Updated Feb. 14, 2023In an age when customers voice their dissatisfaction by ranting on social media or quietly taking their business to a competitor, it’s more important than ever to keep them engaged with—and coming back to—your brand. That requires a concerted effort to: Create an experience that meets customers where they are Provide solutions to their challenges Deliver quick and timely responses Personalize the experience for each individual At LIKE.TG, we’re committed to making work better for everyone. Let’s explore three practical, attainable ways to digitally transform the customer experience:1. Proactive supportHelping customers stay loyal to your brand is no easy feat. But a proactive support strategy can make the challenge easier. Acting on issues before they affect customers can completely transform customer experience. Other proactive support benefits include: The ability to scale your customer cloud operations and customer support efforts Decreased case resolution times Increased productivity Watch our Adopt a proactive support strategy to learn how LIKE.TG streamlined our own customer experience through artificial intelligence monitoring.2. One system of actionWhen people, processes, technology, and data are siloed, it can be difficult to get work done, let alone keep your customers happy. Adequately addressing customers’ changing needs and growing expectations requires integrating your front, middle, and back offices to deliver a seamless experience.LIKE.TG provides one platform, one architecture, and one data model to help that ideal become reality. Get tips to optimize processes and workflows in Create effortless experiences that build long-term loyalty.Frost & Sullivan Analyst Michael DeSalles joins Ajda LaPrad, product marketing director at LIKE.TG, for a thought-provoking conversation. Discover ways to accelerate issue resolution, provide transparency and, ultimately, boost customer loyalty.3. AI-powered self-serviceWhen it comes to delivering frictionless customer service, there’s no silver bullet. But there are ways to optimize the process. Empowering customers to get quick answers to common questions is one of them.Adopting an everything-as-a-service business model with AI-powered self-service, personalization, and integrated support and operations can help you cut costs and position your business for growth. Watch Powering your everything-as-a-service business for details.

Digital transformation is critical to enabling organizational change. In fact, 85% of CEOs recognize that digital capabilities are a strategic business differentiator and vital for accelerating revenue growth, according to IDC.IT leaders play a central role in business strategy. They’re asked to deliver digital capabilities to enhance organizational speed, agility, and innovation that leads to change and growth. While doing that, they must also maintain IT efficiency, governance, and resilience.The best way to pull this off is by embracing technology that helps organizations plan for change, expedite decisions, boost productivity, improve technology experiences, and save money. Let's look at three ways to enhance digital experiences using a single platform.1. Plan wisely and proactivelyCreating customer value fast requires a rock-solid strategy and effective execution. With automated portfolio management, organizations can align their entire business to deliver optimal investment decisions at speed and scale.At the same time, they can gain the agility needed to pivot quickly when unanticipated changes arise. This streamlines stakeholder needs assessment, digital strategy creation, and investment scenario evaluation—ultimately resulting in high-impact business outcomes.2. Provide responsive, always-on servicesOnce you deploy a digital service, it needs to work flawlessly. Mediocre service quality leads to poor adoption by dissatisfied employees whose productivity suffers. When it comes to customer-facing services, outages and system performance issues can be a reputational and financial disaster.Avoid these risks by unifying your IT service and operations teams. Breaking down silos between these teams empowers them with shared visibility to deliver responsive, always-on technology experiences. Making this work requires a single platform and data model for IT solutions. This can equip IT teams to collaborate in real time to rapidly resolve service issues—or even predict and prevent them.

Big tech companies are on target to capture up to 40% of the $1.35 trillion in U.S. financial services revenue from banks, according to Insider Intelligence. Weathering this storm requires an integrated approach to people, processes, and technology. Yet many financial services organizations are saddled with outdated technology and processes that make digital transformation overwhelming.“Nearly every bank has taken off on their journey to the cloud, but very few have gotten more than a few feet off the ground,” Accenture reports.LIKE.TG Financial Services Operations can help accelerate digital transformation. It allows financial services organizations to intelligently orchestrate and automate business processes and services. IDC agrees, having named LIKE.TG the winner of three 2022 IDC FinTech Real Results Awards: Next Generation Payments, Treasury & Trade Transformation, and Overall Winner.“Winning in both the Next Generation Payments and Treasury & Trade categories, and receiving top honors as overall winners, demonstrates that LIKE.TG has proven it can revamp existing financial services environments with its work orchestration and process automation capabilities,” says Jerry Silva, vice president at IDC Financial Insights. Here are three ways financial services organizations can future-fit their businesses.1. Drive frictionless customer experiencesMany financial institutions face innovation challenges due to outdated technology and fragmented platform architecture. This makes it difficult to manage customer experience, requiring multiple people to work on customer requests across numerous departments.Because financial services systems are built for volume, availability, and security, they’re not easy to change. Changing too quickly risks regulatory, compliance, security, and account issues. Yet innovation is imperative to meet evolving customer demands and prepare for future success.Equipped with a banking-specific data model and strategic out-of-the-box applications and integrations, Financial Services Operations orchestrates work across both existing and new processes and technology.It includes optimized workspaces for bank employees, preconfigured workflows for common processes, and strategic integrations to help organizations become more efficient, deliver frictionless customer service and consistent employee experiences, and continuously adapt to meet evolving customer demands.Lloyds Banking Group, for example, automated more than 90% of payment exceptions by adopting Financial Services Operations. Work that once took days now takes minutes, thanks to integrating systems and data.In addition, Lloyds is able to process more than 60% of direct debit refund cases in less than three minutes, a process that took three days prior to implementing ServiceNow. Customers can receive a refund in as little as 30 seconds.2. Reduce operational costsMany financial services organizations rely on multiple platforms—such as a payment system, customer relationship management system, and a lending platform—to perform a single financial transaction. These siloed systems stymie business performance and productivity. They’re also costly to maintain and update.Adopting leading-edge architecture and delivery practices can help accelerate software innovation across the enterprise at scale. Financial Services Operations allows organizations to go beyond the constraints of their current systems. Using process automation, AI, and low-code, banks can create brand-new ways to work. At a large global bank, for example, organizational silos and legacy communication channels caused service inconsistencies and many other challenges. These resulted in cost inefficiencies, a lack of data and insights to drive improvements, and difficulty providing efficient and productive customer and employee experiences.After implementing LIKE.TG, the bank significantly decreased development costs and increased self-service. Thanks to the noticeable value add, use of LIKE.TG rapidly expanded organically across the organization.3. Improve risk and compliance oversightBanks operate in a highly complex and regulated environment while managing ever-changing security risks, such as infrastructure and data privacy vulnerabilities. With LIKE.TG, controls are easily built into the process and tracked via service-level agreements, an end-to-end audit trail, and managerial dashboards.Now banks can move away from outdated, inflexible risk and compliance technologies that depend on email, spreadsheets, and shared cloud documents. Using a digital, end-to-end platform can allow financial services organizations to create a seamless enterprise system of action. This system can connect tools, people, and processes—and prioritize risks based on business impact.Getting the right data to the right people at the right time will help financial services leaders make informed decisions to manage risk and compliance properly.Find out more about how LIKE.TG makes financial services work better.

In the digital era, consumers measure the quality of a business experience against the best encounters they’ve had, regardless of industry.That means if they’ve enjoyed top-tier convenience and satisfaction from a streaming service or food delivery app, they expect the same level of excellence from every other business they interact with—even their local government or other public services.To provide the intuitive and seamless experiences citizens demand, government agencies need to offer simplified, unified, digital services. The power of low-code can help in three ways.1. Converting backlogs into swift assistanceLow-code solutions provide a transformative way for public sector organizations to quickly create solutions to address the biggest challenges facing their business. By enabling nontechnical employees to develop their own applications, low-code can streamline workflows, reduce bottlenecks, shorten queue times, and speed up project delivery.Gartner® predicts “over 35% of government legacy applications will be replaced by solutions developed on low-code application platforms and maintained by fusion teams by 2025.”1The City of Los Angeles created and deployed a custom low-code app in just two months to process a greater volume of applications for emergency rental units, such as oxygen tanks and other life-saving machinery, faster and more efficiently.Thanks to the optimized application process, including a specialized customer service hotline, the city was able to capture 4,800 rental applications on the app’s launch day and an additional 60,000 applications over the following two weeks. As a result, the city is getting help to those in need in a much timelier fashion.2. Unifying services across agenciesMany government websites require members of the public to manually complete forms. Whether a completed form is delivered to the correct agency is another matter. That’s because government agencies often struggle with siloed IT functions across dozens of departments.Low-code can enable governments to unite disparate departments, unify legacy systems, and connect agencies so that they work in harmony. This allows teams to guide users with a visual sequence of ongoing service tasks.Citizens can access a one-stop shop for all public-facing services. Employees benefit from access to the same single system of record. This helps eliminate departmental silos and encourages greater collaboration.When the New South Wales Government of Australia needed to coordinate multi-agency disaster response across the 300,000-square-mile state, it launched a low-code app in just one week.The app provides a central hub to rank, track, and manage disaster requests. It helps improve officer safety while enabling the state’s spread-out (and often remote) emergency services teams to seamlessly collaborate and efficiently mobilize resources.Since the app’s launch, the NSW Police Force has saved more than AUD$10.5 million and 30,000 hours of work and mobilization. 3. Enhancing field experienceLow-code can enable public services organizations to build apps that let people in the field capture customer information and access appropriate systems. In this way, workers can diagnose and solve issues as they arise instead of obtaining data manually and responding later.Self-service portals and mobile apps, for example, allow people to engage with their government and quickly address issues outside of typical working hours. The result is a B2C-quality, mobile-friendly, consistent brand experience.To significantly decrease child malnutrition in the South African province of Limpopo, LIKE.TG Elite Partner FlyForm built a low-code app for Ndlovu Care Group. The goal was to digitize the process of collecting and managing data to track outreach work, health screenings, and medical records.Thanks to the app’s success, Ndlovu has reduced the malnutrition rate from 45% to 21% among more than 5,000 children.Join the low-code revolutionThe increase in demand for digital services means governments must drive digital transformation and engage citizens with simpler and more unified experiences. Low-code can close the digital divide by leveling the app development playing field, reducing costs, and connecting legacy systems.By simplifying and democratizing the development process, low-code helps enable all areas of government and public services to ideate, create, and provide feedback on solutions that will enhance services and operations for citizens.Find out more about how LIKE.TG helps organizations innovate with low-code development.1 Gartner, Press release: Gartner Announces the Top 10 Government Technology Trends for 2023, April 17, 2023GARTNER® is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

