All posts by Awfis Editorial

Staying on top your competitor’s strategy just got easier with these must-have tools

Inspiring Stories

It isn’t enough to just be good at your calling and expect customers to troop in. You need to have your finger on the pulse of the market, but more importantly, you also should know what your competitors are up to.

Short of peeping into their office or sending in a spy, what can you do to know your biggest competitor’s business strategy?

Say hello to technology. Thanks to numerous business tools, it is easy to keep a tab on what competition is doing from the comfort of your air-conditioned office. Or even when on the go.

Let’s get cracking, shall we?

#1 Google Alerts

One of the best ways to monitor the web for interesting new content, google alerts is not just easy to use but it’s free too as well. The features are simple and well-suited to beginners.

Here’s how to get started and leverage this tool to the fullest:

Click here and based on your specific query, such as your firm name or any topic you wish to track, create your alert.

Next, you can customize your alert based on whether you wish to track all your online mentions or simply news, videos, etc. Select how often you want to receive these alerts and choose to track all results or only the best ones. To refine your search further and to eliminate unrelated additional notifications, remember to add quotations around your search query. This way Google will send you a notification only when the words are strung together in order.

#2 Alexa

Besides playing music and being a family’s digital companion, Alexa has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for businesses as well.

Several organizations already rely on Alexa’s ability to rank websites and display traffic related data. However, not many are aware that it can perform competitor analysis too.

Most competitor research tools require you to know who your competition is – brand name, domains, and keywords. But what if you aren’t aware who you are competing against? That’s where Alexa can help you.

With Alexa, you can track other websites in real time and also compare your website to industry benchmarks. Additionally, Alexa can help you discover sites that you can partner with or even write a guest post for.

#3 Social Mention

A vast majority of small businesses understand the importance of using social media to gain customers. With Social Mention, you can track competitors on all social media platforms and see what people are saying about them.

All you have to do is type in keywords or brands, and the tool will do the rest. You can use the tool better by understanding why a competitor received a lot of negative comments and avoiding making the same mistakes. Likewise, for positive comments, where you can improve upon their strategies.

#4 SEMrush

One of the challenges of competitive analysis is converting data into actionable insights. SEMrush makes it so easy. This all-in-one tool takes care of various digital marketing aspects, like PPC, SEO, content, and much more.

Enter the website URL that you wish to study and SEMrush will conjure up a graphic report with relevant data including traffic, rank, ads, and keywords. You can also use the tool for a comparative analysis of various sites, including your own.

Do check out alternative tools Woorank or Ahrefs for detailed competitive analysis, including link targets and backlinks.

#5 Pro Rank Tracker

As the name says, Pro Rank Tracker is one of the smarter tools out there to research keywords.

All you need to do is input your competitors’ websites and the tool will throw back a bunch of keywords and their rankings. You even have the option of deciding which search engine you wish to track these keywords on.

The kicker with Pro Rank Tracker is that you can localize your search and thus optimize your local SEO strategy. If you’re a small business that is still operating locally, this is a fantastic tool to have in your competitive analysis arsenal.

#6 SimilarWeb

SimilarWeb is quite the handy tool to have when you’re conducting competitor research. It’s been designed to help you keep a sharp eye on your competitors’ online strategies and analytics.

This resourceful tool will help you dig deep into various sites, apps, and platforms. Simply type in the website or mobile app, and click ‘search’. With SimilarWeb you can compare statistics from multiple competitors, identify emerging industry trends, and even understand customer behavior. The tool extracts data, processes and organizes it, and then prepares a report with all that you need.

#7 SpyFu

The last one on our list turns the whole competitor analysis into a spy game. This tool will unearth all the information that you could need on their online strategy.

SpyFu can tell you which keywords your competitors have bought on Google Adwords recently. You can check their organic search rankings and even view the variations of their ads. Other information, like how many clicks they got, or how much they pay for each key phrase, is critical when planning your PPC campaigns.

Conclusion

Your competition is one of the biggest factors to influence your business. To stay a step ahead of them, you need to keep an eye on what they are up to. Pick the tool that you think works best for you, and build and improve your marketing strategy accordingly.

