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What is business analysis? It forms the foundation for the successful development and implementation of an IT project, helping to bridge the gap between IT and business and build a profitable workflow model.

The all-around comprehensive analysis enables one to understand in-depth how technical and organizational issues can affect development processes. It can be used to identify and quantify opportunities for IT project management. The analysis also allows revealing criticality and volumes of necessary resources. That’s why it should be conducted only by experienced professionals.

If you want to launch a software development project, you must have a team that can assess the scale of the project, set requirements and standards, facilitate communication with the development team, and support its implementation.

At Axisbits, we put data analytics at the core of evaluating software development processes, defining Agile methodology requirements, and providing quality reports and recommendations for developers and IT businesses.

What is IT Business Analysis (BA)?

BA in IT helps establish the proper relationship between internal and external development processes to be automated, as well as connect customers and supply chains of finished software products.

It allows determining the criticality of business operations and related resource requirements to ensure the stability of operations and continuity of the IT project.

Role of an analyst in software development

The main goal of conducting BA is to develop initiatives and strategies to optimize processes, efforts, and costs at all stages of the project.

This is done by a business technology analyst who works with project managers and users to understand how to increase the efficiency and value of software solutions. This specialist formulates ideas and balances them with what is technologically feasible, financially and functionally sound.

What is a role of a business analyst? One must be able to:

• Conduct a thorough analysis highlighting issues and ways to solve them;
• Analyze flaws and errors and investigate requirements;
• Compose reports and business analysis approach documents;
• Visualize numbers and statistics (with layouts);
• Research competitors;
• Calculate, plan, and monitor development costs;
• Define business requirements as well as promotion and marketing recommendations;
• Define prioritization of technical and functional client requirements.

The key role of a business analyst in a project is to create a consistent and complete model of business requirements for software development. The specialist receives specific requirements from the client, and then on their basis:

• Composes terms of reference;
• Documents the software architecture of an IT product;
• Assigns development and testing tasks.

On top of that, BA also tackles:

• Definition of high-level and user-level business requirements;
• Business process modeling;
• Management of unfulfilled requirements;
• Testing and quality assurance team assistance;
• Assessment of return on investment and profits.

An IT business analyst often deals with automation tasks, collecting information from all development process participants, studying it, and describing in detail the desired software functionality. When a project is implemented, the specialist provides a tutorial for users and solves functional problems at all stages of the development life cycle.

Benefits of IT Business Analysis

Business analysis is a critical component of software development. And analysts are fundamental members of the team, providing the IT business with benefits such as:

• Cost- and time-efficiency. Once the requirements are systematized, analyzed, and evaluated, the cost of the project will be shared with all stakeholders. You won’t miss a single requirement with a good analyst by your side (which, otherwise, can result in huge unnecessary expenses). The development team and stakeholders quickly get results, test the first versions of the software product, and adapt to changing requirements.
• Full requirements compliance. Layouts allow all involved project parties (usually, the client and the development team) to see what the finished project will look like on the basic level. This helps avoid serious mistakes and misunderstandings at the very beginning of the project.
• Process optimization. A high-quality analysis will help set priorities, choose the best strategy for the development and promotion of an IT product, as well as the right pricing policy.
• Cybersecurity boost. The analysis also helps identify trends, potentially useful features, and possible issues in the perception of applications by future users. An analyst creates a BA interface by collecting, analyzing, and prioritizing user types, passing this info on to developers. The BA interface can be used by clients to document and ensure that the software complies with regulatory requirements. A business analyst can work with project stakeholders to analyze software during development. Understanding the requirements and expectations of the project ensures that testing is conducted correctly. Empathy card analysis will allow you to create a personalized IT product for different target audiences.
• Increase in profits. Identifying truly essential functionality, reducing costs, development time and the number of modifications increases the profitability of the project as a whole.

Conclusion

BA is a must at every stage of the development process. The business analyst role in agile and other workflow models is equally high. And yet, today, many IT departments don’t hire individual in-house specialists for the project, preferring to turn to specialized companies with experienced workers. 

Entrust your idea to seasoned professionals at Axisbits and we’ll transform your concept into a profitable product to reckon with in the smoothest way possible.

IT systems that fail to meet modern market and user requirements won’t ever help you reveal the full potential of your enterprise. For a company to stay ahead of the competition, all of its software tools must be aligned with up-to-date goals and objectives. They must be flexible, easy to use, and equipped with modern technology.

A sensible approach to legacy system modernisation will help you keep your head above the water in the constantly shifting market conditions. By following simple steps, you can achieve the set results more efficiently and lower expenses without disrupting existing workflows.

Why Should I Modernise My IT systems?

