Got your head in the Clouds?

 

Often synonymous with a lack of understanding or far-away attitude, this phrase has not historically been something to be proud of. Interesting now then, with the bleeding edge of Business IT now firmly in cloud territory, that those who have got their head into the concept are reaping the rewards.

Many of those whom inspire in Business, either at a national or colleague level are people who live and breathe their craft and engrain it into their work; Accountants who can explain the World in constituent numerics, Engineers who lift the bonnet and formulate a practical solution, and creatives who flourish in their personal time with artistic pursuits or free-thinking. It is far easier to subscribe to another’s suggestions or directions when they live by the creed of what they are saying – and even more compelling when their approach spills over outside work and into ways of managing their personal life.

They say never to trust a cobbler with bad shoes, or a skinny chef, and it’s this disconnect between rhetoric and action which can cause you to come unstuck when taking a lofty journey into the Cloud Computing World as a Business owner or decision maker. The modern computing model is far more person-centric than it ever has been previously. With a shift by large Software Vendors (Microsoft and Google to name but a few) into the concept of ‘Per-person’ pricing with offerings like Office 365, it falls upon IT managers and directors to focus their efforts on holistic provision ‘per person’ which nullifies many legacy mechanisms for machine asset management and software licensing which is priced regardless of the human count. Service subscriptions like Spotify or iCloud have cemented this concept into the contemporary structure by centralising user accounts in the Cloud and firing out access from any app or internet terminal where the user enters their credentials.

So the tides are shifting, but it’s not yet a Tsunami. Your historical dwellings on the shore of the low-lying traditional IT mainland are not yet to be decimated and there is still a place for centralised, traditional models which could be considered legacy when stacked side-by-side with Cloud concepts. For those who do choose to pack up and move to the mountain and join the growing convention, the success really will come from whole-hearted adoption of the concept. If you are a change-leader or IT decision maker then this means sorting out your shoes and dusting down your own ways of working so that you can get your head into the cohesive ‘per-person’ Cloud IT experience.

If you have typically retained a paper diary, or one which never leaves Microsoft Outlook – why not try a cloud solution which can centralise your critical appointments and tasks for access anywhere with an internet connection. Google Calendar, or Exchange Online as part of Microsoft Office 365 are both great for Personal or Enterprise diary management and are built with Cloud benefits at their core. Likewise your Business telephony can be similarly empowered using a customised VoIP system and our Mobile Office applications to route your calls to wherever you are – not where your office happens to be. By taking your work home with you and shifting your own personal media, data, and organisation into Cloud systems - the full benefit of a coordinated Cloud computing ecosystem will start to become apparent to you as an individual.

Even better, the preparatory nature of Business and Personal IT as two discrete concepts is melting away. The lessons learned, and in some cases even products used, are increasingly interchangeable between home and the office. So what’s good for the Goose, really can be good for the Gander when it comes to Cloud adoption.

 

Communications revolution or the death of conversation?

We have available to us an unprecedented amount of communication channels in both our Business and Personal lives. Take a casual inspection of a typical working desktop I would take a wager that you will see at least 5 distinct channels, all of which offering a way to communicate with a different audience, in a slightly different way. But are we simply talking more, and listening less?

There has been a lot of theorising in recent years about the ‘death of email’ as a previously indispensable Business tool for timely communication. Indeed the latest and greatest in Business collaboration offerings from Basecamp, Evernote, Google, and the like all extoll the benefits of a new kind of communication and sharing. So with a new forum here, and a collaboration portal there, we are presented with yet more subtly different channels in which to lay down our burden of information.

But what is the real basis of good communication?  Humans are social creatures of a somewhat awkward persuasion, making definitive answers to this difficult to achieve. One way to quantify a successful communiqué would be the efficiency in relaying information, which is something that many struggle with. To quote French Theologian Blaise Pascal (albeit in an English translation): “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” Brevity is the enemy of time and perhaps we just aren’t very good at explaining everything through one medium.

Another way of looking at the challenge is to examine the sheer breadth of our social output. When we speak to somebody face to face, it is said that upwards of 80% of what you actually say is non-verbal. Body-language, tone, expressions and stature all provide a rich subtext which makes mere words seem akin to shouting down a cup and string to deliver Opera. Perhaps we need 5, 10, or even 20 discrete channels just to exorcise our inner urge to explain what we think, and why we think it.

