IBA Group submitted its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility Report and was recognized as a Platinum winner in the following categories:

CSR reports are part of the company’s commitment to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). After joining UNGC in 2018, IBA Group has been submitting progress reports on an annual basis. The Ukrainian auditing company Premier Business Consulting & Communications was the auditor of the 2020 IBA Group CSR Report.

Author: Mark Hillary

The business journals used to say that outsourcing and offshoring was replacing the need for companies to hire people. Now it’s the robots that are supposed to be taking our jobs. Business journals and commentators across the world are suggesting that a wave of automation driven by smart Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems will largely replace the need for workers.

Enterprise technology used to be completely unrelated to any of the systems we might use on a computer at home – think of ERP or CRM systems. Who would be building a CRM system at home, yet it’s a common tool in the office. However, now that many enterprise tools are delivered via the cloud using a web browser it feels remarkably similar to be using tools and systems at home or in the office.

So is the Internet of Things (IoT) any different? The IoT has largely been talked of as an automation tool to assist in the home – the smart home where every device is connected and controllable. But how does the IoT work in the enterprise environment and should it be approached differently to the home?

There are in fact many differences that enterprise IT managers need to be aware of and this interesting article lists ten talking points. I’m going to just focus on what I consider to be the most important three here:

1. Security; you might be comfortable capturing personal data, such as your heart rate, on devices at home and sharing that information with your own personal cloud, but in the enterprise environment systems handling highly personal information need strong protection – just assuming a password is enough is negligent.

2. Reliability; enterprise and industrial IoT systems may be deployed far from your headquarters in remote and hostile environments. You need to know that a sensor will have a lifespan that can be measured in years, not weeks.

3. Programmability; IoT systems produced for personal use at home are largely out-of-the-box solutions. Even systems that can be configured in many ways, such as the Amazon Echo used for controlling home devices, are generally used in default mode most of the time. In the enterprise environment it is critical that your IoT devices and general environment can be changed to suit your needs – the default setting is unlikely to meet your needs.

This is an interesting paradox. As we have observed consumer and enterprise applications becoming more and more similar, the world of IoT remains distinct. The CIO, or general IT management, need to create an enterprise IoT strategy that moves beyond just installing systems that would be more useful in a smart home environment.

Author: Mark Hillary

The business journals used to say that outsourcing and offshoring was replacing the need for companies to hire people. Now it’s the robots that are supposed to be taking our jobs. Business journals and commentators across the world are suggesting that a wave of automation driven by smart Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems will largely replace the need for workers.

But what is the reality? Forrester Research does believe that a big change is coming, especially to highly developed markets like the US. Their latest study on the global workforce suggested that in 2018, 9% of US jobs will be lost to automation, partly offset by a 2% growth in jobs supporting this automation – the systems need to be managed. The most impacted areas will be back-office and administrative, sales, and call centre employees. A wide range of technologies, from Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and AI to customer self-service and physical robots will change how people are hired and will create a need for different skills.

Analysis by McKinsey is cautious. They warn that just because it is technically feasible for tasks to be automated does not mean that every company will do so. This is similar to the earlier concerns about outsourcing. It is technically feasible to outsource almost every function of a company, yet few companies outsource everything.

McKinsey says that when planning what is possible to automate, first you need to rate jobs and tasks by their technical feasibility – is this a repetitive process that a robot or software bot could perform? For example, when thinking about manual work tasks such as a factory assembly line or food packaging are predictable and it is possible to consider how these tasks could be automated. Construction, forestry, or working with animals is highly unstructured and not predictable and therefore almost impossible to automate.

Let’s consider a simple example. IBA Group created an email bot that sorts incoming emails at the customer support centres. The EmailBot processes typical customer requests, grouping these by content, sending automatic responses, creating tickets, and gathering statistics. However, even a constantly-learning robot cannot process all customer requests. Roughly 50-70 percent of incoming emails are processed automatically and the rest are forwarded to the appropriate employees. Nevertheless, in this case the employees are relieved from repetitive operations and are able to focus on more complicated tasks so value is created.

But factories and manufacturing are just one part of the economy. In most developed economies services are a greater part of the economy. Here there are clear examples of how some automation can be introduced. Look at how customers in McDonald’s are now comfortable using a screen to order their own meal. Amazon has proven that an entire supermarket can be automated, so not even checkouts are required.

