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The Winning Partnership: A Crucial Lever for the Expansion of Swiss SMEs

The Winning Partnership: A Crucial Lever for the Expansion of Swiss SMEs

The growth of businesses, particularly SMEs, is often supported by a series of crucial strategic decisions. Among these, partnerships hold a significant yet often underestimated place.

Many companies engage in partnerships opportunistically, without true integration into their overall strategy. However, thoughtful integration of partnerships can be a trigger for a major competitive advantage. We see this at Edana through the paths taken by Swiss businesses we advise and accompany: those successfully integrating this approach experience a significant improvement in growth and the success rate of their operations.

We have decided to address this topic in our new article to provide in-depth insights and practical advice on this fundamental theme for the growth and success of small and medium-sized Swiss enterprises.

Redefining Partnership for Swiss SMEs

Rethinking the nature of partnerships for SMEs is of paramount importance. Indeed, these collaborations go beyond mere interactions or ways to refer more or less qualified prospects; they represent major strategic levers for the growth and development of these businesses.

Strategic partnerships are guided by common medium or long-term goals, with potential impacts on innovation, geographic expansion, exploration of new markets, or resource pooling. Grounded in predefined rules, they are often formalized by contracts to ensure mutual understanding of the expectations, contributions, and responsibilities of each entity involved.

SMEs should therefore consider these partnerships as true strategic investments, far beyond temporary agreements or mere façades to shape their public image. It is an opportunity to leverage the complementary strengths and skills of partners, creating a sustainable competitive advantage and offering long-term growth opportunities for the business.

Various Forms of Strategic Partnerships

Strategic partnerships for SMEs take various forms, each offering unique opportunities and specific implications. Among these formats are joint ventures, which involve creating new entities where partners invest jointly and share profits and risks.

Beyond joint ventures, partnerships can also manifest through more informal alliances. These collaborations can take the form of non-traditional contracts, allowing increased flexibility in collaboration without creating a separate entity. For example, agreements on resource sharing, skills, or access to specific markets can be concluded for a specified duration.

Documentation and formalization of these agreements are crucial to establish a solid foundation for cooperation. Even if simple, formal agreements clarify the expectations, responsibilities, and objectives of each party. This ensures mutual understanding of the terms of collaboration, minimizing potential misunderstandings and strengthening trust between partners.

Thus, the diversity of forms of strategic partnerships offers Swiss SMEs a range of options to engage in beneficial collaborations based on their specific needs while allowing them to maintain flexibility and adaptability in their interactions with other market players.

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Distinguishing Between Partnership and Strategic Alliance

It is crucial to clearly distinguish the concept of partnership from that of a strategic alliance, as these two forms of collaboration have distinct characteristics and implications for businesses, especially for SMEs.

Strategic Alliance

A strategic alliance involves collaboration between companies that are often in direct competition in certain markets or for certain products. This can translate into cooperation to achieve a specific common goal while maintaining competition on other aspects of the market. For example, several airlines create alliances to offer extended travel services while still competing on other routes. This can also happen among Swiss SMEs. To do this, it is recommended to thoroughly study one’s industry, the structure of competition, the target, and the associated opportunities and risks. Then, the search for potential partners may potentially help establish future connections.

Strategic Partnership

On the other hand, a strategic partnership involves entities that do not directly compete in the market. These collaborations aim to exploit the complementary strengths of each company without engaging in direct competition. For example, a hardware manufacturing SME may form a partnership with a company specializing in cloud services to offer an integrated solution to their customers.

This distinction is crucial for guiding the collaboration strategy of SMEs. Understanding these nuances allows companies to choose the form of collaboration that best suits their specific goals and positioning in the market, fostering successful and mutually beneficial partnerships.

Expanding the Vision of Partnerships for SMEs

While traditional collaborations often focus between suppliers and clients, there is untapped potential to establish partnerships with other players within the business ecosystem.

This can include successful collaborations with research institutes, whether private or public, to explore development, innovation, or research opportunities in specific areas. Take an example: a startup specializing in health technologies wants to develop a revolutionary medical device. It forms a partnership with a renowned university research institute. Together, they explore new AI-based diagnostic methods and conduct in-depth studies on medical data. This partnership allows the startup to access specialized expertise and advanced technological resources, fostering the development of innovative solutions for the healthcare sector.

Thus, for SMEs, diversifying the range of potential partnerships beyond traditional supplier-client relationships can open doors to new opportunities for growth, innovation, and development. This expanded vision of partnerships allows SMEs to explore collaborations with various actors in their ecosystem, reinforcing their competitive position and their ability to seize new opportunities in the market.

Benefits of a Strategic Integration of Partnerships

The strategic integration of partnerships offers numerous considerable advantages for SMEs. Indeed, well-integrated collaborations offer a range of diverse and profitable opportunities.

Access to New Markets

Strategic partnerships offer SMEs the opportunity to explore new horizons in terms of geographical markets or unexplored customer segments. This expansion allows them to access new growth opportunities and business exploration.

Cost Reduction through Resource Sharing

One strength of partnerships lies in the ability to share resources, infrastructure, or skills, resulting in a significant reduction in costs for all entities involved. This mutualization contributes to optimizing expenses and strengthens the financial viability of joint projects.

Stimulation of Innovation

By bringing together diverse ideas, skills, and perspectives, partnerships foster an environment conducive to innovation. This multidimensional collaboration encourages creativity, stimulates the development of new solutions, and positions SMEs at the forefront of sectoral innovation.

Risk Reduction

The sharing of costs, responsibilities, and resources among partners allows SMEs to minimize the financial and operational risks associated with new projects or initiatives. This risk reduction contributes to the security of businesses when undertaking joint initiatives.

Creation of a New and Innovative Offering

By combining the strengths and skills of each partner, SMEs can design innovative products or services, thus addressing previously unsatisfied market needs. These collaborations often lead to the creation and commercialization of innovative offerings, strengthening the presence and relevance of the company in the market.

Rigorous Analysis of Partnership Opportunities

The evaluation of partnership opportunities is a critical step for SMEs wishing to engage in strategic collaborations. Using tools such as the evaluation matrix constitutes a structured method for analyzing these opportunities. However, this analysis is not limited to standardized tools; it requires a thorough and individualized evaluation based on the needs, objectives, and specificities of each company.

The evaluation matrix, among other tools, can help classify and compare different partnership opportunities based on predefined criteria. It can consider aspects such as complementarity of skills, financial viability, strategic alignment, or the short and long-term objectives of each entity involved. However, it is crucial to note that each partnership is unique and requires a tailor-made analysis to ensure its alignment with the vision and strategy of the company.

This thorough evaluation involves considering the expected benefits, potential risks, and specific requirements of each partnership. It is essential to identify potential synergies, understand the values and corporate cultures of the envisaged partners, and ensure that the goals of each party are aligned to ensure a harmonious and successful collaboration.

A rigorous and individualized approach to evaluating partnership opportunities allows SMEs to select collaborations that are most suitable for their specific needs, maximizing the chances of success and creating added value for all stakeholders involved.

Prudent Approach Despite the Benefits

Although partnerships offer a multitude of advantages, it is crucial to adopt a cautious approach in their implementation. Several key elements must be considered to ensure the success and sustainability of these collaborations, despite the potential benefits they offer.

Caution Regarding Advantages

Despite the undeniable benefits of partnerships, a measured approach is necessary. To do this, potential challenges must be anticipated, and strategies must be put in place to overcome them. SMEs must avoid being carried away by the apparent advantages of partnerships and maintain a realistic view of the risks and opportunities involved.

Proactivity in Partnership Management

Proactive management of partnerships includes clear definition of expectations, objectives, and responsibilities of each party from the beginning of the collaboration, as mentioned earlier. Regular communication, transparency, and proactive problem-solving also contribute to maintaining a positive dynamic within the partnership.

Importance of Cultural Alignment and Values

Cultural alignment and values between partners are determining factors in the long-term success of collaborations. Cultural differences can hinder communication (whether in Switzerland between different cantons or internationally when partnerships are established between a Swiss SME and a European or more distant company in terms of geographical and cultural distance), create frictions, and compromise harmony within the partnership. Thus, finding partners who share similar values strengthens cohesion and effective collaboration.

Consideration of the Size of Partnering Companies

Size imbalances can affect the fairness of relationships. SMEs must ensure that stakes, investments, and responsibilities are balanced to avoid imbalances that could potentially affect the collaboration.

Development of an Exit Strategy

Finally, anticipating an exit strategy is a wise preventive measure. It is crucial to define the conditions and steps to end the collaboration constructively if necessary, without excessively disrupting business operations or damaging future relationships.