Whatever the reason for rapidly growing range of communication channels, we should think of them all as part of single pipe. Imagine your broadband line as not just a small bundle of cables, but of a rich braid of threads which you and your employees, are using to weave messages which fly off to their destination. To this end there is no use in attempting to narrow or stem the tide of communication options open to us, we must instead embrace it.

But this invariably is easier said than done. I was in recent discussions with my old Secondary School where I spent many years in what now seems like a very simple era. With no Facebook, Twitter, and very few Smartphones we revelled in the opportunity to get home and log in to the (now extinct) MSN messenger in order to chat with friends. Emoticons were still novel, and an acute representation of the clamour to better express analogue feelings through a digital pipe. So the individual motivation hasn’t changed, but the circumstances certainly have. The School in question has an unprecedented challenge in deciding which channels to boycott, manage, or even endorse in order to make communication between School and Students work. The challenge is no different for Businesses or even individual relationships, where the same message through different channels can have a significantly different impact.

So we face an exciting time, but also one that requires action. Your staff want to communicate, and like a trickle of water through rock, they will find a way. Surely better to show them the way by installing the kind of solution which you think best fits your Business and way of working? Otherwise there is the real danger that everyone will be shouting, and nobody will hear…

What really sank the Titanic?

On the anniversary year of one of the worst civil maritime disasters in our history, this question has undoubtedly been asked afresh by families, engineers, sailors and critical thinkers alike.

Pose this question to a group of your friends or colleagues and a little thinking will betray a plethora of answers tracing up and down the chain of cause and effect. “It was the poor training of crew” those with a people disposition will cry, “It was poor quality Iron rivets” the engineers will theorise. My own answer is that fundamentally it was the bulkheads of the ship which allowed its demise.

There is a churning sea of problems and potential pitfalls in our endearingly chaotic world. We ultimately navigate it to the best of our seaworthiness and in fact the very fact that it isn’t plain sailing is the reason why we can enjoy challenges and the success which triumph will bring, either in our personal or business lives. The reason that I settle upon the 16 supposedly watertight bulkheads of the Ocean class liner being responsible for the sinking and loss of life is that the ship was always going to be exposed to many dangers in such a voyage. Even the consideration of the need for life jackets, lifeboats, bulkheads and sealed doors betrays the acknowledgement that something can always go wrong.

I argue that it was not something as striking as an iceberg, or as immediate as negligence of the crew, but the failure of the main thing which would have mitigated the damage that was responsible (whether or not that damage was avoidable). We all have to sail into choppy seas, and I believe the best preparation is to build your business with bulkheads from day one.

So what does this mean in real terms? Well the theoretical concept of dividing a ship to protect the whole from localised incidents, is what I am eluding to. By taking the time, effort and consideration to create watertight cells within your business you are building a ship which is prepared for peril, but not prone to disaster. An example of this is to set systems which are the lifeblood of your business beyond reproach. Email for instance is now the lifeblood of both internal and external communication for a vast proportion of UK businesses. Historically it might have been perceivable that a small amount of email downtime would be shrugged off by the momentum of the rest of your Titanic, but more recently, downtime of anything which is so fundamental for all aspects of your business is unlikely to stop flooding your ship once it starts.

Another example is training of your staff. Morale is of course critical in keeping your business on message and on track for your objectives whatever they may be. So when one unhappy member of staff leaves, or worse sticks around and sows seeds of discontent, you don’t want a seeping spread of their mentality into otherwise sound neighbouring components. So we forge a strong company ethos, and engage all the staff within it. This is exactly what I mean when I say that an “unsinkable” business will be compartmentalised, with each being considered a strong and structurally sound unit in its own right.

Taking this approach from day one is the way to feel a sturdy ship beneath your feet. You will have the confidence that the choices made and the materials forged have been used in a way that does not leave you exposed to one section flooding the rest. There will always be icebergs, and there will always be incidents, but with your bulkheads set firm then you should stay afloat. What really sank the Titanic?

The Trinity of Device success

Tap your pockets, glance around the room. Chances are you will register a few electronic devices of a modern persuasion. They are big business with Smartphones alone shipping 491.4 million units in 2011. We revel in the availability of well integrated electronic solutions to everyday challenges and would most likely be a little socially disadvantaged without them.