 

 

 

What’s the Buzzword?

Inspiring Stories, ,

Welcome to the world of buzzwords. Popular, catchy phrases that might still retain some of their original meaning when applied in the right context, but which over time have simply become the trend.

Buzzwords are mostly used to impress people or to obfuscate when there isn’t much to say and, yet, a lot must be said. These words often originate in jargon or acronyms. Some words that we can immediately think of include next-gen, snowflake, deep dive, gig, stratcom or wheelhouse. Nodding your head as you read the collection?

Let’s dive deep into this concept and understand where it all began.

Meaning: what’s in a word?

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines a buzzword as ‘a slogan’, or ‘a fashionable piece of jargon’.

How do buzzwords originate? They do not simply appear; they are usually created by a group of people to mean something that they understand, or as a way to generate some hype. More often than not, buzzwords are associated with management and are part a of the leadership lexicon, more commonly known as ‘management speak’.

What this means is when a manager uses a buzzword, most people – subordinates or peers – hear just the word and not the meaning. They apply a context to it, further its popularity by using it themselves in a situation they deem similar.

Their history

Buzzwords were originally used by business students studying at Harvard. In the early years of buzz-wording (see what we did there?), these words were used by students to help them quickly recall terms of importance.

Here are a few examples:

-If his analysis does not highlight the most important problem, he has ‘poor focus’.

-If he fails to emphasize important recommendations, he will be accused of ‘tinkering’.

-If the sequence for the ‘implementation’ of the recommendation isn’t good, it’s a matter of ‘poor timing’

-To succeed, a student must ‘get on top of the problem’.

These terms, and many others, were collated and they soon became popular, and got the moniker ‘buzzwords’.

Using these terms meant students could speak with authority, and it seemed that using it was often more important than coming up with the answer.

It wasn’t long before these buzzwords made a strong impact on business culture and today are commonly used in business speak as well.

Present day scenario: what are the suits saying?

Buzzwords in business are a way for people to feel like they are all on the ‘same page’. In fact, many workplaces use specialized jargon that are either particular to their industry or their workplace.

These words are not only a trend, but they are also a ‘ticket of entry’ for individuals within a successful organization.

LinkedIn publishes an annual list of ‘buzzwords to avoid’ while creating resumes – ‘trite, empty words that sound good to the ear but actually convey almost nothing at all’. Some words in the list are: driven, extensive experience, track record, passionate, responsible motivated, creative, strategic, organizational, and expert. Feel like rewriting that resume, don’t you?

Conclusion

It might appear that buzzwords are almost a ‘necessary evil’ used by management to inspire their team, but also to stroke their egos. Often these cross over into pop culture and then into everyday life. With so many avenues for becoming ‘viral’, a buzzword can catch on quickly and be adopted by the entire world rapidly.

digital trends

5 digital trends to watch out for in 2019

Inspiring Stories

The pace at which the advertising world is changing, it is nearly impossible to keep up with trends. Tech companies are bringing out new innovations rapidly, completely disrupting the way marketing is done today. By the time you feel like you’ve got the hang of one innovation, there are 10 new ones to grasp. It’s like a mythological, multi-headed monster, only in a good way. Maybe.

Perhaps 2018 went by too quickly, but you still have 2019. Use the next few weeks to plan your strategy for the coming year keeping in mind some of the trends that are showing promise. Here are the top 5 trends we suggest you watch out for in 2019.

#1 Authenticity, at all times

Let’s face it; customers distrust advertising. And they can smell dishonesty from miles away. It is therefore critical for brands to be authentic today.

People would rather trust humans than brands. Which is why influencer marketing has been riding high for so long. Customers will ignore an ad, even be blind to it, but authentic content, generated by a real fellow customer, will grab attention immediately.

Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your brands. (And this includes positive and negative experiences.) Other customers are more likely than ever to believe that content created by a user is more authentic than one created by the same brand.

Look at what GoPro has managed so beautifully. There are nearly 5000 videos posted online every day with the GoPro hashtag – from skydiving and cliff diving to wildlife videos and eco-friendly initiatives. While their competitors talk about product features, GoPro talks about human emotions like passion, inspiration and awe. It’s all User Generated Content which has found a spot in their customers’ hearts and wallets too.

