404 Not Found | Digital Blog | Incepta Solutions | Integration, Automation, Intelligence https://blog.inceptasolutions.com Leaders in Digital Transformation and API Connectivity Fri, 24 Apr 2020 12:59:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cropped-incepta_icon_300x300-32x32.png 404 Not Found | Digital Blog | Incepta Solutions | Integration, Automation, Intelligence https://blog.inceptasolutions.com 32 32 5 tips to Spring into Better Wellness https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/24/5-tips-to-spring-into-better-wellness/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/24/5-tips-to-spring-into-better-wellness/#respond Fri, 24 Apr 2020 12:55:07 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20094 How are you doing right now? How did your first day of spring go? Are you developing feelings of stress, fear and isolation- these feeling are natural to face in these times when few matters are beyond our control. Spring has finally sprung and it’s the perfect time to focus on living a healthy lifestyle […]]]>

How are you doing right now? How did your first day of spring go? Are you developing feelings of stress, fear and isolation- these feeling are natural to face in these times when few matters are beyond our control. Spring has finally sprung and it’s the perfect time to focus on living a healthy lifestyle without leaving your house.

Here are the five tips for promoting a healthy spring –

Get adequate rest

Sleep greatly impacts how we look, feel and act on a daily basis, and can have a major influence on our overall quality of life. Strive for 6-8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is just as important as healthy eating and exercise.

Wake up early and follow an exercise routine

Take good advantage of this season. You can opt for basic yoga exercises and meditation sessions. There are endless free virtual exercise resources. Download free fitness apps on your smartphone or tablet or visit YouTube and search for your favorite workout format: yoga, strength, dance, Pilates, Zumba or kickboxing.

Talk to someone

Listen to your emotions, noticing any anxiety, sadness, anger, or detachment. Technology plays a major role in connecting people all around the word. Create the magic of having a surprise conversation with someone you haven’t spoken to —someone whom you always wanted to reach out. This is the right time to reach out to your distant friends and family members. It’s easy to feel isolate but talking to someone would help if you are stuck alone at home.

Eat foods that pack a fight!

Eat green veggies (providing anti-inflammatory antioxidants) and vitamin C rich options available – oranges and bell peppers. Try to drink water with a squeeze of lemon. Stay hydrated!

Take up a hobby

This is a good time to invest in something you always wanted to do! Still have those old cardboards and craft supplies that you never finished! Gather your colorful supplies and spread happiness to everyone in the house!

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/24/5-tips-to-spring-into-better-wellness/feed/ 0
Mule 4 Integration with ActiveMQ in AWS https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/22/mule-4-integration-with-activemq-in-aws/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/22/mule-4-integration-with-activemq-in-aws/#respond Wed, 22 Apr 2020 10:10:09 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20069 ActiveMQ is message-oriented middleware open-source protocol that is developed by Apache. Its basic function is to send messages between different applications. Amazon managed the implementation of ActiveMQ and integrates it into its AWS cloud services. ActiveMQ makes use of the JMS (Java Message Service) API, which is used to create, send and receive messages. ActiveMQ […]]]>

ActiveMQ is message-oriented middleware open-source protocol that is developed by Apache. Its basic function is to send messages between different applications. Amazon managed the implementation of ActiveMQ and integrates it into its AWS cloud services. ActiveMQ makes use of the JMS (Java Message Service) API, which is used to create, send and receive messages.

ActiveMQ which is used in MuleSoft & supports JMS 1.1 and J2EE 1.4 specifications is easy to configure, and its support transport protocols like TCP, AMQP, SSL etc.

This article will describe a step-by-step guide to configure ActiveMQ in AWS and Mule project to integrate ActiveMQ.

Prerequisites:

  • Mule Runtime 4.2.2
  • Java 1.8
  • AWS account
  • Anypoint Studio7.4

Procedure:

1. Login to AWS Console and then click Amazon MQ

2. Create ActiveMQ broker

3. Select a deployment and storage type then click the next button at the bottom of the page

4. Type broker name, username, and password

5. It will take around 20-25 minutes to create the broker

6. Check the ActiveMQ web console

Note: Please check the security groups for inbound rules of the port.

7. Login to ActiveMQ web console, go to the send menu and create a message payload

8. Go to the Queues menu and verify the queue

9. Create a mule project with a JMS connector to connect with ActiveMQ. Create a mule Flow, drag and drop JMS listener and configure the JMS connector. Select Broker URL from ActiveMQ console and use the username, password which was mentioned in the broker creation process. Test the Connection. After successful connection, deploy the project.

10. After successful deployment, JMS listener will consume the message, log the payload and in the end, will acknowledge the message. Verify the ActiveMQ web console.

Conclusion: Messaging as integration leads to benefits:

  • The client’s applications don’t need to know where the back-end applications are located
  • The producers/consumers of messages don’t have to be active at the same time
  • Scale horizontally by adding services that can handle the messages if too many messages are arrive
  • The client can invoke a message and continue other processing instead of blocking until the service has sent feedback; it can process the response message only when the message is ready.