Software is not a cognac that only gets better with age. Reliable and well-proven, but the old system can undermine your business. At that, timely updated software positively impacts the ability to adapt, grow, and remain competitive.

Surely, not everything old is bad, so it often makes sense to modernize instead of completely replacing systems. If the changes allow existing systems to be used without the need for a complete redesign, this is a great option. Modernization can offer a number of benefits:

• Cost optimization. Maintaining legacy systems eats up a significant chunk of your budget. The updates help you optimize legacy code and reduce overall operating costs.
• Efficiency boost. Legacy applications can contain bugs and technical limitations that slow down performance. Updates will reduce crashes and make the system run faster.
• Security reinforcement. In 2020, the average cost of data breaches for companies globally is $3.86 million. Legacy technologies are more vulnerable to cyber threats.

On the other hand, modernization is not always possible. Typically, code is written for a specific platform. When porting a legacy system, it is difficult to ensure that the formats are consistent. The greater the complexity, size, and embedded business logic of the application is, the larger the budget for its maintenance is. In addition, the transition of complex software can take too long. Lack of technical skills and coding experience can also be an issue.

What is a Legacy System?

A legacy system is an information system based on old technologies that is still essential for an established workflow.

Most companies have both new and old software tools. Some people update their applications piece by piece. As long as all this works, the system is not considered obsolete. But when a piece of software, existing technology, or the entire system begins to block or slow down the ability to adapt to market dynamics, it is considered obsolete.

How to Modernize Legacy Systems

Here’s how you usually modernize software step by step.

Current state assessment

The process of assessing the current state of things is key to drawing up a modernization roadmap. You need to answer the following questions:

• Which parts of the system are functional?
• What is the goal of modernization?
• What approach to pick?
• What are the modernization terms and costs?

A complex assessment usually includes two parts:

• Business Assessment - an analysis that shows the complexity and structure of an application, the functionality and performance of the system, and determines the supported business processes and the quality of the services offered.
• Technical analysis - checking the source code, determining the stability and redundancy of the application. This will help you plan for solid construction, design, and the correct proportions of your interfaces.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) creation

Implementing new technologies with MVP will help you upgrade while protecting the elements that matter most to your business and users. As a result, product functions will be filtered according to current needs. This methodology is used to approve updates and test applications before the company begins actual upgrades and global rollouts.

Choosing a modernization approach

Reengineering can be applied to applications that lack performance, security, and other non-functional requirements, or those that need a complete transformation.

The software renovation will enable the introduction of new technologies, platforms, and systems that meet business goals and needs. Moreover, CRM, SCM, and ERP can also be used as segment replacements.

Software migration will fix flaws in processes, code, or applications. This could include re-hosting, refactoring, or redesigning for performance or UX updates. Migrating business-critical data requires planning. This must be done before reorganizing and migrating applications to prevent data leaks.

Automation

Manual legacy software modernization that involves a lot of code and multiple systems can be imprecise and slow. Application assessment, data migration, and deployment can and should be automated.

Legacy software modernization best practices are all about:

• defining goals,
• reviewing the software architecture and subdividing a system by segments if need be;
• setting the project scale (a list of required features, security standards, regulations, and technical specifics);
• prioritizing mobility and accessibility (consider cloud solutions);
• conducting smooth deployment (with product testing, connection to web services, and license checking).

Regardless of which approach you prefer, modernization will help you solve problems, improve productivity, and add important features.

Conclusion

There are many reasons for updating legacy applications, but there are many specifics to consider before doing so. So what is software modernization? It is a difficult, multi-stage path, through which only the true professionals can guide you. Contact Axisbits today ─ we will help you transform your legacy system into the most modern solution with the most adaptive technologies!

In recent years, retail has learned to better predict regional demand, market fluctuations, and inflation. Business models have become more flexible and adaptable, assortment matrix management and close vendor comparison have become possible. And this all is facilitated greatly by digital transformation. What trends in retail shouldn’t be ignored by companies and what is the advantage of the digital mindest of the whole industry? Let’s take a look.

What is Retail Digital Transformation?

Digitalization is the transformation of a business through digital technologies. The idea behind this transformation in retail is based on more efficiently meeting customer needs and expectations, streamlining business processes, and increasing company productivity.

