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Articles
Help vs hype: branded communities
Unpacking branded communities At its Inbound 2022 conference, HubSpot unveiled a new community of practice, connect.com, where HubSpot marketers can share ideas and build connections. In recent years, many companies have made forays into community building, with...
Building GA4 custom reports (you’re going to need them)
In the golden era of Universal Analytics (UA), Google pre-packaged a comforting array of reporting right out of the box. But, as companies transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in preparation for UA’s planned sunset in 2023, marketers have been surprised to find far...
GA4 transition meltdowns, and how to deal with them
For many, the approach of the Google Analytics 4 takeover brings nothing but dread. And we get it. Although GA4’s new insights and methodology can be an incredible boon to businesses that want to improve their user targeting, it’s a huge adjustment, and there’s no...
“API-First” is a buzzword, not a plan
https://vimeo.com/751879502 This panel was moderated by John Dages, Technology Solution Director at Fusion Alliance (left) and features Ryan Shondell, Executive Director of Data Services at OCLC (center) and Jeremy King Chief Enterprise Architect at NetJets (right)....
API gateway tools: build or buy?
https://vimeo.com/751877155 This panel was moderated by John Dages, Technology Solution Director at Fusion Alliance (left) and features Ryan Shondell, Executive Director of Data Services at OCLC (center) and Jeremy King Chief Enterprise Architect at NetJets (right)....
Is your composable enterprise project working or causing tech debt?
https://vimeo.com/751874793 This panel was moderated by John Dages, Technology Solution Director at Fusion Alliance (left) and features Ryan Shondell, Executive Director of Data Services at OCLC (center) and Jeremy King Chief Enterprise Architect at NetJets (right)....
Data and the digital dragon
Forge your strategy in Valyrian steel Brilliantly harnessing the news cycle, Gartner released its report on how to become a digital dragon just as HBO premiered its spinoff Game of Thrones series that details the risks and opportunities of becoming a dragon in the...
Why data fabric is essential in accelerating time to value through analytics insight
Mark Johnson, our Executive Vice President and editorial board chair for CDO Magazine, sat down with some of the best and brightest in the data world for the CDO Data Summit — including: Baz Khauti, President at Modak USARichie Bachala, Principal, Data Engineering at...
Cage match: Google Analytics 4 vs Universal Analytics
Marketers at mid-market companies are going through the stages of grief over Google Analytics 4. Some are still in denial (“Whatever, we have Universal Analytics until July 2023, and they will probably extend the deadline.”) and others have moved on to anger (“Google...
Top 3 data virtualization use cases
Although still gaining momentum, data virtualization is on a fast track to address the challenges with traditional integration solutions, namely faster time-to-market for data and business capabilities, access to a broader range of data across your data ecosystem, and...
Wearables are changing healthcare: Impact for our most vulnerable
When it comes to understanding how wearables are changing healthcare, consumer brands serve as a solid leading indicator. Popularized by brands like Apple Watch, FitBit, and Garmin, the global wearable healthcare market was estimated at $16.2 billion in 2021, and is...
6 steps for planning your big data strategy
Internet users produce an estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day. Yes, that’s quintillion — as in a one followed by 18 zeroes. That’s a mind-boggling amount of data. Yet, every day, that information is mined, analyzed, and leveraged into usable insights that...
Accelerating digital transformation in banking
From online transactions to mobile payment apps like Venmo, today's consumers increasingly look for digital access to funds — and they expect a seamless experience. As customer expectations and the economy continue to evolve, digital transformation in banking needs to...
There’s no crying in baseball. Or in GA4.
Rub some dirt on it, marketers. When a behemoth like Google rolls out a wholesale change like GA4 while the new product is still in beta, it’s understandable if you miss some fly balls or pull a muscle. New reports. New features. The vague sense that you should be...
Looking for ROI in all the wrong places: How to get your cloud value back on track
A version of this article was originally published in Forbes. Theoretically, a case could be made for running your workloads, data, and applications entirely from on-prem servers. But realistically? That use case is vanishingly small. Nearly all companies can benefit...
Digital transformation in healthcare: improving patient experience, care, and outcomes
As the pace of technological change continues to increase, digital transformation in healthcare often struggles to keep up. Challenges like integrating aging legacy systems, maintaining patient privacy, and leveraging disparate data sources into actionable insights...
Speed to value delivery: Optimizing with data virtualization and data fabric
This article originally appeared in CDO magazine. Data and analytics have long held promise in helping organizations deliver greater value across the entire stakeholder landscape, including customers, associates, and partners. However, since the beginning of the data...
Reimagining the skillset supply chain
The pace of change and unpredictable circumstances of the past couple of years have led many companies to rethink their just-in-time approaches to resourcing tangible goods and materials. But why stop there? To scale and adapt fast, companies also need a new approach...
Level up your data management
On the journey from data to analysis to insight, companies are shifting from a traditional approach and leaping forward into new ways of delivering actionable business intelligence. While the core goals remain the same — enabling data-driven decisions,...
