eCommerce Integration a Top Tech Trend to Watch in 2022

eCommerce Integration a Top Tech Trend to Watch in 2022eCommerce Integration a Top Tech Trend to Watch in 2022

eCommerce Integration a Top Tech Trend to Watch in 2022

Technology has always evolved to adapt to a changing world and the changing needs of the people who live in it. That fact couldn’t be more evident than it has been in the past few years.

The shifting expectations of consumers and employees, fueled by the increase in hybrid and remote work environments and online shopping over the past couple of years, demands solutions that make working and shopping easier than ever. This has given rise to predictions for the top tech trends in 2022.

Tech Trends to Watch

Boomi’s 2022 Tech Trend Predictions outlines the top tech trends to follow in 2022. These tech trends include:

  • Low-code solutions – With IT staff and skill shortages looming large in the tech industry, the need for low-code solutions to accomplish digital transformations is a must.
  • Automation – Automation will be taken to the next level in 2022, relieving employees from performing manual tasks that are time-consuming and prone to error and lowering operational costs across industries.
  • Integration in the workplace – The need to work remotely a significant amount of time and The Great Resignation, both driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, has resulted in the need to develop data-driven processes and onboarding that will ensure better employee experiences.
  • The customer experience – Organizations that do not make use of integration to create a superior user experience will lose ground to their competitors.

With these trends in mind, let’s take a closer look at integration and the customer experience, particularly when it comes to ecommerce.

The Need for Integration in eCommerce

There is no industry where speed is more important than in the ecommerce industry. In the past 10 years, consumers have come to expect immediate connectivity and service at lightning speed. The COVID-19 pandemic has only increased the expectations of consumers as more and more people have turned to online shopping.

In the U.S., 52% of people are shopping more online, including grocery shopping, a domain that was once strictly a brick-and-mortar shopping experience. The UN reports that globally ecommerce has grown into a $2.9 trillion industry thanks to the pandemic.

What this means for ecommerce companies is that integration is critical to maintaining market share. This is just as true for brick-and-mortar retail companies that have an online presence as it is for strictly online ecommerce businesses.

The goal behind integration is to connect systems within your company, as well as integration your own systems with those of your partners. This includes not only your ecommerce platforms, but all supporting applications, such as inventory management, CRM, content management, digital marketing, and financial information. This will ensure that you are able to:

  • Improve data accuracy
  • Increase the speed of data exchange across systems
  • Keep your platform up-to-date
  • Provide customers with a more personalized and customized experience
  • Sync inventory in real-time across all sales channels
  • Streamline and simplify business processes
  • Improve scalability as sales volume and the number of sales channels grow

The result of this integration is that customers will be able to shop whenever and wherever they are and via any channels they wish. They will experience a seamless purchasing process and receive instantaneous communications and timely updates on orders so they will always know their status, thanks to:

  • Real-time inventory tracking
  • Instant order processing and fulfillment
  • Real-time status updates and alerts

However, in order to make this a reality, your ecommerce integration has to be of the highest quality.

Top-Quality Integration

The very best quality in ecommerce integration will ensure that your finances and inventory processes are all automated and fully integrated with your ecommerce platform. Boomi offers the first 100% cloud-based platform and is an industry leader in integrations.

Boomi’s simple, instant integration between on-premise and cloud systems requires no coding, and you will have your automation up and running in no time, with pre-built solutions that help accelerate ecommerce integrations.

What this means is that you don’t have to invest heavily in IT to implement full integration. Instead, you will have easy access to your integration platform without the need to install or maintain additional software or hardware.

Tangentia is proud of our partnership with Boomi, which will allow our customers to build faster integrations and reduce the time they spend on development by weeks or months, enabling a quicker digital transformation.

Reach out to an experienced Tangentia team member today for more information on how to enjoy the full potential of Boomi.

Get Started on Your Digital Innovation Journey Today

Contact us for more information.

An Introduction to Mobile Application Development

An Introduction to Mobile Application DevelopmentAn Introduction to Mobile Application Development

An Introduction to Mobile Application Development

Mobile application development is the process of designing and building software for use on mobile devices. A mobile application can be pre-installed or downloaded from an app store or mobile web browser. The application must have a network connection to a remote server or computer, which is facilitated by an application programming interface (API).

Mobile Application Platforms

Most mobile applications are developed for two main smartphone platforms—the Android operating system and Apple’s iOS. While Apple creates its iOS exclusively for its own iPhones and other mobile devices, Google develops the Android system so that it can be used on devices other than their own.

Each of these platforms requires different software development kits (SDKs) and each uses different development tools. It is common for developers to develop mobile applications to be compatible with both Android and iOS.

