. Computer technology now allows us to read and write in three dimensions: across, down, and out through links. This allows us to present and receive a message in a much richer and robust format. How well do you read and write effectively in three-dimensions? That is a skill that must be taught in our schools and capitalized upon in our organizations. In my list of ‘10 characteristics of a net-centric society, information overload is the biggest threat to organizations today in their hopes of marketing their message. Leveraging three-dimensional reading and writing can maximize the success of your messaging and marketing. It is a transformational technology that changes the way we communicate with others. Another favorite transformational tool of my is the engineering design process. Consider that the scientific method allows us to prove that which already exists in the world. A design process allows us to create that which does not yet exist: it is the foundation for changing the world! Consider how technology can fuel a six- step design process: Formulate - Define the problem. Who is affected by it? What are the consequences of not solving it? Technology allows you to gather real-time data to identify a problem and connect with others to determine its impact. 40 July 2018
About the Author Dr. Nancy Sulla is an author, national speaker, and thought leader in transforming learning environments to build engagement, empowerment, and efficacy. As the creator of the Learner-Active, Technology-Infused Classroom™ and founder of –IDE Corp. Innovative Designs for Education, Dr. Sulla leads her consulting firm in the pursuit of equity-focused instructional design, positioning people to change the world. Dr. Nancy Sulla Author & National Speaker further data to drill down to each idea until you select the most promising. Explore - Learn as much as you can about the problem and related topics. Technology puts a plethora of data at your fingertips, allows you to connect with experts, and helps in conducting experiments to learn more. Simulate - Technology allows you to create a prototype or digital model of the solution. Advocate - Technology allows you to promote the idea and share it with the world. Three-dimensional writing will add to the effectiveness of your advocacy. Ideate - Generate as many solutions as possible, without critiquing them. Mind-mapping software allows you to track generated ideas and related ideas. Technology, used masterfully, can do much more than automate our lives; it can transform them. Change the world! Sift - Consider each solution in terms of its feasibility and potential effectiveness. What may be the unintended consequences of each? Technology provides access to 41 July 2018
Wave Application: A Simplistic Approach on Location Sharing I journey of developing an application which focuses on location sharing services. Below are the highlights of the interview conducted between Manuel and Insights Success: n an interview with Insights Success, the Founder and CEO of Wave Application, Manuel de la Esperanza shares his insights behind his triumphant by your contacts. In addition you will decide if you wish to be located for a limited period of time or indefinitely. What are the core strengths of Wave App offerings? The Wave App’s core strengths are its native technology of positioning in real time with pinpoint accuracy, the privacy of its users, since they are aware that they are sharing their location and can stop it whenever they want, and its unique features that improve people’s mobility. Kindly provide a brief overview of the Wave App and its solutions and services? Wave App is a free app (iOS, Android) that helps people to meet by sharing their live location on a private map. It is a useful tool to find friends or relatives especially in places where it’s difficult to meet such as busy streets, music festivals, new cities, ski resorts, skiing trips etc. Nevertheless, the most common use is simply meeting between friends, because it makes the process easy, effective and fun. The main features used in the app are: Unidirectional Location, Group Location, Chat and Navigation. Unidirectional Location is the feature in which one user can send unidirectionally his /her location through a web link to any smartphone user that does not have Wave installed. In group location group can be made from 3 till 10 people where all members are displayed on the screen with their profile picture. How do you diversify your product offerings to appeal to your target audience? Wave App is an application focused on the geolocation of people and therefore has several unique features that make it an essential application to meet friends or family. Among them is geolocation in real time, the option to create group maps, to set a meeting point on the map, the navigation, geofencing alerts a complete chat and many more to come. The Chat feature is a complete chat solution which includes sharing messages, voice notes and images. Navigation feature sets users where he can navigate to the meeting point or to their friends in real time, see the estimated time of arrival and the estimated distance. They can also call an Uber if the meeting point is far. What historical forces, achievements or learnings have shaped the journey of Wave App? Wave Application has become a reference for people to meet and it has not been an easy way, since in the beginning people were reluctant to share their location. However, its approach to privacy and the feature dedicated to each user case has allowed Wave to conquer a base of And above all we offer a private approach. We don’t believe anybody wants to be stalked or followed at all times. Only when you decide to and by who you decide. Therefore there is always an express consent to be located 44 July 2018
numerous devices across the world that has different data connection and GPS quality. Along with this, the UX design has been a demanding factor for users that are used to play with apps, so the team has made great efforts, with the help of the Creative Director of Pinterest and advisor of Wave, to define a trendy and friendly interface. These improvements have made possible to achieve a great 80% of retention rate. natural landscapes. Its core value comes along with unique features that complete the experience in the mobility field such as the navigation, the direct access to Uber, the possibility to pin a meeting point on group maps and the chat. About the CEO The co-founders of Wave Application, Manuel de la Esperanza, CEO, and Luis Gelado, COO, have been able to carry a pioneering idea at a time when the market was not as used to geolocation as it is now, by developing its native technology with a unique approach. The most difficult challenges have been to define the technological strategy, to find real professional talents to expand the team and to seek funding to continue investing. Having a large fan base and a positive growth has allowed Wave to conquer investors through several rounds of funding as the recent bet on Crowdcube, in which Wave raised more than € 1M to continue investing in technology and marketing. Where does Wave App see itself in the near future and what are its future goals? The core of Wave App is its leading technology and the biggest challenges that it faces in the near future are the work in the improvement of the technology and its constant adaptation to the positioning novelties, the UX design to adapt it to the demanding consumer trends and the development of