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Sales Technology Improves Results and Leads to Better Processes

Learn how sales tools that use some of the latest technologies, including automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence, deliver better outcomes.

To remain competitive today, your salespeople need all the advantages they can leverage for prospecting, business intelligence, leads and customer service. Here’s a look at some of the technology leads that will give your sales team a competitive edge.

How Can Technology Help with Prospecting?

Customer relationship management (CRM) software is one of the most important sales tools available. With a CRM, you can track important data about prospects and customers, and use the functionality to find sales opportunities. Sales and marketing teams can use the CRM to track response to marketing campaigns, outreach attempts and contact reports.

The CRM solution you deploy also helps sales managers track progress throughout the sales pipeline. Monitoring helps managers review the stage, probability and velocity of the pipeline for better forecasting.

How Does Technology Help Follow Up with Leads?

Automation tools help to create a persistent sales cadence that leads to more meetings and better outcomes. Automation can generate personalized and customized follow-up letters, emails and texts. One example is Boomerang, a Gmail plug-in that schedules follow-up emails and automates reminders to reconnect with prospects. Hubspot Sales also allows for personalization of emails and other follow-up communication.

For inbound sales, where customers contact your company via an email, phone call or web form, automation, machine learning and bots are a big help. These tools can help with routine inquiries and route leads to the right information while alerting a salesperson to reach out for contact.

Can I Integrate Sales Tech with Other Software?

Your CRM and other sales technologies are effective independently. But when these tools are integrated with finance/operations programs, your entire organization benefits. Having a single source of data, access to integrated reporting and solutions, data transparency and interrelationships, your sales team will be more effective and more collaborative.

Integrated tools also help leverage emerging technologies such as machine learning, big data and data analytics. These tools can collect, analyze, codify and find patterns in your sales data that drive deeper, actionable insights. Unified data also leads to less data re-entry and gives managers greater visibility into the sales information.

What Role Does the Cloud Play?

Cloud technologies provide data security and accessibility to apps, including CRMs and business productivity apps such as Microsoft Office 365, which offers mobile versions of the popular app suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Agility and access lead to more productive outbound sales reps.

Cloud technologies also help your team with videoconferencing tools that allow for web-based communication that helps communication with remotely deployed sales reps, leads and customers. Video has advantages over sales calls, allowing staff to notice body language, visual cues, energy level and facial expressions that can help inform the progression of the call and follow-up.

Your CRM and other tools also provide for a richer understanding of your customer. A 360-degree view of customer order history, payments, credit, maintenance needs and customer service inquiries gives your sales force real-time insights into the customer experience.

What Can Help With Effective Sales Calls?

There are many apps available to help make sales calls more effective. For example, Conference Pad is an app that lets you control multiple iPads simultaneously, ensuring that everyone seeing a presentation is on the same page or slide.

Can Technology Improve Sales Training?

Pages upon pages of manuals, in-person conferences and classroom training sessions are no longer the most effective or efficient ways to teach new skills and hone others. Two technology types — learning management systems (LMS) and virtual learning platforms (VLP) — provide flexible, trackable and accessible training tools. Managers can monitor progress and offer assistance in areas where reps struggle.

How Can Sales Technology Help Our Brand?

The right tools when used effectively will improve first impressions and boost your reputation. That helps not only with landing new business but also with attracting talented sales professionals. Investment in the latest and best technology solutions is a compelling option for salespeople seeking a new opportunity.

Sales technologies can be a boost to all areas of your sales program. The right investments result in better training, more actionable leads, higher response rates and more closed business.

Depending on the scope of the attack, the cost of getting hacked can be in the hundreds of thousands or more. Here’s what you need to know. 

When it comes to cyberattacks, all too often the bad guys win. Hackers have targeted local governments, airports, banks, and businesses, stealing usernames, passwords, and sensitive private data. While they may sell this information on the black market, they often hold it for ransom. With no other way to retrieve the stolen data, victims are forced to buy back their belongings while the thief vanishes into anonymity. Here is a look into the true price of getting hacked and what you can do to protect yourself.