Incepta Solutions is a MuleSoft Certified Partner company specializing in MuleSoft API Integration and Consulting across industry verticals.
Connect with Incepta for ways to transform your business via an API driven business model.
Visit our website: www.inceptasolutions.com or email us at hello@inceptasolutions.com

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/22/mule-4-integration-with-activemq-in-aws/feed/ 0
Black Knight launches “Exchange” its flagship integration platform connecting Black Knight’s Empower LOS with Connexions https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/14/black-knight-launches-exchange-its-flagship-integration-platform-connecting-black-knights-empower-los-with-connexions/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/14/black-knight-launches-exchange-its-flagship-integration-platform-connecting-black-knights-empower-los-with-connexions/#respond Tue, 14 Apr 2020 06:48:08 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20060 The Black Knight Exchange Integration platform developed by Incepta has been featured in leading media outlets across the US. Saving hours of data entry and manual work from traditional customer on-boarding and manual verification processes, the all new Black KnightTM Exchange (formerly RealEC) Integration Platform auto syncs appraisal data from Empower LOS into Connexions – […]]]>

The Black Knight Exchange Integration platform developed by Incepta has been featured in leading media outlets across the US.

Saving hours of data entry and manual work from traditional customer on-boarding and manual verification processes, the all new Black KnightTM Exchange (formerly RealEC) Integration Platform auto syncs appraisal data from Empower LOS into Connexions – the leading SaaS based appraisal management platform for lenders, banks, and credit unions.

Users can now directly submit appraisal orders into the Connexions platform through Incepta’s automated integration platform. This platform does all the mundane work by identifying, transforming and sanitizing user data into a recognizable format that is compatible with both systems; thus saving time, effort and money for everyone involved.

Incepta Solutions is an emerging technology consulting company focused on API led integration services in the area of banking and automation. Read more about our company and services at www.inceptasolutions.com and stay up-to-date with the latest in technology and business insights from the Incepta blog at blog.inceptasolutions.com.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Mark Barron at (905) 754-0557, or email mark.barron@inceptasolutions.com.

Featured on Media:

  1. https://www.fox34.com/story/41994626/black-knight-launches-the-all-new-exchange-integration-platform-connecting-empower-los-with-connexions
  2. https://www.newson6.com/story/41994626/black-knight-launches-the-all-new-exchange-integration-platform-connecting-empower-los-with-connexions
  3. https://central.newschannelnebraska.com/story/41994626/black-knight-launches-the-all-new-exchange-integration-platform-connecting-empower-los-with-connexions
  4. https://www.wfxg.com/story/41994626/black-knight-launches-the-all-new-exchange-integration-platform-connecting-empower-los-with-connexions
  5. http://markets.buffalonews.com/buffnews/news/read/39785286
  6. http://markets.ask.com/ask/news/read/39785286
  7. https://www.newshub24x7.com/black-knight-launches-the-all-new-exchange-integration-platform-connecting-empower-los-with-connexions-381663586829493146
  8. http://finance.dailyherald.com/dailyherald/news/read/39785286
  9. https://www.worldnewsquest.com/black-knight-launches-the-all-new-exchange-integration-platform-connecting-empower-los-with-connexions-271663586829493146
  10. http://business.pawtuckettimes.com/pawtuckettimes/news/read/39785286
  11. https://www.thenewsholic.com/black-knight-launches-the-all-new-exchange-integration-platform-connecting-empower-los-with-connexions-371663586829493146
  12. http://finance.burlingame.com/camedia.burlingame/news/read/39785286
]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/14/black-knight-launches-exchange-its-flagship-integration-platform-connecting-black-knights-empower-los-with-connexions/feed/ 0
How Incepta Designed a Comprehensive Data Integration and Management Strategy for a Leading Global Company with over 50+ Brands https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/09/how-incepta-designed-a-comprehensive-data-integration-and-management-strategy-for-a-leading-global-company-with-over-50-brands/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/09/how-incepta-designed-a-comprehensive-data-integration-and-management-strategy-for-a-leading-global-company-with-over-50-brands/#respond Thu, 09 Apr 2020 11:22:57 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20055 Summary Incepta helped plan and develop a 360 degree data management and reporting strategy for a global company which had more than 50 brands under their belt. The strategy included building a complete data warehousing solution, an ETL strategy powered by Informatica along with Business Intelligence and Data Analytics powered by Oracle BI and Microsoft […]]]>

Summary

Incepta helped plan and develop a 360 degree data management and reporting strategy for a global company which had more than 50 brands under their belt. The strategy included building a complete data warehousing solution, an ETL strategy powered by Informatica along with Business Intelligence and Data Analytics powered by Oracle BI and Microsoft Power BI.

The company was using a variety of different systems and applications to manage their operations which included:
– Oracle JD Edwards central ERP system on the cloud
– Microsoft MDM to manage user accessibility based on roles and departments
– A pricing engine that regulated price variations across brands, customers, geography and other special pricing and promotional strategies
– A Trade and Promotion Management Platform to manage retailer promotions across brands and geography

How Incepta helped develop a Comprehensive Data Storage, Movement and Analytics plan

Incepta successfully developed an end-to-end ETL, Data Warehousing and Business Analytics plan utilizing Informatica to sync data from different ERP, CRM and other database applications with the BI tools on a 24 hr cycle, thus providing the organization a daily view of their entire business with indept analysis on sales patterns, demand fluctuations, product performance, geographical variance on product demand and sales, etc.

In today’s competitive environment being able to assimilate, capture and analyze data quickly provides the real competitive edge.

