Technically Easy

Blog

  • How can CMMS Help the Maintenance Officer

    How can CMMS Help the Maintenance Officer

    The role of a maintenance manager is extremely crucial. The success of a unit is dependent on the method adopted by the maintenance offices, to look after their equipment and facilities. This task can be even more overwhelming in big organisations, where the number of assets is uncountable; thus, tracking them can be an extremely challenging task. Therefore, to manage the humongous load of work, managers are today changing their methods from manual to the modern-day Computerised Maintenance Management System.

    What is a CMMS?

    CMMS stands for Computerised Maintenance Management System. The software comes with great features that automate processes and enable facility managers to track issues even before they become problems. The software is a storehouse of information and data; it holds every piece of information related to every asset, including their warranties, repair history, performance history and life expectancy. CMMS has replaced the traditional methods of using spreadsheets with a technologically enabled system.

    Benefits of using a CMMS

    Now, let’s look at the top benefits of using a CMMS:

    1. Reduce Downtime

    In any company, downtime is unavoidable, however, if downtime becomes a frequent affair, it can be harmful. The cost of such unplanned downtime can reach up to billions, so it is crucial to bring down these backlogs to an acceptable level.

    The CMMS helps in managing these unpredicted costs and ensures that equipment is regularly serviced. Through this process, defects are identified in the early stages and, downtimes can be brought under control. The software records even the minor fixes that would otherwise go unnoticed.

    2. Increase asset lifespan

    Financially it is not viable to replace expensive equipment before they reach their optimum performance period. Small issues can be fixed with repairs but if the issue becomes critical, then the replacement will be the only option. Thus, to avoid these untimed expenditures the role of maintenance is crucial.

    The CMMS can help in keeping the equipment in good condition. You can integrate the CMMS with the machine sensors and the MES systems and track the status of their health in real-time. This will allow facility officers to perform preventive maintenance. This way, technical issues can be addressed in their initial stages.

    3. Eliminating rework

    Defects in manufacturing can be a problem. Rework on these defective pieces, involve time, money, and energy. Additionally, to fulfil the order on time, labours need to work overtime and all this require a huge cost. Thus, to avoid rework, assets must be maintained in the best possible way. When machines are healthy, they will produce good stuff.

    Thus, with the help of the CMMS software, maintenance teams can schedule regular asset inspection to optimise the performance of the pieces of equipment.

    4. Save energy

    With the help of CMMs, the facility managers can take care of their assets and reduce over time. When downtimes have reduced, the need for working overtime can also be controlled. This will not only save on labour cost but also save the overall energy expenses.

    5. Better safety standards

    The CMMS can facilitate managers to enhance the safety standards of their unit by maintaining a reliable database on the maintenance and repair history of assets. Most accidents occur due to unplanned breakdown or the presence of unattended explosive materials; the CMMS can take care of all the sick assets and reduce such accidents; further, it can also track the presence of dangerous materials present in the unit and alert the managers about the same.

    Conclusion

    Maintenance is a daunting task and, if you do not have a good team and the support of technology, it might be challenging to run the unit smoothly. Over the last few years, managers have realised the importance of the CMMS and have adapted it to improve their processes and optimise performance. CMMS is valuable software that can transform your maintenance processes and help you achieve profits in the long run.

  • What Do Social Media Marketers Do?

    What Do Social Media Marketers Do?

    The social media landscape gave birth to the significant rise of interesting social media careers we know today. To name a few, we have the exuberant bloggers, the analytical app developers, the creative UX/ UI designers and last but not least—the tech-savvy social media marketers.

    Some titles are synonymous to one another like virtual assistant for social media marketing and the social media manager. Sometimes they’re referred to as social media strategists, digital media assistants, or social media experts. The list goes on, but you get the idea.

    The key roles and jobs entailed with being a social media marketer, along with its participation in helping your business get leads, convert them into sales and improve your ROI, will all be discussed in this blog.

    Without further ado, it’s time to delve deeper into this and get to answering the question.