Maintaining a composable enterprise
Technology leaders have long felt the pain of the accelerating pace of business change. Navigating unpredictable circumstances — along with customer and employee expectations of contextualized and personalized application experiences — demands innovation and...
Fuse Highlights: Coconuts, horses, and beer, oh my!
Every few weeks, we share insights with our Fuse subscribers along with news and trends we’re following across the web, including book recommendations. Here’s a compilation of some of our key insights from last six weeks. If you want content like this delivered...
From workload migration to workload transformation: Five ways to get your cloud ROI back on track
A version of this article was originally published in Forbes. Remember when your business first got into the cloud, and the whole idea seemed edgy and exciting? If you’re like most organizations, some years have passed since those early days, and you may be feeling a...
What is data democratization, and how do we manage it responsibly?
Traditionally, IT experts created data assets for business users upon request. Of course, people still went rogue, capturing, analyzing, and visualizing data in Excel “spreadmarts” outside of IT, but their potential for damage was limited. Today, as...
How to put AI to work for your business
While artificial intelligence (AI) continues to linger in popular imagination in the form of humanoid robots, in real life AI more often exists as a process enabler. Over the past several years, as costs democratized the technology, AI and related emerging...
How to choose the best CMS
A content management system (CMS) is the tool that companies use to manage and display content marketing. Depending on where you are in your digital transformation — and, more specifically, in your digital marketing journey — you might think of a content management...
How an Agile approach supports digital transformation
In today’s rapidly evolving markets, with technologies and customer expectations changing more and more rapidly, companies recognize the need for digital transformation. And yet, studies show that 70% of digital transformations fail. Despite their best...
How to develop data as an asset
Developing a culture of and commitment to viewing data as an asset within your organization not only ensures good governance — and compliance with evolving privacy regulations — it also gives your business the insights needed to thrive in the rapidly changing digital...
How to choose a CDP
Organizations collect data from a wide range of sources and store it in any number of solutions, which can be spread across the business. For marketing departments trying to deliver personalized customer experiences, those silos present a problem, and a customer data...
Customer data privacy compliance
Building trust into your customer data strategy In the rapidly changing regulatory environment around customer data privacy and security, it’s easy to get so caught up in specifics that you miss the big picture opportunity to build trust with your customers. ...
CDP vs DMP: How to choose the right solution for your business
In the crowded field of martech solutions, finding the right tools can be challenging. Businesses not only need to identify the right customer data strategy to fit their goals, but then source or upgrade the right software and systems to bring that strategy to life....
How a customer data strategy comes to life
After investing in martech solutions — often layering in new platforms and software over time — many organizations find themselves stuck. Whether the root issue is technology, processes, or capabilities, teams get frustrated when their tools don’t deliver. If...
How do I get customers to give me their data? Three trust-building steps toward a first-party data strategy
You understand the implications of cookie deprecation and the importance of pivoting to a first-party data strategy. But, if you’re like many organizations, you might be wondering how to get customers to give you the data you need to make that strategy...
CDP vs CRM: 5 key questions to inform your decision
The difference between a customer data platform (CDP) and customer relationship management (CRM) solution may be difficult to determine at first, because both options collect, store, and put customer data to use in support of business goals. While their functions may...
Make your Google Analytics 4 migration easier: 6 steps to a smooth GA4 transition
Although Google plans to phase out its Universal Analytics (UA) tool in favor of Google Analytics 4 (GA4) in July 2023, if you’re like most companies, making the switch to GA4 isn’t high on your priority list. That might be a mistake. Because UA and GA4...
Fuse Highlights: Food for thought
Every few weeks, we share insights with our Fuse subscribers along with news and trends we're following across the web. Here's a compilation of some of our key insights from last quarter. If you want content like this delivered directly to your inbox, we've got you...
The secret to modern scalable architecture
Why quality is key for legacy system modernization According to Boston Consulting Group, 70% of digital transformations fail to meet expectations, deliver on time, or stay on budget. Why? For some businesses, the roadblock is executive buy-in. For...
Why use Golang for modern app dev?
Key use cases for Go language development In today’s cloud-focused environments, speed, agility, and security increasingly impact operational success – and profitability. While traditional approaches to application development excused long cycle times, unwieldy...
Catalyst SDM&A: How to make your data deliver
Organizations today are inundated with data from different sources. This data can help you make better business decisions, improve customer interactions and retention, and create more intentional strategic plans. But none of that is possible if you can’t trust or...
The call to create first-party customer data strategies
Navigating the new data landscape Today’s consumers expect increasingly personalized experiences. To deliver that customized experience and increase market share, business leaders rely on personalization. Ever wondered how ads seem to follow you around the internet?...
Success in a cookieless future: What’s next?
Third-party cookies are a staple in a marketer’s arsenal and have been for decades. So, now that they are soon to be fully eliminated, marketing teams are panicking. Are we truly ready for a future without this key source of third-party data? While some...