Updated Feb. 11, 2022Field service management covers a lot of areas, from installing and maintaining field equipment to scheduling, dispatching, and labor tracking. Across those myriad areas are numerous challenges: scheduling conflicts, miscommunications, workforce changes, customer dissatisfaction, poor first-time fix rates, lack of asset visibility, and more.But field service management is vital to successful business operations. Here are three ways LIKE.TG helps companies improve their field service operations:1. Keep trucks rollingWorkforce challenges are not unique to field service management. They affect every industry and business. But labor shortages in field service can have a domino effect on customers’ businesses. Adopting new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality, can ease your workforce struggles.Watch our Embrace new technologies to address the field service talent shortage webinar to find out how. Miles Szkoda, director of Field Technologies Online, moderates a discussion between LIKE.TG experts Nikki Narang and Rob Schaefer.2. Be proactiveField service relies on technicians. Amid the "Great Resignation," keeping technicians can be challenging. Our Delivering proactive field service webinar discusses the barriers to maintaining a skilled workforce and explores ways to create great experiences to overcome those barriers.Gain insights from John Ragsdale, a distinguished researcher and VP of technology ecosystems at the Technology & Services Industry Association (TSIA), and LIKE.TG experts. You'll learn how to identify patterns and get ahead of potential needs.3. Enhance the technician experienceWith the rising talent shortage in field service, you can’t afford to lose field technicians to your competition or even to other fields. Yet, 33% of field techs admit their jobs are not satisfying, according to the Service Council’s 2021 Voice of the Field Service Engineer survey. And 60% aren’t committed to staying in the field for the duration of their career.This can negatively affect customer relations. To overturn it requires a hard look at the source of the dissatisfaction. Watch the Voice of the field service engineer webinar to learn how Xerox improved its technician experience with mobile technology.

As the world emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, improving the customer experience is critical. Nowhere is this more important than in the healthcare industry, where increased engagement can lead to better patient outcomes.“Pairing digital technologies with human coaching and clinical care can offer a dramatically better patient experience through personalized attention, on-demand access to support, and automated reminders,” explains a Workflow article.That approach to improving patient care focuses on prevention, which can save significant costs. Here are three other ways healthcare organizations can improve the patient experience and reap savings:1. Simplify EMR managementElectronic medical records (EMRs) were designed to reduce errors, enhance communications between providers, and improve efficiency and patient outcomes. The administration of EMR platforms is not so streamlined, however, requiring resources to optimize, maintain, and upgrade the systems.Learn how to simplify EMR management in our Taking a strategic approach to managing EMRs webinar. You’ll hear how UW Health developed and integrated a Help button into its EMR, and the effects of this innovation on the organization’s IT, patients, and clinicians.2. Increase uptimeBecause healthcare today relies on EMRs and connected devices, IT system downtime could be the difference between life and death. Watch The impact of downtime on the clinician and patient experience to glean tips to help you minimize issues and expedite remediation. Dr. Noreen Butte, physician executive at Cerner Corp., joins LIKE.TG Chief Healthcare Architect Don Tierney to discuss ways to increase uptime.3. Empower employee efficiencyA good patient experience hinges on a good employee experience. Today, that equates to equipping workers with technology that helps them easily do their jobs. “Healthcare organizations are at their best when they have happy, satisfied, engaged workers delivering the quality of service patients expect and deserve,” explains Rhonda Blatti, senior director of Employee Workflows at ServiceNow.Yet, a LIKE.TG-sponsored survey by ESI ThoughtLab found that only 21% of healthcare organizations are considered leaders in providing a digital employee experience. Clearly, there’s room for improvement.Watch our Accelerating the hybrid workforce in healthcare webinar to discover more results of the survey and steps your organization can take to empower your employees to work more efficiently and safely.

HR leaders are being asked to meet seemingly contradictory goals, with even fewer resources than their historical counterparts had. Chief human resources officers (CHROs) are under pressure to boost workforce productivity and business profitability while reducing overall costs. HR managers have the daunting task of improving employee retention and career satisfaction while fostering business growth.The good news is reaching all those goals is achievable. By embracing digital transformation that includes automation and AI technology, HR leaders can liberate themselves from routine tasks. With this newfound freedom, leaders can focus on high-value business evolution, workforce productivity, and retention goals.HR groundbreakers are already reaping the benefits of their digital transformation journeys. They suggest three ways to achieve similar results.1. Create a centralized HR/career hubMany companies try to solve their HR operations and talent development issues by investing in new tools. In fact, Okta found the average company uses 89 different employee-facing apps.1Employees often lose time and patience trying to navigate this maze of “solutions” in search of career guidance and answers to questions. Subsequently, businesses lose money through inefficiency and employee attrition.Innovative HR leaders have learned that additional technology doesn’t always lead to better business value. Digital transformation is the key to economic business growth.The best path to successful strategic digital transformation is seamlessly integrating disparate systems and departments into one unified employee experience. This can enable employees to efficiently find answers to their questions in a single place, boost productivity, and positively affect business results. More specifically, it: Enables employees to solve their own problems using AI chatbots and other automation tools Lightens HR agents’ workloads by eliminating mundane tasks Gives managers and business leaders insights into what their employees need to be more productive and engaged 2. Optimize employee experiencesA Pew Research Center study found that one of the top reasons employees leave a company is lack of career development opportunities. According to Gartner, “based on the average cost of replacing one employee and average attrition rates, an organization with 10,000 employees could spend $16 million per year to replace employees who quit due to burnout.”2An HR platform that supports employees’ growth and development can: Make it easy for employees to self-drive career development from a single place Help organizations retain, grow, and develop highly skilled individuals aligned to business goals Enable smarter talent decisions by providing visibility into workers' capabilities 3. Embrace automation and AIAutomating traditionally paper-based tasks and manual knowledge-sharing processes can help employees at all levels be more efficient, freeing them to focus on higher-value tasks and projects. When paired with AI, automation offers even greater opportunities for businesses to cut costs, save time, reduce errors, and flourish. Successful HR leaders and analysts recognize AI and strategic automation as catalysts for increased profits and productivity. Beyond bottom-line benefits, AI and automation can help improve human capabilities.IDC predicts that by 2026, 90% of the world’s largest organizations will augment operational roles with automation, increasing worker efficiency by 30%.3HR leaders who’ve embraced digital transformation, automation, and AI are blazing a trail to success. In doing so, they’re proving that digital transformation is the key to building a more satisfied and productive workforce and surviving and thriving into the future.Find out how your organization can realize similar workforce productivity benefits in our ebook: 3 steps to drive employee retention and business growth.1 Okta, Businesses at Work, February 20232 Gartner, HR Leaders Monthly, May 20233 IDC FutureScape: Worldwide Manufacturing 2024 Predictions, #US51276023, October 2023GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.

You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” The same idea applies to your IT systems. They’re only as secure as their weakest vulnerability.No organization wants to fall victim to a cyberattack. These three LIKE.TG webinars will help prepare you to boost your enterprise IT security and, ultimately, safeguard your business.Protect your distributed workforceThe COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to transition quickly to remote work to keep employees safe. Enabling workers to access the company network from anywhere and any device can put organizations at greater risk for security vulnerabilities.Watch our Attacking and Defending a Distributed Workforce Black Hat webinar to learn more about security vulnerabilities from the perspectives of both attackers and defenders. Armed with this knowledge, you’ll be in a better position to protect your systems and security operations.Defend your payment systemsContactless payments are not as safe as you might think. Yet, they continue to gain popularity for their convenience. It’s more important than ever to examine the potential security risks that can arise from these types of payments and payment systems.Contactless payment systems rely heavily on older technology. In our Vulnerabilities in Contactless Payments webinar, you’ll learn about the resulting security risks. Two executives from global cybersecurity company Cyber R&D Lab join Karl Klaessig, director of product marketing for security operations at LIKE.TG, to discuss this important topic.You’ll also learn best practices to keep your business safe from attacks on your transactional systems.Shield your applicationsPart of DevOps involves securely developing and testing applications to ensure they're protected from beginning to end. In our Know and Respond to Application Vulnerabilities webinar, LIKE.TG Outbound Product Manager Julian Azaret explores the need for a single view of application vulnerabilities in real time.Discover how using the Now Platform can help you include security scanning in every step of the development process to keep threats at bay.LIKE.TG, the LIKE.TG logo, Now, and other LIKE.TG marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of LIKE.TG, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Digital transformation is vital to business today. However, it can increase digital risks, which can take many forms. To help ensure your organization is protected against business disruptions, noncompliance, and errors, you need a robust digital risk management program.Our three-part Managing Digital Risk and Beyond webinar series is designed to help you prepare for, manage, and address digital risks in your organization:Develop a risk management programCreating any program starts with preparation. In part one of this webinar series, Preparing to tackle digital risk, LIKE.TG security and risk experts Barbara Kay and Scott Ferguson discuss the varying forms of digital risk and the necessary building blocks for a strong risk management program. Learn how to crawl, walk, and run your risk program by identifying your goals, strategy, and roadmap.Manage vendor riskYou’ve developed your risk management plan—now what? It’s time to coordinate and align your risk priorities across the organization. Watch the Managing digital risk webinar to learn how to get your vendors involved in your program.Greg Liebergen, director of IT service management company Edgile, joins Geeta Jhamb, senior advisory solution architect of LIKE.TG’s risk practice, to talk through best practices for risk management processes. Discover how to measure risk and ensure business resiliency.Address operational riskOnce you’ve developed your risk management program and tackled risk management, you can delve deeper into addressing day-to-day operational risks. These often appear to be smaller risks, but they can lead to company-wide failures.Join LIKE.TG risk experts in the Addressing operational risk webinar to learn how to decrease daily risks in your business activities. You’ll also be introduced to LIKE.TG GRC Advanced Risk, a plug-in to the Now Platform that will help you monitor, track, and mitigate risks across your organization.LIKE.TG, the LIKE.TG logo, Now, and other LIKE.TG marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of LIKE.TG, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Efficiency is the bedrock of success for any organization. In the continuous pursuit of streamlined operations and increased productivity, LIKE.TG Automation Engine serves as a valuable asset, enabling LIKE.TG platform owners and automation leaders to quickly and cost-effectively connect or automate any system, document, or task with minimal code.Automation Engine is part of a broader hyperautomation strategy that organizations need in order to maximize efficiency in the current and future market landscape. Hyperautomation is focused on automating the business as much as reasonably possible, evolving people’s work to enhance their experience and impact, and applying the right tool for each need—all on a single platform.Let’s explore three ways Automation Engine can help drive a hyperautomation strategy.1. Seamless workflow integrationCompanies are built on departments, which lead to siloed departmental systems, such as customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning. Departmental leaders then implement automation tools, such as robotic process automation (RPA), to automate processes.These “islands of automation,” or siloed automation tools, automate at the departmental level only. Even if they're connected across departments by Centers of Excellence, they're not connected to other automation tools and technologies. Both siloed departmental systems and islands of automation act as barriers to hyperautomation.Automation Engine connects siloed departmental systems and islands of automation to make hyperautomation possible. Work flows seamlessly across the enterprise through a complete set of integration capabilities, including API integration for modern systems and RPA for legacy systems.Additionally, Automation Engine connects siloed automation tools from any vendor into a cohesive whole through Automation Center, a centralized automation operational and analytics hub.Discover how features of Automation Engine, including generative AI, can help connect workflows across the organization in our hyperautomation landscape webinar.2. RPA excellenceBesides integrating LIKE.TG with legacy systems, RPA automates the “last mile” of manual, repetitive tasks that may still be slowing down workflows. These tasks could be any repeatable sequence of actions that humans have to do in Windows apps, web browsers, or legacy system UIs as part of a larger business process.Explore RPA best practices and key strategies for deploying RPA and maximizing cost savings within the context of your broader hyperautomation strategy.3. Accessible low-code automationWe live in an era where automation should be readily accessible to everyone. Through its low-code app development and automation capabilities, App Engine and Automation Engine together empower technical and business users to create new applications while upholding governance standards.This empowerment fosters increased collaboration between lines of business and IT, further breaking down silos within organizations and removing barriers to process improvements.For example, Hancock Whitney Bank successfully incorporated low-code as part of its hyperautomation strategy. Find out how the bank achieved this and the valuable lessons learned in the process.Gain deeper insights into how Automation Engine can maximize efficiency, enhance experiences, and empower your hyperautomation strategy.

