Infosec & Google’s Project Zero: Google says try harder
New research by Maddie Stone, a researcher at
Google’s Project Zero security team, suggests hackers have it way too easy
thanks to the business world’s failure to patch zero-day and recurring
vulnerabilities.
According
to Stone, attackers these days don’t really need to come up with new
vulnerabilities to exploit. Although industry leaders including Google itself
are diligent enough in issuing patches to zero-day vulnerabilities, these bug
fixes often fall flat and don’t fully address the issue, leaving the doors open
to future attacks.
Project Zero, whose only focus is to investigate these zero-day flaws, advocates for greater investment and a more proactive approach to security. The key, Stone says, is to let engineers go deeper to identify the root of the problem and implement more meaningful structural changes.
This week we got a surprise announcement from
a technology titan: Jeff Bezos is stepping down as CEO of Amazon. And his
choice of successor is quite revealing of where the industry is headed
next.
Amazon
started as an online retailer, and that’s for what most people know the
company. But it’s not where the money is at. Any tech insider like yourself
will undoubtedly tell the layman that the Seattle born company makes most of
its revenue with its cloud services. It is no surprise then, that Bezos has
chosen Andy Jassy, head of Amazon Web Services, to take the company into the
future.
And Amazon is not alone here. Microsoft is no longer the company that makes Windows. Google is not just a search engine. Cloud has clearly become the winning bet for tech goliaths. And, with only 25-30 percent of business workloads in the cloud. we are just seeing the beginning of it.
And speaking of Microsoft and cloud, the Redmond-based company announced this week the availability on preview of Azure Quantum, a public cloud ecosystem that lets users access the quantum capabilities of partners like Honeywell, IonQ and Quantum Circuits.
With this
public preview, Microsoft wants to encourage developers, researchers and
systems integrators to learn how to use the platform and build applications
that could potentially transform a wide range of industries.
The announcement comes the same week Dutch researchers at Radbourd University revealed a new method for assembling a network of atoms that works in a similar way to the synapses in our brains. The breakthrough, the researchers say, is a major step towards the creation of a quantum brain that is able to function and change like a human’s.
Why and how should you pursue SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications?
Denys van Kempen is Technology Expert at SAP focusing on SAP HANA and Analytics. He has been at SAP for more than 10 years, where he helps SAP’s Global Partner Organisation support and educate partners about the company’s technology. Denys is a true SAP advocate, blogging extensively and managing content for the SAP HANA Academy.
How did you get started in your career, what do you do at SAP?
It’s funny that you
ask, because, out of curiosity, I recently picked up a starter certification
for Azure fundamentals. I just did the exam and was happy to pass. And it was curious,
because, when I looked at the transcript where it lists all the certifications
that you’ve done in the past, I saw how I had started out in IT almost 25 years,
and my first certificate was in Windows 95, doing the networking.
One of the most fun parts of the whole software industry and the whole community around it, is that it is constantly changing, and the only thing required is a willingness to learn. If you are interested in studying, you can work in IT. That’s the main qualification you need, as far as I am concerned.
I am now in my early 50s, I speak to a lot of people, and people have very, very different backgrounds. But I would say that is the most essential qualification. Today we are looking at the cloud platforms, yesterday it was blockchain and then it was big data. The only thing you know is next year it’s going to be something different, and we have to take out our books and study the topic.
Why should SAP experts pursue certifications?
I think there are basically two camps. There are people who enjoy learning new things, who maybe even enjoy the challenge of sitting an exam and hopefully pass. And then there is the group who thinks they have a lot of experience already and don’t really need to answer silly questions. I think there’s value in both arguments.
I’ve seen very good exams. But there are also examples of exams where you have to provide answers to questions nobody would know by heart. The certifications that aim for experience and how you solve things are better examples than just those who ask you to memorise things. And I think most vendors try to get that.
Getting a
certification is a great way to make sure you study all the aspects of a
certain technology, because typically you work with the most common things, but,
if you study the topic, you have an opportunity to learn things that are more
obscure, less well-known. For your own benefit, getting certified gives you the
confidence that you know the product inside out. It’s a great way to solidify
your knowledge.
