Blockchain, AI, and IoT: A Perfect Match?

Blockchain, AI, and IoT: A Perfect Match?

Blockchain technology, the Internet of Things (IoT), and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are now widely acknowledged as disruptive technologies with the ability to enhance current business processes, establish new business models, and disrupt entire sectors. By offering a shared and decentralized distributed ledger, blockchain, for example, can improve trust, transparency, security, and privacy in corporate processes.

Purpose of Blockchain, IoT and AI:

Until now, the interconnectedness of these three advancements has been overlooked, and Blockchain, IoT, and AI have been used in isolation. These advances, on the other hand, may and should be used in tandem, and they will merge in the future. IoT collects and gives data, Blockchain provides infrastructure and establishes engagement rules, and AI optimizes processes and rules, according to one conceivable connection between these technologies. 

The Convergence of Blockchain, IoT, and AI

Blockchain technology was exclusively considered in the context of payments until a few years ago, i.e., Bitcoin and Ether, however, non-financial applications of blockchain technology, such as supply chain management and digital identities, have emerged in recent years. 

For example:

1. New studies have emerged that highlight the use of Blockchain technology to improve the system infrastructure of various IoT devices. They outline how the architecture of blockchains can be modified such that the resulting infrastructure is better equipped to serve IoT devices, especially with respect to the speed of transactions. 

 

2. Besides focusing on Blockchain in connection with IoT, some studies also focus on the combination of Blockchain and AI. To date, the focus has been on linking Blockchain with one other breakthrough technology, such as IoT or AI, rather than implementing all three technologies at the same time. The actual potential of these new, developing technologies, however, will only be realized if they are merged. 

Conclusion:

Blockchain, IoT, and AI are all technologies that can be used in a variety of ways. We believe that these advancements will converge because the combination of these technologies will boost business models, products, and services. 

Benefits:

How can TraQiQ help?

At TraQiQ, we are well-versed with emerging technologies like AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Based on client needs and requirements for various domains, we can assist you in selecting the best option for your company and advancing it to the next level of its digital transformation ladder. For more information regarding our services please contact us.

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How Technology is Driving the Future of Payments?

How Technology is Driving the Future of Payments?

Our systems of monetary exchange and payment have evolved swiftly in tandem with technical innovation over the last few decades. Businesses must adapt to and accept changing payment technologies in the face of extraordinary technological innovation, new and demanding regulatory frameworks, and changing consumer and corporate needs.

What is the reason for the shift in payment methods?

So, how is technology influencing the future of payments, and where are we headed? Here are a few trends and technologies that are influencing how we pay:

Mobile Wallets

Mobile payments have a bright future ahead of them. Through convenience, communication, and rewards, mobile payment and online banking apps are increasingly boosting user experience.

Biometric Security

Consumer products are increasingly using biometric technology (such as smartphones). Biometrics provides an extra degree of protection to mobile payment systems, removing the need for passwords. As a result, customers can feel more comfortable utilizing online payment methods and have a more consistent user experience.

Omnichannel payment processing

Payment processing based on omnichannel will unlock considerable benefits, such as boosting customer loyalty and happiness, enabling enhanced sales efficiency, and preventing fraud, for many merchants who handle several retail channels and formats. The best method to offer payment processing is to provide a uniform customer experience across numerous channels and locales.

Blockchain

Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology are poised to become a fundamental vehicle of value exchange, despite their tumultuous and unconventional reputations. Blockchain technology should be adopted by the financial world and implemented in specific use cases.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are increasingly disrupting today’s commercial environment. Chatbots, which can arrange and perform basic transactions using simple voice commands, is one example in the payment business.

Focus on Customer Experience

Customer experience is at the heart of the payment revolution. Institutions are increasingly required to use new technology and harness digital innovation to improve the customer’s payment experience.

How do you keep up with payment technology?

To meet client demand and stay ahead of (or at least keep up with) the competition, it’s a good idea to keep up with the latest payment technology. Although switching to new payment methods may require some upfront expenditure, it may wind up saving you money in the long run.

How can TraQiQ help?

TraQiQ offers digital solutions to help large corporations across the world serve their customers better. A robust mobile wallet enables users to manage and control finances through a convergent platform where they can virtually store and use financial assets. TraQiQ also offers solutions that payment service providers need to launch and scale their businesses.

We are well-versed with emerging technologies like AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Based on client needs and requirements for various domains, we can assist you in selecting the best option for your company and advancing it to the next level of its digital transformation ladder. 

Technologies that are Shaping the Future of the Pharmaceutical Industry

Technologies that are Shaping the Future of the Pharmaceutical Industry

Adopting cutting-edge technologies can play a critical part in the pharmaceutical industry’s digital revolution. Capturing this opportunity, however, necessitates the identification of the appropriate initiatives.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Blockchain are among the innovations that are beginning to transform the pharmaceutical industry in the same way that they have transformed other industries such as media, retail, banking, telecommunications, education, and so on.

Here are a few emerging technologies that are already reshaping the pharmaceutical sector:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are without a doubt the pharmaceutical industry’s next big thing. In the healthcare industry, AI is already being utilized to perform repetitive jobs such as data entry, lab test analysis, data management, and so on.

ML is also utilized in disease identification and diagnosis, radiography and radiation planning, clinical trial research, personalized medicine, rare disease identification, and new medication development, among other applications.

AI and ML are likely to be integrated into the majority, if not all, pharmaceutical R&D processes. As a result, drug development success rates should improve and streamline R&D efforts.

IoT Integration

IoT has tremendous potential to benefit the pharmaceutical business. By identifying difficulties and making adjustments before they pose a problem, a network of connected devices with monitoring sensors can reduce the risk of machinery malfunctions and ensure precision output.

IoT integration can help the pharmaceutical industry’s manufacturing sector, for material tracking and management, and even in the manufacturing process of medications. Furthermore, IoT-enabled data-gathering devices can find at shipping and receiving stations, collect information from RFID tags and barcodes, and correlate data from numerous places to ensure consistency.

Omnichannel payment processing

Payment processing based on omnichannel will unlock considerable benefits, such as boosting customer loyalty and happiness, enabling enhanced sales efficiency, and preventing fraud, for many merchants who handle several retail channels and formats. The best method to offer payment processing is to provide a uniform customer experience across numerous channels and locales.

Blockchain

Cryptocurrency and blockchain technology are poised to become a fundamental vehicle of value exchange, despite their tumultuous and unconventional reputations. Blockchain technology should be adopted by the financial world and implemented in specific use cases.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are increasingly disrupting today’s commercial environment. Chatbots, which can arrange and perform basic transactions using simple voice commands, is one example in the payment business.

Focus on Customer Experience

Customer experience is at the heart of the payment revolution. Institutions are increasingly required to use new technology and harness digital innovation to improve the customer’s payment experience.

How do you keep up with payment technology?

To meet client demand and stay ahead of (or at least keep up with) the competition, it’s a good idea to keep up with the latest payment technology. Although switching to new payment methods may require some upfront expenditure, it may wind up saving you money in the long run.

How can TraQiQ help?

TraQiQ offers digital solutions to help large corporations across the world serve their customers better. A robust mobile wallet enables users to manage and control finances through a convergent platform where they can virtually store and use financial assets. TraQiQ also offers solutions that payment service providers need to launch and scale their businesses.

We are well-versed with emerging technologies like AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Based on client needs and requirements for various domains, we can assist you in selecting the best option for your company and advancing it to the next level of its digital transformation ladder. 

The Future of Insurance: How to Prepare for the Technological Shift in this Industry

The Future of Insurance: How to Prepare for the Technological Shift in this Industry

Rapid technological advancements in the coming decade will result in disruptive developments in the insurance business. Carriers that employ new technology to build novel solutions, harness cognitive learning insights from new data sources, streamline processes and cut costs, and meet customer expectations for individualization and dynamic adaptation will be the victors in tech-based insurance. 

 

While most organizations did not likely invest extensively in disruptive technologies during the pandemic, the increasing emphasis on digital technology and a stronger openness to embracing change will place them in a better position to integrate tech into their operations. 

How insurers can prepare for accelerating changes:

The industry’s rapid transformation will be powered by the widespread use and integration of automation, deep learning, and external data ecosystems. While no one can foresee what insurance will look like in the future, carriers may start preparing for the change now. 

1) Learn about AI-related technologies and developments.

Although the industry’s seismic shifts will be technological, resolving them is not the responsibility of the IT team. Instead, board members and customer-experience teams should devote time and resources to developing a thorough grasp of these AI-related technologies. 

 

Insurers, for example, are unlikely to gain much information from small-scale IoT pilot projects in separate segments of the organization. Instead, they must move with intent and a clear knowledge of how their company can engage in the IoT ecosystem at scale. 

2) Create the necessary talent and technological infrastructure.

The next generation of successful frontline insurance workers will be in high demand, and they will need to be a unique blend of technologically adept, creative, and willing to work at something that will not be a static process, but rather a mix of semi-automated and machine-supported tasks that will constantly evolve. 

To keep up, an aggressive plan for attracting, cultivating, and retaining a diverse workforce with vital skill sets will be required. Data engineers, data scientists, technologists, cloud computing professionals, and experienced designers will be needed among those employed. 

3) Create and begin implementing a well-thought-out strategic plan.

Carriers must select how to employ technology to support their business plan based on the insights gained from AI explorations. Some carriers are already experimenting with novel techniques, such as establishing their venture capital arms, purchasing potential insurtech startups, and forming alliances with top academic institutions. 

Insurers should create a perspective on the areas in which they want to invest to match or beat the market, as well as which strategic approach—for example, founding a new business or building in-house strategic capabilities—is best suited for their organization.

4) Develop and implement a thorough data strategy.

Data is quickly becoming one of, if not the, most significant assets for any firm. The insurance sector is no exception: how carriers identify, assess, place, and manage risk is all dependent on the volume and quality of data they collect throughout the life cycle of a policy. 

Carriers should be prepared to implement a comprehensive procurement approach that may include direct acquisition of data assets and providers, licensing of data sources, usage of data APIs, and collaboration with data brokers. 

How can TraQiQ help?

At TraQiQ, we are well-versed with emerging technologies like AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Based on client needs and requirements for various domains, we can assist you in selecting the best option for your company and advancing it to the next level of its digital transformation ladder. For more information regarding our services please contact us.

How Technology Trends are Shaping and Disrupting the Insurance Industry

How Technology Trends are Shaping and Disrupting the Insurance Industry

Have you ever attempted to verify the status of an insurance claim? Obtaining claim status information frequently necessitates multiple phone calls, emails, or even a visit to an agent. Customer satisfaction suffers because of a lack of web presence. Today, approximately 61% of clients want to track the status of their applications using digital technologies.

Digital technologies bring several disruptive trends to the insurance business such as personalization, the shift to a platform economy, automation, and real-time based estimates. 

AI, IoT, Blockchain, API, wearables, and Telematics are emerging technologies that have shaped tech trends and should be embraced to stay ahead of the competition as it enables insurance companies to provide a better customer experience while also increasing operational efficiency. 

So, which features will have the greatest impact?

One of the biggest challenges when dealing with technology is accountability, which is why Tech must be explainable, and more importantly, Data use must be accountable. 

Insurers, for example, cannot keep customers in the dark about how artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms make decisions that influence their life, such as premium pricing, claim rejections, or job applications.

And, as businesses collect data via multiple monitoring apps and digital channels, they must also consider and shield people’s privacy and security concerns.