The Key Benefits an ETL Strategy and DW Capability can bring to an Organization

ETL tools like Informatica are tailored for bulk data movement from multiple disparate data sources and formats and transferring them in batch particularly for situations where complex rules and transformations are needed to merge the data to a Data Warehouse for generating Business Intelligence reports.

A data warehouse maintains a copy of the data from the source systems. This provides the opportunity to:

  1. Maintain data history, even if the source systems have removed the data.
  2. Integrate the data from multiple sources, providing a 360 degree view of the operations in an enterprise. This is particularly valuable when an organization is large and operates multiple product lines across different customer segments.
  3. Improve the data quality, by maintaining consistency. The ETL process manages all the inconsistencies and applies rules to transform the data into a single consistent format.
  4. The ability to merge the data from different sources and present the unified data consistently and quickly enables an organization to stay on top of its competitors.
  5. An ETL process allows the data to be re-structured in a way so that it delivers super fast data query and reporting performance, even for complex analytical queries, without impacting the existing systems.

Incepta delivers ETL and Business Intelligence (BI) services and renders effective DW solutions tailored to address industry-specific BI requirements for organizations. Incepta’s professional BI Development Team helps organizations develop smart DW solutions to enable effective data capturing, cross-linking as well as retrieving from different application systems. The data being is delivered to the data warehouse securely for ETL procedure to enable super fast analysis reports that can enable data-driven business decisions to be taken ahead of others.

Such DW solutions benefit the decision-making process of enterprises in terms of having their vast amount of data managed with data integration so as to facilitate prompt retrieval.

Incepta is a Canadian Technology company specializing in developing new age digital solutions in integration, automation and intelligence. Visit our website: www.inceptasolutions.com or email us at hello@inceptasolutions.com 

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/09/how-incepta-designed-a-comprehensive-data-integration-and-management-strategy-for-a-leading-global-company-with-over-50-brands/feed/ 0
Controlling the COVID-19 Spread in Canada https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/03/controlling-the-covid-19-spread-in-canada/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/03/controlling-the-covid-19-spread-in-canada/#respond Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:38:03 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20037 Incepta’s take on a Technology-driven Epidemic Control & Alert System We have all seen that manual contact tracing procedures are not fast enough for the new coronavirus, as the virus spreads at a far rapid pace that we can keep up with. Without having a contact tracing and notification mechanism that is instantaneous, we will […]]]>

Incepta’s take on a Technology-driven Epidemic Control & Alert System

We have all seen that manual contact tracing procedures are not fast enough for the new coronavirus, as the virus spreads at a far rapid pace that we can keep up with. Without having a contact tracing and notification mechanism that is instantaneous, we will be lagging behind and the spread will continue to engulf the entire country.

The solution to the problem lies in identifying cases of COVID-19 and quickly tracing everyone who came into contact with it before they infect others. That has helped countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore beat back the epidemic, though sometimes through measures that trample privacy.

Here is Incepta’s take on a simple yet effective technology driven tracking and tracing mechanism to help control the spread of the virus. The solution is based on the core principle that a person’s positive coronavirus test result would trigger an instant notification, via a mobile app, to individuals who have been in close contact. The platform would recommend isolation for that individual and quarantine of their contacts. Further on a mass scale, it would help government agencies identify region-specific hotspots and take pre-emptive measures to limit the spread of the virus.

1. Data Collection & Digital Surveillance

Individuals would need to register for an app using their biometrics, including facial recognition. Whenever an individual leaves their home, the app will be able to geo-locate/trace his or her movements throughout the day. Visits to stores, or close contacts with other users (within a radius of 3 meters or less) and time spent with each contact will be recorded through the app.

2. Early Detection Alert and Contact Tracing using Big Data & Machine Learning

All the individual movement and behaviour data is fed into a central Big Data server and analysed using Machine Learning algorithms. Using this data the government can program a high level technology-based epidemic control and alert system.

This is how it works:

  • Mr. X visits the hospital with COVID symptoms
  • As Mr. X is registered into the hospital database, the information is immediately fed into the central server
  • The central control system then pulls all the information of Mr.X from the last 14 days, including all the different places he has been and the different people he has come in contact with.
  • All such people with whom Mr. X has come in close contact with is alerted to self-quarantine themselves for the next 14 days.

3. Individual Colour Coding & Hotspot Detection

Every citizen is assigned a colour-code (Red, Yellow or Green). If Mr. X had arrived to the city from a known high-risk location, he will be automatically assigned the colour code yellow. Depending on the colour-coding, an individual’s movement can be restricted to certain areas.

In other words, if Mr. X is yellow, some of the highways and roads will be strictly off-limits. All the individual colour codes are plotted on a map which allow authorities to identify potential high risk zones and take preventive action before it gets out of control. It also allows the city to function without having to restrict movement of the entire city population.

According to Oxford’s Luca Ferretti, an expert in pathogen dynamics and the first author of the Science paper with this instantaneous tracing only 60% of cases would have to be isolated and 60% of contacts traced — and possibly as few as 50% and 40%, respectively.

Even though these rates are relatively low, such measures could effectively control the epidemic and they can do so more quickly than today’s stay-at-home orders, business closures, and other social distancing steps alone, and prevent a COVID-19 resurgence after the current pandemic fades — without re-imposing economically crippling social-distancing policies.

