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Cal Wilson / April 22, 2024

Should you expect your LTL costs to rise?

This year, the Journal of Commerce announced that Less-than-Truckload (LTL) shipping rates will increase by 4.1% on average in 2024, following a 2.4% increase in 2023. This marks more of the increases we’ve been seeing over the past half decade. At the moment, LTL rates per pound are over 50% higher than they were in January 2018. 

If you’re locked into a contract with an LTL provider, this might not seem like a huge deal. However, if you’re paying for non-contracted shipments, looking for a new contract, or facing the end of a contract term, this could potentially represent another inflated cost to your business.  

In this article, we look at the current state of the LTL market, and how your business can make decisions to avoid paying more than it needs on LTL shipments.  

What’s going on with the LTL market? 

As with other areas of freight, rates have been on the rise since 2020. If you have experienced renewals, signed, or even just inquired about LTL contracts, there’s a good chance you’ve already felt the effects of this upward trend.  

With the pandemic in 2020, and the subsequent supply chain disruptions, freight services like LTL were in high demand. Carriers ramped up their capacity, leaving the market in a state of oversupply when demand balanced out again.  

Last summer, the LTL industry was thrown into a bit of turmoil, when freight giant Yellow Corp. exited the market following a bankruptcy filing. This left tens of thousands of workers without a job, and many shipping partners looking for alternative options. The ripple effect of a shutdown like this is often inflated rates and market instability.  

It’s not as bad as predicted. 

Despite the vacuum left by Yellow’s closure, which caused a significant surge in LTL rates, the rate increase predicted is looking better for businesses than previously expected. This is because, by this point, most of Yellow’s former business has been absorbed by other providers, and the LTL industry is facing the additional challenges of “low freight demand, excess capacity, and lower than pre-pandemic productivity.”    

In fact, labor hours are down for LTL workers. According to the Journal of Commerce, “weekly hours worked by LTL non-supervisory employees were down to about 38 hours in late 2023, compared with 43.1 hours in January 2019, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).” 

What does all this mean? Essentially, though you may see an increase in the price of your services, it’ll be less than it could have been, all things considered. And, very likely, with demand down, LTL shipping providers are in a position where they’re going to need to be flexible to hold onto their already dwindling business.  

What should you do if your LTL contract is reaching its term? 

LTL providers are in the position of having to try to raise rates – like by the margins discussed above – to cover the cost of operating with less business. However, given the current market, they’re not in an excellent position to let clients walk if they’re unhappy with those rates.  

Business owners, operators, CFOs, etc. should take the time to review any new contract terms given by their incumbent LTL providers, and not accept rate increases at face value. Even if their provider says that’s the set-in-stone price, there is likely significant room for negotiation.  

Researching alternative options, advocating for your organization, and working with third-party specialists capable of getting you better pricing can ensure that your business doesn’t shoulder the expense of LTL market slowdowns.  

In conclusion… 

Despite rate hikes overall – a trend that has been going on for years – LTL providers aren’t in a great place to demand more money from its clients. Overall, negotiation and persistence will be your friend, especially when it comes time to renew your contract or enter a new one.  

Cal Wilson / April 16, 2024

Is your business alienating employees by using too many buzzwords?

We’ve all experienced the cycle of a new term or idea going from groundbreaking to cliché over time, largely due to it being used to death in corporate circles. But is your company guilty of doing that? And, if so, are your employees taking notice and maybe taking you less seriously, too? 

In this article, we take a look at a recent survey that delivers some interesting insight on the overuse of buzzwords in corporate settings.  

What exactly are buzzwords? 

Everyone knows them. Every industry, group, or sphere of influence has them. Buzzwords are terms or phrases, typically jargon, which are fashionable at a particular time or in a particular context. You’re going to hear them used over and over as a way for organizations to position themselves within the current climate. 

But do employees believe them? 

A recent Preply survey found that 20% of employees across all levels of business, with varying levels of education, disliked the use of corporate buzzwords. Despite this, 40% say they hear them daily, and 70% admit to using them themselves.   