Generative AI (GenAI) has gained the world’s attention and is revolutionizing customer experience (CX). According to LIKE.TG’s Customer Experience Trends report, 37% of CX leaders are already infusing the technology throughout support and service delivery.Customer Contact Week (CCW) Digital found that 73% of CX leaders plan to increase their investment in GenAI-enabled tools, applications, and systems within the next two years—even though roughly one-third (31%) of them intend to cut customer operations costs.1New and pioneering customer service use cases for GenAI abound. Yet the constant evolution of the technology, accelerated by its widespread availability, confounds many CX leaders with this twofold question: Where do we begin, and where do we go next?The answers may be more straightforward than they appear. Customer-facing teams can harness GenAI to refresh customer experience strategy, revitalize employee experiences, and retain customers through a thoughtful approach. As the technology’s expansion into customer support accelerates, CX leaders should focus on applying GenAI in the following three ways.1. Reimagine customer service engagement practicesCustomer contact volumes are increasing across channels, including chat, messaging, and social media, according to CCW Digital. Organizations must learn quickly from, and adapt meaningfully to, these evolving communication preferences.Enter GenAI. As CX leaders invest in delivering a seamless omnichannel experience to meet these expectations, GenAI can help fine-tune their approach.Virtual agents, powered by GenAI, can respond to customer requests in natural human language, providing detailed guidance that reduces mean time to resolution. In assessing the technology’s performance, CX leaders can improve support across channels—web, chat, and mobile—while providing the right resources quickly.Doing so with an emphasis on elevating self-service options will be critical to empowering customer service teams to handle the ever-increasing volume of contacts. Our research found that 69% of customers still prefer to speak to a live agent. GenAI can enable organizations to use tools such as Service Catalog, Virtual Agent, and Knowledge Management as the foundation of their omnichannel experience instead of as just another building block among many. 2. Enhance agent performance“Hire the smile, train the skill” is a mantra used with regularity in customer service. When employees aren’t smiling, neither are their customers. As agents continue to be overburdened, their dissatisfaction detracts from CX: Only 4% of customers registered improvements in their brand experiences between 2022 and 2023, according to CCW Digital.GenAI can produce succinct case summaries, distilling customer-specific context and insights with one click, regardless of issue complexity. This, combined with GenAI-enhanced search capabilities that provide actionable overviews derived from relevant knowledge articles, can reduce agent time spent searching and sifting for the right answer.Instead, agents can focus on what matters most: delivering great CX with agility and accuracy. Agents want to be the empathetic problem-solvers that customers and CX leaders expect them to be. GenAI can help them reach that goal while minimizing mundane, redundant tasks.3. Orchestrate personalized customer interactions at scaleThe era of big data was supposed to usher in groundbreaking ways to tailor experiences along the customer journey. Yet only 13% of consumers feel their interactions are “highly personalized,” according to CCW Digital. This should be a serious concern for brands big and small, especially as personalization becomes more critical to retain business.GenAI can engage in multiturn question-and-answer dialogue with customers, understanding intent, sentiment, and context. In doing so, it captures and summarizes conversational insights to facilitate faster virtual-to-live agent handoffs in the delivery of bespoke experiences at scale.For example, when a customer reaches out to a contact center, GenAI can use the information provided to create content that: Recommends individualized products or services Delivers customized, step-by-step troubleshooting guidance on a variety of customer issues Summarizes previous interactions The age of GenAI is here. Organizations that fail to weave the technology into the fabric of their CX may not exist long enough to experience regret. As more use cases for the technology come into focus across industries, CX leaders can explore GenAI to enhance customer engagement, cultivate top talent, and nurture customer relationships.Find out more about how LIKE.TG helps organizations deliver world-class customer experience with GenAI.1 Customer Contact Week Digital, Future of the Contact Center, November 2023

Human resources (HR) digital transformation isn’t just a switch you can flip. It’s a never-ending process that starts at different points for every organization and team. When I meet with HR leaders across industries, I’m always excited to learn about their unique, complex challenges.As we stare down a new wave of economic uncertainty, it’s never been more important for HR leaders to make a strong business case for HR digital transformation, whether for our CEOs, boards, or investors.In a survey by Fortune and Deloitte, 76% of CEOs said they have a “pessimistic” 12-month outlook for the global economy. Especially in this climate, business leaders want to know what kind of value they’re getting from their technology investments. They also want to improve productivity and efficiency across the workforce.I know from experience how difficult it is to implement massive HR changes at a global organization, no matter the global economic pressures. That’s why I joined LIKE.TG: We offer a world-class platform that delivers tremendous value for our employees, managers, and company. We do this for our customers too.HR leaders need new ways to deliver for their people and drive business success. As an HR business leader, I want to share three ways a company can supercharge its HR digital transformation.1. Integrate HR and digital technology teamsHR and digital technology (DT) teams need to integrate their functions and rewire their partnership to be more strategic, predictive, and proactive.People already have consumer-grade technology that simplifies their lives in radical ways every day—from ordering a ride to filling a prescription. They expect the same at work. HR and DT teams need to align to deliver that experience, which unlocks their talent advantage and business growth.With that integrated vision and partnership at the top of our company, our HR and DT teams can set achievable key performance indicators and better understand our processes. Together, we focus on three imperatives to measure our progress: Velocity: Innovate quickly to remain competitive and drive ongoing success. Intelligence: Move away from manual reporting to real-time predictive analytics. Experience: Create great employee and customer experiences that minimize both costs and inefficiencies. Years ago, when a LIKE.TG employee had an issue—anything from requesting a cellphone to getting an approval for business travel—our self-service tool only handled a fraction of those transactions.HR and DT worked together to improve the AI and machine learning for our digital self-service tool. In 2022, it handled about 80% of employee questions and issues, even at higher volume, for our growing, global workforce. 2. Invest in the right technologyWhen companies cut costs, some leaders think they can’t prioritize the employee experience. This is a misconception. An exceptional employee experience doesn’t need to be expensive. Thoughtfully curating experiences for employees and managers can boost employee productivity and engagement while saving time and resources for organizations.HR leaders need digital solutions that automate tasks and insights to help them predict what their people need. When customers work with LIKE.TG to streamline the employee experience with HR Service Delivery, they don’t have to spend a fortune upgrading or buying new systems. They can simply connect their existing systems to the Now Platform for an improved experience.This simplifies enterprisewide activity into a single, integrated view. Then we offer great experiences across the platform, integrating tools in one place for employees.For example, when Delta Air Lines needed to launch a one-stop shop to support its 75,000 people during the pandemic, LIKE.TG helped build it in just 48 hours.Beyond the experience, the Now Platform offers tremendous return on investment (ROI). In 2021, Forrester Consulting studied the potential ROI of deploying LIKE.TG HR Service Delivery at several companies. The study showed that organizations aiming to improve workplace productivity could see: Increased ROI (up to 254%) and savings (up to $7.62 million) over a three-year span More than 10,000 hours saved by using self-service for up to 80% of repeat inquiries Up to a 30% boost in productivity during onboarding and offboarding 3. Create a single viewHR teams have a similar set of daily questions, ranging from how to attract and retain great talent to how to progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.HR leaders are looking for ways to make those decisions based on the data and insights available to them. They want to distinguish the signal from the noise, and they need to visualize data in real time rather than waiting for lagging reports.That’s why LIKE.TG built the CHRO Dashboard on the Now Platform. The dashboard offers a control tower view with easy access to insights, from the enterprise level to functions, down to teams and individuals.Within a few minutes and clicks, I can gather data on an emerging issue—a bump in the attrition rate in a particular location, for example—and take action to resolve it in real time, on the go. It helps us make data-driven decisions quickly using the most relevant, timely insights—all to create a better experience for our people.Find out more about how LIKE.TG helps HR digital transformation.