In summary, while partnerships offer huge benefits, a cautious and proactive approach is essential to maximize the chances of success and minimize the potential risks associated with these strategic collaborations for SMEs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, partnerships represent considerable potential for SMEs but require strategic vision and careful management. Exploring and integrating these opportunities can strengthen their competitive position and open new growth prospects. This strategic reflection is crucial in building a robust ecosystem for the expansion of SMEs towards new successes. If you wish to delve deeper into this topic, our team remains available to provide you with more information.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN) Featured-Post-ConsultingAudit-EN Mobile Application Development (EN)

Optimizing Operational Efficiency: Workflow Automation Guide for Swiss Businesses

Optimizing Operational Efficiency: Workflow Automation Guide for Swiss Businesses

At Edana, we observe this within our digital transformation engagements with our Swiss clients, ranging from SMEs to large enterprises seeking operational efficiency or effectiveness: automating workflows is a crucial aspect of a company’s development, especially in Switzerland, as it significantly enhances competitiveness on multiple fronts.

We also note that many business leaders struggle to navigate the various solutions available in the market, whether in terms of digital consulting, ready-to-use solutions, or custom business tool development. However, it is certain that there is a suitable solution for each practical case of workflow automation, and finding it is imperative for the success of a digital transformation project, where many other Swiss companies fail.

As experts in digital consulting and execution in Switzerland, providing tailored solutions, especially in software and application development for businesses, we have decided to create this practical guide to help local businesses get started in this area. It serves as an introduction to the subject. In this guide, we will explore the powerful lever that workflow automation represents, its key role in optimizing the operational efficiency of businesses, and most importantly, how it can be successfully implemented within a Swiss company, including a review of common pitfalls to avoid and the steps to take for a successful transition.

Understanding Workflow Automation

Workflow automation is much more than a simple application of technology. It is a strategic approach aimed at streamlining internal processes, eliminating repetitive tasks, and increasing productivity. In this section, we will detail the tangible benefits of automation, supported by concrete examples of solutions that enable companies to transform their operations through this innovative approach.

What is Workflow Automation?

At Edana, we typically distinguish four main aspects of workflow automation:

  1. Process Streamlining: Workflow automation involves identifying, assessing, and streamlining an organization’s internal processes. This often includes reducing manual steps and simplifying procedures, enabling faster and more efficient task execution. Auditing work frameworks and task organization is imperative to ensure an optimal work architecture and identify existing optimization opportunities.
  2. Elimination of Repetitive Tasks: It aims to eliminate repetitive and administrative tasks that can be automated. By freeing employees from these routine activities, the company promotes a more judicious use of their skills and time, contributing to increased job satisfaction by reducing the tediousness of tasks.
  3. System Integration: Workflow automation often involves integrating different software systems within the company. This enables smooth communication between applications, eliminating information silos and improving data consistency.
  4. Adaptability and Scalability: A well-designed workflow automation solution is adaptable and scalable. It can adjust to organizational changes and evolving needs, ensuring continued relevance over time. It provides flexibility in operations and often aligns working methods across teams within a company or organization.

Benefits of Workflow Automation for Swiss Businesses

Here are the main benefits that Swiss businesses, undergoing digitalization with our guidance, derive from properly executed workflow automation:

  1. Time and Efficiency Gain: By automating repetitive tasks, workflows become more efficient, allowing employees to devote their time to higher-value activities.
  2. Error Reduction: Automation reduces the risk of human errors, ensuring increased precision in process execution.
  3. Improved Traceability: Automation solutions often provide complete traceability of processes, allowing businesses to track and analyze each step of the workflow.
  4. Enhanced Collaboration: By integrating systems, automation promotes collaboration between teams, enabling more effective information sharing and transparent communication. See our article on intranets and custom collaboration tools that greatly enhance team efficiency.

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Key Steps in Workflow Automation

To embark on this operational revolution, it is essential to understand the key steps of workflow automation. In this section of our guide, we will present the important stages of this process, some examples of business operations automation, and the tools that our consultants and experts use in the field in Switzerland to digitize our client companies.

Successfully Achieve Your Automation in 10 Phases

Workflow automation involves several key steps to ensure successful implementation and seamless integration within the company. Here is a list of important steps to consider:

  1. Analysis of Existing Processes:
    • Identify key company processes.
    • Evaluate the complexity and frequency of tasks involved.
    • Identify friction points, delays, and inefficiencies.
  2. Definition of Goals:
    • Establish clear goals for workflow automation (e‧g., reduction of deadlines, improvement of accuracy).
    • Involve stakeholders to understand specific needs.
  3. Design of Automated Workflows:
    • Map current processes and design automated workflows.
    • Define rules and conditions for triggering automation.
    • Integrate exception and error management.
  4. Selection of Tools and Technologies:
    • Choose suitable automation tools and platforms.
    • Consider integration with existing systems (ERP, CRM, etc.).
    • Evaluate user-friendliness and flexibility of proposed solutions.
  5. Custom Solution Development:
    • Engage developers to create custom solutions if necessary.
    • Ensure modular design for future scalability.
    • Integrate reporting and analysis features.
  6. Thorough Testing:
    • Conduct thorough testing to ensure proper functioning.
    • Validate automation on real cases to detect any issues.
    • Involve end-users in the testing phase.
  7. User Training:
    • Provide comprehensive training on using new automated workflows.
    • Raise awareness among employees about the benefits and impact of automation.
    • Establish support resources if needed.
  8. Continuous Integration:
    • Ensure continuous integration with operational teams.
    • Gather regular feedback to adjust workflows over time.
    • Implement mechanisms for continuous improvement.
  9. Performance Measurement:
    • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to evaluate effectiveness.
    • Monitor time savings, error reduction, and other benefits.
    • Adapt workflows based on achieved results.
  10. Change Management:
    • Proactively communicate upcoming changes.
    • Involve teams in the automation process to foster adoption.
    • Evaluate and adjust the change management strategy as needed.

Concrete Examples of Workflow Automation

There are many ways to automate workflows within a company, both because there are numerous different tasks and various ways to solve a problem. Here are some examples of workflow automation that a company in Switzerland can implement:

  1. Automated Invoicing Processes: An enterprise can automate the generation and sending of invoices, reducing payment delays and improving cash flow.
  2. Leave Request Management: An automated system can process employee leave requests, check availabilities, and automatically inform relevant teams.
  3. Project Tracking: Workflow automation can be applied to track and automatically update the progress of projects, ensuring real-time visibility for all team members. See our feature on custom project management software.
  4. Customer Request Processing: An automated solution can classify, prioritize, and automatically redirect customer requests, thereby improving customer satisfaction and responsiveness.

Workflow Automation Software Designed for Swiss Businesses

Our consultants, software engineers, application developers, and UX designers create tailor-made solutions for each business, enabling them to control their internal processes without relying on external software (high licensing costs, low adaptation to company-specific needs, insufficient data security, etc.). Here are two case studies of projects led by our teams in this area:

Automate my workflows with Edana

Tools Used by Our Consultants and Experts in These 10 Key Steps

In the realm of workflow automation, our teams use a range of technological tools at different stages to facilitate an efficient transition to automated and optimized workflows. It is interesting to note that this depends on each digitization journey, as the specific conditions of each company involve the use of different tools, methods, and technologies to ensure automation truly tailored to its situation.

During the analysis of existing processes, modeling tools such as Lucidchart or Microsoft Visio can be used to map and understand existing business processes.

To define project objectives and track progress, Edana leverages project management platforms such as Jira or Asana.

The design of automated workflows is carried out using workflow management systems such as Kissflow or Nintex, allowing the definition of rules and the integration of specific conditions for each project.

The crucial step of evaluating automation tools is performed through in-depth analyses using tools like Zapier, Integromat, or Microsoft Power Automate to select the most suitable solutions.

Custom solution development takes place in integrated development environments such as Visual Studio Code or Eclipse, tailored to the specific needs of each project.

Thorough testing is automated using tools like Selenium or JUnit, ensuring the proper functioning of workflows in various scenarios.

For user training, online learning platforms such as Udemy or LinkedIn Learning are sometimes used (when live training is not possible or not sufficient) to ensure a smooth transition to the new automated workflows.

Continuous integration is achieved using tools such as Jenkins or GitLab CI, automating the process of integrating new features into existing workflows.

Performance measurement is ensured by analytics tools such as Google Analytics or New Relic, allowing real-time monitoring and analysis of the performance of automated workflows.

Finally, to facilitate change management, collaborative communication platforms such as Slack or Microsoft Teams are used, promoting transparent and real-time communication with all stakeholders.

The judicious use of these tools at each stage of the process enables any proficient consultant, digital transformation strategist, and specialist to offer tailor-made workflow automation solutions, adapted to the specific needs of their clients.

Overcoming Automation Challenges

Despite the considerable benefits of workflow automation, specific challenges may arise during the process. This section will delve into crucial aspects such as data security, team training, and the importance of a scalable solution. We will share our best practices with the reader to ensure a smooth and secure transition to an automated enterprise.