Some of the most common buzzwords Preply’s survey identified American employees as hearing were: 

  • Win-win (63%) 
  • Culture/company culture (61%) 
  • ASAP (58%) 
  • Think outside the box (57%) 
  • Moving forward (56%) 

What does this mean? Well, when crafting copy for your staff or contacts to read, it’s important to remember that some of these terms are going to come across as overused or insincere to a significant percentage of the workforce. 

Likewise, the Preply study identified which words annoyed employees the most. These should also be taken into consideration when drafting official communications. They were: 

  • New normal, when in relation to the pandemic (43%) 
  • Culture/company culture (43%) 
  • Circle back (43%) 
  • Boots on the ground (42%) 
  • Give 110% (41%) 

What to avoid when recruiting new talent. 

Preply found that 70% of employees have been influenced on whether to apply to a company based on the use of buzzwords in the position description. The following terms were considered by many to be ‘red flags’: 

  • Rockstar (53%) 
  • Wear many hats (50%) 
  • Thick skin (48%) 
  • Work hard, play hard (47%) 
  • Schedule TBD (44%) 

Do people latch onto buzzwords?  

Preply’s survey also found that at least 75% of employees think using buzzwords makes them sound more professional. That might not always be a good thing. For SEO and marketing purposes, identifying keywords is important. But in other situations, relying on them to sound professional or ‘in the know’ might be responsible for miscommunication and a general lack of comprehension.  

When observing your employees’ communication patterns, be aware of what is legitimate, and what might be for show. Buzzwords only mean so much if you can’t back them up.  

In conclusion… 

Buzzwords are helpful, to an extent. When they leave your communication efforts feeling cliché or insincere, or allow your staff to cover for knowledge gaps, they’re doing more harm than good.  

Rebecca Enter / April 8, 2024

Supply chain implications of the Baltimore bridge collapse

In the early moments of March 26th, 2024, the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Baltimore, Maryland, was struck by the container ship Dali, taking out one of its support pillars, causing it to collapse, and shutting down the Port of Baltimore to freight traffic. The structure was the third longest continuous truss bridge in the world, carrying an estimated 11.5 million vehicles annually.

The port will be closed for the foreseeable future, although crews have cleared temporary routes for the 10 ships stuck inside the harbor. This is significant to the North American supply chain; it is the ninth busiest port in the United States, processing a record 1.1 million containers of cargo in 2023. The total value of goods travelling through the port each year totals over $80 billion. It is the furthest inland port in the country.

What passes through the port?

Top exports passing through the Port of Baltimore includes coal, natural gas, and vehicles. Its largest bulk imports are vehicles, sugar, and paper/paperboard. Baltimore is the busiest US port for car shipments, and also the largest by volume for handling large equipment, such as farm and construction machinery.

Over 106,000 tonnes of furniture, 738,000 tonnes of newsprint, 36,000 tonnes of alcoholic beverages, and 83,000 tonnes of meat and seafood entered the port in 2022. Imports of plastics and rubber totalled more than 221, 000 tonnes that year.

So, what passes through this port? Everything. Every day the port is closed has a huge economic impact on the economy.

Headaches, not a crisis

With infrastructure this crucial down, the question on your mind may be, will I experience delays on my essential goods for my business? That’s an entirely reasonable concern, given the circumstances. Fortunately, the answer is, not as many or for as long as you’d expect.

Despite the volume of goods passing through the Port of Baltimore, there are many other east coast ports operating while Baltimore is out of commission. In fact, the port only handles about 4% of east coast trade volumes. Ports in Norfolk, Philadelphia, and Savannah should be able to absorb additional traffic. However, not all of these ports are equipped to handle ships of the same size.

Some goods – such as coal, vehicles, auto parts, and farm equipment – cannot be rerouted as easily. These goods require specialized equipment to load ships, barges, and transport trucks not available at other east coast ports.

Coal exports can be rerouted to other ports with infrastructure to support its shipment, but they are further away and will require additional transport measures – via transport truck or river barge – causing delays. However, experts predict these delays are unlikely to have a large impact on commerce.