Are you seeing a particular branch of SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications that is on the rise these days?
Two years ago, SAP
made the strategic decision to go cloud-first in all the development. More
recently, that decision was accelerated. Everything is going cloud these days.
I think you have that
same effect on certifications. There are not really that many people today who
pursue a certification for only on-premise software. It doesn’t matter which
vendor, everything is going cloud. That would be my advice: if you learn
something new, make sure it runs on the cloud. That’s where the future is.
When it comes to cloud, you can work on software that runs on the cloud, or you can help set up and maintain the infrastructure, the internal plumbing. Would that be a good career move for someone that’s just starting within the cloud ecosystem?
That’s a good question.
SAP systems can be very complex, and you have these very large companies, like
big food manufacturers or big banks, whose SAP landscapes are huge. There are a
lot of functional people, of course, involved in making sure everything works,
but also technical people, doing the networking, the backups, etc. And moving
all those landscapes onto the cloud is a major shift of focus.
A question I get from time to time is one from people who have been working as Basis Administrators. They wonder what their role will become with everything going to the cloud. If you’ve been working with backups and things like that, that’s no longer a concern for the customer, because it’s being taken care of by the cloud provider. So, you see that shift.
A lot of the technology is now on the cloud, and no longer on the side of the software vendor. So that would definitely be something to look at. If you have a strong technical interest, you’ll have to study how to work with those cloud providers. Configuration and security, for example, they remain very important, but it’s a different role from the traditional one.
How people make their certification journey easier for themselves?
I would try to stick
as close as possible to the information the vendor provides. Most of it is
freely available or at a very low cost. The thing is that there are just so
many materials out there that you end up going from one rabbit hole to another
and lose focus. If you just stick with the course manual, you’ll be able to
have a quick preparation for the exam, but if you get side-tracked, you search
for exam dumps and study the wrong answers… well, I would certainly not
recommend that.
Also, don’t make it a
project that lasts too long. It’s either going to be 6 or 8 weeks, but make it
something for which you are going to study frequently, even if it’s half an
hour every day. Just come half an hour earlier to work and spend that half-hour
when you are still fresh working on that. That’s far more reachable than if
it’s going to be a 5-month project and every weekend once in a while you try to
cram it all in.
How about the books you publish through the SAP Press?
Well, that’s a bit of
a different story. For example, if you look at Azure or Google Cloud, they
provide a lot of information for free or at a relatively low cost. It’s up on
Coursera or EdX, and for 50 euros you can study for a month and that’s all you
need. That’s a very reasonable amount of money to invest in your career.
Unfortunately, for some SAP and SAP S/4HANA certifications, you have to go through training, and that training can be quite pricey. If you’re self-employed, you might not have the budget. In those situations, an exam guide might be of help. In addition, the course manuals are written to support the course, so they are always challenging. We write these books specifically to help you pass the exam.
Want to make the most of S/4HANA’s career potential? Check out our comprehensive S/4HANA Careers Guide.
SAP’s Learning Hub, for which you can request a free trial, should be your go-to place for official learning resources and documentation.
The Jira Administrator is an expert in this tool. They play a transversal role to manage requests, raise anomaly tickets, validate workflows, etc.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Jira Administrator job description to attract top talent.
Jira is a multifunction platform developed by Atlassian which facilitates the management of development projects and Agile projects. It is a tracking software that allows teams to define tasks, identify blockages and share information. This tool is also designed specifically to meet the needs of teams working in Scrum or Kanban. Explore the role of the Jira Administrator.
The Jira Administrator is an expert in this tool. As part of the development of software or application, they play a transversal role to manage requests, raise anomaly tickets, validate workflows, etc.
Within an IT team, the Jira Administrator is responsible for performing the administration of Jira projects, ensuring optimal use of the tool and providing technical support.
Analyse and evaluate technical specifications
Jira is a comprehensive tool which fits into the complex structure of a company’s information system. At first, the job of the Administrator involves analysing the existing IT ecosystem and the organisation of the development teams; in order to make proposals consistent with the operational needs of the project.
Deployment and configuration of the tool
Next, the Jira Administrator is responsible for implementing the changes validated upstream by the functional administration unit. They work in JQL (Jira Query Language), creating workflows and forms.