#2 Voice search is getting popular

Did you know that nearly one third of the world’s 3.5 billion Google searches daily are voice searches?

And that personal assistant devices are leading the way?

As Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant get better at recognizing human speech, they are exhibiting their potential to improve searching for information on the Web. How is this related to marketing?

Let us show you.

A voice search is quite different from a typical desktop or mobile search. When you ‘Google’ on your browser, you get hundreds of pages of search results. And being one of them is really a piece of cake now, pure hygiene, in fact.

Things get really interesting when you ask Siri a question: the results are few; often just one. And if that result is you, then the chances of CTR go through the roof. It is estimated that by 2020, nearly half of all search queries will be voice-based. But it requires work. You need to customise your SEO strategy to include voice search. And this is why you need to start planning for 2019 right now.

#3 Visual search is not far behind

It’s not just voice search that’s rising; it’s got competition.

While several big businesses have been focusing their marketing strategy on conversational queries, others, like Google, Pinterest and Microsoft have been quietly working on developing a stronger competitor in interactive SEO – visual search.

But how does this really work? You could say it’s like a search in reverse. Instead of typing your search query, you just point your phone’s camera at an object to get back text-based information.

What visual search does is that it identifies objects in the image and then searches for related images online. Say you point your phone at your bed. Visual search will give you back information about where you can shop for a similar piece of furniture.

Incredible, isn’t it? This technology is still in the developmental stage as there is a lot of machine learning yet to be done. But it is definitely something that you must keep an eye on.

#4 Have you heard of Micro-Moment marketing?

Despite consumers spending 3-3.5 hours on their smartphones every day, brands are having a tough time getting their attention. Blame it on the overabundance of information today – ads, content, emails, offers, push notifications and the rest. And it never switches off.

Maybe it’s time for micro-moment marketing to step in. What’s that, you might wonder.

Micro-moment is a new type of consumer behavior which usually occurs when a person turns to a smartphone to want to know something or to buy something. Some typical micro-moments are I-want-to-know-something-moment, I-want-to-go-somewhere-moment, I-want-to-do-something-moment or I-want-to-buy-something-moment. It seems users (that’s us) experience ‘micro-moments’ no less than 150 times a day! That’s an opportunity waiting to be tapped.

These are moments when people make snap decisions on what to buy, which restaurant to go to, where to go, etc. which gives a brand few precious seconds to get their attention. Micro-moments are successful when (if) they can offer the consumer the right information right when she needs it.

#5 Not just social media, but re-purposed social media

Man is a social animal, which is why there are 3.196 billion of us worldwide, that’s 3.196 billion global social media users! Social media cannot be ignored; it is a basic marketing requirement.

The most popular social media trends today are video, automation, and influencers. But they do not operate in silos; they should not operate in silos. You cannot afford to be the leader on Facebook but ignore YouTube, or vice versa. The key to success is not just social media content, but re-purposed social media content across multiple, relevant platforms.

Conclusion

Marketing trends will come and go, no doubt about that. Some will make a resounding impact, and some will fade away. It is up to you to know when to take notice of a sticky trend, and then to quickly, adapt.

Three Lunchtime TEDTalks for The Entrepreneur in You

Business Innovations, ,

Jokes aside, who doesn’t love TEDTalks? Nothing beats these quick, bite-sized inspirational videos that showcase fascinating insights on topics ranging across the board. What began in 1984 as part of a conference on Technology, Entertainment and Design (yes, that’s where TED gets its moniker from, in case you didn’t know; I didn’t), is today a massive global community that shares ideas and triggers conversations.

A TEDTalk works in numerous ways: it can teach you to become a better professional and even inspire you to be a better person. It aims to help people get a deeper understanding of the world they live in. It sparks curiosity; it motivates; it teaches something new every time; a TEDTalk can shift your perspective and broaden your horizon; it can even show you what’s possible and help you reach you true potential.

As an entrepreneur, you need to constantly challenge your assumptions and beliefs. A TEDTalk will give you all that, and more.

