iOS App Development with Human Interface Guidelines (HIG)
Secrets for Successful Android App Development in 2025
Secrets for Successful Android App Development in 2025
With billions of Android users worldwide, Android App Development continues to evolve at a neck-breaking speed.
As more than 70% of mobile phones are Android-based, the App developers in the Android space offer a huge opportunity.
However, on the flip side, it makes the competition fierce, and to stay ahead of the curve, developers need to consider the principles to build an impactful Android App.
Let us look at the top 5 secrets for Successful Android App development in 2025.
Secrets for Successful Android App Development in 2025
1. Understand your Target Audience
In this era of hyper-personalization and customization in apps everywhere, it is crucial to understand who your users are. Conduct thorough market research and identify your buyer persona, their unique needs, and pain points. With a detailed user persona in mind, your Android App is more likely to succeed as it resonates with the target audience.
2. Focus on User Experience (UX)
User experience (UX) is at the heart of successful app development. Even if your Android App is packed with features and components, UX and navigation can make or break the chances of your app’s success. To maximize user satisfaction through a smooth navigational app experience, consider the following factors:
Simple and Clean Design: A minimalistic interface always works in your app’s favour. Use a clean layout and easy-to-read fonts. Avoid cluttered screens to keep users focused.
Responsive Design: Ensure your app works seamlessly on various screen sizes and resolutions. Example: Include Dark mode and accessibility features to cater to users’ needs.
Feedback Mechanisms: Implement feedback options, allowing users to report issues or suggest improvements. Keep the app interactive without too many distractions or pop-ups.
3. Optimize for Performance and Speed
Performance is a critical factor in the success of any app. Slow loading times or crashes can frustrate users and lead to uninstalls. Here are some tips to improve the performance of your app:
Optimize Code: Write efficient, clean code and avoid unnecessary complexity.
Use Asynchronous Operations: Implement background processing for tasks like network requests to keep the UI responsive.
Test on Multiple Devices: Ensure your app performs well across various devices and Android versions.
4. Use the right tools and technologies
When selecting the framework for your Android App development, it is important to consider the languages you are using and their suitability for your projects. In the world of Android Apps, two primary languages dominate:
Java – Java is an object-oriented language that allows developers to create reusable code modules called objects. It is a secure language that can run on any platform.
Kotlin – Kotlin is a relatively newer entrant in Android App development but is quickly becoming mainstream among developers. It is statistically typed and concise language, meaning it helps users avoid errors and allows them to write expressive codes. Additionally, developers can use Kotlin and Java code in the same project.
To create an app that is safe and error-free, it is important to select the right platform and the suitability of languages or a blend of it, to save time in the later testing and implementation stages.
Besides selecting languages, keeping in mind the latest technological trends like Android Studio for development environment, Firebase for backend support and other tools can save time and resources.
Keeping up with the latest trends in mobile app development like integrating AI chatbots, AR & VR, using Low-code/No-code platforms, and ensuring robust security measures will help your mobile app go a long way.
With the help of these tools and techniques, you can focus on creating a stellar app without worrying about errors, elaborate processes and app security concerns.
5. Choosing the Best Mobile App Development Company in India:
When venturing into the realm of Android app development, partnering with a leading mobile app development company in India can be the key to success. As a frontrunner in the industry, Codeplateau consistently delivers innovative and high-performing Android apps that resonate with global audiences. Our careful attention to detail, strategic utilization of the latest technologies, and unwavering commitment to quality set us apart as the top mobile app development company in Pune, India.
Conclusion
To sum it up, successful Android App development in 2025 requires a blend of creativity and a strategic approach. Researching the market and user preferences, focusing on UX and performance, choosing the right tools and technologies, and selecting an expert mobile app development company to partner in your app development journey can make it successful.
By following these basic principles of successful Android App development, you can build an app that resonates with your customers, provides a rewarding user experience and ultimately increases customer ratings and downloads.
We at Codeplateau, always encourage our customers to initiate discussions to analyze their requirements and create a match between the user’s needs and the delivery of Mobile App solutions.
If you are looking for a partner in your Mobile App development journey or looking to upgrade or find solutions for an existing app, get in touch with us – we’re always glad to hear from you.
Salesforce and ERP Integration: Why It Matters for Growing Businesses.
Salesforce and ERP Integration: Why It Matters for Growing Businesses.
In the dynamic landscape of modern business, maintaining a competitive edge goes beyond sheer effort—it hinges on efficiency, smooth collaboration, and real-time data accessibility. Salesforce, a top-tier customer relationship management (CRM) platform, excels in optimizing customer-focused operations. Meanwhile, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems address the operational core of a business, handling resources, finances, supply chains, and other critical functions. Integrating Salesforce with an ERP system creates a unified ecosystem where information flows effortlessly between departments, breaking down silos and enabling organizations to operate with unparalleled agility. Let’s dive deep into why this integration matters and how it brings transformative changes to businesses.What is Salesforce and ERP Integration?
Salesforce and ERP integration connect the CRM system with the ERP system to ensure seamless data synchronization. This integration enables real-time updates between customer-facing teams (like sales and marketing) and back-office departments (like finance and supply chain). Common ERP systems that integrate well with Salesforce include SAP, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and others.Key Benefits of Salesforce and ERP Integration.
- Enhanced Data Accuracy
- Problem: Separate systems often result in duplicate or inconsistent data, causing errors in reporting and decision-making.
- Solution: Integration ensures real-time data synchronization, eliminating redundancy and improving data accuracy.
- Improved Customer Experience
- How: Sales teams gain instant access to inventory levels, order statuses, and delivery timelines directly in Salesforce.
- Impact: This enables them to provide quick and accurate updates to customers, improving satisfaction and loyalty
- Streamlined Workflows
- Integration Feature: Automating workflows between Salesforce and ERP reduces manual intervention.