Data Security

Workflow automation often involves handling and transmitting sensitive data. To ensure the security of this crucial information, our teams implement strict data security protocols. This includes the use of advanced encryption, rigorous access permission management, and the implementation of firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Working closely with clients to identify vulnerable points and implementing security measures tailored to their specific needs is of paramount importance.

Best Practices for Data Security:

  1. Advanced Encryption: Implement advanced data encryption to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive information during transmission and storage.
  2. Rigorous Access Permission Management: Establish strict access control policies by assigning permissions only to necessary personnel, thus limiting the risk of unauthorized access.
  3. Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems: Integrate robust firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and prevent any unauthorized attempts to access data, reinforcing system security.

Team Training

Adopting new automated workflows requires a deep understanding from the involved teams. Recognizing the crucial importance of training is necessary for successful adoption. Customized training programs need to be implemented, covering both the technical aspects of workflow automation and the organizational changes that may result from this transformation. The goal is to ensure that team members feel comfortable and competent in using the new automated processes.

Best Practices for Team Training:

  1. Customized Training Programs: Develop custom training programs that cover not only the technical aspects of workflow automation but also the organizational implications, tailored to the specific context of each team.
  2. Continuous Training: Institute ongoing training sessions to keep teams informed about updates, best practices, and new features, fostering continuous and evolving adoption.
  3. Personalized Support: Implement a dedicated support system to address user-specific questions and resolve issues, reinforcing team confidence and competence.

Need for a Scalable Solution

Companies evolve, and with them, automation needs. Based on our experience, we often emphasize the design of scalable solutions from the start. This means establishing flexible and adaptable architectures capable of adjusting to future changes in the operational environment. By anticipating long-term needs, our team always assures clients that their investments in automation remain relevant and beneficial over time.

Best Practices for Scalability:

  1. Modular Design: Opt for a modular design of solutions, facilitating the addition of new features and adaptation to evolving business needs.
  2. Integration of Open APIs: Prefer the use of open APIs that allow smooth integration with other systems and applications, ensuring the necessary flexibility to adapt to technological advancements.
  3. Regular Evaluation of Needs: Schedule regular evaluations of the operational needs of the business to anticipate future changes and adjust automated solutions accordingly..

Overall, it should be noted that workflow automation is a dynamic process, and by proactively addressing these challenges, it ensures clients a successful and sustainable implementation.

Discuss Workflow Automation and Digitalization with Our Experts

Are you planning to automate the internal processes of your company? Our team of multi-experts is at your disposal to guide you through this process. Our strategy teams are here to analyze your business, propose solutions tailored to your goals and specificities, and address constraints. Our teams of software engineers and application designers are specialized in developing custom business tools.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN) Software Engineering (EN)

MS Power Apps vs Custom Development: A Critical Look at Business Solutions in Switzerland

MS Power Apps vs Custom Development: A Critical Look at Business Solutions in Switzerland

The business landscape is evolving rapidly, prompting companies to seek agile solutions to adapt to their specific needs. In this quest for efficiency and customization, Microsoft Power Apps emerges as an attractive application development solution, emphasizing its user-friendly nature and accessibility, even for non-technical users. As a digital consulting firm, Edana specializes in software development and integration for Swiss businesses, and we aim to carefully examine the promises of this no-code platform that claims to empower any business to create custom applications without programming expertise.

The growing need for custom business applications is evident in the current context, with businesses of all sizes seeking to optimize their internal processes and remain agile in response to market changes. MS Power Apps indeed positions itself as a response to this increasing demand. However, rather than viewing this solution as a cure-all, it is imperative to adopt a critical perspective.

Here, we will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of Microsoft Power Apps, highlighting the specific needs of Swiss businesses. Our goal is to provide a balanced evaluation, going beyond surface features to explore the profound implications of adopting this solution.

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Advantages of Microsoft Power Apps

1. Ease of Development

MS Power Apps stands out for its remarkable simplicity in application creation. One of its main advantages lies in the ability to develop applications without requiring extensive programming skills. This democratizes the development process, allowing even non-technical users to contribute to the creation of custom business applications. This fosters greater autonomy within teams, reducing dependence on IT services.

2. Integration with the Microsoft Ecosystem

Native integration with the Microsoft ecosystem gives MS Power Apps a significant advantage. Seamless connectivity with other applications such as Office 365, SharePoint, and other familiar tools simplifies access to existing data within the enterprise. This synergy enhances operational efficiency, eliminating information silos and promoting seamless collaboration across different platforms. Users can fully leverage existing resources without juggling between disparate interfaces.

3. Affordable Initial Cost

The financial accessibility of MS Power Apps is a major asset. Compared to custom development, the competitive pricing of Power Apps offers an economical solution, especially in the short term. Traditional development costs, including hiring qualified developers and associated delays, are often significantly reduced. This cost-effective approach makes application development accessible even to small businesses, fostering widespread adoption.

However, refer to our article on the total cost of ownership of a digital or IT solution to better understand the reality behind digital investments and better control your digital development.

In summary, the advantages of MS Power Apps in these areas—ease of development, integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, and affordable initial cost—present significant opportunities for businesses seeking to optimize their processes and respond quickly to evolving business needs. However, it is crucial to be aware of the limitations and consider these advantages in light of the specificities of each business. We will now explore these limitations in the following sections of this article.

The 3 Main Disadvantages of Power Apps

While Microsoft Power Apps offers an enticing solution to quickly build business applications at a relatively affordable entry cost, it comes with three major drawbacks that should be known before diving into this solution. Here they are.

1. Functional Limitations of Power Apps

Although MS Power Apps offers an appealing no-code approach, its features are often limited compared to custom applications. Complex and specific business needs may pose challenges, as the platform may not provide the advanced features required to meet specific requirements. This functional limitation can lead to frustration for users seeking more sophisticated or intuitively tailored solutions, eventually prompting a search for alternative solutions better suited to specific business scenarios.

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2. Dependence on Microsoft

A close dependence on the Microsoft ecosystem exposes MS Power Apps users to certain risks. Changes in Microsoft’s policies or pricing can have a significant impact on the continued use of the platform. Companies adopting MS Power Apps may find themselves vulnerable to unforeseen changes in the Microsoft infrastructure, with the risk of being caught off guard. This dependence raises concerns about the long-term stability of the solution, urging careful consideration before fully committing to its use.

3. Limited Customization

Despite its development simplicity, MS Power Apps has limitations in terms of advanced user interface customization. Difficulties in modifying the aesthetic and functional aspects of applications can hinder the creation of unique user experiences tailored to the specific needs of the business. This constraint can be particularly challenging for companies looking to align their applications with specific design standards or provide a highly personalized user experience.

In summary, although MS Power Apps has undeniable advantages, the disadvantages related to functional limitations, dependence on Microsoft, and limited customization emphasize the importance of considering these critical aspects when evaluating the relevance of the platform for specific business needs.

Inherent Dangers of MS Power Apps

1. Data Security and Confidentiality

While MS Power Apps relies on the Microsoft cloud, this strategic choice is not without risks. Data stored in the cloud may be exposed to potential security vulnerabilities. Dependence on Microsoft’s security practices raises concerns, especially for companies dealing with sensitive information such as medical data, for example. Data confidentiality becomes a major concern, requiring a thorough evaluation of Microsoft’s security policies and potential additional measures to ensure adequate protection. Refer to our article on the security of business applications for more information on this crucial subject.

2. Limited Scalability of a Solution Built with Power Apps

The rapid growth of a business can be hindered by the scalability limitations of MS Power Apps. While the platform is suitable for initial needs, it may show its limits as the business expands. The rigidity of Power Apps can make it difficult to adjust to constantly evolving business needs. The risk of having to migrate to other, more complex and expensive solutions as needs evolve is a major concern. This transition can entail costs and potential disruptions, requiring careful planning to ensure smooth growth.

3. Technological Dependence and Flexibility

A major danger associated with adopting MS Power Apps is the technological dependence it creates. By relying on an off-the-shelf solution, companies may find themselves bound to features and developments decided by Microsoft. This dependence can result in a loss of flexibility in adapting applications to the specific needs of the business. In the face of new business requirements or strategic changes, the platform may not offer the necessary flexibility to quickly adjust applications, pushing companies to make compromises or seek additional solutions, which can be complex and costly. Thus, technological dependence is a potential danger that deserves special attention when making decisions.

In conclusion, awareness of the inherent dangers of MS Power Apps, especially regarding data security and limited scalability, is essential. Companies must carefully assess these critical aspects before adopting the platform, ensuring they anticipate potential challenges related to managing sensitive data and the solution’s ability to evolve with the growing needs of the business.