    Who is a Social Media Marketer?

    At its core function, social media marketers exist to lift the heavy weight of promoting your company across multiple social channels, so business owners like you can devote your time focusing on your key functions to drive business goals. Social media marketing specialists help ease the load in planning, implementing and monitoring a company’s social media strategy across different social platforms and campaigns.

    You obviously don’t have all the time of the day to think whether your next post will be engaging enough for your Facebook followers or not. Similarly, you don’t want to spend countless hours wondering if your post will be appealing enough to the visual taste of your Instagram followers. Add to that, you wouldn’t want to get sored debating about the relevance of your content to the discerning eyes of your B2B network on LinkedIn.

    Imagine doing any of that daily amid other important business stuff.

    As a business owner, you can definitely perform those tasks on your own. However, even if you can, your hectic schedule simply won’t permit it. In prioritizing the simpler tasks, you may end up sacrificing more highly significant goals. It would be best if you sought ways to delegate or outsource the work to specialized individuals.

    That’s when the skills of a social media marketer come in. Listed below is an in-depth discussion that’s focused on the question, ‘What does a social media marketing specialist do to support this growing demand?’

    Key Responsibilities of a Social Media Manager

    What does a social media marketer do for business? Here’s a list of the many responsibilities performed by social media manager:

    1. Manage Social Media Platforms

    The following are the hallmarks of a social media manager’s responsibilities:

    • Schedule and create posts
    • Create an editorial calendar for each social media platform
    • Document social media campaigns
    • Monitor activity and engagements
    • Grow follower count through marketing campaigns
    • Respond to the audience’s comments and questions

    2. Boost Brand Awareness

    The goal of any business is to boost brand recognition to increase leads and reach potential customers. A social media manager fosters customer relationships by providing exciting content to keep the audience engaged. This can be done in the form of images, videos, blogs or live streaming, all of which are geared toward social sharing. “Newsjacking” is another strategy they use to align a brand with a popular news or current event to capture media attention and increase brand exposure.

    3. Promote Products and Campaigns

    Social media marketers find ways to position products in front of the right audience. They’re in charge of finding the most popular hashtags on different social platforms to place their products to willing customers. They’re also responsible for producing useful info to encourage discussion and not just directly promote products.

    4. Identify Social Media Influencers

    Social media is all about getting social. More than increasing the number of likes and shares, social media strategists aim to build a community of loyal followers. To help establish that, they prospect influencers that align with their business objectives. Influencers with great following help speak to a brand’s target audience.

    5. Track Social Media Trends

    Trends don’t go unnoticed in the eyes of a social media manager. As such, they adopt social media monitoring tools to know social metrics and trending topics to gauge the performance of their campaign initiatives.

    6. Research and Target Audience

    Social media marketers see to it that the marketing strategies they promote are directed to audiences who are likely to convert as customers. Part of their role is to research and perform competitive analysis to understand how a business is faring in social channels compared to its competitors.

    Key Benefits of Outsourcing Social Media Marketers

    Nowadays, finding a social media expert with relevant skills and background in handling multiple platforms is daunting if you limit your search to a single location or area. There is also the dilemma caused by the ongoing pandemic. Business transactions and in-house hiring have dramatically dwindled, following the strict implementations of social distancing and community quarantines across the globe.

    The better alternative is to outsource these skills. Outsourcing social media marketing pros provides several benefits for your business:

    1. Time for more significant tasks

    Assigning the work to outsourcing agencies gives business owners the freedom to do more of their core business functions. That means, no more overthinking about your next tweet.

    2. Ready access to social media experts

    This is especially beneficial if a business is not an expert in social media marketing. Freelancers or agencies offer expert advantages which are readily available for use.

    3. Consistent posting

    One of the benefits of having someone handle your social media marketing is the consistency of posting. They specialize in content curation and adopt scheduling tools to guarantee that contents are posted regularly and in a timely manner.

