Monthly Archives: March 2019

The Benefits of Using Chatbots for Customer Service

The Benefits of Using Chatbots for Customer Service

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

The use of chatbots for customer service is becoming increasingly popular, particularly in the e-commerce industry. Chatbots are automated software programs that are designed to simulate human conversations. They are often used to provide customer service and to help customers find the answers they need quickly and easily.

Chatbots have a number of advantages over traditional customer service methods, such as telephone support or email. They are available 24/7, allowing customers to get help whenever they need it. In addition, chatbots can be programmed to respond quickly to customer inquiries, providing fast and efficient service. This can be particularly useful during peak times when customer service representatives may be overwhelmed with calls or emails.

Chatbots also provide a more human-like experience for customers. They can be programmed to use natural language processing, allowing them to understand and respond to customer inquiries in a more conversational way. This helps to create a more pleasant customer experience and can even help to build brand loyalty.

Taken another way, here are five ways chatbots improve customer experience:

1. Proactive Service: Chatbots can be programmed to anticipate customer needs and proactively provide helpful information and services. This can help reduce customer effort and improve the overall customer experience.

2. 24/7 Availability: Chatbots can be available 24/7 to help customers with their inquiries and requests. This eliminates the need for customers to wait in line, or wait for a customer service representative to become available.

3. Fast Response Times: Chatbots can provide fast response times to customer inquiries, typically within seconds. This improves customer satisfaction as customers don’t have to wait long periods of time to receive an answer.

4. Personalized Interactions: Chatbots can be programmed to provide personalized interactions to customers. This helps customers feel that they are engaging with a “real” person and improves the overall customer experience.

5. Automation: Chatbots can automate many processes such as order placement, customer service inquiries, and account management. This reduces customer effort and helps customers complete tasks faster.

Chatbots can also be used to collect customer feedback, providing valuable insights into customer sentiment and helping businesses to improve their products and services. Chatbots can be programmed to ask customers questions about their experiences and can then analyze the data to identify trends and patterns. This can help businesses to identify areas of improvement and make changes accordingly.

Finally, chatbots can be used to automate certain customer service tasks, such as order processing or product returns. This can help to streamline the customer service process and free up customer service representatives to focus on more complex issues.

In summary, chatbots can be a useful tool for businesses looking to provide better customer service. They are available 24/7, provide a more human-like experience, collect customer feedback, and can automate certain customer service tasks. With the right chatbot software, businesses can improve the customer service experience while reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

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The Value of Using Futures Research to Drive Innovation

The Value of Using Futures Research to Drive Innovation

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

The world is changing faster than ever before, and businesses must innovate to stay competitive. To stay ahead of the curve, businesses must look to the future and anticipate the needs of their customers. Futures research is an invaluable tool to help businesses stay ahead and drive innovation.

Futures research is the practice of predicting and researching potential changes in the future. It involves scanning the environment to identify signals of change, understanding potential scenarios, and exploring emerging trends. It is an invaluable tool for businesses to understand and anticipate customer needs, stay ahead of their competition, and develop strategies to drive innovation.

Futures research can help businesses better understand their customer base and anticipate customer needs. By understanding the trends in their industry, companies can create products and services that are ahead of the curve and meet customer demands before they become apparent. This helps businesses stay competitive, as they can create solutions that meet customer needs before their competitors.

Futures research can also help businesses understand emerging trends. By understanding the emerging trends in their industry, businesses can identify opportunities for innovation and develop new products and services that will meet customer needs. By anticipating customer demands, businesses can create solutions that are ahead of the curve and keep them competitive.

Finally, futures research can help businesses develop strategies to drive innovation. By understanding the trends in their industry and the customer needs, businesses can develop strategies to create innovative solutions that will meet customer needs. This can help businesses stay ahead of their competition and create solutions that their customers need.

In today’s ever-evolving world, businesses must stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive. Futures research is an invaluable tool to help businesses stay ahead of their competition and drive innovation. By understanding customer needs and emerging trends, businesses can anticipate customer demands and create solutions that are ahead of the curve. This will help businesses stay ahead of their competition and create solutions that their customers need.

