Category: Tips & errors to avoid

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IT Decision-makers Talent strategy Tips & errors to avoid

Talent Strategy Prioritization: How to Focus on What Matters Most

Talent Strategy Prioritization

When it comes to building a successful recruitment process, Talent Strategy Prioritization is essential. In today’s competitive hiring landscape, companies must know which steps to focus on to attract and retain top talent efficiently. From defining your vision to enhancing the candidate experience, prioritizing the right actions at the right time can make or break your strategy.

In this blog, we’ll break down the key components of a talent strategy and guide you on how to prioritize them effectively, ensuring long-term success for your business.

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

Understanding Strategic vs. Tactical Actions

Before diving into prioritization, it’s essential to distinguish between strategic and tactical actions within a talent strategy. Both are important, but they serve different purposes:

  • 🎯Strategic actions: These have long-term implications and directly align recruitment efforts with the company’s overall vision and goals. Examples include market analysis and defining the company’s talent vision.
  • ⚙️ Tactical actions: These tend to address short-term goals or immediate recruitment needs. For instance, candidate experience improvements and job postings fall into this category.

The challenge? Knowing when to focus on strategic moves and when to zoom in on the tactical side to meet more urgent needs.

Also, read how to manage the onboarding of IT contractors in 5 steps

The Role of Vision Definition: Strategic but Simple

One of the most critical first steps in talent strategy is defining your company’s vision. This is often overlooked because it seems obvious, but a clear talent vision ensures your recruitment efforts are aligned with your company’s future growth.

  • Why it’s strategic: A strong vision informs everything from the types of candidates you want to attract to the values that will resonate with potential hires. It gives your recruitment efforts direction and helps in shaping job roles, expectations, and team structures.
  • Why it’s less complex: Vision-setting requires internal discussion, clarification of company objectives, and a look at your long-term goals. It’s less complex because it doesn’t involve external factors or market research, making it an ideal first step.

💡 Prioritization tip: This is a crucial starting point. Even though it’s a relatively simple process, defining your vision should always come first, as it sets the foundation for the rest of your talent strategy.

Talent Strategy Prioritization

Market Analysis: Strategic but Complex

Once your vision is clear, the next step is conducting a thorough market analysis. This involves understanding industry trends, salary benchmarks, and competitor strategies.

  • Why it’s strategic: Market analysis is essential to align your talent strategy with market realities. It helps you understand where to find the best talent, what salary ranges to offer, and how to differentiate your company in a competitive job market.
  • Why it’s complex: Market analysis requires significant data collection, industry research, and sometimes external expertise. You need to gather information about competitors, talent availability, and market shifts, making this a time-consuming but essential part of the process.

💡 Prioritization tip: Although complex, market analysis is critical for a well-rounded talent strategy. Prioritize this step early, especially if you’re entering a new industry or expanding into a new market.

Also, discover 3 Advantages of Working with an SAP Recruitment Agency

Candidate Experience: Tactical but Critical

While long-term strategic actions are important, don’t underestimate the power of candidate experience—a tactical but crucial aspect of your talent strategy.

  • Why it’s tactical: Candidate experience is more about operational efficiency than long-term strategy. From the moment candidates apply, they should feel valued and engaged. Streamlining your application process, providing regular communication, and delivering timely feedback are all essential for keeping top candidates interested.
  • Why it’s critical: In today’s job market, top talent is often in high demand. A slow or poor experience can result in losing great candidates to more responsive companies.

💡 Prioritization tip: Candidate experience may not be as strategic as market analysis, but it’s an area where you can make immediate improvements. Make sure your candidate experience is optimized, especially when you’re actively hiring.

You may also find interesting Top 5 Strategies to Overcome the AI Talent Gap

Employer Branding: Tactical but Complex

Building a strong employer brand can be a game-changer when it comes to attracting talent. However, creating a compelling employer brand takes time and requires consistency.