People should have the right to participate or not, however, considering the gravity of the situation a nationwide call could be initiated from the government, border control agencies and hospitals. Desperate situations call for desperate measures.

Incepta is a Canadian Technology company specializing in developing new age digital solutions in integration, automation and intelligence. Visit our website: www.inceptasolutions.com or email us at hello@inceptasolutions.com 

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/04/03/controlling-the-covid-19-spread-in-canada/feed/ 0
How is the COVID pandemic re-shaping our lifestyle? https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/31/how-is-the-covid-pandemic-re-shaping-our-lifestyle/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/31/how-is-the-covid-pandemic-re-shaping-our-lifestyle/#respond Tue, 31 Mar 2020 14:36:36 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20028 Recently, our lives have taken a sudden and serious turn towards digitization. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing hasn’t left individuals with any other feasible options. While we are sitting at home, we are developing a strong sense of reliability on digitized, online tools. This is a process that has been delayed for several […]]]>

Recently, our lives have taken a sudden and serious turn towards digitization. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing hasn’t left individuals with any other feasible options. While we are sitting at home, we are developing a strong sense of reliability on digitized, online tools. This is a process that has been delayed for several years by puritans and other bureaucrats. Certain instances are cited below:

  • Regulated billing for telemedicine restricted by Medicare
  • The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) stopping medical providers from using basic applications like Skype, Facetime, etc.
  • Banishing partial homeschooling for all students by teacher unions and associated political bodies

Remotely working seemed like a farfetched action for most organizations until very recent times. People are unable to step out of their homes today due to COVID-19 and must rely on technology to be able to complete their tasks. Widespread internet usage has now become a source of every action and implementation for individuals, saving them a lot more time and energy.

Perks of a Digital Lifestyle: 

Almost all aspects of our lives have definitely been affected or radically transformed by digital technology. Travel, shopping, leisure and communications are a few of the areas that have been radically reconstructed in the past few decades.

So how has this digital revolution affected us as individuals and as a community?

Professor of Social Studies and Science & Technology at MIT, Sherry Turkle stresses on the importance of community building and involvement through online interactions. Especially now with COVID-19 pandemic induced social distancing, creative ways of using Digital Technology has come to the forefront.

While Cello player Yo-Yo Ma has been conducting live concerts over the internet, Broadway artist Laura Benanti has offered to go through the performances of high school students’ musicals. East London DJ pH has partnered with Shimza and industry colleagues has come up with an idea to virtually keep party-goers on their toes in the comfort of their own homes during this lockdown. The #LockdownHouseParty is the duo’s brainchild after last weekend’s successful #QuarantineOnlineParty attracted more than 120,000 streams online – https://twitter.com/MansNotCorrupt1/status/1243994171624603649?s=20

Social isolation can be used as a window to analyze and authenticate one’s own self. These artists are taking their strengths and sharing them virtually with the general public to spread positivity throughout this time. It is necessary to share and receive positive energies from all around instead of creating virtual barriers.

According to Turkle, the correct use of online tools and technologies coupled with an instinctive human mind can make this period of distancing a genuine success. We just have to be able to tap into our full potential with our online presence.

An update in Virtual Reality:

VR is a concept that needs no introduction. A simple tool, that allows users to get transported to any world, environment or reality for that matter. It can single-handedly convert human imagination to a tangible form. Elizabeth Bradley, the director of Vassar College has suggested a new innovation in the field of VR. Bradley feels a VR program should be devised in order to create an opportunity for socialization in an isolated state.

Developing a connection while being distant helps towards betterment of an individual’s mental state of being. It is believed to cater to their psychological needs with the help of constructive intervention and analysis.  This would be quite beneficial during our given time period as most social human interaction is prohibited in the physical world, which can harm a lot of people’s mental health. Having an online platform where VR would allow individuals to interact with each other would allow for more social interaction.

Telemedicine- The new solution:

Also referred to as Tele health, this phenomenon can be defined as the exchange of medical information and services through electronic communication. The implementation of this process has been held up for several years. However the pandemic will completely change the work ethic of medical providers in the country, as predicted by Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Chairperson of the Medical Ethics and Health Policy department at the University of Pennsylvania. Emanuel has further stated the advantages of telemedicine. It helps with cost cutting, confinement of health issues and limits movement thereby ensuring safety and good hygiene.

Keeping lifestyle, healthcare and creativity aside, another sector majorly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is the financial sector. The previous years have seen epidemics like the plague and swine severely affect businesses and productivity. However, certain measures can help sustain businesses and economic growth during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.

1. Remote working:
The highly infective nature of the coronavirus is encouraging several organizations all over the world to let their employees work from home. However, several businesses may face relative losses due to telecommuting. Here are some guidelines for them to survive this gradual shift:

  • Every organization must put an effort towards preparing their employees for remote working situations. Various seminars, sessions and workshops should be held where employees can work towards enhancing their skills and abilities. It’s important to ensure that they are prepared to work under any extremities.
  • Tools and applications such as like Slack, Zoom and Asana can be used to ensure productive communication within the team. Such applications offer services like chat, video conferencing and project management. This will allow for teams to stay connected while working from home with efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Employers must ensure that the employees are set up with a secure internet connection, laptops and other relevant devices. It is an investment which needs to be enforced for the smooth flow during remote working conditions.   

