Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer the stuff only movie plots are made of, today it has become a key component of computer science research & development which is providing very real solutions for changing the way companies do business. Facebook, Netflix, Google, Tesla Motors and Apple are only some of the big companies out there who have embraced AI with great success. But what does AI mean for those companies who may not be in the position to transform their entire business or invest…
In recent years blockchain technology has been emerging as one of the most disruptive technologies that add value to business. In simple terms, Don and Alex Tapscott, authors of Blockchain Revolution (2016) describe blockchain technology as “an incorruptible digital ledger of economic transactions that can be programmed to record not just financial transactions but virtually everything of value”.
Cyber and general informational security has been taking centre stage recently with the widely reported data and system breaches. The latest example is a South African Financial Services Provider, whose IT infrastructure security was breached and had segments of their data held for ransom. The trend is rising as malicious elements seek monetary gains through exploiting an organisation’s data. With data being this generations’ gold, the miners are out in full force. This ought to lead to cyber security requirements being inspected closer…
In today’s project world, you’re either waterfall or agile. Never both. Never something in between. But why has it become such a big waterfall vs agile debate? And do we fully understand the two extremes these two methodologies present?Over the past few years, waterfall as a project methodology has definitely taken a back seat in favour of the new, cool kid on the block – agile. Throwing around…
Often, when business analysts start projects, they are required to define the scope of work that will be involved in implementing a new system. One way to do this, is to draw up a context diagram that graphically illustrates the full scope of the system. What is a context diagram? This is a simple but powerful tool that clearly shows the system under consideration and the various external entities…
American businessman, hedge fund manager & billionaire, Paul Tudor Jones, once said: “You adapt, evolve, compete or die”. Very strong words indeed, but in today’s constantly evolving business market, this is a harsh reality that all businesses need to face up to. Organisational agility is defined as a company’s ability to rapidly change or adapt to market changes. The higher your degree of agility, the better your chances…
With continuous improvement being the key to maintaining a competitive advantage, many companies are turning to software solutions to help streamline their business processes. But as much as software can help to reduce costs and improve productivity, selecting the wrong software vendor can have quite the opposite effect. Here are 7 questions we suggest…
Business processes, whether formal or informal, have a direct impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of your business. When business processes fail to deliver they not only waste time and money, they can also lead to poor service delivery and substandard product quality. Business process improvement focuses on improving the quality, productivity and responsiveness of business processes by removing activities that…
In today’s business age customers are expecting more value from products and services without having to pay more or wait longer. In order to support this expectation of a continuously improving value proposition, businesses have to take a long, hard look at their processes in order to identify ways in which they can be improved. LEAN is a customer-centric methodology which…
A consultant is defined as a person who provides expert advice professionally. But when does it make sense to hire one. Many businesses struggle with this question. Cost usually plays a factor, as well as the concern that hiring an external party will create the impression that your own skills are lacking. But the advantages of using consultants far outweigh these types of concerns…