- Example: When a salesperson closes a deal in Salesforce, the integration can automatically trigger an order creation in the ERP system.
- Better Financial Visibility
- Benefit: Finance teams can access sales forecasts, deal statuses, and revenue reports directly linked to ERP financial modules.
- Why It Matters: Why It Matters: This provides a clear picture of cash flow and profitability, aiding better financial planning.
- Faster Decision-Making
- How: Unified data provides a 360-degree view of business operations.
- Example: Managers can make informed decisions about production schedules, marketing budgets, or resource allocation based on synchronized data.
- Scalability for Growing Businesses
- Why Important: As businesses scale, managing separate systems becomes challenging. Integration offers a scalable solution, adapting to growth effortlessly.
The Business Impact: Real-World Applications.
1. Order Management Optimization Integration allows orders placed in Salesforce to be processed directly in the ERP system, streamlining the fulfillment process. 2. Predictive Analytics Combining Salesforce’s AI-driven insights with ERP data enhances predictive capabilities for inventory demand and customer behavior. 3. Efficient Resource Allocation Real-time insights from ERP help sales teams plan more effectively, avoiding overpromising or underutilizing resources. 4. Cross-Functional Collaboration Teams across departments—sales, marketing, finance, and operations—work with a single source of truth, fostering better collaboration.Why the Future Depends on Salesforce?
1. Adaptability to Trends Salesforce consistently evolves with market trends, incorporating AI, automation, and cloud capabilities. Businesses relying on Salesforce gain access to cutting-edge technologies that keep them competitive. 2. Customer-Centric Approach As the global business landscape shifts towards customer-first strategies, Salesforce’s CRM capabilities become indispensable. 3. Future-Proof Integrations The platform’s ability to integrate with ERP systems ensures businesses can leverage their existing infrastructure while embracing digital transformation. 4. Global Reach and Scalability Salesforce supports businesses of all sizes, ensuring scalability for startups and enterprises alike.How to Implement Salesforce and ERP Integration?
1. Assess Business Needs Identify critical processes and pain points that require integration. 2. Choose the Right ERP System Ensure compatibility between Salesforce and your ERP. 3. Opt for Middleware Solutions Platforms like MuleSoft (owned by Salesforce) facilitate seamless integration. 4. Engage Experts Partner with experienced consultants to ensure a smooth integration process. 5. Test and Train Conduct extensive testing and provide training for end-users to maximize ROI.Conclusion
Salesforce and ERP integration is more than just a technological upgrade; it’s a strategic investment for growing businesses. By aligning front-office and back-office operations, this integration enables organizations to operate efficiently, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and stay ahead of the competition. As the business world continues to evolve, staying with the trend by leveraging Salesforce’s robust integration capabilities will ensure sustained growth and long-term success. With its customer-centric focus, adaptability, and seamless integrations, Salesforce isn’t just a tool—it’s the future of business efficiency. Is your business ready to integrate Salesforce with your ERP system? Now is the time to embrace this transformation and unlock your company’s full potential.Power BI and Excel: How to Leverage Both for Data Reporting
A Powerful Duo for Data Reporting:
In today’s data-centric business environment, efficient data reporting is critical for making informed decisions. Two of the most powerful tools for data analysis and reporting are Microsoft Power BI and Excel.
While Excel has been a staple for data manipulation for decades, Power BI has emerged as the go-to solution for data visualization and real-time business intelligence. But did you know that combining the strengths of both can transform your reporting capabilities?
This blog will guide you through the features of Power BI and Excel and explain how leveraging both tools can help you achieve more effective and efficient data reporting.
- Understanding Excel: A Time-Tested Tool for Data Manipulation
Excel has been the foundation of data analysis for many professionals. Its intuitive interface, coupled with a rich set of formulas, functions, and pivot tables, makes it an indispensable tool for tasks like financial modeling, data cleaning, and scenario analysis.
- Data Organization and Calculation: Excel allows users to organize and manipulate raw data, perform calculations, and create structured reports. Formulas such as VLOOKUP, SUMIF, and IF statements help automate analysis for quick insights.
- Pivot Tables and Charts: Pivot tables are a standout feature, allowing users to summarize large datasets into meaningful information. Excel charts, while somewhat limited in interactivity compared to Power BI, are great for static data presentations.
- Ease of Use: One of the main reasons Excel is widely adopted is its familiarity. Almost every business professional knows how to use it, making it a convenient starting point for data analysis.
However, Excel does have its limitations. When working with large datasets, the application can slow down, and its ability to create interactive and real-time reports is limited.
- Introducing Power BI: A New Era in Data Visualization
Power BI is a business intelligence tool that specializes in transforming raw data into interactive visualizations and reports. Its strength lies in its ability to connect to multiple data sources, create dynamic visuals, and allow for real-time collaboration.
- Data Visualization: Power BI excels at turning complex data into easy-to-understand visuals, from bar charts to interactive heatmaps. The drag-and-drop interface allows users to create dashboards and reports that are both interactive and insightful.
- Real-Time Reporting: One of the standout features of Power BI is its ability to refresh data in real time, pulling information from various databases, cloud services, and APIs. This capability allows businesses to access up-to-date insights whenever they need them.
- Collaboration and Sharing: Power BI is cloud-based, which means users can share dashboards and reports with colleagues and stakeholders effortlessly. Its collaborative features make it easy for teams to work together on reports and align their insights.
While Power BI is exceptional at creating visual reports, it may not be the ideal tool for complex calculations or detailed data manipulation, where Excel still shines.
- Why Combine Power BI and Excel for Data Reporting?
The real power comes when you integrate Power BI with Excel. By leveraging the strengths of both tools, you can create a comprehensive reporting solution that offers both deep data analysis and advanced data visualization. Here are the key benefits of using them together:
- Enhanced Data Modeling: Use Excel for complex data modeling and calculations, then visualize the results in Power BI for clearer presentation. This allows you to dig deeper into data trends while making the results more digestible.