Making the move to digital business models and customer experiences will be difficult unless insurers can gain the trust of customers, employees, and intermediaries that digital technology is being used in a way that benefits them. 

As many technological models hit their breaking point, they presage a larger transition that organizations must be aware of- people will no longer be spectators in the face of technology. The ability of insurance firms to improve the human experience by providing individuals agency in their interactions with technology will be critical to the success of the next generation of products and services. 

How can TraQiQ help?

At TraQiQ, we are well-versed with emerging technologies like AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Based on client needs and requirements for various domains, we can assist you in selecting the best option for your company and advancing it to the next level of its digital transformation ladder. 


For more information regarding our services please contact us

Blockchain: Creating a Global Network without Geographic Limitations

Blockchain: Creating a Global Network without Geographic Limitations

Blockchain, a relatively new technology, has emerged in recent years and has begun to gain popularity in a wide range of businesses. This technology is frequently hailed as having the potential to recreate how “trust” is perceived in the economy by eliminating the need for intermediaries such as banks and replacing them with mathematics or “code.” It is one facet of a complex digital ecosystem that is changing the way businesses, markets, and regulators interact. 

While Blockchain impacts the financial industry in a diverse number of ways, it has an untapped potential to disrupt the old concept of trade finance by allowing it to transcend local, state, and national borders. 

Through Blockchain we can get rid of all those layers and just pay for what matters, which is the product or service we require. 

Let us have a look at how Blockchain technology has helped make the world a smaller place for businesses in the Fintech Industry and trade finance: 

Trade finance exists to help exporters and importers manage risks, offer loans, and participate in international trade. Even though it is an important aspect of the global financial system, it usually uses outmoded, manual, and written paperwork. Importers, exporters, and other stakeholders can benefit from Blockchain’s ability to streamline and simplify the complicated world of trade finance. 

How can TraQiQ help?

At TraQiQ, we are well-versed with emerging technologies like AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Based on client needs and requirements for various domains, we can assist you in selecting the best option for your company and advancing it to the next level of its digital transformation ladder. For more information regarding our services please contact us.

How decentralization in Blockchain technology is Disrupting the Finance Industry

How decentralization in Blockchain technology is Disrupting the Finance Industry

Blockchain technology has the potential to improve basic services in the Finance industry. It is based on a decentralized, digitalized, and distributed ledger model at its core. This is stable and safer than the proprietary, centralized models currently used in the trade ecosystem. 

What is the concept of decentralization in Blockchain?

The transition of control and decision-making from a centralized entity (individual, organization, or group thereof) to a distributed network is referred to as decentralization in Blockchain. Decentralized networks aim to minimize the amount of trust that participants must put in one another and limit their ability to assert power or influence over one another in ways that are detrimental to the network. 

Blockchain technology provides a way for untrusted parties to come to agree on the status of a database, without using a middleman. By providing a ledger that nobody administers, Blockchain could provide specific financial services without the need for a bank. 

Blockchain: The role of DLT in financial services

Blockchain’s cousin, “distributed ledger technology (DLT),” could help corporations develop better governance and standards around data exchange and collaboration for use cases that don’t require a high degree of decentralization. 

The distributed ledger, created by Blockchain technology, is a viable, decentralized record of transactions that can replace a single master database. It holds an everlasting record of all transactions, which can be traced back to its source. This is also known as provenance, which is critical in trade finance as it allows financial institutions to review all transaction steps and reduce fraud. 

Benefits of decentralization in Blockchain:

1. It creates a trustless environment: No one needs to know or trust someone else in a decentralized Blockchain network. In the form of a distributed ledger, each member of the network has a copy of the same data. 

 

2. Payments: Blockchain technology could allow faster payments at lower rates than banks by creating a decentralized ledger for payments (e.g., Bitcoin).

 

3. Clearance and Settlement Systems: Distributed ledgers reduce operating costs while bringing us closer to real-time financial transactions. 

 

4. Loans and Credit: By eliminating the need for gatekeepers in the loan and credit industry, Blockchain technology will make borrowing money safer and more affordable. 

 

5. Blockchain-equipped applications allow people to control their own digital identities and data. Today, social media outlets, businesses, and other organizations sell this information for a profit, with no benefit to the user. A decentralized approach would help make it equitable for all. 

 

6. Applications that offer urgent international or emergency assistance to those in need without the involvement of a bank, government, or third-party agency are notable examples.

Over the last decade, Blockchain technology has gotten a lot of recognition, moving beyond the praise of fringe Bitcoin enthusiasts and into the mainstream discourse of banking experts and investors. Anything from payment transfers and how capital is earned in the private sector is being transformed by Blockchain. Will the conventional Finance industry accept or be replaced by this technology?  

A decentralized, Blockchain-based innovation makes managing international trade payments more reliable, cost-effective, and less risky. This approach improves transparency by allowing all stakeholders to see the data and reports in real-time. At TraQIQ, we are well-versed in emerging technologies such as AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. We can assist you in advancing to the next stage of your digital transformation ladder based on needs and specifications for different domains. Please contact us at https://www.traqiq.com/#contact for more information about our services. 

How Blockchain Technology is Revolutionizing the Fintech Industry

How Blockchain Technology is Revolutionizing the Fintech Industry

Blockchain-based Fintech may be the next step in the financial industry’s evolution, which is likely to remove the middleman, increase transparency, and increase the protection of each transaction. Many industries are looking for ways to incorporate Blockchain into their infrastructures. But what makes this emerging technology the obvious choice for businesses to succeed in the digital age? 

Let us take a closer look at Blockchain technology and see how it can benefit businesses in the Fintech industry: 

Improved Transparency:

The fact that the transaction ledger for public addresses on Blockchain is open to viewing is its most distinguishing feature. This introduces an unparalleled layer of transparency to financial structures and companies, keeping each segment of the company accountable to behave with honesty in the company’s development, culture, and customers.

Improved Security:

Since each new transaction is encrypted and connected to the previous transaction, Blockchain is much safer than other record-keeping systems. As the name implies, Blockchain is created by a network of computers coming together to validate a ‘block,’ which is then added to a ledger, forming a ‘chain’. Blockchain is made up of a complex string of mathematical numbers that cannot be changed once created. The irreversible and incorruptible existence of Blockchain protects it from tampering and hacking. 

Trust through collaboration:

What if there was a way to bind business partners directly, virtually without effort, and with near-complete trust?

Blockchain technology has created a modern business relationship platform that incorporates ease of use, low cost, and high security. It establishes a new foundation of confidence for business transactions, which could lead to significant economic simplification and acceleration. 

E.g.: How many people like paying commission to intermediary parties? None. With a Blockchain-enabled infrastructure financial transactions can be real-time, secure, and at much-much lower fees. 

How is the Financial Ecosystem being transformed by Blockchain?

From cost savings to reducing bureaucracy in conventional banking, Blockchain in Fintech will provide more streamlined and reliable banking services that support both the bank and the clients.

 

To allow Fintech businesses to exchange and move safe and unaltered data via a decentralized network, Blockchain aids in the management of data breaking and other fraudulent operations. It will assist in making data more secure with algorithms, even when encrypted, as well as better tracking, comprehending, and auditing AI decisions, ensuring the degree of accountability needed for people to trust machine-driven intelligence. 

Furthermore, Blockchain technology has the potential to eradicate questionable capital exchange practices like stock tampering, processing time and fees, and all intermediary commissions.

 

Based on the principles of equity and decentralization, Blockchain in the Fintech industry will provide us with a much more seamless and reliable alternative to banking.

We are just scratching the surface of Blockchain’s future applications, but it is obvious that this technology elevates business partnerships to a whole new stage. Here are a few instances that are currently in use or will be soon. 

Music and literature, for example, frequently take a long time to get from the artist to the customer. Countless middlemen, from the label to the salesperson, all want a piece of the action. There are also permits and concessions to consider, as well as the complicated copyright management of online platforms. Direct communication between artist and user is possible with Blockchain. 

Supply chains can go through a plethora of stages from raw materials to finished products in many different parts of the world, making them difficult to track. By checking each move with a block entry, Blockchain helps to make the process transparent. 

How can TraQiQ help?

At TraQiQ, we are well-versed with emerging technologies like AI, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Blockchain. Based on client needs and requirements for various domains, we can assist you in selecting the best option for your company and advancing it to the next level of its digital transformation ladder. 

 

For more information regarding our services please contact us

Mobile Wallets: Enabling a Digital Future

Mobile Wallets: Enabling a Digital Future

The business-consumer relationship is rapidly becoming digital. Using e-commerce platforms and AI-powered solutions, businesses are transforming their ways to meet the needs of their customers. An important part of the financial sector that is rife with innovation is payment. Mobile technologies like smartphones, tablets etc., offer convenient digital solutions for both customer and company to make virtual payments using a mobile wallet. 

What is a Mobile Wallet?

The mobile wallet is an application that can be installed on a smartphone and stores all user information regarding debit/credit cards, coupons, or reward cards on the mobile device. This info can then be accessed using a Personal Identification Number (PIN), QR code set by the user or by linking an image of the owner with the wallet. 

Consumers can then use this info to make payments at a merchant site by using a technology called Near Field Communication (NFC), which uses radio frequencies to communicate with electronic devices. The mobile wallet transfers the payment info to the merchant Point-of-Service (POS) terminal by waving or holding an NFC-enabled mobile device over the store’s NFC reader. 

Is Apple Pay a mobile wallet?

Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay are examples of mobile wallets that can be installed on a smartphone or other hand-held devices. 

Should I have more than one mobile wallet?

With the usage of mobile wallets having increased over the past few years, it is highly beneficial to keep more than one mobile wallet as merchant sites may or may not accept a particular payment method. For e.g., Paytm accepting merchants may not agree to transact via Google Pay, and vice-versa. This causes unnecessary inconveniences while making in-store purchases and hence, many users prefer to keep multiple mobile wallets on their hand-held or wearable devices. 

TraQiQ offers digital solutions to help large corporations across the world serve their customers better. Its robust mobile wallet enables users to manage and control finances through a convergent platform where they can virtually store and use financial assets. It also offers solutions that payment service providers need to launch and scale their businesses. 

Fostering Growth with Data Eco-Systems

Fostering Growth with Data Eco-Systems

In these uncertain times of COVID-19, organizations must co-operate with each other to battle this crisis that has gripped the entire world. Public and private organizations must be ready with their data eco-systems and be prepared to share this space with their partners. This could be beneficial not just for the present but also provide a blueprint for the future and help avert such disasters. 

Before companies can reap the benefits of a data eco-system, they need to have a clear picture of how it will add value to their organization. There are 3 main ways companies can add value to their business with the help of a data eco-system: 

How to fast-track the creation of data ecosystems?

Eco-systems can address and serve multiple business needs of an organization. Some of these are: 

How can TraQiQ help?

TraQiQ offers a range of business intelligence and analytics solutions that can help you see beyond raw data. Our experts work with a variety of third-party tools to help with data preparation, mining, management, and visualization. 

TraQiQ can help in building the right dashboards for AI-based decision-making tools or build real-time systems that monitor data feeds. Insights from this data can be used to improve customer experience, resulting in better business operations, and providing the right target audience for marketing initiatives. 