Bottom line: Futurology and prescience are not fortune telling. Skilled futurologists and futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pexels

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Exploring the Role of AI and Robotics in Futurology

Exploring the Role of AI and Robotics in Futurology

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

The field of futurology is constantly evolving and growing in complexity as technology advances. Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are two technologies that are playing an increasingly important role in futurology. As we move further into the 21st century, these two fields of technology are being used to create a new era of possibilities and potential. In this article, we will explore the role of AI and robotics in futurology and discuss the ways they are being used to shape the future of our world. Here are five ways AI and robotics will contribute to our future:

1. Smarter and More Efficient Systems

First and foremost, AI and robotics are being used to create smarter and more efficient systems. By using AI and robotics, futurologists are able to create smarter systems that can process more data in a shorter amount of time. This allows for faster decision-making and improved analysis of data. AI and robotics are also being used to create autonomous systems that can make decisions without human input. This allows for faster, more efficient decision-making and improved accuracy.

2. Advanced Methods of Communication

Second, AI and robotics are being used to develop more advanced and sophisticated methods of communication. This includes the development of voice recognition and natural language processing technologies that allow for better communication between humans and machines. AI and robotics are also being used to create more sophisticated forms of communication between humans and machines, such as facial recognition and gesture recognition.

3. Effective and Efficient Goods and Services

Third, AI and robotics are being used to develop more effective and efficient ways of producing goods and services. By using AI and robotics, futurologists are able to create machines that can produce goods faster and more efficiently. This enables companies to reduce production costs and increase their profits. AI and robotics are also being used to create smarter machines that can be used to automate certain tasks, such as packaging and shipping, which increases efficiency and decreases costs.

4. Secure and Reliable Systems

Fourth, AI and robotics are being used to develop more secure and reliable systems. By using AI and robotics, futurologists are able to create systems that are more secure and reliable. This includes systems that are less vulnerable to cyber-attacks and data breaches. AI and robotics are also being used to create systems that can detect threats and respond accordingly.

5. Intelligent and Advanced Transformation

Finally, AI and robotics are being used to develop more intelligent and advanced forms of transportation. This includes the development of self-driving cars and other autonomous vehicles that can navigate roads and other terrain with greater accuracy and safety. AI and robotics are also being used to create smarter forms of transportation that can transport goods and people more efficiently.

Conclusion

AI and robotics are playing an increasingly important role in futurology. By using AI and robotics, futurologists are able to create smarter and more efficient systems, develop more advanced and sophisticated methods of communication, produce goods and services more effectively and efficiently, create more secure and reliable systems, and develop more intelligent and advanced forms of transportation. As technology continues to advance, AI and robotics will continue to play an important role in shaping the future of our world.

Image credit: Pixabay

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A Deep Dive into Horizon Scanning

What It Is and How It Can Help Your Business

A Deep Dive Into Horizon Scanning

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Horizon scanning is a powerful tool that can help businesses anticipate and prepare for future changes in their operating environment. It involves researching, analyzing and predicting future trends, developments and opportunities. This process can provide businesses with insights into potential risks and opportunities, allowing them to plan accordingly and maximize their chances of success. In this article, we’ll take a deep dive into horizon scanning, exploring what it is and how it can benefit your business.

What is Horizon Scanning?

Horizon scanning is a process of identifying and analyzing emerging developments, trends, and opportunities that may affect a business in the future. It involves researching and gathering information from a variety of sources, including the news, industry reports, and experts. This data is then used to identify potential risks and opportunities. The goal is to provide businesses with advance notice of changes that could affect their operations, allowing them to make informed decisions and plan accordingly.

How Horizon Scanning Can Help Your Business

Horizon scanning can provide businesses with a number of benefits, some of which include:

1. Improved Strategic Planning: By researching and analyzing future developments, trends, and opportunities, businesses can gain valuable insights into potential risks and opportunities. This allows them to make informed decisions and develop effective strategies for dealing with these changes.

2. Enhanced Competitiveness: Horizon scanning can provide businesses with an edge over their competitors. By being aware of potential changes in their operating environment, businesses can be better prepared to take advantage of opportunities and minimize the impact of potential risks.

3. Improved Decision Making: By predicting future changes, businesses can make more informed decisions. This can help them make the right decisions at the right time and maximize their chances of success.