new features that users demand. For this, the team must grow and the company is working on the search for new talents. “ Manuel de la Esperanza Co-founder & CEO Wave Application helps people to meet their friends or relatives by sharing live locations on a private map. In the long term, the app wants to be the reference tool in geolocation in all smartphones of the world and to help people meet, move around the city and have a personalized experience. About the Company Wave App is a mobile application which helps people meet up by sharing live location on a private map. The app enables users to gather personal as well as location information with its user-friendly interface in a secure manner. It runs on major operating systems such as iOS and Android devices. The app heightens its performance especially in difficult places such as busy streets, music festivals, ski resorts, skiing trips and new cities. With the rising number of field service based solution providers, how does Wave App stand out from its crowd of competitors? Wave Application has led a market with a unique proposal of geolocation based on privacy. While there are some apps that offer the option of sharing the location, Wave is considered the most private and useful option to meet the people we love in crowded places such as downtown streets, festivals or markets, as well as in places where it is difficult to give directions, such as ski resorts or users from all over the world that exceeds 11 million people. Also, it is the ideal moment for these kinds of tools. Geolocation is everywhere, it is probably one of the new big digital commodity. Devices are ready, users are ready and technology is finally ready. Nevertheless, the most common medium of usage for Wave App is its simplistic approach of meeting friends and family, as it makes the process easy, effective and fun. One of the biggest challenges has being shaping the technology to the 45 July 2018
Successful Personality Traits to Learn from Elon Musk Imparting Wisdom L Strong Risk Tolerance Founding a start-up involves a great deal of uncertainty and risk. A study found that after 10 years of being in business, 96 percent of the start-ups fail. Going by the statistics, Musk must have faced the same odds against him, when he had decided to leave an otherwise comfortable life to start a risky and uncertain business venture. For instance, Musk left his PhD program at Stanford University to find a company called Zip2 with his brother in the year 1995. Later, the company was sold to Compaq computers, profiting Musk a bit over $20 million. Following this, Musk once again took a great risk by investing millions of dollars to found a company called X.com, one of the world’s first online banks. egends never need an introduction. They tend to be victorious despite of their uneventful histories. They stick to captivating traits such as Discipline, determination and self-belief which help them accomplish wonders in the long run. One such example of an extra- ordinary person is Elon Musk, a South African Business Magnate, Investor and an engineer. Musk is the founder, CEO, and chief architect of SpaceX; co-founder, CEO, and product designer of Tesla Inc.; and co-founder and CEO of Neuralink. As of February 2018, he is the 53rd-richest person in the world and has a net worth of $20.8 billion, which is far more than the net GDP of Greece taken into consideration. While each entrepreneur possesses a unique set of traits that makes him/her successful, this Tech founder has a few traits much different from any other ordinary CEO, which has allowed him to build some of the world’s most respected and innovative organizations. Musk once quoted, “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor.” ‘Always Be Learning’ Attitude An astounding and less-known fact about Elon Musk is that he is self-taught in programming and in many advanced level subjects. He read and understood a variety of books, which helped him gain endless and persistent knowledge and understand diverse concepts. Let’s have a look on these personality attributes and characteristics that make him a contender for the most innovative intellectual entrepreneur of the century alive. The best piece of advice on learning and implementation is to constantly think about how things could be done in a better manner and question self to seek the answers. Hard-work and Characteristic Work Ethics Elon Musk is a hard-working innovator, working for about 100 hours a week, and has been productive since many years. He may even be considered as the hardest working employee of the company, setting standards for his colleagues to follow and implement. Since the field of work lies inside his radius of interests, he enjoys it to every moment and bit when it comes to learning and execution. Feedback Loop It is of prime importance to recognize the present symbol or otherwise ‘status quo’ in the market as an organization and re-position accordingly. Musk solicits constant feedback of the companies and executes ‘self-analysis.’ He induces efforts and divergent strategies to improve customer feedbacks and strives towards perfectionism. 46 July 2018
as well as the potential-seeking factor of its founding team. He does not hesitate to gamble on large scale unless he is genuinely aware of the expected end-results. Tesla Motors, a far headed firm headed by Elon Musk, is anti-ordinary. Its compelling marketplace has become a one-stop destination for potential buyers where they can interact about product specifications. They also have video testimonials that far outperform in the sales-dominated industry. For example, he seeks out his critics and tries to converse with them. This habit of self-reflection at regular and considerable periods is pivotal for any entrepreneur or organization to succeed in the long run. It is equally essential to maintain clarity of doubt in any large scale organization. Under his supervision, Musk encourages in creating a positive and comprehensive environment across his firms. Tendency for Vertical Integration Vertical integration is a strategy where an organization or a firm acquires business operations within the same product vertical. Both Tesla and SpaceX embrace this concept. For example, Tesla not only produces electric cars; they also generate public awareness about their cars via Tesla showrooms across various countries. And SpaceX does not only have the primary goal of rocket propulsions; they develop their own rocket architecture as well. There is no ambiguity that Musk, by far, has been a pillar of inspiration for budding entrepreneurs and investors because of his prolific and optimistic approach towards life Preferring to Stand Out From the Crowd Musk elects to bring up innovation at every level of his understanding. He tends to impart theoretical knowledge at the base level, applying changes and executing the same on the practical level. He relies more on transitional aspects such as research and development, thereby increasing the probability of ground-breaking inventions. All these traits possessed by Musk, in some manner or the other, coincide with most of your habits. The only thing that stands as a potential barrier between these two is identifying your strengths and working on them on a continual basis. Go on, apply these traits into your daily life, and you may become the next big CEO the world is in need of today! Faith in Self and the Founding Team Musk undoubtedly possesses a profound belief in his own capabilities 47 July 2018