Successful customer service requires connecting the dots across an entire organization’s teams, systems, and data to address customer needs seamlessly and efficiently. A task of this magnitude and facets comes with myriad challenges. Automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and other advanced technologies can help.Let's explore three ways you can use emerging tech to address your customers' needs proactively and effectively.1. Prioritize digital serviceWhen it comes to customer service, digitization is table stakes. Companies have grown to adapt, but innovation happens faster than organizational change. As a result, businesses struggle to overcome working in digital silos.Watch our How—and why—you should digitize your customer service webinar to learn how you can innovate your technology, processes, and culture. Forrester Research Senior Analyst Christina McAllister joins Michael Ramsey, LIKE.TG VP of product management for customer workflow products, to discuss the importance of digital customer service.With insights from Forrester’s How to Reinvent Customer Service to be Digital-First report, you’ll discover how to: Satisfy more customers by decreasing resolution times and costs Solve issues before customers are aware of them Expand customers’ digital options with chat and messaging 2. Challenge conventionsIt can be difficult for employees to voice their opinions about longstanding business practices and processes. Yet, without change, scaling the business to achieve greater success becomes increasingly difficult. Rapidly growing companies require scaling their customer operations to keep up with client engagements.CDW, a LIKE.TG customer and a member of the Technology & Services Industry Association (TSIA), has successfully conquered this struggle. Watch Customer journeys and the service lifecycle to find out how.Tim Ancona, VP of LIKE.TG solutions at CDW, shares how challenging the status quo led to a service delivery model that relies on centralized management of an end-to-end service lifecycle. Experts from TSIA and LIKE.TG join him for an informative exchange.3. Innovate relentlesslyNo matter your organization’s size or industry, constant learning and innovation should be core practices. The smallest ideas and steps toward improvement can add up to push your company forward and keep ahead of your competitors.Learning requires being open to change. With that premise in mind, listen in on a conversation between Ray Wang, founder and principal analyst of Constellation Research, and Dean Robison, senior VP of customer service and support at ServiceNow.In Prepare for the future of customer service, you’ll get ideas to help you: Rethink operational excellence in your business Unlock the potential in your organization’s value chain Drive business value using digital workflows

Generative AI has been gaining awareness and popularity since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. According to McKinsey, one-third of organizations have already embraced the technology for at least one business function.The research further found that 60% of organizations that have adopted AI are using generative AI for content creation in various business areas, including product and service development, marketing and sales, and service operations.It’s clear that embracing AI and generative AI is no longer a choice for organizations—it's a must. Implementing generative AI for better self-service for both customers and employees can help increase deflection rates, which translates to huge cost savings.Let's explore three ways to use generative AI in any business.1. Employee empowermentAI is an ally. By assisting with and augmenting repetitive, mundane tasks, it frees people to focus on higher-value job duties and activities that require human intellect.Generative AI possesses case and chat summarization capabilities that streamline and enhance workflows. For IT and HR agents, the automated ability to condense intricate details into digestible formats boosts productivity and helps keep employees well informed.In addition, generative AI plays a vital role in helping employees easily find the information they need and quickly get their work done. Find out how to put this game-changing technology to use in our Empowering your workforce with generative AI webinar.2. Customer connectionsAI revolutionizes customer experience by using advanced algorithms that personalize interactions and predict preferences. This leads to heightened customer satisfaction and loyalty.Generative AI-powered chatbots, such as LIKE.TG Now Assist for Customer Service Management, offer 24/7 support for customers, enabling them to receive prompt and efficient assistance when they need it.The technology also equips customer service agents with case summaries to help them quickly get up to speed on customers’ concerns so they can provide rapid resolutions. Putting people first explores the transformative impact of generative AI on customer experience.3. Accelerated application developmentFour pivotal forces are reshaping application development: a scarcity of skilled developers, mounting cost pressures, demand for increased agility and efficiency, and urgency to accelerate productivity.Generative AI offers a way to transform the application development experience. Now Assist for Creator, for example, provides generative AI-driven assistance and guidance to developers. Its code-generation and flow-generation capabilities are designed to streamline the coding process to expedite software creation.Find out how in Generative AI to boost your low-code developer experience.