Computer Weekly recently published an interesting study of automation that draws the conclusion that the real story is not that robots will cause jobs to vanish. Some jobs will go, but millions will also be created because of the automation. The real story is that many of the jobs we are familiar with today will be transformed.

This rings true. Think about the skills needed by a finance assistant or Human Resources professional in an environment where many business processes will be automated. These office professionals need to be able to control the automation systems and improve them – the back office professionals you are now hiring probably need to be able to code software. That never used to be a requirement in HR, but it will be soon.

The McKinsey research analyses over 800 different types of job and explores the possibility of robots replacing these tasks. You can read the research here, but to my mind it is the transformation of skills that is the real story – not robots replacing workers. Workers need to understand how to work with the robots and control them so they can be more productive.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

In honor of Labor Day here in the US, we are outlining four ways to improve employee satisfaction. Regardless of organization size, you can design ways to educate, train, and empower employees.

But that is just the start. Building a community for and with your employees inside the organization and in local areas where you work is key. Creating and sustaining a community with your employees helps to develop the kind of holistic experiences – and satisfaction – that makes employees proud to be part of your team. And invested in staying with you for the future.

Educate Employees

Truly successful individuals and organizations never stop learning. The never-stop-learning mentality is especially important in the IT field, where innovations and advancements happen at a fast pace.

One way to build employee satisfaction, individual employee confidence, and an overall stronger organization, is to offer ongoing opportunities for employee education. A great way to offer educational opportunities to your employees is to collaborate with colleges and universities. Connect your employees with relevant courses or certifications.

But do not stop with building the relationship with colleges and universities. Make sure you are doing all you can to make it possible for your employees to reach their educational goals. That may mean building more flexible schedules or offering tuition remission. Before you offer education opportunities to your employees, make sure you can offer what you want (and what they want) both from a cost perspective and a time perspective.

Of course, education, and the never-stop-learning mindset extend beyond individual employees. Brainstorm ways you can provide value to local colleges and universities. For our part, we cooperate with universities through R&D labs and training courses. We participate in conferences and workshops and support inter-university programming competitions.

We also look to those same local schools when we want to hire interns. When you have an established relationship with a school, you get stronger internship candidates. It becomes much easier to find the right fit for your organization. Then, those same interns may become long-term employees, who have felt like they are a vital part of your organization since they were in school. That is the kind of employee satisfaction – and employee loyalty – you can’t put a price on.

Train Employees

If employee satisfaction is a priority for your organization, make a commitment to help your employees do their best every day. This goes beyond motivation in the general sense. Make a commitment to provide your employees with the ongoing professional development and training that keep them at the top of their game.

The value to your organization speaks for itself. The better able your employees are to do their jobs, the better it is for you. But take a deeper look and see how training improves confidence, teamwork, quality, and efficiency across your organization. When you look at it this way, investments in training are an obvious choice for your overall organizational health.

Of course, not all training is equal. Be sure you are seeking the right opportunities for your employees, so you are not wasting their time or yours. Look at innovations in your industry. Think about the skill sets you most need on your team. For guidance in choosing the right training for your employees, start by looking at member associations in your field.

Empower Employees

Education and training lead to empowerment. And empowered employees are motivated, successful, loyal employees. In addition to training and education in IT skills, we offer foreign language training to our employees to help them connect with our clients across the globe, and to add value to their overall employee experience.

Think about ways you can empower your employees beyond the immediate skill requirements for their positions. Whether you have returned to office, or you are managing a remote workforce, you have a variety of ways to improve the daily working lives of your employees and to empower them. If employees are on-site, invest in fitness centers and outdoor space where employees can improve wellness and their sense of camaraderie. In remote work scenarios, consider partnering with local fitness centers for discounts for your employees, or providing vouchers. Design ways for remote employees to connect with each other to offer support and to collaborate on projects so they feel empowered as part of a team.

Create Community

Remember that your employees are people. The more supported they feel as individuals, and the more pride they take as productive members of a team, the more value they bring to your organization. Employee satisfaction improves when your employees notice that you recognize them as individuals, and valued members of your team.

Create community with that in mind. Our employees enjoy participating in sporting competitions, attending retreats, and going on tours together. Think about what resonates with your team – or better yet – ask your employees what they want to do together.

And finally, think about the world outside your business. Remind your employees (and your executive teams) that we are all part of a larger society; and we are stronger when we work to improve that society. Think about CSR not just as another organization goal, but as a way of connecting your employees with each other and with local and global communities. Then work together to make things better inside the office and out.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

As we break to connect with family and friends and prepare for the new year, together with our IBA Group colleagues, we would like to share three tips for the holiday season. Coming from a technology solutions partner, these “must dos” may come as a bit of a surprise.