It’s important to develop a workplace culture where employees work as a community. It is necessary for every member to understand and respect the organization’s every step. Only then can a team work towards achieving a common objective through every thick and thin situation.

2. No Limit on Sick leaves:
Research has proved that the incubation period for COVID-19 virus is 2-14 days. This means that a person infected from the virus might start showing symptoms as late as two weeks.   Thus, there is high chance that employees might start showing symptoms while working from home.   

In situations like this, they must be allowed to take leave. They must return to work only when they show proper signs of betterment in terms of health. Companies should grant these benefits to employers going beyond profits and productivity as only good health can contribute towards great results.

3. Technology over Travel:
With a consistent growth in the field of transport, travelling for business has become a very common phenomenon. The convenience involved in commuting across the globe for meetings, workshops, networking events or seminars have helped constructively in growth and expansion of businesses.

However, the COVID-19 outbreak exposed the world to a new side of this aspect. The Centre of Disease Control and Prevention has recently stated that the root to a significant number of cases is travelling.

Thus, it is necessary to substitute frequent travelling with artificial intelligence and related technology to stay safe. A stronger network of telecommunication can be developed between employees and clients. Virtual reality can be effectively used to create training modules for new members instead of sending people onto the field. The goal is to avoid exposure, and technology can aid us greatly for this.

Many more such options can be explored upon in order to cut down on the expenses invested in travelling. This ensures safe and secure containment of the employees as well. It is necessary to aim towards maintaining a healthy, hygienic working environment for people in such tough times. The losses incurred in the process can be collectively recovered if businesses aim for sustenance.

At Incepta we understand the importance of this issue and are taking matters seriously in order to combat and limit exposure to the coronavirus. Please read our official statement on the measures implemented from March 15th on our blog at https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/17/official-statement-for-covid-19-inceptas/

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/31/how-is-the-covid-pandemic-re-shaping-our-lifestyle/feed/ 0
The Time for Automation is Now! https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/30/the-time-for-automation-is-now/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/30/the-time-for-automation-is-now/#respond Mon, 30 Mar 2020 15:10:24 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20022 We can only survive through this pandemic with the aid of technology The current COVID-19 crisis has negatively affected thousands of people worldwide, throwing the entire economy in doldrums. It is not only a health crisis of a global proportion but also the issue of how permanent changes will be made to the face of […]]]>

We can only survive through this pandemic with the aid of technology

The current COVID-19 crisis has negatively affected thousands of people worldwide, throwing the entire economy in doldrums. It is not only a health crisis of a global proportion but also the issue of how permanent changes will be made to the face of global businesses and how organizations operate in the future.

For small and mid-sized organizations, survival is the only item on the agenda. On the other hand, larger businesses are trying to find their path through the fog of uncertainty; thinking about how to position themselves once the crisis has passed and activities will return to normal. This brings us to the all-important question ‘What will the new normal look like?’ While no one can say how long the crisis will last, we can be sure that the new normal will not look like the standards of recent years.

Returning businesses to operational health will be extremely challenging, as most industries will need to reactivate their entire supply chain. The global supply chains will face disruption in multiple geographies, making it more difficult to return to previous levels of productivity. Leaders must therefore reassess their entire business system and plan for contingent actions in order to return to effective production at pace and at scale.

Whatever the new normal may shape up to be, Incepta believes the following five factors will remain central to how organizations operate in a post-COVID landscape in order to be better prepared for a similar global outbreak in the future:

  1. Distributed Manufacturing Supply Chain
  2. Workforce Decentralization
  3. Cloud based Productivity & Collaboration Tools
  4. API-Driven Connectivity
  5. Customer Self-Service

1. Distributed Manufacturing Supply Chain

The term Distributed Supply Chain gained in popularity when the localised production system was no longer a competitive advantage in the globalised economy. But in reality the organizations heavily relied on a single country with supply cost being the single deciding factor. All major manufacturing companies worldwide ranging from automobile, electronics, garments, household furnishings sectors heavily depended on a single region for supplies – a perfect recipe for disaster.

We never knew when disaster would strike and in what form, but when it did – it brought the world to a standstill. Policymakers and business executives alike are beginning to clearly see the downside of over-dependence on a single country. In this crisis, it has clearly been demonstrated how dependent we are on the global supply chain for medical equipment, such as masks and testing materials.

It’s time that organizations start building smarter, smaller and localized manufacturing units that are redistributed closer to the consumer. Organizations must shift their focus to domestic manufacturing, which is becoming more feasible due to modern technologies. The shift of manufacturing from low-cost countries to domestic can be made a reality by the three key elements of the 4th Industrial Revolution:

• An increase in productivity due to technologies like advanced robotics and artificial intelligence
• An ability to produce custom goods at any time and any place with 3D printing, increasing the value of proximity to the end customer
• An increased expectation by consumers for fast, convenient, customized service

3D printing is to goods what the personal computer was to information: the key to efficiency and effectiveness. Manufacturing centres where individuals and entrepreneurs are able to design and manufacture their own unique products and solutions that can be made more accessible in more places. Manufacturing can be broadly democratized, like how information was during the 3rd Industrial Revolution, making 3D printing the driver of the new digital revolution and the key to the future of the global manufacturing economy.