However, with thousands of existing TEDTalks, and new ones being added regularly, knowing where to start can be daunting. If you’re looking for quick inspiration during your lunch break, you’ve come to the right place. Here are three short, yet essential, TEDTalks that you must watch:

#1 Creative problem solving in the face of extreme limits

Start-ups operate on the premise that there will be restrictions and limitations – of capital, resource and time. However, when is little too little? And how can a start-up apply innovation even in the face of these limits?

Watch this TEDTalk by Navi Radjou to understand creative problem solving techniques under extreme limitations. The demands of a start-up are high and relentless, and that is what drives greater creativity, much needed for innovation, scientific discovery and even social constructs.

The next time you feel backed into a corner, watch this talk to understand how you can turn this challenge into an advantage.

#1 The one reason start-ups succeed

Why do some start-ups manage to become more successful than others? Are there any factors at play here, or is it just a matter of luck, of being in the right place at the right time?

Bill Gross, a serial entrepreneur and a mentor for several startups, attempts to explain the reasons for this through his TEDTalk. In his vast experience in the business world he has seen rock-solid ideas flounder terribly, while doubtful businesses flourish. And it led him to wonder why.

In this video, Bill measures each start-up according to the power of its idea, the timing of the launch, the attributes of the team at the front, access to capital and also its business model. What he finds is how one factor leads to success more than any other. Watch the video to know which one.

#1 Do what you love

A no-brainer, right? Your start-up is your passion and that’s what you love to do. Watch Gary Vaynerchuk as he does a fantastic job of still convincing you of this in his inspiring TEDTalk.

Perhaps you decided to start off on your own attracted with the idea of making more money; or just the thought of running your own business and being your own boss got you excited. But those ingredients aren’t enough to be really successful. You also have to be part of something that you really care about; and you have to actually enjoy what you do.

Conclusion

If you haven’t watched these TEDTalks yet, then add them to your list right away. And in case you noticed, we’ve pegged them all at #1 because there really isn’t any criterion for comparison. Each of these videos will expose you to new ideas, opening your mind to new experiences. Your journey towards successful entrepreneurship hinges on this.

Steve Jobs

What Steve Jobs Taught Us About Making Stunning Presentations

Business How To’s, Inspiring Stories, ,

Who doesn’t love a good story? A well-delivered narration has the power to keep us enthralled and to inspire us long after the mesmerising session is over.

At some point in our lives we’ve all been witness to talented speakers who have perfected the art of storytelling. And yet no one can really stake claim to the spot that was once occupied by Steve Jobs. One of the world’s greatest corporate storytellers, he has inspired hundreds of thousands of viewers with his spellbinding presentations.

We need more leaders like him, especially when companies are required to launch new variations of their existing products frequently. How can they create a need in an already saturated market?

By inspiring the world; by learning to wow our audiences like Jobs did. (And no, this does not mean imitating his dressing style, although it might help.) This article has handpicked presentation techniques from Steve Jobs’ iPhone launch alone. If you too wish to inspire, entertain and inform your audience, read on:

Express your passion

Steve Jobs was passionate about design. (Anybody who has ever held an Apple device, and there aren’t many who haven’t, knows that.) And his audience saw it too. He came on stage, at the iPhone launch, with a large smile on his face, immediately impressing his audience with his eagerness.

Don’t be afraid of your enthusiasm. If you are excited, your audience will catch on to it and project the same excitement back at you. If you are not passionate about your idea, why would anybody else be?

A twitter-friendly headline

Try the technique that Jobs perfected; create a one-sentence summary of your main message. And use that in every possible place, in every possible way when you talk about your product or idea. When he revealed the first iPhone, Jobs told the audience that ‘Apple will reinvent the phone.’ The same line was carried across news articles and blogs that covered the launch event. The search for this phrase turns up 25,000 links even today.

The Rule of Three

Watch the Rule of Three at the 1:50 sec mark

If you observe Jobs’ presentations, you will notice his preference for the number ‘3’. You can see this in his iPhone presentation. Divided into three sections, it even seemed to speak of three different products: a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone, and lastly a breakthrough Internet communications device. And then he revealed that it wasn’t three, but one product.

You’d agree that a list of 3 things is far more captivating than a list of 2, and most certainly easier to remember than one of 20!