    4. Updated with social trends

    Researching trends or pooling content ideas is definitely time-consuming. Outsourcing allows you to have focus on core business activities since you’re delegating demanding tasks to people who are best at what they do.

    5. Cost-effective

    This is especially true if a business can’t hire a full-time employee. Outsourcing saves money on staff, recruitment and training as outsourced staff are already experts in their field.

    6. You get things done quickly

    Talk about efficiency gain. You can expect a faster and better service from a trained and experienced specialist.

    7. Leverage tech toolkit from outsourcing agencies

    You can benefit from the technology that outsourcing agencies use. Some of these advanced tools cover SEO, project management, and web monitoring, all of which are essential to help do the work efficiently.

    8. More targeted campaigns

    Social media marketing requires a continuous and consistent effort. A third-party business or agency has streamlined work processes that can target and scale marketing campaigns effectively.

    9. You can share risks

    Since you’re designating the role to experts in their field, you can expect that they are the best at addressing the risks that come with their responsibilities and are therefore capable of exercising accountability for their actions.

    Final Thoughts

    In the world of social media where customers are in relentless need to be served efficiently, businesses can turn to outsourcing as a means to strategize their workflow and manage their social media campaigns. It’s a great resource to achieve the desired outcomes without any compromise.

    When the competition is tough and everyone in the industry claims to be the best, how do you make sure your company stands out? You have two options: One, you either do all the work yourself, or two, let experts work their magic for YOU to reach your social media goals.

  • How to Check if Your Mac Hardware is Working Properly

    How to Check if Your Mac Hardware is Working Properly

    Mac’s hardware is cited as one of the best, fashioned with great speed, capacity, and enhanced reliability. As machines are unpredictable, you will encounter an issue at one point with your Mac’s hardware. This is the case with even the most powerful systems, you can’t avoid issues.

    It is common for many Mac users to raise concerns about hardware failure and have no idea where the problem is. To avoid the expensive costs of repairs, you should perform some hardware checks from time to time to make sure everything is working properly. Here’s how to verify your Mac hardware is functioning as it’s supposed to.

    Run a general Apple diagnostic test

    There is so much going on in your Mac device, from multiple moving parts to a couple of sensors and components that get heated. Running the Apple Diagnostic test begins with turning off your Mac. Disconnect all devices connected to the Mac, including printers, external storage devices, speakers, etc.

    Turn the power button on, and hold press the D key until you get an option to choose the language. Select the language you wish to apply by using the arrow keys. The test takes 2 to three minutes and Apple will show whether there are issues or not.

    Running a diagnostic test will help you identify issues that need to be addressed. This helps you understand, for instance, why your MacBook charger stopped working and will offer a solution. Try fixing the identified problems by following the specific instructions provided by Apple. After fixing the problems, you can run another test just to make sure everything is set.

    Here are more things you can do at home to check on the hardware issues.

    Check the status of RAM (Memory)

    It is not easy to test on RAM because you don’t need much of it during the diagnostic process. If you run a test on the RAM from the Operating System, there is a sizable amount of memory being used by the OS to function during the test itself. This RAM may not be subjected to a test but it is better still to perform the diagnostic than not doing it at all.

    If you want some peace of mind with your Mac’s RAM in addition to the diagnostic test, there are other memory testing tools like Mac’s Disk utility, MemTest86, EtreCheck, and Onyx. To get the best of these memory testers, minimize as many applications so that more RAM is available for testing.

    Hard drives tests

    It is good to check the health of your Mac hard drives periodically. This is because internal storage is one of the most important components of a computer and where all the software and operating system is located. Any hard drive crashes will result in the failure of your Mac and the loss of critical data, which you cannot afford to lose.

    Fortunately, Apple has included an in-built tool that can detect and repair minor damage to the hard drive. Besides the general diagnostic checkup, the quickest way to check the status of the hard drive is by running the Disk Utility.

    You can also try third-party apps like Drive Genius. Simply open the Disk Utility from the application on Mac and hit the verify button. All the problems on the hard drive will be displayed in the main window.