We are not offering a list of how to get more from your mainframe. Or all the ways automation will improve your performance in 2022 (spoiler alert, look for that next week!). Nor are we reminding you how to get your teams cloud-ready, or how to integrate contactless payments into your post-pandemic strategies. Today, we are giving some good old-fashioned holiday advice that is smart for your business. And for your state of mind.

Take a Break

We mean that. Seriously. Take a break from the daily demands of work, with its constant deadlines and instant communication. Step away from your devices. Power down. And use this time to reconnect. Start by reconnecting with yourself.

Get active! Do something invigorating like going on a hike. Consider exploring a new part of your city by foot. Use quiet time outdoors, or at home in your favorite chair, to clear your head. Even if it is only for a day, rid yourself of the noise that constantly battles for your attention.

Trust us, your To Do List will keep. And, you may be surprised to know, taking time to rest improves mental clarity. Ultimately, rest even enhances productivity. In fact, at the start of this year, Forbes called rest a “fundamental part of success.” How many of us have tried to put that lesson into practice over the course of a busy, and sometimes chaotic 2021?

It’s not too late. Take your break now. Then, come back ready to do even more in 2022.

Reclaim your Home

Many of us around the world have been living the work from home life for more than a year. And while it does offer advantages, the ability to work from home can make it difficult to separate your home life from your work life. Of course, that makes it even more difficult to take a break and reset for the new year.

Use holiday time away from work to cultivate a more relaxing environment, even if you have only one corner of a room that you can free up for yourself. Designate an area in your home that you will not use for work during your break. And, if you can, try to maintain this separate sliver of space when you get back to work in full force in 2022.

A TINYpulse employee engagement survey that polled remote workers in May 2021 revealed 86% of individuals who work remotely report experiencing a great deal of burnout. So, if you are experiencing burnout, you are not alone. Fortunately, there are things you can do to help, starting with reclaiming your space. Creating spaces, even small ones, in which we can work, and then other spaces in which we can unwind, helps to prevent burnout.

Designate a separate zone that is just for you, not for Zoom, or anything related to work demands. Then enjoy some quiet time in your separate space (again, even if it is just your favorite chair!).

Make Plans Intentionally – and Have Fun

Networking for the sake of networking is not really socializing. Nor is it likely to revive you if you are feeling burned out or just run down. We know it is difficult to get together right now. But, if you can get out in the world and connect with colleagues safely, do it!

We are not talking about scheduling sales meetings and pitches. We are talking about making intentional plans to meet up with a coworker or a business partner to do something fun. You do not even have to talk about work. In fact, do not talk about work. Get together intentionally and connect person-to-person. Learn more about each other. Use the opportunity to share something meaningful to you. That could include getting together to watch a game, see a show, try a new restaurant, or go for a walk. Simple human interactions have been lacking from our calendars in 2021. So, before the year is over, make the effort (health and safety permitting) to spend quality time with someone you have been working with remotely. Or to reconnect with an old friend.

Harvard Business Review cited research that demonstrates “professional and personal networks have shrunk by close to 16%” from the start of the pandemic to the beginning of 2021. And that was a year ago! If, as HBR puts it, our networks are shrinking, now is the time to commit to building them back up again. More than helping to position young employees on their career trajectories, networks help executives, business owners, and other professionals feel less alone and more supported. In addition to opening opportunities for partnerships, real networking – connecting with others on an individual level – helps us to make more creative decisions, explore new ideas, and find pathways to success in the coming year and beyond.

So, we encourage you to reach out and connect with someone in your network. Even if it is just a phone call, take time to listen to their story and to share some of yours. And take time to take a break, together. 2022 will be much brighter for you – and for your business – as a result.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

Recently, we celebrated a decade of working with global shipping company Hapag-Lloyd. Naturally, this led to some great conversations about how our businesses are growing together as our partnership enters its second decade. And we came up with this list of 10 Ways to Keep a Client for 10 Years. Think about how you can apply these tips to your own client relationships.

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Like Each Other

On a personal level, we really like our partners at Hapag-Lloyd. From the start, we got along well. Both sides are open to conversation, and to listening to and learning from each other.