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Custom Development: The Ideal Solution for Swiss Businesses

When Swiss businesses delve into the development of business applications, customization and relevance become major imperatives. In this demanding environment, custom development emerges as the ideal solution, offering a range of crucial advantages to meet the specific needs of Swiss enterprises.

1. Total Adaptability to Business Needs

The primary strength of custom development lies in its unparalleled ability to precisely adapt to the unique business needs of each company. Unlike generic solutions such as MS Power Apps, custom development allows exhaustive customization of features, user interface, and overall experience. This total adaptability ensures that each application optimally addresses the specific requirements of the business, providing maximum agility and operational efficiency.

2. Total Control over Infrastructure

Custom development offers Swiss companies an essential advantage: total control over their infrastructure. Emphasizing data sovereignty and the ability to use local solutions, businesses can ensure stricter management of their sensitive information. This enhanced control over infrastructure aligns perfectly with the high security and privacy standards that Swiss businesses attach particular importance to, providing unparalleled peace of mind.

3. Scalability and Sustainability of a Custom-Built Business Application

Custom development stands out for its ability to evolve seamlessly with the business over time. As business needs grow and evolve, custom solutions can be adapted and extended without compromising system stability. This scalability ensures that investments in application development remain sustainable in the long term, offering a lasting solution that can accompany the continued growth of the business without requiring costly migrations or operational disruptions.

Examples of Business Applications We Have Custom-Built for Our Swiss Clients

More and more companies choose to fully digitize with a completely integrated custom business solution into their digital ecosystem. For example, some of our clients already have their own business solution centralizing their emails, documents, custom workflows, employee management, invoicing, etc., in one secure place adapted to their specific processes. This allows them to gain competitiveness, increase margins, and, most importantly, face the future with confidence by relying on a solid foundation for their growth and development. Here are two examples of software created by our engineers for Swiss companies.

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Custom development presents itself as the ideal answer for Swiss businesses seeking to maximize the relevance, control, and sustainability of their business applications. As customization becomes imperative, custom development emerges as the path to follow for creating software solutions truly tailored to the specific challenges of the Swiss business landscape.

Conclusion on Power Apps and Custom Development

In the current context, the choice between MS Power Apps and custom development proves to be a crucial decision for businesses seeking to optimize their operations and stay competitive. In light of the examined advantages and disadvantages, it becomes clear that custom development emerges as the better option, particularly for demanding Swiss businesses wanting to build their future on solid foundations in a time when everything is evolving rapidly, and a strategic misstep can be costly.

Indeed, the ability of custom development to offer total adaptability to specific business needs, ensure total control over infrastructure, and provide long-term scalability and sustainability proves to be the most relevant and enduring answer for businesses operating in the Swiss context. As a Swiss company specializing in custom business software development and digital transformation consulting, we have clearly observed that businesses investing in custom solutions benefit from increased operational flexibility, enhanced data security, and the ability to evolve in harmony with changing market requirements. Want to convince your leadership to invest in such a future-proof solution? Check our post on the advantages to highlight to help decision-makers understand the stakes of digital investments.

At Edana, we strongly encourage Swiss businesses to undertake a thorough assessment of their specific needs before deciding on a business application development solution. By clearly understanding business requirements, the complexity of internal processes, and growth ambitions, companies can make informed decisions that align technology with their long-term strategic goals. The customization offered by custom development enables businesses to precisely address their needs, creating a significant competitive advantage.

The choice of a business application development solution should not only be technological but also strategic, closely aligning with the specific goals and values of each Swiss company. Want to discuss your digital transformation with a Swiss expert from Edana? Contact us now and be guided toward the achievement of your goals.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN)

Talent Acquisition in a Digital World

Talent Acquisition in a Digital World

Managing Talent in a Digital Age

Nowadays, it is extremely challenging to attract and retain digital talent. The need for digital talents is increasing, and companies are racing to hire the finest of them. Even before actively seeking specialists in your sector, you should first define what you are looking for in a candidate. It’s not even about how much you’ll pay them or how many hours they’ll work.

You must face new hiring challenges such as competition for talent, profile shortages, and employer branding issues. As a result, you must continually innovate in order to attract and recruit the most outstanding individuals. You should always evaluate your company’s goals and how new staff members will fit within them.

On the one hand, you could have a candidate who has extensive expertise in the subject but demonstrates skill solely in following certain criteria. On the other hand, there may be someone with less experience but with the type of passion and unique ideas that may help you actually lead a successful digital revolution in the business world.

Define Your Talents and Recruitment Needs

Before you start establishing your talent acquisition strategy, you need to identify your recruitment needs. You must identify the roles and sorts of applicants you want. Then, consider what kind of content your target audience could be interested in. Consider what topics your talents could be interested in, as well as the social media platforms they may utilize.

The main goal here is to adapt your marketing campaigns to your candidate personas. By doing this, you will be able to convey the appropriate information to the appropriate audience at the appropriate time. First and foremost, while considering future members of your company, be realistic and avoid setting unrealistic expectations. Instead of focusing just on position titles, consider candidates’ experience.

For example, there are occasions where a candidate claims to have worked as a digital marketer and a firm hires them only to discover later that the expertise he had was completely different from what they were anticipating. Titles might be perplexing at times since they don’t always adequately represent the content of the job or provide further information about the candidate’s genuine experience.

One of the first things you should avoid is a hard negotiation. It is also advised not to put off the recruiting procedure because digital prospects have many alternative possibilities. Another thing to remember is not to over-negotiate the compensation, since this may turn off the candidate and cause them to leave.

You must select an amount that is both competitive and satisfying to the candidate. Consider providing them bonuses, and intriguing projects that might motivate them. Consider working remotely as well, since many digital tasks can be completed that way. In some situations, you might even involve a reliable recruiter to assist you in acquiring digital talents.

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A Cutting-Edge Culture Leads to Cutting-Edge Innovation

Aside from looking for alternative recruitment options, you should further investigate the company itself. Evaluate your brand culture and think about how effective it appears from your perspective and how appealing it may appear to others. Company culture has the potential to generate a very powerful dynamic within the organization.

Culture is a collection of ideas and attitudes about how things are done in your organization. It has a great impact on humans and can easily control many things in the background as well. Essentially, organizational culture affects everything, and more importantly, it has a direct impact on every piece of work and how successfully specific tasks will be accomplished.

Nowadays, a lot of individuals look for companies whose values align with their own. Many managers assess how well some candidates might fit in the company before considering hiring them. According to one survey, if the culture deteriorates, 71% of employees might look for new possibilities elsewhere. It is only natural that companies that focus on having a strong culture will have the best chance of keeping employees and recruiting top talent.

Company culture is undeniably an important aspect that will help you with talent acquisition in the digital world. One of the most important aspects that you have to consider is the flexibility. It’s a digital world that continues to become even more digitized day by day, so keep in mind that digitalization is an opportunity for better differentiation and integration.

The primary motto of digitalization is “anytime, anywhere.” Additionally, digitalization technology can contribute to better onboarding of newcomers and help you to improve your company culture as well, since no matter where they work, they will always be able to team up and work together towards common goals.

Digitalization as a Solution for a More Diverse Talent Pool

The requirement for more agile talent management has created new obstacles. There are many systems that did not exist previously or were not actively used, but are today as vital as air. For instance, there are numerous different software programs, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), gamification, data protection rules and regulations, and many more. Furthermore, digitalization will have a direct influence on hiring, performance management, learning and development, and all other areas of the employee experience.

You should also keep in mind that certain candidates may be excluded from the recruiting process simply because they lack sufficient access to an online portal or mobile applications. Clients as well are seldom equipped with sufficient or appropriate digital tools.

Research led to the development of a number of crucial techniques that can assist you in hiring in the digital age. For example, virtual reality (VR) technology allows a candidate to immerse themselves in an experience that, thanks to a mix of digital and headset technologies, appears to be a video game but is in fact a genuine test. The VR-based evaluation also allows for the discovery of latent capabilities and informs applicants about their abilities and hidden skills that can be transferred to other jobs and roles.

Importance of Employer Branding

Employer branding refers to your company’s reputation among its employees and the general public. It’s also how you advertise your organization to job searchers and internal personnel. According to surveys, 69% of questioned employees believe it is critical that their employer has a brand that they are pleased with and want to support.

Let’s say you’ve done an excellent job of developing a strong brand with your products or services. But it’s not enough to persuade someone to cooperate with you; there are countless awesome companies with amazing products and services. You need something more of value to pique their curiosity and make them consider you seriously. When you question someone about a company they work for, they don’t say it has amazing goods; instead, they highlight the corporate culture.

This factor is critical for your firm and must be kept in mind at all times.  Active job seekers are far more inclined to apply for a position if an organization actively controls its employer brand. A few additional aspects must be considered in order to effectively attract the intended audience.