Digital Transformation: Moving the Entire Company’s Operations to the Cloud

Digital Transformation: Moving the Entire Company’s Operations to the Cloud

One of the main pillars of achieving digital transformation has been undoubtedly through ‘The Cloud’. With emerging technologies set to take over business operations around the world, Cloud tech is at the forefront of this transformation.

Nowadays, enterprises depend heavily on the effective use of technology to facilitate their business operations. Digital transformation cannot happen overnight but requires concerted efforts over a period and the aim is to identify business opportunities, increase operational efficiency and make company product and services easily accessible to the customer through technology.

Cloud services are key to achieving a user-friendly interface for all customers. It has laid the foundation for design of business frameworks and for expediting company operations. A cloud-based digital transformation strategy can be beneficial in the following ways: 

The cloud has much to offer but transitioning to cloud Tech must be meticulously planned and well executed. If not, it could cause major disruptions in company operations and their day-to-day activity. Executives should focus on how they can derive maximum benefit from this tech to help facilitate progress for their business. 

Digital transformation is for the future of business, and hence a business-driven strategy should be given priority rather than IT-centric concerns. The company should focus on how transformation to cloud will drive success for its business and how they can use their strategy as a formula for success. 

A well planned and executed transition to cloud-based solutions can help provide a significant competitive advantage. With tools like TraQiQ’s document digitization platform (TraQData), innovative AI solutions etc., TraQiQ can help you create an effective strategy for your organization’s migration to cloud-based services and solutions. 

Will Online Ordering Replace Home Cooking?

Will Online Ordering Replace Home Cooking?

With the coronavirus lockdown keeping restaurants closed and would-be diners at home, takeaway food options are booming in India, and there are signs that the shift toward home-delivered food is here to stay. However, do not fire your cook yet? We all need a job during these crisis-driven times! 

Ordering food online has become so popular and inexpensive that it may soon edge out cooking at home as the preferred way to get a meal on the table. When time is factored in, a meal ordered online could close in or beat the cost of home-cooked food. 

Four factors that point in this direction are mentioned below: 

As lives get busier, one of the first daily tasks that tend to take a hit is making home-cooked meals from scratch. Online ordering is growing rapidly as apps like Uber Eats make it possible to order from restaurants that previously did not offer delivery. Calling online food delivery, a “megatrend” is an understatement, as it can be an important part of our subsistence and sustenance. 

TraQiQ offers the Last mile delivery (software) product called TraQSuite which enables a complete distribution engine. It is designed to manage thousands of task workers across multiple geographies to deliver products and services to the users. The mobile apps enable data sharing, validation and measure customer satisfaction. 

Work From Home Initiatives Take Centre Stage During COVID-19

Work From Home Initiatives Take Centre Stage During COVID-19

With most organizations grappling with harsh COVID-19 lockdowns, the work from home option is playing a major role in ensuring that services continue uninterrupted. With rapid advancements in connectivity over the past 5 years, technology has ensured that ordinary workflow is not obstructed. 

With lockdown restrictions gradually being eased, most employees are looking forward to getting back to their offices, however, many multinational corporations like Google, Facebook etc. still have their finger on the safety button allowing employees to work from home for most of 2021. Even mid-capped and smaller companies are enjoying this flexibility and keeping their operational options open. 

Many online platforms like Zoom, Webex and Microsoft Teams have gained prominence, and even old-age applications like Skype have seen a resurgence during these times. These applications have made communication easier, more secure, and easily available to employees. 

Work from Home is widely considered to be a containment option to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Although the virus caught most companies off-guard, they responded with tact and speed and the WFH initiative has proven to be highly productive and resulted in lower operational costs. It has also given much insight into the world of remote working and how technology can be used to leverage the smooth functioning of multinationals during a crisis. 

Organizations have seen a major boost in morale with employees enjoying flexible schedules, custom working environments, etc. Productivity has increased with fewer office distractions and increased focus on the job at hand. Time and money saved on commuting is another reason for employees to rejoice. Staying indoors also means more time with loved ones or simply getting some quiet time for yourself. 

One could always argue that the grass is always greener on the other side, but with cases rising every day, 2021 may not see companies rushing to return to pre-COVID work models. 

During these uncertain times, TraQiQ offers premier AI-powered solutions for the world’s top e-commerce retailers which identifies digital transformation strategies needed by companies to serve their customers better, and trends which could have an impact on their business. 

Mobile Wallets: Market Forecast and Competitive Landscape for Asia-Pacific (2020-25)

Mobile Wallets: Market Forecast and Competitive Landscape for Asia-Pacific (2020-25)

Overview:

Mobile wallets offer convenient solutions to users for making their payments online, thereby driving sales for businesses. It allows users to carry their debit/credit/reward cards, and coupons on their smartphones, tablets, or other hand-held and wearable electronic devices. The mobile wallet market has evolved because of advancements in mobile phone technology and is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years. 

Asia-Pacific to Witness the Fastest Market Growth

As per a report by Google, Temasek and Bain & Company, the Southeast Asia digital payment industry is projecting an increase of their gross transaction value from 600 billion USD in 2020 to 1.1 trillion USD by 2025, with mobile wallets expecting to touch a share of 114 billion USD by 2025. 

In December 2019, Ant Financial partnered with several local vendors in Southeast Asia and collaborated with eMonkey to capture market share in the region. According to Forbes, Indonesia is one of the first countries of the world with 95% of internet users reported as mobile users. Visa is partnering with Tencent to establish a payment system for Visa cardholders in China via WeChat. Additionally, initiatives like Digital India are enabling growth in this region. 

Competitive Landscape:

The mobile wallet market is highly competitive with companies leveraging strategic collaborative initiatives and acquisitions aimed at increasing their market share, and for greater profitability. A few of the major players are mentioned below: 

TraQiQ offers digital solutions to help large corporations across the world serve their customers better. TraQiQ’s cutting edge FinTech and AI-driven solutions have been deployed with leading multi-national customers around the world and are helping to increase customer loyalty, improve profitability and drive efficient financial transactions. 

Powering Digital Transformation with Analytics

Powering Digital Transformation with Analytics

The retail analytics market is growing at a rapid rate. As per a report by Research and Markets, the global retail analytics market is expected to grow at a rate of 18% from 2019 to 2025 and will be valued at over $9.5 billion in five years. Multiple factors are driving this growth which includes adopting cloud-based software, IoT, and even AI-driven solutions. Since data and analytics are an integral part of these technologies, it allows businesses to have information at their fingertips.

As per a report by Gartner, a whopping 90% of corporate strategies consider information as a critical enterprise asset and analytics as an essential competency. Companies are investing more in this space and consider data and analytics as a solution to gain a competitive edge over others in the market. 

Nowadays, customers are more empowered and connected than ever before and it is becoming increasingly important for companies to obtain insight into customer buying behavior. Analytics employs various tools to understand consumer buying habits to accurately predict their future buying preferences. This helps businesses to attract, rather than alienate consumers. 

Data has gradually become a touch point for most retailers to understand customer needs and wants. To derive meaningful insights, data must be presented in a user-friendly way, and give you the ability to study this information and gain insights into what your business needs to not just survive, but thrive. 

How can you accomplish that?

TraQiQ offers a range of business intelligence and analytics solutions that can help you see beyond raw data. Our experts work with a variety of third-party tools to help with data preparation, mining, management, and visualization. TraQiQ can help in building the right dashboards for AI-based decision-making tools or build real-time systems that monitor data feeds. Insights from this data can be used to improve customer experience, resulting in better business operations, and provide the right target audience for marketing initiatives. 

Should a Company Build its Last-Mile Distribution Network or Partner up?

Should a Company Build its Last-Mile Distribution Network or Partner up?

Last-mile delivery aims to transport or deliver an item to its recipient in the quickest way possible. Consumers look for alternatives if a company fails to deliver top-notch supply chain services which include user-friendly last-mile delivery software. The success, and perhaps the survival of a business depends on keeping their customers happy, which is what makes the last-mile distribution network so important. 

COVID-19 has altered many aspects of our daily lives and nothing is more noticeable than the soaring demand for last-mile delivery. Once regarded as a ‘valuable addition’ has slowly transformed into a ‘must-have’ capability. It has become increasingly important for a business to differentiate themselves from others in their last-mile delivery strategy. 

While most of the bigger companies look to build and develop their last-mile delivery network, it has been seen that some of the smaller companies prefer to partner up with DNCs to handle the delivery. 

The traditional approach to last-mile delivery which is owning an operational fleet poses a high risk and added costs whereas a delivery network carrier (DNC) model enables retailers to transfer a portion of the risks to one or more DNC providers. DNC providers often adopt a “gig” mindset, which allows companies to transact and operate at a fraction of the cost of retaining and operating a delivery fleet. 

During these uncertain times with evolving business landscapes, the rapid development of technologies, and increasing customer expectations, an appropriate solution today might not be the right choice tomorrow. Careful consideration is required when deciding on the right delivery model for your business. 

How can TraQiQ help?

TraQSuite, by TraQiQ, is a unique, flexible, and responsive platform, that will ensure timely customer service, increase productivity, and business profitability. TraQSuite analyses customers’ omnichannel behavior and using leading data analytic tools and AI models for commerce, it can deliver real-time, automated, and targeted recommendations with personalized content across all customer touch points. 

For more information regarding TraQSuite,

From Conversation to Conversion: How AI-powered Chatbots are Driving Growth in Banking

From Conversation to Conversion: How AI-powered Chatbots are Driving Growth in Banking

The future of banking and many other industries has become entwined with the rise of conversational AI. Businesses are trying to integrate AI with their operational strategies and banks are no exception. Evolving customer expectations and a need for personalized and fulfilling digital experiences are driving banks to conceptualize, test, and deploy new consumer tools. Chatbots are one such tool within this realm that is fueling a new era of conversational banking. 

Let us take a closer look at how AI-powered chatbots are positively impacting the banking industry.

Lower operational costs:

In the long run, chatbots prove to be less expensive than human staffers. There is an initial expense which is incurred by an organization for the development of chatbots with periodic upgrades that enable them to serve customers across various touch points. Comparatively, the cost to train and employ voice executives is much higher.

An intuitive interface:

By mimicking human patterns of interaction and learning from each engagement, chatbots enable us to seamlessly communicate with enterprises and quickly execute financial tasks in a manner that is personalized and intuitive.

Speedy resolution of queries:

Speed is another factor that has made chatbots so popular with customers. Imagine waiting in a never-ending queue to talk to a voice executive as compared to an instantaneous response from an AI-powered chatbot. 

Personalized advice using Analytics:

Some of the more complex AI platforms are well-equipped to manage your financial portfolio. Using analytics, AI chatbots are capable of analyzing all your data and delivering insights that can improve your financial management. 

24/7 customer support:

By adopting chatbots to serve the digital customer, banks can now boast of always being available for their customers.

As chatbots learn to handle more complex queries, they enable us to reduce the human footprint of your customer support division, saving you time and resources. TraQiQ can help in building the right dashboards for AI-based decision-making tools or build real time systems that monitor data feeds. 

Our analytics solutions can help you with data preparation, mining, management, and visualization. Insights from this data can be used to improve customer experience, result in better business operations, and provide the right target audience for marketing initiatives. 

Has the Last Mile Revolution Changed the Supply Chain Forever?

Has the Last Mile Revolution Changed the Supply Chain Forever?

Consumer demands and expectations are increasing, and the last mile revolution has enabled businesses to provide goods and services to the end consumer as quickly as possible. 