    Physical hardware components

    These are pretty much overlooked when checking the status of the Mac. Some of the basic physical hardware components you can test on the Mac include USB ports, a keyboard, and optical drives. For ports, simply insert cables on the headphone, firewires, or USB ports and you will be set.

    For the keyboard, on your Mac, go to System Preferences, > Keyboard, and check the box next to the Show keyboard and emoji viewers in the menu bar. From here, you will find the keyboard viewer, which will let you know if all the keys are functioning properly.

    Graphics hardware (GPU)

    Your graphics card is important whether you are a gamer or not because without it, you will be staring at a blank screen. The GPU, just like the CPU, runs first and consumes a lot of energy, so there can be problems at one point and you will need to check if it’s working properly. One of the best ways to tell if your GPU is working is a quick benchmarking test.

    Some of the benchmarking applications include Geekbench, LuxMark, or Cinebench. You can also conduct stress testing using another benchmark application called Heaven to configure the GPU by applying maximum pressure.

    Conclusion

    This is how you can verify if your Mac hardware components are properly functioning. The steps are simple and you don’t have to be tech-savvy to run a diagnostic test. Follow through the steps as provided and you will be good to go.

  • Top Three Communication Trends Businesses Will Witness in 2021 and Beyond

    Top Three Communication Trends Businesses Will Witness in 2021 and Beyond

    2020 didn’t only instigate serious life changes, such as social distancing and remote-working, but it also affected the way we communicate and interact with each other. Secure voice communications have become essential more than before. With remote working has become the new norm, increased demand in voice and video communication has spiked in demand.

    While entire organizations and business companies shifted to remote-working overnight, the adaptation of technology to meet the new demands accelerated as well. It wouldn’t be wrong to state that the globe witnessed two years of technological and digital transformation within a period of a few months.

    As we pass through 2021, there are still loads of things we aren’t sure about. However, the only thing we seem to be certain about is that remote working is here to stay. Even if companies initiate returning to the office premises, they will have to face a few challenges regarding communication (in hybrid work environments) and keep the entire team connected. Read on to learn more about the top three communication trends that we will witness in 2021 and beyond.

    1. Collaboration & communication solutions for remote work

    Many business owners are still skeptical about the future of remote working and allowing their employees to return to the office premises. Nonetheless, business owners have also witnessed numerous benefits of remote working, such as more productivity, fewer costs related to office maintenance, and no commute expenses for employees.

    While remote working provides employees with flexible time, it also calls for collaboration and communication solutions. It is speculated that remote working will remain a popular option for the upcoming years and keep attracting good talent.

    Resultantly, global companies are planning to offer part-time and full-time telecommunication options for potential clients long after the pandemic is over. To keep their distributed workforce connected, businesses will keep investing in collaboration and communication solutions along with migrating to cloud-based communications platforms.

    2. Meeting the demands of a hybrid team of employees

    It is speculated that the future will revolve around remote work, or a hybrid system will be integrated into companies, where half of the workforce will work from home. In contrast, the remaining half will work from the office premises. In order to gap the communication bridge between in-house workers and home-based workers, newly acquired communication technology will be integrated to connect all employees and keep them on the same page.

    It is speculated that conferencing technology will take the core place of business models, especially during staff meetings, to ensure that all employees can be active participants. That said, we will see an emerging trend of businesses investing in screen-sharing solutions, good-quality video, and audio equipment.

    3. A Well-Integrated Communication System

    Many businesses invest in effective unified communication and collaboration apps to replace their single enterprise communication, including fax, voicemail, instant voice messages, video, audio conferencing, team collaboration, etc.

    By investing in a well-integrated communication and collaboration system, businesses can stay on top of their games, help their employees stay on the same page while enabling effective and secure communication as all businesses survive and thrive in an era of Digital Darwinism.

  • Backblaze: How Much Does It Cost?

    Backblaze: How Much Does It Cost?