Is there a villain?

We all love a villain, especially one that is going to be vanquished. Highlight a problem, and then offer a solution.

Steve Jobs’ presentation in 2007 did just that. How do you create the need for another mobile phone, that too from Apple? Jobs did that by introducing a problem of smartphones that are tough to use. The solution was the iPhone – simpler, smarter than any mobile device till date.

And then bring in the hero

Don’t just sell your product or idea; sell the benefit, your hero. How does the hero make life better for your audience?

The iPhone introduced the revolutionary multi-touch user interface. You didn’t need a stylus, and it was far more accurate and intuitive than anything that had been seen before.

Simple visual slides

Steve Jobs’ iPhone presentation used all of 21 words across 12 slides and that was in the first three minutes of the presentation. Remember, your PowerPoint presentation is just the trigger; you are the actual presentation.

Tell a story

Build up to the actual event. Entertain your audience with a short anecdote. Use it to relax them and make them more receptive to your final big idea. Tell them a story. It could be a personal incident, a customer moment or even a brand story. This will help move things along effortlessly.

Practise. Practise. Practise.

Many people believe that they can never be as smooth as Steve Jobs. Well, guess what! Steve himself wasn’t as smooth. He would spend hours upon hours practicing and rehearsing on stage so that he would appear polished and effortless on the final day. He knew every tiny detail of his iPhone presentation which is what made it flawless.

Do not read from notes

And when you practise relentlessly, you don’t need notes or a teleprompter. The iPhone launch lasted around 80 minutes; not once did Steve Jobs break contact with the audience to look at any cards. The presentation is an actual conversation with your audience, and it is this connection that makes an impact.

Inspire your audience

Leave your audience with an inspiring thought at the end of the presentation. And tie it back to the ethos at your company. At the end of his iPhone presentation, Jobs said, “I didn’t sleep a wink last night. I’ve been so excited about today… There’s an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.’ We’ve always tried to do that at Apple since the very, very beginning. And we always will.”

 

Lastly, have fun!

Don’t take yourself too seriously. When you have fun, your audience relaxes and is more receptive to your ideas. Create fun moments in the presentation, and you will be more memorable. You don’t need to conduct stand-up comedy, but an occasional joke never hurt anyone.

Every presentation is an opportunity to make a stronger connection with your audience. It does require planning, time and some amount of creativity, but the payoff is totally worth the effort.

Uber’s Flying Taxis – are you ready to fly to work?

Inspiring Stories, , , ,

 

In ‘Back to the Future Part II’ when Marty McFly is sent 30 years into the future, he arrives at a time when people ride hover-boards to zip around, they wear self-lacing shoes and flying cars are everywhere.

The date in the movie? October 21, 2015.

Cut to the present, and we’re just three years behind schedule. And like an advertisement in the movie says, ‘now you don’t have to worry about traffic’. 

Worsening traffic conditions, the world over

Do you know that peak hour traffic in major Indian cities almost doubles the amount of time spent travelling, especially on the more popular routes? It is no thanks to these conditions that India holds the dubious distinction of being the most traffic-afflicted city in Asia. But misery seeks company, and you will find solace in knowing that this is not just the terrible truth of our lives in India; other countries, including the United States of America, fare no better.

Is this to be our fate, forever? Is this the price for wanting to live and work in some of the more bustling cities in the world?

Perhaps not; not if Uber had its way. If you’ve been following the news over the last few months you must have come across Uber’s Flying Taxis. And India has been selected as one of the 5 countries that Uber plans to test-launch its Flying Taxis.

The future is already here

Yes, flying cabs will no longer be restricted to sci-fi films. The day isn’t far when you will be able to book a cab and see your ride come flying down from the skies instead of from down the road.

Besides the US, Uber Elevate – as the program is called – will bring these flying taxis to India, Japan, Australia, Brazil and France.

Uber Elevate will rise above traffic congestion, literally, and a commute that now takes a few hours will be completed in a matter of minutes. It promises to be an innovative transportation solution that will ease traffic instead of adding to it.

Currently the plan is undergoing a feasibility study, and if all goes well, Indian cities of Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru will see the pilot project in about 5 years.