Ultimately, this simple foundation of liking each other allows us to really communicate. Without this fundamental respect and appreciation for each other, the relationship cannot go deeper. There is no second step with the client. With respect and appreciation, comes an opportunity to trust each other enough to grow together.

Take Interest in Each Other’s Businesses

In this case, both on the client and the provider side, we enjoy discussing our businesses together. When each side demonstrates that they care about (and want to learn more about) what the other does, working as partners and succeeding together is the natural next step.

You start thinking about how you can help each other. And you start considering the dynamics of your business relationship from the other’s point of view. This deepens your relationship. It enables you to come up with new ideas together and to expand your conversations beyond immediate transactions and services. Instead, you start investing in each other’s success. You learn from each other, and talk about more than what you can do for each other.

Talk and Listen

It can be difficult to create meaningful connections with clients when working remotely, whether it is offshoring or another scenario. So, for Hapag-Lloyd, our philosophy of building a partnership through talking and listening made a big difference.

That give and take of real conversation often is a new experience for clients and service provider partners. On both sides, we underscore it with valuable information exchange that lets us do better work for our clients. Effectively, we have created a culture between client and provider that enriches the culture of both our companies. This means a lot with a company like Hapag-Lloyd, which has operated for 150 years. We became a listening ear, and a guiding voice for them to try out new ideas. In turn, we benefited from their rich experiences.

Empathize with Each Other’s Challenges

The longer you work with a client, the more you start to understand how they do business. You also come to understand – and empathize with – the challenges they face. Once you understand those challenges, you can help to resolve them in your work for the client.

As a service company, that means finding ways to help. Remember, the best way to discover how to help is to understand (and care about) what your client needs, what matters to them, and what challenges they face.

Meet Regularly

With a longstanding client, meetings can take up a significant chunk of time. And too many meetings take you both away from the work you need to be doing for your businesses. Moreover, getting on the schedule of a busy client can be difficult.

However, taking time to meet directly with your client (consistently but not constantly) is key to maintaining your healthy, mutually productive relationship. Dedicated meetings hep you concentrate on what needs to be done. They give you the opportunity to exchange important information. And they prevent your longstanding client from feeling like it’s always “business as usual.”

Meeting quarterly, for instance, gives you time to prepare, and to present information on trends and performance. Quarterly client meetings also force you, as the provider, to concentrate on tasks and goals. And to be more effective.

Know When to Say No

This is an important one. There were times when this client asked us to do things and we had to decline. Over our decade-plus relationship, we have had difficult negotiations and faced challenges. The most important thing is that both sides consider this normal. We remained respectful and considerate of each other. On both sides, we always had intentions to solve problems.

Even when we had to decline certain projects, the idea to separate was not in mind on either side. We understood that together, we can achieve more. Part of why we understand this is because we are honest about our limitations and respectful of our boundaries and theirs.  If we can assist them, we do. But we know we cannot do everything. So, we find another way to get them what they need, but that does not change our relationship.

Say No at the Right Time

The most important thing about saying no to a client is that you do so directly, clearly, and immediately. Do not equivocate. Do not say yes, then come back and tell them all the reasons you should have said no.

Be clear and respectful, and a “no” will get you a better relationship than a “yes.”

If You Say Yes, Mean It

And don’t just mean it. Do it. Be certain that you can do what you promise to do for your client.

Then, focus on doing everything you need to deliver on that promise.

Develop Your Professional Relationship Together

We know you are busy, especially if you are good at what you do. So, you cannot develop every relationship the same way. The challenge is to choose what relationships you develop and what your goals are for those relationships. The challenge also is to develop yourself professionally and personally, so you continue to bring more value and more interest to every client relationship you have, especially the longstanding relationships.

When you take this approach, you grow and nurture your client relationship over time across projects and changes in the cycles of each of your businesses. Creating the contract does not foster that kind of living relationship. Your engagement in the relationship does. Appealing to each other and growing together on a human level does.

Be Flexible – and Stable

Dr. Bastian Dolle, IT Director for Software Engineering, Quality Assurance, and FIS Management for Hapag-Lloyd, points to flexibility as key to our longstanding relationship. He says, “We appreciate the reliability, flexibility, and professionalism of IBA experts.”