Productivity is not a one-size-fits-all concept. Different organizations have different needs, preferences, and goals for working efficiently and effectively. That’s why there is no single productivity tool or software that can suit everyone.Instead, you need to find the right combination of productivity tools and software to achieve your desired outcomes, whether you want to empower teams with seamless collaboration, optimize time management, or track the tiniest details of project performance.Productivity tools are beneficial for businesses in a multitude of ways, such as increasing customer satisfaction scores and elevating operations to new heights.In this blog, we’ll learn about what productivity apps are and which ones are the best in the market. What are productivity tools?Productivity tools are applications designed to help individuals and organizations improve their work efficiency and effectiveness.They streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and optimize time management to empower individuals and teams to achieve their goals with less effort and in less time.Selecting the right productivity apps for your business depends on the following factors:Nature of the workIndividual preferencesThe requirements of the team or organizationBest productivity tools on the marketA productive and efficient team significantly contributes to the success of your business. Various productivity tools serve different functions that you can explore to streamline and enhance your team’s efficiency. Here is a compilation of the top productivity apps available today.Customer service1. LIKE.TGLIKE.TG is advanced customer service software that improves support agents’ productivity by centralizing customer inquiries, streamlining ticket management, and facilitating team collaboration.This results in quicker resolutions and higher customer satisfaction.Key featuresAI Copilot: Analyze tickets, auto-translate them, generate responses, and summarize lengthy ticket conversationsTicket management: Organize and prioritize customer queries through a centralized systemKnowledge base: Maintain a knowledge base for quick issue resolution and self-service optionsMultichannel support: Manage customer communications across email and live chatAutomation: Automate repetitive tasks to improve response timesPredefined templates: Use canned responses for consistent answers to common questionsShared inbox: Organize support requests, route them to the right agents, and improve customer satisfactionTask management: Create and manage all ticket-related tasks or activities and speed up ticket resolutionMobile help desk: Provide customer support from any location, at any time with access to a mobile help desk app and boost your productivityReporting and analytics: Gather, gauge, and analyze different productivity metrics to understand and improve your customer support betterPricing plansAgent-Based plans:Scale: $25 for 3 agents/monthGrowth: $50 for 3 agents/monthEnterprise: $75 for 3 agents/monthUnlimited Agents plans:Essential: $799 per monthPro: $1499 per monthBusiness: Contact us2. HubSpotHubSpot is a cloud-based productivity software that integrates marketing, sales, and customer service.It automates workflows, analyzes data, and provides a user-friendly interface to save time and enhance customer engagement.Its Marketing Hub product allows teams to launch and manage marketing campaigns while utilizing HubSpot’s CRM system.This integration tracks customer interactions, creating a shared knowledge base for seamless team coordination and connection-building with potential clients.HubSpot centralizes customer journeys and team efforts, optimizing operations and encouraging internal collaboration.Key features Contact database and easy contact managementSync data across marketing, customer service, and sales teamsEmail tracking and templatesReports and analyticsPricingStarts at $18 per monthFree trial duration: 14 daysMobile device management3. ScalefusionScalefusion is a comprehensive MDM solution that helps businesses manage and secure a wide range of devices. It supports multiple operating systems, including Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows. Scalefusion offers robust device management capabilities, such as remote control, app management, and security policies, helping businesses maintain secure and efficient operations.Key Features:OS update and patch management – Manage and automate operating system updates and security patches across all managed devices.Conditional Email Access (CEA) – Control access to corporate email based on compliance with MDM policies.Windows App Catalog – Distribute and manage applications on Windows devices through a centralized app catalog.AirThink AI – AI tool based on OpenAI’s GPT language model, it’s designed and trained to assist IT Admins in managing their devices more efficiently. OneIdP IAM suite – Implement a unified identity provider (IdP) for seamless single sign-on (SSO) and enhanced security across all managed devices.Maker-Checker: Implement a multi-approval process for added security on device actions where one admin initiates an action and another approves it.Pricing Plan:Essential: $2 per device per month (billed annually)Growth: $3.5 per device per month (billed annually)Business: $5 per device per month (billed annually)Enterprise: $6 per device per month (billed annually)Free trial duration: 14 daysAutomation4. Appy Pie AutomateAppy Pie Automate is a powerful workflow automation tool designed to streamline business processes effortlessly. Users can create complex workflows, known as Connects, that initiate actions based on trigger events in one application and perform subsequent actions in another.Connects in Appy Pie Automate enable users to efficiently manage multiple tasks simultaneously, reducing manual effort and enhancing productivity.Key featuresAutomation: Build automated workflows (Connects) based on conditional triggers.App Integration: Seamlessly integrates with a wide range of apps and devices.Customization: Define triggers and actions to automate tasks precisely as needed.Sync: Synchronize tasks and calendars across various platforms for unified management.Appy Pie Automate supports extensive integrations, including Mailchimp integrations, ensuring compatibility with essential tools for marketing and communication.This tool is ideal for businesses seeking to automate repetitive tasks and optimize workflow efficiency without requiring extensive coding knowledge.Pricing: Starts at $12/mo. with Enterprise plans available.Free Trial Duration: 7 days5. ZapierZapier is a productivity tool that automates workflows by linking different apps and services without any coding.Users set up multistep automations, called Zaps, that depend on trigger events in one app and a resulting action performed in another app.Zaps allow users to complete multiple routine tasks at once, simplifying repetitive processes.Zapier is compatible with a diverse array of apps, making it a flexible solution. It also provides scheduling support, formatter tools, and webhooks to customize Zaps according to any business requirements.Key featuresAutomation workflowsMultistep ZapsTriggers and actionsIntegrationPricingStarts at $19 per monthFree trial duration: 14 daysProject management6. LeadSquaredLeadSquared is an advanced sales automation and CRM platform designed to streamline sales processes and drive business growth. With its intuitive interface and robust features, LeadSquared empowers sales teams to efficiently manage leads, track customer interactions, and close deals faster.The platform offers comprehensive tools for lead scoring, email automation, task management, and advanced analytics, ensuring that you can make data-driven decisions and optimize your sales strategy.Key featuresLead Scoring and Management: Prioritize leads effectively with dynamic scoring based on engagement and behavior, ensuring the sales team focuses on the most promising prospects.Email and Marketing Automation: Create, schedule, and track email campaigns with ease, automating repetitive tasks to nurture leads and maintain consistent communication.Sales Pipeline Management: Visualize and manage the sales pipeline with customizable stages, allowing to track the progress of each deal and forecast sales with accuracy.Task and Activity Management: Stay organized and boost productivity by assigning tasks, setting reminders, and tracking all customer interactions in one centralized platform.Pricing: Available upon request7. AsanaAsana is a versatile project management productivity tool known for its user-friendly interface.This productivity software handles work tracking and facilitates team collaboration with organizational tools.Strategic planning is enhanced through goal setting, portfolios, and reporting dashboards. Automation capabilities, forms, and templates streamline operations.With customizable workflows and strong integrations, Asana is essential for project management and team coordination.Key featuresTask management: Create, assign, and track tasks with due dates and prioritiesProject planning: Visualize project timelines with boards and Gantt chartsIntegrations: Connect with various apps to enhance functionalityCustomization: Adapt fields and templates for better task organizationPricingStarts at $10.99 per user/monthFree trial duration: 30 days8. nTasknTask is one of the project management productivity tools that combines task management, time tracking, and collaboration into one solution.It optimizes productivity with Gantt charts, risk management, and meeting modules.It includes Kanban boards for visual workflow management and effective team interactions.nTask seamlessly integrates timesheets into daily operations. It revolutionizes project and task management, empowering teams to achieve their goals with clarity and control.Key featuresProject management: Comprehensive tools for task and project managementTime tracking: Built-in time tracking features for better productivity analysisCollaboration: Discussion boards, document sharing, and team collaborationGantt charts: Visualize project timelines and dependenciesPricingStarts at $3 per monthFree trial duration: 7 days9. TrelloTrello is a well-regarded project management productivity tool that visualizes workflows, making project collaboration smooth and satisfying for support agents.Its intuitive design makes it simple to create and arrange tasks utilizing an eye-catching virtual board system.Effective monitoring and categorization are ensured by features like labels, checklists, and adjustable deadlines.For real-time collaboration, Trello easily integrates with other productivity apps, such as Slack and Google Drive.Trello also has an integrated automation solution, Butler, that helps teams work more efficiently by automating tedious activities.Key featuresVisual project management: Organize tasks on boards with cards and listsCollaboration: Assign tasks, comment on cards, and share boardsAutomation: Automate workflows and tasksPricingStarts at $5 per user/monthFree trial duration: 14 days10. GanttPROGanttPRO is an online project management productivity software designed to enhance productivity and collaboration within teams.At its core, GanttPRO provides a visual representation of project timelines through Gantt charts, allowing for clear and intuitive tracking of project progress.Users can select a grid view for detailed task information, a board view for agile project management, and a portfolio view for an overview of all ongoing projects.Key featuresInteractive Gantt charts for project planningTask dependencies and critical path analysisTeam collaboration with real-time updatesResource management and workload trackingPricingStarts at $7.99 per user/monthFree trial duration: 14 days11. ProofHubProofHub is a productivity software that revolutionizes project management and team collaboration.It promotes organization, accountability, and seamless communication. Users can assign tasks, manage workflows, and track time easily.It centralizes and streamlines processes, enhances collaboration, and encourages a cooperative workspace.Its real-time chat and comprehensive time tracking features ensure swift teamwork and effective time management.Key featuresTask management: Visualize task progress and dependencies through task lists and boardsIntegration: Integrate support for popular productivity apps like Google Calendar and DropboxTime tracking: Keep track of time spent on each stepDiscussion and collaboration: Centralize discussions for effective team communicationPricingStarts at $45 per monthFree trial duration: 14 daysTask management12. ClickUpClickUp is a versatile project management tool with customizable features for effective task management, collaboration, and advanced reporting.Its user-friendly interface allows easy switching between views and workflow automation.ClickUp docs and whiteboards facilitate team documentation and brainstorming.Key featuresTask management: Robust tools for creating, assigning, and tracking tasksProject management: Plan and manage projects with customizable featuresCollaboration: Shared workspaces, comments, and document sharingViews: Offers multiple views like Kanban, Gantt charts, and more to accommodate diverse workflowsPricingStarts at $7 per user/month13. TodoistTodoist is a comprehensive task management system that helps users organize, prioritize, and collaborate on tasks efficiently.The intuitive interface allows for quick setup of tasks, recurring due dates, and detailed sub-tasks, all neatly organized within customized projects.Todoist also visualizes progress to help users maintain motivation and focus. This productivity software is compatible across platforms, ensuring access to to-do lists and enabling seamless collaboration whether at your desk or on the go.Key featuresTask management: Prioritize tasks with due dates and priority levelsTo-do listsCollaboration: Real-time updates for collaborative workProductivity tracking: Track completed tasks and set daily/weekly goalsPricingStarts at $6 per user/month for teamsFree trial duration: 30 daysEmail management14. RightinboxRightinbox is a Gmail extension productivity software that transforms your inbox into a powerful tool for email management.With features like email scheduling, recurring emails, and email tracking, it optimizes your email interactions.It seamlessly integrates into Gmail, providing convenient options like send later and email reminders to help you stay organized.By using Rightinbox, users can streamline their email tasks and turn each correspondence into an opportunity for success.Key featuresEmail productivity: Enhances Gmail with features like email tracking and send laterEmail reminders: Set reminders so you never forget an important conversationRead receipts: Get notified when recipients read your emailsMultiple signatures: Set up custom signatures and use the right one at the right timePricingStarts at $ 7.95 per month15. ShiftShift is a productivity tool that simplifies digital workload management by bringing together multiple email accounts, applications, and extensions into a single interface.It improves productivity by offering quick access to emails, messaging platforms, and more. Shift enhances workflow efficiency with focused web tabs, a universal search feature, and customizable workspaces for collaboration.By consolidating all digital productivity apps into one interface, Shift boosts productivity and simplifies managing multiple accounts.Key featuresUnified interface: Centralized platform for managing multiple email accounts and applicationsApp integration: Easily switch between productivity tools, email, and messaging appsCross-platform: Works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and LinuxOffers focused web tabs and unified search across accountsPricingStarts at $149 per yearFree trial duration: 7 days16. FleepFleep is a flexible productivity tool designed to make teamwork and communication easier.Its smooth email integration makes it a unique messaging tool that lets you handle discussions without getting bogged down in never-ending email threads.It also streamlines file sharing, making it simple to send and retrieve crucial information.Key featuresTeam chat and instant messagingShared file storage and collaborationTask creation and project coordinationEmail integration for external communicationPricingStarts at €5 per user/monthCommunication17. SlackSlack is a productivity software collaboration hub that streamlines teamwork with messaging, file sharing, and project management.It offers real-time communication and organized channels for easy connection.With automated workflows and message archives, Slack enhances workforce productivity and collaboration.Key featuresReal-time messaging: Instant messaging for team communicationChannel organization: Structured channels for organized discussionFile sharing: Share documents, images, and files within the platformIntegration hub: Connects with a wide range of third-party apps for enhanced functionalityPricingStarts at $8.75 per user/monthFree trial duration: Contact for info18. GoTo MeetingGoTo Meeting is a versatile web conferencing productivity software that enhances virtual collaboration.Users can host and join meetings from any location.It offers features like screen sharing, recording, and note-taking, keeping participants organized and productive.The user-friendly interface provides clear audio and video for interaction and content sharing.GoTo Meeting easily transforms online meetings into dynamic conference calls, and keeps scheduling and starting meetings simple.Key featuresVideo conferencing: Host virtual meetings with high-quality video and audioScreen sharing: Collaborate by sharing screens during meetingsMeeting recording and transcriptionPricingStarts at $12 per organizer/monthFree trial duration: 14 days19. LoomLoom is a video messaging productivity software that allows you to record your screen, camera, microphone, and application audio.It automatically saves videos to the cloud and instantly provides a shareable link.Key features Video messaging and screen recordingQuick and easy video creationScreen capture for demonstrationsCommenting and feedback on videosPricingStarts at $12.50 per creator/monthFree trial duration: 14 days20. ChantyChanty is a flexible productivity software that improves teamwork and communication.Its user-friendly design integrates task management, video calling, and messaging.Its robust search function finds information fast, saving you time and effort.Chanty integrates with other apps to bring data together from wherever your team works.Features like video conferencing and voice calls improve team communication even further, fostering a cohesive and effective work atmosphere.Key featuresApp integration: Connect with third-party apps to enhance functionalityTask management: Create, assign, and track tasksVoice and video calls: Real-time communication for remote teamsPermissions: Define roles and assign access levels to team membersPricingStarts at $3 per user/monthTime tracking 21. TogglToggl Track is a reliable productivity software for tracking employee timesheets. Its user-friendly interface allows for effortless time tracking across projects.The software’s reporting capabilities provide insights into work habits, benefiting freelancers, teams, and businesses.By replacing traditional timesheets and integrating with multiple applications, Toggl saves time and optimizes efficiency.Key featuresTime tracking: Track billable and non-billable hoursReporting: Analyze project timelines and budget allocationIntegration: Integrate with various project management productivity toolsPricingStarts at $9 per user/monthFree trial duration: 30 days22. HarvestHarvest is a productivity tool for freelancers and project management teams.It focuses on accurate time tracking, expense tracking, and project budget management. It integrates with project management software for detailed reporting.Harvest simplifies billing processes, provides a clear overview of time allocation, and helps optimize workflow.It allows time tracking through web interfaces, smartphones, and external applications. Harvest is invaluable for productivity, accuracy, and financial transparency.Key featuresInvoicing: Create professional invoices based on tracked time and expensesDelivers intuitive time tracking across platforms and devicesReporting: Generate detailed reports for time analysis and project insightsPricingStarts at $10.80 per user/monthFree trial duration: 30 days23. EverhourEverhour is a useful productivity tool for freelancers and small businesses. It helps with tracking time, improving productivity, and simplifying billing tasks.The productivity app integrates with popular project management tools and allows for clear project planning and expense tracking.With comprehensive reports, users can effectively manage project budgets to promote growth and success.Key featuresTime tracking: Simple and intuitive interface for tracking work hoursBillable hours: Easily distinguish and track billable and non-billable hoursReporting: Generate reports for time analysis and project insightsTeam collaboration: Facilitates team communication on project progressPricingStarts at $8.50 per user/monthFree trial duration: 14 days24. HubstaffHubstaff is a productivity software that facilitates time tracking and increases team productivity.It provides activity monitoring and project management features that allow businesses to streamline operations, monitor remote teams, and optimize project workflows.It can be accessed via mobile or desktop apps.Key featuresTime tracking: Monitor work hours and activitiesProject management: Track projects, tasks, and team productivityInvoicing: Generate invoices based on tracked timePricingStarts at $4.99 per user/monthFree trial duration: 14 days25. ForestForest is a mobile app that boosts productivity by encouraging focused work intervals through a gamified approach, fostering better time management and reducing distractions.It turns concentration into a game, motivating users to grow virtual trees as they focus on tasks.If users leave the app, their tree withers, encouraging them to stay engaged.Experience a peaceful digital forest, with each tree reflecting your attention to tasks. Embrace this unique method, plant your first tree, and watch your forest flourish as a symbol of your accomplishments.Key featuresFocus management: Encourages focus by growing virtual trees during work sessionsGamification: Users earn rewards for avoiding distractionProductivity tracking: Analyzes daily focus patterns and screen timeCustomization: Allows users to set their focus duration and preferencesPricingForest is available in free or paid formats for Android, and is only available as a paid app for iOS. It is also available as a Google Chrome extension.26. PaymoPaymo is one of the productivity tools for small- and medium-sized businesses that enhances productivity.It integrates resource scheduling, Gantt charts, and invoicing to optimize workflows and improve efficiency.With robust time tracking features, Paymo allows users to monitor jobs accurately and generate informative reports.Paymo’s intuitive interface makes it a valuable partner in project success and business growth.Key featuresProject management: Plan, execute, and track projects with task management featuresTime tracking: Monitor billable hours, time entries, and expensesInvoicing: Create professional invoices based on tracked timeReporting: Generate detailed reports for project insights and financial analysisPricingStarts at $5.90 per user/monthFree trial duration: 15 daysKnowledge management27. Bit.aiBit.ai is a premier document collaboration productivity app that provides a unified space for creating, collaborating, and organizing knowledge effortlessly.With customizable workflows and workspaces, teams can tailor their environment for seamless document management.Key featuresCustomizable workflows: Tailor your collaborative environment for efficient project managementCollaboratibe workspaces: Create dedicated spaces for different projects or teamsAI Genius: Enhance productivity with an AI-powered content creation toolMultimedia integration: Embed rich media in documents for a dynamic and engaging experiencePricingStarts at $8 per user/month28. EvernoteEvernote is one of the versatile productivity tools that provides a centralized platform for comprehensive note-taking, document organization, and multimedia integration that ensures seamless information retrieval across devices.It offers features like task management, document scanning, and web clipping to improve productivity.It is essential for professionals, students, and anyone who values organization.Key featuresNote-taking: Use text, images, audio, scans, PDFs, and documentsOrganization: Utilize notebooks, tags, and a hierarchical structure for efficient organizationCross-platform: Evernote syncs notes across devices for accessibility on the goPowerful search capabilities and customizable dashboardPricingStarts at $10.83 per monthFree trial duration: 14 days29. Dropbox PaperDropbox Paper is a productivity software that provides collaborative workspaces and streamlines document-centric tasks.Key featuresReal-time collaborative document editingTask assignment and inline commentingIntegration with Dropbox for file storageSupport for multimedia content in documentsPricingIncluded with Dropbox, which starts at $20 per user/month for teams.Free trial duration: 30 daysNote-taking30. SimplenoteSimplenote is one of the productivity apps that is an effective and easily accessible note-taking program.Its elegant design makes seamless cross-device synchronization possible.Orderly management of notes is encouraged by its uncluttered design.A smooth note-taking experience is facilitated by features like version history, labeling, and quick syncing.Simplenote is among the useful productivity apps for organizing processes and taking notes while on the go.Key featuresMinimalist note-taking: Quick and easy note creation with a clean interfaceSynchronization: Sync notes across devicesTags: Organize notes with tags for easy retrievalCollaboration: Share and collaborate on notesPricingFree, but provides an optional $19.99 per month subscription to support Simplenote’s development.31. Google KeepGoogle Keep is among the user-friendly note-taking productivity apps that boosts productivity.It includes support to create, store, and manage notes, lists, and reminders.Accessible on multiple devices and browsers, it is widely used for individual and collaborative note-taking.Its intuitive interface resembles digital sticky notes, enabling users to jot down thoughts and to-dos anytime, anywhere.Key featuresSimple note-taking: Capture and organize notes, checklists, and imagesReminders: Set reminders based on time or locationCross-platform sync: Access and sync notes across devicesOrganization: Color-code and label notesPricingIncluded with Google Workspace, which starts at $6 per user/month for businesses.Free trial duration: 14 days32. Box NotesBox Notes is a game-changing productivity software that transforms team collaboration on documents.This online note-taking productivity software simplifies note creation and real-time sharing while boosting productivity with its extensive version history, robust templates.The interactive commenting features fosters efficient teamwork and document management.With its live editing feature, Box Notes guarantees secure and effortless idea flow among team members.Key featuresCollaborative note-taking: Create and edit notes in real time with team membersIntegration with Box: Allows seamless access to cloud storageRich embeds: Preview Box files like videos and presentations inside a notePricingStarts at $5 per user/monthFree trial duration: 14 daysThe power of productivity toolsBy integrating the right productivity apps, companies can foster a culture of continuous improvement and agility in any department, enabling them to respond to market demands with finesse and deliver exceptional service that keeps customers coming back for more.Embracing these technologies for small business ideas is not just about keeping up; it’s about setting the pace in a world where exceptional operational efficiency and customer delight go hand in hand.Schedule a free trial or book a live demo of LIKE.TG to experience the various features that can maximize your support agents’ productivity. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the LIKE.TG team.We hope you found this blog on productivity tools helpful and insightful. We’re eager to hear your feedback. How have you incorporated productivity tools into your day-to-day work?Do you have any advice or strategies for improving team collaboration and streamlining workflow processes using these productivity apps? Share your suggestions and experiences in the comment section below.

