Ventana Research Analyst Perspectives

SnapLogic Promotes Intelligent Automation for All

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 31, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Despite the emphasis on organizations being more data-driven and making an increasing proportion of business decisions based on data and analytics, it remains the case that some of the most fundamental questions about an organization are difficult to answer using data and analytics. Ostensibly simple questions such as, “how many customers does the organization have?” can be fiendishly difficult to answer, especially for organizations with multiple business entities, regions, departments and applications. Increasing volumes and sources of data can hinder, rather than help. Only 1 in 5 participants (20%) in Ventana Research’s Analytics and Data Benchmark research are very confident in their organization’s ability to analyze the overall quantity of data. This is a perennial issue that data and application integration vendors, such as SnapLogic, are aiming to address – increasingly through automation and products for business users as well as data management professionals.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data Management, Data, AI and Machine Learning, data operations, Analytics and Data

FinancialForce Sharpens Customer Focus in Services Businesses

Posted by Robert Kugel on Jan 31, 2023 3:00:00 AM

FinancialForce offers cloud-based ERP and professional services automation (PSA) software. The company targets midsize and larger services companies, especially those that provide professional services (such as consultants or field service organizations) as well as those that offer subscription-based or recurring revenue services and products. FinancialForce’s key point of differentiation is that it is built natively on the Salesforce platform, ensuring that CRM data is already located on the same platform as accounting and back-office data so organizations can orchestrate end-to-end, front-office to back-office processes without having to integrate different systems.

Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Business Planning, Digital Commerce, ERP and Continuous Accounting, Subscription Management, digital finance, Revenue, Lease and Tax Accounting

HCM Market Agenda: A Focus on Experience and Engagement

Posted by Quincy Valencia on Jan 26, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 Market Agenda for Human Capital Management, continuing the guidance we’ve offered for two decades to help organizations derive maximum potential from workforce- and people-related technology investments and initiatives. In crafting this Market Agenda, we focused on three critical themes top-of-mind for both HCM vendors and buyers: Organizational resiliency, employee engagement and utilizing digital technology to derive deeper insights into the state of the workforce so that leadership can take action to promote retention and growth.

Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Employee Engagement, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience

Analytic Data Platforms Ranked and Rated for 2023

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 26, 2023 3:00:00 AM

I am happy to share insights from our latest Ventana Research Value Index research, which assesses how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The 2023 Analytic Data Platforms Value Index is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal to data platform vendors supporting the spectrum of analytic use-cases. Using this methodology, we evaluated vendor submissions in seven categories: five relevant to the Product Experience: Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability and Usability, and two related to the Customer Experience: Total Cost of Ownership/Return on Investment and Validation. This research-based index evaluates the full business and information technology value of analytic data platforms offerings. I encourage you to learn more about our Value Index and its effectiveness as a vendor selection and request for information/requestion for proposal tool.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics & Data, Analytic Data Platforms

The 2023 Value Index for Customer Experience Management: Vendor and Product Ratings

Posted by Keith Dawson on Jan 25, 2023 3:15:00 AM

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Value Index research, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The 2023 Ventana Research Value Index: Customer Experience Management is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories derived from RFP responses submitted by customer experience (CX) vendors. These categories reflect the real-world criteria required by organizations for CX software procurement. Using this methodology, we evaluated vendor submissions in seven categories: five relevant to the Product Experience — Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability and Usability — and two related to the Customer Experience — TCO/ROI and Vendor Validation.

Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, Contact Center, Product Information Management, Digital Commerce, Subscription Management, agent management

Digital Business Market Agenda for 2023: Effectiveness and Engagement

Posted by Mark Smith on Jan 25, 2023 3:00:00 AM

With Ventana Research’s 2023 Market Agenda, we continue the guidance we’ve offered for two decades to help organizations derive maximum value from digital business technology investments. Through our market research and expertise, we identify trends and best practices and share insights on how to achieve technological effectiveness, particularly in key processes and systems to engage the workforce.

Read More

Topics: Performance Management, Business Continuity, Digital transformation, Digital Business, Digital Security, Digital Communications, Work Management, Experience Management, Governance & Risk, Sustainability & ESG

Prevedere Provides Predictive Insights with Analytics and Planning

Posted by David Menninger on Jan 24, 2023 3:15:00 AM

Markets have been more volatile than ever. It creates a need for decision makers to utilize technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to better understand the external factors that impact their business. By identifying these factors, organizations can better plan for changing market environments and seize market opportunities. However, manual modeling is a time-consuming process and results in a limited number of models and tests. Also, updating those models is slow and laborious. With the addition of market volatility, it creates multiple challenges for CFOs, managers and financial planning specialists. With limited exposure to external drivers of demand and delivery, the process becomes very costly. Developing accurate forecasts requires integrating exogenous data with the internal performance data, but it’s challenging to find quality external data and then get that raw data clean enough to input into any model. My colleague, Robert Kugel, recently shared his perspective on using external data for forecasting, budgeting and planning to enhance predictive capabilities.

Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics, Business Intelligence, AI and Machine Learning

The 2023 Market Agenda for Marketing: Data Takes Center Stage

Posted by Keith Dawson on Jan 24, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 Market Agenda in the expertise area of Marketing, continuing the guidance we have offered for nearly two decades to help organizations derive optimal value from business technology and improve outcomes.

Read More

Topics: Marketing, Product Information Management, Digital Marketing, intelligent marketing, CDP

Optimizing Subscription Management for Finance and Accounting

Posted by Robert Kugel on Jan 24, 2023 3:00:00 AM

The subscription and recurring revenue business models became a significant part of the economy this century with the advent of streaming services for entertainment and software as a service. They have grown in popularity because they enhance customer lifetime value by evolving what had previously been a one-time-sale relationship into a delivery of ongoing services which can create a more loyal customer relationship as well as provide a regular, more predictable revenue stream. I recommend that corporations that have adopted or are planning to adopt either of these business models take a continuous accounting approach to managing their record keeping. Ventana Research asserts that by 2026, one-half of subscription organizations will use continuous accounting to remove constraints limiting sales and marketing flexibility, streamline back-office processes, shorten the accounting close and improve customer satisfaction.

Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting, digital finance

The 2023 Analytic Data Platforms Value Index: Market Observations

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 23, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently published the 2023 Analytic Data Platforms Value Index. As organizations strive to be more data-driven, increasing reliance on data as a fundamental factor in business decision-making, the importance of the analytic data platform has never been greater. In this post, I’ll share some of my observations about how the analytic data platforms market is evolving.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics & Data, operational data platforms, Analytic Data Platforms

2023 Market Agenda: Greater Agility for a Less Certain World

Posted by Robert Kugel on Jan 20, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 research agenda for Operations and Supply Chain, continuing the guidance we’ve offered for nearly two decades to help organizations across industries derive optimal value and improved outcomes from business technology.

Read More

Topics: Continuous Planning, Product Information Management, Operations & Supply Chain, Enterprise Resource Planning, continuous supply chain, supplier relationship management, Property Technology

All-Inclusive CX Suites Reveal the Big Picture to Optimize CX Management

Posted by Keith Dawson on Jan 19, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Having just completed the 2023 Ventana Research Value Index for Customer Experience Management, I want to share some of my observations about how the market has developed. We found that there are many tools available for various needs related to customer management and communication, ranging from marketing tools to contact center systems to data and analytics applications. It is rare to find all the components fully integrated into a single platform, although that appears to be where the industry is headed. We found that despite the lack of clarity in the marketplace, technology is moving quickly to provide users with more extensive tools that work better together. The vendor landscape is fractured, but most are taking advantage of developments in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and workflow automation to deliver functionality that, in some cases, was simply not possible as recently as five years ago.

Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, Contact Center, Product Information Management, Digital Commerce, Subscription Management, agent management

Operational Data Platforms: Which Software Best Meets Your Needs?

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 19, 2023 3:00:00 AM

I am happy to share insights from our latest Ventana Research Value Index research, which assesses how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The 2023 Operational Data Platforms Value Index is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal to data platform vendors supporting the spectrum of operational use cases. Using this methodology, we evaluated vendor submissions in seven categories: five relevant to the Product Experience: Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability and Usability, and two related to the Customer Experience: Total Cost of Ownership/Return on Investment and Validation.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics & Data, operational data platforms

Office of Finance 2023 Market Agenda: A Brave New World

Posted by Robert Kugel on Jan 19, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 Market Agenda for the Office of Finance, continuing the guidance we have provided since 2003 on the practical use of technology for the finance and accounting department. Our insights and best practices aim to enable organizations to operate with agility and resiliency, improving performance and delivering greater value as a strategic partner.

Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Business Planning, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting, digital finance, profitability management, Revenue, Lease and Tax Accounting

Why Configure, Price & Quote Should Be Important to Sales

Posted by Stephen Hurrell on Jan 18, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Configure, price and quote (CPQ) software has been traditionally viewed as a specialist outpost of software, almost exclusively B2B and predominately used in manufacturing or specialty chemicals or other industries where there were large variants of similar products that required careful configuration, pricing and ultimately generating a quote that could be forwarded to a prospective customer for consideration. But in recent years, this has changed, both in the number of vendors offering CPQ products, either standalone or more commonly as part of a broader offering, and the number of selling organizations recognizing the value of either the “C,” the “P,” or the “Q” or some combination of these.