Documentation and support for migration projects
The Jira Administrator is also responsible for writing, updating and publishing documentation dealing with the efficient use of tools, practices and procedures. It is also its duty to provide the necessary support and supervision to development teams. In order to ensure the correct use of tools and respect for defined processes.
The Jira Administrator must be a driving force in the evolution of the use of tools, as well as and be in a process of continuous improvement. IT departments need people who go forward on their own to anticipate problems and, above all, find solutions to resolve them.
Great educational qualities
The Jira Administrator must be able to interact in a pedagogical manner with the rest of the teams. They must be able to adapt to the different situations encountered and to different interlocutors. They must be able to present the project, convince and lead the team towards a common goal.
Technical mastery
The job obviously requires in-depth knowledge of Jira, but also mastery of Agile project management methodologies. Usually, knowledge of the JQL language and tools such as Script Runner (scripts in Groovy language), Bitbucket, Team calendars, or even All-in-One Reports is required.
Salary
The average daily rate ranges between €400 and €800.
Training of the Jira Administrator
To become a Jira expert, it is often required to have at least a Bachelor’s degree in Information and Systems Management, Digital Information Management or another appropriate discipline.
But note that other combinations of relevant education and experience, such as holding the Scrum Master Certification, may be considered.
The Internet can be a fascinating place. And
especially Reddit. Mix online stock trading with a pinch of cancel culture and
a good amount of memes and, boom: a bunch of Wall Street big shots lose
millions in a matter of hours.
Retail investors using low-cost, online trading platforms like Robinhood organised through the ‘WallStreetBets’ subreddit to do something they had been wanting to do for a while now: get back at hedge funds and other traditional investors who make money by betting on failing companies (aka shorting).
These
amateur traders, who see themselves as part of a new wave of anti-establishment
investors, went on to inflate the stock price of GameStop, a now-failing
American brick-and-mortar videogame store. Wall Street had borrowed many of the
company’s stocks, sure these would go down in price and they’d be able to make
a profit upon returning them.
Ouch. Certainly a clear reminder of the power that the virtual world can have over the real one.
Like pretty much any other large event whose
organisers sport a bit of common sense, this year’s gathering of the World
Economic Forum is being held fully online. Its focus this time around?
Surprise, surprise. You guessed it — pandemic recovery.
Specifically,
the organisation consulted world business leaders ahead of the start of the
talks conference talks about how technology should be used to help reset our
society, economy and business environment.
Cloud and
collaboration tools to strengthen community ties and help us predict and
address health crises. Accelerated digital transformation to keep improving
business models and ultimately people’s lives. Widespread use of AI to automate
repetitive tasks and allow businesses to focus on adding real, high-end
value.
The underlying theme: prioritising the common good.
A newly published Gartner report aims to do
something at which most tech predictions tend to fail: getting too specific
with the time estimates.
The study
looked at the unintended ethical and social repercussions of AI adoption and
then provided recommendations on what business should do to address them.
By 2025, our world could look quite scarier than it does today in terms of privacy and cybersecurity. Large-scale AI models will be concentrated in the hands of 1% of vendors. Deepfakes will be so common companies will have to conduct regular employee trainings on how to spot them. About 75% of workplace conversations will be analysed to add organisational value and assess risk.
The most obvious routes for businesses to take include setting up ethic boards at companies that sell or use AI and establishing guidelines for responsible AI consumption.
The goal of the web designer is therefore to seduce visitors and users with harmonious, ergonomic and responsive web interfaces.
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive Web Designer job description to attract top talent.
The web interface of a website or application reflects the brand image and is often a visitor’s first point of contact with a company’s product. The design must therefore be optimized as much as possible and must make the user journey simple in order to transform this visitor into a customer. Graphic identity must also be consistent with marketing positioning. Discover the role of the web designer.
The goal of the web designer is therefore to seduce visitors and users with harmonious, ergonomic and responsive web interfaces.