Let us have a closer look at how the last-mile revolution is affecting and transforming the supply chain. A few trends which are having a positive impact in the industry are mentioned below: 

Speedy resolution of deliverables:

The prime objective of the last mile delivery is to deliver the package to consumers as quickly as possible. This is pushing companies to develop and sustain a delivery eco-system that is efficient and effective. 

Employing effective tech tools for tracking:

Emerging technologies like IoT and even AI are playing a crucial role in the success rate of last-mile logistics. Now, it is easier to track your shipment with smart technologies at your disposal. 

Data Analytics reduces last-mile logistics costs:

With the amount of data at a company’s disposal, analytics allows supply chain entities to isolate the cost-impacting factors across all shipments and provides a solution for its optimization.

Increased Profitability:

Last-mile delivery software boosts productivity, optimizes delivery routes, scales your business, enhances consumer satisfaction which in turn increases consumer retention. All these factors combined increase the profitability of your business.

Streamlined and flexible delivery options:

The last-mile delivery solution automates repetitive tasks thereby saving on time, money, and energy. Flexible delivery options allow consumers to change the time and location of delivery thereby increasing customer satisfaction. 

Exciting things are happening in last-mile logistics, and the level of technology leveraged to push the frontiers of last-mile delivery is growing in complexity and scope. Is your organization prepared to handle the rising demand for more last-mile logistics deliveries by consumers? 

TraQSuite, by TraQiQ, is a unique, flexible, and responsive platform, that will ensure timely customer service, increase productivity, and business profitability. TraQSuite analyses customers’ omnichannel behavior and using leading data analytic tools and AI models for commerce, it can deliver real-time, automated, and targeted recommendations with personalized content across all customer touch points. 

Mobile Wallet Trends that will Shape the Future of Digital Payments

Mobile Wallet Trends that will Shape the Future of Digital Payments

Mobile wallets have gradually evolved from being a niche payment method for consumers who are digitally-savvy, to a payment method that is mainstream. Innovations in technology have diversified how and where mobile wallets can be used which has led to their rapid growth in the past 5 years. As per a report, the mobile wallet transaction value is set to reach a staggering figure of nearly 14 trillion USD by 2022, worldwide. 

Future trends for mobile wallets reveal that advances in this field might eliminate the need for paper money altogether. Here, we aim to highlight some of the top trends that will influence the growth of mobile wallets across the globe, help in making payments more secure and convenient, and pave the way for a digital future. 

Top 5 trends:

Banking through Mobile Apps:

Mobile wallets were first introduced in 2014 via Apple Pay and owing to its success, competitors designed and launched their own apps like Android Pay, Microsoft Wallet etc. This has led to the spawn of many apps which have ditched traditional methods of payment and adopted mobile payments as a vision for the future. Traditional banking Institutions have also worked to develop mobile wallets for customers to assist and improve their banking experience. 

Loyalty Rewards:

Everyone likes being rewarded, and many banking institutions and retailers have started offering discounts and rewards to customers each time they use their mobile wallets. It is a way to incentivize customers to remain loyal to their brand. Retailers across the world are expected to follow suit or get left behind. 

Near Field Communication (NFC):

The security and simplicity of NFC technology have been the greatest inspiration for digital payment solutions. It greatly reduces the time and effort needed to carry out multiple transactions. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Due to advances in this field, AI is being used by companies across the world to manage routine interactions with their customers. For e.g., Chat bots &voice instructions greatly reduce the need to speak with an agent, thereby reducing operational costs.

Crypto currency:

Crypto currency eliminates the need for a third party in the payment process which makes transactions secure and convenient. Businesses that adopt this tech can expect to thrive better than those that do not.

As consumers become more proficient with tech and keep these trends in mind, payments through mobile wallets will be the new future. Additionally, we can also expect rapid growth of digital banking solutions, remote bank accounts and even digital credit cards. 

TraQiQ offers digital solutions to help large corporations across the world serve their customers better. A robust mobile wallet enables users to manage and control finances through a convergent platform where they can virtually store and use financial assets. TraQiQ also offers solutions that payment service providers need to launch and scale their businesses. 

How to Drive Successful Digital Migration

How to Drive Successful Digital Migration

Digital Migration has become a necessity rather than an option for most enterprises as companies look for the right tools to successfully execute their operations. Paving the way for an automated and a digitally connected world, companies need to ‘digitally transform’. 

However, traversing this path is often met with obstacles and viewed with apprehension. If your enterprise is contemplating a migration to digital services, there are a few principles one should keep in mind to drive this transformation while keeping collateral to a minimum with respect to the company’s business strategies and operations. 

Connecting the dots:

As an organization, one needs to successfully match the company’s overall business strategy with the migration strategy which will drive digital transformation. This is normally done to achieve a sort of harmony between the two and create an eco-system where both can co-exist and grow.

Putting the customer first:

It is essential that organizations remain customer-centric and realize that customers form the backbone of their enterprise. Taking a few steps in the shoes of the customer never hurts anyone and provides necessary insights into their needs and wants. Understanding how digital transformation can increase your customer database rather than decrease is of prime importance and this can only be done by creating a pleasant experience for both your customers and your business.

Evaluate and adapt your strategy:

It is essential that organizations regularly evaluate their business needs to avoid common traps like inflated costs, extravagant manpower requirements etc. which obstruct successful migration.

‘Inclusiveness’ is the need of the hour:

Companies need to make sure that their employees are on the same page regarding the ‘digital migration’ of their organization. Everyone needs to be aware of how they can play a part in this transformation and construct a meaningful ‘digital connect’ for their enterprise.

Owing to the pandemic, digital transformation has become the norm for many businesses and adopting an effective migration strategy could be key for driving positive change in this ‘digitally connected’ world. 

TraQiQ can help create a viable road map for your company with a robust ‘Digital Transformation’ strategy. With powerful AI solutions and analysis of current market trends, our strategy team can help facilitate growth for your organization at a ‘digital’ level and help you kick-start your transformation journey. 

Paving the Way for a Better Future in Latin America and the Caribbean

Paving the Way for a Better Future in Latin America and the Caribbean

Digital Payments have become an indispensable part of the economies in Latin America and the Caribbean and has created many business opportunities for budding and established companies. Statistics indicate that nearly 70% of the adult population in Latin America is either unbanked or underbanked and this sector represents a market of approximately$34 billion per year. This presents a huge opportunity for the global banking industry which has seen only moderate growth during recent times. 

There are two major types of companies that will benefit from this digital boom: FinTech enterprises that have a sizeable presence in the region, and small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) who are able to leverage the advantages of mobile banking and payments. FinTech solutions enable SMBs to reach customers in rural areas and offer cost-effective solutions to customers as compared to traditional banking services. 

Some of the key challenges that SMBs may have to overcome to capitalize on this market are:

If these challenges can be overcome, business opportunities in the region for companies will be huge. At a more technical level, the focus on tokenization in digital payment systems could be the key to growth in the region as it will allow companies and banks to adopt similar systems worldwide. 

TraQiQ offers digital solutions to help large corporations across the world serve their customers better. TraQiQ’s cutting edge FinTech and AI-driven solutions have been deployed with leading multi-national customers around the world and are helping to increase customer loyalty, improve profitability and drive efficient financial transactions. 

AI’s exponential growth due to COVID-19

AI’s exponential growth due to COVID-19

Tackling the COVID-19 pandemic has required the support of many emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and Machine Learning (ML). Here, we aim to delve into the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a decisive technology to analyze, prepare us for prevention, and fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Has Corona virus made AI a household name? Many feel that AI is still in its infancy, whereas many tech experts would agree that AI has crossed its nascent stages of development and is ready to be assimilated into the mainstream. Organizations are in dire need of decision-making technologies which can perform real-time operations and help by giving proper suggestions which would save both time and effort. 

AI has seamlessly crossed over from mere prediction of recommended movies on Netflix or suggesting what to shop on Amazon. It is seen as a major force in driving digital transformation and for facilitating progress for many businesses across the globe. Its use and application across different industry verticals is set to grow exponentially as tech resources become more affordable and easily available. 

Organizations, especially those in the medical industry would most likely continue with their research on ways to tackle the pandemic with the help of emerging technologies like AI and capitalize on opportunities and solutions that it has provided, for a better future. This result-oriented tech is used for proper screening, analysis, prediction and tracking of data related to the current pandemic. 

Being an evidence-based medical tool, AI has the potential to improve the planning, treatment and reported outcomes of various COVID-19 cases. Powered by super-computers and backed by masses of data, it works in a proficient way to mimic human intelligence and may also play a vital role in understanding and suggesting methods for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine. 

TraQiQ offers a range of business intelligence and analytics solutions that can help you see beyond raw data. Our experts work with a variety of third-party tools to help with data preparation, mining, management, and visualization. TraQiQ can help in building the right dashboards for AI-based decision-making tools or build real time systems that monitor data feeds. Insights from this data can be used to improve customer experience, result in better business operations, and provide the right target audience for marketing initiatives. 

Benefits of Agile

Benefits of Agile

Agile project management provides numerous benefits to organizations, project teams, and products. The benefits extend well beyond the technology teams – they allow the business to be agile and respond to customer requirements better.

Happy customers

The product owner is always deeply involved in the process – requirements definition, change requests, and the entire engineering process. The development process, which was historically opaque, is now transparent. This allows the engineers and the customers to learn from each other. The engineers learn what the REAL requirement is, and the customers get a flavor of the challenges faced by the engineers. The speed of change and focus on building working software typically results in happier and more knowledgeable customers. 

Quality metrics

Understand requirements, develop a working model, test & validate. This model has daily/weekly/monthly checkpoints to ensure that the right solution is being built. More importantly, since a small module is built and tested each time, it can be rigorously tested for technical and functional issues each time. Incorporating continuous integration and daily testing into the development process allows the development team to address issues while they’re still fresh. 

Tools, better communications & project control

Regular meetings ensure good communication. There are a variety of tools for running agile projects – the project management process, tools to manage the scrum boards, creation of workflows, tracking progress with Burndown charts, track team velocity, development platforms, etc. 

Having mature tools to track progress and automate tasks has a significant impact on the overall health of the project. Also, for the project leaders there is a significant flow of data from all sources helping them manage the project in an open transparent manner. 

Faster and better results

Agile is always iterative and allows the product owner to see results rapidly. This allows for rapid changes of direction if needed, thereby minimizing significant losses. Statistics show a 30-40 faster process for most comparable Agile projects. Being able to keep the end customer in the middle of the process almost always results in optimal results 

Risk Management

It is unlikely that an agile project will crash and burn. In most scenarios, it is highly likely that there will be changes, which may alter the schedule and budget. However, those small changes help in preventing the huge losses where a complete SDLC project had to be shelved as the user requirements changed during the 12-18 months in which it was being developed. 

Agile typically blends user stories with business-focused acceptance criteria to define the feature and results. This tight combination offers the opportunity to beta test every component to ensure that the right value is being offered. 

TraQiQ’s Digital transformation team has worked on multiple significant efforts to move companies to the Agile methodology and welcomes the opportunity to tackle tougher challenges.

Defining scope in Agile

Defining scope in Agile

Traditional software development methods tend to be inflexible and fail to respond to aggressive customer change requests. In contrast, agile software methodologies provide a set of practices that allow for rapid recognition and implementation of change. The Agile methodology focuses on iterative and incremental methods of management. It helps teams in an evolving landscape and maintains a focus on the rapid delivery of business value.

