Month: March 2023

Categories
Technology

Change corporate culture to transform

In order for businesses to experience a true technological transformation, in addition to investing in the appropriate technologies, it is essential to bet on a cultural change. Víctor Manuel Muñoz Rodríguez, High Councilor for Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Presidency of the Republic, speaks in this interview about the role of technology and corporate culture in companies today.

Beyond implementing changes in processes and technological tools, in order to stand out in today’s market, which is continually changing, it is  essential that companies experience a cultural change within,  this is what allows them to be open to new challenges and learning to innovate and add value in a different way.

For this reason, as many experts in the world affirm,  culture must be the axis of technological transformation,  this is confirmed by Muñoz Rodríguez in the following interview.

What are the capacities that companies must develop for their technological transformation?

“It is always good to have experts in technology and processes, and not be permanently in trial and error schemes”,

Victor Manuel Munoz Rodriguez.

Business technological transformation processes have three components: culture, processes and technology. This is not a fashionable topic and it is designed to improve productivity and services, and evolve towards new or better business models. The biggest challenge is cultural change and having the right talent.  Therefore, there must be a purpose from senior management to simplify processes, digitize and achieve better results. Likewise, promote the formation of certain competencies, developing training environments and making use of existing offers; and exchange knowledge with international actors to adapt to the challenges of the future in global scenarios.

What are the benefits that can be obtained?

Productivity, efficiency, speed,  delivery , personalization and, most importantly,  user experience to know and respond in real time to their needs and expectations.  Likewise, technologies can propose a change in infrastructure and processes, becoming a fundamental element to rethink business from its base, with new goals and strategic objectives.

Why should companies understand that it is not enough to acquire state-of-the-art technology to transform if they do not know how to apply it?

Technology has always been a means, not an end. If we apply technology to obsolete processes or digitize a process, but it remains unchanged, we have simply made it digital, but it will still be inefficient. Before investing in technology it is necessary to have an initial assessment, define the goals of the transformation process and know the impacts that are to be achieved.  Entities should specialize in developing metrics that allow them to measure and assess whether they are getting the expected results or what changes they should make.

What are the barriers that companies in Colombia face when they decide to move towards a technological transformation?

The lack of talent within the businesses, lack of information on trends or specialized uses by sector, ignoring the functionalities provided by emerging technologies, cultural resistance, lack of development of a digital infrastructure and implementation costs that are not yet justified, largely due to ignorance. Added to this is what we have characterized as a lack of enabling conditions: access to data —especially structured—, public infrastructure that supports business activity, and connectivity. We hope to overcome the enabling conditions promptly and effectively with various measures and regulatory changes.

Why is it key for companies to seek strategic and specialized allies in this process?

The allies bring new concepts, they are usually  startups  with agile methodologies, they handle prototyping concepts and they are great partners in cultural change. These experts know successful models, serving as learning to avoid unnecessary expenses.  Colombia has the opportunity to use the knowledge generated by companies and countries that lead the technology industry.

What are the goals that the Colombian industry has set itself to advance in technological transformation?

In the short term, increased productivity, digitization of procedures and end of physical processes, cloud services, 7×24 virtual assistants in chatbot mode, having and creating public data infrastructure, providing knowledge and identifying which barriers must be resolved by the state or by companies. In the long term, process automation; use of artificial intelligence for optimization of services and implementation of these systems for decision making; disruptive models based on technologies of the fourth industrial revolution; interoperability at all levels; robust cybersecurity plans; interconnected physical infrastructure; and robotization of the economy.

 

Categories
Technology

This is the fourth industrial revolution

The incorporation and use of technologies such as augmented reality,  cloud computing ,  big data  and analytics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, among others, are transforming business models in industry 4.0 and in order to stand out, it is key be open to change, learning and co-creation.

The so-called fourth industrial revolution, or industry 4.0, is here to stay: for some years now it has been transforming the way in which we relate to technology and is increasingly  impacting the way of doing business.

In general, industry 4.0 is characterized by offering intelligent solutions, integrating the digital with the physical and the biological, helping to make more efficient and correct decisions based on data analysis, optimizing processes, increasing productivity and renewing capacities. of the labor force.

The latter is essential, since in the face of the automation of different types of work,  it is necessary to strengthen the digital skills and abilities of employees,  help them make this transition so that they can really add value to organizational processes.

The center of any transformation must always be human capital, robots must work alongside humans.