The auto industry will not fare so well due to the need for what’s called “ro-ro” or roll-on-roll-off equipment to take cars from ship to dock to transport trailer. Most automakers have released statements that they expect the current stock to tide them over until temporary routes are established, but that contingency plans are in place should there be further delays.

The pause in maritime traffic at the Port of Baltimore adds one more point of pressure for trade in the region. This may lead more shippers that have a choice to send more freight through west coast ports, which have not suffered much from other major supply chain issues like the disruptions in the Red Sea and Panama. While the nation can adapt to the interruption, this will likely have a lasting economic impact on the port.

In conclusion…

When the bridge is removed from the water and the port can reopen, tunnels under the Patapsco River will keep the port from being completely debilitated by the collapse. Without the bridge, hazardous waste and large equipment routes will continue to be severely impacted as they are not permitted and cannot fit in the tunnels.

The good news is that many companies have learned from the pandemic and now have contingency plan for events such as these, making delays last weeks, rather than months. The citizens of Baltimore are likely to feel the effects much longer.

The incident does leave the port with an opportunity to innovate and update their infrastructure to accommodate larger ships more easily. Rebuilding the bridge will take years, but the end result will be more capable of withstanding any potential impact.

Cal Wilson / April 2, 2024

Is email marketing worth it for your organization?

No matter who you ask, they’re going to have a different opinion on email marketing; it’s effective, it’s powerful, it’s cost-efficient, or it’s spammy, it’s annoying, it’s useless. But what are the facts? Is email marketing a useful strategy when it comes to generating tangible conversions? Or is it a waste of your organization’s energy destined to end up in the “spam” folder?  

In this issue of The Pulse, we investigate.  

Why use email marketing? 

Email, across all platforms, has about four billion daily users, and that number is constantly on the rise. Email marketing makes use of a platform people are comfortable with, ensuring the message you’re trying to get out there is both received and understood.  

Not only is email marketing an incredibly cost-effective alternative to traditional advertising methods because it makes use of traditionally free features, but it also has advantages over other digital marketing tactics. These include: 

  • Direct communication with your target audience.  
  • Specific messaging based on various customer criteria. 
  • Measurable results such as open rates, click-through rates, conversion rates, etc. 
  • Automation potential. 
  • Nearly limitless reach.  
  • Mobile and desktop-friendly delivery. 
  • Relevancy with both B2C and B2B markets.  

On top of this, 55% of consumers say email is their preferred digital channel for business communication. With all these advantages, low implementation cost, and minimal risk, why wouldn’t organizations take advantage of email marketing? 

As previously mentioned, the low barrier to entry for email marketing has caused it to become widely adopted, creating oversaturated customer inboxes at the same time. This has defamed its reputation slightly, making these efforts more likely to end up in spam folders, unread, once implemented.  

Key Stats to Consider. 

If you’re unsure of the benefits of email marketing, compared to the risk of your brand being associated with spam, here are some of the facts about this method.  

People do read them, at least at first: 

  • Welcome emails have a 91.43% open rate. 
  • New subscribers to email marketing are most engaged in the first forty-eight hours. 

They do convert: 

  • In 2023, on average, brands made $36 for every U.S. dollar they spent on email marketing. 
  • 34% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase based on email marketing, versus other methods.  
  • This number increases to 67% when the email includes a coupon or discount.  

Marketing emails serve many purposes. Cart abandonment emails, for example, tend to be quite effective for brands with e-commerce capabilities. They’re not just for large brands, either. In fact, 64% of small businesses use email marketing to reach customers. 

Other businesses are increasing their use of email marketing.  

If your audience isn’t opening emails from you, they’re opening them from your competitors. With 37% of brands increasing their email marketing budget, this strategy is clearly not going anywhere. Likewise, the majority of marketers have seen an increase in email engagement over the past year.  

Avoiding being seen as spam.  