    There are 2 main products under the Backblaze name: the sibling Personal Backblaze and Backblaze Business which are both used for cloud backups and the Backblaze B2, an IaaS platform.

    Both solutions allow you to store and backup your data on the cloud, however, their intended user bases are different. Thus, it only makes sense that the pricing structure between these services is also different.

    Regular Backblaze vs Backblaze B2

    The regular Backblaze pricing is a set price per year or per month. Meanwhile, the Backblaze B2 is charged on a per GB of data downloaded and stored basis.

    BackBlaze Personal and Backblaze Business

    The regular Backblaze solution has a pricing structure per computer since you can only backup one device with every license. It is possible for you to buy more than one license at a time, however, there is no discount for doing so.

    Backblaze Pricing

    If you sign up for every month, you are billed $6 per month. This totals $72 for a year.

    If you want a cheaper option, you can simply go with the yearly plan. It costs you $60, meaning you only pay $5 a month. Lastly, for the cheapest pricing per device, you can sign up for 2 years upfront for $110 per device. This translates to $55 a year or $4.58 a month.

    Backblaze B2 pricing

    B2 offers a storage price of $0.005 per GB per month. Take note, that the first 10GB of storage is free. Download costs, on the other hand, are $0.01 per GB per month. It also comes with 1GB of free download per day.

    Backblaze B2 Pricing

    In addition, you are also charged for API calls. The first 2,500 calls each day are free and will cost $0.004 per 10,000 transactions after.

    For the B2 customers, Backblaze also offers mailed physical devices instead of restoring via download. This will cost you $99 for a USB flash drive with 256GB capacity and $189 for an 8TB external hard drive.

    The Backblaze B2 costs significantly lower than its major competitors the likes of Google Cloud Storage, Microsoft Azure, and Amazon S3 (previously known as Amazon Cloud Storage).

    The cloud storage pricing for these giants comes in at 320 – 260 percent more costly than that of Backblaze. In addition, the download costs for these three solutions are 400 – 700 percent higher per GB of data than Backblaze.

    Why is it so cheap?

    With the ability to backup unlimited data at a lower price point, some people might be doubtful of the quality of service. However, the reason for this is that most Backblaze users only backup a relatively small amount of data, despite it being unlimited.

    Therefore, Backblaze can offer unlimited data to power users at a cheaper cost since the overall average cost per computer stays low.

    So, if you are looking for a cheap way to back up your data and don’t mind buying a new license per device, then Backblaze is an excellent option.

  • Benefits of Cloud-Based Residential Phone Service for People Who Work From Home

    Benefits of Cloud-Based Residential Phone Service for People Who Work From Home

    Many people have discontinued their home phone service in recent years, but people who work from home should consider getting residential phone service from a VOIP provider. Doing so would offer numerous benefits, such as better call audio quality, access to hardware designed for business use, and the ability to separate work calls and personal calls. Read on to learn more about the benefits of VOIP-based residential phone service for people who work from home.

    Better Audio Quality

    One of the most important benefits that people who work from home will see with a VOIP service is better audio quality. If you’ve ever taken an important business call on your cell phone and dealt with a poor connection, you’ll understand why this benefit is so important. Not only will it make communication easier, but it will also leave a more professional impression.

    Business-Quality Hardware

    A top-notch residential phone service that is designed for home workers will also include a phone. This phone should look much like the business landlines that can be seen in offices around the world. It should offer features like speed dial, a headphone jack, conference calling, and call holding. Your business phone should also be able to forward calls to your mobile phone to ensure that you do not miss any vital communications.

    Keeping Work & Life Separate

    Perhaps the biggest reason that home workers get a business-focused residential phone system is to keep their work and their personal lives separate. This is impossible if you are making and receiving personal calls from the same number that you use to make and receive business calls. If you have a separate system for your business and personal calls, you also do not have to worry about getting business calls outside work hours.

