Month: March 2021

What should you consider for a successful cloud project?

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

What should you consider for a successful cloud project?

Have you decided to implement a cloud project in your company? Congratulations! Cloud computing will allow you to considerably boost your processes, manage and store large amounts of valuable data for your business and manage them in an agile way through the cloud.

On the other hand, you will have access to technological solutions that will allow you to automate certain routine tasks and allow your team to focus on more productive activities. You will also be able to work remotely, with the data and applications you need, in a secure way. All this, paying only for the solutions you use and incorporating the most advanced product versions in a scalable way according to your growth.

We know that the idea is very attractive to you, right? However, do you know everything you should consider before implementing cloud in your company? And above all, do you know well the technological partner you have chosen for this purpose? Or have you not chosen it yet? Don’t worry! That’s why we wrote this article, to explain thoroughly how to successfully transition your data and processes to the cloud.

Planning, a basic step in your cloud project

Of course, if you run an SMB, you won’t be able to implement cloud solutions in all departments of your company at once. Even the largest companies undertake this process gradually as part of their digital transformation, starting with the highest-priority areas. To do this, it is essential to establish a realistic plan with well-defined objectives. In this plan, you will put in order the areas and services that most urgently need to be moved to the cloud environment according to the interests of your business.

For example, if your company manufactures packaged products for the hospitality industry, you will probably first need a customer relationship management (CRM) solution. This tool will help you for managing communication with your customers, keep them up to date on new products, schedule personal contacts for offers and ultimately drive sales.

Mass-production companies generally require tools to manage their supply chain and the relationship with their personnel; in particular, Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) solutions. Large retail chains opt for more demanding systems to apply big data and advanced analytics, necessarily in cloud environments. Precisely because of the volume of data they manage to better understand their customers and anticipate their needs.

Other companies require applications more adapted to their own realities and dynamics, resources whose development has been a Nuvolar specialty for more than ten years. But as we said, the correct and successful implementation of cloud solutions will depend on a coherent and logical plan.

Identify the necessary resources

One of the advantages of planning the implementation of your cloud project is to identify which solutions you really need according to the company’s activity and priorities. To give you an idea, at Nuvolar we have tackled highly complex developments for specific sectors such as aviation. In these projects, we combine complex system architectures and intuitive interfaces to manage onboard and ground operations, as well as aircraft maintenance. In addition to offering functionalities for crew assignment, flight schedule, and even administration, sales, and passenger interaction.

We are talking about companies that have very particular requirements due to the nature of their business. But as developers, we can adapt to other operational realities. Apart from that, depending on your initial objectives, you can opt for standard solutions and evolve towards more customized applications. Here we must reiterate the need to set clear objectives so that the transition to the cloud responds to the real needs of the organization.

Selecting your technology partner, the key to your cloud project

It may happen that with some knowledge you are encouraged to make the plan for your cloud project and identify the tools required in the short term. But if you have doubts, you should turn to a specialized company from the beginning. Much better if, in addition to advising you, it can provide all or part of the solutions to be incorporated into your business. But, to select the company that will advise you, you need to take into account criteria such as:

Proven and supported technical experience

It may seem obvious, but at the time of doing your search and pre-selecting among options of technological partners in the area, you should check their previous experience. It’s not just about what they say on their websites about their cloud knowledge and skills.

It is also necessary to check their customer portfolio and the success stories they showcase with the programs they provide. Moreover, it is important to know which platforms they work with. In our case, Nuvolar has been a certified Salesforce partner since its inception, on whose platform we develop applications for our customers.

Customer-centric and relevance of the cloud project

As a specialized consultant, a cloud solutions partner must focus on the customer and listen to their needs. This is the only way to propose a plan that is relevant and in line with the customer’s expectations. More often than we think, companies hire consultants to entrust them with their cloud project, without taking this premise into account. This usually causes that the result is not adapted to the real needs and does not work; consequently, very painful waste of time and money.

Without a doubt, a company specializing in cloud computing should listen to you carefully and understand your business model. Only in this way will it be able to correctly determine the most suitable options for your company. It should also be possible to explain its proposals and approaches in simple terms so that you can understand them without being an expert in the field.

Methodology and compliance

A cloud solution provider must clearly propose and comply with its work plan for executing your project. Based on this, it will employ the most appropriate methodology. By way of illustration, at Nuvolar we use methodologies with iterative cycles such as Agile and Lean in the projects we undertake. This implies that we can make partial deliveries of the solution to evaluate it with the client or test it with real users. In this way, we introduce the changes suggested in each review until we obtain a solution perfectly adapted to the requirements of the applicant.