Additionally, this technological revolution implies, on the part of businesses, being open to collaborative work, co-creation between machines and humans, agile, direct and transparent communication and a rapid learning capacity.

Regardless of whether it is a multinational or a medium or small company, in this era it is necessary to transform to not only be global in the digital world, but also to be protagonists with solutions and services that respond to the needs of today’s market. Those who bet and invest in the technological transformation of their businesses, which in turn requires a change in corporate culture, are the ones who will be able to compete.

Industrial revolutions that changed the world

  • 1765:  production is mechanized thanks to the use of water and steam. The steam engine becomes the driving force of means of transport such as the railway.
  • 1870:  thanks to electricity and oil, a model of mass production, organized and efficient, was generated.
  • 1969:  appearance of computers, microprocessors, controllers and robots that automate work.

Main technologies of the fourth industrial revolution

As Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, assures, in addition to our lives, technology is changing the economic, social and cultural context and this industry 4.0 differs from the other three industrial revolutions for three key aspects: speed, everything happens at  a much faster pace, does not stop; breadth and depth, great changes occur simultaneously; and total transformation of entire systems.

“The fourth industrial revolution does not change what we do but what we are.”

Klaus Schwab,
founder of the World Economic Forum.

Y aunque reconoce que la innovación tecnológica siempre acaba con algunos puestos de trabajo, esta también mejora la productividad, incrementa la riqueza y genera una mayor demanda de bienes y servicios, por eso, crea nuevos empleos para cubrir dicha demanda y estos están principalmente relacionados con trabajos creativos y cognitivos. Así, una vez más, se demuestra la importancia de que el recurso humano se adapte continuamente y esté dispuesto a adquirir nuevos conocimientos y habilidades.

Entre las tecnologías que están generando más impacto en los negocios y en las nuevas formas de crear valor, se destacan:

1

Cloud computing: almacenamiento de datos de valor de todo tipo en la red, entre sus ventajas sobresale+ la reducción de costos de inversión en infraestructura y el acceso a la información desde cualquier lugar.

2

Big data: esta tecnología facilita la captura en el mundo físico de grandes cantidades de datos para analizarlos digitalmente y a partir de estos reaccionar en tiempo real frente a los cambios y orientar las acciones, además, permite predecir posibles cambios futuros y ayudar a la optimización de procesos.

3

Inteligencia artificial: en la industria 4.0 los robots son protagonistas, no solo tienen la capacidad de realizar tareas repetitivas de producción para acelerar procesos y ser más eficientes, sino también que pueden aprender y mejorar automáticamente a partir de las experiencias vividas (machine learning).

El uso de tecnologías de la industria 4.0 debe permitir la creación de productos diferenciados, mejores procesos y reducción de riesgos, la exploración de nuevos mercados y la atracción y retención del talento joven.
4

Internet of things:  there are more and more devices connected to the network, in fact, according to the consulting firm Gartner, it is estimated that by 2020 there will be 20,000 million objects connected to the Internet through sensors, this brings benefits such as greater optimization of processes productive and better results in less time. In addition, it is a technology that allows knowing the needs of customers in order to develop personalized products and therefore improve the relationship with them.

5

Blockchain:  through a computer network, a transaction is verified, collectively, before it is registered and approved. It resembles a shared, programmable, cryptographically secure ledger, with no single individual controlling it.

Other technologies present in the fourth industrial revolution and which are on the rise are virtual reality and augmented reality, 3D printing or additive manufacturing, nanotechnology, autonomous vehicles and precision measurement.

All of these offer advantages to new business models, however, in order to take advantage of them correctly, in addition to investing in these technologies, a true strategic vision, management commitment, openness to change, an innovative culture and the ability to continuously reinvent oneself are required. as well as to establish alliances and work under collaborative models. The success of industries 4.0 depends to a large extent on this.

Categories
Technology

What lies beyond the electronic invoicing requirement

One of the opportunities that the electronic invoice brings to companies is to do business intelligence. Find out how you can capitalize on this and other opportunities.

Today’s invoicing will stop being an area with checkbooks, a printer and a scanner that generates reports in Excel so that the commercial areas can measure their compliance and for the portfolio to obtain more or less general indicators, and it will become the new protagonist of  the commercial and financial strategies.

what the law says

  • The electronic invoicing system in Colombia is defined by Decree 2242 of 2015.
  • Resolution 072 of December 29, 2017 imposed on the first taxpayers the obligation to start invoicing electronically in June 2018.
  • There is a draft decree ready to be signed at the DIAN that obliges large taxpayers to invoice electronically.
  • It is expected that  in 2019 all Colombian companies will invoice electronically.  Before the date on which it will be mandatory, companies can apply to the DIAN to voluntarily invoice electronically and be prepared before the mandatory nature.