Lake City, Florida mayor Stephen Witt announced that the city would pay hackers $460,000 to recover stolen data. The thieves seized control of major email servers, bringing the city’s operations to a grinding halt. Witt claimed that cyber insurance would cover all but $10,000 of the ransom, though it’s uncertain whether the city met the policy’s criteria for protection.

Ransomware: An Alarming Trend

Ransomware attacks are on the rise, and victims are paying exorbitant sums to regain their data. Three attacks occurred in April 2019 alone, hitting Tallahassee, Augusta, and the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The ransomware forced operations to close, with the Tallahassee attack costing the city nearly a half-million. Hackers frequently target municipalities and government organizations knowing the high value of the stolen data and its importance in operations. In many cases, the data isn’t exactly stolen, but encrypted to prevent access. After the ransom is paid, the hackers unlock the data, or so they promise.

Research conducted by SentinelOne found that only 26% of U.S. companies that fell victim to ransomware and paid the ransom were able to access their files. And even if the hackers honor their end of the deal, they may attack again. In fact, organizations that ponied up the cash were hit again 73% of the time. What’s worse is that some cybersecurity providers are in cahoots with hackers, splitting the ransom between them.

 

MSPs at Risk

Managed service providers (MSPs) are often the strongest line of defense against hackers. Unfortunately, hackers know this and have started to attack the software and systems that MSPs use to protect customer data. By infecting these systems with malware, hackers can access account credentials and use them to log in to customer accounts. They can then obtain bank accounts, addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, and other private data.

How Can MSPs Fight Back?

As hackers become more adept, MSPs need to step up their game. Frequent testing of defense systems, backup and recovery plans, and other cybersecurity measures is a must. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has published a framework to mitigate cybersecurity risk to assist MSPs in keeping hackers at bay.

As is the case in medicine, prevention is the best cure for cyberattacks. Cities, corporations, and businesses must work together with MSPs to reduce their likelihood of being targeted and have multiple plans in place if a breach occurs. By staying proactive, the good guys can make it difficult for hackers to get what they want.

Small Business Tech Security

Small businesses need to take cyber security seriously, preventing lapses or weak points that could lead to major data breaches or attacks.  

Modern technology is rapidly changing the landscape for small businesses. Small companies can now do more and have a far greater reach, but they are also faced with bigger security concerns. What once was a big company issue is now a concern for small businesses as well. Some small businesses get caught into an assumption that security breaches only impact big companies, but hacks, ransoms and malware threaten companies of all sizes.

Small- and medium-sized companies are being attacked at an increasing rate. The average cost of damage from theft, hacking and data loss increased from over $879k to $1mil, according to the Ponemon Institute. This has forced small businesses to spend more each year with a projected spend of $21.2 billion by 2021. Security has become a major small business concern.

Security is a Major Managed Services Offering for Small Business

Tech security is a vital need for small business, but not all companies can afford a full IT department. Small businesses that need additional tech support to cover the various aspects of their company. From firewalls and email to endpoints, top professionals should be keeping your business safe. Cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated in their approaches, often tricking your employees into clicking on links or opening attachments that help them enter in a back door. Only the best software, updated devices and best practices for your employees will help reduce the risks of a breach. No matter what industry you are in, keeping your data, profiles and customers safe should be a top priority.

The traditional solutions are no longer good enough. In order to protect your business and customers, you will want to outsource tech support. By hiring an IT managed services company, you will have access to top professionals round-the-clock without paying for a full-time team. You want the expertise and niche talents that a full team can offer.

The True Cost of Data Breaches

Remember, your losses will go beyond the cost of recovery. You will have downtime that could cause major disruptions in your business and will impact how your customers trust your company. You could face governmental fines or settlements to cover customer loss. Your business could face investigations, digital forensics sweeps and more that would hinder work and become a huge time drag for you. Most businesses (60%) fail within 6 months of a data breach because the cost is too much to handle.

Strengthening Preventative Security Practices

A preventative approach to cyber security will be more valuable than just a response (though you want a response plan as well). Part of preventing those breaches is going to be in proper training for your employees. An estimated 54% of data breaches are the result of negligence on the part of an employee or contractor, according to a Ponemon study. Starting with good training and best practices will help reduce breaches due to error. A tech company should make necessary updates to your equipment and software to ensure you are protected against malware and virus attacks as much as possible. Backups should also be in place in case of a system breach, protecting you against lost data.