    Finding the Right Service

    There are so many VOIP services out there that finding the right service may seem like a tall order. However, there are a few criteria that you can use to narrow down your list of possible services. First, you want to get a residential VOIP service that is specifically designed for home office use. This will narrow down your list greatly, as relatively few services offer home office systems. Secondly, you want to go with a service that includes high-quality hardware as part of the package. Once you have narrowed your list of potential services using these criteria, you should have a much easier time making a decision.

  • Cryptos And DeFi Applications Development: Advantages And Prospects As Viewed By Boosty Labs Experts

    Cryptos And DeFi Applications Development: Advantages And Prospects As Viewed By Boosty Labs Experts

    Today, one of the most promising and rapidly growing segments of the crypto industry is DeFi, or decentralized finance. They are becoming the most affordable alternative to most financial services that people use regularly: lending, insurance, escrow, investment and risk management.

    The development of decentralized finance leads to the destruction of the traditional model of the financial system, to which everyone is accustomed, despite the shortcomings. But now financial processes can work more efficiently due to automation using smart contracts. Intermediaries are no longer needed, scammers are not afraid – transactions are transparent, verified and carried out independently.

    This is the next step in the financial technology revolution that began 12 years ago with the advent of Bitcoin and blockchain.

    Decentralized finance has been gaining attention since the market crash in March 2020, but few understand the essence of the phenomenon. At first, it was a common name for analogs of traditional financial instruments that are implemented in a decentralized architecture. They have now grown into a public ecosystem of decentralized services and applications based on public blockchains, predominantly on Ethereum.

    The goal of decentralized finance is to create a financial system that is open to everyone and does not require user trust, and to promote the principle of self-sufficiency. This aspect seems like a disadvantage to conservatives, but it teaches us to take responsibility for DeFi investments.

    At first glance, decentralized finance appears to be similar to financial technology (FinTech), which is also aimed at modernizing financial services. However, they differ in that FinTech simply relies on traditional financial infrastructure, while decentralized finance already includes new components.

    Since decentralized finance is an affordable alternative to many traditional financial services, anyone with the Internet and little knowledge of cryptocurrencies can interact with the DeFi ecosystem and manage the assets added there. To this end, blockchain developers have created hundreds of new DeFi projects with their own protocols, peer-to-peer networks, decentralized applications (dApps) and services.

    The first widespread use of DeFi was in stablecoin projects. This is a cryptocurrency, the rate of which is tied to the price of the underlying financial instrument (fiat currency, exchange commodity, raw materials). Accordingly, all issued stablecoin units are backed by a reserve located in a reliable storage. The value of dollar-pegged stablecoins is provided by the issuer itself, and their purchase and sale is associated with AML / KYC procedures.

    There is also another type of crypto projects, among which a striking example is MakerDAO – a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) and a protocol on Ethereum. It has both the native DAI stablecoin and the ability for everyone to issue their own stablecoins via the DeFi protocol. Their emission can be compared to the emission of money backed by gold, only here ether is used instead of gold. The user sends a certain amount of ETH or approved ERC-20 tokens to a smart contract that creates a new stablecoin. This is called “collateralized debt positions,” meaning the DeFi tokens generated represent a collateralized debt to MakerDAO.

    Thanks to DeFi, decentralized exchanges (DEX) have returned in popularity in 2021. They operate on the blockchain and do not store cryptocurrency and user data on their servers. That is, these cryptocurrency exchanges act exclusively as a platform that connects buy and sell orders. This trading model allows you to do without passing KYC and does not depend on a narrow circle of large traders.

    Peer-to-peer prediction markets have firmly occupied their niche – these are platforms that allow you to place bets on various events, events, elections, and more. There is a parallel here with the usual bets, for example, on sports, so the principle of operation does not need a detailed explanation.

    In addition to stablecoins, DeFi exchanges and prediction markets, there are at least 8 other areas that are included in decentralized finance:

    • Decentralized Autonomous Organizations.
    • Cryptocurrency loans, or DeFi lending.
    • Decentralized insurance.
    • Storage and management of DeFi assets.
    • Supply of liquidity.
    • Banking and payments.
    • Marketplaces.
    • Entertainment platforms (lotteries, online betting).