Agile scope management is significantly different from traditional scope management. Historically, a large part of SDLC style project management is managing and tightening of scope. Significant effort goes into defining all the features and functionality upfront. There is significant angst associated with changing any of these items during the project. 

Agile approaches to scope management are fundamentally different than traditional methods for scope management. Agile processes focus on simplicity and building out smaller chunks of features and functionality. The development cycle could be 2 weeks to 2 months (shorter is better) with a goal of shipping working code that showcases a specific set of features. 

Change management is an inherent part of agile processes. Revised scope and new requirements are included in every sprint. The product owner determines the value and priority of new requirements and adds those requirements to the product backlog. 

As with most projects, resources and schedules are planned initially. However, new features with high priority don’t necessarily cause budget or schedule slips. They simply push out the lowest-priority features. This is where it is critical to actively manage the backlog (the complete book of work). 

This iterative planning development allows for changes with each new sprint. By allowing the more important features to get built first, the customers key requirements get built first and the lower value features get postponed or cut (survival of the fittest). 

Typically, the scrum team determines the scope of the project. It also determines the scope and goals of each sprint. This is based on the overarching product vision. This is followed by the development team creating the most important features first. 

At any point in an agile project, anyone in the organization with a good idea or suggestion can identify new product requirements or changes to existing ones. Subsequently, the product owner determines the value and priority of all requirements and prioritizes them in the product backlog. 

TraQiQ’s Digital transformation team has worked on multiple significant efforts to move companies to the Agile methodology and welcomes the opportunity to tackle tougher challenges.

Why Agile ? Outcomes, Goals & Customers

Why Agile ? Outcomes, Goals & Customers

Most companies are trying to stay competitive, increase market share, and stay in sync with their customers.

Mobile devices, digital everything, data-driven decisions, and other such factors are clearly driving forces in the digital age. Change is constant. How does one run a company or a department or a product group in a manner that maximizes market share, profitability, and customer satisfaction? By being “Agile”, of course. 

Facebook clearly saw innovative features in Snapchat. They tried to buy the company in 2017. When they failed, they started to copy/emulate some of the key features. This rapid movement reduced growth for Snap, and clearly helped Facebook keep their top properties in the spotlight in social media. 

This is a great example of business agility. Customers wanted a key set of features. A large company like Facebook was able to respond rapidly and recognize this need. The engineering, marketing and other teams moved rapidly, and rolled out these features in record time, before there was any significant business impact. 

With so much activity and competition out there, engineering teams must meet customer needs faster. Moving to outcome-based software planning and delivering helps teams do just that. But it’s more than that. Agile helps organizations in multiple industries improve product quality, time to market, and employee satisfaction. 

In addition to Outcome-based planning, it is essential to include change management in the software development process. In most scenarios, the process of building the software, testing it and reviewing it with customers will produce significant change. This iterative process is likely to meet the customer’s requirements better, through early and continuous delivery of valuable software. 

Being able to deliver working software modules rapidly allows for the user community to get comfortable with it, and test the features, functionality, and business impact. Being able to capture changes in the user requirements at every stage ensures the software is going to meet the user’s requirements. 

TraQiQ’s Digital transformation team has worked on multiple significant efforts to move companies to the Agile methodology and welcomes the opportunity to tackle tougher challenges.

The Future of Insurance Industry- Digital Customer Engagement

The Future of Insurance Industry- Digital Customer Engagement

2020 is the new age of digitization and modernization! Through technical advancements, companies across the world have been able to streamline their work processes as a whole and the insurance sector is no exception to that. When it comes to the insurance industry, however, the use of technology has been restricted to the job processes alone, neglecting customer interaction.

Customers go digital through the Smartphone, web, and social media and the insurers are still far behind when it comes to interacting with customers on the digital front or understanding the opportunities these channels give them. 

Such opportunities are best achieved by using powerful analytics and artificial intelligence techniques, as they literally allow insurers to sense consumer needs and address the same needs accordingly, ultimately gaining trust and loyalty. 

Whatever the form of business is, consumers prefer the digital approach to purchase and engaging with one brand over another. The insurance industry is one sector in which consumers often attempt to clear up their questions about new insurance plans or current ones. 

They need digital solutions for that, as they don’t want to wait in the physical locations or over the phone calls. They want the insurers to support them round the clock in the form of chat bots, live video and more with the help of technology. 

Besides this, the use of technology helps insurers to follow the right customer personalization approaches, engage with new and existing customers and provide good customer service and seamless experience. 

A successful digital transformation strategy is just as much about changing company behaviors to adapt to customer trends, as it is about a shiny new product that promises to radicalize how an organization conducts business. This is where TraQSuite can help businesses build the right solutions for their customers.

A Happy Customer and Lower Operational Cost

A Happy Customer and Lower Operational Cost

Need to maximize operational efficiency, make better use of on-field capital, increase vehicle utilization, meet more customers and boost customer satisfaction? Efficient logistics management is the main differentiator that determines the performance of many businesses. Increasing consumer demands and deliveries from the doorstep only add to the complexity of supply chain processes. New-age deep-tech companies provide a variety of value-added services to meet demand in the logistics space. 

As logistics and transportation expenses take a bigger bite out of every dollar of revenue, companies are constantly evaluating this expense related to their overall business cost. Logistic expenditures usually account for 8–10 percent of a company’s operating costs, and most companies are attempting to control the dynamic operations by implementing resources of technology. A business can make significant strategic changes and increase its operating performance with an integrated, cost-effective logistics system. This also increases scalability, reduces human errors, and offers a constructive approach to satisfying the customers. 

Traditionally, corporate managers have treated transportation as an unavoidable bucket of costs. However, top-performing businesses like Amazon now understand that it can be more than managing supply chain operations: it can be the source of competitive advantage. 

Factors to be considered to save cost and time:

Consumer satisfaction:

Customer loyalty is important, as attracting a customer costs five times more on average than maintaining one. To keep customers happy requires that the logistics costs per order are low. By retaining customer loyalty, companies can keep up and thus spread the logistics service costs over a larger number of orders/customers. Because of this strong link between customer satisfaction and overall cost savings, customer service should accordingly be factored into every calculation of improvements in logistics costs.

Labor costs:

Every project should be seen through the prism of labor costs and attrition rates. If well structured, incentive programs for field executives really work in reducing both. Automation systems that provide end-to-end metrics of success in terms of distance travel, number of tasks performed, time on the road, and transaction time can help to build the much-needed incentive programs.

Faster processing and delivery:

It results in more pleased consumers and a lower cost of transporting inventories. Reaction time is a strategic tool of rising significance in the competitive arena. Leading firms seek to respond to orders in a minimum amount of time as delay costs directly affect prices, operating policies, sales, and the profits of the firm in a competitive environment. These time-based strategies can be dealt with through the use of technological innovations. In an era of free shipping, one-hour delivery, and drone drops, customers have high expectations about efficient product delivery.

Failed deliveries:

This raises retailers’ prices, both in terms of redelivery fees and the logistical expense of rescheduling orders, and deciding the exact addresses. It also contributes to disappointed customers who are unlikely to return to your site, and who can harm the credibility of your brand.

When the appropriate tools to manage complexity are in place, organizations have greater opportunities to continuously create operational efficiencies and keep customers happy. This where TraQiQ can help businesses build the right solutions for their customer in the digital age. 

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Making Money with Blockchain

Making Money with Blockchain

Blockchain technology has been one of the hottest trends in the finance sector, with the potential to completely transform business models in a number of sectors. Blockchain works similarly to a massive digital ledger/spreadsheet, which is shared by all the members of a decentralized network. While blockchain technology is most frequently associated with confirming Bitcoin payments, it has evolved into a complete technology platform based on adapting decentralized ledgers for operations. 

So, how does one make money with this new technology platform? 

Just as many investors have taken advantage of the opportunity to stockpile gold in anticipation of the rising price, other investors are taking advantage of the opportunity to stockpile Bitcoin and a variety of other coins. 

The transparency and security of blockchain technology makes it attractive for use in a variety of different cases far beyond cryptocurrencies. It can be used in everything from stock trading to ride-sharing to data security. 

As we move to the mainstream corporations, global entities continue to embrace the technology underlying bitcoin but that many blockchain projects have moved beyond the theoretical or testing phase, to producing real transactions, costs savings and other benefits. There are multiple opportunities that leverage the core underlying technology platform, the digital currency and the significant productivity and process improvements that are resulting from it. Investing in these companies is likely to produce solid long-term gains. 

The improvements in speed and security could be revolutionary as transaction times and trade costs decrease. You could even use blockchain to track property ownership in less developed nations and prevent concert or sports ticket counterfeiting right here in the United States. 

Specifically, there are the companies that make chips and hardware for crypto mining. There are publicly traded companies that engage in actual cryptocurrency mining. Miners are rewarded with crypto for performing this service and can then sell it on the open market for profit. The gains are then passed on to shareholders. 

Blockchain is based on a decentralized network. As a result, cloud-based technology companies are in an ideal position to take advantage of the growth of blockchain. Cloud-based companies that provide blockchain services will be a strong bet for growth down the road. 

Blockchain is poised to disrupt the payment processing industry. It could cut out middlemen – companies like Visa, Mastercard & AmEx – by processing transactions more efficiently. Look for the older players to either take advantage of blockchain and adapt – or find themselves in big trouble.

There are even penny stocks for cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin is definitely the most well-known digital currency, there are a variety of specialty coins that have emerged over the last 10 years. In addition to investing in coins, there are a number of young companies that are investing in Blockchain and are listed on the junior exchanges. These companies offer exciting opportunities for growth to investors. 

Crowdfunding, Angel funding, and investing in startups is certainly not new concept. There has been a tremendous amount of interest in investing in startups built on blockchain technology. As Bitcoin has become increasingly popular and accepted by more mainstream businesses, the number of entrepreneurs interested in experimenting with the technology behind the cryptocurrency has skyrocketed. Yet, as is the case with any other new venture, such startups need funding. 

Blockchain technology’s cost and speed efficiencies, along with its transparency and security, will likely lead many companies to adopt the technology. Getting in on blockchain stocks now is a great way to be on the ground floor when the technology really takes off. 

TraQiQ has begun the process of moving the core platform for supply chain to Blockchain. As the company moves to leverage the power of transactions on this platform, it is likely that the Digital Currency component will play a significant role in fulfilling these transactions. 

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Will Blockchain Fail?

Will Blockchain Fail?

Blockchain technology, like other innovative breakthroughs, is continuing to undergo a prototyping, testing and adoption phase. Aside from the attention that Blockchain and Bitcoin have received in recent years, the technology platform offers the potential for radical innovation and solving truly complex global problems. 

Blockchain gained significant momentum as a technology solution for decentralized and democratized transactions. IDC suggests that Blockchain spending will grow to #12.4 billion in 2022. The technology is clearly maturing, and a lot of real-world applications are in production, including at companies like Uber. 

There are also tremendous opportunities in the world of real estate. In cities like Paris and Manhattan, where condos cost several million dollars, there are tokenization projects that run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. This allows someone with a few dollars to own a small piece of Manhattan. This has implications for the entire asset management industry. 

So, why would blockchain fail? 

Blockchain projects are not really failing. Progress is slower than many other technological innovations. There is a significant lack of technical training. There are also issues with the general lack of cyber hygiene. 