Stay Honest About Your Weaknesses

The right IT team will audit your company to find weak points and make reasonable suggestions for change. Having those honest conversations with your customers about potential risks can help protect both you and them. Being straightforward will help increase the trust and improve how customers treat their own data and account security. No matter what industry you operate in, your customers are going to hold you responsible when it comes to their security and data protection. By staying open about cyber concerns, you are more likely to take them seriously and get them ironed out. Trying to cover security concerns will only lead to bigger problems.

Get a tech team that works for you and knows your industry. If you need help with IT support or security, you can contact us for more information. We offer IT managed services that will help guard your company and prevent disaster.

How to Choose the Right App for CEO Online Journaling

Learn why many business leaders turn to journaling to build their brand and improve their leadership skills and see what features the top applications offer.

When you want to establish your own personal and professional brand online, using an online journal is an effective way to spread the word about your insights, leadership, business and philosophy. Having the right tool to help you get your message across to readers is an important decision.

Other CEOs use journals to fine-tune their skills, reflect on their days and improve their leadership skills.

“Setting aside as little as 10 minutes a day to record your thoughts stimulates reflection critical to making sense of the fast-moving world around you,” notes a recent Strategy and Business article. “Journaling engages the analytical, rational functions of the brain, which gives the more creative parts of your cranium space and time to work their magic.”

Below are the top online journal services that CEOs can use to build a better online persona or simply track their thoughts and perspectives.

What Features Should I Look For in a Journaling App?

The most effective apps are those that offer features that make it easier to write and publish. Some of the most common features among the top apps are:

• Easy interface. You want to be able to focus on writing, so you need a minimalist interface that lets you focus your thoughts and write well. The app you choose should also be easy to use, with a limited number of clicks or taps needed to add an entry.
• Exporting. You want to choose a product that allows for exporting into formats such as PDF, RTF or common word processing extensions that allow you to use the content wherever you want.
• Syncing. Keep your journal synchronized across your devices with an app that has synchronizing capabilities.
• Reminders. Gentle automated nudges to enter your thoughts are a good way to maintain the habit.
• Visual support. You may want to add other elements to your journal, including photos, videos and graphics.

What Are the Top Online Journal Services for CEOs?

You have many choices when it comes to journaling services. Here are a few of the top options:

• Day One. Automatically add metadata such as date, location, time and weather, synchronize your entries across devices, and use a dark mode if working in low light. It also uses IFTTT (“if this then that”), a free web-based service to automate the creation of entries on multiple apps.
• Diario. A great choice when you want to add lots of images. You can add folders, tags, dates, locations and other filters.
• Diary. A simple interface makes Diary popular for shorter entries, which can be shared easily with friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms or via email. Provides cloud storage and reminders, too.
• Journal. An intuitive interface and clean layout highlight this product. Synchronize with Google Maps to add location metadata and street views. Export entries to file types suitable for printing. Security features include Touch ID, Face ID and PIN protection and automatic backups to Google Drive.
• LiveJournal. One of the oldest journaling apps dating to 1999, LiveJournal lets you share and read others’ journal entries while writing your own.
• Momento. Connect Momento to social media apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube and you can automatically add social activity to your journal.
• Penzu. Security is the name of the game with Penzu, which offers double password protection and 256-bit encryption, along with customizable backgrounds and fonts.

Whether for branding or reflection, the right journaling tool can improve your professional outcomes.

Finding the right scheduling software can make everyone happier, and thereby make everything run a bit easier and a bit more smoothly. Here is what you need to find in the optimal scheduling software program, and where to find it.

The medical field has always been an industry in which accuracy is key. From the moment a referral is processed to the moment that a patient leaves the office after visiting with their physician, accuracy, privacy, and efficiency are all fundamental components of what drives the medical experience. Even in a small doctor’s office, it is common for a single physician to have several hundred patients that they care for regularly. Therefore, the task of managing the caretaking of patients and their private information largely falls to the support staff. While scheduling appointments may at first sound like the least complex task to manage within a physician’s office, efficiency and accuracy in scheduling are pivotal in ensuring the success of the entire office. Taking advantage of a quality scheduling software can help to streamline the scheduling process, thereby helping to ensure that patients are scheduled when they ought to be, with the doctor they need to see, and all pertinent information is managed accordingly.