If you think email marketing might be a viable option for your organization but are worried about being – or have historically been – seen as spammy, there are common mistakes you can avoid. Email marketing can sometimes come across as spammy for several reasons: 

  • Overly promotional content with no other value to the receiver. 
  • Poorly targeted campaigns.  
  • Too-frequent scheduling, bombarding the receiver.  
  • Misleading subject lines. 
  • Poor opt-in/opt-out options. 
  • Unprofessional design.  
  • Lack of mobile compatibility.  

Some best practices to keep in mind include: 

  • Personalize your efforts – emails with personalized subject lines are 26% more likely to be opened and 10% more likely to convert.  
  • Establish the value of your email campaign as immediately as possible – consumers’ attention spans are limited.  
  • Send emails during regular business hours to increase the likelihood of them being opened rather than deleted in the receiver’s inbox.  
  • Develop a sending cadence that works for your target audience that won’t feel overwhelming or disruptive.  

In conclusion… 

Email marketing is an incredibly effective platform for informing your customers and target audience of new information and deals, as well as strengthening brand awareness and loyalty. However, many see it as spammy. Implementing best practices can convert to sales when handled with care.  

Cal Wilson / March 25, 2024

How is generative AI changing UCaaS’s potential?

Unified Communications as a Service or UCaaS, refers to the consolidation of an organization’s crucial communication systems, including voice, video, messaging, and other cloud-based collaboration tools all on one unified platform. The likelihood you already utilize a UCaaS is high, and many organizations use such platforms, for both external and internal communication.  

Like everything else in the tech-space these days, one of the trends impacting the future development of UCaaS is generative AI. In this article, we’ll be looking at how generative AI can make an impact on your organization’s UCaaS solution.  

What is generative AI? 

The purpose of generative AI lies within its name; it is specifically meant to generate new content, such as text or images, by learning from existing examples and utilizing strong pattern recognition skills. If you’ve ever asked ChatGPT a question or used one of those apps to make a cool, illustrated profile photo for you based on a handful of your pictures, that’s generative AI.  

As RingCentral describes, “the core building blocks of AI – Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, etc. – become more accurate and more ‘intelligent’ the more you use them, so their capabilities will steadily improve over time.” 

How will it be implemented into the UCaaS landscape? 

You may have already seen the effects of generative AI on your UCaaS platform because major organizations have adapted fast towards changes in AI. A perfect example is Microsoft’s suite of products and its integration of ‘Copilot’, an AI assistant that assists with functions like managing meetings, summarizing text, and improving the overall customer experience. 

But of course, it doesn’t stop there. Other organizations that offer UCaaS are using generative AI for a whole host of purposes, including: 

  • Improving sales and marketing workflows. 
  • Enhancing compliance. 
  • Speech-to-text.  
  • Real time transcription. 
  • Real time translation. 
  • Ensuring quality in customer service written responses.  

When it comes to implementation, there are endless practical use cases for these tools. For example, generative AI could be used, to record and transcribe meetings, write summaries, create action items, schedule follow-ups, etc. From a soft hours perspective, tools like these would free up a lot of time for employees who dedicate significant energy towards these tedious tasks. Simultously, it conserves more time for employees to focus on other priority work. 

Many UCaaS providers have added significant generative AI tools in the past year, with the expectation of those features expanding significantly in the coming year.  

AI in UCaaS is nothing new. 

For those who get their guard up at the idea of AI infultrating their systems, it bears remembering that AI has always been a part of UCaaS, in one form or another. Auto-attendants, chatbots, and other virtual assistant type tools are all preexisting features that lack the “AI label”. For example, AI call attendants were lifesavers for call centers during the wake of the Great Resignation, when higher call volumes and fewer agents meant every second of live voice time was precious.  

In conclusion… 

Generative AI has a lot of potential to expand UCaaS’s usefulness and make your employees’ lives easier. Different offerings from different vendors may represent a lot of potential for saved time, and therefore money, for your organization. When it comes to communication, AI tools are not necessarily replacing human workers as they are complementing them, while improving productivity at the same time. 