    DeFi benefits and prospects

    In 2021, DeFi projects grab attention in much the same way as ICOs in 2017 and IEOs in 2019. But why is there a stir around them? What are the prospects and benefits of DeFi in general?

    Accessibility for everyone

    DeFi allows people who were previously unable to use financial services to participate in the global economy. In the world, about 1.5 billion people do not have access to banking services, that is, they do not have a bank account, or a debit or credit card. There are many reasons for this injustice, but the main one is that many people who are not covered by banking services do not have all the documents that financial institutions usually ask for. Also, in certain countries, it is difficult to collect the required credit points. And somewhere there are no bank branches outside the capital at all.

    Decentralization

    One of the main benefits of DeFi is true decentralization. The very fact of managing a crypto project using smart contracts by all participants, and not by managers, means a lot.

    Earning opportunity

    In addition to maintaining a stable value for money, the use of decentralized finance allows you to passively earn on the available cryptocurrency. There are many options: savings accounts with high interest rates, asset allocation, and more.

    Finance control

    At DeFi, only you have control over your assets. With decentralized services and organizations like MakerDAO, you are in control of your finances around the clock. No official can suddenly ban you from the dApp, freeze your account or withdraw your funds.

    Transparency

    In DeFi, all information is open and available for review, it allows you to choose safe projects and services while sitting at home. In real life, if you need a loan, you have to go to lenders, compare interest rates to make sure the information is true and there are no hidden fees. This is not the case with DeFi – all the information you need to know about lending protocols like Compound is easily accessible and transparent.

    DeFi offers businesses the following benefits:

    • global availability;
    • reliable smart contracts;
    • programmable digital assets;
    • high security;
    • attractiveness to potential investors;
    • widespread attention.

    Do you need to develop a DeFi solution? Boosty Labs (https://boostylabs.com/blockchain/defi) will create a solution of any complexity for you – from stablecoin to DeFi application or DeFi platform.

    Cryptocurrency Development

    Digital currency is electronic money (or coins) that does not have a centralized emission center and paper equivalent, so it does not depend on the decisions of government and regulatory bodies. Each unit of such money has its own digital code, reliably protected using cryptographic algorithms.

    The main features of digital coins include the following:

    • Decentralization. No one can independently influence the value of coins, their price is determined exclusively by the market way: by trading on specialized exchanges. Decisions about the fate of a crypt are most often made by members of the community.
    • Non-attachment of funds to any account, due to which they cannot be destroyed or blocked.
    • Intolerance to devaluation or inflation. The number of units is determined and announced by the developers in advance, which excludes their depreciation and promises growth in the long term.
    • Reliability of code protection using constantly improving encryption methods.
    • Anonymity and reliability of transactions. Blockchain technology reveals only some data (wallet number and transfer amount) to a third-party view and does not allow fraudsters to make any changes to the transaction. Also, there is no need to provide your personal data, as in a regular bank. Transactions are made between counterparties directly, without the presence of a third party and, accordingly, commissions for intermediation.

    To create a cryptocurrency, it is necessary to clearly understand all the features of its development and further functioning, otherwise efforts, time and money will be wasted.

    Cryptocurrency

    Why are new coins issued?

    Basically, any digital currency is created in order to make a profit in the end. Therefore, before making your own cryptocurrency, you need to carefully weigh the pros and cons.

    Most often, a person is prompted to launch his crypt for the following reasons:

    • the desire to bring your development to the exchange and make a profit on trade transactions;
    • the need to develop an internal payment system for clients on their own game server;
    • introduction of new Internet services for businesses and individuals;
    • personal interest in encryption technologies, programming and everything else, which leads to the answer to the question of how to create a cryptocurrency.

    In addition, it is desirable that the new coin carry some improvements in relation to other currencies or, which is not so often, be based on a fundamentally new platform offering a unique product. Considering the duration of all processes (the development of a unique code itself takes at least a year, plus the time to promote the project), it is necessary to foresee the development of the interests of potential users.