As the client, it is that mixture of flexibility and stability that assures him we are a solid partner for the long haul. In addition to flexibility to move with the changing demands of business, he notes our stability. He says, “The stability of the IBA teams created an atmosphere of friendship, resulting in high productivity and efficiency within the partnership.” We couldn’t agree more! And we are grateful to Hapag-Lloyd for their flexibility, stability, and continued trust in us.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

Today, we are rounding up our 4 tips for better client relationships. With three decades under our belt and some longstanding client relationships, these lessons serve us well. Some we have learned the hard way. So, we hope this list helps you benefit from our experience. Now, let’s talk about how to build the kinds of client relationships that make you proud – and profitable.

1. Be a Partner, Not a Provider

Truly successful client relationships are partnerships. They are based on mutual support, trust, and commitment to success. Presenting yourself as a partner to a prospective client does not mean that you are changing the work you are doing. Rather, it indicates a collaborative mindset where you are working in tandem with your client on behalf of your client’s business.

The provider mindset is the typical “let’s get in, get the work done, and get out.” This is not a mindset that creates strong relationships. Even if you do great work!

For one, it is easy for the client to say thank you and goodbye at the end of the project. The client is not unhappy. But there is no reason to continue the relationship beyond initial service delivery.

On the other hand, if you have long-term relationships in mind, you must approach the client as a co-creator of solutions. Present yourself (and conduct yourself) as a reliable partner. You are the one your client can turn to with questions and for support. This goes beyond the immediate services you provide.

2. Solve Problems

Of course, mindset is not enough on its own. You need to be good at what you do. No matter your individual area of expertise, it is your job to solve problems for your client. So, make sure the quality of your work is strong enough to carry through on the promise to be co-creators of solutions for your client.

To ensure this, pay attention to the internal needs of your organization. Put good hiring practices in place. Conduct trainings and maintain professional development opportunities for your employees. Stay on top of emerging technologies. And make sure to keep up with the changing demands of your own field, as well as the changing demands that your clients and their customers present.

Always approach work for your client with their needs and their customers’ needs in mind. Signing the contract is not the most important thing – not even for your business. Solving your client’s problems reliably, consistently, and better than your competitors, is the most important thing.

3. Know What You Don’t Know – and Refer Others

There are plenty of times in the life of every business when you realize that your client has a problem you cannot solve. It could be because that problem is out of scope. However, it could be because you and your team do not have the resources or the expertise to solve that problem.

Now, you may understand that you lack that expertise, but you want to keep the client so desperately you say you can do what you can’t. Then, you scramble to find a way to deliver on a promise you never should have made. This is how you lose a valuable client.

There is power in saying no. You confirm your area of expertise, and you respect your client’s time and money. There is also power in making connections. Just because your client has a particular need you are unable to solve, does not mean you need to remove yourself from the equation entirely.

Take the opportunity to work your network. Connect your client with a provider you trust to solve their problem. That way, you continue doing what you do best for your client. In this scenario, you are not letting down your client. Instead, you are giving them the chance to appreciate your honesty and expertise. By doing this, you are, in fact, helping your client solve a problem. Only, you are doing so in a different way.

4. Grow Together

Your success is your clients’ success, and vice versa. Make sure that, from the outset of your client relationship, you build a path to grow together.

This means revising contracts as each business evolves. It also means looking at opportunities for future growth and collaboration.

Especially in the technology and engineering field, the services and solutions we could offer clients ten years ago are vastly different from those we offer today. Think about the ways in which contactless service has evolved in the last decade. And that is just one example. Now, if you have a shared growth mindset with your clients, you are operating in an environment that invites you to introduce new technologies to your client organically.

Because you are growing together, your client understands that, when you offer a new way of doing things (or even a new suite of services) you are not trying to “upsell.” Rather, you are inviting your client to grow along with you.

Of course, it is important to understand how your client is growing. Listen to your client. Read news about your client. To build that better relationship with your client, remember to tell your client how you are enhancing your capabilities, too. You never want a client to feel like they have outgrown you.

If the last time you walked them through your services (or even your processes and procedures) was when you signed that first contract, you can’t blame the client for assuming you are stuck in the past.

Bonus Client Relationship Tip

This brings us to the bonus tip on our last. Never take your longstanding client relationships for granted.

Keep communicating, always. Deliver consistent, quality work. And remember to include your clients in your story. At the end of the day, your relationship will be stronger and more lucrative. And both your businesses will be the better for it.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

In the world of IT, programming, and system support, outsourcing can carry something of a negative connotation. So we want to take some time to define what outsourcing is – and what it isn’t – both to take the stigma out of outsourcing, and to help you make the most cost effective, valuable decisions for your business.