With advancements in technology being embraced, the need for the best SaaS tools in different sectors and departments, such as support, HR, management, reporting, business intelligence, and more, has never been more emphasized.Irrespective of your industry and market, having the right SaaS tools as your productivity and efficiency companion is the best investment for any business looking for that “wow” factor that will make it stand out.This article highlights the compilation of the best SaaS tools in different industries, which are essential for most businesses to consider. What are SaaS tools?SaaS (software as a service) tools refer to any software that is cloud-based, meaning it is hosted online and users can access it via the internet. Generally, SaaS tools require no installation steps to set up and start using.Different SaaS tools have unique features and capabilities to suit different businesses’ needs and preferences. They also cater to businesses of all sizes, including startups, small-to-medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprises.What are the advantages of SaaS tools?Most companies, irrespective of industry and business size, are opting for SaaS for good reasons.User-friendliness: To begin with, SaaS software requires minimal installation and onboarding. All you need to do is simply sign up or log in and you’re good to go!Pricing: When it comes to the initial and operation costs, SaaS generally has lower expenses, compared to the other types of software. It also has varying pricing plans that can accommodate most businesses’ budgets.Accessibility: Most SaaS tools are easily accessible because they are cloud-based, with a majority of them having mobile app support.Scalability: Most of these SaaS tools are scalable. This means they can easily accommodate businesses of varying sizes, from startups to small-to-medium businesses, and enterprises.Wide-range integrations: What’s more, most of SaaS software comes with third-party app integrations.The best SaaS tools in the market today (2024)The following are the best SaaS tools for enterprises that different industries are fast embracing because of their many advantages, such as scalability, security, pricing, user-friendly interfaces, and more. Let’s dive in!Help desk SaaS toolsHaving cloud-based help desk software in any business is vital for managing all customer service operations. The ideal SaaS support tools should be comprehensive, with features such as a ticketing system, AI, automation, multilanguage support, reporting and analytics, multichannel support, task management, and mobile support, just to mention a few.1. LIKE.TGLIKE.TG is the best AI-powered help desk for businesses looking for an all-in-one customer service solution to streamline their support operations.Features It has a comprehensive range of functionalities:Ticketing system to quickly resolve and manage customers’ inquiries and requests.Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation capabilities to streamline support teams’ workflows and boost productivity.Multilingual knowledge base software to ensure information is readily available for self-service in the end-users’ preferred languages.Multiple communication channels such as live chat, emails, and phone calls.Reports and analytics tools to keep track of the performance of different areas of support.Rebranding and customization of ticket fields and forms to suit specific business needs.Wide-range integrations with third-party apps for enhanced agent productivity and collaboration.Mobile support that helps businesses provide on-the-go customer service, ensuring issue resolution is just one click away.Task management to manage and keep track of the progress of each internal teams’ tasks.Multilanguage support that ensures support teams and customers can communicate with ease, irrespective of their native language.PricingFree for startupsScale: $25/month for 3 agentsGrowth: $50/month for 3 agentsEnterprise: $75/month for 3 agentsFree trial period: 15 Days To know more, feel free to reach out to the LIKE.TG support team. You can also book a live demo for a detailed explanation of how the help desk software functions. Start a free trial today, to get the first-hand experience of LIKE.TG’s simple, yet powerful, intuitive features!2. GlassixGlassix is unified inbox software that leverages AI to ensure all business conversations, between internal teams and customers, are managed in one platform. It has SaaS support tools such as canned replies, smart tagging, AI, omnichannel support, and more.FeaturesUnified inboxChatbots and conversational AIMessaging channelsPricing: Starting at $49 per user/monthFree trial: 30 days3. TalkdeskTalkdesk is an AI-powered, SaaS contact center for customer support. It consists of features such as omnichannel support, customer self-service options, customizations, and collaboration tools.FeaturesSelf-servicePre-built integrationsWorkforce managementPricing: Starting at $85 per user/monthFree trial: Not availableReporting and analytics SaaS toolsEvery business needs to have comprehensive reporting and analytics software to get accurate and valuable insights on the performance of different areas and to know the right measures to take to improve operations.4. Bold ReportsBold Reports is a user-friendly reporting SaaS tool with powerful features that take data measurement, report distribution, and management to a different level.It consists of functionalities such as data preparation, 360 visualization tools, embedding capabilities, and more. Bold Reports analytics tools ensure all businesses can clearly visualize and securely access their reports, and quickly make insightful data-driven decisions.Features360 data visualizationDeep embeddingReport distributionWhite labellingMultiple export formatsPricing: Starting at $445Free trial: 15 days5. UniqodeUniqode helps businesses simplify their operations and boost workplace productivity with QR Codes. By using QR codes, businesses can simplify onboarding and recruitment, streamline attendance, collect feedback seamlessly, asset tracking and more. FeaturesDynamic QR Code – Edit your QR Code destination with ease without worrying about reprintingBulk create up to 2000 QR Codes at onceTrack your QR Codes. Understand how people engage with themEasily integrates with 5000+ communication, CRM and other automation tools.6. DatapineDatapine is an interactive business intelligence platform with a variety of dashboards for securely accessing, visualizing, sharing, and managing company data.FeaturesData connectorsEmbedded analyticsDashboardsPricing: $249 per monthFree trial: Not available7. InfoCaptorInfoCaptor is documentation and ad-hoc dashboard reporting software for data prototyping, visualization, and analytics. It is one of the SaaS tools for startups and small businesses using open-source applications.FeaturesLive dashboardsDatabaseWebsite servicesPricing: $39 per monthFree trial: 60 minutes (dashboard consultation for new users)Business Intelligence SaaS toolsFor any business to get insightful information and make good decisions, they need the best business intelligence SaaS tools in the market. Such tools should include powerful features for real-time data analysis, reporting, and visualization, with a variety of dashboards and predictive analytics tools.8. BoldBIBoldBI is cloud-based analytics and business intelligence software. It consists of powerful capabilities such as embedded analytics, data connectors, and real-time data visualization, that help businesses make good data-driven decisions.FeaturesEmbedded analyticsData connectivityPredictive analyticsData visualizationSecurityPricing: Starting at $445Free trial: 15 days9. DatafloDataflo is business intelligence software with data analytics and visualization capabilities that assist organizations to analyze and keep track of their data, leading to actionable and insight-driven decisions.FeaturesCustom dashboardsGoal monitoringSlack centerPricing: Starting at $99 per monthFree trial: 7 days10. DomoDomo is another business intelligence SaaS platform using AI to perform data visualization and analytics functionalities, helping organizations to get insights and make informed decisions. It includes features such as embedded analytics, visualizations and dashboards, reporting and self-service analytics, and more.FeaturesVisualizationReportingData sciencePricing: Contact Domo’s supportFree trial: 30 daysE-Signature SaaS toolsElectronic signature SaaS tools are designed to make it easy for end-users to create, sign and manage digital documents, and ensure the security and compliance standards during the signing process.11. BoldSignBoldSign is a SaaS electronic signature platform that enables businesses of all sizes to securely create, send, and keep track of the e-signatures of their digital documents. It includes key features such as e-signatures, document tracking and management, localization, user management, bulk link signing, and mobile support, among others.FeaturesElectronic signature requestsDocument managementBulk sending and linksLocalizationUser managementPricing: Starting at $10/month for 3 usersFree trial: 30 days12. GetAcceptGetAccept is a digital sales room platform that offers secure e-signature features for creating, sending, and tracking digital documents, empowering support sales teams to perform better.FeaturesElectronic signatureSales content managementContracts and proposalsPricing: $49/user/monthFree trial: 14 days13. Nitro SignNitro Sign is a SaaS e-signature tool for signing, sharing, and managing documents digitally in a simple yet secure way. It consists of features such as electronic signatures, audit trails, document management, bulk signing, integration, and mobile support.FeaturesElectronic signaturesIntegrations and API connectivityDocument managementPricing: Starting at $17.39 per user/monthFree trial: 14 daysHuman resource management SaaS toolsEvery company needs software that can help them seamlessly manage everything about employees. This is where human resource management (HRM) SaaS tools come into play.14. BambooHRBambooHR is one such SaaS tool for human resource management. It simplifies processes such as payroll, hiring, onboarding, employee reporting, database management, and more.FeaturesHR data and reportingHiring and onboardingPayroll, time, and benefitsPricing: Starting at $12 per employee/monthFree trial: 7 days15. Zira.aiZira.ai is an AI-powered staff management solution that streamlines workflows through capabilities such as task or shift management, optimization of complex schedules, time and attendance tracking, and employee communication.FeaturesSchedulingTime and attendancePolicy enginePricing: Starting at $4Free trial: Available16. Hi BobHi Bob is an HR SaaS tool designed with functionalities like time and attendance tracking, workforce planning, managing payroll, monitoring performance, hiring, and onboarding management. Bob empowers HR teams, managers and employees to easily work with and manage all HR-related processes.FeaturesCore HRHiring and onboardingUK payrollPricing: Contact Hi BobFree trial: Not availableVideo conferencing SaaS toolsWhen it comes to remote work, webinars, online collaboration, and virtual meetings, especially for people in different locations, having the best SaaS tools for video conferencing is vital. Every business needs a video conferencing tool to streamline their communication, collaborate better, and enhance their productivity.17. Cisco Webex MeetingsCisco Webex Meetings is a cloud-based video conferencing solution that provides businesses with comprehensive capabilities for webinars or meetings that are professional with high-quality video and audio.It includes features such as meeting recording, screen and file sharing, and real-time messaging. It also has AI-powered features such as breakout rooms, transcription, and noise cancellation.FeaturesMeetings, events, and webinarsCalling and messagingWhiteboardingPricing: Starting at $14.50/ license/ monthFree trial: 90 days18. LivestormLivestorm is a SaaS video conferencing and webinar platform ideal for all types of webinars, virtual meetings, and events. It supports screen sharing, AI transcription, chats, analytics, and more, ensuring businesses have engaging webinars with their audiences every time.FeaturesAI transcriptionsScreen sharingVideo messagingPricing: Starting at $79/month, billed annuallyFree trial: Available19. LifesizeLifesize is a cloud-based video conferencing platform that can be used for meetings of all sorts, from personal calls to large conference meetings. It supports video, audio, recording screen sharing, third-party app integration, and more.FeaturesDirectory supportAudio conferencingMeeting recordingsPricing: Starting at $88 per monthFree trial: 14 daysProject management SaaS toolsBusinesses always need project management SaaS tools to easily manage tasks, plan and keep track of project progress, and more. The following are the best SaaS tools for project management.20. WrikeWrike is a collaborative project management SaaS tool with features like customizable dashboards, collaboration tools, and Gantt charts for task management, resource allocation, project planning, and tracking, for better team productivity and collaboration.FeaturesDashboardsGantt chartsProofingPricing: Starting at $9.80 per user/monthFree trial: 14 days21. CeloxisCeloxis is comprehensive project management software that includes comprehensive tools such as Gantt charts, time sheets, analytics, risk management, and project dashboards. Celoxis is ideal for task management, project tracking, resource allocation, reporting, and financial management. It empowers teams to streamline their workflows better.FeaturesDashboards and analyticsGantt chartsTime sheetsPricing: Starting at $15 per month, billed annuallyFree trial: 14 days22. QuipQuip is a unified productivity platform, suitable for Salesforce end-users looking to streamline their workflows and enhance team collaboration. It supports project management through features such as embedded documents, real-time collaboration, chats, and spreadsheets. Sales teams can collaborate in creating and editing documents, project time tracking, and task management.FeaturesEmbedded documentsChatsSpreadsheetsPricing: Starting at $10/ user / monthFree trial: 30 daysMarketing SaaS toolsBrand awareness and marketing plays a major role in customer acquisition and retention. The best SaaS marketing platforms should have a user-friendly interface and comprehensive marketing tools with affordable pricing plans.23. Constant ContactConstant Contact is a SaaS marketing platform for small businesses looking to grow through digital marketing. It has SaaS tools for small businesses to manage email marketing, social media marketing campaigns, text/SMS marketing, and event registration.FeaturesList-building toolsAI and automationDigital marketingPricing: Starting at $12 per monthFree trial: 30 days24. ActiveCampaignActiveCampaign is an AI-powered email and marketing automation solution, ideal for businesses looking to personalize their marketing campaign efforts and enhance their customer engagement. It has comprehensive functionalities such as email marketing, sales automation, omnichannel marketing, CRM, and audience management.FeaturesMarketing automationAudience managementContent creationPricing: Starting at $145 per monthFree trial: 14 days25. LoomLoom is an AI-powered video marketing and communication SaaS tool. It includes video messaging features such as screen and camera recording, transcription, video editing, storage, and more. It is ideal for any business that wants to create, edit, share, and store video in a personalized and interactive way.FeaturesTranscriptionVideo editingScreen recordingPricing: Starting at $ 12.50/ creator/ monthFree trial: 14 daysOnline survey SaaS toolsGetting end-users to provide feedback is one of the most challenging yet rewarding processes. The ideal survey and feedback platform should have a wide range of templates and customizations to choose from.26. Zonka FeedbackZonka Feedback is a customer feedback and survey platform that enables businesses to collect, analyze, and act on end-users’ feedback. It offers comprehensive features such as survey templates, customization options, reporting and analytics tools, real-time customer feedback, and multichannel distribution capabilities.FeaturesBuild and customize surveysSurvey distribution channelsReports and analyticsPricing: Starting at $49 per monthFree trial: 14 days27. TypeformTypeform is an online survey and form building SaaS platform designed for businesses to create personalized and interactive survey experiences. It offers various template options, multiple question types, and customization options like conditional logic.FeaturesForm builder (sign ups and orders)Survey marker (research and feedback)Quiz maker (trivia and product match)Pricing: Starting at $25 per monthFree trial: Not available28. SurveyMonkeySurveyMonkey is an online AI-driven survey and feedback tool for businesses to create, analyze, and distribute surveys in a personalized and efficient way. It includes features such as customization options, multichannel distribution methods, data analytics and reporting tools, multiple templates, and question types.FeaturesSurveys and formsTemplatesMultichannel distributionPricing: Starting at $25/user/monthFree trial: 30 daysInternal communication SaaS toolsBusinesses can make their employees communication, collaboration, and productivity better by investing in the right internal communication SaaS tools.29. ClaritiClariti is a communication and collaboration SaaS tool that integrates chats, calendars, emails, social media conversations, and documents into a single unified platform. It includes comprehensive communication features such as to-do lists, conversation threads, and integration with cloud storage apps, for easier team interactions and project management.FeaturesCalendarIntegrationsChats and collaboration toolsPricing: Starting at $5/user/monthFree trial: 14 days30. JiveJive is an enterprise employee engagement platform that provides a centralized space for different departments and teams across an organization to communicate, share knowledge, and collaborate effectively. Jive includes features such document sharing, discussion forums, and activity streams.FeaturesAI content miningIntegrationsDocument managementPricing: Contact JiveFree trial: 30 days31. RyverRyver is an online team communication and task management SaaS tool that offers businesses a unified app for teams to collaborate in real-time and get more organized. It provides features such as voice and video call support, direct group messaging, team chat support, topic-based forums, file sharing, and more.FeaturesCustom conversation channelsCollaboration spacesSingle sign-on (SSO)Pricing: Starting at $4 per userFree trial: 14 daysCustomer relationship management (CRM) SaaS toolsCRM SaaS tools are a must-have for businesses that need to keep track of their sales progress, manage customer interactions, organize their data, and get insights into customers’ pain points or behavioral patterns.32. PipedrivePipedrive is a cloud-based customer relationship management tool designed to help streamline sales processes for more deal-closing. It provides customization and automation features that make it easy for sales teams to track their sales pipelines and performance, manage their sales deals, and automate sales operations.FeaturesLead managementPipeline managementWorkflow and marketing automationPricing: Starting at $12/ seat / monthFree trial: 14 days33. CloseClose is a simple CRM SaaS tool that focuses on building customer relations. It has capabilities such as built-in calling, SMS and emailing that ensure fast and efficient communication for sales teams. It also has features like sales pipeline management, reporting tools and task automation, ensuring businesses manage their sales processes effectively.FeaturesCommunication supportAutomationReportingPricing: Starting at $49/user/monthFree trial: 14 days34. SugarCRMSugarCRM is a comprehensive cloud-based CRM system that utilizes AI to offer marketing automation, sales automation, and customer service solutions. It includes features such as a robust cloud infrastructure, time awareness, AI-powered predictions, and multilevel customization capabilities.FeaturesSales and marketing automationMail and calendar integrationBuilt-in AIPricing: Starting at $49/ user / monthFree trial: 7 daysChoose the best SaaS tools for your businessHaving looked at the best SaaS tools, with the best capabilities, features, and pricing plans, the decision now lies with you, the esteemed end-user. Consider a platform to suit your specific needs, one that is best for your budget yet is also comprehensive, scalable, and user-friendly, with reviews from existing customers.When it comes to outstanding customer support, LIKE.TG takes it home. From the comprehensive features to the affordable pricing plans, the user-friendly yet intuitive interface and the readily available support, it is worth considering!