Shifting to automated online scheduling makes it easier to:

• Provide patients with easy access to schedule appointments
• Simplify the job of office staff workers
• Streamline the functionality of a medical office, regardless of size

There are a few things that every medical office needs if it wants to run smoothly. A strong office manager, highly skilled nurses, and a caring physician are all important factors—but you can’t overlook something that has grown to become even more fundamental to the medical field, the right technology. Without the right technology, you could find yourself losing information, or even worse, making information too easily available to malicious eyes, and spending hours that should be reserved for better caring for patients instead of trying to deal with complications and redundancies in software.

Shifting to an intuitive scheduling platform can help to drastically streamline the appointment process and lead to improved morale among patients, office workers, and medical staff.

What is self-scheduling?

Self-scheduling is quickly becoming one of the biggest technology trends in the medical industry. This sort of software allows patients to use any digital platform, such as their home computer or mobile device, to schedule, reschedule, or cancel appointments at any time. This takes a huge burden off of office staffers, who are typically fielding calls throughout the day to manage appointments, while also providing a level of comfort and support to patients who are now able to schedule their medical appointments more inconspicuously, and without the need to wait on hold until an office staffer is available.

Patients appreciate the 24/7 around-the-clock nature of online scheduling, and office workers appreciate the reduction in time spent on the phone managing those appointments. Instead of speaking directly to all patients, office workers can instead focus on ensuring that incoming patients have ample time to complete their intake paperwork, processing necessary prescriptions, or any other number of tasks that are the responsibility of the medical officer manager, like dealing with the needs of patients with more complex issues.

Automated Waiting List

Putting it in the patient’s hands to schedule their own appointment at their convenience means giving the patient peace of mind to consider their personal commitments as they make an appointment, thereby making it less likely that they will have to cancel or reschedule. However, it also provides the patient with the opportunity to see the next available dates for appointments, and even to sign up for a waiting list for an earlier appointment, should one become available.

Online Scheduling: The Organized Option

The biggest benefit to shifting to an automated schedule is the organizational bliss that comes from putting all incoming information in one place. By utilizing an intuitive scheduling platform it is possible to cut down on wasted hours in the office, to reduce errors in scheduling by limiting overbookings and canceled appointments, and to ensure that all booked appointments are properly prepared for and the medical files necessary for each appointment are processed accurately. Office staff can easily work with the scheduling platform to match patients with the necessary provider, process insurance information, and fill in a provider’s schedule—all in one sitting. For a large medical facility, shifting to an automated scheduling system is a must-do to keep the office above water. For a small medical facility, this simple decision can make a world of difference in the level of functionality and productivity in the office.

Six Essential Steps For CEOs To Take For Microsoft EOS 2020

What steps should I take if my Microsoft operating system support is ending in January 2020? Windows 7 support is ending January 2020 essential steps to take.

Microsoft is ending support for a number of operating systems and software packages starting January 2020. What does end of support (EOS) mean? Your computers and network will no longer receive software patches or security updates. You won’t be able to access paid telephone or online support for bugs or problems. The biggest threat with Microsoft EOS is security. Without security updates, your system will be much more vulnerable to hackers.

What Microsoft programs are ending support in January 2020?

You can access a complete list of programs on Microsoft’s EOS site. A partial list of programs ending support in January 2020 include:

• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows 10, version 1709 and 1809
• Windows 10, version 1803
• System Center (5 programs), version 1807
• Exchange Server 2010 (all editions)

Will EOS just affect these programs or can it affect others?

Microsoft’s January 2020 EOS will affect operating systems and server programs as well as programs that use the operating system. Your business could be using essential programs that run on the operating system. These are LOB (Line of Business) programs.

Your LOB programs could include:

• Business databases
• Customer relationship management (CRM) software
• Invoicing and billing software
• Accounting programs
• Programs for your industry: CAD, ERP, graphic design, word processing

Could your LOB programs stop working if you don’t upgrade your Microsoft OS or server suite of programs? Yes: you could experience significant downtime due to bugs, glitches, and security problems.

