(Graphic: The Herring Group) I’m a self-proclaimed numbers nerd, so it’s not surprising that one of the most gratifying projects I do each year is The Herring Group Landscape Industry Benchmark Report. What story does this year’s report tell? Most companies can be a lot more profitable than they are. Before we get into just how much more profitable landscape companies could be, here’s some background on our Benchmark Report, sponsored by Aspire , John Deere and Inova . This year, 151 companies participated, with revenue between $1 million and $120 million. To produce the report, we get income statements from all participants and format them to make them comparable. Then we analyze the data to generate useful insights for the participants. Key results At The Herring Group, we use operating profit margin to measure profitability. Operating profit equals revenue minus direct job expenses, indirect job expenses and overhead expenses (including straight-line depreciation expense). Operating profit margin is operating profit divided by revenue. This indicator measures customer satisfaction, the effectiveness of management and employees and efficiency. I encourage companies to plan for an operating profit margin of 12 percent and settle for anything above 10 percent as an initial […]

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Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) have announced that they are to collaborate on Industry 4.0 and broader digital transformation, aiming to set global best practice for the aluminium industry while improving the sustainability of EGA’s computing operations. Both Microsoft and EGA are members of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s Industry 4.0 Champions Network, which aims to accelerate Industry 4.0 adoption across UAE industry. Under the new agreement, the two companies will work together to progress EGA’s Digital Roadmap, which is already transforming EGA’s operations through digital capabilities such as artificial intelligence and big data. EGA and Microsoft will leverage the power of cloud computing to accelerate and scale the development of new digital solutions, shifting a third of EGA’s server infrastructure and applications to Microsoft Azure Cloud. Through digital transformation and by driving increased efficiencies, Microsoft’s cloud will empower EGA to make substantial energy savings. EGA is estimating to reduce the energy consumption of its overall computing operations by up to 65 per cent and CO2 emissions by more than 80 per cent. EGA will also develop a private Microsoft Azure Cloud at its sites, shifting a further third of its computing to this system, unlocking opportunities […]

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How to tell a compelling digital transformation story that boosts your share price getty Digital startup companies achieve extraordinary valuations in part by knowing how to tell a compelling story, crafting an exciting vision of their future that sends investors and analysts scrambling to jump on board. Established companies embarked on their own digital journeys can capture some of that same magic by learning how to tell their transformation stories in more powerful ways. Step 1: Establish a shared language for digital transformation A major key to success is having a shared, common language for thinking and talking about digital transformation. Such a language can help people across your enterprise view digital transformation in a more strategic and comprehensive way, instead of fixating on individual technologies and tactical implementation issues. Also, a shared language can help people in different roles and silos collaborate more effectively when planning and executing your digital transformation effort. We recommend a digital transformation language built around five key imperatives: Experiences . Using digital technology to create better experiences for customers, employees, and other key stakeholders. Insights . Using digital technology to generate new, actionable insights and activities that create business value and improve competitiveness, […]

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Mr. Mustafa O. Vazayil, Managing Director, Gargash Insurance Services LLC – Mr. M. Rajendran, Deputy Managing Director, Gargash Insurance Services LLC If the first leg of technology transformation, the insurance industry focused on enhancing internal efficiencies, the next leg is laying emphasis on improving customer experience and bolstering data and analytics capabilities, say top management executives at Gargash Insurance Services LLC. Gargash Insurance has been investing significantly in its digital capabilities to become increasingly agile, innovative, and customer-centric. "We are looking to give customers a total solution on our website and decreasing the time lag between choosing a policy to buying one. The customers will not have to wait for a quotation; they will be able to choose a policy online and buy it on the website in just a few clicks. A few insurers are ready with the capability and others are onboarding with us. By the end of March, we will have providers giving customers more choices on our website," said Mustafa O. Vazayil, Managing Director, Gargash Insurance. "There is no better way than to invest in technology to improve efficiencies and match the aspirations of customers." Talking about trends in the industry, M. Rajendran, Deputy Managing […]

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Chief Justice, Kamal Kumar looks on as President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere delivers his address at the official launch the Online Filing Software of the Judicial Department. Picture: FIJI GOVERNMENT Digital transformation is essential for any nation in order to better serve its citizens and when governments are committed to digital innovation and sustainability, it complements and promotes the effort to achieve all 17 SDGs. President, Ratu Wiliame Katonivere said this while officially launching the Online Filing Software of the Judicial Department at the Grand Pacific Hotel yesterday. “The new e-filing system is an end-to-end system that shall capture all the current physical workflow of the Courts, allowing for greater transparency and efficiency within the judicial system,” Ratu Wiliame said. “With a click of a button the status of case files can be checked, again allowing for easy access to the general public and the stakeholders. Furthermore, service kiosks will be made available so that litigants that are unfamiliar with technology can still be assisted to lodge cases and file documents,” he said. The online filing software is catagorised into two different modules that work effortlessly to provide e-filing services. Module 1 – Online Services (OLS) – caters to litigants, […]