Accelerating your business with Office 365 & Power Automate
Business processes are the backbone of any organization. But with all the time spent on manual processing, human errors, and system inefficiencies, companies are losing thousands of dollars each year just trying to function. That’s where business process automation...
Expect the unexpected: How to create a disaster recovery plan
Tornado. Fire. A malicious cyberattack. What will your organization do if and when the unexpected happens? If you have completed planning for disaster recovery, when is the last time you revisited it? The COVID-19 pandemic, for many, was a test of disaster...
Data executives empowered: The importance of the data community and elevating the CDO
Almost 20 years ago, Capital One recognized the need for one person to oversee their data security, quality, and privacy, and the role of the Chief Data Officer was born. Now reports show that 68% of organizations have a CDO (Harvard Business Review, 2020). And while...
Jumpstart your business processes: Using hyperautomation to achieve speed and scale
In a few short years, hyperautomation, or intelligent automation, has gone from a relatively unknown term to a word used across the technology spectrum. Gartner’s Strategic Technology Trends for 2020 named hyperautomation the #1 strategic technology trend for the...
Gone phishing: The importance of security awareness training for employees
Are you spending increasing amounts of time reacting to incidents where an end-user clicked on something, downloaded an unknown file, or entered credentials for a document they thought a coworker sent to them? It’s not just you. A recent survey confirmed that...
Zero Trust: What is it, why you need it, and how to achieve it
More organizations have shifted to the cloud, completely transforming the way business is done. For many, the days of solely relying on big on-premise data centers are gone, now replaced with a combination of on-premise and cloud-based applications. As the way we...
Data and analytics in the modern world: How to maximize ROI
Return on investment (ROI) is top of mind for everyone. With so many competing priorities, how you spend your time and money, and what you get for it, matters more than ever. The focus used to completely be on the level of your investment. But the paradigm is shifting...
Using data to drive digital transformation
While every organization’s journey to digital transformation looks different, one thing remains the same — the importance of data. Tackling your data systems and processes is vital to fully transform. However, the reality is that most organizations are overwhelmed...
Modern testing standards: A three-layered cake
The changing role of test automation engineers Due to the increase in paired programming, the technical skill helix of development and testing is becoming more apparent. This also increases the industry’s need for automated tests and the implementation of scalable...
What’s next for banks? Reimagining the customer relationship with machine learning
The pandemic made it clear that traditional banking is a thing of the past. Online banking had already been on the rise, but a 200% jump in new mobile banking registrations in April 2020 established that customers are able and willing to change. As more Americans bank...
Exploring cloud modernization challenges and the path forward
When considering cloud migration and modernization, many organizations are focused on moving workloads, reducing costs, and shifting from traditional on-premise data centers. But this is only a small piece of the true modernization opportunity....
How Agile product owners should prioritize user stories
Many organizations struggle to adopt Agile as part of their digital transformation. And one of the most common struggles in adopting Agile is how to move toward incremental and iterative refinement. Iterating on a goal allows more information to be gained quickly,...
The future of software testing: Trends for 2021 and beyond
In today’s age of digital transformation, companies have had to change the way they test software. Teams performing 100% manual test scripts find it very difficult for the testers to keep up with development. We often see developers either having to slow down...
Reduce security breaches: How Cloud Identity as a Service can benefit you
Moving your business to the cloud is inevitable. And it is critical that you can keep your data, your employees' data, and your clients' data safe. Global insurance carrier Hiscox reports the average cost to recover from a data breach is $200,000, whereas a study...
Is traditional software testing dead? Why a hybrid approach is key
In our previous article, Testing in the DevOps Pipeline, we discussed release pipelines and the automated test cases which help make them a reality. We started with these topics because they touch on some of the more exciting and new ways that adopting DevOps...
The rise of big data technologies and why it matters
Getting the right data to the right people at the right time is the name of the game in today’s demanding marketplace. Every company has to find a way to harness big data and use it to drive growth. And if your organization isn’t talking big data, you are at a...
Digital transformation: Our predictions for 2021 and beyond
What will the future hold when it comes to digital transformation? We don’t have a Magic-8 ball or special spidey sense, but our team does anticipate sizeable change. We asked a few of our team members what they thought based on their work and personal...
Driving digital transformation forward
Everyone is talking about digital transformation, but there’s a lot of confusion and misinformation about what that term means. Much more than just a buzzword or doing things “digitally,” digital transformation means reimagining your business and driving it forward in...
When testers become plumbers: Testing in the DevOps pipeline
Are you currently using a DevOps pipeline, or moving that direction? Are you looking to integrate testing into the release pipeline? In this article, we’ll briefly discuss DevOps pipelines and give some hints on how you can test in such an environment. Joining the...
Why choosing the right CMS matters
CMS. DXP. WCM. No matter what your organization might call it, most businesses fostering their digital marketing maturity leverage a form of content management platform. Often, the choice of Content Management System (CMS) serves as a cornerstone for digital...
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