Uber isn’t doing this all alone. The company has already partnered with Audi to develop flying cars, and it is also in the process of joining forces with several automakers, real estate developers and technology giants to turn this plan into reality.

How will it work?

Once in place, customers will be able to push a button and get a flight on demand. The initial fares are projected at Rs 200 for a kilometer, but those could very quickly fall to as low as Rs 50 a kilometer.

The taxi concept is purely electric, and each cab will be able to seat 4 people, besides the pilot, all in one file in a cylindrical body with large windows. You need the view, however short the ride, right?

The flying taxis will take off from sky ports built on top of high rises which will also function as taxi stations. The taxi will cruise between 150 to 200 miles an hour, at a flying height of 2000 ft. The cab will be able to cover 60 miles (about 96 kilometers) in one charge, and the technology is such that it will take just a little over 5 minutes to top up the batteries between flights.

Before you take off

However, and yes, there is a however, there are challenges to be overcome before this dream takes off in India.

For starters, this isn’t yet a mass market idea. The initial target will be high-income people. Yes, Uber will eventually introduce off-peak time to encourage greater consumer adoption, but that is still a long way off.

Then there are infrastructural issues. Since the concept is entirely electrical, India will need to up the ante on its electrical grid structures and capabilities in offering battery-charging stations. There is also the rather large need for building sky ports, a herculean task indeed.

And finally, even after landing at a port, commuters will still need to find transport that will connect them to their destination. India’s severely challenged public transport system will need a complete makeover to match up to this project.

Conclusion

Uber has a selection criteria and India meets the requirements on all counts: sizeable market, local commitment and enabling conditions. It is, therefore, simply a matter of time before India’s traffic problems, at least in the larger cities, could soon be a thing of the past.

 

 

 

Is our workplace ready for AI assistants?

Business Innovations, ,

The world is rather interesting these days, thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The technology has long moved out of the ambit of sci-fi and has made a definite entrance into our professional lives. But how far has it really penetrated?

Today there are digital assistants scheduling meetings, chatbots working alongside teachers as their assistants and even AI working with HR to make better hiring decisions. The implications of AI in the workplace have started to get noticed. The day isn’t far when HR will leverage the combined power of human intelligence and Artificial Intelligence to deliver a more personalized employee experience.`

It has been predicted that by 2022, one in five workers will have AI as their co-worker. Imagine that!

#1 Humans and AI will work side-by-side

Today artificial intelligence is working effortlessly alongside HR managers and teaching assistants. Chatbots are quick on the uptake and, as Jill Watson, the AI-empowered teaching assistant at Georgia Institute of Technology showed, they can very soon begin to answer routine student queries. This will allow teachers and their human assistants to free-up a significant amount of time and focus on more complex areas of teaching.

As AI becomes a new, trusted member of the team, taking over more routine tasks, HR leaders will now need to spend time orienting and training chatbots, and also educating the rest of the team on how to work with them. The result of this will be more time for human employees to do tasks meant for humans, such as complex problem solving, critical thinking and creativity.

#2 Can AI take over some roles entirely?

There is a fear that AI will take over some tasks entirely. Even in the worst case scenario, this is unlikely. At best, certain activities will need to be re-defined, and that could call for revising business processes and introducing new job roles. As the point above outlines, AI can take over certain routine activities, allowing individuals who earlier performed these roles to bring greater value to their customers and employees.

#3 Sourcing and recruiting new hires

Another notable area where AI is helping companies is the way they source and recruit new hires. With the backing of AI, recruiters can prioritize jobs more efficiently, find the right talent faster, and match candidates more effectively. Rather than relying on filters such as years of experience or education levels, machine learning can help shortlist candidates based on core skills such as agility, cognitive abilities, etc. This ‘horizontal sourcing’ model can even help talent move across business verticals, domains, and industries. This is a fantastic example of AI truly reinventing a business function.

#4 Machine learning will help improve careers

There is a trend that is gradually being noticed across industries and sectors. Employees at all levels are staying 30% longer in their roles. This is an excellent opportunity for companies to help employees focus on their career and not just aim for promotions. Managers at Cisco are already leveraging machine learning to help their team members present their skills, interests, and passions, and then look for internal roles that can help further their career goals.