 

Cal Wilson / March 19, 2024

Do workplace communication tools cause an unintentional language barrier?

As you’re well aware, there are a lot of ways to communicate professionally these days. Email, phone calls, video calls, and collaboration software like Microsoft Teams or Slack; all of these platforms have their individual nuances, expected etiquette, and niches. While having options is fantastic at streamlining workplace digital collaboration, a new study finds it can simultaneously lead to miscommunication and even employee conflict.   

In this issue of The Pulse, we look at that study’s findings.  

Full-time, American employees were surveyed about communication methods.  

A recent study by corporate language training firm, Preply, found that among over a thousand full-time U.S.-based employees, a generational language barrier exists when it comes to communication tools. Of the participants, only 7% were Baby Boomers, while 23% were Gen X, 62% were Millennials, and 8% were Gen Z. 

The survey found that: 

  • Nearly 90% of employees blame email for workplace miscommunications.  
  • Approximately two in five employees have deleted work-related voicemails before fully listening to them. 
  • Baby Boomers, or those born between 1946 and 1964, are the most likely to utilize voice messages for professional communication, while the majority of employees (around 75%) are reducing the amount of time they spend on the phone.  

Generational differences in communication preferences exist, and there’s no denying that. However, the study also took a look at the mediums employees use to communicate with one another and their associated expectations based on that medium.  

How are people choosing to communicate? 

When asked which methods they found preferable for workplace communication, Preply found: 

  • 86% were amenable to email. 
  • 59% liked direct messages, such as over Slack or Teams. 
  • 52% were okay with text messages. 
  • Only 31% liked phone calls and fewer (11%) preferred other forms of voice messages.  

Likewise, the majority of respondents (67%) wanted a written method of communication before receiving a phone call, indicating there’s an increased desire for stronger employee boundaries. Although not surprising, these findings reflect a greater trend within the workplace and should be considered, especially when paired with remote working environments.  

Be fluent, be flexible. 

Facilitating effective business communication means bridging the gap between different preferences and generational habits and becoming fluent in all these platforms. In order to truly possess exceptional communication skills, you and your employees must be comfortable and coherent over email, the phone, collaboration software, and any other potential mediums. If you’re not, you’re risking a sort of language barrier with clients, colleagues, and other contacts.  

Even if you feel fluent across all platforms, the people you’re interacting with might not be, so it is important to become adaptable to others’ communication preferences. Best business communication practice involves determining the preferences of those you contact for work, within your organization or not.   

For example, Preply found nearly one-third of respondents who received unexpected phone calls from colleagues felt anxious or uneasy about it. Likewise, the survey found that younger respondents, in Gen Z, tended to regard phone calls as more suited to personal discussions, compared to other generations. Gauging and understanding a contact’s perspective is critical for business best practice. 

In conclusion… 

It might be easy to dig your heels in and stick to the communication tools that you’re the most comfortable with, but that could easily set you back in the long run. It’s important to encourage adaptability in your workplace culture because as it turns out, expectations will always differ among employees as long as generational differences still exist. The best thing you can do for your workplace success is to be comfortable with as many methods as possible and approach every conversation flexibly.  

Cal Wilson / March 11, 2024

Are you on top of your different kinds of packaging and shipping supplies?

It can be difficult to conceive of all the moving parts that are required for large organizations to successfully ship product around the world. On top of the materials already needed to make your product, you need plenty more just to ensure safety when transporting it.  Unfortunately, for a lot of business owners or operators, all these different supplies can be overwhelming.  

In this article, we look at the different subcategories of packaging and shipping supplies so you can make a more informed decision when it comes to what’s best for your product and your budget 

The levels of packaging and shipping supplies. 

There are four generally accepted ‘levels’ of packaging and shipping supplies. These are as follows: 

  1. Primary 
  2. Secondary 
  3. Tertiary 
  4. Ancillary 

This might sound complicated, but it all follows the supplies’ relationship to your product. 

For simplicity’s sake, as we go through the different levels, let’s say we’re a beverage manufacturer that makes drinks in single-use containers and ships them across the country.  