First and foremost, establish concrete objectives for your company branding and create a candidate persona. Use visual branding and wisely select communication channels that will help you showcase your organization in a favorable manner for job hunters. Create new material and track and assess your outcomes on a regular basis.

Strategies and Advice to Match Your Ambitions

Knowing where to start is vital if one is getting ready for the difficulties brought on by the competitive sectors around us. Your staff is the very heart of your business, and in order for it to succeed, you must ensure that they are competitive, educated, and well-versed in the world of ever-changing possibilities and various digital solutions.

This is only one factor that may make or break your business, but with Edana, you’ll not only get assistance on a number of variables that can help you become an industry leader, but you’ll also gain additional insight into various marketing, engineering, and management techniques. To acquire more knowledge regarding different subjects and the newest trends don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN)

Business Clusters: Where Innovation Meets Collaboration

Business Clusters: Where Innovation Meets Collaboration

Exploring Business Clusters as the Ecosystems of Success

Business clusters play an important role in the current corporate landscape. Joining a business cluster can be an excellent move for organizations seeking development and innovation since it is a geographical concentration of related enterprises, suppliers, and affiliated institutions in a specific industry or field. It promotes collaboration, facilitates information exchange, and generates a dynamic successful environment in which businesses can take advantage of each other’s capabilities.

Companies that join a cluster get access to a pool of knowledge, save costs through shared resources, and improve their competitiveness. In essence, it is a potent method for promoting creativity, increasing productivity, and ultimately attaining success in a collaborative, supportive atmosphere. Increasing a company’s success is one of the main goals here.

With the potential to greatly boost your income, client base, and overall business exposure, this ecosystem of success allows you the possibility to be more innovative and work with many different organizations. You will have a better understanding of various business prospects and will be able to compete more successfully with other organizations both locally and worldwide. It also plays a significant role in strategic management.

Different Types of Business Clusters

Business clusters appear in a variety of forms, each with its own set of qualities and benefits. For instance, if your business is heavily focused on technology, you can go through high-tech clusters. Some clusters are formed as a result of the company’s geographical advantages. Wine production clusters, for example, are generally concentrated in areas where good grapes may grow.

One of the most well-known Industry Clusters is Silicon Valley in the United States, which serves as a hub for technological businesses such as Apple, Google, and Facebook. The Fashion District is well-known for its concentration of fashion designers, producers, and showrooms.

Innovation clusters bring together a large number of technology-related firms. Research Triangle Park, for example, is centered on research and technology firms, alongside surrounding schools such as Duke University and UNC-Chapel Hill. One of the most well-known Logistics and Supply Chain Clusters is in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It is a large port city that acts as a worldwide logistics center.

Tourism clusters can be found in Cancún, Mexico. It is a major tourist attraction with various hotels, restaurants, and recreational activities. Agricultural Clusters can be found in Napa Valley, California, which is known for its wineries and vineyards. Punjab, India is also recognized for its agricultural products, particularly wheat and rice.

Wall Street, New York City, USA, is home to one of the most well-known Financial Clusters. It is a financial hub, featuring prominent institutions such as the New York Stock Exchange. London, a major global financial center with a large number of banks and financial services providers, should not be overlooked as well. Creative and media clusters thrive in Hollywood, the world’s entertainment hub and home to major film studios and media organizations.

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A Growing Cluster is an Opportunity

A developing cluster indicates that you should be on the lookout for new chances for advancement. As it expands, it gains specialized suppliers, more information, infrastructure, and so on. A business cluster can gain strength and visibility by acquiring these additional elements.

Business clusters can take numerous forms, but most of them require time to develop. At times, you must be prepared to adapt to certain events in order to capitalize on all of the advantages in the future. Before anything else, all you need to do is learn more about the clusters that will best serve your needs and promote your development.

Conduct some market research before making any decisions. Running your business with more innovative approaches rather than traditional business plans will help you reach your target market more effectively.

Business clusters have many advantages, but it’s usually a good idea to estimate their precise level of excellence in advance. Some are well-known, while others are less widely recognized but nevertheless have enormous significance.

Business Clusters Drive Development

Business clusters go beyond competition; they are engines of regional development and economic success. These geographical concentrations of interrelated enterprises, suppliers, and institutions form a dynamic ecosystem in which businesses prosper via cooperation and innovation. Furthermore, the existence of numerous linked industries inside a cluster frequently attracts investments, encourages research and development, and boosts the overall business climate.

Fueling Economic Growth with the Clusters of Excellence

It is preferable to completely highlight some highly important benefits here. To begin with, you will have easier access to suppliers. Communicating with local suppliers rather than distant ones lowers your costs. You’d be able to manage finances better as well. Clustering, according to experts, can also be a good option for small businesses.

Furthermore, it has substantial market, technical, and competitive information assembled together, and all members of the business cluster have access to it. Community ties that are formed and nurtured foster trust and improve the information-sharing process.

Members of a business cluster are deeply connected, thus the success of one member can increase the success of the others. When two or more distinct items from different companies improve or accentuate each other’s attributes, they can collaborate together.

Some businesses might begin a rivalry in order to demonstrate their strength and significance. Even businesses that aren’t direct competitors participate in this process. However, this can have a beneficial impact on motivation. Measurement and comparison of your results to others are easier since cluster members have greater knowledge about one another.

In order to overcome competition, sharing knowledge within a business cluster is very beneficial. For example, Madrid Network combines 12 industrial sectors, including health, finance, graphic design, etc. Also, it includes 4 technology parks. This is a network that combines approximately 400 companies and they are well connected. The Ginza luxury shopping district in Tokyo is another great example. You can see numerous similar retail shops there that attract numerous customers.

Three Key Takeaways to Consider

Identification is the initial action that has to be taken into account. You must identify all of the puzzle pieces. Examine the entire situation to form the clearest picture possible. All of the clusters are tied to certain themes and have a distinguishing feature. The following stage is to do an analysis. It is connected to studying patterns, which are necessary for the entire process.

The final phase is strategy. Combine your unique aims, activities, and goals to develop a plan that will be helpful and satisfying. Each company cluster has its own distinct characteristics, and when you are in one, you should feel at ease. So look through everything carefully.

Switzerland as a Business Location

Switzerland has around 22 major clusters comprising 18 industries. Pharmaceuticals, the watch business, jewelry design, the financial sector, mechanical and electrical engineering, paper production, and the insurance industry are among them. It is easy to take care of things once you fully understand the environment around you.

The canton of Bern, for example, bases its cluster policy on the 1996 modification of the Economic Development Act (“Wirtschaftsförderungsgesetz”). The first clusters were formed in 1997 on the basis of this regulation. The clusters collaborate with the Cantonal Industry and Trade Promotion office under a service level agreement that is amended each year. Furthermore, financial contributions are made available for the aim of boosting business in the canton.

The region around Lake Constance is where German and Swiss clusters work closely together. Furthermore, the German cutting-edge cluster MicroTEC Südwest, for example, collaborates closely with the Swiss cluster Micronarc. Another collaboration exists between the Bern ICT cluster and the German Cluster Association of the Geoinformation Industry in Berlin/Brandenburg.

Several cluster-related conversations have also taken place in recent years, most notably during the HANNOVER MESSE trade fair. Because of the numerous advancements and improvements that have occurred in recent years, it would be fantastic to become more involved with the Swiss clusters and profit from the various alternatives that can be found there.

Join Forces with Edana to Navigate the Future

Edana is a digital consulting firm that specializes in 360° growth strategies. We provide assistance to companies of all sizes both in Switzerland and abroad.

Change, innovation, and revolutionary business plans are areas of expertise for our multidisciplinary professionals. From industry research, competitive intelligence, and internal analysis to growth strategy, we assist you in becoming the leader of tomorrow in your industry.

You can contact us right away to discuss your circumstances and aims if you want to use our digital business and innovation strategy consulting services.  An expert will respond within 24 hours.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN) Featured-Post-Marketing-EN Non classé

Lead Generation: How to Get Started

Lead Generation: How to Get Started

Importance of Leads

Leads are extremely important for the success of any company. A lead is a person or company that is interested in your product/service and has provided personal information in order to use your services. They are your foundation for expansion, economic viability, reputation, stability, and credibility.

Lead generation is undeniably important yet it includes a wide range of factors. First and foremost, you must identify prospective leads. Then you have to figure out the best way to reach them. Following that, you should begin developing strategies that can help you effectively wrap up lead generation.

Businesses utilize leads to stay competitive. You’ll need a clear and distinct marketing message to be successful. You must offer your customers the information they desire and are interested in, as well as test various solutions to increase demand. You could come across many different kinds of leads.

Various Types of Leads in Businesses

Every company wants to be in a position to advertise its goods and services to customers who will be interested in them and value their work.  A company offering artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions wouldn’t want to introduce its products to newly enrolled college students. Such companies would target individuals and businesses most likely to purchase their products. Planning and researching are important for a lot of lead-generation activities.