The training of the team, essential for the success of the cloud project

Finally, it is important to highlight the need for the team involved in the project to be up to date on the technologies related to their area of performance. As it should be in any digital transformation process -in which a cloud project is essential- staff training is essential. In short, taking full advantage of the benefits provided by cloud resources will depend to a large extent on the knowledge and skill at the time of using them. Nuvolar’s team follows a strict training plan that allows them to have the necessary knowledge to approach their work with a full guarantee.

From Nuvolar we encourage you to make your company’s move to cloud computing a reality. And, if part of your project is to incorporate applications to boost internal processes or interaction with your customers, do not hesitate to contact us.

Salesforce implementation, how to take advantage of its full potential?

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Salesforce implementation, how to take advantage of its full potential?

Have you decided to implement Salesforce for your company? Congratulations! You can count on one of the most powerful Customer Relationship Management tools on the market. However, to take advantage of all its possibilities, it is necessary to approach its implementation and customization optimally, following a very specific protocol. In this post, we will explain the ideal approach to take full advantage of Salesforce.

What is Salesforce and what are the benefits of Salesforce implementation?

Salesforce is an integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) cloud platform, which stands out for its ability to provide a unified and shared view of each customer to all departments of the company. Another of the solution’s strengths is that it enables the company to communicate more effectively with its customers. Thus, thanks to the data obtained from interactions with users and shared by the teams, the company will be able to make relevant decisions to enrich the user experience and improve its sales opportunities.

In short, with Salesforce CRM, your company will be able to plan sales campaigns and streamline the operations and activity of sales teams. You will also be able to offer personalized customer service, create multichannel marketing strategies, and monitor all these processes. All this, keeping control of all the actions in execution with a single digital solution in the cloud.

Salesforce is considered one of the most innovative solutions for today’s organizations because of the way it manages data, contacts, leads, and sales opportunities in a single, versatile environment. And you too can take advantage of this powerful CRM.

Benefits of implementing Salesforce

Although you may already know this, let us remind you of the most relevant advantages of Salesforce CRM:

  • It is a versatile CRM. It allows you to manage the relationship with your target at all stages of the conversion funnel. From lead acquisition, through sales closure, to customer loyalty and engagement. It is even possible to anticipate their future needs by analyzing their behavior and buying habits.
  • Fully customizable. In fact, we are talking about a tool that can be adapted to the specific characteristics and needs of your business. We will tell you later why it is relevant to count on a company like Nuvolar at this stage.
  • Scalable. As it corresponds to a SaaS solution, the implementation of Salesforce offers you a wide range of tools that can be integrated into the initial model. Besides you can incorporate them as your company grows: Marketing Cloud, to automate marketing, Service Cloud, to provide customer support, and Einstein Artificial Intelligence for data analysis, are some of these options.
  • A secure platform. Salesforce is one of the pioneers of cloud computing and therefore provides a high standard of security that generates confidence in its customers. Among the certifications achieved by the platform are ISO 27002 Certification, TUV Certificate, and TRUSTe.

Salesforce CRM Deployment Protocol

The Salesforce CRM interface and navigation are very intuitive. So much so, that a short learning period will be enough for you and your team members to understand and manage the program and integrations without difficulty.

But to take full advantage of all the functionalities and possibilities of this tool, you must follow an implementation protocol. This has to do with the definition of purposes and the positive impact of the resource on the company’s processes. The definition of each stage allows you to set goals for each one and make strategic adjustments to avoid problems in the short, medium, and long term. In this sense, the steps to be followed are as follows:

Perform an analysis of the current business situation and its corresponding mapping

Let’s suppose that your company is a fruit juice manufacturer, based in Albacete and you distribute your products to wholesalers in Castilla-La Mancha. Besides, you sell in several nearby autonomous communities such as Madrid, Castilla y León, and Extremadura. On the other hand, you have several defined targets; the general public of different ages and interests, retail chain managers, and independent retailers.

Thus, during the first stage, you will identify the real needs of the company and the context surrounding the Salesforce implementation. The following are some considerations you should take into account:

  • Financial status and budget to introduce the tool.
  • Market characteristics.
  • Communication fluency with our target audience and reasons for implementing the solution.
  • Results of marketing campaigns and multichannel communication.
  • Level of consumer and customer satisfaction.
  • Processes inherent to the management of the relationship with our stakeholders.
  • Procedures of each department of the organization.
  • Organizational culture, ability to adapt to the digital transformation, and readiness to assume the customer-centric philosophy.