3D printing will fundamentally change today’s complex supply chain, moving manufacturing closer to consumption. The massive supply chain advantages of 3D printing coupled with consumer trends will enable manufacturers to cost effectively serve consumers, closer to where they live.

Source: Hewlett Packard – 3D Printing: Ensuring Manufacturing Leadership in the 21st Century

Not only does localized manufacturing units reduce the risk of dependency on global factors, but it also helps serve the local community, their economy, prosperity and growth.

2. Decentralized Workforce

Before the COVID crisis, work was distributed, while the work force was centralized. In some cases controlled through rigid organization structures and hierarchy. The recent pandemic has led to a sudden shift in work culture with organizations being forced to mandate people to work from home to protect people from the spread of the virus.

Suddenly, there were no centralized offices. This has led to a spike in adoption of newer technologies that enable collaboration: Video conferencing instead of travel (the Zoom app’s market value shot up 38%), conferencing and collaboration apps on mobile phones, or chatbot interfaces replacing humans. There are still no robots to fully replace human beings, but every company now has to look at automation as its No. 1 priority. Biological viruses do not affect machines, at least not yet.

With employees working remotely, we are relying on collaboration tools that are driven by process rather than by organization structure . This will eventually give more freedom to individual thought and action, thus creating the right atmosphere for innovation.

The Future of Work

Incepta believes that this will be the new normal coming forward. Organizations are starting to preferring a decentralized workforce, which will reducing overhead infrastructure cost for maintaining expensive office spaces.  However, technology will never completely replace human contact, and as the COVID-19 threat recedes, organizations will develop a healthy balance between working physically together and remotely. 

3. Cloud based Productivity & Collaboration Tools

The recent COVID-19 situation has led to a massive increase in adoption of communication and collaboration tools.  Incepta believes this to be the new normal with organizations realizing the benefits of such tools and continuing their usage and adoption even after the COVID crisis recedes.

To help employees become more productive at work, organization need to enable them with the right tools and technology. The technology options for employees should be mobile, flexible, and inclusive. This means giving them: 1) technology that is not limited to a physical space; 2) technology that supports multiple types of devices especially mobile; and 3) technology that can accommodate diverse job requirements.

Here is a list compiled specially by Incepta of some of the most popular collaboration tools by category:

  1. Video Conferencing: Zoom, Skype, Google Meet
  2. Team Collaboration: Slack, Trello
  3. Design & Workflow Collaboration: InVision, Asana, Basecamp, Cage
  4. Wireframing & Prototype Tool: Balsamiq, Visio, Adobe XD
  5. IT Development Collaboration: GitHub,  JIRA
  6. File Sharing, Sync & Storage: Dropbox, Google Drive
  7. File Transfer: WeTransfer
  8. Remote Desktop Access: AnyDesk, TeamViewer
  9. Calendar: Google Calendar,
  10. Task Reminder & Time Management Tools: Todoist, Toggl, Evernote
  11. Invoicing & Accounting Tools: Freshbooks, QuickBooks
  12. Personal Multi-Task Management: IFTTT

4. API Driven Connectivity & Business Model

As organizations move towards a decentralized work structure, usage of cloud based tools, integration with 3rd party providers, communicating with IoT enabled devices and staying connected with the customers will become the new normal. In a post-COVID world, organizations would be striving even more to connect with customers at a personal level. At the organization level, they will enhance business process efficiency by collaborating with multiple technology partners, data centres and service providers all working in unison. Businesses can no longer afford the risk of building high cost infrastructure and services and rather focus on integrating multiple service providers, thus distributing the risk in the time of crisis.   

As organizations integrate more with external systems and devices into their multichannel ecosystem, success will lie in adopting an API-driven strategy. APIs have grown to be the digital glue that enables businesses to develop new revenue streams, streamline their go to market strategy and deliver better experiences to their customers.

APIs can generate a lot of value, but organizations need to understand where the best places are to apply them. At Incepta, while working with organizations to develop an API driven strategy, we generally start by identifying the points where value can be created or destroyed, and measure the potential impact in terms of revenue, customer experience, and productivity.

Analysing customer journeys is often the best way to identify API opportunities. Incepta generally starts by identifying where APIs could help resolve several longstanding customer pain points and gradually build an API driven model that focusses on addressing the pain point thereby creating value.

5. Customer Self-Service

Traditionally companies have spent millions in building a grand customer service experience, leaving no stones unturned by taking that extra step in satisfying the customer. The term “Customer comes first” or “Customer is the King” holds in spirit but not literally anymore. The COVID-19 outbreak has created a Berlin Wall between the customer and the sales and support executive. Suddenly, company phone calls have fallen eerily silent. Call centres around the world are empty and sales executives unseen as if the term customer support has been erased from the dictionary.

On the other hand, customers around the world are increasingly adapting to the sudden change by finding ways and means to help themselves. Self-service apps are becoming a service-centric need in the wake of Covid-19. This trend could become the new normal post-COVID crisis.

One major positive for self-service apps is that it puts customer in control. The customer feels empowered that decision making finally rests on him/her without having to deal with sales and service agents guiding them on what to do or not to do. However, Incepta feels that organizations must have an integrated approach while planning for such an app. It must know the demands and expectations of the customer and deliver information and choices tailor-made for the individual.