The key drivers of digitizing the retail include:

• Growing consumer demands. The advent of smartphones, the development of IoT, the desire to get orders as fast as possible, and the ability to test products using AR/VR technologies set new business conditions. Companies need to adapt to new trends so as not to lose customer loyalty and boost profits.
• Increasing competition. Digitize or die! We can safely say that all your competitors who prefer digital transformation in the retail industry will definitely get their chance to profitably expand in the future.
• Personalized experience demands. Personalization in marketing and customer service is beneficially employed by Coca-Cola, Hubspot, TED, Grammarly, Uber, Amazon, Netflix, and Spotify. The latter creates personalized playlists with songs that the user may like. And it's an effective marketing tool - 91% of consumers prefer to shop from companies that provide personalized deals.
• Pandemic effects. The pandemic has accelerated technology adoption, robotization, and mass digitization in the business environment due to necessary remote interactions.

According to IDC, by 2023, 50% of retailers who have linked their self-service technology strategy to digital transformation can expect 35% net profit growth, a 10% increase in customer loyalty, and a 5% decrease in employee turnover.

Benefits of Digital Transformation in Retail

A well-thought-out digitalization strategy will increase the company's sales volumes, as well as consumer loyalty. Other business transformation benefits also include the following:

• Optimization of operations. The use of cloud technologies helps company employees to quickly respond to customer requests, improving the level of technical support. On top of that, access to real-time data allows you to forecast needs and monitor stocks in the warehouse.
• Better customer communication. Retailers can connect with customers through social media, mobile apps, websites, chatbots to get direct feedback and boost their reputation.
• Boosted income. Digital transformation allows you to reach a wider target audience and increase profits covering mobile and online shoppers.

Retail Digital Transformation Trends

Among digital transformation trends in retail, as well as popular technologies that provide an integrated personal experience, the following are worth highlighting:

• Mobile technologies. 40% of all online transactions today are made via a mobile device. Nearly half of users read product reviews on their mobile phones. 79% of users have made online purchases using smartphones in the last 6 months. This is why retailers should never neglect mobile technology and website customization.
• AR and VR solutions. According to a study by the consulting company Grand View Research, the global virtual reality market will exceed $45 billion in total value by 2025. This makes it clear that such solutions should be used more often in business.
  What is the main advantage of AR and VR technologies? The ability to examine the product in detail - or even "mount" it into your space. You can try what a new shade of hair dye will look like, or see whether a piece of furniture will fit into your living room.
  For instance, Google released the Cardboard virtual reality headset in 2014, and Volvo marketers were using the device to advertise the new XC90 SUV. The company developed a virtual reality app that allowed the crossover to be tested without leaving home. Christian Dior marketers and developers created an AR-mask for Instagram that enables you to try on sunglasses and headbands from the new DiorSoLight collection.
  On top of that...
  Large retailers lose millions annually in purchase returns - people return about 30% of products purchased online. VR technologies solve this "pain" by displaying the product as realistically as possible.
• Gamification. Yet another major trend in digital transformation solutions is the use of game mechanics. Gamification stimulates intrigue before the product or assortment updates, presents products in the original format, and boosts sales. Nike China has combined offline fitting with a 2D video game to promote Epic React footwear. 48% of the brand's store visitors who played it bought sneakers.
• CEM systems. The above mentioned technologies will not work without integrated solutions - customer experience management systems. Data obtained from mobile applications, communication channels, neuromarketing tools, and other equipment or technologies must be analyzed for sales growth.

Retail companies that digitized

The largest retailers are already testing and implementing digital technologies:

• Amazon — the Amazon Dash system for predictive forecasting and shipping drones;
• Zara — an RFID tags for supply management automation (the field of IoT);
• Domino’s — pilotless pizza delivery drones;
• Walmart — drones for storage residue inventory management;
• Tesco — predictive analytics for prognosing demand based on meteorological data (e.g., ice cream sales spike during the hot seasons).

Pitfalls of digital transformation in the retail industry

Despite the fact that 86% of CEOs are convinced of the effectiveness of business digitalization, only half really understand the principles and potential results of transformation. Hence the disappointing results: According to Forbes, 84% of digital conversions fail. Avoid the following mistakes to prevent defeat in the digital transformation of retail.

Lack of strategy

Each digital marketing method or tactic is critical to success in its own way. The goal of a leader is to objectively assess their potential for business and prioritize. Start by setting out the goals you expect from digitalizing your business and what technologies you think will help you achieve those goals in the first place.

No TA focus

Digital transformation starts with understanding what your audience wants and what their expectations are. Ask yourself questions:

• Which social channels your TA uses?
• What other communication channels may they use? 
• Is the TA ready to be serviced by chatbots or would it prefer human tech support?

Forming a user engagement strategy will help you look at the company from the point of view of people who wll be eventually boosting your sales.

Ignoring generational traits

Buyer behavioral factors differ by generation. The generation Z in 2019 outstripped millennials in number and made up 32% of the world's population. Its representatives have been using smartphones since childhood and visit social networks up to 100 times a day. However, they are more consumer conscious, and 57% of them are more likely to save money than spend it on emotions-driven purchases. Unlike millennials, Gen Z is not prone to impulsive shopping.