#5 AI as a virtual coach and to reinforce learning

Several newer companies are investing in chatbots that will provide employees with individual coaching in the workplace.

Take the example of the MIT Media Lab startup GiantOtter. The company is riding on AI to develop and train ‘Coach Otto’, a training bot that provides online coaching for companies. An employer can use this chatbot as a coach or a companion to improve an individual’s performance on the job, for instance preparing a manager for a difficult conversation with an employee.

Conclusion:

There is no doubt that AI + human is the future of work. Now it is simply a question of businesses using AI to create a seamless employee experience. What do you think? Will the advent of AI threaten existing jobs, or will the two work seamlessly and create a more efficient system?

#AwfisMoments: Having a reel good time

Inspiring Stories, , , , ,

All work and no play can make things dull, and dull is the last thing one would associate with our vibrant Awfis spaces. Thanks to our community of like-minded, and often varied-minded, professionals and entrepreneurs, the co-working environment at Awfis frequently transforms into a cauldron of fun and merriment.

It is these moments that truly capture the brand ethos of ‘where work meets life’.

So, when we announced a Bollywood theme for the next #AwfisMoments edition, it came as no surprise that it was greeted with unbridled enthusiasm.

The #AwfisCommunity showcases its filmy personality at #AwfisMoments – Bollywood Edition!

People have come to equate #AwfisMoments with an experience like no other.

The week leading up to the Bollywood party was jam-packed with games like dumb charades, antakshri and mimicry sessions held across all our centres.

As the day drew close, the building excitement was palpable! Finally, on the day of the party, the centres were decorated to resemble a Bollywood set – film star cutouts, photo booths, et al. The community too arrived dressed for the theme, in their filmy best.

The usually quiet co-working spaces throbbed with the latest and some evergreen dance numbers, coaxing even the most introverted ones on to the dance floor eventually.

The Delhi edition had a poker room set up by Poker High while the Mumbai edition had a Bollywood-themed menu by Yumlane. Our Bangalore centres saw the community break out into a spontaneous garba session.

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Shaking a leg and showing the right moves at #AwfisMoments – Bollywood Edition!

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Behind the Scene: the making of #AwfisMoments Bollywood Edition.

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At Awfis, everybody is a celebrity. #officeparty #community

Conversations flowed, drinks flowed harder and the delicious spread was demolished in no time.

Awfis Moments gives an already tight-knit community a chance to further get to know each other, make friends and maybe even nurse hangovers together the next day.

With this Edition, we tapped into our community’s love for everything Bollywood and while the lights may have dimmed, and the cameras packed away; the action continues.

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The community that parties together, works together at #AwfisMoments

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What happens at #AwfisMoments gets shared with the world

 

AI in the workplace

6 Astonishing Tech Trends That Are Changing The Way We Work

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While no one can actually predict what the future will look like, a few farsighted ones can definitely take an educated guess on how technology will change the way we work.

Here are top 6 tech trends that we see shaping the way businesses work. Are you ready to step into the future?

#1 Virtual and augmented reality will involve the entire community

Right at this moment, virtual reality is pretty much an individual experience. You pick up a headset and plunge into a virtual world that has just a sole occupant – you.

Going forward, Virtual Reality, and to a great extent even Augmented Reality, will let individuals enter and explore untold worlds together. They’ll play and work together, and share everything in this alternate reality.

#2 Blockchain will find newer areas to work in

It seems like everybody’s talking about blockchains and cryptocurrencies. However, the rapid rise of blockchain technology will no longer be limited in the coming future.

There are newer areas to work in and newer arenas of society to conquer, including the government.

For instance, blockchain can make it possible to reduce the risk of fraud and manipulation, massively impacting how votes are collected. When more voices are heard and make a difference in policy decisions, the overarching benefit is to society as a whole. Never know, blockchain might even endpaper ballots entirely.

#3 Consumer tech will become more appealing (if it wasn’t already)

Let’s face facts; technology is addictive. And helping us all stay addicted are today’s smartphones and digital devices. No longer boxy with sharp edges, they slide into our lives with their soft, rounded and inviting appearances.

