Posts by Richard Eyraud

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to gain more traction, the technology is dramatically impacting the workforce. Like it or not, AI is replacing many job functions, especially among lower-level IT workers. And we all know why: manual, respective tasks can be performed by AI quicker and cheaper. But we have to be aware that no role is immune to being made obsolete. Even CIOs. This is not a scare tactic, or a fear-driven campaign created…  MORE

If you’re like most of us in the tech world, you’re always being exposed to new possibilities for applying AI to projects. The technology continues to improve productivity, efficiency, and experiences, which is especially apparent with e-commerce. For starters, AI is revolutionizing how consumers use search. Whereas traditional search often delivers mostly irrelevant results, generative AI provides much more accurate results. That’s because AI can leverage the context of search queries, which in turn means…  MORE

Not so long ago, a retailer’s brand perception was based solely on the quality of their products. But the criteria for how one views a retailer is no longer so simple. Today, from the consumer perspective, it’s all about the experience. People want a quick and intuitive way to browse and buy. They want to automatically be served complementary options. They want hassle-free options for interacting with customer support. All of these demands make up…  MORE

Technology can do wonders for growing retail operation. The right combination of software and systems improve the customer experience, enhance employee productivity, and optimize the supply chain. Cutting-edge technology can also provide another key benefit: frictionless shopping. “Frictionless shopping” means eliminating unnecessary steps or obstacles between a consumer’s desire to buy and the completion of the transaction. There has always been “friction” in retail, ever since the first medieval merchants set up shop hundreds of…  MORE

Today’s retail consumers want more than the best product at the best price. According to the prevailing thinking, if they’re going to spend their hard-earned money, whatever they buy better be environmentally-friendly. Along with that mindset, shoppers also have access to information about a brand’s sustainability record. They can no longer be fooled by feel-good corporate slogans about their “commitment to protecting the planet”. So if retailers want to appeal to consumers who care about…  MORE

Physical security and cybersecurity measures have traditionally been viewed as separate efforts. But integrating the two provides a host of benefits: enhanced threat detection, improved response efforts, decreased costs, and ultimately a stronger security presence. Connecting both physical and cybersecurity is critical due to the ever-increasing interconnected world, both in business specifically and society in general. Consider the how The Internet of Things (IoT) is meshing more each day with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT)…  MORE

If you lead an IT team — or manage someone who leads an IT team — their performance is always your top priority. Yet motivating employees to be more productive can easily cross the line into annoyance, resentment, and ultimately decreased morale. That’s not a good situation when your IT team is a crucial aspect of your competitive advantage. IT leaders must strike the right balance: Keep people excited to go farther while not stepping…  MORE

When retail leaders have trouble sleeping at night, it’s not necessarily because they’re worried about low sales of specific products. Rather, their lack of rest stems from more of a high-level concern: How can they provide faster delivery, keep costs low, improve efficiency and security, and better predict the forces that will affect the supply chain? And more than ever, major retailers are turning to GPS tracking technology as the answer to that multi-pronged question….  MORE