 

The electronic invoice

Billing speaks of what matters most in any business:

  • Of each transaction with each client.
  • of purchase volumes.
  • of the repurchase
  • From the places where you receive the merchandise.
  • Of the changes.
  • Of the terms in which you pay.

In addition, an invoice is a security, it is money that is traded today, facilitating liquidity and generating financial opportunities.

Through the DIAN, the State has realized the value of this information: if the sale of products and the provision of services are known and crossed, a gigantic step will be taken in controlling tax evasion.

“If your company is truly interested in digital transformation, you must incorporate electronic invoicing into your vision of opportunities”

Luis Alfonso Villegas,
New Business Manager.

For this reason, the entity has a regulatory project so that in September 2018 seven thousand large billers in the country begin to issue electronic invoices. It is expected that in 2019 practically the entire country will have to make its invoices in this system.

Opportunity for companies

For the State, this information is central and for organizations it is a great opportunity, because a powerful electronic invoicing system and good business intelligence can be a tool for relationship decision-making, supply planning and even pricing. .

If it is a matter of complying with the obligations set forth in Decree 2242 of 2015, relatively simple solutions can be found, but if your company wants to capitalize on the possibilities of this system, you should look for an ally to accompany the implementation and have domain for decision-making. and the presentation to the authorities, but also, that understands your business, adjusts the solution to your needs and accompanies you in the implementation. Someone to help manage both the issuance of invoices and the receipt.

Electronic invoicing can be done by the company itself with a simple solution, contract the use of a platform or have a complete and powerful solution with permanent support, analytics and that allows you to grow your perspectives.

At Cadena we manage the transactional information of some of the organizations that handle the most volumes in the country, and we have been adopting solutions for the new needs of clients for 35 years.

For this reason, we have been accredited before the DIAN as technological providers of the electronic invoicing service. There are several accredited companies to meet the requirement, but as we understand that it is the most sensitive information, that reliable handling is required, and an operator that guarantees experience in the past and permanence in the future, we believe that Cadena meets the conditions to be the provider. technology of digital invoicing of your organization.

This is how we do it in Chain

We have developed a platform that meets all the conditions of the DIAN, and that adapts according to the needs of the companies.

Implementation
  • Legal and tax technical advice.
  • Format mapping.
  • Creation of users with access to the platform.
  • Connection with the DIAN.
  • Synchronization with company platforms.
operations

In each transaction Chain performs:

  • I received the information.
  • Processing and generation of the invoice in XML format.
  • Sending and traceability of an email to the client.
  • Digital signature and generation of the Single Electronic Invoice Code (CUFE).
  • Send tax document to the DIAN through Web Service.
  • Publication of the tax document and graphic representation on the web portal with access to the invoicer and client.
  • Receipt of invoices in accordance with the interoperability model.
  • Storage of invoice and attached documents.

And you, are you one of those who sees the electronic invoice only as a requirement? What do you think now? Leave us your comments.

Categories
Technology

The good, the best and the excellent of electronic invoicing

More than a requirement to be fulfilled, the electronic invoice can be an opportunity to generate cash options for your company. We tell you why.

The good

If you are looking for an electronic invoicing provider to solve the requirement established in Decree 2242 of 2015,  you are ensuring a very important compliance factor and avoiding sanctions , such as the closure of the company. But you are only looking at a coin and at one head.

The best

A technology provider can give you  good arguments that go beyond compliance with the standard , for example, they can tell you that the electronic invoice provides:

  • Commercial information in real time.
  • Greater transparency in the payment of taxes.
  • More productivity.
  • A more agile and secure service.

And that also  generates benefits such as:

  • Lower costs in printing, distribution and storage of paper copies.
  • Better knowledge of the traceability of the shipment, delivery and acceptance of your invoices.
  • Speed ​​in collections and optimization of collection.
  • Greater efficiency in delivering invoices to your customers.
  • Agility in storage and custody processes.
  • Less environmental impact.