This requires a Customer360 approach by aggregating all available data to build an accurate 360-degree view of customers. This is only possible with data management tools that capture data from all systems and channels, and match, merge and enrich it to create the complete customer profile, correlated to their omnichannel interactions and transactions.

Reliable and consolidated customer data can be the biggest asset of modern companies, but only when the relationships between people, products, organizations and places can be matched to maximize the customer profile.

Incepta has been able to effectively incorporate analytics and machine learning in master data management and deliver better data quality and actionable recommendations to organizations. This allows for personalized customer experience, new upsell and cross-sell opportunities, and suggestions for customer engagement improvements to increase the customer lifetime value.

Conclusion

At Incepta we believe that organizations which were still deliberating or resisting changes in digital transformation, connectivity and integration may not have any choice left. Organizations must adopt smarter technology to survive.

Connect with Incepta for ways to transform your business. Visit our website: www.inceptasolutions.com or email us at hello@inceptasolutions.com   

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/30/the-time-for-automation-is-now/feed/ 0
Tips and Tricks of Working from Home https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/26/tips-and-tricks-of-working-from-home/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/26/tips-and-tricks-of-working-from-home/#respond Thu, 26 Mar 2020 06:31:12 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20017 Impending economic crisis being created by the COVID-19 pandemic is completely changing the landscape of how businesses work. There is no question in mind that we will not be going “back to normal.” Today IS the new normal for the unforeseeable future. This brings us to a new question- how do we protect our businesses […]]]>

Impending economic crisis being created by the COVID-19 pandemic is completely changing the landscape of how businesses work. There is no question in mind that we will not be going “back to normal.” Today IS the new normal for the unforeseeable future.

This brings us to a new question- how do we protect our businesses and navigate this critical period? We are all in this together.

Social distancing has come up to be the most effective solution to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. We at Incepta would like thank all of our employees, family members and customers for the uninterrupted services while ensuring social distancing.

Incepta’s family is focused on our services from the safety of our homes. However, we understand that home-based work isn’t an activity as leisurely as it comes across to be. This can be seen as a trial for how things may look in the future. Home-based work comes with its own set of issues. Mental fatigue and isolation top the list against the backdrop of frightening and depressing news of casualties. Upcoming economic crisis is only adding to individuals’ disrupted states of mind.

Technology is moving at such a fast pace that we cannot even refer to today’s evolutions tomorrow, as upgrades are already set in place. Now it appears that the world itself is changing at such a fast pace that it is hard to prepare for the changes. Should we be scared? The situation is beyond our control. However, certain measures can be taken to keep our work situation from home under control to the best of our abilities.

There are numerous unique challenges for each one of you out there- How do you prevent yourself from getting distracted with domestic duties? How do you measure up to your standards of productivity if you have kids around? So here are some checks and measures for the Incepta family.

  • Start the day early: It might come off as a huge cliché, but this has a logical explanation. With no certainty in the number of hours one has to put in, waking up early can make things easier on your mind. All household chores, such as cleaning, dusting, or cooking need to be finished before “work” begins. This will help you balance your household duties with your professional duties while being at home.
  • Make a plan:  Set a schedule for yourself and make sure you strictly adhere to it. Develop a clear guideline as to when you will work and when to call it a day. However, the best thing about working from home is the flexibility. Sometimes you need to extend your work hours or start earlier to match a different time zone. In that case, be sure to wrap up early on the previous day or rest a bit more the next morning to compensate for it. This will ensure that you remain mentally alert and fit. This will combat mental exhaustion and keep your motivation elevated even on busier days. By the end of the day, complete the list of daily tasks on the to-do list, irrespective of all interruptions. Only you can hold yourself accountable for completing your tasks, so ensure you are following your own orders!
  • Set up a reliable Internet connection: Ensuring that your internet connection from home is a strong one is a necessity. It not only ensures smooth workflow, but also rids the mind of any unnecessary distraction. Try setting up your workspace near your router or installing Wi-Fi extenders close by.
  • Create an ‘Office’ atmosphere: Working from home comes with perks and conveniences. But it is important to ensure one doesn’t drift into lethargy and delay results. Thus, a fixed agenda and definite scheduling is required. Also a separate space designated for work can help create the right environment. Try working in a quiet room instead of at your dining table where your family is located. Treat 9am-5pm as your office hours, within your office space.
  • Create a morning routine: Simply taking a decision to sit at your desk and start work at a certain time is not enough. Be sure to design a routine that gets you to that ‘desk’. A certain schedule leading up to it might benefit you – such as a morning cup of coffee, meditation, free hand exercises, or simply the act of changing clothes for work. Find a routine that works for you and be sure that you follow the same routine daily.
  •  Stay off social media: We all love taking a break from our screens and delving into the smaller screens in our pockets for a few moments of relaxation during a stressful day. However, the internet now is filled with either pandemic-related news or memes on quarantine. In the current situation, such things can only divert the mind to a negative direction and thus are advised against.
  • Set ground rules for people around you: Do not take all household activities on yourself just because you are home and make sure your family is aware of this. You don’t want to be overburdened, tired and disgruntled; this will affect your productivity in a negative manner.  Divide tasks amongst all your family members, so that your younger children are able to tidy up rooms, older children can do laundry or prep dinner, and your partner can cook dinner or be in charge of bills. Whoever can complete the task should be given the task rather than burdening yourself with all household duties. This will help you balance your professional work and household chores.
  • Take regular breaks: It is important that you take breaks to eat, talk to family or just enjoy a cup of coffee. You might notice the duration of these breaks going down in the absence of co-workers and their gossip. So try taking similar breaks approximately around the same time you usually did when in office. Make another cup of coffee, shut your eyes from your computer screen for 15 minutes or enjoy a quick chat with your family to improve your mood.