Let’s be frank. Outsourcing is a smart way to conserve resources. However, outsourcing done right is not a “cheap” choice, in any sense of the word. A chief value of outsourcing is that it allows you to have the benefit of an experienced, highly qualified team. But you do not have to go through the time and expense it takes to build that team piece by piece on your own. Nor are you forced to support that team over time.

Outsourcing vs. Outstaffing

As a business practice, outsourcing is when one company secures the expertise of another company to provide services or make products rather than performing those services or making those products in-house. Particularly in the world of service, outsourcing is often the smartest use of resources for companies who need access to highly specialized knowledge but do not need to keep that knowledge or grow that knowledge in-house.

Understanding outsourcing accurately, especially as it applies to professional services like IT and system support, helps to remove the stigma of “farming out what we don’t want to do” that is sometimes inaccurately associated with this business practice.

Outstaffing, on the other hand, is different from outsourcing. Outstaffing is a business practice that is more like basic sub-contracting. Outstaffing is simply hiring an individual (or a company) to perform a specific set of tasks that a business chooses not to have completed by an individual who is on staff.

For the purposes of our conversation, we are interested in the qualitative difference between outsourcing and outstaffing. In the case of outsourcing, your business is benefitting from the richness of expertise that you get from the company that you chose for your outsourcing needs. In the case of outstaffing, you are simply filling a functional role without incurring the financial and time constraints associated with bringing in a new staff hire.

How Outsourcing Fills Gaps

Simply put, with outsourcing, you have access to proven experts, without having to build an entire in-house team. This is ideal for companies who are looking at specific projects with set deadlines. Outsourcing allows companies like this to meet deadlines faster and more successfully. It also prevents them from having to assemble full-time teams whose skills may be unnecessary once the project in question is complete.

It enables companies to fill gaps and benefit from those high levels of experience and expertise without having to pay annual salaries and benefits. If you choose outsourcing, you are not responsible for finding full-time spaces for employees in your facilities or setting them up with remote working resources. When it comes to outsourcing, all of that is taken care of for you by companies like ours. We take care of our Team Member employees, and you benefit from their scope of knowledge and experience.

Outsourcing and the Scope of IT Projects

For most organizations, the responsibilities of in-house IT Departments fall into three categories. Those three categories include the following: planning and designing new products and solutions; developing and deploying those new products and solutions; and maintaining new and existing products and solutions.

Now, in terms of the scope of time and attention that each of these three categories requires, you may be surprised by how it breaks down and where outsourcing best fits in to the puzzle. The first two categories (planning and designing; and utilizing) take up about 10% of the time, each. The remaining 80% of time and attention, and as such, a considerable amount of resources, goes to the third category: maintenance.

Typically, if you are leading the organization, you are not aiming to outsource those first two categories. For starters, you are likely to choose to keep those operations in-house because they deal with proprietary information, and you may feel it is easiest to keep control of that in-house.

However, the 80%, the biggest portion of time and attention that needs to be covered, is ideally suited for outsourcing. Outsourcing maintenance allows your in-house team to focus their efforts on design and development.

Further, when you are outsourcing IT system maintenance, or SAP Support, to a trusted partner like IBA Group, you know that you are getting the wealth of experience that we bring to the table. Simply put, you know that your IT investment is safe, because we are protecting its health. And you don’t need to increase the size of your team at a greater cost to you, to handle maintenance. Nor do you need to make the difficult decision to pull your existing staff off projects that benefit from their talent and focus.

Member of International Association of Outsourcing Professionals

The International Association of Outsourcing Professionals is an international professional association whose mission is to bring “together customers, providers and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional and organizational development, recognition, certification and excellence to improve business service models and outcomes.”

IBA Group is a proud member of the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals. Like other members, and the organization at large, at IBA Group, we value collaboration. In fact, IAOP often describes itself as “the Association with collaboration at its core.” We believe in the power of collaboration and the value of sharing expertise to strengthen our clients’ businesses and to help them offer even more to their own clients and customers.

When an organization is looking to outsource anything from system maintenance to support, to other engineering solutions, it is important to know that they are connecting with professionals who are reliable, trusted, and experienced. For us, as an outsourcing choice, these are the same values that define our business.

Is Outsourcing the Smart Choice?

At the end of the day, the outsourcing question is one of simplest you can answer. Will my business benefit from outsourcing technology solutions, maintenance, or support? Most often, the answer is yes.