Whoever does this is showing you two sides of the coin.

the excellent

A great technology provider is one that  helps you see opportunities beyond the obvious . A robust electronic invoice system brings possibilities that can be quantified in a more agile cash flow and payment system, which represents a lot of money each month.

Scalability is a fundamental issue in an electronic billing platform. You must be able to add new functionality and incorporate requirements and billers at the pace that the company will.

Through this billing model, the ecosystem that we know today between the issuer/supplier (who bills), the receiver/customer (the one who must pay) and a third party (who finances the bill) changes, since everything is much more automated .

At the moment

The invoice discount process is limited.

Funding offers are restricted to funders determined by the payer.

With the new billing system

There is a platform where various funders can find invoices from various payers and collectors.

It generates a more efficient market for these operations. There is more flow of resources and better costs.

funders

More actors with short-term resources will be able to:

  • Enter  the factoring and confirming market.
  • Offer  your resources for a large volume of invoices with multiple payers and billers.

billers

Automation will allow access to many more sources of funding and will bring better conditions for the discount.

payers

They can make use of confirming: funders willing to give their suppliers a longer term for payment.

This scenario of a broad, more automatic market can develop if, in addition to issuing invoices electronically,  they are managed on a platform that provides security conditions for all participants.  In some countries this market is very large and a significant percentage of invoices are traded there.

In Colombia,  the Ministry of Commerce has been working on the design of a referencing center for electronic invoices , but even before that figure comes to pass, a large provider with a robust platform, such as Cadena, is in a position to help all agents to advance in this market.

More benefits from a great provider

Cash Management:  the tasks that company cash managers have today  are fully automated and with a robust platform such as Cadena’s, they are resolved with alerts generated by the program , both for the payer and the biller. Announcements in the manager’s own window, emails and text messages can be scheduled for any news or according to dates convenient for the parties.

Analytics:  a platform that does data analysis can give you a control chart by areas, types of customers, months, types of payers. A most useful tool for discount decision-making, but also for defining regional or seasonal business strategies. In other words,  billing information generates knowledge for marketing areas and even logistics and production.  And as it feeds in new data it can deliver more accurate analysis and predictions.

Confirming:  offers more facilities when paying. According to Maria Camila Muñoz, manager of  Exponential Confirming , a Colombian fintech that is an ally of Cadena in offering solutions to its electronic invoice customers, “it is  a service for payments from a company to its suppliers.  It is offered to pay invoices before the due date or for  the client to obtain an additional term from the factoring entity  that the supplier did not grant.With this service everyone wins: the relationship between client (payer) and provider is sustainable and responsible, and the former gets the term it needs”.

Categories
Analytics

The content of value for the right person

Mazda, Anthropologie and Red Bull use, in these unique success stories, knowledge and segmented communication as a winning factor in their marketing strategy. Find out what they did and what transformed the conventional customer-brand relationship.

In the world of marketing, the challenge is not only to reach the target market, but also to reach the target audience; The success of a relevant value proposition for your client lies in the segmentation, and in the knowledge of this, of their demographic data, but also of their consumption habits, tastes and behavior, is the effectiveness of communication and ultimately of the sale.

Under this logic, the  Mazda subsidiary in the United Kingdom developed an intelligent advertising strategy on the Internet that suggested the  test-drive  of one of its models according to the user’s profile when doing a Google search. This profiling also allowed Mazda to match potential buyers with the actual inventory of its dealers in a radius close to the user. This meant an increase in sales of 98% more compared to regular sales, as well as a 20% increase in the participation rate of their advertising.

For its part, the Anthropologie chain publishes a series of easy-to-prepare cocktail recipes on its blog. These recipes are shared according to the season, for example soft drinks in summer and hot drinks in winter. This is done not only with the intention of hooking the audience, but also of establishing itself as a close, everyday brand that knows both drinks and fashion and that keeps abreast of the lifestyle trends of its consumers.

Redbull  also teaches us many lessons. This is one of the pioneering brands in creating relevant content for its consumers and it does so from a TV channel (Red Bull TV) to sponsoring activities related to extreme sports, competitions, concerts and even has digital magazines like The Red  Bulletin . Thanks to a complete content strategy, the brand is positioned today as a leader in large markets, achieving sales three times greater than its closest competitor. In fact, in 2007 Red Bull founded Red Bull Media House, a content agency that is responsible for selling original content created by Red Bull to other brands.

Categories
Technology

Technological surveillance: key in strategy planning

Doing technological surveillance is managing valuable information to make strategic business decisions.