The manufacturing skills gap is projected to leave more than 2 million jobs unfilled by 2030, costing the US economy as much as $1 trillion, according to a report by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute.When COVID-19 hit, about 1.4 million people lost manufacturing jobs, according to the report. Although the industry has hired back many workers, hundreds of thousands of positions remain unfilled. On top of layoffs, workers are retiring en masse.In response, manufacturers are scrambling to change their processes related to hiring, onboarding, and knowledge sharing. The emerging workforce will need to manage Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices, use analytical tools to inform their decisions, and oversee technologically advanced operations—while keeping the lights on and training the next generation.At the same time, manufacturers have to keep up with evolving regulatory guidelines to improve safety and ensure compliance. To meet these needs, manufacturers are trying to build the smart factory of the future.Factory workers are an integral part of this journey. After all, better enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES), computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), robots, conveyers, and machinery still require people to make everything run.Executives should work to build a connected workforce that leverages digital tools to streamline processes and digitize knowledge. Let's explore four benefits of a connected workforce in manufacturing:1. Reduced human errorIn the coming years, manufacturers will need to onboard new workers and upskill them with on-the-job training. Experienced employees can quickly pivot to a different production run or collaborate with the team, but new hires need extra help. While new hires are getting up to speed, they have the potential to make mistakes. According to the Department of Energy, 80% to 90% of downtime is caused by human error.To reduce human error, manufacturers rely on standard operating procedures (SOPs) recorded in paper manuals or orally communicated by employees. But with the current labor shortages, and with the rapid evolution of manufacturing technologies, organizations can’t rely on paper and institutional knowledge. Outdated SOPs can even cause dangerous workplace conditions.A connected workforce that leverages digitally recorded SOPs will find it easier to capture and relay information. Digital workflows can seamlessly guide employees to execute tasks and procedures accurately, with easy accessibility from a laptop or mobile device. Digital record keeping and knowledge transfer prevent human error, provide intuitive training for new hires, and allow employees to keep up with evolving processes. 2. Supercharged efficiencyCreating a connected workforce breaks down silos and contributes to a better employee experience. Workers should be able to communicate digitally and access information on a single platform—from their office, the factory floor, or off-site.Manufacturers should look into systems that connect and allow collaboration across ERP, MES, quality management, customer service, and customer relationship management (CRM). Easier collaboration and clearer context can help employees make better, faster decisions, driving efficiency across the entire production team.3. Improved OEE and COGMConnecting plant operators with mobile digital tools enables work to get done faster, better, and at a lower cost. Digital SOPs helps ensure that even your newest hire performs the next best possible action. IoT insights, previously confined to management dashboards, are turned into workflows that drive action on the factory floor.Escalations alert operators to leave non-urgent routine tasks and rally where they’re most needed. Research has shown these improvements can yield a significant improvement in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and reduce cost of goods manufactured (COGM).4. Increased standard work and safety complianceManufacturers are burdened with considerable regulatory reporting, from filling out forms to sending emails to making sure papers are signed. Moving those tasks online can ease the burden.When simple routine tasks such as 5S and safety inspections are digitized, the system sees to it that nothing is missed. Auditable records with time and date stamps are stored in the cloud. Issue reporting and alerts go out to the appropriate teams, with appropriate escalation paths if responses are not timely.Transform your operational processesA connected workforce is the key to manufacturing success—enabling your team to drive better action on the factory floor. With all information and feedback captured in one platform, built-in predictive intelligence analyzes trends and uncovers opportunities for improvement.Find out how LIKE.TG® Manufacturing Connected Workforce puts employees front and center, gives plant leaders visibility into processes and roadblocks, and equips workers with the tools they need to succeed from day one.