In most technology organizations, a successful Blockchain deployment needs substantial change in the legacy systems. The classic architecture models won’t necessarily work. The way Blockchain succeeds is in redefining some of the relationships between the stakeholders. This lack of vision and understanding plagues many blockchain projects. 

For this, a clear organizational vision and deep technical and strategic understanding of where blockchain is fit for purpose can go a long way. 

The billions lost in cryptocurrency due to deliberate, inadvertent or fraudulent loss of private keys is another example of this problem. 

For now, Blockchain needs to move to the background. As the shine wears off, it is likely that the true power of the platform will emerge. We will see path-breaking and disruptive use cases – most that have not been created yet. They will need to plug into or bring along the legacy systems, especially in larger companies where there is a significant investment in legacy systems. 

TraQiQ has begun the process of moving the core platform for supply chain to Blockchain. As the company moves to leverage the power of transactions on this platform, it is likely that the Digital Currency component will play a significant role in fulfilling these transactions. 

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Blockchain: Foundation for the Future

Blockchain: Foundation for the Future

Is it possible to connect 8 billion people across the world and enable them to do 1:1 transaction in a scalable, secure and convenient way? 

Well, yes… in due course. 

We live in a world of small transactions. We get a car via Uber. We rent a room or an apartment via Airbnb. However, if you really think about it, the transaction is between 2 individuals – one who needs a car and one who has a car. 

Big economy companies like Uber and Airbnb have heralded a new era of transactions and commerce. The current generation of users lead a slightly different life than the previous generation – they ride with Uber, pay with Venmo, and have food delivered by Grubhub. If you really think about all these small transactions that they are conducting, a few thoughts come to mind – 

So, why do we need companies to facilitate these transactions? Do they really deserve 30-40% of the transaction value? 

Visa and Mastercard have earned billions of dollars by taking a small percentage of transaction value for decades. 

Exploring Blockchain provides some key answers. 

There is a maturation process for Blockchain. There are issues…. 

As technology matures and there is widespread adoption, there will be tremendous growth, as everyone on the planet becomes a node and transacts with other nodes. There will be contracts, payments and relationships. Why does a user need to rely on AmEx membership points? Why not use the Blockchain model to build a model for loyalty points? 

So, will companies like Airbnb and Uber go away? No, they play a vital role in our ecosystem. They help facilitate the transaction. They recruit drivers and homeowners, certify them and make sure that suitable security elements are in place. They also have technology that works globally. They will stay – however, as individuals start acting as Blockchain nodes, it is likely that they will not want to pay that 30+% for these facilitators. Perhaps a one-time charge of a few hundred to get certified.

Blockchain offers us a lot of potentials – starting with decentralized apps. We have seen innovative solutions in 1:1 transactions in the supply chain. However, Blockchains are limited in their ability to scale today. But there is a tremendous amount of innovation that we are yet to see. 

TraQiQ has begun the process of moving the core platform for supply chain to Blockchain. As the company moves to leverage the power of transactions on this platform, it is likely that the Digital Currency component will play a significant role in fulfilling these transactions. 

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Learning Management Systems in the Corporate Environment

Learning Management Systems in the Corporate Environment

Free vs subscription, local vs cloud, sync or async, regular or flipped classrooms, social or not – there are certainly a lot of elements to consider when establishing a corporate learning environment. Employers are investing thousands of dollars when an employee goes into a training program. It is critical that the employee time and LMS investment result in the optimal ROI. 

So, here are some critical components to consider in the corporate world. 

A lot has been written about Academic vs Corporate LMS tools. While it does not matter what tools are used, it is critical to get a tool that meets the employer’s requirements and drives the desired results. 

The next level of conversation is about the person who is running an LMS. Historically, larger companies have tiers of training programs run by dozens of administrators, trainers, and consultants. How about a small company with 20, 50, or 100 employees? Don’t they need training and skills? This is an area where there are a lot of opportunities. Being able to offer a user-friendly, easily customizable tool, perhaps a template based has a lot of potential in the market. Typically, the Owner of the company would run it, therefore, it has to take minimal time but allow for effective training. 

We are moving towards a world of dynamic content (audio/video/text) mashups that interact with a user based on their capability. 

TraQiQ offers an excellent set of tools in the TraQLearn product suite. It enables both academic and corporate users to build, maintain and grow their education programs. 

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Learning Management Systems: What Makes one Better than the other?

Learning Management Systems: What Makes one Better than the other?

The global learning management system Market is expected to grow from $ 5 billion in 2016 to $ 18.4 billion by 2025 at a CAGR of 15.52% between 2017 and 2025. 

There is a gigantic shift in K-12 and higher education structures with the introduction of Learning Management systems (LMS). LMS’ facilitate building and running programs. They also provide tools for content authoring. Most importantly, they provide targeted learning to students that enables them to learn at their own pace. 

However, how does one pick a suitable LMS? Every stakeholder is looking to be more efficient and productive. 

The Administrative staff need to be able to build and run program(s). This could be for one class or hundreds of classes that lead to a degree program – with hundreds of students. In the corporate environment, it is likely to be a smaller set of students who are learning together or at their own pace. It is likely they will need rich interactive content. There are going to be billing modules, integration (with other software) considerations and program/access controls. There is likely to be a whole area of security features. 

Teachers are likely to need rich content authoring tools. It is critical for them to have multi-media and multi-channel delivery systems including audio and video. There is a plethora of publicly available content. Platforms like Khan academy and YouTube come to mind. These must be included. Teachers will also be looking for collaboration and social tools to facilitate interaction within the community. They will be looking for AI/ML tools that will help them in teaching. These tools will help in targeted and/or remedial learning. Lastly, there have eb be effective tools for grading and facilitating feedback. Advanced LMS tools will also pay attention to the professional needs of the teachers. 

Students will be looking for the best environment to learn. There is an admin element to joining a program or a class. There are lots of processes and workflow elements – including paper and online books, communication tools, taking notes, and sharing thoughts and ideas. Ultimately the best outcome for a student is for them to be able to get deep interactive learning supported by grades from an independent authority. 

Parents of students (in the academic world) and Supervisors of students (in the corporate world) are likely to be the ones that are paying. They are going to be looking for transparency and access to the education process. Grades, reasonable fees and effective remediation tools are likely to be important. 

TraQiQ offers an excellent set of tools in the TraQLearn product suite. It enables both academic and corporate users to build, maintain and grow their education programs. 

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Learning Management Systems: Where are we Headed?

Learning Management Systems: Where are we Headed?

The Covid-19 pandemic brought the world of eLearning or online learning into sharp focus. Online tools and platforms from Khan academy to Ted talks have shaped schools and corporate learning. 

There has been a tremendous rush towards figuring out the appropriate set of tools. Even core collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams have seen significant use. Video conferencing has moved from the world of corporate meetings to everyday education. Students are getting lessons, sharing screens and learning new stuff together – all sitting at home. 

It is quite normal for a Learning Management System (LMS) to have a set of features for Program administration, managing classes & teachers, content management and student tracking. There are interesting differentiators. Some programs allow teachers to focus on remedial learning. Identifying & assisting slow and fast learners with unique tools and content defined for them. 

More advanced systems provide analytics and algorithms to automate recommendations for students and content. This is an area where AI/ML can help. By understanding the learning patterns of a specific student, an advanced LMS can help in picking the right content to get them to their targeted skill level. These automated recommendations can put a lot of pressure on a teacher. In addition, an effective system enables the students to make rapid progress. Certain forms of education are based on repetitive activities of a similar sort. This is another area where an “Intelligent” LMS can offer interactive learning to build and solidify specific skills. 

LMS systems provide a level of monitoring, control and results that are hard in the manual universe. Individual attention, technical advancement and cloud-based systems have enabled tremendous growth in this segment. One might even say that they are an essential part of any education program – academic or corporate. 

TraQiQ offers an excellent set of tools in the TraQLearn product suite. It enables both academic and corporate users to build, maintain and grow their education programs. 

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The Future of the Digital Supply chain: The Worlds Collide

The Future of the Digital Supply chain: The Worlds Collide

Historically, we have viewed the world through a couple of lenses – a consumer lens and a business lens. So, where does an Uber driver fit it. A little bit of both worlds. The driver is both a consumer and a small business. So, what are the elements that we consider as we investigate the future? 

Universal devices like Mobile phones and tablets (reduced dedicated hardware units like credit card terminals & ATM’s). Many of the local coffee shops and restaurants have made the migration. Most others will follow. The flexibility and ease of use of these devices is driving adoption. The consumers will continue to migrate more payments to phones – away from cards and towards QR codes and other contactless systems. And remember, these devices are being used to buy, sell, transact – for both the consumer role and the business.

Payment gateways and mobile wallets started the revolution. Today, cloud-based Software with API’s are connecting all the players. These software platforms must be extensible, interconnected and evolve rapidly. As we take a wholistic view of where the transaction originates (a mobile device), to where the multi-party settlement happens (in the cloud), and the triggers to the supply chain to build/deliver a product or service. The supply chain of tomorrow has employees, vendors, and an army of independent professionals who may or may not be available at any given time – so real time changes will be the norm. 

Technology solutions like Blockchain offer security and transparency. These encrypted distributed ledgers will continue to provide trusted real-time verification of transactions with the need for intermediaries like correspondent banks and clearing houses.

We went from a world of passwords to two-factor authentication. Now we are gradually moving towards biometric solutions for authentication and decision. Voice, fingerprints, retina are just the beginning. Good technology innovation almost always gets noticed by bad actors who want to prey on the weak. It is likely that the biological and structural characteristics of a person will help eliminate most of that. 

Social platforms altered digital payments solutions a few years ago when Venmo allowed users to transfer money and share transaction details with their social eco-system. It is unlikely that the trend will change in the near term. It is another example of multiple world’s colliding. It is not just about making digital payments. It is a newsfeed that tells you who is going to a concert, paying rent and dining out (and with whom). 

Emerging markets are bringing in a couple more billion people to the connected universe. It is likely that those markets will drive the evolution of these solutions. Not just language, but social and cultural elements that will impact product design.

Smart home solutions like Amazon Dash allow one tap re-ordering. There are other sensors that automatically reorder. Similarly, as we communicate via voice with Siri, Alexa or Corona, we are driving up Voice based transactions and commerce. That trend is likely to grow. The voice authenticates, instructs and completes the transaction. 

Analytics, Artificial intelligence and Machine learning. Some of these are used interchangeably. Arguably, these will have the greatest impact on digital payments in the future – starting with preventing fraud, helping businesses recommend products and services to their customers, and helping drive automated transactions. It is as simple as the Netflix or YouTube dashboard – the media recommendations that show up are clearly based on the user’s preference and history….and drive many new media purchases, all done in a seamless manner that maximizes the user’s media watching experience. 

TraQiQ offers Digital payment solutions that have been in production for over 10 years. These solutions have evolved rapidly and provide great value in a socially connected world where barriers are coming down and emerging market consumers are driving change. 

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Digital Payments Drive Social Change in Emerging Markets

Digital Payments Drive Social Change in Emerging Markets

What does this translate into?

Emerging markets are leapfrogging from a largely disconnected and cash-oriented society to one where mobile devices are bringing consumers to the forefront of technology. They are leveraging technology. More importantly, they are driving innovation to add more relevant features and drive down costs. Practical, Affordable, and Relevant (PAR). 

So, what do we mean by PAR.

PRACTICAL:

A lot of users in emerging markets have never used a device – PC, phone, etc. The device and/or app experience must be easy to access and easy to learn and use. 