What steps should we take to make sure we’re covered for Microsoft’s January 2020 EOS?

• Start planning as soon as possible — don’t wait until December 2019
• Assess your inventory of essential LOB programs and apps.
• Identify who uses the programs and how essential they are
• Find out if the programs will run on upgraded Microsoft operating systems
• Select the appropriate Microsoft OS or Server suite for an upgrade
• Update and/or upgrade your essential LOB programs to run on the new Microsoft OS or Server programs

What can a managed services provider (MSP) do to help with Microsoft’s EOS in January 2020?

If you already have an MSP and they haven’t talked to you about Microsoft’s EOS in January 2020, you might have a newer OS or server that won’t be part of this EOS. Microsoft is currently providing five years of standard support and 10 years of extended support for its products.

If you don’t have an MSP, Microsoft’s EOS offers you an opportunity to contact one. MSP’s have already handled many upgrades and migrations based on Microsoft’s EOS process. You should interview several MSP’s to find out which one is most qualified to help your business. Look for an MSP who’s got experience with your business’s software needs. Look for an MSP who can communicate clearly. Another plus? A provider with good people skills who’s experienced in working with people who’ll need to start using upgraded software. The security risks involved with failing to upgrade older Microsoft operating and server systems are too great to put off upgrades or allow people to continue to use old, outdated software that’s out of support.

Once you’ve selected the MSP that’s right for you, sit down with them and establish a plan for your options for upgrading your OS and essential LOB software and apps. More Microsoft programs are set for EOS later in 2020. Begin the process now to ensure a smooth transition.

3 Shocking Healthcare Business Associate Data Breaches Stories

What the worst that could happen? 3 healthcare data breach stories aren’t for the faint of heart. Find out how to protect your company from similar outcomes  

Breaking news. July 25th, 2019. Northwood, a medical equipment benefits administrator in Michigan had to notify their many healthcare partners that their patient data had been compromised after a hacker bypassed security to access and employee’s email. As a result, over 15 thousand patient records were affected. After spotting seemingly nefarious activity on the email, security was alerted. But they determined that the entity had had access for three days, an eternity to steal patient data. Diagnoses, social security numbers and more were among the causalities.

Alert! Nearly four thousand patient records compromised when Cancer Treatment Centers of America experienced an email hack. If only this were an isolated situation. But unfortunately, it’s the third within a short time as those seeking to do harm deploy email phishing attacks at the company on a regular basis just waiting for someone to take the bait. This time the hacker had access for 11 days.

Not again. American Medical Collection Agency (AMCA) experienced an eight-month hack of patient data that exposed over 25 million patients’ information. Over 20 of their partners were affected, including names you know like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp. Laboratory Medicine Consultants claims that their business associate, AMCA “downplayed” the incident, leading them to believe that the breach was much less impactful than it was and causing the need for more extensive investigation.

These breaches are recent and investigations ongoing so at this time we can’t quantify the personal casualties, HIPAA penalties or lawsuits that will likely result for both the business associates and the hospitals, labs and other medical providers that trusted them to protect their patients from third-party data breaches.

Stories like these remind us of the impact of healthcare business associate data breaches and the importance of putting systems in place to protect patients and our healthcare company’s financial interests. Let’s explore the solutions that these companies and their partners, unfortunately, implemented too late to prevent the data breaches but you can proactively employ to prevent a similar fate.

1. Get the Business Associate Agreement Updated

As a healthcare organization, you work with several third parties who have access to varying levels of patient data. And we couldn’t function without them.

You need business associates to:

• Access to expertise you don’t have in-house
• Keep costs low and standards high
• Collaborate with other healthcare professionals

While a BAA won’t completely protect you when business associate data breaches occur, it does outline what your partner is doing to keep patient data safe. This allows you to evaluate their standards and make the best decisions for your organization.

2. Re-evaluate What You Share with a Business Associate

Patient information should always be on a need-to-know basis. For example, a collection agency doesn’t need diagnosis information to collect on a debt. But you could be unwittingly sending this if you simply send over un-redacted patient records. You’ll find many examples of similar cases, so evaluate your exposure and limit the risk.