- Seamless Data Flow: Power BI enables seamless import of Excel workbooks, meaning you can use Power BI to visualize data you’ve already processed in Excel. You can also use Power BI’s “Analyze in Excel” feature to view Power BI datasets in Excel, where you can apply advanced Excel functions.
- Scalability: Excel is great for small to medium-sized datasets, but when it comes to handling large data volumes, Power BI’s performance far exceeds that of Excel. Integrating both tools allows you to scale your data reporting needs efficiently.
- Collaboration and Distribution: By integrating Power BI’s cloud capabilities, Excel data can be updated in real-time, making it easier to distribute accurate, up-to-date reports to team members and stakeholders.
- Practical Scenarios: When to Use Power BI, Excel, or Both
Understanding when to use Power BI, Excel, or both tools can significantly enhance your data reporting process. Here’s a breakdown of typical use cases for each tool:
- When to Use Excel:
- For quick, ad-hoc data analysis and manipulation on smaller datasets.
- When applying complex calculations and formulas to data.
- For producing static reports and performing detailed data cleaning or modeling.
- When to Use Power BI:
- When dealing with large datasets that need to be visualized quickly.
- For creating interactive reports and dashboards that are easy to share.
- When you need real-time data updates and collaboration across teams.
- When to Use Both:
- When you need to analyze raw data in Excel and then visualize the outcomes in Power BI.
- When you want to scale up your data models from Excel to handle larger datasets in Power BI.
- For ongoing, dynamic reports where Excel is used for the backend data manipulation, and Power BI is used for front-end reporting and collaboration.
- How to Integrate Power BI and Excel for Maximum Effectiveness
Integrating Power BI and Excel is surprisingly straightforward. Below are a few ways you can combine the two tools:
- Importing Excel Data into Power BI: You can easily import your Excel workbooks into Power BI by connecting Power BI to your Excel files stored locally or in the cloud (e.g., OneDrive, SharePoint). Once the data is imported, you can create visuals and share them in Power BI reports.
- Using Power BI’s Analyze in Excel Feature: Power BI allows users to export datasets back into Excel using the “Analyze in Excel” option. This feature opens the Power BI data model in Excel, where you can build pivot tables and apply Excel’s advanced functions for further analysis.
- Power BI Publisher for Excel: Power BI Publisher for Excel is an add-in that allows users to pin Excel content, such as ranges or charts, directly to Power BI dashboards. This feature helps users share Excel-based insights within Power BI dashboards for a complete view of the data.
- Best Practices for Using Power BI and Excel Together
To get the most out of Power BI and Excel, consider following these best practices:
- Data Preparation: Clean and prepare your data in Excel before importing it into Power BI. This ensures that you’re starting with reliable data, reducing the chances of errors down the line.
- Automate Where Possible: Use Power BI’s ability to refresh data automatically. Excel, when connected to Power BI, can pull in fresh data without the need for manual intervention, saving time and ensuring accuracy.
- Leverage Power Query: Use Power Query in both Excel and Power BI to transform and prepare data. It’s a powerful tool that helps you clean, filter, and organize data before analysis, making it easier to build meaningful reports.
- Visualize Thoughtfully: Avoid cluttering your Power BI reports with too many visuals. Choose the most impactful charts and graphs and remember that the goal is to communicate insights clearly and effectively.
Conclusion: The Power of Using Power BI and Excel in Tandem
By integrating Power BI and Excel, you unlock the best of both worlds—Excel’s robust data manipulation and analysis capabilities with Power BI’s dynamic data visualization and real-time reporting.
Whether you’re dealing with small datasets that need detailed analysis or large datasets that require comprehensive visual insights, using both tools can streamline your reporting process and enhance your decision-making capabilities.
With Power BI and Excel working together, you can transform raw data into actionable insights, making your reports more interactive, collaborative, and impactful. Whether you’re a data analyst, business leader, or team manager, leveraging these tools can significantly improve how you handle and present data for your organization’s success.
Tips to Find the Right App Development Partner: Key Considerations for Your Project.
In today’s fast-paced digital world, a mobile app can be a game-changer for businesses looking to expand their reach and engage more effectively with their customers. However, finding the right mobile app development company is critical to ensure your app’s success. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to select the right partner.
Why should you hire a Mobile App Development Company?
A professional mobile app development company also ensures that your app is designed with a user-friendly interface and offers a seamless experience across devices. They stay updated with the latest trends, ensuring your app remains competitive and meets industry standards. Moreover, they offer scalability, allowing your app to grow as your business expands, while ensuring long-term maintenance and updates to keep it functioning optimally.
To simplify your search, here are some key tips to guide you in choosing the best mobile app development company for your project.
- Define Your App’s Requirements:
- Evaluate Their Portfolio:
- Check Client Reviews and Testimonials:
- Assess Technical Expertise:
- Evaluate Their Communication Skills:
- Look for a Transparent Pricing Model:
- Check for Ongoing Support and Maintenance:
- Understand Their Development Process:
- Ensure They Align with Your Business Culture:
- Verify Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights:
Achieving Efficiency in Process Automation
Automation is the process of using technology, such as software, machinery, and other systems, to perform tasks and processes with minimal or no human intervention. Its primary goals are to increase efficiency, improve accuracy, reduce costs, and free up human resources for more complex and creative tasks. Automation is widely used in various industries, including manufacturing, IT, finance, and service sectors.
What is Process Automation?
Process automation is the use of technology to execute recurring tasks or processes in a business where manual effort can be replaced. It aims to streamline workflows, reduce the need for human intervention, improve efficiency, and ensure consistency in operations. By automating processes, organizations can save time, reduce errors, and increase productivity. Common tools for process automation include software applications, robotic process automation (RPA), and artificial intelligence (AI) systems.
Key reasons why Process Automation fails.