    The process of launching a new crypto

    Many people want to repeat the success of Bitcoin, while not putting in the appropriate effort. People most often confuse the cause and effect of the success of projects, since they believe that you just need to issue a cryptocurrency, and then it will find its users, appear on exchanges, and its rate will skyrocket. However, in order to create your own cryptocurrency, the following steps are necessary:

    • Find out what Bitcoin is as a technology and why it continues to exist, regardless of government pressure, exchange rates and other difficulties. This can take over a year.
    • Create a fundamental improvement in Bitcoin. Without this, the new cryptocurrency is unlikely to interest anyone.
    • Allow at least a year for the launch and several years for the development of the project.
    • With all this in mind, try to guess what will be of interest to the community in a year or two in this area.

    It is almost impossible to carry out all processes independently. As a rule, a team of professionals is recruited, you have to pay for this. At the same time, it is desirable that the attracted specialists not only work for money, but be like-minded people who share the project ideas. They don’t have to be just performers. It is desirable that these were ideological people, theoretically and technically savvy.

  • Is There a Better Alternative to Spreadsheets for Inventory Management?

    Is There a Better Alternative to Spreadsheets for Inventory Management?

    Microsoft spreadsheets have been the go-to tool for businesses for decades, so much so that there are unofficial versions of them everywhere you look. Even Google has its own MS Office package. Mostly, it’s viewed as the gold standard for companies attempting to manage their inventories, mainly since it provides the option to track pretty much every aspect of your stock.

    Still, there’s no doubt that spreadsheets have issues that make them unsuitable for some users. Indeed, lots of entrepreneurs are beginning to question whether it’s the right option for their needs. If you fall into this category, you require a superior alternative. Is there one? Let’s find out!

    Katana – Take your spreadsheet to the next level

    The size of the market means that there is more than one substitute available, but one of the most popular software programs available right now is Katana. As well as offering a raw material inventory management Excel template that can be used to track your inventory, Katana also has the firepower to catapult your business to the next level.

    That’s because uploading the template to Katana’s inventory management system allows you to automate your business processes. This means you can stay on top of stock, see at a glance which orders are due when and ensure you never run short of raw materials or finished products, ever again.

    Why should you use Katana?

    Inventory tracking

    A feature that Excel lacks is the ability to track materials automatically. You must do it manually, which takes time and forces you to waste valuable resources. After all, you would much prefer to focus on more pressing issues other than inputting data into boxes.

    Katana is a programme that lets you stay on top of your inventory with features such as barcode scanning. As a result, end-to-end traceability is easy to keep tabs on because you can check the system for when it was scanned. This leads to automated workflows for inventory, whether it’s new on the system or you plan on moving it elsewhere. Order fulfillment is much simpler when you can rely on this tool.

    Planning control

    Exerting control over inventory is challenging, as there are several variables at play. It can be like spinning plates at times, the only difference being that you lose money when one falls. If they all stop spinning, you’re in big trouble. Thankfully, Katana comes with a master production planner function.

    With this, you can track products in real-time. More importantly, you can see what leftover materials you have and use them to fulfil orders without taking away from your essential stock. Plus, it’s easier to rank orders based on the inventory levels at your disposal.

    Consolidation scheduling

    Working with multiple components is one of the hardest jobs associated with tracking inventory, since multitasking has been shown to be unproductive. As a result, Excel Spreadsheets can make it more difficult for you since there isn’t an option to use a single interface.

    Katana comes with a straightforward dashboard that lets you oversee every aspect of your company’s stock levels. Therefore, it’s possible to consolidate the process to avoid the common pitfalls that occur when dealing with different criteria.

    Spreadsheets are an effective way for companies to track inventory. However, it’s a basic solution which doesn’t allow your business to grow. For more insight into your strategy and extra control over the process, Katana is a fantastic option that is well worth considering.