Outsourcing saves your business some of its most precious resources: time and money. In turn, that frees up your in-house employees and leaders to do more of the work that you are the best at doing. It allows you to focus more on the work you need to do for your customers. And gives us the opportunity to share our expertise for your benefit, and theirs.

Talk to us about how outsourcing programming, maintenance, or SAP Support, benefits your business and your customers.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

If there is one thing executives need to keep top of mind in 2022, it is employee retention. Qualified employees are leaving jobs in record numbers across industries. And executives are feeling the pressure to provide better employee experiences to retain their talent.

Yes, it is important to protect your talent. Just look at the impact your employees have on innovations for your solutions and products. Importantly, employee retention also means protecting the investment that you put into your employees, from the onboarding process and beyond. To that end, it’s important to examine the ROI of investing in your employees. And to challenge yourself to make smart investments in employees in the new year, so that you can continue to give them what they need, and they can continue to contribute to your success in meaningful ways.

Why is Employee Training Important to Keep Your Employees in 2022?

To keep your employees in 2022, think about what you are training them for, and how and when you are training them. Employee training matters in 2022 in a way that it did not before. Turnover is significant. It needs to be acknowledged and planned for. Add to that the changes all businesses have encountered since the pandemic, and the associated challenges that continue to arise. Now is the time to look at employee training as a unifier, in addition to an opportunity to provide a baseline set of skills and a branded approach to delivery.

So, thinking back to investment. Does that mean you need to break the bank on creating extensive, customized L&D Systems for your organization? Given current budgets, time constraints, and the wealth of affordable technology options that are out there, no, it does not.

What is an L&D System?

L and D, short for learning and development, is the scope of resources dedicated to teaching and training employees to enable them to improve their performance. Learning and development initiatives promote professional development. They enable your organization’s employees to stay up-to-date on emerging technologies and other skills related to their responsibilities within your organization.

The scope of learning and development is broad. And, in many cases, large enterprises choose to develop customized, expensive L&D Systems specifically to ensure that their employees are provided with a continuous series of learning initiatives throughout the course of their tenure.

These kinds of systems, usually managed by an internal human resources office, can be effective in providing employees with access to the tools and resources they need. However, they can be costly to set up and to maintain in-house. So, if training and development is a relatively new priority for your organization, or if you have a tight budget (but also have a pressing need to retain your employees and keep them competitive) creating your own, unique L&D System may be both cost and time prohibitive.

How Can You Train Employees without Creating Your Own Tools?

A variety of cloud solutions is available to support a broad range of learning and development needs. And, while these solutions are not custom-built from the ground up for (or by) your organization, they can be adapted in ways that directly suit your needs and requirements, and your employees.

Accessing cloud solutions to connect your employees with ongoing learning and development opportunities will go a long way to keeping your employees in 2022. Let’s look at how the numbers bear out. According to Lorman Education Services, “70% of employees would be somewhat likely to leave their current job to work for an organization known for investing in employee development and learning.” Access to learning resources is even more important to the much-watched demographic of millennial workers, of whom “86% would be kept from leaving their current position if training and development were offered by their employer.”

To avoid losing employees who are motivated by access to learning and development, consider connecting them with affordable learning tools. And remember, these are not tools you need to create. In our case, we work with a variety of cloud-based and other solutions, and work to integrate them into the employee experiences in mid-size to large businesses.

Tips for Developing Learning and Development Solutions

To that end, as we head into 2022 with the shared goal of keeping our employees in the new year, we have come up with a list of tips.

1. Create an Integrated Experience Using Out of the Box Tools

You do not need to make the significant investment of building an entirely unique L&D System in order to accommodate the needs, interests, and goals of your employees and your organization. You do, however, need to provide your employees with an integrated, unified experience.

Things like setting up an internal system in which employees can access multiple training solutions via one login go a long way to making training easy, accessible, and enjoyable for employees. These are the kinds of solutions we help employers build. And we do so with the understanding that your employees deserve top shelf experiences that are easy to navigate, and productive to engage with. Learning experiences that are equally cost effective and productive for you.

2. Work with Trusted Partners

Do not rush the process. Do not purchase a variety of disconnected solutions that you throw onto your employee retention challenge like a patch. Instead, take the time to connect with a solutions provider who can help connect you with the right learning and development resources. And make sure that partner understands the goals you have for your employee experience and your overall organization.

If, for instance, ease of use is a particularly high priority (as it should be), make sure to communicate that with your partner, so the partner filters all decisions through that lens. Ultimately, that enables you – and your employees – to get the feeling of customization without the cost.