Types of Mobile Applications

There are four types of mobile applications that are typically developed, each of which comes with advantages and disadvantages. They are:

Native Mobile Applications

Native mobile applications are developed strictly to be run on the operating system of the target device, whether that is Android or iOS. This means they are developed using the programming language and frameworks that are provided by Google or Apple.

These applications offer the best runtime performance, plus they provide direct access to the APIs of the device. However, they cost more to build and maintain and there is more than one code-base for each platform, making it more complex and requiring a highly specialized skillset to develop.

Cross-platform Native Mobile Applications

These are mobile applications that are initially developed using multiple programming languages and frameworks but are then assembled specifically to be used on a specific operating system.

With a single code base that can be used for multiple platforms, this is a more versatile option. The applications are easy to build and maintain, but there are limitations to their performance because of the need for bridging and the use of libraries for native device features.

Hybrid Mobile Applications

These are mobile applications that are developed using standard web programming languages, such as HTML5 and JavaScript. Once created, they are bundled into app installation packages. They can then operate on a web container that makes it possible for the app to run on a browser and on native devices via an API.

The code base for these mobile applications is shared between the app and the web. This means mobile applications can be built using a web development skillset. However, these applications come with lower performance when compared to native applications. There is also limited support when it comes to native device features.

Progressive Web Applications

Progressive Web Applications (PWAs) are web applications that are fully available via a web browser. This means they are not available via an app store and there is no app installation required. The experience is just like using a true application, but with the benefits of operating via a browser, such as running background processes and linking to the home screen of the device.

This type of mobile application provides the most flexibility because the same application can be used on a mobile device and on the web. Plus, there is no installation required. Instead, the app is available via a URL. Again, this type of application offers limited support when it comes to native device features and the capabilities of the app are browser dependent.

Mobile Application Development Lifecycle

Mobile Application Development Lifecycle

Mobile applications rely on two core components—the mobile application itself, known as the “front-end,” which is integrated with the cloud-based “backend.” The backend supports the mobile front-end, supplying it with the data required to run and comply with user requests. Communication between the backend and the front end takes place via APIs.

In most cases, a mobile application programmer is a person with the skillset and knowledge to develop the front-end application that resides on the user’s device. The development of the front end can be done by a single person or a team of people. The application development lifecycle is comprised of the following steps:

  • Development
  • Testing
  • Release
  • Monitoring
  • Analysis

These steps are repeated as necessary until the application is running smoothly.

In many cases, the backend services are provided by a third party. Only when the mobile application backend is highly specific to the application domain and there are intellectual property concerns will mobile application programmers build their own backend. When it comes to the backend development lifecycle, it is similar to that of the front-end, as follows:

  • Development
  • Testing
  • Release
  • Monitoring
  • Analysis

There is also a new method of application development known as low-code app development.This is a method of developing applications that make it easy for people with little coding experience to build an app using a highly visual drag-and-drop interface. The benefit of this ethod of application development is that non-IT people can easily develop apps with very little knowledge of coding, taking the pressure off IT teams and helping minimize IT backlog.

Mobile Application Development Services

Mobile applications require many different services that can be supplied by a third party, making the development process easier. These include:

  • Management of user sign-up/sign-in
  • Social media login
  • User engagement/analytics
  • Push notifications
  • Real device testing
  • Cloud storage
  • Offline and real-time data
  • Cloud functions
  • Application logic
  • Conversational bots
  • Speech recognition
  • Video and image recognition

Reach out to a Tangentia team member today to learn more about how we can help you excel at mobile application development, so you can deliver the applications your users want.

Get Started on Your Digital Journey Today

Book a discovery call with a member of Tangentia’s digital team today to find out more.

The Future of Chatbots: How Conversational AI Presents Game-Changing Opportunities

Conversational AIConversational AI

The Future of Chatbots: How Conversational AI Presents Game-Changing Opportunities

Artificial intelligence doesn’t just exist in the world of science fiction anymore. As this revolutionary technology continues to advance, so will many parts of everyday life and how we interact with digital cyberspace.

In 2020, Analysts reported an estimated global chatbot market size of US$430.9 million and expect the market to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.9% by 2028. One of the biggest drivers of this growth is the rapidly increasing adoption of customer service activities among online enterprises and e-commerce businesses to reduce operating costs.

As more people gravitate towards online shopping, digital business transactions, and overall digital integration into everyday life, businesses will feel more pressure to upgrade their chatbot technology if they want to stay ahead of the game, consumer trends, and more.

The Chatbots of the Past

Chatbots, at their most basic level, are interactive platforms developed using either a set of rules or more recently, artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The function of chatbots is simple. They are designed to interact with humans through messaging and textual conversation processes to help troubleshoot technical problems, answer questions, and aid in site navigation across various sectors.