Depending on the positioning and target of the company, the web designer will establish the needs in terms of communication.But also the objective of the site: whether it will be a showcase site, an e-commerce site… He will also analyze competition and keep watch on new graphic trends in order to be always aware of the latest trends. It will also prioritize the information that will be present on the site (tabs, articles, features, etc.).
Implement the actions to be taken
After carrying out his analysis, the designer will take care of the tree structure of the site and create a graphic charter. To be able to create all the visuals and illustrations, then the models. He will also have to check that all the constraints defined at the start of the project are respected. And that everything he has imagined is technically and logistically feasible in terms of coding and project management, within the deadlines that have been set.
Manage monitoring and updates
After delivery of the site, the web designer will have to manage the monitoring, but also to update the site. (Addition of a new tab, change of graphic charter, evolution of a feature, etc.)
Required skillsof the Web Designer
Computer skills (integration tools and graphics)
The designer needs to know how to use graphic tools such as those of the Adobe suite, in order to create the visuals of the site, as well as the models. It must also be able to integrate content on the website. For example through content management platforms such as WordPress or Drupal.
Understanding of user/customer logic
Although the job of web designer is a very artistic job, it is above all a marketing job. The designer must know the user journeys perfectly. Know what users will note in the search bar and on which page they will fall.
Curiosity, rigour and organization
The web designer must be interested in new trends, keep watch according to the different business sectors. He must also know how to prioritize tasks, be aware of priorities and also respect the deadlines.
Creativity
It should not be forgotten that the central objective of the web designer is to create a harmonious website. He will therefore have to create visuals by drawing inspiration from trends and seeking aesthetics. But above all by doing something fairly new, the objective not being to copy what others are doing.
Within the industry
With the rise of applications and websites, the web designer has seen his role gain in importance over the past decades. The designer must be in constant contact with the marketing and communications team. So that projects are carried out in correlation with the brand identity and digital marketing objectives.
Salary of the Web Designer
The average daily rate ranges between €200 and €500.
Training of the Web Designer
To become a web designer, you need to have communication, graphic design, web and integration skills. So it is often recommended to do a Bac + 3 to Bac + 5 type training in multimedia design or web design. There are now many specialised courses for this profession.
If you are a cloud specialist living in Luxembourg or are looking to get into cloud, discover our top 10 experts from Luxembourg to follow on Twitter.
Cloud computing is an umbrella under which many a successful professional career can be built by those who decide to go the way of IT. If you are a cloud specialist living in Luxembourg or are looking to get into cloud and could use the advice of a local, here’s a list with the folks you should be following on Twitter. Discover our top 10 experts from Luxembourg to follow on Twitter.
Top 10 Cloud Experts from Luxembourg to Follow on Twitter
Adam is a true cloud enthusiast who works as an IT services consultant and outsourcing processes specialist, always approaching IT from a business transformation perspective. He tweets extensively about industry trends and news, but also about many other topics of interest like space exploration and career advice.
Fernando is an Oracle ACE working as a Senior Database Architect at eProssed. He is highly experienced with the Oracle Database, mainly with Oracle Engineered Systems with focus in mission-critical and high availability environments. Fernando is also co-founder and board member of LuxOUG, and he blogs extensively about all things Oracle and disaster recovery.
Rodrigo is a Database Administrator (DBA) specialising in Oracle. In fact, he is an Oracle Certified Master (OCM) and Oracle ACE, a recognition that speaks to his deep expertise in the technology and his contributions to the platform. Rodrigo is also a chairman at LuxOUG and blogs extensively about all things Oracela and DBA.
Laurent is a Microsoft cloud expert working as Head of Digital Transformation for consultancy firm Elgon and Ainos. He is a Microsoft Office 365 MVP, a focus he complements with expertise in areas like project and change management and business development. He tweets regularly about all things cloud and Microsoft, as well as general interest tech news and new developments regarding the star-up scene.
Andre is an Oracle ACE working as a Cloud Architect Team Lead and Senior Database Engineer at Digora, where he works with OCI, AWS and Azure. He is an Oracle Apps DBA, Exadata MAA, DG and HA expert, as well as a co-Founder LuxOUG. He blogs about DBA in his native Portuguese.