4. Increased Efficiency: Horizon scanning can help businesses save time and resources by providing them with the information they need to make informed decisions. This can help them reduce costs and increase efficiency.

5. Building Resilience: By preparing for potential risks and opportunities, businesses can become more resilient and better able to cope with changes in their operating environment. This can help them remain competitive and profitable in the long term.

Conclusion

Horizon scanning is a powerful tool that can help businesses anticipate and prepare for future changes in their operating environment. It can provide businesses with a number of benefits, including improved strategic planning, enhanced competitiveness, improved decision making, increased efficiency, and greater resilience. By researching and analyzing potential risks and opportunities, businesses can make informed decisions and plan accordingly.

Bottom line: Futurology and prescience are not fortune telling. Skilled futurologists and futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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What is Horizon Scanning?

What is Horizon Scanning?

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Horizon scanning is the process of monitoring, analyzing and predicting potential future events and trends that have the potential to affect a given organization, industry or sector. It is a proactive approach that helps organizations anticipate emerging risks and opportunities. This article will explore what horizon scanning is, its key characteristics, and how it can benefit an organization.

Characteristic 1: Proactive Analysis

The main purpose of horizon scanning is to be proactive in preparing for potential future events. It involves looking at the current environment and predicting upcoming trends and events that can affect an organization. It is not a reactive approach that only responds to events after they have occurred.

Characteristic 2: Systematic Process

Horizon scanning is a systematic process that involves identifying, analyzing and monitoring potential future events and trends. It involves looking at factors such as economic, political, technological, environmental and social. This helps organizations identify risks and opportunities before they become apparent to the general public.

Characteristic 3: Analyzing Data

Horizon scanning involves collecting and analyzing data to help identify potential future events. Organizations use a variety of data sources such as newspapers, magazines, industry reports, surveys and other sources to help identify emerging trends.

Characteristic 4: Interdisciplinary Approach

Horizon scanning requires an interdisciplinary approach that involves collaboration between different disciplines. This could include marketing, finance, operations, research and development, and other departments. By working together, organizations can identify potential trends and events that may affect their operations.

Characteristic 5: Benefits

The benefits of horizon scanning are numerous. It can help organizations stay ahead of the competition, prepare for potential risks, identify new opportunities and develop strategies to take advantage of them. By being proactive, organizations can anticipate the future and be well-prepared for any event that may occur.

In conclusion, horizon scanning is an important process for organizations to stay ahead of the competition. It involves a systematic and interdisciplinary approach that involves monitoring, analyzing and predicting potential future events and trends. By taking a proactive approach, organizations can identify potential risks and opportunities before they become apparent to the public.

Bottom line: Futurology and prescience are not fortune telling. Skilled futurologists and futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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How to Use Futurology to Make Better Business Decisions

How to Use Futurology to Make Better Business Decisions

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Futurology is the science of predicting future trends and events, and it is becoming increasingly more important in the business world. By understanding the various factors that will shape the future of business, businesses can make better decisions and plan for the future. Here are some tips on how to use futurology to make better business decisions.

1. Research the Market: Researching the current market and trends can provide valuable insight into where the industry is headed and what opportunities may arise. By studying current and past trends, you can gain insight into what the future may bring.

2. Understand Your Customers: Understanding your customers and their needs is essential in making informed decisions. Knowing what they want and how they’re likely to respond to different changes in the market can help you plan for the future.

3. Monitor Emerging Technologies: Emerging technologies can have a major impact on the business world. Keeping track of the latest advances in technology and how they may affect your business can help you stay ahead of the competition and plan for the future.

4. Develop Scenarios: Developing scenarios of different possible futures can help you plan for the different possibilities and prepare for changes in the market. By understanding how different changes in the market may affect your business, you can make better decisions and plan accordingly.

5. Analyze Data: Analyzing data from past and current trends can help you better understand the future of your business. By looking at data on customer behavior, market trends, and other factors, you can gain insight into where the market is headed and how your business should prepare for it.

By understanding these tips on how to use futurology to make better business decisions, you can better prepare for the future and make more informed decisions. With the right knowledge, you can anticipate changes and make decisions that will benefit your business in the long run.

