How is Industry 4.0 Advancing Digitalization – Tech People Podcast
Karim Marucchi, CEO of Crowd Favorite, sits down with Ken Coyne of Tech People to discuss Industry 4.0, the advanced digitalization of manufacturing companies, and the integration of technologies in all aspects of production.
He shares a fascinating case study of how Industry 4.0 can be used to improve efficiency and CX in the construction industry by developing a cataloging system for a construction equipment manufacturer that allows clients to get pricing for projects online, while still maintaining a human connection with clients. This is an engaging look at how new technology is impacting every industry!
Agile CMS, DXP & Headless: What’s Best For Your Brand?
Those of us who have been around for a while remember when CMSs were very simple and straightforward. We had a little bit of media, a little bit of content, and we were just able to publish things directly.
Over the last 10 years, we’ve seen the rise of the application framework. And through APIs, we can see how we are literally being able to bring in third-party information, and sometimes even push third-party information. But this has made it much more powerful for us to bring content directly onto the website, and it starts having more dynamic interaction with a client.DXPs, a digital experience platform. It’s something that’s very interesting because there really are two sides to it. The rise of the DXP really came along with Adobe and Sitecore when they decided to try and make an all-in-one solution.
What’s All The Fuss About DXPs And Why Should I Care?
So let’s get right to it. A lot of you work on very complex sites. It doesn’t matter the size of the client. The wonderful thing about WordPress is that it’s like a Swiss army knife, it can be almost anything you want it to be. In some of the conversations I’ve had with folks we’ve categorized about nine separate areas where WordPress really does well. Everything from literally its original use as a blog all the way to what we do in the enterprise, and everywhere in-between.
It’s so interesting to see what everybody does. It’s been a tool for 16 years and is still changing. So I think it’s important for folks to understand why there’s such a fuss around DXP.
Forget the CMS, Building an End-to-End DXP
There is a big opportunity in creating an Open Source DXP (Digital Experience Platform), and we see that as a true framework, including the ability to have options and choices with your solution.
Currently, there are systems out there that are purely SaaS, Software as a Service. Those things are only online and you’re limited to the level of innovation and the level of progress that they’re doing. And the problem there is even if they’re Open Source, the level of support you’re going to get is really tied by whomever is using it. Open Source projects are starting to find ways to protect features. I call that the “SaaSification” of Open Source and it’s very dishonest. You don’t find it until you get past the marketing materials.
Let’s explore building an End-to-End DXP.
Dealing with Different Client Cultures
Take yourself outside of your own experiences and just swim in what your customers are saying. Mirror back to them what they’re saying in your own words. Study their body language. Study what they’re talking about. Frequently stop and explain your thought processes of how you understand them.
If it’s a culture that you’re not familiar with, whether you’re talking about nationality or business. Check in. When they say something that you think is important, let them know you heard.
So how does this translate into business or clients? Let’s take a look at client culture. Whether you’re talking about nationality, or talking about IT versus marketing versus advertising, sales. There are five things that you can map out when talking to clients to help understand their culture.
In the world of agency mergers and acquisitions, a lot of wide-ranging advice already exists on valuation from the perspective of the buyer, much of it delivered from the more egocentric angle of “What have *I* built?” So, how do you add value to your company that is NOT dependent on one founder? In my talk for WordCamp Europe, I set out to explain the deep value of partnerships, the importance of which learned firsthand after seeing how many founders were detrimentally single-minded in their business approach.
I’ll be honest – if I wanted to be really straightforward, I could also call this vlog “How I Screwed Over Entrepreneurs.” You see, the idea originally came from a coworker, who dared me to quite literally stand up in front of an audience and explain how I, as part of my job function, was able to screw people out of their own companies. My coworker might have been joking, but I thought the idea was brilliant.