Paolo is CEO at cloud start-up Omnis Cloud, where he helps partners and customers deliver cloud solutions based on open-source platforms which allow private and public sector organisations to take back control of their data. He is passionate about Linux, data privacy, security and regulations, topics he tweets about regularly.
Arnaud is a Tech Lead at Bâloise Assurances Luxembourg. He is a senior .NET developer who describes himself as a Microsoft Azure addict and is a co-founder of the Luxembourg .NET User Group. He is highly involved with the country’s cloud community and tweets extensively about the topic.
Gildas is a DevOps and Software Engineer at the Luxembourg International Bank. He combines his interest for development with that for the sysadmin domain. He is a big advocate of the DevOps culture and the co-creator and organizer of Voxxed Days Luxembourg, a new event focusing on microservices.
Andrey is a FinTech Adviser at Luxembourg Bankers’ Association. He has combined expertise in FinTech and open innovation in financial services, and he is passionate about all the technologies impacting this industry – including, of course, the cloud.
Mathieu is Chief Technology Officer at Squaremiled, role to which he comes after years working as a software craftsman and architect. He is a Microsoft Certified Trainer and a co-founder of the Luxembourg .NET User Group. He tweets and share news about the topic.
Working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns. We’ve outlined for you all the key aspects you should cover to find the perfect daily work routine.
Working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns. If you live somewhere on planet Earth, chances are you are currently experiencing at least some level of confusion thanks to the constantly changing public guidelines and workplace arrangements. The evolving pandemic has us all struggling to keep up with daily news and company memos, our already-busy minds now having to shift from tracking soaring infection rates to figuring out when exactly this week’s curfew kicks in.
Amidst this apparent chaos, it can be challenging to
find balance in both your personal and professional lives – and also in between
them. Days at a half-empty office merge with fully remote ones at a
way-too-small flat you share with other people.
Establishing a stable and effective work routine is
not easy in this context. And, since we know that working in IT is hard enough
for you to be investing too much time into figuring this whole thing out, we’ve
outlined for you all the key aspects you should cover to find the perfect daily
work routine.
Working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns? The right remote work formula
Each one of us beats at a different rhythm, and it´s
not always an easily identifiable one. Unless you’ve tried all possible work
schedule arrangements since the start of the pandemic, you’ll probably need to
do some more experimentation to find the right one for you. That is, of course,
if your current job allows for that level of flexibility.
Some companies are operating fully remote until
further notice, while others combine on-premises and remote work or let their
employees make the choice. If you are a freelance consultant or external
contractor, you are probably used to working remotely, but maybe you do so at a
co-working space or are thinking of trying one after being stuck at home for
too long.
Just make sure you find the combination works best for you.
Once you’ve got your weekly schedule figured out, it’s
time to focus on your home workspace. We all need our little bubble to be able
to concentrate on our to-do list and work more efficiently. Working at home
complicates that if you share it with other people.
Maybe you find yourself having to alternate replying
to work emails with watching over the kids. Or perhaps you only have one spare
bedroom in your apartment and there’s two or more of you working from home. At
another time, you’d go to the corner cafe and find some focus in the soft
background chatter of random phone calls and clinking cookware. Now there’s not
much escape.
Whatever your situation, it is vital that you claim
your own space within the house or flat. Whether it is a corner of the living
room or a make-up desktop you’ve built out of spare pieces of furniture, you
need to delimitate a space exclusively devoted to working. The couch, of
course, should be out of the question.
Proper use of white noise and music apps can also help
you focus and create that bubble.
The proper toolset
Having a good place to work won’t make much of a difference if you don’t have the right tools. In the back-and-forth context of on-and-off remote work, such tools are those that allow you to work seamlessly across locations and coordinate with your colleagues and clients. In other words: cloud-based collaboration solutions and organisational tools.
These apply to both universal organisational tools
like calendars and project tracking apps, to those targeted to IT professionals
like yourself. From ERP cloud solutions to ticketing and integrated software
development cloud tools, these can have a great positive impact on
productivity, especially when adopted by the whole team or company.
Catching a break
How and when you take breaks is one of the key factors impacting productivity. Some people prefer working for long stretches of time and taking a couple of long breaks a day; others alternate shorter, high-intensity stretches of work with more frequent, shorter breaks – a strategy made popular by the Pomodoro method. Find the formula that works best for you and never neglect breaks no matter how busy you are. A rested mind is a more productive and focused one.