Primary supplies. 

Simply put, the primary level of supplies relates specifically to the product packaging. It’s primary packaging if it comes in direct contact with the product, and its purpose is to protect, preserve and make it easier to handle the product.  

So, in the example of a beverage manufacturer, the primary packaging could be the aluminum can, plastic or glass bottle, or plastic pouch that the drink is stored in. Think of them as the single-item containers  

Other examples of primary packaging supplies include: 

  • Cans and tins 
  • Blister packs 
  • Glass bottles 
  • Plastic bottles 
  • Plastic wrappers 
  • Tubes 
  • Poly bags 
  • Vials 
  • Cardboard trays 

Primary packaging is the last place you want to cut corners on quality. Not only does it protect your product from damage and deterioration, but seeing worn or defective packaging can make customers think twice before making a purchase.  

Secondary supplies. 

Secondary packaging supplies include the materials necessary to group multiples of your product together in one container.  

In our beverage manufacturer example, this could look like the cardboard box, plastic casing, or six-pack rings used to group together cans or bottles.  

Examples of primary packaging supplies include: 

  • Cardboard boxes and cases 
  • Paperboard trays 
  • Plastic boxes 
  • Shrink wrapped packages 

Some important facets of secondary packaging are protecting the primary packaging and making the products easy to store for the seller. Usually, secondary packaging needs to be stackable for shelving and displays.  

Tertiary supplies. 

Tertiary supplies refer to the materials needed to ship your product from the factory to the store where it’s being sold. This can also be called shipping supplies, bulk packaging, and transit packaging. It’s meant to safely group large quantities of secondary containers into a single distribution unit for transportation, making it easy for loading and unloading into vehicles and warehouses. 

Tertiary shipping supplies include: 

  • Pallets/skids 
  • Shipping crates 
  • Large cardboard boxes 

Your tertiary supplies – and setup with your shipper – need to be secure enough to withstand any bumps and bruises during the transit process.  

Ancillary supplies. 

Ancillary supplies refer to all the additional materials needed to accompany your first three levels of packaging and shipping supplies. This includes tape, film, labels, etc. – it’s going to look different for every business. 

In conclusion… 

A lot goes into packaging and shipping your product. A lot goes around your product, too; specifically, four different kinds of supplies that all need to be considered, ordered through a vendor, and kept track of to ensure you’re not overspending or under-receiving.  

Cal Wilson / March 4, 2024

6 Tips on Being a Successful Entrepreneur

Sometimes, you need to break the rules to innovate — but which ones? Entrepreneurship professor John Mullins shares six counter-conventional mindsets for entrepreneurs looking to think strategically, navigate challenges and change the world.

Brittany Powers / February 26, 2024

SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS? What’s the difference, and how can you tell which one’s right for you?

When it comes to cloud computing, if you’re not on board, you’re already behind. Given the rise in popularity and accessibility of cloud-based business solutions, to say the market wasn’t already saturated would be an understatement. In this article, we examine the different kinds of cloud computing structures and how they have the potential to reduce company expenditures and improve productivity.  

SaaS vs PaaS vs IaaS 

The cloud computing ecosystem can seem daunting to companies that have previously relied upon physical, on-premises IT solutions. However, chances are you’re already using one, and its use can be optimized. Before we dive into the benefits, it’s key to understand the differences between cloud computing systems to determine which one is appropriate for you.  

To understand the following differences better, it’s helpful to imagine the three kinds of solutions in logical order, starting with IaaS closest to the hardware, and ending with SaaS, furthest from the hardware.  

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) 

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is often thought of as the base of cloud services. Predominately the back end of IT infrastructure, IaaS products allow control of an organization’s resources such as their network, servers, and data storage, all on the cloud.  