To define the strategy today, it is necessary to know the environment and the trends of each productive sector. Technological surveillance includes some activities that companies carried out a long time ago with new practices. Many believe that it refers to personal protection work with technological equipment, but this perception is wrong.  Know what it is about.

1

Experts say
Researchers on the subject define it in two ways:
It is a process that  analyzes information from the past  to turn it into knowledge that contributes to  making strategic decisions.
Joao Aguirre Ramírez, Ph. D. in Engineering, expands the concept: “It is an  organizational system  made up of a set of methods, tools, technological and human resources,  with highly differentiated capacities to select, filter, process, evaluate, store and spread. information from the past, transforming it into knowledge  for strategic decision making”.

2

Technological surveillance is not a new concept
The concept of technological surveillance has been treated with academic rigor for more than a decade. Many still confuse it with management terms like strategic intelligence. Previously it was taken as a synonym for competitive intelligence,  prospective and even with business intelligence. Studies in management in recent years have given it another dimension.

3

Technology as an indisputable resource
For technological surveillance,  technology is the use of knowledge bases and resource management to achieve certain objectives. What is popularly called “technology” in this case are technological resources, for example, a computer and knowledge.  Knowing how to write is basic technology, but for a writer that ability is critical modular technology and gives you a competitive advantage. Technology provides knowledge of the outstanding topics  of the sector. It allows to prepare before the accelerated changes of current trends,  to select the information  at a time of high flow of it and  to detect the strategies  suitable for the organization.

4

Past, present and future: all in the same dimension
The information from the past is analyzed with the conclusions of the competitive intelligence of the present  of the market and the suppliers, in addition,  it allows strategic foresight to envision the future.  “This in general is strategic intelligence and it is a concept for taking risks, making decisions,” says Aguirre. “It is a process that does not provide solutions; It is  a system that provides effective and appropriate information so that managers and decision makers know when to act”.

5

The technological surveillance cycle
Each technological surveillance process has its characteristics and conditions, even so, the researcher José Pablo Rojas Wang proposes a cycle that summarizes the process in a generic way:
Definition of the needs and objectives.
Selection of information sources.
Collection of data and information.
Organization and analysis of information.
Approach of technological strategies.
Start of a new cycle.

6

It requires a professional analysis
For João Aguirre,  all organizations carry out technological surveillance  and strategic intelligence  indirectly,  but  it must become a conscious and professional exercise.  “Everyone does it without knowing, information is sought, but the organizations lack awareness. There must be  specific departments  that analyze information from the environment, the market, the competition”.

7

Ways of monitoring
The ideal is to look for sources of information other than the massive ones,  since, for example, Internet search engines offer the same information to all interested parties and this does not grant competitive advantages. For this,  all legal search alternatives are important: opinions of insiders and users, publications, news about the sector, databases and events.  Some companies have designed computer programs that track information and can be of great help.

8

Protecting oneself against competition
Technological surveillance also generates awareness of how to protect one’s own knowledge and competitive advantages.  In addition, it prevents that information from reaching the competition. Technological surveillance  also raises awareness on how to keep this differentiation in reserve  , such as flavors and ingredients, which generate a differentiable factor in the market.

9

In search of strategic intelligence
Technological surveillance is included, with the concepts of competitive intelligence and strategic foresight, in a broader one: strategic intelligence. They provide management and directive applications in order to increase competitiveness in innovation systems. What do these concepts mean?

Competitive intelligence:  is interested in issues  such as customers, suppliers,  local and international markets; in general terms, the actuality of the elements of a system.

Strategic Foresight:  analyzes current data and  determines possible  market trends based on the behaviors and projections of a specific sector. It facilitates the meeting of the scientific and technological offer with the needs of the moment and the future ones of the markets.

Categories
Technology

Electronic invoicing, effectiveness and efficiency

Technology advances rapidly and generates changes, especially in the workplace. There are those who say that automation will bring more work and others who say that the possibility of getting one will decrease.

Thousands of financial operations are carried out electronically in the world, and every day more begin to migrate from the physical to the digital. Online traceability, control, review and updating  are success factors for this type of document.

The same thing happens with invoices, the e-invoice concept has existed in Colombia since 2007, although its use is not widespread, and only about a hundred companies use it. At present, the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs,  DIAN , points to its massification.

