Kable predicted dramatic growth in mobile technology back in 2004 when UK investment in the mobile working, estimating a five-fold growth in mobile working, with healthcare holding the lions share of the market. Local government and police were also expected to see huge growth.

Although late to the table, mobile technology is increasingly being rolled-out across organisations. Besides the mobile phone which has been common place for years, organisations are now rolling-out intelligent mobile devices, including Smartphones and (increasingly) tablets. However greater adoption of these technologies within organisations is still needed in order to gain efficiencies.

We’ve already seen huge cost cutting within the public sector following the comprehensive spending review, so cost cutting trends for this year include sharing services, joint procurement. Following the expansion in consumer Smartphones and tablets, organisations are beginning to ask employees to bring their own device (BYOD), which is also tipped to trend this year.

The benefits of mobile technologies are clear. The modern business is no longer a static, 9-5 affair. Businesses employ flexi-time and home working and many have regional and global offices, international customers and global products, thereby requiring staff to have instant access to real-time information. It is only with immediate access to accurate and timely information and key documents at anytime and from anywhere, can swift and informed decisions be made.

According to a recent survey, 79 per cent of organisations are now allowing their staff access to Smartphones, but only 35 per cent are utilising tablets for business use. With tablets providing even greater opportunities than Smartphones for accessing and viewing documents and key information, it is important for businesses to also recognise the importance of using tablets if they are to remain ahead of the curve.

By leveraging mobile technology, organisations can streamline operations, increase productivity, more effectively support flexible working and ensure that key information is just a click away to enable swift and insightful decision making.

Business is no longer conducted in a static environment and so the supporting technologies can no longer be stationary. Organisations need to invest in mobile solutions to support ‘business on the move’ and ultimately to remain efficient and save costs.

Further reading:

• http://www.juniperresearch.com/reports/Mobile_Messaging_Markets
  
• http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1924314
• http://www.isaca.org/Knowledge-Center/Documents/Managing-the-Benefits-and-Risks-of-Mobile-Computing-ITPCG-Dec2011.pdf
  
• http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240114231/Key-trends-for-public-sector-IT-in-2012

Harnessing mobile technology is key for efficiency savings is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

The unprecedented growth of tablets and other smart mobile devices has given birth to the next generation of business intelligence (BI) – BI on the move – otherwise know as mobile business intelligence (mobile BI). And with Gartner predicting that by 2013, 33% of BI functionality will be consumed via handheld devices, it is becoming increasingly obvious that mobile BI is here to stay (Gartner: Critical Capabilities for Mobile BI, Joao Tapadinhas, 10 April 2012).

Those organisations that have already invested in BI solutions are now increasingly looking towards mobile BI to deliver intelligence on the move. Mobile BI is seen as the next natural step, enabling 24/7 access to key performance indicators via intelligent, real-time dashboards accessible via smart handheld devices.

With anytime, anywhere access to business critical information such as revenue, outstanding debts or sales by product, insightful business decisions can be made on the move without managers having to wait until their next visit into the office to access high-level and real-time performance information. Ad hoc reports can also be created and analysed ‘on demand’, ensuring an instant 360 degree view of the business.

With mobile BI, business planning can also be improved, as users are given the ability to go through ‘what if’ scenarios via their tablets (without even needing to connect to a server). For instance, modeling the likely outcomes of a drop in cash flow or a five per cent drop in customer numbers is possible whilst travelling by train or ‘hot desking’ at locations across the UK.

Although mobile BI is in its relative infancy, any business serious about staying ahead of the curve needs to be seriously considering its adoption. With business critical information literally at managers’ fingertips, the workplace is no longer an office with four walls and desks. Mobile BI is well and truly breaking down the office walls!

Breaking down the office walls with Mobile BI is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

Implementing software provides answers to our problems or helps to make our lives easier. We no longer purchase IT ‘products’ but instead buy ‘solutions’, and as our working lives get increasingly more complex, there is rarely just one solution to fulfil all our needs. Instead, we are faced with an array of solutions that respond to our ever-increasing list of problems.