Defining objectives

After doing the situational analysis, you must set the specific objectives of the Salesforce implementation. These should be realistic, concrete, relevant, and achievable within reasonable timeframes. For example:

  • Reduce process costs in customer management.
  • Strengthen brand positioning in the markets served.
  • Gradually increase product consumption levels.
  • Establish an emotional bond with consumers through interaction in social networks. At the same time, to know the expectations and opinions of buyers to apply them to inherent decision-making and the creation of new lines. Or the launch of new flavors or packaging changes.
  • Streamline ordering and shipping operations, as well as improve service to retail chains and independent stores.
  • Seek and strengthen contacts to extend marketing to other autonomous communities.

Seek advice for Salesforce implementation

As mentioned above, Salesforce implementation is not complex. Even so, the platform offers learning options for its use. Since the realities and purposes of companies are diverse, it is advisable to seek advice from experts in the development and management of cloud solution implementation to carry out situational analysis and set objectives. In this sense, it is highly recommended to do so with a certified Salesforce partner.

At this point, Nuvolar offers you its twelve years of experience providing successful business solutions based on the prestigious platform we talked about in this article. You will see our ability to adapt the CRM to your specific needs, as well as the methodology and passion we deploy in each project.

Appointing the management team

At this stage, it is essential to define the teams and staff members who will have access to the CRM and to establish individual responsibilities. It is also a priority to define the levels of access to the tool.

Roadmap

With the help of the specialized company you choose to implement Salesforce, you must create a roadmap for the process of incorporating the tool into your business. It should reflect the people responsible for each area and the actions of the developer’s representatives. It is equally important to set deadlines and expected results. During this phase, the teams will understand in detail how the CRM solution works in each process.

Implement and customize the program

In the Salesforce implementation itself, the information and planning obtained in the previous stages must be used. In the same way, you will take into account the customization needs to be raised. In this aspect, thanks to our partnership with Salesforce, we at Nuvolar can efficiently customize this digital solution. Accordingly, we use workflows, applications, and add-ons that provide greater performance to your business processes. Our expertise in customizing technology solutions includes sectors such as commercial aviation, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, fashion, and finance, among others.

Rethinking business culture and empowering teams

Executing the digital transformation of companies requires a rethinking of corporate culture to adapt to changes. And even to assimilate the new ways of working that will be introduced along with the technologies incorporated. The implementation of cloud solutions does not escape this requirement. Therefore, the updating of values and good business practices must go hand in hand with the training of the teams in the use of the new tools. In our case, the idea is to achieve an understanding of CRM and how to automate tasks to be more productive and achieve the objectives set.

CRM maintenance and monitoring

Although Salesforce as a cloud platform is responsible for the maintenance and updating of its solutions, it is essential to constantly monitor the performance of the CRM in your processes. In this way, you will be able to make the necessary adjustments in those aspects in which the implementation goals are not fully achieved. Whether to accelerate sales or streamline your omnichannel strategy, among others.

Nuvolar, your best choice for a customized Salesforce implementation

You are probably a manager aware of the need to intelligently manage your company’s processes through a CRM. However, you are probably worried about the consequences of poor implementation of this type of cloud solution. Now you have the support of a Salesforce developer you can trust!

We at Nuvolar, as lovers and connoisseurs of digital solutions, know in depth the scope of this powerful CRM. That is why we can help you maximize the value that this type of technological tool can bring to your company. Our secret is to understand that all companies are different and have specific needs. We have extensive experience in custom implementation and development of the latest technologies to provide the full potential of Salesforce to our customers. What are you waiting for? Contact us!

How can technology boost productivity?

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How can technology boost productivity?

It is clear that boosting the productivity of companies today depends increasingly on the incorporation of digital tools to streamline their processes. Therefore, if you need your company to be competitive in a market so influenced by the development of IT and the Internet, you must act accordingly.

Also, the concept of digital transformation goes beyond the implementation of advanced tools to encompass the changes these companies introduce in the organizational culture. New paradigms and new ways of working driven by technology, expand the opportunities for growth and consolidation of companies. Following we will refer to advanced resources such as software and applications, and explain how they can help you increase efficiency in your company.

Boosting productivity through telecommuting

You have probably heard or read repeatedly that the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation processes in a large number of companies. While others were caught at such an incipient level that it was very difficult for them to implement telework. Fortunately, there are very complete platforms for team management available on the web, which helped boost productivity during confinement. All of them offer options to facilitate communication between team members, such as live chats, video calls and voice calls.