- Lack of Clear Objectives: Without well-defined goals and expectations, it’s difficult to measure success or ensure the project meets business needs.
- Inadequate Planning and Preparation: Failing to thoroughly plan and prepare for automation can lead to missed requirements, unrealistic timelines, and resource shortages.
- Insufficient Stakeholder Engagement: If key stakeholders, including end-users, are not involved in the project, the solution may not meet their needs or gain necessary support.
- Poor Change Management: Automation often requires changes in workflows and job roles. If these changes are not well-managed, employees may resist or not adapt well to the new system.
- Lack of Expertise: Without the right technical skills and experience, the automation solution may be poorly designed or implemented, leading to technical issues and inefficiencies.
- Overlooking Process Analysis: Automating a poorly designed process will not yield the desired benefits. It’s crucial to optimize the process before automating it.
- Insufficient Testing and Maintenance: Failing to thoroughly test the automated processes can result in errors and disruptions. Continuous maintenance is also necessary to address any issues and make improvements.
- Ignoring Data Quality: Automation relies on accurate and consistent data. Poor data quality can lead to errors and inefficiencies in automated processes.
- Lack of Scalability: An automation solution that cannot scale with the business can quickly become obsolete or require costly rework.
How to overcome challenges in Process Automation?
- Define Clear Objectives and Scope
- Set Specific Goals: Clearly outline what the automation project aims to achieve, such as reducing costs, improving accuracy, or increasing speed. These goals should be measurable and aligned with overall business objectives.
- Scope Management: Define the boundaries of the project to prevent scope creep. Identify which processes are to be automated and establish criteria for success.
- Thorough Planning and Preparation
- Detailed Roadmap: Develop a comprehensive project plan that includes timelines, milestones, resource allocation, and risk management strategies.
- Resource Assessment: Ensure that you have the necessary resources, including skilled personnel, technology, and budget, before starting the project.
- Engage Stakeholders Early and Often
- Inclusive Involvement: Involve all relevant stakeholders, including management, IT, and end-users, from the outset. Their input can provide valuable insights and help in gaining buy-in.
- Regular Communication: Maintain open lines of communication throughout the project to keep stakeholders informed and engaged.
- Effective Change Management
- Change Management Plan: Develop a plan to manage the changes automation will bring. This should include strategies for training, communication, and support to help employees adapt.
- Training Programs: Provide comprehensive training to ensure that users understand how to work with the new automated processes.
- Build Expertise and Leverage External Knowledge
- Skilled Team: Assemble a team with the necessary technical and process expertise. This might include hiring new talent or upskilling existing employees.
- Consult External Experts: When necessary, seek advice from consultants or experts in process automation to guide the project.
- Optimize Processes before Automating
- Process Analysis: Conduct a thorough analysis of the processes you plan to automate. Identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
- Process Redesign: Redesign processes to optimize performance before implementing automation. This ensures that you are not automating inefficiencies.
- Comprehensive Testing and Continuous Maintenance
- Rigorous Testing: Perform extensive testing of the automated processes in a controlled environment before full deployment. This helps identify and fix issues early.
- Ongoing Maintenance: Establish a maintenance plan to regularly review and update the automated systems. This ensures they continue to function correctly and adapt to any changes in the business environment.
- Accurate Cost Estimation and Budgeting
- Detailed Budgeting: Create a detailed budget that accounts for all potential costs, including initial implementation, training, maintenance, and potential contingencies.
- Monitor Expenses: Regularly track and review expenses to ensure the project stays within budget.
- Ensure Data Quality and Integration
- Data Cleaning: Ensure that the data used in the automation process is accurate, complete, and consistent. Clean and standardize data before implementation.
- Seamless Integration: Ensure that the automation tools integrate smoothly with existing systems and data sources. This prevents data silos and ensures seamless operation.
- Design for Scalability and Flexibility
- Scalable Solutions: Choose automation tools and technologies that can scale with your business. This ensures that the solution can grow and adapt as your needs change.
- Flexible Architecture: Design the system to be flexible and adaptable, allowing for easy modifications and updates as new requirements arise.
Let’s have a look at Recent Trends in Process Automation:
- AI and Machine Learning Integration: AI and machine learning are being increasingly integrated into process automation to enhance decision-making, predict outcomes, and improve efficiency. This includes predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and intelligent process automation (IPA).
- Robotic Process Automation (RPA): RPA continues to be a major trend, with more sophisticated bots that can handle complex tasks and integrate with various systems. The focus is on scaling RPA across the enterprise and integrating it with other technologies like AI and machine learning.
- Intelligent Document Processing (IDP): IDP uses AI to automate the processing of unstructured data from documents, emails, and other sources. This helps in streamlining data entry and improving accuracy.
- Hyper automation: This involves the use of multiple technologies such as RPA, AI, machine learning, and analytics to automate as many business processes as possible. Hyper automation aims to create a more comprehensive and efficient automation strategy.
- Low-Code/No-Code Platforms: These platforms allow business users to create automation workflows without extensive programming knowledge. This democratizes process automation and accelerates digital transformation initiatives.
- Process Mining and Discovery: Process mining tools help organizations understand and analyze their existing processes to identify automation opportunities. These tools provide insights into process inefficiencies and bottlenecks.
- Cloud-Based Automation Solutions: Cloud-based automation solutions offer scalability, flexibility, and reduced infrastructure costs. They also enable remote work and collaboration, which is increasingly important in today’s business environment.
Conclusion:
While the path to process automation might be difficult, knowing and overcoming these barriers helps pave the road for effective adoption.
Businesses can address these challenges by prioritizing change management, phased deployment, seamless integration, skill development, data security, process definition, and transparent measurement.
Embracing these solutions not only ensures a smoother transition but also positions organizations for long-term success in an increasingly automated world.