And, since catching a real break can be a bit not
quite effective when you spend the whole day between the same four walls, try
being more flexible with what a break means to you. Exercise could make for a
very good break, so could a quick video game match. Some experts have even
started recommended going out on a fake commute even if we are working from
home. Going on a walk before starting your day and right after business closes
can apparently be very beneficial.
Nurturing you relationships when you are working Amidst On-And-Off Lockdowns
We are social animals, and the intermittent lockdowns
are making it harder for us to nurture our existing connections and developing
new ones. When it comes to work, and beyond satisfying our need for
socialising, developing solid relationships with colleagues and clients goes a
long way to making work easier, better and faster.
Being negated the opportunity to chit-chat by the
water cooler or go out for an after-work drink, you’ll need to be more
proactive to ensure you are not neglecting the social aspects of your
professional activity. Schedule frequent video calls to get that much-needed
face-to-face time with peers and clients. Reach out more than you would
normally do to cancel out the downsides of isolation.
As an IT expert, you must always keep your eyes peeled for the new top IT skills that will help you stay relevant and advance your career.
It’s renew or die in the world of technology. As an IT expert, you must always keep your eyes peeled for the new top IT skills that will help you stay relevant and advance your career. But the constant evolution of IT tools and the shifting business climate brought about by the pandemic can make it difficult. For example to decide where to focus your upskilling efforts in the year ahead.
So, where to begin? This list is a good starting point for anyone looking to strengthen their CV/resume or redirect their career.
Top IT skills:
Python: Unmatched Versatility and Popularity
Python continues to dominate the programming language landscape, solidifying its position as a must-have skill for IT professionals. With roots dating back to the late 1980s, Python has evolved into the leading language, especially in the developer community. Its applications in data science and machine learning make it indispensable, while its clean syntax remains appealing to coders.
Structured Query
Language (SQL) is a domain-specific language for handling data stored in a
relational database management system – a database structured in rows and
columns in which all data points are related to one another.
Developers and database administrators use the language’s code to perform actions such as inserting, retrieving and deleting data. Thanks to its database structure, SQL also allows for quick data processing and is used by some of the most popular database management systems, like Oracle’s MySQL or Microsoft’s SQL Server.
Java: A Quarter-Century of Relevance
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Java remains a powerhouse among programming languages. Renowned for its “write once, run anywhere” portability, Java retains its position as one of the top three most popular languages. Its vast ecosystem, ranging from the Spring Framework to enterprise application servers, underscores its adaptability and continual relevance. Regular updates and refinements further emphasize Java’s commitment to staying cutting-edge.
Cloud Computing with AWS and Microsoft Azure: Navigating the Sky
In the post-COVID business world, cloud computing has become more critical than ever. Amazon Web Services (AWS) continues to lead the cloud platform space, with Microsoft Azure as a formidable competitor. Proficiency in either of these platforms enhances career prospects significantly. Whether it’s AWS’s established position or Azure’s rapid strides, having cloud expertise is a valuable asset in today’s tech landscape.
Would you like to know about life in the cloud? Check out our Microsoft Azure career overview and discover all the paths you could take.
Docker: Containerization for Modern Development
Lat but not least, Containerization, with Docker at the forefront, has become essential for future-oriented developers and IT teams. The benefits of scalability, rapid deployment, and enhanced security make Docker a vital skill. Containers enable the creation and deployment of applications in self-contained units, providing efficiency and bug-free operation across diverse computing environments. Understanding Docker’s capabilities is crucial for staying at the cutting edge of modern development practices.
Robot Butlers and Virtual Influencers, Tech´s flashy new toys, A new logistics network, and Microsoft cloud comes to retail... Discover our weekly tech news.
Robot Butlers and Virtual Influencers – Tech´s flashy new toys, A new logistics network, and Microsoft cloud comes to retail… Discover our weekly tech news.
Robot Butlers and Virtual Influencers – Listen to the podcast version
A friendly reminder that you can now enjoy our weekly updates in podcast version.