Some, such as Slack, are message-based platforms. Others, such as Trello, rely on Agile methodologies — in this case, Kanban — to organize projects with boards and labels. In this sense, the big technology companies are also present with their proposals. On the one hand, Microsoft’s Office 365, which brings together its best-known productivity tools and communication channels. The same goes for Google and its G Suite, which includes its Drive, Calendar, Duo and Meet applications, among others.

The interesting thing is that most of these platforms have multiple integrations with different applications and channels. In addition, they offer extensive data storage capacity and cloud interactions within their payment options. Such advantages allow companies to offer work-life balance to the members of its staff and remain active during eventual confinements.

Tailored CRM to boost productivity

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software solutions facilitate more productive interaction with customers. In fact, automating routine tasks such as sending emails allows your sales, marketing and support teams to spend time on more relevant tasks. In this way, they can take advantage of the interaction data that the same tool collects to create new communication strategies and personalization of the offer and service.

Along the same line, it is important to remember the ability of CRMs to obtain timely information on purchasing habits, preferences, etc. If your company manages hundreds or thousands of customers, this type of tool will allow you to monitor trends efficiently. Moreover, it facilitates the follow-up and attention to the leads or potential customers in the database to achieve their final conversion. In this way, decision making based on accurate data will be more successful. Most importantly, the unified information will always be available to all team members who require it.

It is very likely that you are aware of the various CRM application options that exist in the market and you may even have implemented some of them in your company. However, their design and functionalities are often not well adapted to the characteristics and processes of each business. To solve this, you must decide for tailor-made solutions, fully customized, like the ones we develop in Nuvolar.

In this sense, we develop CRM applications that meet the particular needs of each company, whether in B2B or B2C environments. In addition, we cover all business processes and integration with all interaction channels for complete customer tracking.

ERP to boost productivity

On the other hand, large retail chains such as the Inditex group owe much of their success to demanding monitoring of their supply chain. The company, which owns such well-known brands as Zara, Pull&Bear and Bershka, keeps detailed track of the demand for its garments.

Based on this monitoring, it anticipates what the buyers of its brands will require in order to manage the raw materials they need with suppliers. They coordinate the supply of these expenses in the precise time to process them and turn them into the pieces that will be marketed by their stores worldwide. They also rigorously supervise their transfer to each store, where they do not need warehouses to store merchandise because the stock on display will meet the demand.

As you can see, such meticulous and perfect management would not be possible without advanced Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools. To get there requires a deep understanding of the specific dynamics of the customer’s supply chain management. With ERP it is the same as with CRM; you will find good standard options on the market, but they are not always fully adapted to your company’s needs.

ERP for the aeronautical industry, a Nuvolar specialty

At Nuvolar we have extensive experience with ERP for an industry as demanding as commercial aviation. Our web and mobile solutions for this sector have demonstrated a perfect synergy of systems in its complex architecture. These tools are making a difference in the management of different departments of several airlines, supported by intuitive interfaces that allow boosting productivity and profitability of these organizations.

Thanks to these features, the level of satisfaction in the user experience has increased significantly.

Programs and applications for various purposes

So far we have talked about technological solutions for team, customer and supply chain management to boost productivity. However, there are also digital strategies focused on other areas such as ecommerce to facilitate online sales, which we will address in future articles.

The main thing to understand is that any of these solutions must fit the characteristics and requirements of your business. In this sense, you can count on the experience, responsibility and professionalism of Nuvolar to offer you personalized advice.

Strategies for successfully migrate to the cloud

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Strategies for successfully migrate to the cloud

Both consolidated companies and those in the process of growth should consider the option of managing their processes through “cloud” environments. The cloud model has been a revolution when it comes to automating and optimizing tasks, as well as facilitating access to company data and systems.

Thus, the transition from a traditional system to a cloud model involves some particularities that you must take into account. Probably the idea of migrating to the cloud generates numerous doubts and questions; therefore, below we will tell you everything you need to know about achieving a successful transition to the cloud, both technically and economically.

Main benefits of the cloud for your business

As soon as we start working in the cloud, the benefits are immediately visible. This is why more than 90% of large companies have already migrated part of their processes to the cloud.

One of the great benefits of the cloud model is access to services, platforms and applications from anywhere, 24 hours a day. Now your work environments can be used from any location and only need a device with internet access to use them.

The main precaution that companies using cloud models must take into account is to ensure that access to these environments is secure. Whether through the advanced use of user identification systems, the use of secure corporate VPNs, firewall systems, the use of encrypted data, or a combination of these, the client’s technical team or the provider company (depending on the service model provided) must introduce the appropriate measures to ensure secure and reliable use by employees and authorized personnel.

