Tag Archive for: Business and COVID-19

On The Other Side of COVID-19

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The State of Things Post COVID-19

While the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t completely behind us, we’re certainly close to coming out the other side. It definitely hasn’t been easy, as the road forward hardly ever is, and the last year will absolutely have a lasting impact. One way in which the pandemic impacted the world was through a swift acceleration into digitalization. With stay-at-home mandates, and health risks everywhere, much of society embraced a virtual expansion. Despite the sudden onset of the pandemic, a lot of the world was already prepared for a digital age. During the last few decades, society made giant technological strides. From the birth of the internet, smartphones, mobile apps, VR, AR, and so much more. Correspondingly, this technology already prepared many businesses to allow for remote staff and a work from home environment.

As the world reopens, though, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic won’t simply just disappear. In fact, the pandemic may have changed the world forever.

Impact on the Application Market

One of the few markets that saw a boom during the majority of the pandemic was the application market. This boom resulted from the intersection of a few key variables. The first; timing. This isn’t the first pandemic that’s swept the world. However, it’s the first pandemic to sweep the world since the birth of smart-tech, loaded with capabilities. This presented opportunity. The second variable; accessibility. In recent years specifically, there has been a push of creating accessible technology. In this same push is the shift to a more technological basis for education that includes coding, script writing, and programming. Finally; free time and isolation.

With smart technology an integrated aspect of everyday life, and the push for more accessible technology all around, the last pair of variables that led to the app market boom were free time, and isolation. With the surge in unemployment, more and more people were looking for a way to spend their days. Not to mention, social interactions were kept to a bare minimum, and stay at home mandates were implemented all over the country. Enter smart, accessible technology, paired with the college of YouTube, and other free avenues through which to learn programming, and suddenly a whole new pool of programmers and developers hit the scene.

That’s only half of the coin though. On the other side of this same perfect storm is the influx of user-base, for all the same reasons the app market saw an increase in developers. New users flocked to applications all across the market, from enterprise, to gaming, to meditation. It was truly a gold-rush.

Spreading The Word

While the surge in app developers, programmers, and users isn’t going anywhere in the post-pandemic wake; applications certainly helped to encourage users to get the vaccine. Organizations in today’s economy have higher expectations to participate in the social atmosphere than they have in previous decades. Corporate America isn’t perfect, by any means, but some of the players are at least trying. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, applications specifically, helped to encourage users to get the vaccine. Many applications used advertisement slots on their own dime to inform users on where to get the vaccine for free. Even large name applications like Tinder, and others, offered vaccinated users an incentive, like a free premium trial, date-night specials, or other in-app incentives.

Beyond Spreading The Word

Applications and technology helped us through the pandemic in more than one way, though. Applications also saw a boom in usership as they worked to bring people together in dire times, unlike any technology has before. Video conference applications like Zoom saw unprecedented growth as families relied on it to commune with one another, long distance relationships only survived because of it, and businesses got by with it. Gaming applications became a way for communities to develop even while individuals dealth with physical or mental isolation.

Enterprise applications were another market segment to see an influx during the COVID-19 pandemic. As businesses and organizations of all industries had to adapt to the virtual economy; many sought the help of enterprise applications. Business oriented applications designed to facilitate communication and collaboration between remote employees.

Beyond spreading the word, and bringing communities together, the technology available even helped in the actual creation and distribution of the vaccine itself. Discovering optimal distribution channels, running algorithms, and elevating scientific processes, the technology of today is, at least partially, responsible for the availability of the vaccine across the globe.

Looking Ahead

Moving forward, there is some question as to what the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic will be. However, there are some trends that certainly seem stickier than others. For instance, it’s quite possible that the majority of the workforce remains remote, as there seems to be little-to-no evidence that professionals were less effective working remotely. On the contrary, many studies found that the individual professional was more proficient working from home than they were in the office for a variety of reasons, and largely attributed to quality of work-life balance. Additionally, the lack of a commute to and from work, proved significantly beneficial to workers mental and emotional health, which ultimately led to stronger overall performance.