Initially, it is expected that around 830 large companies will have to implement  e-invoicing platforms . This is  a mechanism that will be of great help in controlling tax evasion and smuggling . But beyond that,  it is estimated that its use will become widespread due to the facilities it implies for companies.

One more component, many fewer steps

An invoice is a document regulated by law, with certain requirements and mandatory fields. The e-invoice is practically identical to the traditional one , it is even accompanied by digital signatures (a mechanism equivalent to a handwritten signature that guarantees the integrity and authenticity of an electronic document or transaction and the identity and responsibility of its author). The only thing that differs is in an additional field. It is a hexadecimal code that can only be generated by those who have a technical key granted by the DIAN, and a digital certificate. Thus, several variable parameters of the platform that make the invoice unique are encoded in it. In addition, by provision of the DIAN in mid-February 2016, each page of the invoice must carry a QR code that represents the technical control content.

The same as the traditional invoice,  it must guarantee: authenticity and integrity,  that is, once generated, it cannot have any changes. And it must be: issued, delivered, accepted, preserved and exhibited.

Digitizing is not generating an electronic document

Just like in banking operations, a consignment voucher filled out by hand in an office and scanned to be sent to the account owner is not an electronic transaction; an invoice that is physically generated and displayed in a PDF for the customer to consult, is also not an electronic invoice.

The e-invoice is born, transmitted and consulted digitally.  It can be printed by whoever receives it, but it is not necessary. For the user to know if it is an e-invoice or not, he only needs to see if it has a hexadecimal code.

special platform

For the implementation of the e-invoice,  the DIAN requires companies to have a technological platform that guarantees the legality of the transaction,  with all the traditional mandatory fields of the paper invoice. During the process, DIAN itself generates a key with which, added to the digital certificate of the platform, a hexadecimal code is created that serves as technical control content and guarantees the legality of the commercial deal.

The platform can be created by the company that generates the invoice itself, but since it is a specialized activity,  the regulations contemplate that a third party can be a service provider as long as they certify compliance with the requirements defined by the standard.

A solution with the Cadena brand

Cadena  has developed a platform that meets all the conditions and can be implemented in any company in a very agile way.

This platform works in a standard electronic format to guarantee technological neutrality, that is, to make it understandable in different information systems. In addition, the telematic transmission must guarantee integrity, which is obtained with the technical content of control. The information is stored and  the recipient of the invoice receives a notification so that, logged in to the platform, they can see all the data,  and if required, they can view the invoice in a PDF –similar to a physical one–. You can even accept, comment or reject the invoice in the same system.

The advantages of invoicing electronically

The expression: “Today is closing day, this invoice must arrive in 15 minutes and the courier says that it will not reach it” is a thing of the past. With the e-invoice the solution is at hand.

A solid platform can integrate information with accounting software or ERP. Cadena, which also provides document management services, has developed the possibility of attaching files on its platform, which is sometimes necessary to justify invoices. In addition to complying with all the regulations, the parties involved in the process have traceability of the information, and alerts are generated for invoices prepared, reviewed and approved.

A platform like this lightens billing processes. The information is stored in Cadena, so the invoice generator (Company) and client can carry out their processes with a user password to access the application.
With the e-invoice there is:

  • Savings of equipment, personnel and time.
  • Reduction of inventory costs.
  • Logistics optimization.
  • Increased productivity, information quality and reaction capacity.
  • Automatic generation of reports requested by the DIAN.

The conditions to implement an e-invoice system

  • Guarantee of authenticity of the invoice. Cadena has digital certificates that guarantee the inalterability of the invoice.
  • Issuance of reports to the tax authority. The platform generates them when required by law and at the request of the user company.
  • Ease of handling. The platform allows you to schedule identical invoices on certain dates and feed them by modifying them in their entirety or with specific changes.

Categories
Technology

Payment platforms for contractors

Simplicity, legal compliance and savings.

Many companies have lost the possibility of deducting payments to contractors or third parties in their income statement because they do not have the support of the contributions of these people to the Social Security System on the amounts paid.

The foregoing, because the State transferred to the contracting parties the responsibility of guaranteeing that the people from whom they purchase services outside of a labor contract, comply with the contributions to health, pensions and professional risks.

In the function of assuming this commitment, the contracting of third parties has become a headache for many companies that have to dedicate many hours to know the financial and tax information of their suppliers to make the appropriate withholdings, monitor their payment of contributions and pay them in the terms established by law.