Likewise, the economic savings in hardware equipment, applications and software licenses make migration to the cloud an increasingly demanded alternative for all types of companies.

All these advantages make cloud computing an essential option to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of companies in today’s competitive market. If you want to know how you can apply the cloud model to your business, read on.

Differences between the cloud and traditional models

Under the traditional model, information is stored on the hard disk of a computer or on a server that manages the company’s local network. With this system, we take the risk that if a computer fails, we will lose some information, either on the user’s computer or on the server itself. However, in a cloud model, the information is not stored on the user’s computer; the cloud servers that provide the service are usually replicated to ensure that a problem on one of the machines will not prevent the entire system from functioning correctly.

In cloud models, it is also not necessary to hire large amounts of storage to cover the possible growth of the system. Cloud environments allow companies to increase or decrease resources according to demand. In addition, you pay only for the resources you use.

With the traditional system, updates had to be performed physically on each of the users’ computers or, in the best case scenario, on the server. With the “cloud computing” system, updates are performed remotely on the cloud server and do not require moving anyone from the computer to perform this type of action.

Cloud types

  • Public cloud: these are the most common type of cloud deployment. All resources (such as servers where applications are hosted) belong to the service provider and the customer only pays for the resources consumed, for example storage space or bandwidth.
  • Private cloud: consists of cloud resources used exclusively by a company or organization. This type of cloud makes it easier to customize its resources to meet the specific IT requirements of each company. It can be located on the company’s own premises or at an external provider’s premises.

  • Hybrid cloud: this type of cloud is theresult of a combination of the two previous ones. Data is stored in public or private clouds depending on the needs. The most sensitive information can be stored in the private cloud and less critical information in the public cloud, or the public cloud can be used for peak workloads that require higher performance. This type of cloud allows workload portability.
  • Multicloud: refers to the presence of at least two cloud implementations of the same type (public or private), from different providers. Although this cloud model may include two public cloud environments or two private cloud environments, the clouds will not be interconnected with each other.

Cloud structures

Today we can access all types of cloud services through three main types of cloud structures:

  • Infrastructure as a Service (Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS): allows us to have control of all the necessary equipment in a data center. It is the model that offers the greatest control to the client and, as such, the most complex to use. The IaaS model is ideal for projects where a fully customized configuration is needed, whether it is the Operating System, the amount of storage and any other requirement, thanks to the total flexibility of the model. We have IaaS models with Microsoft Azure or based on Amazon Web Services, but at the level of development environments, those based on Linux have already completely displaced Microsoft services, for cost and agility, among other advantages.
  • Platform as a Service (Platform as a Service or PaaS): With this model, the provider provides the platform for the development of applications, as well as their maintenance and management. In other words, it offers everything needed to complete the cycle and deployment of these applications or online services. Here the customer has no control over the storage or network infrastructure. The PaaS model allows great scalability, depending on what the environment requires at any given time. Google App Engine is an example of a PaaS environment where developers can create their applications in Java or Python.
  • Software as a Service (Software as a Service or SaaS): In this case, the client only has access to the environment where the software (set of code or programming) that will serve its application will be hosted in the cloud. Everything related to maintenance, development, support and operations is the responsibility of the company offering the service.

Agile working methodologies

When dealing with the migration of any management environment or application, it is important to rely on systems that facilitate the work of the entire team. If we talk about agile methodologies for development environments, these are some of the best known:

Scrum

It is a model based on the application of good practices to work collaboratively. In Scrum, partial deliveries or sprints are made in short periods of time, each one with its objective and defined tasks. At the end of each sprint, the team meets with the customer to evaluate the results and suggest corrections or possible changes. As many sprints as necessary will be performed to obtain an adequate product.

Kanban

This methodology from Japan divides the work to be done into three columns titled according to the status of the tasks: “Pending”, “In Process” and “Executed”. This method allows a very efficient task planning, a continuous evaluation of results with visible metrics and a better use of teamwork.

Lean Startup

Developed by Eric Reis in 2011, this is a development methodology based on “valid learning”. That is to say, to verify little by little the hypotheses that are raised before having the final product and to have a Minimum Viable Product (minimum viable product MVP) as soon as possible, which can grow and be improved later.

The objective is to define and shorten development cycles. This is achieved by launching proposals and obtaining valuable feedback from our target or user to improve the final version of the product.

Dare to migrate to the cloud

As you have seen, migrating to the cloud is a key factor in the digital transformation of companies like yours. However, to do it effectively and safely you have to rely on experts who know how to take advantage of all the possibilities offered by the cloud environment, especially in SaaS models. At Nuvolar we have worked on many cloud migration projects based on Salesforce, using Agile, SCRUM and Kanban methodologies.