3. Invest in Your People

You can have the highest level encryption, firewalls and anti-virus, but a phishing email can help a hacker bypass all of it. Typically, an employee receives an email asking them to click a link. That link may lead somewhere that looks familiar, encouraging them to enter a password. Or the link may cause the download of a file that compromises security. Stay informed about the risks and continually update your teams about the types of tricks hackers use to access patient data.

4. Vet Third-Party Software

We all know that there’s an app for that. Apps make our lives easier and can do almost anything. And in a business where time is money, we’re always looking for ways to increase productivity, patient satisfaction, inventory management and more. But any third-party software, even if it’s a trusted name like Microsoft or Google, is an opportunity for those trying to access patient data to do so.

Know who your partners are and what security measures they employ. Some software companies have varying levels of security on their software. And we can assure you that if someone in your company is using the “free version” of a service like Dropbox or Google Drive, it doesn’t have the security you need.

Work with IT security experts to evaluate their security measures. And know that software companies also need to sign a BAA if you will be giving them access to patient data. If they won’t sign it, choose another application.

5. Take Stock of Your Current Security Technologies

Are these technologies high-caliber enough for healthcare? Are they able to reduce the risk of today’s modern security threats, which are often clever and highly convincing?

Once again, if you don’t have the high-level security expertise in-house, consult with experts who can evaluate your risks and recommend solutions.

Consult with Managed IT Security Specialists

The average IT director or manager may be very good at his or her job. But today’s security risks extend beyond the training and knowledge of even the best IT professionals. You need to work with security specialists who understand the risks because they manage and eliminate those risks for healthcare companies every single day.

Working with business associates is essential to the function of any healthcare organization, but you don’t have to take on that additional risk when you work with professionals who can help you evaluate those partnerships and keep patients safe.

Will Your Business Be Impacted by the End of Microsoft Exchange 2010?

Exchange 2010 has been a great program for businesses for many years, but its time is now winding down. Find out what this means for your business. 

All good things must come to an end. For Microsoft Exchange 2010, that end will happen at a date in the very near future: January 14, 2020. Migrating away from an integral piece of business software can take some time, so if you’re not already planning this shift for your business it’s time to get started! While Microsoft is encouraging people to shift away from the perpetual license option and go towards Office 365, you can also move to Microsoft Exchange 2016 if you don’t want to move to the cloud. At the end of a product’s lifecycle, the manufacturer determines that the vast majority of individuals and businesses have already moved on to a new platform, and they stop providing new features, security and bug fixes, time zone updates and support. In today’s world, your email server is your first line of defense against malware and ransomware — making the lack of security updates a key reason for taking the time to upgrade before time runs out on your support.

What Does the End of a Software Lifecycle Really Mean?

As with most software companies, there are several stages in the lifecycle of Microsoft Exchange and other Microsoft Office products. They are generally defined as mainstream support, extended support and service pack support. Mainstream support is generally guaranteed for a minimum of five years after product ships and is valid while the vast majority of people are still actively using the platform. Extended support generally lasts another five years, and includes a more limited support infrastructure. There are limitations on the work that the software teams are willing to do on products in this stage of life: non-security hotfixes are not released and there are no new functionalities added to the platform. While the platform is still considered secure and supported, this stage is an indication that it’s time to start your search for what comes next. In the final stage, you only receive critical security updates and little else in terms of support.

Why It’s Time to Move On . . . Quickly

Exchange 2010 doesn’t support an in-place upgrade, meaning you’ll need to find the time and IT staff hours to migrate completely — setting up new servers and mailboxes if you decide to go the route of another perpetual license option. Moving to Office 365 may be a good option for your business, but there is still a bit of setup required before you can make this move. With only a few months left before security updates are no longer provided, many organizations are scrambling to be sure they beat the deadline and maintain a platform that is fully protected and receives regular security patches. Email is a mission-critical application for your business, making it crucial to ensure that you’ve made a decision and have a game plan in place long before January 2020.

Upgrade Options Available

There are a few different ways to get out of the woods if you’re still running Exchange 2010. It may seem intuitive to simply upgrade to Exchange 2013, but that product has already completed Phase I and II of its lifecycle and is no longer receiving cumulative updates. Exchange Server 2016 is a better option if you prefer to stick with perpetual licensing models, but the product is already several years old. Updating to the most recent version of Exchange 2019, which was released in late 2018, seems like the best option — but it’s important to note that you must first upgrade to 2016 before making the jump to 2019 versions. Moving to Exchange Server 365 may provide a range of benefits for your organization such as better integration, improved security and continuous updates but it’s also important to note that there are additional decisions to be made around the other aspects of Office online.