Such details are important to consider when drawing up a strategy and implementing digital technologies. The digital retail industry of the future must be relevant to the generation that it is betting on.

Insufficient employee education

Suppose, your company has undergone a digital transformation. Do employees understand why and for what this was done? Have they started to effectively use the introduced technologies and tools? Most probably not. Focus on educating employees to leverage new opportunities.

Bottom Line

Do you want to break into 2021 with a business-refreshing digital transformation? Feel like the time has come, but don't know where to start? Contact us to discuss a commercial offer or clarify the details of cooperation. We implement projects for retail companies, helping clients adapt to the new reality in the context of global digitalization.

Building an SaaS Solution Pt. 2 - Why You Need it and Where to Start
There has been a revolution in software product development. Only 38% of companies relied on SaaS (Software as a Service) in 2016. That number spiked to 43% in 2017 and 51% in 2018. According to the study, 786 technical professionals from small and large organizations, 94% in total use cloud SaaS solutions.

By 2020, 83% of most companies’ work was done in the cloud. An average of 34 SaaS applications is used by firms today. 48% of companies have SaaS development or product contracts for one year on average.

Now, there is no need to buy software on media, install it, and update it regularly. Software as a service has revolutionized.

Why Opt for Building SaaS?
There are a number of undeniable benefits of using both readymade and custom-made SaaS solutions:

Time-efficiency

You don't need a lot of preparation time to start using SaaS - such solutions are most easily installed and don’t require any configurations. Just install and use. Save time for more pressing tasks.

Cost-efficiency

Hardware and software licenses are cheaper than the traditional model, and maintenance costs are also reduced. There is no need to buy expensive equipment. Upgrade costs are also lower compared to traditional models.

Scalability

SaaS enables small and medium-sized businesses to use software without huge costs. This, in turn, allows you to increase the flow of customers.

Third-party integrations

SaaS providers usually offer flexible systems. You can easily integrate third-party plugins, services, tools, and solutions.

Security

All data is reliably stored in a safe place. You don't have to worry that important data will be lost or fall into unwanted hands without your permission.

Availability

SaaS solutions are accessible at any time. All that is required is Internet access. This is extremely important for solving urgent tasks timely and staying mobile while working.

Factors to Consider Before Building a SaaS Product
There are a number of factors that should be analyzed before introducing a SaaS product into your existing workflow. It is important to choose the right contractor to save time, money. A few general tips - consider ordering a custom product to best fit your specific business needs and pay attention to Eastern Europe-based providers that offer a reasonable price-quality ratio. Before purchasing a readymade or ordering a custom product, make sure to also study the following aspects.

Pitfalls

The reasons why a SaaS project might fail should be investigated. This will help identify pain points and eliminate possible problems at the development stage (or avoid a low-potential product).

Non-compliance with market requirements

You need to clearly understand the needs of your target audience and study the market. Forums, developer meetings, marketers, focus groups with prospective users - all this will help you choose the best solution. Brainstorm is a great way to generate ideas.

Lack of a marketing strategy

Many companies make a common mistake. They just design the product, test it, release it to the market, maybe make adjustments. But only then do they start advertising the product - through social networks, a website, etc. This is a huge mistake. Success doesn't come on its own. It is necessary to come up with the entire marketing strategy in advance. Also, take care of providing a free promo version.

No flexibility

Consult leading analysts, find out what the forecast in the market is. After the product is released, listen carefully to your audience. Of course, it is advisable to find out the opinion of future users even before the product goes to market. Lack of flexibility will ruin your success. In the product itself, it is necessary to make the possibility of changes - quick and safe for the project as a whole.

Pro tips for reaching success in the SaaS market

What steps should be taken to ensure the product is as successful as possible?

Plan out pricing

You have to be flexible in calculating the price. Include the potential extra costs due to unexpected circumstances while formulating pricing.

Make sure there is customer support

Dedicated customer support should carry out updates, reply to user feedback, and help solve issues.

Organize partnership opportunities

Integration with other tools and services will help you offer a product that best meets the user needs. Unite with business partners and achieve success together.

SaaS - How to Develop and Become the Best
If you are looking to develop an SaaS product of your own (either to release it in the market or for in-house purposes), you need to approach the whole process with specifics in mind. Start with figuring out the main formats of SaaS solutions.