Cadena developed and offers to the market a logistics scheme for payment of commissions and services to contractors, which operates hand in hand with digital technology, a great alternative that brings benefits to companies and self-employed workers, such as savings in time and procedures , the assurance of tax deductibility, the reduction of transfer operations and compliance with the law.

“Paying services and commissions to natural persons requires a lot of operability, doing it with digital tools translates into agility, transparency, and savings for companies and providers.”

Juan Fernando Salazar O.,
Finance Vice President of Cadena SA

“It is a specialized system that includes the process of characterizing the contractor or independent with the validation of data that determine their situation and tax and social security obligations (depending on whether or not they contribute to voluntary pensions, whether or not they have dependents, pays interest for housing loans, among others); and that also automatically processes the information, settlement and withholding of contributions, makes transfers to registered accounts, stores payment histories, issues certificates and notifies companies and contractors through emails and text messages about payments”, details Juan Fernando Salazar Ospina, Cadena’s Financial Vice President.

Decree 1070 establishes that if a company hires a non-employee provider without making sure that they are affiliated and make their contributions to the social security system, they will be in solidarity with any type of medical, professional or pension contingency that they suffer.

In addition to simplifying procedures and guaranteeing compliance with the law, these systems contribute to solving a problem for the government, companies and contractors, the insurance of pensions and the health of the self-employed on their real income. In addition, they allow companies to dedicate themselves to the core of their business and facilitate their production processes and their commercial relations with suppliers.

Categories
Analytics

Artificial intelligence and data: the challenges

Where does the data go? Many keys to the future lie in the ability to capture, process and understand them. Artificial intelligence is a predictive tool and it is already here.

As intelligent learning systems ( machine learning ) become more sophisticated and precise, they become great allies for data processing. Business Intelligence (BI) processes have gone from being aesthetic and inflexible reports to interactive systems in which information can be filtered, and understand why and how certain events happen. These systems are still under development, and companies like Google, Microsoft or IBM are currently working on various challenges to take them to the next level. Here we present some of them.

Cost:  Artificial intelligence (AI) systems have begun to generate automated reports that include data analysis. According to Yseop, a company that develops AI systems, their cost will be reduced by 77% once their use becomes widespread.

Lack of experts:  in the US alone, almost 200,000 professionals capable of analyzing data are needed and close to 1,500,000 analysts who are capable of making decisions based on analyzed data. Artificial intelligence systems will replace these professionals and they will take more active roles in companies.

Predict:  AI systems are primarily focused on predicting based on analyzed patterns. Although algorithms of this type are already on the market, the Magic Quadrant predicts that by 2018 these systems will be active in more than 50% of the world’s large companies and conglomerates.

Recommend:  According to Herain Oberoi of the Microsoft Analytics team, the final frontier of AI and Business Intelligence is the ability to make recommendations based on predictions. This will not only be done in a proactive way by the system, but through natural interactions between the user and the machine.

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Analytics

Big data, what the data gives us

Today’s best big data strategies begin to take action in real time. The results are amazing.

The most recent advances in the area of  ​​big data  do not cease to amaze us: optimization of industrial processes, efficient decision-making in government, and an unprecedented level of insight into consumer shopping habits. Department stores such as Macy’s, Kohls, and Target are using real-time analytics models to predict and monitor their customers’ buying habits.

This monitoring extends from social networks to visits to points of sale. For example, Kohls piloted several of its stores, where she sent personalized offers using text messages and  emails . customers who were inside the store, with excellent results. It is clear that this type of promotion stimulates the purchase at the moment in which the consumer is at the point of sale. Macy’s also has a real-time strategy whereby it sends coupons and promotions to its customers who decide not to execute a purchase at the end of their website visit. In this way, the consumer is invited by the store to see the product physically and thus stimulate and close the purchase. On the other hand, Target uses the analysis of “Emotional data in social networks” to understand the reactions of its consumers to new products and predict their success.

One of the most important tennis tournaments, the   Wimbledon Grand Slam, together with IBM, developed a real-time monitoring system that analyzes everything from the speed of the ball to the comparison of historical data for each match, as well as comments on social networks and observations of sports experts. In this way, although the tournament is attended by a few hundred people, the more than 800 million followers of the Grand Slam receive enriched information in real time via the Internet and television. According to IBM, more than 850,000 data points including 600 matches are analyzed during the tournament and interpreted by a team of 48 data analysts.

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