The application market as a whole, is also likely to remain in a ‘boom’ period. While a large percentage of amateur programmers and developers might begin to drop off from the scene, there are bound to be a few who fell in love and stick around. Not to mention, the influx in the userbase is likely going to see a much softer dropoff. Therefore, there will ultimately be a higher user-to-developer ratio in the application markets than we even saw during the height of the pandemic.

The Virtual Economy

In addition to the trends that are likely to stick around, the virtual economy is likely here to stay. Permanently. Businesses and organizations of all shapes and sizes faced a sobering reality during the pandemic. Supply chains all over the globe disintegrated into thin air, as a tragic number of smaller businesses closed their doors. The organizations that successfully pivoted from in-person operations to remote or virtual operations are the survivors. Larger organizations that took a financial hit also had to make the pivot from brick and mortar to remote operations. This is a lesson that won’t be soon forgotten. In fact, current and future businesses are more likely to offer remote services and virtual operations now, and moving forward, than any type of in-person services. If it’s possible to be digitized, it will be.

Of course, the entire world won’t stay virtual forever, with live-performances opening back up, and bars and restaurants inviting customers back indoors, a portion of society will always be personable.

A Brighter Future Beyond COVID-19

The last year+ of the COVID-19 pandemic really flipped the script in more way than one. Between the massive influx into the application market, and the push for a more digital economy; some of these soceital changes and trends are going to remain long after the last case of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on the application market as it stands, or help planning out your next mobile app venture, keep browsing NS804. NS804 is the proud developer of the everyday appreneur.

Is It Time To Launch a Custom Enterprise App?

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The Rise of The Custom Enterprise App

Organizations all over the globe adjusted operations over the past year in order to meet the needs of the market. Specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic completely altered the economy as we knew it. As a result, many companies began developing custom enterprise applications. These applications have a wide range of features and capabilities and vary significantly from business to business. However, despite the large variance in design and function, there is no denying that a custom enterprise app is perfectly capable of elevating your organization to the next level.

Finding the right time to invest in custom enterprise app development is sometimes crucial to successful implementation. Therefore, it’s vital to do your due diligence before pulling the trigger on custom enterprise app development to make sure that you’re setting yourself up for success.

Conducting an Internal Analysis

One of the very first steps to take in considering the development of a custom enterprise application is; conducting a thorough internal analysis. Performing an internal analysis is a vital process because it yields a waterfall of helpful insights and data that inform decision-making in the context of custom enterprise app development. For instance, by conducting an internal analysis you’ll gain impactful insights into the types of functions and capabilities to be sure to include.

Be sure to take note of your staff’s input when conducting your internal analysis. Staff will often provide deep insights into the exact functionalities that would benefit them the most. Then, by including those features in specific, you’re well on your way to a successful custom enterprise app design.

Another major area to pay attention to throughout the course of your internal analysis is your financial standing. This is arguably the most significant indicator to determine whether or not your firm is in need of a custom enterprise application. Furthermore, this data will allow you to know what sort of budget you would be able to invest in enterprise application development.

Developing Custom Enterprise Applications

As mentioned above, finances are an extremely significant determinant of when to develop a custom enterprise app. However, there is still more than one avenue through which appreneur’s and app developers can pursue custom enterprise app development. There are really three options when it comes to recruiting the programming team. First, you can look in-house if you have a few talented programmers, developers, and designers on staff already. This is arguably the most cost-effective as all of the development processes remain in-house and self-contained. Not to mention, when working with staff and employees, there’s a stronger internal sense of communication that already innately exists.

For those that aren’t lucky enough to have their own suite of developers in-house, there are still two other options. Organizations and decision-makers can look to agency developers, or they can seek help from a freelance developer. As you can imagine, each of these options comes with its own series of pros and cons. For instance, with freelance programmers, there is generally a higher risk associated with the quality of the end result, as well as timing, and other factors that could throw off your project. While some freelancers are more than worth their weight in salt, so to speak, there’s a wide market percentage of freelance developers that are under-trained and under-experienced whose work ends up being subpar. This can range from issues like bug-ridden applications full of faults; all the way to incomplete code, or a final design that feels clunky and unprofessional.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, if fishing for a freelancer isn’t your game; you can trust the development of your custom enterprise application to an agency developer.