CES; the world´s biggest technology show; is at full throttle since Monday, having changed its traditional Las Vegas setting for virtual presentations due to the pandemic.
The event is known for its outlandish new tech concepts and products. A way for consumer brands to show off and set the agenda for the upcoming year. And, although most of these technology predictions don´t end up panning out, there is always something to learn from them.
These year´s big reveals include a robot butler that can both serve you dinner and wash the dishes afterwards. A smart pet portal that lets your cat in and out while keeping other neighbourhood animals out, and Reah Keem — LG’s new virtual influencer with around 6,000 followers on Instagram.
From ‘cloud kitchens’ that centralise all meal orders for a given area of the city, to more ubiquitous and smaller warehouses closer to the delivery location. The logistics infrastructure is changing.
The pandemic has given e-commerce firms a boom, creating the need to update existing delivery networks to be able to keep up with demand. Furthermore, expected delivery times are narrowing, with costumers now being accustomed to delivery windows of less than 30 minutes.
All in all, this new wave of e-commerce developments is quietly reshaping our cities in a time where their streets are mostly transited by delivery vans and bicycles. This expansion, experts say, is comparable to the laying of fibre-optic cable 20 years ago, and its effects will be long lasting.
Following the release of its cloud service for the healthcare market, Microsoft has made available on preview its second vertical cloud, this time around for the retail industry.
The offering combines services and features from Azure, Microsoft and Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform to help the company’s retail customers provide an end-to-end shopper journey.
Microsoft also announced new features for its Dynamics 365 Commerce, its app providing back-office, in-store, call centre and e-commerce solutions. The app will now offer both in-built B2C and B2B commerce on a single platform.
In this job description, you'll learn about the missions, salary and skills of the RPA Consultant, a highly sought-after profile in today's business world
Use our template to create a compelling and comprehensive RPA Consultant job description to attract top talent.
A booming technology, RPA (Robotic Process Automation) promotes productivity gains through the automation of business processes. The key: eliminating tedious tasks, streamlining operations and reducing costs. In this job description, you’ll learn about the missions, salary and skills of the RPA Consultant. A highly sought-after profile in today’s business world, particularly in digital services companies.
Their role is to support the technical design of the automation of business processes in its entirety.
Definition of the RPA strategy
The first part of an RPA Consultant’s job is to define the automation strategy in close collaboration with the client or the IT department, adopting a robotic worksite planning approach. This first step involves a diagnostic to identify possible robotisation options as well as a POC (proof of concept).
Automation process implementation
Once the strategy is defined, the RPA Consultant begins configuring the tools and deploying all of the automation for each process. The key here is to work to develop new rules while respecting the constraints defined by the RPA protocol.
Tests and presentation of the robots to the teams
Finally, the RPA Consultant takes care of the unit tests and validates the functional specifications put in place. They also participate in the development of the user manual for the operational implementation of the robots and the presentation of the robots to the company’s teams.
With an IT background, the RPA Consultant has an appetite for information systems and automation and/or robotisation. They are masters of tools such as RPA UI Path, Pega or Blue Prism.
Mastery of Agile methods
The profession of RPA Consultant requires you to know agile project management methods (Scrum, Kaban) & Cycle in V. This method recommends setting short-term objectives, dividing the project into several sub-projects. Once the first goal is reached, the team moves on to the next until the end goal is achieved. This is an agile way of working.
Rigour and curiosity
Rigour and curiosity are essential qualities for an RPA Consultant. As an expert, they must be able to use tools and working methodologies that allow them to track the progress of projects in a meticulous manner. They must also show great curiosity to constantly update their knowledge and skills.
Within the industry
Certainly, the consultant is an expert who can be found in all type of modern companies. However, it is a position that makes more sense for digital services companies and other big organisations with lots of time-consuming processes that can be easily automated. Think of insurance or book-keeping companies.
Salaryof the RPA Consultant
The average daily rate ranges between €400 and €800.
In conclusion, a college degree in IT can be an excellent steppingstone to this technical position. However, it is advisable to complement that degree with dedicated licenses and certifications. An advanced degree in AI and Machine Learning can help a great deal.
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