AFFORDABLE:

The device must be affordable. The monthly plans have to be very inexpensive. We saw innovation in India’s mobile phone industry, where incoming calls were free. It allowed a lot of people to acquire phones just to receive calls. Couple that with the business model innovation when Reliance introduced the Jio platform – reducing the cost of data to pennies per month. This type of technology and business model innovation drives usage. No wonder Reliance Jio is worth tens of billions of $. 

RELEVANT:

Cheap or free are great options. However, consumers demand value. They need to be able to get real work done. We see that in the area of digital payments – the unbanked are making payments via money stored on mobile wallets. Payments are being triggered via SMS messages or QR codes. This engagement model will drive change. 

Per World bank data, two third of the unbanked people (globally) own a mobile phone. This is an opportunity for financial inclusion. This is an opportunity to redefine the supply chain and bring in the unbanked community. Technologies like Blockchain provide a level of security and transparency that will drive growth in global commerce.

Lastly, there is the issue of infrastructure and scalability. Emerging markets are weak on digital infrastructure. While tremendous progress has been made in the last 10 years, we saw clear issues during the Covid19 crisis, where internet speeds were reduced significantly (plus outages). Scaling a solution to millions of uses takes significant resources – build the device, good UX to make sure the users can use it rapidly, relevant apps that provide value. This is clearly an area where Public-Private partnerships need to take precedence. Build infrastructure and digital solutions in tight partnerships to ensure sustainability even in the harshest conditions. 

The challenges of the emerging markets are now driving innovation. Payment and digital commerce are at the forefront of this transformation. TraQiQ offers Digital Commerce solutions that have been in production for over 10 years and are continuing to grow, innovate and support a PAR world. 

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The Growth of Digital Payments

The Growth of Digital Payments

There is considerable history in the world of payments. As we go back thousands of years, we started with ecommerce/trade systems without monetary payments. It took considerable time to move from barter to livestock, precious coins, skins/leather and eventually paper money. However, there has been considerable progress in the last couple hundred years. The progression from paper money to checks to credit cards and now Digital currency (and payments). 

As we explore the world of digital payments, the revolution started in the mid-nineties with ecommerce and online shopping. It has continued to grow rapidly over the last 25 years. What started as simple payments with credit cards has now transformed into a broad segment of mobile payments. A simple tap or wave with a phone buys groceries or pays for a round of golf. How does one even define the broad world of digital payments? 

Digital payments convert a traditional cash transaction to a cashless one. The business world aggressively moved in that direction with ACH payments, wire transfers and EDI based solutions. As we look at the consumer world 25% of the global population does not have access to the traditional banking systems (with a high percentage of women). This is the segment that is ready for migration to the world of Digital payments – safe, reliable, transparent, and convenient. While these transactions tend to save money due to system efficiencies, the bigger benefit is that it leaves a digital trail, thereby protecting people’s financial interests. 

As with most industries, technology is changing the game. Countries are considering the introduction of digital cash, where digital legal tenders are transferred directly from payer to payee in a payment transaction. This is a scenario where paper and metallic currency will become obsolete. While this transition is likely to take some time, we are heading there. Many consumers in the developed markets did not use any cash during the many weeks of Covid19. McKinsey tells us that e-commerce transactions grew 81% in Italy during that period. Technology is also enabling regulators to bypass banks. We see companies like Paypal/Venmo, Square, and Stripe drive payments and transactions across the consumer and business eco-systems. If the user chooses to leave money in those accounts (aka wallets), it does not need to go to a bank account. 

We do live in interesting times. The growth of digital commerce coupled with mobile usage are driving deep change in the global payment’s infrastructure. Consumers and businesses are facing and driving this change. They are demanding innovation and the technology industry is delivering. There are significant social issues that need to be addressed – we need to be inclusive. However, there is every indication that technology will continue to enable the developing markets and underserved demographics will continue to benefit and join the connected world. 

TraQiQ offers a mobile wallet, payment gateway, and commerce solutions. These solutions have been deployed around the world and help large corporations serve their customers. These solutions also enable the unbanked consumers to participate in digital commerce with just a phone. 

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Building and Scaling a Network of Task Workers in the New Economy

Building and Scaling a Network of Task Workers in the New Economy

Let’s look at a small business that has about 25 employees managing about 1,000 independent professionals (agents) making deliveries. Do they grow this model to 10,000 or 100,000? Do they bring in VC money and shoot for the moon?? Ultimately, it is a function of their customer base and their revenue projections. They can choose to build/grow their own network, leverage a partner network (fuel station or bank kiosk) or outsource it to another company. 

When we look at the notion of scaling your own network, there are several factors that should be considered. 

Customer projections:

Having insight into customer growth is going to be a primary factor as the company plans for growth. Are customers going to grow nationwide, regionally, or in very specific segments? There is a very specific model that will have to be built – merging together the growth of existing customers and future prospects. 

Geography:

It is a whole lot easier to grow in one state or region. Having nationwide or global presence requires significant resources to monitor, maintain and run the network across multiple time zones. 

Capital:

Hiring, training, and maintaining agents will consume a lot of ongoing resources, and the company needs to be able to monitor its capital requirements. Ideally, there need to be at least 12 months of cash in the bank to support this plan. 

Technology:

In a world of managing large teams, technology can play a huge role. AI/ML models can take the ongoing load off employees’ shoulders. In addition, the core software stack needs to be able to scale rapidly as the number of agents grows. 

Employee team:

This is one of the largest investment areas. Employees are needed to recruit, train, and support these independent professionals. There needs to be a clear role definition to ensure success. In addition, there needs to be a significant investment in the knowledge base that the employees use to build and run the network.

Agent wages:

The independent agents that are making deliveries get paid when they complete a task – they make a delivery or get a document signature and get paid $1 to $25. As the company builds out the network, there has to be a very clear path for each of these agents to make the wages that they expect. There is no point in investing in recruitment and training if there is inadequate customer revenue to support the team. 

When dealing with large groups of people, and supporting their livelihoods, it is critical to ensure that growth is measured. Analytics can help in architecting the right model for every company. There are software solutions like TraQSuite from TraQiQ that can help in building the right distribution platform for the new economy.

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Building a Successful Last Mile Delivery Engine

Building a Successful Last Mile Delivery Engine

How does one build out an awesome distribution engine for the company – specifically focused on Last mile delivery? Most responses would include words like “great people”, “route optimization software”, “Supply chain logistics”, etc. However, as we explore the new economy and the independent professionals who are driving the growth in these segments, there are a variety of factors to keep in mind. 

Given the rapid pace of innovation in this space, there are clear elements that stand out. 

People:

The human factor is critical. Getting the right people to deliver/pickup is important. They need to be able to follow instructions, be punctual, and follow instructions. In most cases, they will interact with customers, so they need to present the right image of the company. 

App experience:

When you have thousands of employees, agents, and customers using the app, it is critical that it be easy to use, require minimal training and work on the opulthear (and lower-end) mobile devices. A lot of folks who are looking for entry-level jobs are not likely to have the latest iPhone. Effortless onboarding is critical – the absence of which will result in huge training and support costs.

Payments (collection/disbursement):

Will the agents be collecting/disbursing funds? This is a significant feature to consider. In addition to payments via credit/debit cards, how does the system handle payments by the unbanked? Does the customer or agent have a wallet that they can use? If they are picking up checks what sort of processes need to be followed? There is a significant amount of financial liability involved, so the system needs to be able to document every element and provide proof at every step. 

Real Time data:

The need to track the agent is critical. This allows the customer to estimate the time of delivery. Geo tagging of the delivery agent at the customer site is an essential element of the “Proof of delivery”. The best scenario is all that plus watermarking of the documents that were picked up in a manner that cannot be duplicated. All elements of a winning system.

Communications:

How do people communicate – agents, customers, and system admins. In the edge cases where there are delays or weather issues, or roads are blocked, there have to be open channels of communications to ensure that everyone’s expectations are met. Ideally, this communication needs to be inside the app, and not just texting – sometimes devices have to be replaced. However, the persona on the app remains the same. 

Dashboard:

How many admins do you need to manage a field agent force of 10,000 people? 1, 2, or 100. That is entirely a function of the capabilities of the dashboard that these admins are using. This is where the right AI/ML tools can be powerful in automating most functions. Human intervention should only be needed as an extreme escalation.

Analytics:

Optimizing routes, accepting business where the agents are active, using past data in predictive models – these are all elements of using analytics to build a better distribution model. In addition, there have to be multiple levels of feedback on the agents, employees and the app.

Programmability:

The right software platform has to conform to the product or service that is being offered. It is important to set up SLA’s. However, how does a system prioritize life-saving medicines being delivered over routine paperwork? Similarly, meeting delivery commitments like “Pizza in 20 minutes” have to be factored in.

There is a lot of innovation in this segment right now. A variety of companies are offering technical solutions and services. TraQiQ offers the TraQSuite product which is a category-leading solution for distribution services. Companies like Mimo offer leading-edge last mile services in India, with a nationwide network of people. 

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The Value of Gig Economy Independent Professionals for Your Company

The Value of Gig Economy Independent Professionals for Your Company

What is a gig? A term that originated in the music business now represents a form of employment that has been impacting scored of business (and employment) models around the world. We have all used contractors in some form. We have hired people for a couple days to make a modification to our house, and we may have hired someone to build a website or write some software. These “contractor” type of employment models has been around for a long time – some last for hours, and some for months. 

Let's look at 2 very specific scenarios where this flexibility is powerful.

One example comes from the Technology universe. Amazon’s EC2 elastic computer service lets their customers rapidly add/reduce capacity depending on their needs. No need to buy servers, etc. Press a button and you have a few hundred more boxes (or equivalent) instantly! 

The second example comes from the people universe. When millions of people hit Las Vegas at an event Like CES, thousands of Uber and Lyft drivers supplement the conventional taxi service. 

Companies like Uber have become the poster child for this, even though Taxi services have existed for a long time. The same thing applies to office space – WeWork made some economic and management mistakes, however, their impact on how we evaluate and manage office space is very long term. 

The gig economy is a very broad representation of the flexibility that we seek. It is currently represented via temporary, or freelance jobs, often involving connecting with clients or customers through an online platform or mobile app. These assignments are typically very short term or adaptable and fulfil a very targeted need. The Uber business model started as short gigs and now a large part of their workforce works full-time. Compensation continues to focus on payment for every ride/task completed. 

Another great example is Mimo-Technologies in India. The company has built a network of over 10,000 task workers across semi-urban and rural India. Their “agents” deliver documents, small packages and also collect payments. In addition to being very successful commercially, the company is also serving a very significant social need – they provide employment to thousands of people who may have a high school education (at best) and provide a significant boost to the local economy. 

The gig economy can benefit workers, businesses, and consumers by making work more adaptable to the needs of the moment and demand for flexible lifestyles. There’s no denying the growth of the gig economy. Economists estimate that the portion of U.S. workers earning a living as independent contractors, freelancers, temps, and on-call employees jumped from 10% in 2005 to nearly 16% in 2015, and the trend shows little sign of slowing. It is estimated that by 2027, 60% of the workforce will be independent professionals. 

TraQiQ offers a software platform that can power the distribution engine for the new economy. It brings together the software needed for Last mile delivery, agent management, customer analytics, payment mechanisms and geo-tracking. It is a platform tested by multiple customers, thousands of agents and has had billions of dollars of transactions flow through it. 