As consumers demand more options that fit into their lives seamlessly and are an extension of their selves, hardware will start to become more expressive and responsive.

#4 Data will make life smarter but still be private

Big data is big business. But it can also be intrusive. How do companies plan on tackling that without losing out on the game?

Smartphones and other digital devices are already measuring and noting down various aspects of our lives, like how long we slept, how much we walked, etc. The trend now will be to use low-fidelity audio and visual sensors that can do the same task of providing data about people and their behavior, but without revealing any identifying information.

Customers get better experiences, and companies still get their precious data. Everybody is happy.

#5 Ultra-tiny robots will replace medicines in some cases

Not too far down in the future, a doctor might ask you to pop a nanorobot into your mouth, which will then go on to journey through your body and clear your veins of any plaque buildup. Popping pills and injecting medicines might not always be the first line of attack against an illness, according to some tech forecasters.

Various other nanorobots can travel through your system and send back personalized and targeted, intelligent advice to help you lead a healthier, better life. A form of edible health robots might also come into the picture, travel through the bloodstream to deliver important nutrients.

#6 The way we travel will change

Already ride-sharing is changing the vehicle market. Add to that mix a preference for electric vehicles (EVs) over the traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) ones. We’re not too far away from the tipping point.

People who buy used cars will be seen buying their first used EV in just another few more years. Very soon it will not be economical to purchase, maintain and own a car with a traditional combustion engine. And car makers are gearing up for the demand.

Conclusion

The world of technology is exciting. And when it intersects the working world, it has the potential to completely change the way we work, or even our jobs themselves. The only way to know is to wait for the future to reveal itself.

Office work Life

Agile Versus Activity Based Working: Which One Will You Choose?

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The way the modern world is shaping up is also deciding the way we work. Many organisations have come to realise the importance of, and the need for, flexibility in the workplace. Employers who allow their people to choose how they work are seeing the immense benefits this approach has on the individual as well as on the organisation as a whole.

Two such increasingly popular ways are Agile Working and Activity Based Working. Despite the two being different, they are often mistaken to be one, or people use the terms interchangeably. So, what are the two and how are they different from each other?

Understanding Agile Working

This approach gives employees maximum flexibility in choosing how they want to work. Employees are free to work from home, or from office, or figure out a combination of both. At work too, employees can choose whether they want to work from their fixed desk, or want to shift to a standing desk or work from a non-traditional space, such as the common breakout area.

The idea is to embrace openness and flexibility. Also called ‘smart working’, this allows employees to make the most of smart technology and cloud-based applications. By adopting this autonomous work culture, companies can attract and retain the best talent.

The advantages:

-Greater sense of autonomy and freedom for employees

-Job satisfaction, leading to better engagement and talent retention

-Overall reduction in operating costs

The challenges:

-Calls for a major culture shift for both, employees and management

-Can’t be applied selectively. The entire business needs to buy into the concept

-Requires smart technology and supporting IT infrastructure

Understanding Activity Based Working

Like Agile Working, Activity Based Working also focuses on giving employees the freedom to choose how they work. However, that’s where the similarity ends.

Where Agile Working is about the contribution of an individual employee, Activity Based Working takes into consideration teamwork and group culture. Here a lot of importance is given to changing workplace culture and design to suit team connections and to foster collaboration.

This approach works best around an open-plan office, with a healthy mix of quiet corners, collaboration booths, meeting rooms as well as huddle spaces. Businesses that have adopted the Activity Based Working approach notice improved levels of productivity as individuals can choose to work in workspaces that are best suited to the task at hand.

The advantages:

-This offers employees a choice of different workspaces

-There is greater autonomy for employees which gives them a chance to perform at their best

-Employees are more engaged and there is definite improvement in productivity

The challenges:

-Does not work with every type of industry or job role

-Requires a major shift in office work culture and management techniques

-Could entail physical re-structuring of workspaces

Conclusion

Both, Agile Working and Activity Based Working will give your business a competitive advantage. It is simply a matter of understanding which approach works best, or whether a combination gives your employees a chance to perform at the peak of their potential.