Remote work was here long before COVID was present, although it was rarely implemented. Now studies listed on Small Biz Trends inform us that remote work will now become commonplace — even after the effects of the pandemic have passed. By the end of 2025, over 36 million Americans will be working remotely. This is double the numbers from three years ago. A large reason why the number of remote workers is growing is attributed to the flexible work schedules they can provide. Flexible work schedules allow employees to work whenever they want and attend to responsibilities outside of their job, increasing their productivity levels and overall satisfaction. For a more in-depth discussion on benefits, however, we've outlined a couple below: Improves productivity levels Flexible work means being able to make time for other things, like hobbies. And it just so happens that being able to indulge in said hobbies can greatly increase productivity — a testimonial on Harvard Business Review wrote as much. According to Gaetano DiNardi, a marketing lead for Nextiva, spending time on his guitar between work hours allowed him to take breaks and reawaken his creativity, leading him to perform better at his job. It even boosted his "creative confidence." "When I face a tough challenge at work and feel stymied, I can start to question whether I’ll ever figure out a successful solution," he admits. "But after an hour of shredding on the guitar, hitting notes perfectly, I’m feeling good [...] And when I face that work project again, I bring confidence with me." All in all, when people have time for their passions, it positively affects their work performance. Attracts more talent Since many people have experienced the benefits of flexible working hours, most of them prefer maintaining this work setting. In our article entitled Job Applicants Want Remote Work Than Ever Before, we discussed how 70% of employees prefer a remote working position over an in-office one, simply because of the convenience and flexibility of it. Companies that implement flexible job options attract more job seekers and gain new hires. Consequently, more applicants mean a greater and more diverse pool of talent to choose from. Increases job satisfaction Working from home or any location enables employees to have more time to attend to their other duties, like family. Lauren, one of the remote nurse practitioners featured by telehealth network Wheel testified how a flexible remote work setup has granted her the opportunity to fulfill her role as a mom. "I am able to be an active parent, support my husband as a teacher, and make time for myself," she says. The flexibility of her job has even helped her settle into her new home without the added stressors, and she has never been happier. And when you have a happy and satisfied employee, a myriad of good things will follow, such as better work outputs, a more positive workplace culture, and, most importantly, an increased likelihood of staying in the company. This leads us to our next point. Decreases employee turnover The more satisfied workers are, the less likely they are to quit and find a job somewhere else. And as previously mentioned, many employees are happy with a flexible, work from home setup. Research mentioned on PR Newswire even states that many people prioritized the benefits of flexible work schedules over a promotion or higher role, and would gladly stay in a company that offered such a perk. Moreover, the hiring process requires more resources because of the background checks, interviews, and training that you have to do. Retaining happy and loyal employees is better for your business than recruiting new hires. Flexible work schedules are now part of what job seekers look for and what employees hope their company would start or sustain. It increases productivity, improves satisfaction, decreases employee turnover, and attracts a lot of talent. Author Bio: This article is written by our marketing team at LIKE.TG. LIKE.TG is dedicated to providing powerful solutions for your HR teams and creating an exceptional employee experience. Our aim is to help your company improve employee engagement, onboarding, and to save you valuable time!

IT management can be costly and time-consuming without streamlined processes and systems to support your business goals. With the quickened pace of business requiring faster scale, leaders and decision-makers must find ways to adapt and optimize their processes.Combining IT Service Management (ITSM) and IT Operations Management (ITOM) can help you prioritize operations efficiency while delivering the best service to your employees. ITOM helps keep your business running smoothly while ITSM helps keep your employees happy with timely and excellent IT service.Discover four benefits of combining ITSM and ITOM in these LIKE.TG webinars:A single source of truthWellStar Health wanted to optimize its operations to deliver world-class experiences for both customers and employees. In our WellStar Health overhauls their CMDB webinar, learn how a single source of IT truth helped the organization save 26 days in root cause analysis and decrease mean time to repair (MTTR) by 25%.Eliminated silosAs company demands continue to increase, shifting from legacy IT tools to the cloud can keep your business running smoothly. LIKE.TG Predictive AIOps, part of ITOM, can help you automate issue identification and reduce MTTR to achieve your targeted key performance indicators.Watch our Breaking down the siloed web of legacy IT tools webinar to learn how to empower your IT team with a single cloud system.Enterprise visibilityDo you find your IT management is costly, chaotic, and inefficient? Adopting a cloud system that spans both ITSM and ITOM can help you gain quick results and lower incident rates.Watch our Gain visibility across the enterprise with ITSM and ITOM webinar to learn how ITSM and ITOM can help you drive down costs and stay competitive.Automated IT service deliverySpeed and agility are crucial in today’s marketplace. As businesses continue to innovate to meet the needs of both customers and employees, shifting to one platform for all IT management can help you keep up with demands.Check out our Automate IT service delivery webinar to learn how you can scale your IT needs and reduce outages.Managing your IT systems doesn’t have to be difficult. Combining ITSM and ITOM in a single cloud platform can help you be more proactive in executing your business operations.