Business & Finance

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 07 dec 2013

Healthy population is the essential component of development. In regions where substantial populations are residing in rural and remote areas, the challenge is to provide them with timely access of healthcare services and medicines. There are lessons that can be derived from retail supply chain management and processes to deliver medicines and health products effectively and efficiently. According to a report by CIHL (Center for Innovation in Healthcare Logistics) at the University of Arkansas, some of the best practices of retail supply chain that can be adopted by healthcare industry are - collaborative planning, forecasting & replenishment; scanning technology; education & training; centralized purchasing & supply; supply chain services reorganization; regular cycle counting and stock rotation; performance management; actual usage inventory management; e-commerce; data standardization. Read on...

the guardian: Getting medicines to the poor - Solving the logistics challenge
Author: Eliza Anyangwe

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 02 dec 2013

Customer service and support is becoming one of the most critical function of the businesses with advancement in communication technologies, social media and customer awareness. The need to focus on customer satisfaction is essential for customer acquisition, to build long-term relationships and get repeat customers. The article examines customer service trends for 2014 - Self Service; Proactive Support; Technological Domination; The Comeback of the Premium Service; Customers Have a Voice and They Can't Stop Using it. Read on...

Dubai Chronicle: Upcoming Customer Service Trends for 2014
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 nov 2013

Technological changes and upgrades to newer systems require network administrators to carefully implement these changes with best possible uptime during the transition process. Change management (or configuration management) in the IT context refers to technological installations, upgrades, patching and migrations. Article suggests best practices that need to be considered during the change process - Redundant components should be as identical as possible; Space out changes between redundant systems; Use a centralized solution to deploy updates; Always migrate to the new system leaving the old one intact until all the changes have been completed and tested; Devise change plans with multiple inputs; Utilize multiple approval methods; Formulate a backout plan; Choose your change schedule carefully; Use auditing and individual accounts; Always schedule downtime in your monitoring system; Bringing it all together and keep things running with a minimal amount of downtime and disruption. Read on...

TechRepublic: Best practices for change management in the data center
Author: Scott Matteson

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 25 nov 2013

In a rapidly changing business environment with technology, innovation, globalization and the need for continuous improvement, it is important for leaders and managers to effectively manage and adapt to these changes for long-term growth and success of the company. Managers first have to understand and convince themselves of the need and benefits of the change and then utilize effective methods to lead their team to embrace that change. According to the Best Practices Report (2012) by Prosci, a change management research organization, there are five roles managers should play to ensure change is well adopted - (1) Communicator (effectively communicate and create awareness of the change and its benefits); (2) Advocate (exemplify the change with actions and proactively advertise and promote the message of change); (3) Coach (understand and work to remove barriers to change from within the team members and mentor and guide them towards smooth transition); (4) Resistance Manager (overcome resistance to change from among the team by giving time to each member and uplift their morale to adopt change); (5) Liaison (work as a bridge between the top leadership and the workers to understand and receive the change from top and translate it for operational adaptation). Read on...

Gulf Business: What's A Manager's Role During A Change In The Workplace?
Author: Debbie Nicol

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 nov 2013

In today's globalized world and business environment diversity is an important element of the competitive advantage. Organizations are trying to mirror the segments of the customers they serve into their workforce for better connect and understanding. This results in enhanced and valued relationships and partnerships. Moreover according to experts diverse workforce directly affects the organization's bottom-line and leads to better problem solving, better client insights and better employee relations. Professor Sonia Kang of Rotman School of Management says that organizations with diverse workforce find less absenteeism, less turnover, higher productivity and more commitment, giving employees sense of belonging and making them better workers. Inspite of so many benefits of diversity there are still visible workplace biases. According to a study by University of Toronto professor Philip Oreopoulos, online job applicants with English names and Canadian or British education and experience were more than three times more likely to get response for interview than equally qualified applicants from China, India or Pakistan. Read on...

The Globe and Mail: Workplace diversity - 'To win in your market, you need to hire the market'
Author: Jonathan Stoller

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 nov 2013

Diversity focused hiring is an important requirement for inclusive corporate human resources. In a recent survey of 400 business executives worldwide by Korn/Ferry Insitute it is found that 96% of them believe that having a diverse and inclusive workforce can improve employee engagement and business performance. 72% mentioned about having diversity and inclusion programs in their organizations while less than 25% said their companies provide financial incentives to senior management to encourage inclusion. Read on...

Fox Business: Creating Diverse Workforce Requires Strategic Hiring
Author: Chad Brooks

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 nov 2013

Recent report by Juniper Research forecasts cumulative cost savings of US$ 36 billion globally from remote patient monitoring over the next five years. As healthcare moves to 'accountable care' in developed economies, with direct linking of funds to the health of the patient, this is a significant opportunity. Mobile health services are enabled by the combination of smartphones, mHealth attachments and companion apps. They are creating new healthcare delivery models. Moreover remote patient monitoring for cardiac and chronic diseases seems to obviously fit with the latest healthcare practices and the goal of minimizing patient's time spent in hospitals and reduced outpatient visits. Read on...

M2M WorldNews: mHealth Monitoring Offers 36bn USD Global Healthcare Cost-savings Opportunity by 2018
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 nov 2013

Digital revolution facilitated by advancement in technologies in almost all fields of human life's existence is creating a new evolved society. Some works of the past have totally been taken over by technology enabled systems. Human resources is finding a different meaning. Jobs are being transformed and there are visible shifts in the 21st century job functions compared to earlier ones. Article explores the various aspects of technology and its economic impact on societal structures. Author quotes the new book 'Race Against The Machine' by MIT professors, Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee - "Those jobs that are complementary to computers such as data scientists and computer programmers will be in demand, as well as those jobs that require empathy, relationships and sensory perception". Read on...

Deseret News: John Florez - Technology disrupting our way of life
Author: John Florez

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 18 nov 2013

As more and more customers are heading online for shopping, there is need for optimized integration of video content on the websites to facilitate the buying process. Videos are a very persuasive marketing medium and assists in customer engagement. Although most marketers are using basic explanatory videos on website but a more comprehensive approach is required for effectiveness that encompasses the whole spectrum of the online shopping and buying experience, from initial awareness to post-sale. Author suggests an ideal video content mix for each stage of the sales funnel - Top funnel content [Interest (15%), Learn (20%)] should include - How-to content libraries; Repurposed webinar content; Thought leadership interviews; Fun content showcasing company culture. For Mid-funnel content [Evaluate (40%)] - Detailed product demos; Client testimonials; Video case studies; Videos showcasing how the solution provided integrates with other products and services in the customer's ecosystems. End of the funnel content [Justify (20%)] should have - Nurture campaign videos; FAQ videos; Customer check-ins; Instructional videos. Read on...

the guardian: How to produce effective video marketing throughout the sales funnel
Author: Michael Litt

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 nov 2013

Most companies have been putting technology enabled customer service systems at place to fulfil their customers needs and resolve issues. But are these systems sufficient to satisfy customers? According to a report '2012 Customer Service Barometer' by American Express (based on 1000 customer surveys and interviews) - Most customers still don't think service is good enough, much less getting better; Most people will spend more, significantly more, for great service; Quality personal connections still matter most; And those live interactions can be make-or-break propositions. Moreover the customers, with enhanced communicating and sharing technologies (social media etc), find it easier to propagate their customer service experiences. They tell on average 15 people about their good experiences and 24 people about their bad ones, while nearly 50% consumers always tell others about good customer service experiences while 56% always talk to people about their poor experiences. Read on...

CBS News: Most companies fail customer service test
Author: Michael Hess

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