For more information, contact us and we will explain how we have successfully solved cloud migration needs for all types of companies.

What are UX and UI designs and why are they so necessary?

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What are UX and UI designs and why are they so necessary?

Countless organizations necessarily apply UX and UI designs in their digital interaction channels with the public. Why? Actually, because they don’t want to take risks. Have you ever stopped browsing websites because you didn’t get the product you were expecting or the page didn’t guide you properly to get it? Did you know that nine out of ten users who have bad experiences in a digital environment will not return to it and many will share it on social networks?

That is why it is vital to know and invest in the implementation of these design concepts, which are different from each other, but complementary. Both, together, allow us to offer our potential and captured customers a satisfactory browsing experience that increases their engagement with the brand. Do you want to know more about UX and UI design? Continue reading this post!

UX and UI Design: The concept of User Experience

Certainly the term UX or User Experience is contemporary and is associated with the interaction of people with digital environments and electronic devices. But the general concept of this design trend has been evolving since the second industrial revolution, at the beginning of the 20th century.

Already at that time, technology began to radically change the way of working and the interaction of operators with machines and tools. The aim was to make them easier to use and to optimize efficiency.

The application of ergonomics

Later, disciplines such as ergonomics and design currents such as the German Bauhaus transferred the concern for adapting workplaces and furniture to the user’s comfort. In the middle of the last century, market research emerged as a tactic to improve products and services based on user analysis. This facilitated decision-making aimed at improving consumer goods, making them functional. Even allowing the user to enjoy a good experience when consuming or using it.

By the mid-1990s, with the advance of IT and the Internet, the term User Experience gained momentum. In fact, it was first used in a job title by Donald Norman, then a user experience architect at Apple. User experience, according to Norman, encompasses all aspects of the end user’s interaction with the brand, its services and products. Together with Jacob Nielsen, he concluded that UX can be seen as the union of all these aspects. That is: “the way each person experiences the world, their life and also a service or product”.

UX and UI design: What is UX design?

As we indicated before, the term UX is the acronym for User Experience. And in the field of web development it is simply defined as what a customer perceives when using a brand’s digital product or service. Therefore, UX design is a design philosophy whose purpose is to create environments that solve specific end-user problems. Moreover, a satisfactory user experience must be guaranteed with minimum effort. Accordingly, the UX designer implements several multidisciplinary procedures and techniques:

  • User-centered research.
  • Usability testing.
  • Information architecture.
  • User interface (UI) design, which includes in part information architecture, plus interaction design and visual design, among others. This is the complementarity between UX and UI design.
  • Content strategy to offer.
  • Data collection and analysis with appropriate metrics.

Why is good UX design so important for your digital solution?

Basically because the plan and execution of this work will determine how easy or difficult it will be for the user to interact with the elements that the UI designers will provide. Based on this objective, three relevant aspects need to be taken into account:

  • Usability, which allows a digital environment to fulfill the purpose for which it was created, without presenting inconveniences.
  • Accessibility. It is about how easy it is for the user to understand the product and if it is easy to use.
  • Interaction between user and product, which will influence how the user will perceive the usage environment.

What are the main tools and methodologies for UX design?

Some of the methodologies and tools applied in UX design are mentioned here. With these, developers ensure that the usage environment gets the customer and users’ appeal and approval.

Lean methodology:

It proposes to generate a more agile environment by accelerating design processes based on users, eliminating actions that do not generate value. Its origin comes from Lean Manufacturing, a method applied by Toyota to reduce the planning and production time of its vehicles.

Design Sprint:

It is a methodology deployed in five-day periods (sprints) to answer critical business questions. To do so, the developer designs and creates prototypes whose functionality and usability will be tested with real users and evaluated together with the client. In this way, he will obtain data to decide on changes and corrections in a short period of time without waiting to launch such a prototype to the market.

Some UX tools:

UXpin:

Undoubtedly, it is an ideal tool for developing interactive prototypes, design systems and documentation. It provides realistic animations, conditional interactions and data generators, among other properties.

Clicktale:

Very useful tool, as it analyzes the behavior of visitors to web pages, using heat maps. It also converts customer interaction into visible data to optimize the website and obtain maximum return.

Smartlook:

Registers users on websites and mobile apps through functions that give access to relevant information. It is also able to discover patterns in user behavior, which makes it easier to identify when they experience difficulties in managing some new features.