But what makes a successful device? Be it tablet computer, desktop, laptop or mobile handset, it’s no simple task for retailers to shoe-horn devices into a crowded market. It occurred to me that for a device to be successful it needs to lean firmly on a triangle of factors. The first is the hardware. Consumers are sharp on comparison of the numbers (even if they don’t know what they mean). Processor speeds for phones, pixel volumes for screens; contrast ratios for TV’s are all now bartering benchmarks now which not too long ago were solely the reserve of geeks and the technicians who designed them. It really is crucial to build a device with appropriate hardware. Over spec-ing will price you out of the market, and underperforming hardware gets little sympathy from the modern consumer. Many early Smartphones were loaded with features that their frail mobile processor just couldn’t handle, and some still argue the inflated price of Apple hardware is due largely to the choice of high grade hardware of questionable suitability.

The second pillar of importance for Businesses in the electronics sector is the software. When the shiny brick falls out of the block, the wide-eyed consumer is waiting for the moment when it lights up and starts to perform. At this point proper testing of software pre-installed on the device is crucial with usability and reliability being instantly scrutinised by the proud owner. If businesses get this wrong then it doesn’t matter how shiny the device, it will likely end up going through a window or on eBay. The HP TouchPad had what many considered to be a good software deployment, but it just turned people off. Something about the function of the inbuilt operating system built just never flew. On the flipside custom manufacturer deployments of the Android platform on suitable tablet hardware have taken the market by storm and brought many outsiders into the fold of mobile computing.

Finally, Businesses who want to stay the current maelstrom of electronic device retail need to get their after-sales support together. Arguably the most important of the three, it’s not just about what you sit around a development table and build in at the factory any more. Users don’t want to feel out in the cold once they have bought your product. They want to feel like they are just beginning on a journey of fun and productivity by buying it. To give them a great experience and secure a future for your next product Businesses absolutely must consider updates after the point of sale. The Blackberry playbook is a great value bit of kit with solid hardware and a good initial software setup, but it’s likely to be strangled off the shelves because its app store will never get up to speed. Alternatively staunch advocates of Apple products profess that they will forever retain unsurpassed access to apps and replacement/repair support because of the companies continued commitment to after sales engagement.

Depending on the chosen positioning strategy it is of course appropriate to lean on these three in varying degrees, but I challenge any manufacturer to ignore any one of them and still deliver a successful device.

Great Business Ideas are like great jokes

Most people who are interested in Business will have started to tune in to what they think makes a great Business idea. There is of course no right or wrong answer, which is why the process can be such an exciting one. There are positioning strategies, competitive strategies, and Business plan approaches galore for those who like reading. Personally I am developing an increasingly severe allergy to reading Textbooks so have to come up with my own theories.

One such theory has been formulated after a few years of kicking Business ideas around and seeing countless others demonstrate what works and does not. It can be said that in many ways a good Business idea is similar to a well considered, and well delivered, comedy styling.

You might have heard of an Elevator pitch. An American concept (but valid all the same) focussed on the idea that whatever your idea is and wherever you find yourself, you should be able to explain it well in 60 seconds. In that short time you should outline: what problem you are solving (if there’s no problem why are you doing it?), how you intend to solve it, and why you (of all people) are going to succeed doing it. Done right one of these little pitches could land you a lucrative second meeting, or inspire a Venture Capitalist on the spot. A successful pitch that works in only a minute is indicative of a much broader appeal to your idea, and evidence that it is founded on something solid which compels the listener.

Compare this with the theory of a joke or wisecrack. There is no Holy Grail of humour, but however our brain is wired up we usually chuckle because we have been taken on a journey, however short it may be. First there is the opener. Often implied by the comics accent, appearance, body language and chosen venue before they even speak their first line which will set the scene or lay out a ‘straw man’ for them to tear down later. Once the folly (or problem) has been laid bare, it’s time to cut it down to size and demonstrate your comedic insight with an observation or assertion. Then round off with a closer which may add another twist to the tale or simply further the initial assertion. Either way the well-practised comic has delivered their tale over the short space of a few minutes and brought the audience into a new way of thinking which has made them laugh. If they really hit the mark then that joke will even be repeated by those who heard it.