Choosing Your Developer

By far one of the most enticing benefits of choosing agency developers to take on your custom enterprise application project is the guarantees that come with. Agency developers and programmers are often part of entire project teams. In other words, they’re pieces of the whole or cogs in the machine, if you will. As such, your app has more people working on it from a variety of angles. With design specialists to UX experts, and everything in between, by choosing an agency developer, you can rest assured your application is in good hands.

There is, however, a common misconception with the agency development avenue. Since agencies come with quality guarantees on design, user experience, and delivery, they too bring with them a slightly heftier price-point. Consider this, though; when it comes to application development costs, the true lifetime value of the development process is presented in the final application. In other words, while agencies may require a bit more capital; there is a lot less risk when it comes to the end result.

The Benefits To Employees

Committing the time and capital necessary to develop a custom enterprise application, though, will go miles. In the new economy that is nearly fully virtual and with the world quickly accelerating toward an entirely digital social experience, consumers are hungry for instant gratification. As well as instant results. Beyond the growing expectation for instant results in the consumer base, however; is the fact that a large majority of the corporate workforce now operates remotely. To accommodate the remote workforce, more and more companies are buying into custom enterprise solutions for their organization.

One of the most common areas that these custom enterprise applications address is internal communication. While there are plenty of options in the enterprise app market that already target communication, employees show a significant uptick in productivity and efficiency with custom solutions.

Communication Solutions

In today’s day, communication is being recognized as one of the most valuable elements in any context. This extends from business settings to emotional life situations, and every and any type of relationship in between. As such, business leaders and decision-makers have put a much stronger emphasis and priority on developing strong avenues of communication, both internally and externally.

Developing a well-connected and interlaced internal network through strong communication channels elevates business operations, efficiency, and employee productivity. By creating strong channels through which team members can communicate swiftly and seamlessly, you’ll be providing them the suite of tools that they need to conduct and complete their daily activities from wherever they may be stationed.

Equip Your Staff For Success

Following suit, by investing in a custom enterprise application; your company can create a unique suite of enterprise solutions that is specific to your organization. This is a major benefit. It’s a major benefit because it offers you and your team the opportunity to elevate and optimize the processes that are specific to your firm.

Wrapping Up On The Custom Enterprise App

Many companies are trusting custom enterprise applications with the bulk of their internal communications. Not to mention, firms are finding more and more uses for their custom enterprise apps each and every year. This is another benefit of investing in a custom enterprise application. Once your enterprise app is launched, it always has the ability to grow, scale, and adjust itself to the needs that are most pressing in your organization.

For more information on custom enterprise app development, or anything else related to application development, keep browsing NS804. NS804 is the proud development agency for the everyday appreneur.

Building a Team of Remote Workers

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Managing New Normals – Remote Workers

The year 2020 is going to go down in history. Firstly, there’s the worldwide pandemic that’s still raging on today. Secondly, on a more domestic front, 2020 was home to likely the most unorthodox election in the history of the United States. Therefore, it’s been a pretty hectic year all-in-all. However, it hasn’t been all bad. One result from this crazy and chaotic year was the rapid acceleration toward digital transformation and remote workers.

The wave of digital transformation has been forming for years. Over the last decade at least, more and more technology emerged in the business world. As these advancements came, they led the companies that operate ahead of the curve to already begin preparations for a digital age and the virtual customer. In 2020, however, this push into a digital era saw a massive acceleration – up to almost 6x the previous rate.

Virtual customers, however, aren’t the only result of the digital age. In addition to the large majority of consumers staying at home. Remote workers and remote staff have already become the new normal. Therefore, companies need to learn how to recruit, utilize, and best serve their remote workers.

Communication is Key

Communication is an integral aspect of every relationship. No matter the context. This is true across life partners, friends, and really any personal or professional relationship. Maintaining open lines of communication in business will lead you and your team to accomplishing tasks on time, on budget, and on scope.