Measuring Key metrics for BI implementation success
Key metrics to measure for BI implementation success
Recent technological shifts in the industrial landscape have highlighted the importance of using BI (Business Intelligence) tools for operational efficiency and growth. However, BI implementation is not a one-size-fits-all solution – it needs a tailored approach to specific business scenarios. Evaluating the success of the BI system implemented is just as consequential to the business efficiency as assessing the suitability of the BI tool for your enterprise. Like any other change executed in an organization, measuring the impact and value of the BI services implemented through key metrics is crucial to determine whether the solution fits the business’s long-term goals and drives sustainable growth. Let us explore the essential BI metrics businesses should track for a successful BI implementation in detail.
What are BI metrics and KPIs?
BI metrics are quantitative measures that track and evaluate the overall performance, quality, and efficacy of the BI systems or tools implemented in the organization. They track progress in both short-term and long-term objectives. KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are strategic measures that align your business objectives with the business goals and priorities. These KPIs help the organization quantify and communicate the impact and value of the BI solutions on its specific functions. Various teams can access actionable insights from the data, highlight errors, and take appropriate actions by tracking KPIs.
How can businesses measure Key metrics for BI implementation success?
Determine BI objectives
The foremost aspect of measuring the progress of a BI implementation project is having clearly defined objectives and results expected from the BI insights. Implementing a BI framework is not just a tactic or strategic step. Fundamentally, it starts with an understanding wherein all department heads and stakeholders are involved in defining the department’s objectives and priorities. Whether achieving operational excellence, increasing profits through sales, or enhancing customer value – the organization needs a clear vision for both the short and long term. Further, it also includes recognizing the limitations of the BI framework and what it can do for your organization.
Choose the right metrics and KPIs
While measuring the success of BI implementation, the organization needs to choose the metrics that align with its business goals. Several factors influence the metrics a business should choose to evaluate its BI success. The company’s vision for BI implementation, its stakeholders, resource availability, and the scope of BI usage – all these considerations influence the type of metrics relevant to the specific BI strategy of the business.
Here is a comprehensive list of the essential metrics and KPIs to measure the success of BI implementation for businesses:
Overall Business Value
When implementing a BI solution, measuring the overall value it generates for the business is one of the most critical measures for evaluating its impact. Examples of KPIs to measure business value could be:
Return on Investment (ROI) –
Businesses can measure ROI by comparing the cost of their BI solution (including hardware, software, and user employees) to its benefits (For example, cost reduction, increased revenue or profits from better decision-making) Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) –
While measuring marketing efforts, CLV reflects the total revenue a business can expect from a single customer throughout its relationship with the company.
Net Promoter Score (NPS) –
NPS indicates customer loyalty and satisfaction as measured in market research surveys. Employee engagement-
The human resources team can measure this metric by KPIs such as employee turnover and retention rate, absenteeism, performance, etc.
Innovation rate –
It is a metric to measure product innovation by calculating the percentage of revenue share of innovations out of total revenue.
Data Quality
The quality of the information generated from BI systems/tools in an organization is paramount in determining how effective its BI strategy and implementation are. Veritably, the accuracy and validity of insights reported to the management have implications for decision-making. For example, inconsistent or inaccurate data can hurt more than it helps the organization’s strategy. Examples of KPIs to measure the consistency, accuracy, timeliness, and relevancy of the information available to the stakeholders could be:
Error rates
Duplication of data
Missing values
Validity checks
User Acceptance
How well the users of a BI system or tool adapt to its application can be measured by these KPIs:
Data literacy and Data Usage. Data literacy measures the degree to which users of the BI tools and systems in the organization can understand, analyze and communicate with the data. Whereas Data usage refers to the frequency, user profile and objective of the data accessed and consumed within the organization.
Data delivery Data delivery includes the technical aspects of the performance of your BI tools or systems. While all BI systems will generate insights from the data and help in decision-making, it is critical to answer the hows and whys of these insights in terms of:
Speed
Response time
Data Backup or recovery status Data availability or refresh rate
Technical compliance
To measure these KPIs, the technical team needs to define clear and specific requirements, test and optimize the BI system implemented, and monitor and report any technical issues.
Project Management It is critical to measure the delivery and execution of the BI project in terms of parameters like – project scope, budget, project schedule and quality. The KPIs to measure the BI project management are: Project completion rate Deviation from set project guidelines Project risk and issues Stakeholder management The project management teams must adopt best practices and guidelines and use appropriate project management software to track these KPIs effectively.
Data Governance
Data Governance metrics ensure the BI framework follows the organization’s policies, standards and regulations. These key metrics can determine the speed, reliability and user-friendliness of the data platforms or tools used for the BI implementation.
Example of a business measuring KPIs for BI implementation
To simplify these metrics, let’s take an example. Organization ABC produces raw materials for the textile manufacturing industry. To address their challenges related to profitability and to streamline their manufacturing operations and management approvals for shipping, they implemented a BI service – say, Power BI consulting services for their organization. After implementation, they need to set KPIs to measure its effectiveness. In case of company ABC, their key metrics to measure BI implementation success would be: ROI (Return on investment) – to measure profitability resulting from Power BI system resulting from improved operations Data Delivery – To measure the technical performance (example refresh rate, etc.) of the Power BI dashboards against technical benchmarks Data Quality – To ensure validity checks to automate management approvals using Power Automate and to measure impact on decision-making with real-time insights Project management – To measure the success of delivery projects over a period and streamline logistics through centralized data using Power BI. By keeping a primary focus on measuring these metrics, organization ABC can evaluate the effectiveness of Power BI development services implemented in their long-term and short-term operational and profitability goals.
Improve Key Metrics and KPIs
In addition to choosing the right metrics in line with the business objectives and measuring KPIs, it is also essential to continuously monitor the progress and improvise these metrics.BI implementation is more of a continuous phenomenon than an isolated event, and like other technology-based systems, it needs regular upgrades and improvements.