It is advised that you wash hands at regular intervals, sanitize your surroundings and eat healthy food in order to stay immune. Not only is it important to stay hygienic going forward, but to also stay positive and motivated during these hard times. This is a war to be fought with a solo effort taken collectively, until the day we can get back to our normal routine.

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/26/tips-and-tricks-of-working-from-home/feed/ 0
The Power of the Collective @Incepta https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/23/the-power-of-the-collective-incepta/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/23/the-power-of-the-collective-incepta/#respond Mon, 23 Mar 2020 10:20:18 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20013 With the Covid-19 virus pandemic escalating into higher stages in different countries, the whole world is implementing major shut down and social distancing policy. Public places like malls, theaters, gyms etc. have been shut down to banish public gatherings, schools and colleges have been shut down. Based on the guidelines issued by WHO, we at […]]]>

With the Covid-19 virus pandemic escalating into higher stages in different countries, the whole world is implementing major shut down and social distancing policy. Public places like malls, theaters, gyms etc. have been shut down to banish public gatherings, schools and colleges have been shut down.

Based on the guidelines issued by WHO, we at Incepta have taken into account several factors in order to ensure the safety of our clients and employees. The curbing of unnecessary travel, awareness and implementation of hygienic practices and using phone or video calls as a substitute to large conferences and meetings are primarily the objectives we have kept in mind. 

Our primary aim has been to take measures to ensure a working environment that is devoid of interruptions. However, in the long run it is bound to take a toll on people’s psyche. Perpetual confinement coupled with worldwide news of the spreading virus is severely affecting the mental balance of individuals. Every day begins with people finding out about new cases of infections or casualties around the world. That is followed by an anecdote on the upcoming economic crisis. All of this topped with the uncertainty and insecurity within the four walls of a house drastically affects the state of mind of individuals. 

We are concerned about the current stress on our employees and would like to emphasize on maintaining a positive outlook. Incepta is totally focused on building a community where all employees feel a sense of belonging. We are happy to have evolved a work environment where the Incepta family looks forward to daily challenges and work.  All of this have achieved with an effort made to establish an office culture with synchronized minds working collectively. 

A set of diverse minds coming together with a constructive approach leads to both organizational and personal growth. The intellectual wavelengths of a team like this combine hard work and innovation towards producing the best results. 

Thus in the current scenario when the pandemic is gradually gaining such momentum to an extent of creating mass panic across the world, it is this collective attitude that will keep the human mind devoid of all fears and frustrations.

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/23/the-power-of-the-collective-incepta/feed/ 0
Official Statement for COVID-19 @InceptaS https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/17/official-statement-for-covid-19-inceptas/ https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/17/official-statement-for-covid-19-inceptas/#respond Tue, 17 Mar 2020 14:15:06 +0000 https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/?p=20011 Recently, there has been an escalation in the severity of COVID-19 within Canada. We at Incepta understand the importance of this issue and are taking matters seriously in order to combat exposure to the coronavirus. We are aiming in to protect ourselves, friends, families and clients to the best of our abilities. The general safety […]]]>

Recently, there has been an escalation in the severity of COVID-19 within Canada. We at Incepta understand the importance of this issue and are taking matters seriously in order to combat exposure to the coronavirus. We are aiming in to protect ourselves, friends, families and clients to the best of our abilities.

The general safety of everyone is our top priority at this time and we would like to address ways we are dealing with this pandemic in our workplace by sharing excerpts of our response plan:

  • Ensuring employees refrain from non-essential travel (to the office or any other business locations for meetings)
  • Providing antibacterial soaps and alcohol-based hand sanitizers in the office with easy access
  • Educating employees on proper hygiene techniques to avoid contact with viruses
  • Cancelling large meetings and conferences if possible, ensuring employees are connected virtually instead via audio/videocalls
  • Equipping employees with all essential materials to work from home and complete tasks for clients with no disruptions

We are following all hygiene protocols and referring to new information given out by the World Health Organization and Health Canada each day. In order to ensure the satisfaction of our clients and employees, we will be adjusting our methods to avoid exposure and sharing new information when it is released. We want to also ensure that our workflow will remain continuous as our employees are working hard at home in order to complete all business tasks.

This situation has created insecurities and uncertainties, and we are here to offer any support needed that we can. Please feel free to reach out to us through social media or our company website if you have any questions or concerns during this time period and one of our employees will address your needs as soon as we can.

Our Management and Operations teams at Incepta are committed to protecting our valued employees, clients, and technology partners to the best of our abilities.

LinkedIn:          www.linkedin.com/company/inceptasolutions
Website:          www.inceptasolutions.com

]]>
https://blog.inceptasolutions.com/2020/03/17/official-statement-for-covid-19-inceptas/feed/ 0