Adobe Target:

It is a tool automated by AI, integrated to Adobe Marketing Cloud. Among its properties is the ability to perform A/B Testing and multivariate tests that facilitate the optimization of websites, apps, social networks and other channels.

UsabilityHub:

Specifically, we are talking about a research platform that facilitates design decision making, based on real user validations. Its multiple functions allow the developer to create intuitive and satisfactory navigation experiences. You can also test interfaces, iconographies and interaction flows.

What is UI design?

Let’s start by stating the essential difference between UX and UI design. While the former focuses on the interaction between the user and the device, the latter defines the elements necessary to achieve a good experience. Specifically, the user interface (UI) comprises all the interface elements that enable user interaction with a web page, application, or any interactive environment (an ATM or vending machine). So UI design is the process focused on the visual components of the product and their distribution in the user interface. This will provide the latter with attributes of intuitiveness, usability and attractiveness.

The role of the UI designer

In reality, a UI designer validates the UX design approach and puts himself “in the skin” of the user. Only in this way can he or she apply his or her knowledge of visual communication to the structuring of the interface so that the user environment provides the customer with what he or she is looking for… with ease and comfort.

To achieve this goal, the UI designer:

  • Identifies the use cases and applies the design patterns they require.
  • Establishes the aesthetic concept of the brand according to its corporate identity and other criteria.
  • Takes into account the impacts of decisions on the interface, attending and analyzing relevant metrics.
  • Understands and adapts the fundamentals of conventional design to create interfaces.
  • Develops product prototypes following iterative methodologies, to evaluate, correct and improve them, until the optimal application, web or channel is obtained.

What is an “intuitive interface” and why is it a goal of UX and UI design?

Undoubtedly, “intuitive interface” is a common term to describe digital interaction channels for whose navigation the user does not require instructions. In other words, that the elements on the screen and their arrangement on the screen allow him to use his own intuition to achieve his goals. These may be: choosing products, buying, paying, requesting a service, downloading information material, listening to a song… and a long etcetera. On the contrary, if our application or channel requires an instruction manual and many explanations to use it, it will be a bad sign.

As we have already said: the UI designer must put himself in the user’s shoes when designing the interface of the digital product. If the Internet and increasingly advanced IT tools are good for anything, they are for making people’s lives easier, not more complicated. In this sense, the easier and more pleasant the user interacts with our channels, the greater the chances of increasing the number of visits and sales, with a better engagement of customers with the brand. Thus UX and UI designs should focus on these purposes.

Lean on UX and UI experts for your projects.

By now, we believe you understand the importance of providing UX criteria to your interaction channels. Therefore, it is advisable to invest your budget to optimize your company’s digital channels, relying on development teams experienced in UX and UI design. Do you want to approach your next project with guarantees? From Nuvolar we will be happy to provide you with specialized advice to meet your needs.

Product management and its importance for new technological solutions

Posted on by dev_nuvolar

Product management and its importance for new technological solutions

When we talk about product management applied to the digital environment, we must consider the concept of such a solution and the iterative process of elaboration, until we achieve a product adapted to the user’s needs. And even more, to monitor the performance during the useful life of the solution.

Product management involves a multidisciplinary team of professionals linked to marketing, technology and development. But it is the product manager who is in charge of leading the process and the person who will ultimately be responsible for ensuring that the result meets the objectives.

Do you want to know how good product management is the key to a successful cloud project? Would you like to know the profile of a product manager as a key figure in the development of digital products for companies like yours? Read on!

What is product management and what are the keys to a successful project?

The complexity of developing a web, application or cloud management solution does not only lie in the programming and technical details. When, as a customer, you state your needs and explain the objectives you want to achieve with a digital solution, we must take on the project holistically. In other words, as developers, it is necessary to go beyond the obvious:

  • Analyze the circumstances that will influence the execution of the project.
  • Then, research the market and reveal the real needs of your users.
  • Set out the concept of the product and its objectives. Here you will have to consider the user experience (UX) criteria that will guide the design of the user interface (UI).
  • Next, plan the work of the teams of professionals who will be involved in the implementation. To do this, it is necessary to select the agile methodology that best suits the project and establish the sprints and partial deliveries to be able to evaluate the evolution of the product. It will also be necessary to test with real users to assess usability and functionality, as well as user interaction with the solution.
  • Finally, consider a long-term vision of the digital product to add value to it in the future or define its useful life that allows to consider when it will be necessary to start working on another product.

All these events make up digital product management. Consequently, we can define it as the planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation of the development of a digital solution, from its concept to the end of its useful life.