Conclusion
In essence, while implementing a BI system, businesses need to establish clearly defined objectives to achieve as an outcome of the implementation and choose suitable tools for their business. The key metrics and KPIs to measure BI success in an enterprise include- overall business value, data quality, user acceptance, data delivery, project management, and data governance. Further, it is crucial to track the progress and make continuous improvements in the system in response to the evolving needs and priorities of the organization. Have you implemented a BI system in your organization? What metrics are vital to your business to achieve BI outcomes? If you are looking for to hire a Power BI developer for your business or would like to know more about our BI consulting services, get in touch with us – we’d love to hear from you!
Ensuring Compliance in Today’s Data-Driven Era
We live in an era where digitalization shapes all our interactions, transactions, and work. Digital Transformation is no longer a buzzword – it is a necessity for businesses to integrate digital technologies in all aspects of their operations to survive and thrive.
However, most industries need to comply with the laws and regulations applicable to ensure the trust and security of their stakeholders and customers. While digital transformation can drive innovation and give a competitive edge, failure to consider its impact on regulations can result in penalties, lawsuits, and loss of reputation.
Ensuring regulatory compliance is an integral part of your digital transformation strategy. It can help your business avoid pitfalls and give you a competitive edge in the industry.
In this blog, we will explore how businesses can reap the benefits of ensuring compliance in the age of digital transformation.
Regulatory Compliance in highly regulated industries
While every industry operates on some form of rules, laws and regulations, some sectors have more stringent regulatory laws than others. Industries like Pharmaceutical and Healthcare, Finance & Banking, Education, and the legal sector (to name a few) have a heavier impact of laws and regulations in their functioning.
The reason is that these industries generate and use sensitive and confidential data -like personal, medical, financial information, and trade secrets. Recently, there has been a shift in these industries towards digital technologies to collect, analyze, and store data from various sources – whether it is cloud services, IoT implementation, or using BI (Business Intelligence) software for data analytics.
This technological shift in operations makes enterprises vulnerable to security breaches and data leaks, and it is critical to safeguard this data to protect public interests.
The regulatory authorities monitoring this compliance ensure that organizations handle data with ethical fairness and transparency in all functions, including while implementing digital transformation initiatives.
For example, the healthcare industry uses confidential patient data for research, drug development and patient outcomes. While they have adopted digitalization in the form of EHRs (Electronic Health Records) and telemedicine, they must also comply with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) in Europe and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) in the US.
Similarly, the Finance industry is rapidly evolving and adopting advanced technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and advanced data analytics and BI (Business Intelligence) tools. In doing so, they must consider the impact of technologies adopted on compliance with GDPR and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
How can companies Ensure compliance while adopting data-driven processes?
Industries can successfully implement data-driven initiatives and technologies while navigating regulations and compliance in the following ways:
Reviewing existing compliance programs
Implementing an ISMS (Information Security and Management System) like ISO and other external audits
Setting up Data Policies and Procedures
Implementing measures for data protection and security
Conducting Regular Internal audits for data protection
Balancing Innovation with Compliance in the Age of Digital Transformation
While innovation is the catalyst for industries to drive growth, compliance is the backbone of highly regulated industries that keeps them from falling apart. It is crucial to balance the innovation brought about by implementing digital transformation with the necessity of regulations.
To maintain this delicate balance, innovation and compliance must be netted into the organization’s culture.
Your digital transformation strategies should include selecting technologies that align with the business’s operational goals and objectives. On the other hand, enterprises should adopt a compliance-first culture to ensure that none of the technologies employed to collect, analyze, and store data overlooks the data protection and regulatory guidelines. Whether an MSE or an international enterprise with varying local laws and rules, industries can adapt their digital strategies coordinated with the regulations respective to their operating regions.
Conclusion
As a final note, while implementing digital transformation initiatives – whether developed in-house or by hiring a technology service provider in – let’s say, Cloud, IoT, or BI services, ensuring compliance with the regulations is tricky but crucial for businesses. By ensuring compliance with data protection laws, companies can avoid unnecessary penalties and losses and maintain trust and goodwill among their stakeholders and customers.
Additionally, the digital transformation strategy must involve a fine balance between technological innovations and following rules and laws to tread the path of growth with a competitive edge in the digital era and beyond.
At Codeplateau, we consider data protection and privacy in high regard while ensuring our customers can harness the full benefits of our digital transformation services.
If you have any questions or would like to know more about our services, feel free to contact us– we are always happy to help!
Carbon credits for industries: A comprehensive overview
As the effects of climate change are becoming undeniably visible with time, there is an increasing awareness of terms like carbon, credit, carbon footprint, or carbon offsets.
In this blog, we will explore what carbon credits for industries mean and their solutions to reduce carbon footprint in detail.
International efforts to reduce carbon footprint
The United Nations (UN) set up the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to address the challenges of climate change. To mitigate climate change effects, the panel set goals to reduce carbon pollution so that the temperature increase stabilizes to 1.5 degrees by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels.
The increasing temperature of the earth is due to the total amount of carbon present in the atmosphere, not just the carbon emitted.
Therefore, to completely halt the temperature increase, we must balance the carbon emitted with removing carbon from the atmosphere.
In particular, for each gram of carbon that businesses and individuals emit, they must extract one gram of carbon from the atmosphere.
Consequently, this will ensure the overall mass of carbon in the atmosphere remains fixed and that there is a net-zero emission.
To achieve this target, we need to reduce our overall emissions to a 45% reduction by 2030 and reach a net-zero target by 2050.
Assigning carbon credits was a mechanism devised by the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015 formed by the IPCC to quantify the carbon footprints of an industry.
Background – Carbon Credits, Carbon Offsets and Carbon Markets
All industrial activities inevitably produce carbon and other Greenhouse gases (GHGs) as a biproduct. The government permits industries to emit a limited amount of these GHGs or carbon to curb its adverse climatic impact.