Examples of Common IaaS  

  • Microsoft Azure  
  • DigitalOcean 
  • Linode 
  • Amazon Web Services (AWS)  
  • Cisco Metapod  
  • Google Compute Engine  

IaaS Benefits  

Compared to traditional systems, IaaS comes with many advantages, especially when in regards to reducing operational expenses. The benefit of opting for the implementation of an IaaS for your business lies in its easy onboarding characteristics. For instance, the upfront cost will be much lower than physical systems, and the amount of storage can be easily manipulated to accommodate spikes in usage. IaaS also provides greater cyber security than hosting cloud infrastructure in-house because security is maintained at data centers and via encryption.  

IaaS Use Cases 

  • E-commerce: IaaS is an excellent tool for those in the e-commerce sphere because of its ability to easily scale based on drastic changes in demand and site traffic.  
  • Startups: For businesses that lack initial funds, IaaS is a great option for those who want access to enterprise-class data capabilities but don’t want to pay for on-premises IT systems.  
  • Disaster Recovery: When issues arise, IaaS can deploy disaster recovery processes among multiple locations all at once, facilitating repair effectively.  

PaaS (Platform as a Service) 

In contrast to IaaS, Platform as a Service (PaaS) offers the next step allowing businesses and developers to build and deploy applications without necessarily having to host them. This fosters the perfect environment perfect for developers, they’re able to write the code needed to build and manage various applications, all without dealing with software updates or hardware maintenance. 

Examples of PaaS  

  • AWS Elastic Beanstalk  
  • Windows Azure 
  • Google App Engine 
  • Apache Stratos 
  • OpenShift 
  • Heroku  
  • Red Hat Open Shift 

Benefits of PaaS 

Compared to IaaS, PaaS allows users to build, test, deploy, run, and scale applications much faster than alternatives. The faster time to market makes PaaS ideal for reducing the duration of design stages, something extremely valuable when it comes to testing out new technologies or accommodating real-time data processing from Internet of Things (IoT) devices. 

PaaS Use Cases  

  • Cross Platform: PaaS levels the playing field when it comes to developing solutions that support various platforms. To remain in the spotlight, businesses need to be able to meet the users where they already are (web, mobile, tablet).   
  • Mobile Development: PaaS is often the go-to for mobile development because it allows the easy tie-in of other aspects that may affect the app but does not necessarily need to be built in, phone camera or GPS for example.   
  • Agile Design Processes: PaaS aids in the ability to implement agile design processes, extremely compatible with the entire DevOps cycle needed to constantly adapt after release.  
  • IoT: PaaS supports a diverse range of programming languages that are commonly used for IoT applications and can manage and process real-time data.  

SaaS (Software as a Service) 

What is probably the most familiar word thrown around these days, but does not refer to all cloud computing systems, would be Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS builds upon IaaS and PaaS, offering complete ready-to-use software that already comes with all the infrastructure required to deliver it.  Today almost everyone uses SaaS throughout their day-to-day operations, and it’s almost become hard to avoid. However, given the saturation within the industry, it’s easy to overspend in this area. Most SaaS companies rely on subscription-based models or a “freemium” approach to their services, meaning some aspects are free but you can pay for more.   

Examples of SaaS 

  • Google Suite 
  • HubSpot 
  • Dropbox  
  • Salesforce 
  • Trello  
  • Asana  
  • Netflix 
  • Zendesk 

Benefits of SaaS 

For smaller organizations, the adoption of SaaS is very helpful when it comes to increasing overall efficiency and streamlining digital communication. It’s also great for businesses that don’t have the staff or capacity to handle the software installation and updates that IaaS and PaaS require overtime. Thus, it’s a very beneficial option if you’re looking for a cloud solution that will be used periodically rather than needing something running constantly. However, this could also be described as a double-edged sword because the convenience SaaS provides is also taken away when it comes to managing security. Due to fewer control options, most SaaS doesn’t provide the option of significant modification when it comes to performance and security, so it’s crucial to weigh the pros and cons.  

As for SaaS use cases, well it’s made its way to just about everything, and quite frankly, it’s hard to avoid. Just about any digital personal and workplace productivity tool is a SaaS.  