Types of SaaS Solutions
The major formats of SaaS software include: 

• eCommerce software - for products and commercial activity management.
• Vertical SaaS - niche-oriented solutions focused on business optimization.
• Collaboration software - used for communication and collaborative workflows.
• CRM - helps boost the efficiency of sales and marketing efforts (like HubSpot).
• ERP - solutions for thorough management of business processes.
• Project management software - platforms for convenient project management (like Jira).
• Accounting solutions - solutions focused on financial operations and payments (like Tipalti).

Steps to Building a SaaS Product
How to properly approach building a SaaS product from scratch? Make sure to pay an equal share of attention to all the following aspects.

Market analysis

It is crucial to analyze the market where you are going to deploy the product. This is where you should bring in the most knowledgeable experts. The correct analysis will help avoid many pitfalls in the future.

Software requirements

When it comes to the SaaS model, it is important to ensure security, think over all the details of the product. Hire the best outsourcing team you trust. conduct competent preparation. Experts must understand all the specifics of the software you are looking to build.

Create an MVP if you must

Minimum viable product will help you see how the basic capabilities of your future full-fledged product satisfy the relevant market standards and user requirements. It can be a great “trial project” to clarify your real prospects in the market.

SaaS pricing strategy

The SaaS financial model must be tailored to the needs of your target users. Thus, users can pay for using your product in a number of ways:

• For functionality;
• For the time of use (subscription model;
• Fixed price;
• Freemium - a free version of software with limited features and paid full functionality.

Remember also that sometimes it may be necessary to transfer a project to new technology or rewrite the backend or interface, so take this into account when estimating costs.

Developers team

SaaS development is a responsible task that affects the success of the entire project. You can use your own programmers for this purpose. But it's better to resort to outsourcing. This is a time- and cost-saving method, very popular in today’s business environment.

Budget planning

Write down the budget, taking into account the approximate time it will take to complete a project, the possibility of making changes, and the pricing policy for the client. You should always calculate your budget for a possible force majeure.

Transferring to the SaaS Model
In order to transform an existing application into a SaaS product, you need to take a bunch of similar steps:

Analyze

Study the competitive environment. Analyze the actions of your competitors. Conduct an assessment of what is currently on the market, what product your potential customer expects.

Gather a team

Find the best talents. If you’re going for outsourcing, check out the projects that the outsourcing team created previously. Shed the light on the specifics of your business. And make sure to communicate with the people working on your project a lot.

Pick a cloud provider

Explore the offers of different suppliers, consult with experts. Take care of the technological side - it must be up to par.

Convert

The time it takes to convert to SaaS can be reduced by hiring a team of experienced professionals.

Adobe is a great example of moving from on-premises software to the SaaS business model. Previously, you could buy a copy of Photoshop. Now, it's a whole suite of products that’s used based on the monthly subscription.

Key Metrics
What key SaaS metrics will you need to track? Most SaaS businesses focus on KPIs - key performance indicators such as:

• monthly or annual income;
• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost);
• LTV (Customer Lifetime Value) - the profit a customer brings during their total time of subscription.
• churn rate - a percentage of customers that ceased the subscription;
• NPS (Net Promoter Score) - the total value of your product for customers.

There are low-engagement SaaS products (subscription via website, mail, and so on) and high-engagement ones (a huge contribution of the sales force to customer acquisition and service). Keep that in mind as well.

Conclusion
The use of SaaS is extremely important to business success. Reducing material and time costs, an individual approach, as well as greater customer engagement are the key parameters of such a success. But you need experienced specialists with profiled knowledge to help you implement a new SaaS solution most properly.

Axisbits is a custom software development company with extensive experience in developing web applications of any complexity, including SaaS application development. We create top-notch ERP solutions, eCommerce websites, and startup applications based on sophisticated technology. Contact us to get an SaaS solution built on the most innovative technologies that will surely boost your business potential.

Benefits of Facial Recognition Software in the Privacy Age

No matter how fantastic face ID software seemed to be some ten years ago - today, it has become the norm in many areas of human life and business fields. Facial recognition software products are most widely used in defense activities, tourism (security services at airports, check-in at hotels, etc.), photography (identifying people’s faces in real time), and social networks (the ability to mark a user in a picture).

Modern face recognition systems require a minimum of human touch, making the work of artificial intelligence more and more autonomous. AI-based automation has various uses, as well as its advantages and disadvantages.

What is the Best Facial Recognition Software and How Does it Work?

Facial recognition technology originated back in the early 90s in terms of static biometric analysis research by Joseph Atick. He was the first field expert to enable visual templates’ processing with scanning of various facial features: eyes, mouth corners, nose, etc.

The main issue with the first wave of face ID software products was insufficient preciseness of processing. The human image was utterly standardized and many little nuances were lost out of sight. For instance, the distance between different facial features varies a lot from person to person. Such ratios originally used to be pretty much neglected.