Saving costs, improving efficiencies and meeting service targets are just some of the areas that IT solutions can help with, but with day-to-day operations now more connected than ever before, using IT to deliver these improvements is not a simple task involving a quick fix widget.

These days, it is common for IT solutions to involve consultancy, IT tools (both hardware and software) and services, such as managed/cloud services.
Customers are also increasingly asking for solutions to problems instead of specifying the need for certain IT products (which tends to be the case with the more traditional invitation to tender documents). As such, IT suppliers are now expected to act as expert advisers in which the process of competitive dialogue helps to understand the customer’s requirements and the solutions they may require.

This shift from product selling to expert adviser has undoubtedly impacted the nature, and need for, IT supplier partnerships. No single IT company has the ability and capacity to deliver everything that a customer may require, from consulting and end-user training through to all types of software systems and an outsourced service capability. Partnerships with specialist IT providers are therefore key to filling the gaps with best of breed solutions, while ensuring that the customer has just one IT provider as its main point of contact.

And so these days, an ‘IT solution’ is far from being an out-of-the-box software product. It can involve a comprehensive portfolio of consultancy, software, hardware and services, delivered by a network of specialist IT suppliers which have been brought together by an IT provider that understands the importance of working together.

Advanced is one such supplier which recognises the value of partnerships and has the experience and knowledge to deliver complex projects, often involving multiple suppliers. Advanced’s project with Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Care and Public Safety, for example, involved Advanced’s financial management systems and managed services combined with Red Prairie’s warehouse and workforce management solutions and Capita’s payment system.

It is only with a partnership approach to IT delivery, can both IT supplier and customer enjoy maximum benefits, including the greatest return on investment from the chosen solution. Operating in splendid isolation is no longer an option.

Moving from splendid isolation to a partnership approach in IT solutions delivery is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

It’s perhaps not surprising that the creator of the Dilbert comic strip has a rather cynical view on decision-making. However all of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, are regularly party to decisions made using poor data, unclear criteria and a shaky process – gut feel and the power of personality often rules the day.

So what stops us from making better decisions? Here are the top factors we’ve identified:

• Little or no attention paid to the process of making a decision. When no one takes ownership of and structures the decision-making process, the discussion is likely to be chaotic and key factors may be ignored.
• A culturally-embedded notion that ‘real business people’ make decisions quickly and decisively – data and discussion is for wimps.
• It takes too long or it’s too difficult to get the data or reports needed. When people aren’t able to get what they need easily, they’ll often choose to go without.
• The data isn’t trusted. Sometimes we find, hidden behind a reluctance to use data, an unspoken understanding that the data isn’t up-to-date or accurate.
• A lack of skills. Aside from business school graduates, when was the last time you heard of someone taking ‘data and decisions’ training? The assumption is that managers know this stuff – yet most managers would benefit from training in understanding, analysing and acting on data.
• A dominant personality over-riding all over concerns. Fixing all of the above will have no impact if there’s a power-wielding personality in the room determined to have their way no matter what the data says.

Of course, sometimes good decisions lead to bad outcomes and bad decisions lead to good outcomes. But a good decision is more likely to lead to a good outcome than a bad decision. And if I was investing my own money I’d be looking, every time, for the company that paid attention to the decision-making process.

If you want to read more about this topic, I recommend:

How organisations make great decisions (Bain & Company) – actionable insights about improving decision-making across the organisation.

The decision-making flaw in powerful people (Booz & Company) – evidence to back up what many of us had always suspected – as well as suggestions on how to manage this phenomenon.

What stops us from making better decisions? is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

I understand that it’s easy to stick with what you know, it’s human nature, but equally, haven’t we moved on from the eighties and nineties when Excel spreadsheets were the new black?

I find it worrying that such a high percentage of LA finance professionals are still reliant on spreadsheets for their budgeting needs, nearly thirty years after Excel was first released to market. Spreadsheets are prone to inaccuracies, they can’t provide real-time financial information, which is critical in today’s financial climate, and they are very cumbersome and time-consuming to manage.