Bottom line: Futurology and future studies are not fortune telling. Skilled futurologists and futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

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What is Human-Centered Design?

What is Human-Centered Design?

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

Human-centered design is an iterative process that focuses on the needs of people and their environment when creating solutions to problems. It is a user-centric approach to product design and development that puts the user at the center of the entire process. This form of design puts the user’s needs, wants and desires first and foremost in the design process.

This type of design philosophy is often referred to as ‘design thinking’ and it involves taking a step back from the product, to gain an understanding of the user’s needs and desires. This allows designers to come up with solutions that are tailored to the user’s individual needs.

The process of human-centered design begins with research and understanding the user. This involves gathering information about the user’s needs and desires. This can be done through interviews, surveys, focus groups, and other research methods. Once the research is complete, the designer can begin to create a prototype or concept that meets the user’s needs.

The process of human-centered design is iterative, meaning it can be repeated over and over again until the best possible solution is found. This allows designers to make adjustments and improvements to the design until it is perfect.

The goal of human-centered design is to create products that users can easily understand and use. It should make the user’s experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. This type of design should also be intuitive, so users can quickly and easily understand how to use the product without reading a manual or instruction guide.

Human-centered design is becoming increasingly popular in product design, as companies realize the importance of putting the user first. By creating products that are tailored to the user’s individual needs, companies can create products that are more successful in the long run.

SPECIAL BONUS: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

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What is in a Project Charter?

What is in a Project Charter?

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

A project charter is an essential document used to define a project and ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page. It outlines the project’s purpose, goals, timelines, resources, and responsibilities, and serves as the foundation for successful project execution.

The most important element of a project charter is the scope. This section defines the scope of the project in terms of what will be done, the objectives to be achieved, and the deliverables expected. It also identifies any constraints or limitations that may affect the project.

The project charter also outlines the timeline and milestones for the project. This section lays out the start and end dates, as well as any major milestones, such as the completion of certain tasks or the delivery of specific deliverables.

The project charter also includes the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders. This section outlines who is responsible for what, and who has authority over which decisions. It also defines the communication process between the stakeholders and outlines the decision-making process.

The resources section of the project charter lists the resources required to complete the project, such as personnel, materials, and equipment. It also outlines the budget for the project, including any costs associated with the resources.

Finally, the project charter includes the risks and assumptions associated with the project. This section identifies potential risks, such as changes in scope, resource constraints, or political changes, and outlines how they will be addressed. It also outlines any assumptions made during the project planning process.

A project charter is an important document that helps ensure that all stakeholders are on the same page and that the project is properly defined and managed. It outlines the scope, timeline, roles and responsibilities, resources, and risks and assumptions associated with the project, and serves as the foundation for successful project execution.

SPECIAL BONUS: You can get your very own copy of the Visual Project Charter™ for FREE for use as 35″x56″ giant poster or as a background to use in Miro, Mural, Lucidspark, Microsoft Whiteboard, Google Jamboard, etc. The Visual Project Charter™ was
created by Braden Kelley to help project managers set up their projects for greater success by beginning their project management efforts in a more visual, collaborative way.

The Visual Project Charter™ helps organizations:

  • Move beyond the Microsoft Word document
  • Make the creation of Project Charters more fun!
  • Kickoff projects in a more collaborative, more visual way
  • Structure dialogue to capture the project overview, project scope, project conditions and project approach

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How Business Leaders Can Leverage Futures Research to Unlock Growth Opportunities

How Business Leaders Can Leverage Futures Research to Unlock Growth Opportunities

GUEST POST from Art Inteligencia

The future of business is often uncertain. With emerging technologies, new markets, and changing customer needs, it can be difficult for business leaders to keep up. Futures research can provide insight into potential opportunities and threats that could impact a business. By leveraging this research, business leaders can better understand the current trends and anticipate future changes, allowing them to capitalize on growth opportunities.

Futures research is an interdisciplinary field that uses a variety of methods to explore potential future scenarios. It can involve data from various sources, such as market research, customer feedback, and technology and industry trends. By studying these factors, researchers can identify key trends and patterns that can inform decision-making.