3. Use Trusted Sources

Trusted resources are just as important as trusted partners. And, in the best scenarios, your partner will be able to introduce you to those resources or provide insight into resources you are considering for your employees. We caution against simply going with what is popular or opting into the first outreach you receive. Research the tools as seriously as you research your partners. Question them as rigorously as you do your new hires. After all, when done correctly, learning and development, hiring, and your overall company culture all work in tandem to keep your employees strong and to keep them connected to you, and ready to serve your customers.

4. Ask Your Employees What They Want

This brings us to what might be the most important tip. Listen to your employees. Ask them what they want, and what they need to do their job better. And to retain their levels of satisfaction. They may have resources in mind from previous employers, or from their own research. Take the opportunity to benefit from this experience and interest. And use this discovery exercise as a new way of engaging with your employees.

After all, an employee who feels like you are listening is much more likely to stay in 2022 and beyond.

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

Recently, we sat down with information technology thought leader Jim Ditmore to discuss the top mistakes customers make with their suppliers and how to fix them. With decades worth of experience as an executive, Jim has the inside track on what suppliers and clients need to know to guarantee successful projects.

The Silver Bullet Problem

Chief among the challenges both suppliers and their customers face is the notion that there is a “silver bullet” solution. The silver bullet is the single technology solution that will solve any (and all) problems in an operation.

Be wary, Jim advises, of the vendor who promises “the next big thing” that is the answer to every question you ever had. On the client side, too, Jim cautions against being on the lookout for that elusive silver bullet that is right around the corner, able to solve every problem you ever had.

The Hype Cycle Challenge

Jim points to Gartner’s idea of the Hype Cycle similarly. In the “Hype Cycle”, the latest technology is often overestimated and not mature enough to adequately solve typical enterprise structural issues. While the latest technology can be applied to solve specific problems, practically speaking, in most cases, he explains, there will always be a range of issues that one technology alone cannot solve.

Why? Because medium and large organizations over time introduce technical debt, often have inadequate process discipline, or organizational culture or agenda mismatches,  resources shortages, and other issues, that together create layers of complexity that make it impossible to leverage one technology alone as a solution, enabling rapid, easy improvement.

This is why as a client, you should be wary, when consultants or vendors say “all we need to do is introduce this one piece of new technology and you will be first to market, you will immediately beat all your competitors, etc.” Falling into the hype cycle trap often leads to problems in the supplier-client relationship. And those problems threaten project success.

Jim Ditmore

Strategic Planning Matters

Failure to include strategic planning into project development also threatens successful outcomes. Jim points out that poor strategic planning leads to clients with too much on their plate and suppliers who bear that burden. In cases like these, the suppliers run around doing too many things, without actually being productive.

So, what should strategic planning include? For starters, it involves planning for the customer journey and the adjunct development that helps focus technology initiatives in the right place at the right time. Again, deliberate strategic planning prevents clients from chasing silver bullets. Instead, it enables them to be thoughtful, focus on strategic goals, and prioritize accurately.

This sets the stage for a productive supplier-client relationship and project success. By using strategic planning to define their own customers’ needs, the supplier’s client is able to understand what they need to build, then source the right technology from the right supplier team.

Stop Chasing the Latest Trends

However, many clients are tempted, instead, to chase technology’s latest trend. And lesser suppliers are content to capitalize on that mentality. Clients need to hold their suppliers, vendors, and consultants responsible for providing their best service, not for offering flashy, flash-in-the pan technologies that serve neither the client nor the technology industry at large.

Both clients and suppliers must be measured in their approach to modernizing their technologies to be more competitive, while warding of the temptation to make “silver bullet” sales (or silver bullet purchases). Often, as Jim reminds us, this starts with the suppliers themselves carefully considering the real issues and challenges that their clients face.

The vendor who comes to a client meeting selling the proverbial hammer, who sees every problem as a nail, is not approaching sales or service correctly. Instead, the supplier who connects current technologies to a client’s problems, and develops effective, sustainable solutions, is starting off on the track to project success and a productive relationship.

As Jim summarizes it, “If you can find a vendor that understands your challenges and goals, and is willing to drive those first, these are the vendors that are much more valuable, trusted, and can be partners as opposed to [just] suppliers.”

It is a rare vendor, says Jim, who “cares as much about your objective and bottom line as they do about theirs.”