We now live in an age of sophisticated, real-time technologies and so why are Excel spreadsheets still so prominent in LA finance departments? Yes, they are easy to use and every finance person has gone through some form of Excel training during their lifetime, but it’s time to move on. Spreadsheets need to be replaced with smart, versatile and collaborative budgeting and forecasting solutions. Cheshire West and Chester Council, for example, predicts a saving of £500,000 by using our smart Collaborative Planning budgeting and forecasting solution.

More and more local authorities are waking up to realise that to achieve cost savings, real-time financial information and greater budget holder responsibility, it’s vital to have real-time and collaborative budgeting and forecasting solutions in place. Excel spreadsheets just don’t cut the mustard anymore and so it’s time to ditch the eighties spreadsheets in favour of IT solutions that work!

Further reading:

http://www.advancedcomputersoftware.com/abs/news/local-authorities-reliant-on-surveys.php

Are local authorities stuck in the eighties when it comes to budgeting and forecasting? is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

Advanced Business Solutions (Advanced) recognises the significant part business intelligence can play in achieving efficiency savings and will be showcasing its full business intelligence portfolio at the 2012 Public Sector Efficiency Expo at Olympia Two in London tomorrow. Advanced Consultant, Paul O’Donnell, will also be hosting a business intelligence seminar which will provide guidance on how to evaluate the myriad of BI solutions available on the market and how to use them.

Around 1,000 organisations are expected to attend the Expo, the UK’s only free one-day conference and exhibition dedicated to helping the public sector deliver better services more efficiently and effectively.

Amongst the BI solutions being showcased, Advanced will be demonstrating its Collaborative Planning solution, which is already a hot ticket with many local authorities looking to improve budgeting and forecasting.

So, if you’re visiting the Expo, stop by stand 31 and ask about Advanced’s BI solutions – it may prove your most valuable conversation of the day!

Advanced showcases BI products at Public Sector Expo is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

The rise of big data is being pushed by a confluence of consumer, cloud and social technologies. Individuals can now use mobile technologies to access crucial knowledge on the go and to make the type of quick decisions that equal the difference between success and failure in a tight economy.

But there is an area where quick decision-making is even more important. So important, in fact, that it could really make the difference between life and death. While business analytics software is often associated with financial information, such as turnover, sales and outstanding debt, big data is increasingly being used in healthcare for the delivery of smarter patient care.

With the impending NHS cuts looming large, public sector executives will have to use analytics to make tough decisions about how smaller budgets can be spent increasingly wisely. The need for big data in healthcare, then, just got bigger.

And the figures can be startling. Evidence from consultant McKinsey (see further reading, below) suggests that the United States healthcare sector could create more than $300bn in value every year by using big data creatively to drive efficiency and quality. The good news is that leading edge organisations in the UK are already taking action to make the most of big data with regards to smarter patient care.

Take NHS Wakefield District, which has invested in a comprehensive business intelligence (BI) solution from Advanced Business Solutions (Advanced). Since introducing Advanced’s technology in January 2010, NHS Wakefield District has been able to cut hours from the generation of critical, decision-supporting reports.

Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust has more recently invested in flexible business intelligence and data warehousing technologies from Advanced Business Solutions. An Integrated Information Centre is planned to go-live in early 2013 and will enable the Trust to enhance the services it delivers to 1.6 million people.

So, healthcare organisations in the UK are already looking at how analytics can improve patient care delivery. With the amount of data being generated only set to increase, the decision to implement analytics technologies now will help Trusts embrace future challenges with confidence.

Further reading:

http://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/publications/big_data/

Being smart about patient care delivery is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

And, even if you don’t recognise the fact yet, your business already relies on information. The amount of data the world produces increases every two years, according to researcher IDC. Such an astonishing level of growth sounds incredible.

But further visual context is provided by IDC, who report that the digital universe grew by 62% to almost 800,000 petabytes in 2010. A petabyte is a million gigabytes, or a stack of DVDs reaching from the earth to the moon and back.

Your business is probably creating its own equivalent DVD stack as we speak. From structured information stored in databases held in stovepipes, to unstructured data spread across emails, social media and PDFs, every organisation is struggling with the same problem – big data.

For most organisations, the amount of information being created is spiralling out of control. Poor data control results in ill-informed decision-making, where executives make judgments with no real understanding of an organisation’s health.