Read More

Topics: Revenue Management, Office of Revenue

2023 Market Agenda for Data: Accelerating Data Agility

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 18, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 Market Agenda for Data, continuing the guidance we have offered for two decades to help organizations derive optimal value and improve business outcomes.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data Governance, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, data operations, Analytics & Data, Streaming Data & Events, operational data platforms, Analytic Data Platforms

The 2023 Market Agenda for Analytics: Empowering Workforces to Engage

Posted by David Menninger on Jan 17, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 Market Agenda for Analytics, continuing the guidance we have offered for nearly two decades to help organizations derive optimal value from technology investments to improve business outcomes.

Read More

Topics: embedded analytics, Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data, Digital Technology, natural language processing, Process Mining, Analytics and Data, Collaborative & Conversational Computing

2023 Operational Data Platforms Value Index: Observations and Insights

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 17, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently published the 2023 Operational Data Platforms Value Index. The importance of the operational data platform has never been greater as organizations strive to be more data-driven, incorporating intelligence into operational applications via personalization and recommendations for workers, partners and customers. In this post, I’ll share some of my observations on how the operational data platforms market is evolving.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data, Analytics and Data, operational data platforms, Analytic Data Platforms

Professional Services Automation Increases Efficiency

Posted by Robert Kugel on Jan 17, 2023 3:00:00 AM

A professional services automation application marries front- and back-office functions, helping services organizations address core business challenges by ensuring that:

Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Financial Performance Management, ERP and Continuous Accounting

The Revolution in Revenue in 2023: Ventana Research Market Agenda

Posted by Stephen Hurrell on Jan 13, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its 2023 research agenda for the Office of Revenue, continuing the guidance we’ve offered for nearly two decades to help organizations realize their optimal value from applying technology to improve business outcomes. Chief Sales and Revenue Officers face an imperative to manage their sales and revenue organizations, but they don’t always have the guidance they need to embrace technology to achieve the best possible outcomes. As we look forward to 2023, we are focusing on the entire selling and buying journey, and in addition focusing on those activities that ensure renewal and expansion as well as newer digital engagement and selling channels. We are looking at applications that simplify processes and tasks across the customer experience, from beginning to end.

Read More

Topics: Sales, Analytics, Internet of Things, Data, Sales Performance Management, Digital Technology, Digital Commerce, Conversational Computing, AI and Machine Learning, mobile computing, Subscription Management, extended reality, intelligent sales, partner management, Sales Engagement

The 2023 Market Agenda for CX: Analytics Takes Center Stage

Posted by Keith Dawson on Jan 12, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research recently announced its Market Agenda in the expertise area of Customer Experience. CX has emerged as a way for organizations to demonstrate value and stand out in the marketplace. The technology underlying modern CX is transitioning from tools that are based on communication to those centered on data analysis and process automation. This allows organizations to build great experiences and reap the benefits in customer loyalty and value. It also forces companies to reckon with the complexity and disruption that technologies like artificial intelligence and automation bring to an organization.

Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, CEM, Self-service, Analytics, Contact Center, AI and Machine Learning, agent management, Customer Experience Management, Field Service

The Vendor Assessment Guide for Data Platforms: Ranked and Rated

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 12, 2023 3:00:00 AM

I am happy to share insights from our latest Ventana Research Value Index, which assesses how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The 2023 Data Platforms Value Index is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal to data platform vendors that support the spectrum of operational and analytic use cases. Using this methodology, we evaluated vendor submissions in seven categories: five relevant to the Product Experience: Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability and Usability, and two related to the Customer Experience: Total Cost of Ownership/Return on Investment and Validation.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics and Data, operational data platforms, Analytic Data Platforms

Verint Bets Big on Engagement Automation and Intelligence

Posted by Keith Dawson on Jan 11, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Since 2021, Verint’s message to the customer experience community has focused on the “engagement capacity gap,” a way of describing how the available resources for CX clash with the high level of customer expectations. The argument is that efforts to close that gap require a rethink of how contact centers (and their parent organizations) operate and plan.

Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Voice of the Customer, Contact Center, agent management, Customer Experience Management

2023 Digital Technology Market Agenda: Innovation for Digital Agility

Posted by David Menninger on Jan 11, 2023 3:00:00 AM

I’m proud to share Ventana Research’s 2023 Market Agenda for Digital Technology. Our focus in this agenda is to deliver expertise to help organizations prioritize technology investments that improve customer, partner and workforce experiences while also increasing organizational effectiveness and agility.