Finding the right solution for your business does take time and analysis, but it’s vital that you take the first steps soon to reduce the risk to your organization. Critical patches for Microsoft products are released on a fairly regular basis, and your business can be opened to cyberattackers if you miss a single update — much less several security updates. Completing your migration will provide your technology team with peace of mind knowing that your most important channel of business communication is fully protected by an up-to-date Exchange server.

Digital Disruption Forces Businesses to Rethink Staffing Strategy

See how rapid technological advances are revolutionizing how companies approach the structure of their workforces and new strategies for employee recruitment.

The remarkable pace of digital transformation has changed how businesses operate at every level. Companies today need to be nimble, taking a close look at emerging technologies, choosing the right investments and continuing to thrive in the face of constant disruption.

That means reexamining business models, processes used and, perhaps most critically, the nature of work and who (or what) does it.

Understanding staffing in the digital age means taking a strategic approach to personnel.

What Staffing Model Works in the Digital Age?

Traditional labor models are not always the right choice in the digital era. Major initiatives are conceived, launched and executed more quickly than ever, requiring companies to act nimbly. Leaders are shifting towards a model that’s both strategic and flexible.

The modern staffing model may include a mix of the following:

• Permanent employees who focus on the most critical initiatives
• Skilled contract employees that support the work, complementing permanent employees and providing talent not available internally
• Specialists that provide additional capabilities and are available on an as-needed basis to complete high-value projects

This approach allows companies to be responsive, provide the right resources for time-sensitive and mission-critical work, and make key hires.

As a recent Deloitte report notes, HR offices are grappling with how to address personnel management in a digital age. “HR’s concerns will soon be revolving around the changing nature of the organization and employees becoming increasingly digital,” the report states.

Organizations must be mindful of the realities of work, including:

• Digital trends that are pervasive, including cloud computing, social media, mobile connectedness, cybersecurity and data analytics
• A multigenerational workforce that includes several generations whose entire lives have been digital in the same workplace with older employees whose technical comfort and skills may be lacking
• Hyperconnected employees looking to blur the lines between work and personal lives
• An emerging group of digitally skilled employees
• Business models that are challenged by digital disruption and new competitors
• Employee perceptions that they are the first consumers of and ambassadors for their employers’ brands

“HR needs to be more pre-emptive with regard to digital transformation as it plays an important role in shaping the organization’s digital identity,” cites Deloitte. “It is a challenge and a real complexity to plan future capabilities of a workforce in the digital economy.”

What Are the Challenges of Staffing in the Digital Age?

The greatest challenge is talent. For many highly skilled positions, competition is fierce, with potential employees having considerable leverage. Advanced data analytics, robotic process automation and cloud computing are just three needed areas where demand is high as companies seek to incorporate emerging technologies into business processes.

Recruitment is fiercer and requires more creativity than ever before. Companies are using a number of tactics to improve their hiring outcomes, including:

• Pre-Employment Networking. Companies are forging relationships with potential candidates well before there are available openings. A focus on engaging potential talent may include providing insights into the company and its strategic plans, offering informational interviews, social gatherings and regular check-ins with a recruiter. Relationships forged early can lead to faster-hiring processes.
• Digital Solutions. Digital labor platforms allow for integrated personnel management, connecting the primary HR functions under one roof. With recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, development and evaluation in the same platform, it allows organizations to be more nimble and cohesive in employee matters. According to a recent McKinsey Global Institute report, using a digital labor platform can increase output by 9 percent, reduce employee costs by 7 percent and add 275 basis points to profit margins.
• Flexibility. Many employees today expect to have a high level of flexibility in when, where and how they work. Remote employees can use digital technologies and powerful collaboration tools that keep them in contact with colleagues. A digital mindset in the HR office and throughout the organization makes companies more attractive to candidates.
• Focus on Company Culture. Businesses today need to focus on corporate culture. Why? Because there is more information available about most workplaces. Sites such as Glassdoor provide detailed information about companies, including employee reviews that can paint a clear picture of how an organization treats its workers. “Top performers know their value and are growing more footloose as a result; many are going online to find new opportunities and to evaluate potential employers,” notes McKinsey.