The only answer is to take a strong grip on analytics and to implement business intelligence (BI) software, a real-time technique that will help your organisation analyse its knowledge base and provide reports that help boost executive performance.

Integrating BI, through rigorous internal processes, will allow your key people to make timely decisions. Examples of successful BI are not just confined to the private sector and also include some leading edge public bodies, such as Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.

The specialist NHS body’s data is currently held in multiple systems and displayed using Excel spreadsheets. To provide real-time information, and to produce customised reports on performance, the Trust has spent £4.3m on a BI and data warehousing platform from Advanced Business Solutions (see further reading, below).

The resulting Integrated Information Centre may seem like a large investment at a time of public sector cuts; however it is key to helping the Trust increase financial control and improve decision-making processes for citizens.

The long-term payback, therefore, is clear. With an effective BI solution in place, organisations like Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust can finally control their data and harness its true potential.

Further reading:

http://www.advancedcomputersoftware.com/abs/news/tees-esk-wear-valley.php

Is your data in good health? is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

Research suggests that public sector finance professionals are still reliant on generic spreadsheets for budgeting and forecasting processes, despite specialist systems being available that can help provide a real-time view on spending.

As much as 88% of public sector finance executives admit they are reliant on spreadsheets for their budgeting processes according to research from Advanced Business Solutions, with almost three quarters (74%) stating they are very reliant.

The dependence on spreadsheets is even more concerning in the context of the ongoing demand for efficiency savings. Public sector organisations are under severe pressure to do more with less, yet finance professionals waste too much time updating spreadsheet information.

Using spreadsheets is manually intensive and relies heavily on user input. The result is that as much as 42% of finance executives responding to the ABS survey concede that it currently takes their organisation more than 45 working days to compile its annual budgets.

There has to be a better way, both in terms of workplace processes and taxpayer expenditure. Thankfully, there is in the form of dedicated budgeting, planning and forecasting tools.

Such an automated system ensures staff resources are not wasted on repetitive data entry and information checking processes. These real-time, intelligent financial processing tools decrease preparation time, increase financial control and provide more accurate data that can help improve decision-making.

ABS research shows just 10% of senior finance executives never use spreadsheets for formulating their organisation’s budgets and forecasts. For the remaining 90%, the confluence of severe cost constraint and high quality automation means a wake up is required.

While using spreadsheets can’t exactly be viewed as sleeping on the job, a reliance on such cumbersome tools is a way to slumber towards inefficient cost control and monitoring. Get automated and get the right tools for the job. It will be money well spent.

Automate your budgeting and forecasting is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment

IT is likely to be one of the business’ priority areas. All organisations now rely on technology to help deliver services and products to customers, whether it’s healthcare and education in the public sector or financial reports and retail goods in the private sector.

TechTarget’s 2011 IT Priorities Survey (see further reading, below) reveals that 60 per cent of IT departments will spend more on software this year. In particular, the drive to improve planning means 41 per cent of IT leaders cite business intelligence (BI), analytics and data warehousing as a key 2011 initiative.

So, why will BI be so important in 2011 and how will it help your business to meet new targets? The key reason is knowledge – analytics helps organisations to monitor and understand big data sets, providing the right information to key executives at the right time.

The organisations that succeed in the upturn will be those that know, and engage with their customers. In an ever-competitive global economy, access to real-time data will mean your organisation is better prepared to deal efficiently with subtle changes in demand.

It’s not just about efficiency, either. Continued pressure in the public sector, and a raft of private sector regulations around finance and sustainability, will mean organisations must be able to show how data is held and used.

With an increasing number of cloud-based BI solutions becoming apparent, there has never been a better – and more cost-effective – opportunity to introduce analytics. On-demand BI will not just provide key information to executives; it will also provide a quick return on investment for the cost-conscious finance director.

With such gains, for so small an outlay, what is there to lose? The organisations that win in 2011 will be those that understand the power of information.

Further reading:

http://searchcio.techtarget.com/news/2240028337/IT-budgets-priorities-returning-to-health-in-2011).

2011 is all about business intelligence is a post from Advanced Business Solutions - Supplier of accounting software, business intelligence and document managment