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This second annual event will take a deep dive into the need for effective cybersecurity to keep up with the increasing pace of digital transformation within the industrial automation field. It will explore the development of a smart manufacturing center of excellence that targets the digital landscape as it continues to evolve. This event will provide a platform for sharing ideas and solutions to address the unfolding issues that are the result of rapid technological growth of critical infrastructures across multiple industries in such as oil/gas, chemical, water, and power generation. Who Should Attend? IT/OT technicians Engineers focused on cybersecurity Automation and control engineers Managers of plants Automation systems design engineers ​Project managers Sponsorship Opportunities Multiple sponsorship and exhibit opportunities are available for each ISA conference. View our sponsorship prospectus for more details and contact one of our sales representatives to secure your sponsorship package today. Get the Latest Updates Bookmark this page and check back often for the latest updates on this event. Sign up to receive ISA events emails to get the latest news on all of our conferences and webinars.

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With AWS as its preferred cloud provider, global insurance leader will use AWS capabilities and the AWS Europe (Zurich) Region to speed innovation and meet regulatory and security requirements SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN), today announced that Zurich Insurance Group (Zurich), a leading multi-line insurer providing property, casualty, and life insurance solutions globally, is moving its enterprise information technology (IT) infrastructure to AWS. Zurich will use AWS’s reliable global infrastructure, advanced analytics, and machine learning technologies to deliver new digital customer experiences and drive automation at scale, in support of its worldwide digital strategy. As part of the multiyear strategic collaboration, Zurich will move 1,000 applications to AWS by 2025, including core insurance and SAP workloads. Zurich will move its critical applications to AWS, simplifying, modernizing, and automating the company’s infrastructure. This approach will provide flexible and scalable application environments, enabling agile product development. Using Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS), Amazon Aurora (AWS’s fully managed MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible relational database built for the cloud), and AWS App Runner (AWS’s service to quickly deploy containerized web applications and APIs), Zurich will develop and bring new products to market quicker, saving approximately $30 […]

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Understanding the outcome you want with automation will determine the approach. The context of automation is critical, and to determine the right approach, you need to be clear on the outcome you want to achieve. Anurag Shah, head of products and solutions at Newgen Software, explores approaches to automation and the value of each. The vocabulary around digital transformation continues to evolve with advancements in technology. However, amidst all the cycles and waves of technological disruption, automation continues to dominate the conversations. Only the context of those conversations may differ. The context of automation is critical. An inappropriate application of any automation technology can adversely affect the outcomes. Many enterprises, for instance, have deployed chatbots to automate customer service. The results vary. Similarly, many have applied robotic process automation (RPA) for various use cases, from front-office processes to back-office operations, with mixed outcomes. The same holds for mobility, portal refresh, or artificial intelligence (AI). So, when we say we want automation, we must be clear on the outcome. Chatbots, for instance, typically replace human interfaces to offer control and cost-effectiveness, but human knowledge workers perform relatively better on customer engagement in cases dealing with subjectivity. Adding AI to chatbots […]

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Chris Lowndes and Barry Maybank share why digital twins and service-centric business models could be the answer to the ever-evolving challenges facing the manufacturing industry Recessionary headwinds, energy costs and sustainability – these are three key challenges facing today’s manufacturers, according to Avanade’s senior director of Industry X and digital twin lead Chris Lowndes, and Barry Maybank, senior director for manufacturing advisory in UK, Ireland and Europe. “Manufacturers continue to strive for a competitive advantage and new revenue streams, with an increasing need for resilience and optimisation in operations,” says Maybank. “At Avanade and Microsoft, we are seeing increasing demand from our manufacturing clients for help, advice and solutions across these key areas.” According to Maybank, these clients are looking to increase quality, speed and efficiencies in production processes; drive greater agility and resilience to respond to crises and changing demands; develop more sustainable manufacturing, with a drive to net zero; and upskill workforces. “There is now a unanimous understanding from IT, business and operations teams that digital tools, technologies and information are key to transforming manufacturing and meeting these needs,” says Maybank. “We help our customers with practical advice that builds on the digitalisation that we saw accelerate […]

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WALLDORF & MUNICH – SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced that BMW Group will expand its strategic partnership with SAP to accelerate its digital transformation. On January 25, 2023, this was sealed by both companies. Using the RISE with SAP solution, BMW Group will move its entire SAP software landscape. The company will merge its cloud strategy with its existing SAP S/4HANA systems, allowing for joint innovation for critical business areas, including finance, parts supply, warehousing, supply chain and production. This will help BMW Group to digitalize faster, more comprehensively and more efficiently in the future. Expanding a Long-Standing Strategic Partnership BMW Group and SAP look back on a long-standing strategic partnership. As part of RISE with SAP, BMW Group will have access to a cloud platform for end-to-end business processes. Alexander Buresch, CIO and Senior Vice President, BMW Group IT, said: ‘This strategic decision will help us to drive our digitalization leadership even faster forward. We are increasing the flexibility of our infrastructure and creating maximum global scalability. And most importantly, it allows us to bring business innovations to our customers and users much faster than before. That’s why I’m very much looking forward to the next steps […]

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