Cold Leads

As previously said, businesses encounter many forms of leads. One of them is a cold lead. A cold lead is someone who hasn’t expressed any interest in your solution but flawlessly fits your ideal customer profile.

Consider the scenario where you own an online fitness coaching business and you stumble onto the social media profile of someone who seems to be interested in fitness and health. The individual in question has never interacted with you before. You must be the one establishing the contact and you must do it very tactfully if you want to pique their curiosity.

Lead generation software or even your own study can produce these leads. They are extremely difficult to deal with, but since they are potential consumers who may become devoted customers with well-thought-out strategies, you should be able to employ several solutions to handle their situation.

Communication skills are essential in this case. You must be persistent in your calls, emails, and so on. Inquire about a follow-up on your emails. Make them regard you as a problem solver.

Don’t give up if you don’t get an answer on the first try. They don’t automatically lead you to a significant decline in profits. You just have to continue sending them useful material, such as blog posts or data on the business landscape, and wait for them.

Warm Leads

A warm lead, on the other hand, represents a person who is already familiar with how your company operates. They read your blogs, watch your videos, and are generally more aware of your brand. They are easier to convert into prospects. 

Imagine that you run a software company specializing in project management tools. A few days ago, someone downloaded a free trial of your software from your website. Today, they’ve signed up for your newsletter to receive updates and tips about project management.

In this case, the individual is a warm lead because they’ve taken two significant actions: downloading a free trial and signing up for your newsletter. This type of engagement suggests that they may be more receptive to further communications about your software or related offerings. In any case, you must understand more about their demands and requirements.

Hot Leads

Imagine you manage an online electronics store and someone has just put a high-end gaming laptop in their shopping basket on your website. They’ve also submitted their payment and shipping information. The person in question is a hot lead in this instance because they have demonstrated significant buying intent by taking actual action to make a purchase.

Hot leads include people who are often ready for quick sales or conversion activities and frequently require minimum persuading or marketing efforts to complete the purchase. They require immediate attention since their curiosity may wane if you take too long to answer. They may even be contacting competitors to get the most accurate answers for themselves.

So when you have a hot lead, act quickly and don’t waste time. They already believe your company can fix their problems. They just require your help and expertise.

Information Qualified Leads (IQL)

An IQL is one that is just starting to look for a solution to their problem. An IQL is normally created when customers fill out a form in order to obtain any beneficial content that you provide – free eBooks, seminars, reports, and so on.

Basically, they are potential customers who have demonstrated interest by providing some specific information, but they may not yet be ready for direct sales or immediate conversion.

There are various methods to contact them. Prior to anything else, you need to ascertain what they are interested in learning about your business and what you have to offer. You should stay in touch with them via emails and newsletters. Informing them of solutions to their challenges will pique their curiosity.

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Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL)

Marketing-qualified leads are actively looking for answers to their problems. They download your case studies and attend webinars hosted by your firm. It’s not very difficult to convert these leads into prospects because they are interested in what you offer. Sometimes you may even settle things through email or a conversation.

Keep in mind that expressing interest doesn’t automatically guarantee that they will follow you in everything. In many circumstances, marketing qualified leads (MQLs) are forwarded from the marketing team to the sales team for additional interaction and eventual conversion into customers.

Let’s go through one scenario to better understand them. Imagine you own a software firm that provides a customer relationship management (CRM) solution. A website visitor subscribed to your monthly newsletter, received an e-book, attended a webinar on CRM best practices, and visited your pricing page several times.

This sort of person would be the MQL lead. They browsed through the many options on your website and frequently went to the pricing page. These behaviors indicate that they can be open to marketing efforts focused on their specific needs.

Sales Ready Leads (SRL)

A Sales-Ready Lead (SRL) is a potential customer or prospect who has moved through the marketing funnel and is now very likely to make a purchasing decision. If a lead reads even one eBook, some organizations consider them sales-ready. Some want a demonstration of absolute interest.

In any case, you need to know if they are prepared to spend money, what challenges they are trying to fix with your solutions, and so on. Being sales-ready does not imply that customers are ready to buy right now. To prepare these leads for full collaboration, you still need to nurture them with follow-up calls and emails.

In order to better understand these leads, let’s go through an example of a B2B software company that offers project management solutions. A lead that was previously classified as a Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL) has executed many high-intent activities in a short period of time. Along with going through the educational content, they also asked for a customized project management software demo. They clearly had a strong desire to buy because they were quite detailed in their inquiries about the demo.

In this situation, the individual is a Sales-Ready (SRL). Their activities show a high level of interest in making a purchase. Since they are in the final stages of the purchasing process and demand individualized sales efforts to finalize everything, SRLs are often transferred immediately to the sales team.

Sales Qualified Leads (SQL)

A sales-qualified lead is one who is eager to meet with your sales team. They are obviously interested in your products and services and are ready to purchase. However, they may still be comparing you to other companies.

In any case, you should contact them as soon as possible before it is too late. Keep in mind that generally, recognizing the key differences between the various sorts of leads is critical for bringing in sales and not wasting time on outdated leads.

Imagine you own a company that provides advanced cybersecurity solutions to enterprises. Someone just contacted you using the contact form on your website. In his communication, he mentioned that he is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of a mid-sized financial institution and that he is actively seeking a cybersecurity solution to improve their data protection procedures.

He requested a consultation with your sales team to discuss particular features that are important for his organization. This individual counts as an SQL lead because he has decision-making authority in his company, understands exactly what he needs, and clearly exhibits his interest in your company.

Obtaining Potential Customers Through Lead Generation

It’s clear that there are several forms of leads that must be identified right away in order to be dealt with properly. The lead-generating process itself is made up of several unique steps and points. Many critical aspects influence the journey towards the intended outcome.

First and foremost, you must obtain as much information as possible on your target audience. It’s a good idea to build customer profiles, which identify the demographics, budget, and desires of regular customers. Consider societal customs, career background, and even psychological characteristics.

Create excellent content that will appeal to your target audience. Each piece of content you develop should have a specific goal, such as educating your audience about your service, increasing brand awareness, or driving sales.

You should establish and use a lead database where you can record, examine, and filter potential consumers. Ideally, you should utilize a CRM system. Your team would be able to move through the lists more quickly. In any case, make sure you have an effortlessly navigable database.

Examples and Strategies for Lead Generation

The options for generating leads are nearly limitless. Content marketing is the practice of providing entertaining and useful content that can attract numerous leads. It can include newsletters, videos, and social media. Content marketing may be employed at any point in the sales process.

Email marketing is often regarded as one of the most cost-effective and successful methods of generating leads. You may also utilize social media platforms to attract more individuals towards you.

You can use coupons, deals, and free tests. Basically, run contests to draw people to you and to learn more about them. Also, a risk-free trial or discount coupon is an effective sales technique. After an individual has tried your product, you may retarget them with further offers to encourage a sale.

On websites, applications, and social media, display adverts, videos, and photos. They are a fantastic approach to connecting with your target audience where they are, combined with paid search and PPC.

Another excellent strategy to get new leads is to have your present clients do the work for you. Encourage them to submit reviews or refer friends in exchange for a discount or anything of value. 94% of customers claimed that favorable reviews increased their willingness to support a company.

Lead Generation and Its Challenges

The very first challenge is accurate data collecting. Your organization may have a large list of potential clients and leads, but you must also ensure that the information you have about them is correct. You must be well-versed in your target market.

Another challenge is converting high-quality leads into sales. You must have solid relationships with individuals. Just because you have high-quality leads does not imply you will immediately sell everything.  Also, bear in mind that one of the most effective methods to attract and retain customers is through innovative content.

It is critical to have a well-established method for lead generation and to track the success of your lead generation campaign. Not having a strategy or not being able to analyze your outcomes can result in numerous difficulties for you in the future. 

To properly manage everything, use specific tools such as the correct software and platforms. There are lead generation systems with various functions, such as lead nurturing tools, sales analytics and reporting, and so on. To keep this process alive and effective at all times, you need suitable staff and the right technology.

Gain High-Quality Leads in Your Market and Surpass Your Competitors

Lead generation is critical to succeed in the digital 21st century. Getting prospects to buy your goods or services can not naturally occur without obtaining leads. Edana specializes in lead engine design. We apply the best approach for your industry to produce a great amount of leads in a sustainable and profitable manner, therefore supporting your growth and generating long-term value.

Would you like to enhance your sales volume by generating more leads, requests for information (RFI), requests for quotations (RFP), and requests for quotes (RFQ)? To discuss company growth prospects, get in touch with us right away, and a lead-generating specialist will get back to you shortly.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN) Non classé

Benefits of Business Case and How to write one

Benefits of Business Case and How to write one

The Concept of Business Case

Most organizations require a business model that will give them more influence, will assist them in achieving excellent performance, and will ensure their future success. Handling everything with the most effective alternatives is extremely crucial for any industry. In this case, a well-defined business case can indeed easily manage several different problems.