Recruiting and retaining employees in the digital age requires employers to think very differently about their workforce. Flexible, creative and strategic approaches allow for better outcomes.

Daily Routine Offers Benefits that Lead to Better Outcomes

Discover the benefits of creating a daily routine, including improved productivity, reduced stress and better prioritization, and tips for structuring your day.

Apple CEO Tim Cook starts his day by waking at about 4 a.m. He spends the first hour of his day reading emails from Apple users and external people.

Next, it’s a stress-reducing trip to the gym.

The day is likely to involve Cook reading the majority of the 700 to 800 emails he receives.

When the day is done, he aims to get 7 hours of sleep at night.

The insights into how Cook plans and spends his day is just one example of the importance of having a daily routine.

Why Is A Daily Routine Important?

A daily routine provides more than structure to our busy, hurried lives. Among its myriad benefits:

• Efficiency. A daily routine reduces the number of decisions that need to be made. It gives u structure as to what tasks will be completed and when.
• Less Planning. Planned time takes some of the guesswork of what to do when. You can focus on “do” from the beginning of the day, instead of “plan.”
• Help With Habits. A routine allows you to build new or fine-tune your old habits and break bad ones. Repetition of productive habits that replace bad habits provides better skills and a new source of confidence.
• Productivity. A daily routine requires blocking out time when specific tasks will be done. Doing so, with scheduled focus on different work lets you check more off of your to-do list.
• Improved Mental Health. Days that are chaotic and disorganized can derail not only your productivity but also your mental wellness. The human brain likes order and structure. Providing it will ease anxiety and give you a more positive outlook.
• Prioritization. One significant advantage of a daily routine is the opportunity to prioritize what is most important to us. Set your goals and priorities and incorporate the time you need to work towards them into your routine.
• Momentum. Repetitive routines have a benefit. With practice comes better skills, progress and momentum. Push that ball up the hill a little each day, get better at it and soon you’ll have reached the summit, no matter how steep the climb.
• Less Procrastination. When a set of tasks and activities becomes truly routine, it makes it more difficult for procrastination to seep in. When you stick to your routine, you are able to eliminate the “maybe later” thinking that can disrupt progress, slow down projects and practice avoidance.
• Reduced Stress. Our lives are hectic and that means more stress. Certainty and predictability can help lower your stress level and allow you to relax, especially if part of your routine is a regular sleep pattern. Consistency in when you go to sleep and wake up is better for maintaining a regulated internal clock.
• Mastery. A daily routine allows you to become faster and more skilled at what you work on consistently.
• Money Saved. A daily routine at the office and home can lead to cost savings. For your business, work is less likely to pile up and projects less likely to fall behind. On a personal level, routines help us not to plan our meals, organize our shopping an not have to make more expensive, last-minute or unnecessary purchases.
• Found Time. Imagine the opportunity to give yourself more time by building into your daily routine opportunities for leisure, recreation, planned meals and breaks. It’s likely that by doing so, you’ll be able to have more time. That doesn’t mean that time needs to be scheduled immediately as part of your daily routine. It’s an opportunity to discover how you want to best use the new-found minutes or hours.

These benefits collectively give you the structure you need for further business success. According to a recent article in CEO Magazine, there are 7 elements to consider in building your routine:

1. Set a regular schedule for when you wake up and go to bed
2. Create routines for the start and end of your workday, such as doing a walkthrough of the office first thing in the morning or using the last 10 minutes of the day to plan the next
3. Factor in family routines such as school schedules and activities
4. Create blocks in your work schedule for tasks such as meetings, emails, project work or phone calls
5. Know your best time of day and use it for “focus time,” when you turn off and block out distractions and get your most important work done
6. Leave some wiggle room in your schedule to deal with the unexpected
7. Limit low-value task time like emails and returning calls that often are driven by others’ agendas

With an appreciation for the value of daily routines and a commitment to a structured day, your business and personal goals are closer to being met.