Business leaders can use this data to assess their current positioning and identify potential opportunities. For example, they can use futures research to identify emerging markets and customer segments, as well as areas of potential growth. They can also use it to determine the best strategies for capitalizing on those opportunities, such as developing new products or services, or entering new markets.

Futures research can also help business leaders identify potential threats. By understanding the current trends, they can anticipate potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. For example, they can track the development of new technologies and analyze the potential impact on their business. This can help them stay ahead of the competition and be better prepared for changes in the market.

Finally, business leaders can use futures research to develop more effective strategies for achieving their goals. By analyzing current trends and anticipating future changes, they can develop more effective business plans and strategies for achieving their goals. This will help them stay competitive, capitalize on new opportunities, and remain agile in the face of change.

In conclusion, futures research can be a powerful tool for business leaders. By leveraging this research, they can better understand current trends, anticipate future changes, and identify potential opportunities for growth. This can help them stay ahead of the competition, capitalize on new opportunities, and develop more effective strategies for achieving their goals.

Bottom line: Futurology and futures research are not fortune telling. Skilled futurologists and futurists use a scientific approach to create their deliverables, but a methodology and tools like those in FutureHacking™ can empower anyone to engage in futurology themselves.

Image credit: Pixabay

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What is the Cost of a Failed Change Initiative or Innovation Project?

What is the Cost of a Failed Change Initiative or Innovation Project?

It seems like a simple question.

One that you would expect to lead to some risk mitigation behavior, but it doesn’t.

And when you consider that companies are spending an increasing amount of their budget on technology and working to transform their operations to be more digital in order to provide a better experience for customers, employees, partners and suppliers while simultaneously creating a more efficient and effective business, you would think that companies would do everything possible to make sure that these projects succeed, but they don’t.

Everyone knows that a lot of technology projects fail to achieve their intended objectives, timings, and budgets. This fact and the increasing investment levels should cause more executives to look for ways to de-risk these technology investments in digitizing the business, but they’re not.

Why is that?

Are we really so afraid of learning new ways of doing things that would dramatically reduce the risk and expense of project failures that we will continue using the old ways even though we know they don’t work?

Even though there are incredibly inexpensive and easy ways of reducing both the risk of project failures and the cost of project execution, patterns of behavior are not changing…

Perhaps you see the world differently.

Perhaps you’re fed up with project failures and want to increase the speed of both change execution and change adoption.

Consider answering these five simple questions before spending a single minute on your next innovation project, change initiative, or digital transformation effort:

  1. How much is an hour of your time worth to the company you work for? (multiply this by the number of hours you expect to invest in this project or initiative)
  2. What is the fully-loaded monetary value of the time that employees are going to spend on this project or initiative?
  3. How much do you pay to a single contract project manager to spin up a project before the first minute of actual work begins? Over the life of the project?
  4. How much are you planning to spend with consulting companies on this project or initiative?
  5. How much are you planning to spend on contractors to staff this project or initiative?

Get access to the Change Planning Toolkit for less than $100Have you got the numbers in your mind?

Now, are any of these numbers $100 or more?

I’m sure they are, unless of course you’re going to do the project yourself in less than an hour and don’t value your time very much.

So, what if I told you that for less than $100 you could plan and execute your change initiatives, innovation projects and transformation investments in a much more visual and collaborative way and simultaneously reduce the chances of project failure and the cost of executing your project?

Well, you can. You just have to be willing to challenge orthodoxies and use a new set of tools, a new approach, that will feel very natural and empowering if you’re already comfortable with the Business Model Canvas, Lean, Design Thinking, or the Lean Startup.

All you need to get started is a copy of my latest book Charting Change and a $99.99/yr license for the Change Planning Toolkit™ (which comes with a QuickStart Guide). In exchange you’ll get tools worth more than $1,200 and will help to support the creation of the Human-Centered Innovation Toolkit™.

It’s as simple as that.

And to get you started if you’re still unsure, go ahead and grab the 10 Free Downloads and the poster-size Visual Project Charter™ and the poster-size Experiment Canvas™ from the under-construction Human-Centered Innovation Toolkit™.

Let’s change change and keep innovating – together!


Accelerate your change and transformation success

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