As artificial intelligence advanced, however, such issues were efficiently fixed. The best facial recognition software of today makes out even the tiniest separate objects. Although, there are still certain shortcomings, especially when it comes to group photos.

Facial recognition software development is one of the most attention-drawing, exciting modern startups with huge growth potential. According to MarketsandMarkets, the total value of the face ID software market will reach $7 billion by 2024 and pass over the $10 billion mark in 2027. Quite a significant motivation to launch a project of your own in the niche, isn’t it?

Facial Recognition Pros & Cons

No technologies are perfect and there is always something to strive for. There are many facial recognition pros and cons when it comes to implementing such solutions in different practices. Let’s take a look.

Pros

- Social security

One of the major benefits of facial recognition is related to the work of law enforcement. The ability to identify people’s faces to check them in the criminal database is a real life-saver in this responsible profession. 

The technology makes it easier to detect potentially threatening persons from among the crowd. Facial recognition is among the most helpful and efficient tools in fighting terrorism, handling undercover operations, and simply catching criminals on the run.

This goes for the field of data protection as well. Since 2010, the New York police department alone has prevented over 21 thousand cyber crimes related to the personal data breach. 

- Military and intelligence services

The advances in facial recognition development motivate defense departments of many countries to make contracts with companies providing face ID software-powered drones. Such little yet intelligent fellows can indicate potential menacing intentions. According to Daily Sabah, Turkish militants are looking to start using AI-based ASTARUS systems to identify terrorists.

Yet another field where the technology sees a wide scope of application is intelligence and state security. Namely, related solutions help better expose spies and their areas of activity.

- Humanitarian operations

War conflicts leave a lot of refugees stranded and lost outside their native countries. Facial recognition systems help reunite war-affected families even years after their break up. In this manner, face scanning tools bring invaluable help to humanity. 

The technology also covers human trafficking crimes. Thus, in China, authorities used facial recognition to help a person that was kidnapped at the age of 4 reunite with their family after 27 (!) years.

- Business and customer experience

The technology finds the widest application in such niches. In particular:

• face ID helps reinforce the security of deals and boost the convenience of financial operations - many banks and companies are already introducing face ID-based payments (e.g., Mastercard);
• Alibaba allows users to authorize in their virtual cabinet via face scanning;
• marketers are getting more and more in-depth in researching behavioral face expressions and how their understanding can help boost sales;
• hotels make services more personalized with the technology, offering the most individually optimal services.

- Medicine

Face ID capabilities in medicine and healthcare are at the initial stages of development right now. The technology is mostly used in combination with other powerful hardware and software solutions to research genetic diseases, identify signs of aging, etc.

Cons

Despite the felt benefit to humanity and yet-to-be-explored potential, facial recognition technology has its downsides. Namely:

• expensiveness;
• cumbersome nature - efficient face ID software requires a huge database of images, constant tech support, and regular data updates;
• scanning inaccuracies - in order to efficiently identify individual faces in the crowd the software usually requires photos captured on multiple cameras with different viewing angles;
• ethical norms - people gradually get uncomfortable with the fact that they are being watched.
• personal data security - human face databases pose the question of high-level protection for all the data stored;
• weak law regulations in the field of personal data protection.

How Much Does a Facial Recognition System Cost?

Considering the many sides and depth of potential of using the face ID system in various fields, it’s difficult to name exact numbers. Such software is usually very custom and the end price of its creation depends on the project goal, complexity, and other underlying nuances.

Still, the question stands - how much does a facial recognition system cost? On average, companies are ready to complete your project for about $1,000. But keep in mind price fluctuations, potential pitfalls, and such. Your best bet would be to have a budget with plenty of resources to spare just in case.

Conclusion

The best facial recognition software is a complex result of technological evolution. Nonetheless, the technology is still quite young and it falls under many legal regulations that limit its potential. However, it would be irrational to ignore its benefits. The world-changing possibilities of facial recognition are huge and it is certainly a developing innovation to be reckoned with. Hit us up if you wish to tackle the niche.

Building an SaaS Solution Pt.1 - Learning from the Best

In today’s progressively competitive, technology-driven business world, all organizations looking to enhance their market activity and productivity are grasping the benefits offered by the world of software. Whether it may be the enhanced cloud computing capabilities, artificial Intelligence-based automation tools, or merchant processing options, the software market is very diversified, with products that can serve almost every possible business need.

SaaS is a popular model of licensing and delivering software products based on a subscription. Such solutions are hosted centrally and are deployed by third parties. SaaS software is also called software on-demand or software plus services. 