So your objective when pitching a great Business to a new listener is much the same. Lay out your stall, apply your kicker, add a twist and convince them you are worth listening to again. On the other hand a poor pitch or a joke that falls resoundingly flat first time is unlikely to land you a captive audience with the same participants in future. Those who practise and hone skills of persuasion and explanation are not immune to delivering a duff pitch or idea but they are far more likely to “get it right on the night” when the big opportunity comes around. Don’t be afraid to get out and practise, there is a reason why even great comics have warm up gigs which are free before they hit the big venues.

Group discount, Group disappointment.

Daily deals websites and the like have enjoyed a startling rise in popularity in the last few years. With sharp-eyed bargain hunters scouring a credit crunch landscape the prospect of a great deal is seemingly too good to miss.

Websites like Groupon, livingsocial and the annoyingly exclaimed "wowcher" are enjoying massive uptake flogging everything from driving lessons to dog toys. As a leader in the field Groupon has even managed to play hard ball with Google by batting off their $6 billion offering and go on to launch a succesful (if a little over-hyped) public offering which has seen Eric Lefkofsky laughing all the way to the bank (after cashing in a discount limo deal to get there). It has been estimated in the throes of 2011 success Groupon alone was gaining value at $20.8 million per day. Interesting to note though that his success this time has been based on a string of previous Business failures and an apparently enduring sense of arrogance when it comes to Business dealings.

But there is an ugly side to the daily deal. In cash-strapped times it would be nice to think that oiling the wheels of trade could only be a good thing. Customers try new things, retailers fill spare capacity, the middle man rightly takes their cut from the process and everyone is happy right? Well not always, perhaps there is a reason we have been selling things without 80% off their normal price for all this time..

Lets look at it from the consumer perspective. From personal experience cashing in a Groupon is much akin to plunging your hand into a bargain bin at a slightly less reputable supermarket. There are some absolute gems which you will be more than happy to have traded a little dignity for a good deal as you rummaged. Equally there are some less victorious discoveries that will make you rue the day you ever tried to save a few quid. A good example is restaurants. There are typically two reasons a restaurant will run a "come and try my food for almost nothing" routine. Either they have carefully considered the options, are confident on their service, and are taking a calculated risk that you will come back again so they can actually make some money. Alternatively the restaurant could be the most god-awful hell hole you will ever have the pleasure of eating at and you will be doubled up in pain or indifference for days after cashing in your 'megadeal'. Likewise by the nature of group buying and discounts, if you are compelled to sign up to a deal because it looks great, you had better join the crew of thousands of other in your area who are likely to come to the same conclusion. Cue virtual January sales-like queues of disgruntled bargain hunters who all want to cash in at once.

The deal operator does pretty well also, taking not far off 50% of the voucher value in many cases, they coast nicely in the middle with a minimum of customer service overhead and no actual production requirement to deliver any of the actual products or services which they have advertised to their loyal deal-hunting email list.


Whichever way I look at it however, I struggle to see how it ends up being good for the retailer. I am starting to think that it might be an elaborate and increasingly unfunny practical joke at the expense of the service provider who has to eventually honour the promise of massive discounts on their normal offerings. Take the example of the cake seller who got it all wrong. Rachel Brown knocked out a 75% off deal for 12 cupcakes from her delightfully quaint little bakery. Unsuprisingly her home baking appeal managed to notch up 8000 groupon sales. Of course these needed to be honoured and eager cake-munchers decided to cash in on much the same day leaving Mrs Miggins Rachel with over 100,000 cakes to bake. Naturally this caused chaos in the small village of Pontypandy and she eventually made a loss on every batch she sold. Blame who you like in this scenario, but all I know is the Groupon sales team who signed her up will have been working on a commission scheme that makes pyramid selling look like a jumble sale.

Likewise a custom furniture retailer called INFURN seems to have been brought to its knees by a 'big-boy' beanbag offer they ran in November which has turned their customer service to Mush and prompted a twitter and trustpilot outcry likely to leave them smarting from here until furnishing oblivion.

So its a mixed affair. Some winners but perhaps far more losers. It seems like retailers rarely go back for seconds once their offering has been devalued and their profits hit, so its very possible that one day in the future the middle men might just run out of backyards to defecate and we will see the end of daily deals as we know it.