Carbon credits:
A ton of GHG gases emitted equals one carbon credit. For a company, the number of credits received declines over time, and they can sell any surplus credits to other companies to reduce their carbon footprint.
Carbon Offsets:
Similarly, when a company removes carbon emissions as a part of its business activity, it generates an offset. The companies can offset their excess emissions by using renewable energy sources or energy-efficient processes, planting more trees, etc. Other companies can then purchase this carbon offset to reduce their carbon footprint.
Carbon markets:
On that account, the voluntary and regulated carbon markets had materialized. Carbon markets facilitate the companies to trade (buy or sell) their carbon credits and offsets.
In a regulated carbon market, governments or authorities issue carbon credits as a part of regulatory compliance, and the trading works on “cap-and-trade-model”.
On the other hand, voluntary carbon markets allow businesses and individuals to trade carbon credits to offset carbon emissions. However, unlike regulated markets, it is not mandated.
How are carbon credits for industries generated?
With today’s climate crisis, Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility are increasingly becoming the integral pillars of industries’ functioning. Various industries – including manufacturing, plastics, automotive, pharmaceuticals, Finance industry, aviation, and logistics are major carbon emitters and are therefore required to mitigate their carbon footprint and make net-zero commitments.
In practice, for most industries, the efforts in this direction involve setting up heavy treatment plants and implementing advanced technologies and other cash-heavy solutions.
However, there are some projects that industries can implement to generate carbon credits:
Invest in renewable energy –
by using renewable energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal, etc, for business activities or funding projects to generate renewable energy by using such sources.
Capture carbon from the atmosphere –
There are specific devices that companies can use to extract carbon from the atmosphere and store it on earth, which can then be used by plants or as a biofuel.
Recycling of materials like plastics
Soil carbon sequestration for agriculture –
farmers can extract soil from the atmosphere and store it in the soil that they can use for farming and productive activities.
Planting more trees and afforestation
Develop Energy-efficient products and services
that use less energy and produce more output.
Use substitute fuel sources-
like biofuels, bio-derived ethanol etc, for production activities.
Overall, increasing education and developing practical solutions to reduce carbon footprint are vital for industries to encourage green operations.
How do companies measure their carbon credits?
Predominantly, most companies aim to offset carbon emissions and position themselves as green companies with sustainable practices. But how do they measure the amount of carbon emissions reduced? How do they ensure the carbon credits they buy from other companies are authentic?
MRV (Monitoring, Reporting and Validation) of carbon credits
MRV (Measurement, Reporting and Validation) is a multi-step process through which third-party authorities can evaluate the carbon offset data.
Measurement:
It is the degree to which the evaluating party can quantify the carbon removal efforts of a company. Organizations must define a process or technology to measure the carbon removal from a specific project or activity. Then, they conduct measurements infield and update and revise protocols as and when required.
Reporting:
It includes providing reliable data and information related to measurement in a transparent and usable format. The developers of carbon removal projects set up a process for gathering, saving and presenting the data. They can either report this data to the evaluating parties or make the information on carbon credits publicly available.
Verification:
Independent third parties access and verify whether the data for carbon removal is accurate and complete. For this purpose, they conduct an audit at the beginning of a carbon removal project to validate it. Further, they monitor the emission reductions on an ongoing basis.
MRV is a mainstay mechanism for carbon markets that builds accountability and trust in the carbon-reduction
ecosystem. Hence, the accuracy and validity of data are crucial in maintaining the integrity of this system.
Digital technologies to reduce carbon credit:
To achieve long-term success in reducing carbon footprint and generating carbon credits, companies must invest in digital technologies that significantly reduce the use of paper and other carbon-generating activities.
Various studies have supported digitization in the operational process to yield sustainable outcomes for industries. For example, organizations can go paperless and increase efficiency by adopting digital data reporting and analytics systems like Microsoft Power BI instead of paper-based reporting systems.
Not only internal operations, but industries can also implement digital technologies to measure their sustainability initiatives and track progress towards their net-zero goals.
Further, technological advancements in digitizing and tokenizing carbon credits can streamline the carbon-trading process with increased transparency and accuracy.
Several countries are now implementing Digitization of MRV (DMRV) systems that simplify the MRV process and increase the efficiency of carbon markets.
Conclusion
As a part of international efforts to counter the impact of climate change, the IPCC devised climate credits as a mechanism for reducing carbon emissions from businesses and individuals. It creates a regulated and voluntary market where companies can trade carbon credits or permits for emissions.
Various industries with high carbon emissions can generate carbon credits and offsets by adopting sustainable practices for their operations.
The companies that cannot do so need to buy carbon credits from other companies and operate at a higher cost.
Moreover, independent third-party authorities access the validity and authenticity of the carbon credits of a company through a Monitoring, reporting, and evaluating system. This system creates trust and accountability amongst industries while trading carbon credits or offsets.
Finally, by embracing digital technologies, industries can reduce their carbon footprint and increase their carbon credit, thus contributing to a greener earth.
If you are wondering how digital technologies can enable growth in your organization without compromising on its environmental impact, you’ve come to the right place. Share your questions or get in touch with us- and let’s see how we can help your business achieve operational efficiency with sustainable digital solutions.
Simplify Workflows to Yield Results – Power Automate
With the ever-changing business landscape and the evolving needs of companies, processes get increasingly complex. Particularly for manufacturing companies to stay atop the competition, digital automation has become more of a necessity than a nice-to-have feature.
Today, more manufacturing companies are directing their focus to adapting digital technologies that can save time to focus on innovation and eliminate human errors – two crucial factors for success in this tech-driven era.
By using Microsoft Power Automate for process automation, companies can save time and costs by replacing manual and repetitive tasks with AI-powered processes.
What is Power Automate
Power Automate is a recently launched service in the gamut of Microsoft Power Platform. It is one of the low-code tools from Microsoft that works with an API (Application Programming Interface) approach to exchange data and interact with various software by integrating AI models into workflows.