Some current chatbots still exist in relatively technological infancy. Using built-in scripts to display an illusion of intelligence in answering user questions has led to increasingly frustrating problems that demand more complex solutions.

While older chatbot builders were designed to simply imitate human interaction, they are limited in their ability to capture the nuances of human conversation and provide the value-added scope of what chatbots can do for customers and users everywhere. But that’s where conversational AI comes in.

The Chatbots of the Future

The first generation of chatbots served a useful purpose in making customer service more accessible. However, their technological limitations and inability to handle complex human language, intents, and other aspects of communication have paved the way for conversational AI.

Through innovations like the third generation of Generative Pre-Trained Transformer or GPT-3, chatbot developers are using internet data to generate numerous types of text. Deep learning neural networks opposed to set scripts allow conversational AI to encompass billions of machine learning parameters that have users thinking they are speaking to a real human.

Frontrunners in this space include companies like Tangentia, which provide businesses the industry expertise in automation and chatbot builders that integrate complex technological functions. The TiA Chatbot is a conversational AI chatbot that forms a core part of the Tangentia Intelligent Automation (TiA) platform. Combining intelligent voice capabilities, analytics, and reporting dashboards, RPA integration, and more, this chatbot offers customer service of the future.

Additionally, markets like intelligent virtual assistants (VA) also have been increasing their reach for AI technology and AI-powered chatbots. Like consumer-focused enterprises, conversational AI makes it possible for each student to individualize their on-campus and academic experiences.

The increased accessibility, personalization capabilities, and language comprehension using this technology have completely changed the game of VA and the future of chatbots.

What Enhanced Conversational AI Means for the Customer Experience

With conversational AI chatbot technology advancing quickly, its improvement and innovation benefit both consumers and enterprises. Investment in this technology helps give digitally-driven businesses a leg up on the competition and provides more intuitive and user-friendly functionality for consumers seeking solutions to simple and complex problems.

Here are just a few of the key benefits of conversational AI chatbots:

Customers Get Answers Faster

Chatbots use popular phrases and searches to generate answers that consumers need to obtain. Using aggregated data from each user, conversational AI builds on its bank of phrases and keywords to develop faster responses and more understanding of the nuances in language and communication. When consumers expect perfection in the age of digital automation, conversational AI chatbots push businesses and companies closer to 100%.

Increase Personalization of the Customer Experience

Current, simple script chatbots function well in deflecting straightforward, commonly asked questions that have an obvious response.

However, when more complicated problems arise, they fall short. Investing in more intuitive and complex chatbot technology integrates with other business systems to create a more streamlined customer experience. Without the need to cycle through a list of relevant words, conversational AI gets customers where they want to go more effectively.

Smarter Chatbots Means Enhanced Customer Satisfaction

The biggest economic upside to conversational AI-driven chatbots is that they learn. As they bank customer interaction information over time, they’ll continually analyze that data and turn it into meaningful insights. Learning how humans use language and alternative communication styles keeps track of what works and what doesn’t in each interaction they have.

Every interaction is more data businesses and companies can use to create a more efficient and user-friendly chatbot. As the e-commerce market continues to rapidly expand every day, making sure potential customers find the solutions they need when they need it can make or break a sale, or determine if consumers continue coming back to your site.

Get the Competitive Edge With Conversational AI Chatbots

As digital transformations continue to advance, it has become harder to ignore how consequential the chatbot industry’s role is in dictating how businesses and consumers interact.

Chatbots hold the keys to the potential success your business has in the online marketplace. As the future of Artificial Intelligence, conversational AI creates a distinct personality that feels more natural in how it speaks.

Chatbot development helps businesses take extremely valuable data from traffic already feeding through business pages, and uses them to create customer service that works. In a type of Turing Test, customers get a more fluid back-and-forth instead of the traditional robotic response that can be frustrating to navigate. At the end of the day, customers want the perfect answer instantaneously and conversational AI chatbots create a future where that is possible.

Work With Professionals Who Know Digital Transformation Best

It's up to businesses and companies to consider the necessities of chatbots when building their e-commerce presence. However, without innovation in the digital age, businesses may get left behind.

Working with Tangentia can give your chatbot that competitive edge with conversational AI and innovative chatbot building. As an industry leader in Agile Digital Transformation for Automation, B2B, chatbot building, we work directly with businesses of all sizes to achieve simple solutions to complex technological tasks.

Contact Tangentia today for more information and to schedule a POC on building a conversational AI-powered chatbot that will take your customer service experience to the next level.

Get Started on Your AI Journey Today

Book a discovery call with a member of Tangentia’s automation team today to find out more about what RPA can do for you.