A business case is your road map to a successful venture, allowing you to determine from the beginning the potential advantages, objectives, and benefits of certain projects. Business cases guarantee that you discover the project that will assist you in accomplishing your goals. This way, you can fixate your budget solely on the most vital initiatives while making beneficial investments.

A business case validates initiating an idea, project, or task. It encompasses countless important aspects, including supporting documents. It also makes everything understandable to the team, including why a particular project should start, what benefits will be, and how the budget will be distributed. A business case can clearly articulate what can be obtained from projects, how they can be fulfilled, and what makes them essential to the organization.

Business Case – The Art and Science of Decision Making

Every initiative has to have a purpose that would be interconnected to the company’s future success. Solutions must be found to fix current issues within the business and also, to develop novel possibilities. First and foremost, you must define the most important factors within your organization. This way, you’ll have a better understanding of what you should do, how you should do it, and the best time to do it.

You merely need to have more information about the economic climate in your organization and on the market to figure out the kind of project you require and how it will benefit you in a competitive environment. A business case, regarded as one of the most powerful tools used by multiple industries, is truly the art and science of decision-making and problem-solving. It can be utilized to solve various problems that businesses could be currently facing.

A good business case must always include several parameters, such as context, clarity, and justification. It should encompass information about the problem or opportunity being discussed. It should clarify all choices available concerning the primary objective of the business case, and it should justify the investment that could resolve the current dilemma or enable the business to capitalize on novel opportunities.

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Project and Strategy Alignment

When working to develop new projects, it is critical to understand more about the firm’s assets. Businesses should assess their team members as well as finances in this scenario. Projects should be aligned with a strategic approach and shouldn’t have any shortfalls. Everyone should understand the project’s real value, the benefits that can be obtained from it, as well as how the finances will be allocated.

Assembling your team and involving them in an important project that is backed by your business case will let you focus your team’s energy solely on a single target. It will help you to achieve maximum results. Individuals who recognize the value of a project based on a sound business case can make your project go smoothly. 

Evaluate, Select, and Refine Alternative or Option

Selecting the ideal solutions is vital to any company. First and foremost, you must assess what options are available, and then take into account the economic benefits of each option. After that, calculate how much investment each option could very well demand and take into account the potential consequences and difficulties closely linked to them.

Following this phase, it is critical to pick the most effective solution. Decide which available options seem more cost-effective as well as favorable for you. Finally, disclose everything within your business case. You could gain further knowledge about different alternative options that would help you to overcome your obstacles.

Working on a business case can provide multiple benefits, not just for your organization but also for your colleagues. A business case requires detailed assessment and reflection, so it’s possible to obtain knowledge in complex matters and explore quite impressive elements of the business throughout this process. You can come up with novel ideas and see your organization from a completely different point of view.

Benefits Management for Project Success

The use of a business case allows for easy monitoring of progress and achievements. As for benefits management, it is essential for any project that you are willing to invest your time as well as funds in to enhance your company. You should be capable of foreseeing potential results.

Aligning outcomes of the project and business strategies would allow you to handle everything effectively. You’d be able to determine what are the possible outcomes for you and how they could affect your future.

You will gain a lot from the business case as you will have a brief overview of every aspect of your company. You will understand how various aspects could assist you in achieving your company’s goals and objectives, and you will know what organizational approaches can enable your success.

Determine the Implementation Approach

Following the identification of your business problems and opportunities, the very next step will involve an implementation strategy that will describe the steps required to implement your preferred solutions to your project. After completing these steps, you will have to examine additional key elements of a business case. When developing a business case, you should take into account multiple factors that are always required.

Determining the implementation approach is very important and means a lot for the company based on its goals. Since a wide range of different types of business owners show interest in novel opportunities to target the market better, have better digital marketing strategies, better social media platforms and generally run a business smoothly, it’s important to develop innovative and unique approaches regarding everything, no matter what kind of business structure or business plans you have.

So plan this process carefully with the experts, because it’s important to stay creative, open-minded, focused, and critical to get the best results. You’ll gain more rewards this way and will avoid risks. Coming across some obstacles or hesitating at certain stages isn’t uncommon or surprising, but if this situation won’t be managed well some very bad scenarios are expected. Deal with all the expected and unwelcome factors with more clarity and better solutions.

How to Write a Business Case?

First of all, you’d have to pay attention to the executive summary. The executive summary offers an in-depth overview of the project. It’s occasionally found at the very beginning of the business case, but it is written at the very end because it discusses the entire concept of a business case and is a summary of the subject matter that the entire work is about. It contains critical information about the project and informs the entire audience what the project is about. It leaves the first impression, so it must be as powerful as possible. 

The financial implications of the project and the possibility of increased earnings for the business are explained in the finance section. Furthermore, it’s essential to carry out a sensitivity analysis, which is mainly concerned with risks and the way they might affect the business. 

The project definition is the largest part of the business case. It contains background information about the project and begins with an introduction and a brief overview. It describes the project’s goals, how to overcome the obstacles, and how valuable the project could be for the company. This section describes the project’s advantages as well as its drawbacks. You’ll also learn more about risk assessment.

The following section, project organization, is one of the most intriguing since it describes how the project would be set up. The majority of the information revolves around the project’s structure and how decisions were made. You’ll discover more about the progress of the project and how it can keep moving forward.

Edana Recommendation

Edana is a Digital Consulting Firm based in Switzerland. The specialists of our team develop and implement the most appropriate marketing, engineering, and management strategies in Switzerland and Internationally as well for many different business entities. To learn more about different Business Models, Planning, and Innovation and what they can do for you, read on publications of Edana. Contact us at any time to discover even more and decide on a course of action. Our team can assist you through the digital world to produce outcomes that are equivalent to those achieved by industry leaders.

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Digital Consultancy & Business (EN)

Practical E-Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management

Practical E-Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management

E-Manufacturing as the Future of Production

The term e-manufacturing is related to the manufacturing systems, that enable the integration of various inputs while using the Internet. E-manufacturing systems can play an important role in your company, so it’s vital that you think about every single process associated with them. The connection between e-manufacturing and management of supply chains, for instance, as well as how they complement one another can be often quite interesting and advantageous for too many businesses.

The goal of this article is to help you understand how e-manufacturing and supply chain management can be utilized to assist you in boosting your cash flow, as well as to show you what other key factors can assist with your advancement.

E-Manufacturing usually starts with the purchase of a specific product and extends throughout the product’s manufacturing cycle. To be among the best in your industry, you must have good supply chain and manufacturing systems because their combination provides you with a key that will allow you to meet all of your customers’ needs. Besides good product design, you’d need to use different control systems and software solutions to improve your product development process and again more benefit for future improvement. 

You could indeed obtain a lot of benefits and get help with many different processes by developing a solid manufacturing strategy. Manufacturing systems are the future of production and allow you to improve your awareness of production activities. You would be able to optimize more complex manufacturing details and processes. It can assist you in reducing product defects, assisting you with various operations, and providing you with different beneficial solutions. 

The Supply Chain: From Raw Materials to Order Fulfillment

Supply chain management is related to managing the flow of goods and services. It requires a range of essential processes to convert raw components into finished goods. There are various techniques, plans, and programs that can be used to make supply chain management more efficient.

You can successfully navigate digital transformation by utilizing collaboration platforms. Machine learning may also be utilized to overcome more challenging circumstances and empower you with more technological solutions that will be helpful in the years to come. Another option is artificial intelligence, which can be a significant “game changer” for you regardless of the type of business you have.

Good supply chains ensure that your products will be efficient. You can deliver your products to consumers more quickly, and you will be able to reduce costs as well.  Furthermore, taking into account the advantages of e-manufacturing – which are related to developing good manufacturing and business strategies – can ensure an increase in sales, better management of shop-floor operations, and improved customer relationship management. You will have a chance to change business conditions for the better to gain more competitive advantages.

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Key Requirements for a Successful E-Manufacturing Environment

Every company’s e-manufacturing strategy is unique. A great plan is impossible to create without considering the unique features of your company. Your approach should always be perfectly compatible with your key targets. For instance, in order to make all of it work more effectively for you, you can begin working on options that would promote proper correspondence between suppliers and consumers; make sure you have several options here instead of only having one solution.

Make absolutely sure you have options that can assist you to cope with various changes because they occur on a regular basis. In this case, you could employ various technological tools that can help you to constantly monitor a wide range of variables. Define the most effective methods for improving management and security.

E-Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management: Example of E-Commerce

Markets are constantly changing and developing due to shifts in consumer demands, preferences, and requirements. You must understand what they’re looking for and maintain tabs on supply and demand. E-commerce is constantly changing and evolving. Switzerland, for instance, is one of the top five European countries for online purchases.