In conclusion… 

When it comes to understanding the scope of cloud computing it can become quite overwhelming and complex. It’s not uncommon to overspend in this area given the ambiguity that arises from such topics. However, being able to distinguish cloud computing systems from each other is the first step to understanding your specific software needs. With varying levels of control, security, and general capabilities offered on the market, the world of cloud computing can seem daunting, but understanding the difference between what’s currently on the market will help make the decision simpler.   

Cal Wilson / February 20, 2024

Adopt an ‘always learning’ mindset

Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella once said, “don’t be a know-it-all, be a learn-it-all.” 

Adopting this attitude, one devoted to continual learning, proactivity, and humility with regards to what you do not yet know, will get you far. In this issue of the Pulse, we look at how to adopt this mindset and the advancements it can bring to both your personal and work life.   

Make learning a priority.  

Nowadays, most careers expect you to have a motivated attitude towards professional development. In fact, according to Harvard Business Review, “adaptive and proactive learners are highly prized assets for organizations, and when we invest in our learning, we create long-term dividends for our career development.” 

When you don’t prioritize your lifelong learning, it can have a negative impact on your career and life in the long term. For example, it can: 

  • Prevent opportunities for career development and new, exciting trajectories. 
  • Reduces our resilience and adaptability.  
  • Leave us behind as the world advances with new technology, methods, and trends. 
  • Leave us feeling unmotivated and unfulfilled. 

On the other hand, investing intentionally in lifelong learning leads to: 

  • Continuous growth. 
  • Flexibility in a variety of situations and challenges. 
  • Improve problem-solving skills. 
  • Enhanced confidence. 
  • Better relationships and ‘people’ skills. 
  • Cognitive health and longevity. 

Work is the perfect place to practice continual learning.  

You might associate learning with school or personal endeavors but given the amount of time we spend at our jobs, the workplace is actually the ideal environment to adopt an ‘always learning’ mindset. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as enrolling in another degree or taking additional classes. You can learn every day, often without spending a dime or adding too much more to your plate. 

So, how do you do it? 

Being mindful about the work you already do is a great way to start. For example, you can optimize the following daily activities to contribute to continuous learning: 

  • Collaboration – every colleague or contact offers a unique perspective, and taking the time to listen and learn from them will vastly diversify your mindset.  
  • Embracing curiosity – follow your motivation and your instincts by actively seeking out new information and experiences within your industry. 
  • Seek feedback – proactively make time for mutual feedback from peers and mentors to identify areas for development.  
  • Don’t avoid failure or mistakes – experiment outside your comfort zone and embrace opportunities as they arise.  
  • Seek out challenges – whether it’s situations that are new to you, or people to collaborate with who have different backgrounds and experience. 
  • Ask the right questions – questions that challenge existing methods and assumptions and might spark innovation. 

What else can you do? 

Outside of your regular activities, there are other strategies to implement. Some of these include: 

  • Creating manageable goals and holding yourself accountable to them. 
  • Diversify your learning sources – branch out and explore new learning sources and formats, including books, articles, podcasts, online courses, workshops, webinars, and seminars. 
  • Practice cognitive unloading – when you transfer something from your head into the physical world, like jotting down a note on a piece of paper, you are making space in your brain by physically unloading thoughts. 
  • Create a habit tracker – write down all the actions and activities you do by default over the course of a week to see what is contributing to your learning and development and what is not.  

Unlearning is important to continually learning.  

As Harvard Business Review explains, “unlearning means letting go of the safe and familiar and replacing it with something new and unknown. Skills and behaviors that helped you get to where you are can actually hold you back from getting to where you want to be.” 

To practice continual learning and development, unlearning is crucial. Maybe you need to unlearn sticking to your comfort zone, people pleasing, or avoiding collaboration. Whatever it is, it’s crucial to make sure you’re actively breaking patterns. 

At first, this process can be uncomfortable, but in the long run, will be great for your career development and overall wellbeing.  

In conclusion… 

There are immense benefits to adopting an attitude of lifelong learning. And the best part? It doesn’t take a drastic life change; just small adjustments to the way you already do things and unlearning unhelpful patterns.