Many companies went into survival mode through 2021. They put projects on hold, cut down on expenses, and for many, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) were out of the question. As it becomes safer for companies to open their front doors again, M&As are taking off at an incredible rate. $82.8 billion worth of deal closes occurred in the first half of 2021, exceeding the average of the last five years.

The list of channels available to engage with your customers (and just as importantly, for them to engage with you) continues to grow. Long-standing platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram remain relevant, while new platforms like TikTok have become places for brands to communicate with customers.

I frequently speak with clients that leverage disparate systems across their business. They might have CRM and ERP systems that do not talk to each other, inventories for online and physical stores that lack alignment, or branch offices without access to the same information. The list goes on.

I saw disconnects like this with a customer of ours. They reached out to Creative Folks as they lacked alignment across their platforms and struggled with consolidating product information between their stores. Their large stores stocked a broad range of items, whereas their smaller ones only stocked a fraction of items. There was no way of knowing which stores stocked what in their systems. An online store added to the disconnect.

How did we help them consolidate these systems to bring consistency and accuracy to their business? With systems integration.

Systems integration brings together every platform across your company. It can change how you meet new customer demands, make decisions about your business strategy, and present new opportunities for innovation.

Creatives, marketers and designers have developed content the same way for decades. Restrictions such as physical size and the number of pages have ruled content long before the digital era. Even digital technologies have not eased these creative boundaries, with similar formatting boundaries restricting display advertising and web page content.

There is a trade-off in a world where modern business applications provide more usable, reliable systems than the traditional monolithic applications of ten years ago.

Cloud storage has changed the way we store, share and collaborate online. It is regarded as a secure, simple means of accessing data from anywhere at any time.

We’ve heard the terms before, and we sometimes give a knowing nod in a meeting to make it seem like we understand what was said. But if you’re a little shaky about what these things are and how they might help your business, then I’ll try to explain it in a simple and applicable way.

Microservices and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) are both important for developing new applications and improving existing ones. Although there can be some overlap between the two, they are different things and serve distinct purposes. When put together, APIs can help microservices and legacy systems connect and co-exist to improve IT agility.

An API-first strategy is much more about the 10,000-foot view. It’s worth considering for those beginning to incorporate microservices into their business. I take a look at this approach and its business benefits below.

Are you searching for the right solution to manage your content marketing strategy? I recommend you consider Sitecore’s Content Marketing Platform (CMP). 

I work with companies every day who struggle with siloed software and information. They might have the right software for their needs, but is it talking to their other applications? Too often, the answer is ‘No’. Below are some of the common integrations we deliver and how they help businesses do more, with less.

Product ideation, promotion and lifecycle is something we take for granted as a consumer. We are bombarded with new and existing products from brands; for the sake of branding awareness, promotions and campaigns. The average consumer may not consider what goes into getting those products to market and what is included in the content creation, management and distribution process.