Transitioning to a team of remote workers, doesn’t dampen the importance of clear and open communication between team members and team leaders alike. Luckily, there are countless communication solutions that your firm can employ in order to sustain the level of interaction necessary. There are enterprise level applications ranging from the likes of Slack to Monday.com; and even more traditional project management softwares like Basecamp or Asana. c

No matter which solution you choose to empower your remote workers; it’s integral that the remote workers are somewhat centralized still. For example, connecting a remote team through the same software so that everyone can stay updated and in communication on the project status.

Team Building with Remote Workers

Just because they’re remote workers, doesn’t mean that team-building goes out the window. In fact, with remote workers, and remote teams, it’s just as important to keep the general morale high. Finding ways to motivate your remote workers can be a little challenging. However, there are plenty of ways to keep your remote workers in high spirits, and even bring them slightly closer together.

With the vast majority of physical-event-spaces being shut down, companies might be out of ideas for ways to bring their remote staff together. However, a lot of the enterprise level software on the market includes some sort of incentive-system. This is a great way for you and your management team to continue rewarding strong performance throughout your staff. These incentive systems are also normally colleague-based, meaning that your cohort can also reward and recognize your strong performances.

Finally, if you’re searching for a team-building activity that everyone can join in on remotely; Dungeons and Dragons, believe it or not, is a great way to get your remote team together outside of working hours for a little team-bonding.

For more information on remote working, or navigating these troubling times, visit NS804 today, and get in touch with an expert mobile app developer ready to bring your dreams into reality.

How COVID-19 is Forever Changing the Business Landscape

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COVID-19 Redefines the Business Landscape

Historic events often result in major shifts in the way businesses conduct their operations. The industrial revolution brought with it the production assembly line, mass production, and automated processes. The information era brought technology a step further, with internet, smart-tech, and other major advances. COVID-19 is only the latest event in history that’s going to impact businesses and business operations for the foreseeable future. The effects of COVID-19 on the business landscape have been nearly instantaneous, universal, and extend from the highest levels of companies, all the way down to the front line. From business communications, to supply chains, and even marketing strategies – businesses have been forced to adapt to the environment of COVID-19 in record times.

The adjustments that businesses are making in light of COVID-19 and the global pandemic, are a testament to the resilience and determination that courses through our society. While there is no denying the tragedy of COVID-19, and it’s long-lasting implications, the rapid adjustments made by businesses and communities alike provide a glimmer of hope, and represent the ultimate truth that humanity will prevail.

Business Operations During and Post COVID-19

There are many adjustments that businesses are making in order to maintain productivity during the world-wide pandemic. These adjustments are reflected in the way companies communicate internally and externally, how they continue to provide ‘normal’ services to their customers, and how they are implementing new processes and procedures to supplement cash-flow and maintain a standard of efficiency.

Communications: Communication is key. This is true in relationships, marriages, and certainly in business. COVID-19 poses businesses with a unique set of challenges regarding communication. These challenges include how team-members will effectively communicate with one another while working remotely, how companies will provide customer-service support, and how traditional conference calls and team meetings will be held when no-one is in the building. With Zoom, Slack, and other mobile-app and desktop communication channels, however, businesses are still able to conduct much of their internal communication, file-sharing, and other necessary internal transactions instantaneously and without missing a beat.

Alternative Operations: The onset of COVID-19 has forced businesses to get creative with new product-lines, crossover into new industries and markets that would previously never have been considered, and approach service in a whole new way. Uber Eats and delivery services are excellent examples of how service-based-businesses are shifting in response to COVID-19. Rather than handing food off and exchanging small pleasantries – delivery drivers drop off food at the front door, ring the bell, and then swiftly retreat to their cars prior to the customer making it out the door. Emphasizing the importance of social-distancing, and making it a routine part of their delivery process.

COVID-19 has proven to be one of the most historical events of the century, and has already completely reshaped the business landscape, as well as our communities. While in the face of this universal adversity, communities are coming together like never before in order to maintain business operations, promote peace and understanding, and prioritize the health and wellness of every employee. Regardless of position or rank. Find out how NS804 can help design your mobile app to market during COVID-19.