Read More

Topics: Analytics, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, Data, Digital Technology, blockchain, AI and Machine Learning, mobile computing, extended reality, robotic automation, Collaborative & Conversational Computing

Epicor Enriches Vertical-Plus Approach for Growth

Posted by Robert Kugel on Jan 10, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Vertical strategies for enterprise resource planning systems are not new. They emerged more than two decades ago as vendors looked for ways to reduce costs and shorten time-to-value in a software category that was notorious for high costs and extended timelines. A vertical-plus strategy – the plus means it’s a platform, not just an application – takes advantage of recently available technology to extend the ease of implementation and maintenance of the system by having deeper integration with complementary applications, available low-code/no-code customization capabilities and a data pantry that enables the amalgamation of data from multiple sources for situational awareness and decision support. Moreover, the ongoing shift from on-premises to cloud-based ERP systems, especially those designed to address specific types of businesses, will accelerate over the next five years as more configurable and customizable systems designed for specific business verticals become available. A cloud-based platform facilitates the creation of a digital ecosystem that can enable a software vendor’s users to enhance customer experiences.

Read More

Topics: Office of Finance, Cloud Computing, ERP and Continuous Accounting, AI and Machine Learning, digital finance

Acceldata Enables Data Observability

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 10, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Data observability is a hot topic and trend. I have written about the importance of data observability for ensuring healthy data pipelines, and have covered multiple vendors with data observability capabilities, offered both as standalone and part of a larger data engineering system. Data observability software provides an environment that takes advantage of machine learning and DataOps to automate the monitoring of data quality and reliability. The term has been adopted by multiple vendors across the industry, and while they all have key functionality in common – including collecting and measuring metrics related to data quality and data lineage – there is also room for differentiation. A prime example is Acceldata, which takes a position that data observability requires monitoring not only data and data pipelines but also the underlying data processing compute infrastructure as well as data access and usage.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data Management, Data, Digital Technology, data operations

2023 Data Platforms Value Index: Market Observations and Insights

Posted by Matt Aslett on Jan 9, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Having recently completed the 2023 Data Platforms Value Index, I want to share some of my observations about how the market is evolving. Although this is our inaugural assessment of the market for data platforms, the sector is mature and products from many of the vendors we assess can be used to effectively support operational and analytic use cases.

Read More

Topics: Cloud Computing, Data, Digital Technology, Analytics and Data, operational data platforms, Analytic Data Platforms

2023 Market Agenda: Digitalization Evolves for Business Revitalization

Posted by Mark Smith on Jan 6, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research has announced its market agenda for 2023, continuing a 20-year tradition of credibility and trust in our objective efforts to educate and guide the technology market. Our research and insights are backed by our expertise and independence, as we do not share our Market Agenda or our market research – including analyst and market perspectives – with any external party before it is published. We continuously refine our Market Agenda throughout the year to ensure we offer the expertise and insights organizations rely on to better assess and navigate the direction of the technology industry.

Read More

Topics: Customer Experience, Human Capital Management, Marketing, Office of Finance, Analytics, Data, Digital Technology, Operations & Supply Chain, Digital Business, Office of Revenue

Skills-First Hiring is the Future of Talent Acquisition

Posted by Quincy Valencia on Jan 5, 2023 3:00:00 AM

As the world of work continues to evolve, so too must the way organizations evaluate talent. Traditional evaluation criteria like education and prior job titles still have a place in hiring, promotion and succession-planning processes. However, organizations that consider transferrable skills first have the opportunity to screen in talent that they may not have otherwise considered, creating a substantial advantage in the proverbial war for talent.

Read More

Topics: Human Capital Management, Talent Management

Personalize Experiences to Improve Engagement and Outcomes

Posted by David Menninger on Jan 4, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Consumer and mobile applications have influenced our expectations. Nearly all of us carry a smartphone, and we interact with a variety of applications on our devices. Those applications have forever influenced what we expect from computing systems. When I search the web for a gas station, I’m not searching for all gas stations. I’m searching for those stations that are near me. Not just near my regular location, but near my current location. We expect personalized interactions, not generic, one-size-fits-all interactions. These expectations have spilled over from consumer applications to enterprise applications. Unfortunately, enterprise IT applications have not fully met these expectations yet.

Read More

Topics: Digital Technology

Enable Sales to Engage and Sell with Technology

Posted by Stephen Hurrell on Jan 3, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Those of us who have worked in or alongside sales teams have observed that many sales fundamentals have changed over the years. Yet, in many ways, they have not. One essential that has not changed is sales enablement. How do you onboard salespeople and quickly bring them up to speed? Or, how do you introduce new products and services so the sales team is conversant and knowledgeable about them? In years past, this would have happened at the head office or a regional office, with videos and internally produced documentation and product fact sheets. But thanks to the internet, this has all changed. Digitization has improved – and will continue to enhance – sales enablement.

Read More

Topics: Sales Engagement, Office of Revenue

Content not found