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After Covid-19

After Covid-19

Many folks have provided good content about working during the current Pandemic. However, we should also spend some time thinking about the world that will emerge after we go back to work. Here are some thoughts to ponder. 

Work from home:

Most large technology companies are well versed with the notion of working from home, and therefore were amongst the first to send all their non-essential employee’s home. They rely on Cloud-based systems with laptops and mobile devices – making it rather easy to transition to a desk at home. It is likely that many of the smaller companies that still have in-house servers and desktop computers will need to migrate. There are a variety of Cloud-based tools like DocuSign (for signatures) that have become very popular over recent years. It is likely that this whole set of tools will now replace the physical signature. Look for the last holdouts – like some financial and government institutions to make the migration. Tools like Slack, Teams, and Zoom will continue to grow rapidly as they enable collaboration, conferencing, and getting the work done ANYWHERE. 

Employee or contractor:

Do we really need to have categories that differentiate between employees and contractors? We have seen the rapid growth of companies like Uber and Lyft where people work at their preferred time and pace. They get paid based on the results they deliver. Historically many salespeople have been compensated the same way – commission on the sales that they bring in. Similarly, as we look at other roles like Customer Service, there is every reason to believe that huge chunks of that function will also move to a task-based model.

Going to work:

There will be changes in how we work. In addition to some work moving to a home, we will also see more compensation models based on task/activity, as opposed to a standard salary. This will also result in a reduced need for office space. Perhaps the We Work type of shared space providers will do better. Expect to get a lot more questions from employees around reimbursement for their home internet, or desk. While most of us will return to our desks at the office, be ready for enhanced workplace safety considerations – not just disinfect/sanitize the space. Expect a huge investment in enhanced electronic safety making sure that all business is done in a secure manner – irrespective of where people are working. 

Business travel:

when we start traveling again, will the middle seat on a plane be empty? Will we see scanners at airports that automatically check everyone all the time? There are likely to be significant changes to the way we maintain, clean and disinfect. However, it is very clear that we can be very productive working from a desk that is not in the office: video calls will replace a large part of business trips.

E-Commerce and deliveries:

We have heard from our customers. They want to invest in more eCommerce initiatives. They want to build more robust websites and communities with their customers. They want to have that direct relationship. It is critical for most companies to have that connection – and we expect significant investments in those areas.

China dependency:

Business to/from China will be impacted. We saw a change when the US imposed tariffs. A lot of companies went to other parts of Asia. We expect this trend to continue. Look for countries like India and Vietnam to do better. 

Infrastructure:

During a recent call, our partner in Columbia had internet speed of 0.45MBPS, and the call dropped a couple times. This is a huge productivity issue. Expect to see much more investment in this area. It is going to be critical for most governments – national and local, as they provide their workers with a better work environment.

There are many areas where the TraQiQ team can help – designing, building, migrating and running cloud-based technology platforms that make your team productive, and keep your customers happy. The TraQSuite product can help build out the task-based model for your business. 

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Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation

We hope everyone in your ecosystem is healthy and safe, as we go through this global pandemic. The TraQiQ team sends healing thoughts to those who have been unwell and impacted in any way. 

Our teams have been working for the last few weeks – in the safety of their homes. While there have been infrastructure issues, we have been able to stay on top of our commitments and deliverables. 

As a technology and services provider, we must stay on top of technology – we transition to cloud-based solutions for our own operations. It did not take much for us to start working from home. We have been talking to many of our customers about the challenges that they faced, and we have been surprised by the extent of issues that we have seen. So, we thought we would send out a note starting a conversation with many of our customers and partners. This is a great time to start working on building a long-term road map, as we restart and rebuild our current operations. 

Digital transformation started with reducing reliance on user-owned hardware and increased reliance on subscription-based cloud services. Some of these digital solutions enhance capabilities of traditional software products while others are entirely cloud based. 

Transformation is not a check-the-box, one-off project – it’s ongoing. Quick wins are important. However, it is critical to have a roadmap that brings everything to focus. 

Technology is needed to deliver optimal customer experiences. Customers’ preferences, purchasing power, and loyalty need to be the catalyst that drives any digital transformation strategy with AI providing meaningful insights that motivate companies to change. 

Companies must be continuously reinventing their business – with technology at the core – or watch from the sidelines while their market is disrupted by organizations proficient at digital transformation. 

The experts at TraQiQ can help build a roadmap and kick-start your journey. 

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Lessons from the Pandemic

Lessons from the Pandemic

How organizations responded to the Corona Virus pandemic provides a useful framework for digital transformation initiatives. 

The Pandemic has created entirely new paradoxes for organizations in the middle of digital transformation projects. For example, some companies had to move from Customer Service agents based in call centers to home-based workers trying help with mission critical problems. Digital transformation must be chartered with solving these types of problems. Solving them needs to be based on solid data and AI-driven insights. The better the data and analytics, the more powerful the customer results. 

Gartner predicts that by 2025, customer service organizations that embed AI in their customer engagement center platforms will increase operational efficiencies by 25%, revolutionizing customer care in the process. Customer service is often where digital transformation strategies fail due to a lack of real-time contextual data and insight. Companies like Amazon have taken the lead in this area using machine learning to allocate human agents. Innovative tools like chatbots, NLP and many other technology solutions are improving processes, data collection and the eventual customer experience.

Similarly, in the world of sales, we have seen a plethora of solutions that have been rolled out in recent times. Tools for video contact, social media for targeting and reaching customers. 

Recent research by Price Waterhouse Cooper found that 78% of consumers were influenced by social media in some way when purchasing. Tools like CRM, online presentations, digital documentation etc. are critical. However, by creating an organizational structure around content and an environment to measure its consumption, buyer interest and purchasing intent can be gauged and influenced to convert sales. With digital transformation now more of a necessity than a choice for global organizations, sales leaders are integral to selling success.

A successful digital transformation strategy is just as much about changing company behaviors to adapt to customer trends, as it is about a shiny new product that promises to radicalize how an organization conducts business. This is where TraQiQ can help businesses identify trends that will impact their business and get ready to serve their customers better. 

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Customer Focus

Customer Focus

The rules of business are being rewritten nearly every day with this imperative for business digital transformation. Every business leader must apply these rules to engage, compete, and grow. Every industry has a unique digital transformation opportunity. 

Improving customers’ experiences needs to be the cornerstone of any investment in new technologies or business processes. It’s important to get beyond digital transformation as purely a technical, abstract construct and see it as a must-have strategy to retain customers and attract new ones. 

Every company needs to build platforms and partnership to accelerate and scale this transformation. This brings into focus the ability to innovate at the intersection of experiences and operations. Better data leads to better customer results. 

AI is helping to more precisely define customers’ preferences and needs. Organizations that are the most successful with digital transformation initiatives can see improvements in customer loyalty rates and customer satisfaction. AI-based algorithms are making it possible to create models that are invaluable for predicting which customers will act on a bundling or pricing offer. These models rely on predictive analytics including machine learning to predict the probability a given customer will act on a bundling or pricing offer, e-mail campaign or other call-to-action leading to a purchase, upsell or cross-sell. 

Capitalizing on insights gained from AI, organizations are redesigning their technology infrastructure and process to improve customer experiences. This infrastructure needs to scale rapidly, change rapidly and integrate with the cloud-based infrastructure of the entire supply chain. 

TraQiQ can help in designing, building, and running cloud-based technology platforms and AI models that help our customers and partners bring their offerings to market rapidly.

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Digital Transformation in Insurance

Digital Transformation in Insurance

Digital transformation is revolutionizing the insurance industry. This is driven primarily by the consumer looker for better policies. Agile young insurance companies are fanning those desires and that is eventually driving the larger companies to jump on the innovation bandwagon. 

Consumers are looking for more personalized insurance policies and greater control over their coverage. They prefer self-management of policies via digital channels. 

Insurance companies have deep expertise in risk management. They have used these models for decades to define and build their business models. Over the last few years, Insurance companies have started to invest resources in understanding their customers – these customer analytics models are helping to understand the preferences of their customers. This is resulting in a lot more policies and therefore more profits. Some of these policies are in the traditional areas like Life insurance. A lot more are micro-policies that are bundled in with smaller consumer transactions. Companies like Slice and Insurance.com are driving the process and making insurance transactions smarter, faster, and better.

In the past, the claims process was always a huge investment of time and resources, by everyone involved. Filling in forms, reviewing them, etc. has always been viewed as a painful process by everyone. Today, all of that can be done by clicking a couple buttons on a mobile device. Technology is enabling the industry to settle claims more quickly, dramatically improving the customer experience. Machine Learning technology is helping to detect potential fraud, pinpoint high-risk scenarios and automate the prevention processes to limit exposure and damages. Artificial Intelligence models can assist underwriters and automate simple processes. AI reduces the risk of human error and resubmissions, while increasing individual underwriter bandwidth. Blockchain enabled smart contracts allow Business-to-Business transactions to be smooth, efficient, and secure This in turn strengthens the policyholder-insurer relationship and brand loyalty. 

Insurance companies need to upgrade how they interact with customers across all devices and all communication channels. Millennials seek greater control over their coverage, insurers are under pressure to modernize and personalize policies with swifter rollouts and more customization of offerings. 

TraQiQ can help integrate data from fragmented internal systems to present a single view of your customers and business to your team. Take it even further by adding data from external systems to increase your business intelligence. A cohesive business framework, customer analytics, and an optimal customer experience lead to business growth and success.

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Digital Transformation in Government

Digital Transformation in Government

In recent years, agencies across the federal government have embraced cloud computing architectures and solutions to provide services to constituents and reduce the need for large-scale, traditional IT infrastructure investments. 

Governments are in the midst of a historic transformation as they move towards a Cloud based infrastructure. Digital technologies are disrupting the public sector. While most governments are at very different stages in their journey of digital transformation, most lag behind the private sector. In general, their readiness to respond to digital trends is considered low. 

Cost and budget pressures and citizen demands are far and away the two primary drivers of digital transformation. Local, state and federal governments are using technology to improve their citizens’ lives. From automation, to using the IoT to make cities smarter, these entities have discovered how to use tech to improve workplace efficiency and improve the lives of citizens. Data collection and analytics continue to improve various facets of government, with officials acknowledging the necessity of establishing concrete rules for how data will be used.

Most of the current government budgets are meant for ongoing operations. A very small component is focused on innovation. Automation is the solution to freeing up more of the budget. The government agencies have to use technology solutions from Customer centric dashboards to AI/ML models to create more customer centric experiences. 

Cybersecurity attacks are a form of 21st-century warfare which is why governments are working around the clock to protect citizen data and infrastructure. With citizen’s increased virtual presence and the large amount of highly sensitive information now stored online, all sectors continue to make improvements to cyber security and protection. Understanding that a risk-based approach is best to aid in governments’ informed decision-making, technology is now being used not only for defense but detection.. 

With the abundance of sensors around us – in cars, trash cans, buildings and devices, data and information are automatically collected and distributed. IoT based smart meters connect with utility companies to save energy and road sensors that track and manage traffic patterns. In addition to these infrastructure projects, IoT is also at work behind the scenes of service efforts like public transportation, public safety, and sustainability. 

TraQiQ can help develop and deploy a comprehensive Digital Transformation strategy. This would involve building a complete migration plan, defining the cloud infrastructure, and seamlessly integrating with a diverse platform of external services. 

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