SaaS products may include:

• office software;
• DBMS (Database Management Systems);
• CAD (Computer-Aided Design);
• development tools;
• automation software, etc.

Accounting, collaboration, management information management systems (MIS), human resource management (HRM), customer relationship management (CRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), billing, talent acquisition, learning management systems, management content (CM), geographic information systems (GIS) and helpdesk management - all these areas can also be managed and enhanced with the niche-focused SaaS.

According to Gartner, total SaaS market sales were expected to grow 23% in 2018, to $72 billion. Forecasts exceeded expectations. SaaS is at its peak right now.

Why are Businesses so Focused on SaaS?

SaaS as a software format has long proven to be a very useful, business-boosting, and profitable concept if implemented right. Renowned solutions offer wide capabilities for other businesses to make workflows more coordinated and convenient. A centralized, cloud-hosted approach makes such software more available and accessible. Ultimately, SaaS development project allows for:

• Cost-efficiency due to cheaper distribution model and reduced maintenance costs;
• Time-efficiency with simple installations and integrations;
• Security reinforced by a centralized, cloud-focused software maintenance approach;
• Scalability that results from SaaS being accessible to small and medium-scale businesses;
• Flexibility of integrations as a major underlying aspect of SaaS solutions.

These benefits and more make companies such as Google and Salesforce put high stakes on their SaaS development projects.

Top Examples of SaaS Solutions 

Software as a service is a relatively new sales model that has been replacing traditional software licenses for quite some time now. A SaaS product is online software that provides centralized user access. Among the striking examples of such solutions and providers are:

BigCommerce

This is a public technology company providing one of the most renowned and widely used SaaS eCommerce platforms of the same name. The company was founded in 2009 and has over 600 employees with headquarters in Austin.

Hubspot

A service that covers all areas of Internet marketing, including blogging, social media, SEO, content management, and landing pages. The system offers a wide range of email marketing automation features. Among other things, HubSpot offers analytics, mobile apps and a wide range of integrations with third-party services.

Salesforce Service Cloud

Part of a bigger CRM for customer service and support processes. The service can work with social networks, forums, blogs, microblogs, bookmarks. The whole Salesforce CRM system is provided to customers exclusively on the SaaS model.

Google Workspace Apps

A collection of cloud services provided by Google to other businesses and individual users. These are convenient tools for solving absolutely any sort of work tasks, which are collected in a single functionally simple interface.

MailChimp

This is a popular marketing automation platform and email marketing service. Mailchimp allows small businesses to enhance the workflow with functional tools that are relevant to the modern business market.

Dropbox

File hosting from Dropbox Inc. that provides personal cloud storage, file sync, and client software. It's a great tool for sorting together all the information relevant to your team in one place.

DocuSign

An optimal solution for electronic signatures. Helps to quickly sign a full range of documents and forms online, simplifies business workflow, provides legally important tools, and guarantees a secure signing process, protecting against forgery.

ZenDesk

A web service with a range of applications to support customers. Indispensable for employees, managers, and administrators alike. It is unique software for support, sales, and customer interaction. It is very easy to get started with the service and get comfortable with all the nuances.

Slack

An online service for collaborating within a team and a large company. A great replacement for Skype and other kinds of work chats. This service is distinguished by the ability to tightly integrate active dialogues with other applications. This principle allows you to monitor the progress of work on various projects using one interface and remove unnecessary information.

Trello

One of the most famous online project management systems, which is extremely beneficial, especially for small companies. With a simple interface - boards, columns, and cards - Trello helps you organize projects and prioritize tasks most intuitively.

Conclusion 

If you are inspired by the ultimate success of the mentioned solutions and wish to implement an SaaS product of your own, it is crucial to choose the right developer company, analyze the market, familiarize yourself with the services provided by the company and its projects. An SaaS development company must be experienced and possess profiled expertise. All the nuances of the SaaS product development lifecycle and the final success of the project depend on the choice of a contractor.

Axisbits is here to help you get the project of any complexity and purpose done in the most reasonable terms, based on an adequate budget - contact us. And check out part 2 of the article for more SaaS implementation specifics.

Covid-19 has changed every aspect of our lives, and business is not an exception. Nowadays, experts from different countries are researching new resources for online business. To show how it works in practice, we have compiled a list of the best business tools for growth of your business during the pandemic.

The Best Online Business Tools for Small and Large Businesses

There are many entrepreneurs who decided to change the way they manage their business since the pandemic started. Many  startup tools have been popularized and even developed to help small startups and large enterprises to improve the processes of:

• accounting;
• task and project management;
• communication;
• customer service;
• file management or file sharing;
• lead management;
• e-commerce; 
• content management solutions.