E-commerce is more than just a business-to-consumer interaction, there are also countless solutions available to improve it, including numerous internet-aligned and web-based options. In this case, supply chain collaboration, as well as e-manufacturing systems, could very well be advantageous.

This way, you’ll be capable of providing your company with more speed, a clear grasp of existing processes, and flexibility, allowing you to successfully accomplish e-business orders and improve production processes.

The Evolution of Plant Floor and Shop Floor

While going through these subjects, it is really important to mention two other important factors: the plant floor and the shop floor. The plant floor was always isolated and operated according to its own set of rules. The plant floor is related to data communication and can help you to generate value as well. Generally, computer-based plant floors can help you to control manufacturing machinery and different systems.

However, the shop floor seems to be acquiring more interest from different shareholders right now. In order to manage every aspect of the shop floor successfully, you’ll need to consider several factors. You should have a better understanding of different operations, workforce, and resources. You should pay more attention to different processes and correct them when there will be a need for them. Considering these two factors will help you a lot, but make final decisions based on the specific characteristics of your company.

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

Manufacturing exécution systems (MES) are software solutions that can aid you in optimizing various elements of the manufacturing process. It can use data to guide you and support you in handling diverse functions. With MES, you could indeed enhance a variety of aspects while also accomplishing a number of important business goals. MES can assist you in eliminating mistakes and errors which might have happened because of human interference. It can provide you with more flexibility and help you with handling complicated processes.

A manufacturing exécution system can track products and order details on the plant floor. It can aid you with financial systems and also, give orders and instructions to your shop floor personnel. MES can adapt to your needs and requirements very easily so it can be used by many different industries.

Edana Recommendation

Edana is a Digital Consulting Firm based in Switzerland. The specialists of our team develop and implement the most appropriate growth strategies not only in Switzerland but worldwide as well. To learn more about different innovative approaches, Business Models, and Planning, read on publications of Edana.

Contact us at any time to discover even more and decide on a course of action. Our team can assist you through the digital world to produce outcomes that are equivalent to those achieved by industry leaders.

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How can competitive intelligence help you to create a better corporate strategy?

How can competitive intelligence help you to create a better corporate strategy?

Importance of Corporate Strategy

In order to have the best corporate strategy you’d need to evaluate how every part and aspect of your company fits together and what kind of impact they have on each other. Corporate strategy is always focused on managing resources, risks, and returns.

You should focus on several important factors, which are basically the pillars of your strategy to reach success in the long run. While reading about them it will become clearer for you how competitive intelligence, as the process of gathering and analyzing information about the industry and competitors, will aid you.

Benefits of Corporate Strategy

Corporate strategy is extremely useful for more prominent companies. Especially, when they are multi-business companies that need specific guidance to achieve more in the business world. When you have so many valuable sectors that need specific attention it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Creating a corporate strategy will help you to develop more ways of reaching success and also, will help you to create additional options for overcoming barriers. Many senior leaders pay a great deal of attention to corporate strategies right now because, with this option and all the benefits of strategic planning, you can gain a solution for effective problem-solving and achieve more long-term goals.

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Allocation of Resources

This is one of the most important factors for corporate strategy, where you should be focused on two resources. These are people and capital.  In order to gain more benefits and manage all the aspects of your company, it’s important to pay more attention to these resources. You have to be sure that your team is competent and can accomplish the tasks that you’ve set for them.

Also, check all the resources and capital that you have. Analyze all the internal and external opportunities that you will be presented with. Uncovering more about market trends with competitive intelligence will be helpful here. You’ll know better what’s happening and how you can adapt to those trends with your team and capital. Sorting out these issues will help you to take your first step toward creating a successful corporate strategy.

Organizational Design

Organizational design is about ensuring that your company is equipped with all the appropriate systems in order to create value. To go through this stage successfully you have to analyze lots of areas of your company. For example, actively working on organization design will help you to understand how much freedom and autonomy should you give to your business units.

Also, you’d determine if you should divide bigger commitments into smaller projects. Based on the information that you’ll get from the competitive intelligence about different market trends, business decisions, and competitors, you’ll be able to sort out more issues in this area.

Portfolio Management

In order to further improve your corporate strategy, you need to manage your portfolio carefully. As mentioned before, it’s the best strategy for multi-business companies. Portfolio management will help you to manage business units. You’ll know where you should invest your money. You’ll know how you should manage risks related to diversification and you’ll create more strategic options for yourself.

Since based on competitive intelligence you can understand what your customers want and what are their buying motivations, you’ll know exactly where you should redirect your investments and in which business should you be involved or not.

Strategic Tradeoffs

Balancing strategic tradeoffs is the most difficult aspect of corporate strategy. It’s not easily manageable but has great importance, because this aspect can aid you with risk management and can help you to generate better returns.

Strategies that seem to have a higher risk could bring higher returns as well, but you need to evaluate how beneficial it would be for you to use a risky strategy. You’ll outline a wide range of options for yourself here which will be more promising for you and will help you to gain a better competitive advantage.

By considering all the above-mentioned factors and the information that you can get additionally from competitive intelligence you can create a successful corporate strategy. Based on competitive intelligence you’ll understand more about customers and competitors and you’ll know how you can effectively manage your company to decrease your risks and increase returns.

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For more similar articles, make sure to scroll through our Publications on Edana. Your Digital Consulting Firm in Switzerland can aid you with Marketing Strategy and Plans along with many other services to guide you step-by-step on the road to success.  

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The future of the Supply Chain with Collaboration Platform

The future of the Supply Chain with Collaboration Platform

Revolution of the Supply Chain

Supply chains are going through a huge revolution right now for numerous reasons. Most companies are going through digital transformation to become more successful and keep up with new trends and expectations that are in the markets now. So changes that are related to supply chains aren’t just trends that can pass. It’s a new reality and necessity.

Collaboration Platforms Create Beneficial Connections

One of the aspects that play a great role in the revolution of supply chains is related to collaboration platforms. They are connections between numerous participants and make them work together to accomplish more. In this case, stakeholders, different platforms, and applications could be mobilized in the distribution chain to create more smooth operations, which could be beneficial for the company.

These trends can unite every aspect and individual that is related to the supply chain. Companies are frequently investing in collaboration platforms right now to increase their productivity.

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Collaboration Platform as a Driving Force in Supply Chains

There are several reasons that made the collaboration platform a leading force in the revolution of supply chains. First of all, consumer demands are increasing a lot. Right now people actively participate in virtual realms. Instead of going out to shop, they might decide to see and order everything online. So the company must have software that will help them to adapt to all the changes that are going on quickly enough and will be useful for the supply chains as well.

Optimizing the supply chain will give you happier consumers and will let you be more successful with your target audience as well. Also, you might have many competitors that are actively using different digital options and technologies to improve their work. Falling behind by embracing traditional options that always seemed to work in the past isn’t an option.

Another reason is related to the purchasing process. Customers have their own demands and requirements and managing everything for them is very important. Because of these and many other reasons digital transformation is inevitable. In this case, you can use a collaborative approach for your supply chains to improve your work.

Reduced Costs and Increased Automation

A collaboration platform can be a great addition to your supply chain and also, can help you to go against more dynamic competitors. While you are going through the changes you should be focused on specific factors that could help you to increase your productivity and improve customer experience.

With this option, you can easily save your money as well. Numerous processes that were done manually and were time-consuming can be automated to reach new levels of productivity.

Internal Supply Chain Collaboration

In this case, you could actively use tools that would make communication between your team members more efficient. You could make them work on multiple projects easily as well. There are lots of benefits here. For example, all of them would be able to have a better understanding of the supply chain, what could be a problematic factor there and what’s the solution for reducing costs.

It would be easy to track order progress and shipping and would be great for customer experience as well. As a final result, you’d eliminate numerous obstacles, and make the entire product lifecycle more visible.

External Supply Chain Collaboration

In this case, you can use the tools that would make communication easy for you all over the world. You’d be able to share data and strategic information with your outsourced partners as well. You’d be able to use a digital platform here that would make dealing with numerous tasks easier for every person that’s involved in your company and plays a significant role in supply chain management. With this option, you’ll ensure that everybody is on the same page and has information about crucial aspects that play a great role in the development of your supply chain.

Significant Strategic Gains

Supply chains that are improved based on modern trends can create new opportunities for different businesses, including different warehouses, transportation companies, distribution centers, e-commerce companies, etc. This is an additional option that could help you to boost your business. You’d be able to develop unique services, improve customer experience and gain a competitive edge that could help you with your brand standing.

What We Offer

For more similar articles, scroll through our Publications on Edana. Our Digital Consulting Firm in Switzerland can help you to develop your supply chain system and help you with different Business Models and Planning as well.