Product management has its origins in the project management of conventional companies and has been adapted to the realities of online project development.

The role of the product manager in product management

In essence, product managers are project leaders and, among other responsibilities, they establish the connection between work teams. As we will see below, they are multidisciplinary professionals with extensive knowledge to make decisions during the process. They also ensure the alignment of objectives between the different groups.

In summary, a manager who takes on product management can be considered a “project CEO” and should have the following profile:

  • Have a clear user experience orientation. In particular, have the criteria and skills to establish a relationship between the objectives of the solution and the user’s needs. And based on the same, provide experiences that generate a positive perception of the user.
  • Demonstrate extensive knowledge of the market and its trends, as well as the ability to observe the competition.
  • Commercial vision. Having clarity to develop the commercial strategy, defining objectives, establishing deadlines for testing and launching the product to the market. Also to know how to choose the appropriate metrics to measure results. Be aware of pricing variables and financial fluctuations.
  • Hard skills. Obviously to gather knowledge, skills and experience in technologies related to web development: programming, data architecture, application design, etc. Apart from sufficient knowledge in related disciplines, such as marketing, finance and ergonomics, among others.
  • Soft skills, such as: ability to lead teams, assertiveness and ease of communication, empathy, adaptation to changes, etc.

Basic functions of digital product management

The digital product design and execution process should necessarily be efficient and take full advantage of the contribution of all work teams. Based on this, the product manager must ensure and direct the fulfillment of six fundamental functions:

Product management

As project manager and liaison between the different work teams, the product manager has to maintain consistency between the tasks and input of each department. Product management being a dynamic process where creativity and innovation are critical, the manager will be in charge of:

  • Generate, search, capture and evaluate the best ideas and opportunities both to define the product and each of its functionalities. Here, speed and selection criteria are vital. Based on the above, it makes the concrete approach of the digital solution, in addition to its purpose, features and value proposition.
  • Know the distribution of tasks among the different teams and monitor their execution based on User Experience (UX) criteria.
  • Generate a consistent business case taking into account the target audience, market opportunities and the scope of the application or solution.
  • Observe the complete life cycle of the digital product to ensure the fulfillment of each stage of the process with the minimum of unforeseen events.

Creativity, innovation, disruption

In the field of web development, innovation must be a constant. Therefore, one of the functions of our “project CEO” is to foster an environment of creativity among the participants in the process. Motivate the disruptive participation that adds value to the solution in execution during the entire life cycle. Within this line, it is essential to encourage “brainstorming” constantly, recording and valuing each contribution regardless of whether they are applied or not.

Likewise, the product manager must continuously research, looking for references and inspiration in different cases. Identify strengths and weaknesses in them to define innovative and disruptive proposals.

User experience and user interface

Undoubtedly, the most relevant criterion for designing a product or digital service is the user experience or UX. In this sense, one of the main tasks of the product manager is to maintain the priority of this condition. In this sense, it is important to analyze and shape the user/solution interaction and test it at the end of each iterative cycle. In this way we obtain decisive insights in the final configuration of the digital product.

In parallel, our “project CEO” will ensure that the user interface design is adjusted to the UX criteria. So he will check that the designers have the appropriate visual elements on screen to ensure intuitive user navigation, essential to improve the user experience.

Construction, operations and methodology

This function includes all actions related to the construction and support of the solution. Also included are the tools and agile methodologies that allow the progressive development of the digital product, with improvements and changes introduced in each sprint. In this aspect we must include product testing with real users and customer feedback in each partial delivery.

Marketing and sales

Similarly, to make an application a successful product that is sustainable over time from the start, we must apply appropriate marketing strategies. For this purpose, the product manager has to coordinate with the marketing team a complete research and analysis of the market, the consumers and the competition. On this basis, a plan will be drawn up that will determine the most suitable moment for the launch, the price and/or the outstanding advantages of the solution. And of course, the promotional and communication plan.

Permanent communication with the customer, key for an efficient product management

At Nuvolar we know that the key to product management lies in clear and constant communication with our customers. Therefore, in case you need to develop a digital product, we will assign a “project CEO” who will be the link between your company and our development team. The person who will be responsible for ensuring that all the people involved understand the project requirements; the person who will present the progress of the project until the product is completed and who will be responsible for ensuring that the changes and improvements are addressed after each partial delivery, based on the defined objectives.

So far, we have described in broad strokes our approach to digital product development projects from Nuvolar. If you need an efficient product management and to achieve success in the development of technological projects, please contact us. We will be happy to study your case to offer you a professional and qualified advice, tailored to your needs.