Business project management tools provide a wide range of advantages, such as ease of use, flexibility, productivity, and cost reduction. Global Market Research Insights forecast that these benefits will increase the business process management market by $23.04 billion by 2024.

What Is Business Management Software?

Business management software is a universal app that helps to manage the business and improve its processes. It reduces the costs of operations and makes it easier to control the workflow. Since business norms change quickly in new circumstances, it is crucial to pay attention to innovations. Business management software (BMS) is a reliable solution that ensures better cooperation for companies and optimizes the business.

The Best Online Business Tools and Resources

During Covid-19, all companies have had to adapt to the situation and learn to communicate remotely. Here are some useful applications that will help them to continue working productively.

Google

Google has been financially supporting small and middle businesses, health care organizations, governments during the pandemic. It provides grants to help all companies globally, taking part in Covid-19 prevention by delivering important information. 

Facebook

Facebook gives money grants and advertising credits to over 30,000 small enterprises with 5 to 50 team members that have been working for more than a year. The social network has announced donations for the local US and Canadian mass media that publish news about Covid-19.

Salesforce

Salesforce Essentials is a CRM platform that combines services and sales in one application. It is one of the largest management platforms that you can use completely free of charge for 90 days. It helps businesses stay effective during the crisis.

Zoho

Zoho is a CRM platform that provides a subscription for small and middle businesses. It provides 20,000 companies with free access for 3 months, since enterprises that have less than 25 employees suffer the most because of Covid-19.

Mailchimp

What about marketing tools for online business? Mailchimp is a well-known email marketing software platform that offers 10 million in its services for small companies in need of financial support.

Google Hangouts Meet

Google helps companies and education sectors with free access to their advanced Hangouts Meet. Everyone can use the video conferences available for all G Suite clients, including G Suite for Education.

Loom

Loom offers a 50% discount on Loom Pro ($5 instead of $10). It is an app with video recording and collaboration functions that provides an unlimited number of records. Loom Pro has a special bonus - free access for all students and university lecturers, schools and other educational institutions.

Vidyard

Vidyard is a well-known platform that provides free video tools for all companies that have faced problems during the pandemic.

Slack

Slack supports all researchers, non-profit organizations, and networks. The app that helps companies to stay in touch and control communication offers three-month free access to its Pro version.

Shopify

Shopify is an e-commerce platform that opened a free trial version to all new clients. This platform provides 200 million USD for small businesses to support them in this difficult period.

Yell

Yell supports companies by delivering Yell for Business for free. It makes business management easier and helps to update the free lists of companies on Yell.

How to Improve Your Business?

Not every company has enough money to overcome the crisis the way Adidas, Ford, or Chanel can afford. Entrepreneurs need to be supported in this complicated time more than others. 

The Covid-19 crisis has become a factor of fundamental transformation in business management. New business tools and resources help companies adapt to unique circumstances. While choosing business management tools, you need to take into account their requirements and functions. It is better to choose based on the type, size of the business, and the cost. 

Making the right decision is even more difficult in the times of crisis. Nowadays, it is vital to save every cent. If you are looking for a good solution for your business, we advise referring to professionals.

Axisbits is an experienced development company that offers services in web design, startup MVP, SaaS, and CRM development. We try our best to provide high-quality products according to your concept and idea. It is crucial for us to deliver a project that will meet all the client’s requirements. If you are looking for online customer service tools used in e-business, contact us.

2020 was definitely a difficult year to live and work through. Throughout the year, we came up with the “moving on” philosophy that became a regular habit in our team. Each time we experienced serious project complications (of which there were plenty), we used this “moving on” phrase in the most ironic sense.

“Moving on” gradually became our in-house meme. And it correlates excellently with the basic symbol of our logo - a forward/upward pointing arrow. It is kind of our take on the motivating reassurance to push forward.

By the end of the year, we realized that we’ve been working under the same “wrapper” for 7 years. And so the guys in the team simply said “no more” and decided that it’s high time for a cosmetic update.

That being said, feast your eyes on our new logo:

Onward and Upward Against All Odds

In the hours of brainstorming and artistic struggle, a brand new visual was born. Our trusty onward/upward-pointing arrow is a manifestation of our attitude here at Axisbits - keep going forward and growing higher. This is our creed and an in-house philosophy.

They say change is what pushes us forward, allows us to progress in what we do and how we live. We are taking another small step to big change, with lots of visual, technical, and corporate renovation ideas in mind. We are also looking forward to the upcoming huge website update. 

Thank you for being with us throughout this rollercoaster of a year. May you and your close ones stay healthy and wealthy in the New Year!