Akin to Power BI for Analytics and PowerApps for app development, Power Automate for process automation is a dynamic tool that can transform operational workflows and help to achieve desired goals with increased speed, efficiency and accuracy.
Moreover, it can also break down complex projects into more manageable and automated steps, thus simplifying the overall business process.
While some companies still rely on manual processes for their functions, it can slow down the productivity and increase confusion. With Power Automate, companies can speed up synchronizing their data, getting management approvals, sending emails, or tracking project milestones.
Evidently, the benefits of implementing this system are absolutely worth the initial learning curve of this user-friendly tool. The best part is it comes complimentary with Microsoft 365 Suite which is already used by most companies today.
Power Automate can seamlessly perform a range of tasks – from a complex task like project management – to a much simpler task – such as extracting data from a document!
Use-Case examples of Power Automate in process automation
There are numerous use cases where Power Automate can significantly expedite the operational processes, some of which are:
Automated Purchase Order / Invoice approvals from management: When a request for a new purchase order/invoice arises, Power Automate can filter the POs/ Invoices based on pre-defined criteria (e.g. order value, product category) and send the approval request to relevant management teams.
Tender management: When qualified vendors send tenders for new equipment, Power Automate can trigger automated emails to vendors. It can collect and centralize their responses in one platform (e.g. Microsoft SharePoint). The system can notify relevant teams for review and decisions and even route the highest tender for approval.
Tax reconciliation: With Power Automate, finance and tax teams can export trial balance data from ERP software, reconcile inter-company transactions, and calculate the individual tax filing status of each legal entity.
Quality Control Issue Notifications: In case of a manufacturing defect, Power Automate can notify relevant teams via automated message or notification so that they can take prompt corrective action.
Shift handover between employees: When a production shift is over, Power Automate can gather data on key production metrics -including output, quality checks, downtime etc.), keeping the next shift personnel informed and enabling smooth handover.
Communication with suppliers: Manufacturers can use Power Automate to trigger notifications when stock reaches a minimum level to prompt suppliers to replenish stocks.
Let’s understand how Power Automate works in detail with one specific use-case scenario.
Use-case scenario:
Automate data extraction from a PO (Purchase Order) in a PDF format and data validation.
Imagine you are a Supplier for a manufacturing company. Every day, you receive numerous POs from your client in the form of a PDF document.
Your company keeps internal records of the purchase orders and invoices in Excel spreadsheets.
You need to compare and validate the information from PDF POs from those in Excel, but the process is time-consuming and is highly prone to errors from human oversight.
With Power Automate, you can effortlessly automate this process by creating a workflow, adding actions to the flow and letting it run.
Let us see how:
Both the Desktop and cloud versions of Power Automate let you create a workflow that consists of a set of actions you instruct Power Automate to perform. In this case, the series of actions on Power Automate Desktop would look like this:
- Click on New Flow
- Name your Flow
- Click on Create – You can schedule your flow at a specific time of the day.
- Select actions for your flow from the list of actions- For example
- Select Extract data from file under the PDF drop-down.
- Read data from Excel under the Excel drop-down.
- Add your variables to compare in both documents.
- Set conditions or loops to match the data from PDF to Excel
- Update the fields in Excel (Price, Quantity, etc.) if there are any discrepancies.
- Drag and drop every action to the central pane in the same sequence as you select them.
- Run the process flow.
- Next, you can automate sending Email or message notifications to update all teams or stakeholders so they can take swift action.
By following these simple steps and scheduling the flow, Power Automate can perform data extraction and validation at a much faster rate and refined accuracy instead of relying on onerous manual data entry and verification.
With the cloud version of Power Automate, you can select and run various advanced flows with AI. It can connect with any data source, including Microsoft SharePoint, Azure, SAP Automation, Amazon Web Services or other database.
What are the benefits of using Power Automate?
Power Automate can simplify a range of operational tasks in a company, which can be mundane and time-consuming – sometimes with lower results if performed manually.
Here are some of the ways Power Automate can give companies an edge over manual tasks:
Data-driven decisions – With automated processes, users no longer need to rely on guesswork to make important decisions as Power Automate processes data much more efficiently.
Improved workforce productivity – It can keep track of project milestones and progress and automate tasks like recording meetings and setting up calendars.
Simplified process – Employees no longer must go through long processes to get approvals for projects or data processing tasks.
Increased job satisfaction of employees – with more time saved from manual tasks to focus on more advanced and mentally stimulating tasks
Seamless Integration with other apps – One of the striking features of Power Automate is its ability to connect with a wide range of software. Be it Power BI from Microsoft for automating dashboards, Microsoft Office for documents, or even third-party connectors like OneDrive, MailChimp, or Asana – Power Automate can integrate with a multitude of apps for increased usability.
User-friendly interface – With its low-code system, users do not need extensive technical know-how to create and run workflows in Power Automate.
Scalability of projects – Power Automate can manage a large number of tasks, hence making it a powerful tool to manage complex projects.
Conclusion
Power Automate from Microsoft has emerged as a remarkably effective tool that manufacturing companies can employ to automate their processes – for simple and complex tasks.
With its low-code approach and connectivity to a wider range of software and databases, Power Automate is an effective and user-friendly service that can save time and costs. Further, it can also improve business processes, productivity and scalability by managing complex projects, streamlining approvals and automating reports on other Microsoft Power Platforms.
Organizations can reap the benefits of Power Automate at no additional cost – it comes free with Microsoft 365! Additionally, this low-code system can also save development time and costs for companies.
With its manifold benefits, Power Automate has made digital transformation in manufacturing companies much less daunting, and a step ahead with unparalleled efficiency.
If you have any questions about Power Automate or want to explore more about Microsoft Power Platform services, don’t hesitate to contact us – we’re happy to help!