  • Why it’s tactical: Employer branding focuses on how your company is perceived by potential candidates. It’s not necessarily tied to long-term business objectives but can have immediate recruitment benefits by positioning your company as an attractive place to work.
  • Why it’s complex: Establishing a strong employer brand involves various touchpoints, from social media presence to employee testimonials. It requires ongoing effort and alignment between your HR and marketing teams.

💡 Prioritization tip: Employer branding should be a medium-term priority. If you’re struggling to fill positions, it’s worth investing in. But if you’re in the early stages of defining your vision or analyzing the market, those steps should come first.

Discover also our article: How to Manage the Offboarding of IT Contractors in 7 Steps

Prioritization in Action: When to Go Strategic vs. Tactical

So, how do you know when to prioritize strategic actions over tactical ones?

  • 🌱 Early-stage companies: If you’re just starting out or entering a new market, focus on strategic actions like vision definition and market analysis first. These will shape your long-term recruitment success.
  • 🔍 Actively hiring: If you’re in a rush to hire or competing for talent in a hot market, prioritize candidate experience and employer branding to secure short-term wins.
  • 📈 Growth phase: If your company is scaling, it’s critical to balance both. Strategic steps will help ensure long-term success, but tactical improvements will help you fill roles quickly without sacrificing quality.

Balancing the Two for Long-Term Success

Ultimately, an effective talent strategy is about balancing both strategic and tactical actions. Prioritizing one over the other at the wrong time can lead to missteps, but with careful planning, you can integrate both for maximum impact.

Regularly reassess your priorities as the market evolves and your company grows. What was tactical yesterday might become strategic tomorrow, and vice versa.

Conclusion: Focus on What Matters Most

The key to a successful talent strategy is knowing what to prioritize at each stage of your recruitment journey. Whether it’s defining a clear vision or optimizing your candidate experience, the right focus at the right time can help you attract top talent and set your company up for long-term success.

Ready to build a winning talent strategy? Explore the 10 essential steps in our full guide

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ERP & SAP IT Decision-makers Job Descriptions Tips & errors to avoid

ERP Project Failure: 10 Common Causes and How to Prevent Them

ERP failure causes

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are pivotal for integrating various business processes, enhancing operational efficiency, and facilitating informed decision-making. However, despite their transformative potential, ERP implementations can sometimes falter, leading to wasted resources and unrealized benefits. Therefore, understanding the ERP failure causes and implementing proactive strategies to address them is crucial for ensuring successful adoption and maximizing ROI. In this post, we’ll delve deeper into 10 key ERP failure causes and provide comprehensive solutions to mitigate these risks effectively.

To help companies achieve a successful SAP implementation, this whitepaper explains SAP implementation best practices. It also presents a case study from the global leader sportwear company ADIDAS as an example of successful SAP implementation.

Whether you are a business leader, IT professional, or project manager, this whitepaper will help you understand how to plan, execute, and manage a successful SAP implementation that delivers tangible benefits and ROI.

1. 🗓️ Inadequate Planning and Strategy

One of the first ERP failure causes is an inadequate foundation planning and strategy. This is the main reason why ERP implementations are prone to derailment before they even begin. Rushing into the process without a clear roadmap can result in confusion, delays, and budget overruns.

💡Solution: Prioritize the planning phase by conducting thorough research, engaging key stakeholders, and establishing clear project goals and milestones. Also, develop a comprehensive implementation roadmap that outlines key deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements. By investing time and effort upfront, organizations can set a solid foundation for a successful ERP deployment.

2. ✅ Poor Vendor Selection

Then, second to the list of ERP failure causeschoosing the wrong ERP vendor can spell disaster for an implementation project. Compatibility issues, lack of support, and mismatched expectations can lead to dissatisfaction and inefficiency.

💡Solution: To avoid this pitfall, take a strategic approach to vendor selection by evaluating multiple vendors based on their track record, industry expertise, technological capabilities, and scalability. Engage in thorough due diligence, also including product demonstrations, reference checks, and onsite visits. Moreover, prioritize vendors that demonstrate a deep understanding of your industry and offer a flexible, customizable solution that can adapt to evolving business needs.

3. 🧭 Lack of Executive Support

Moreover, executive buy-in is essential for driving organizational change and overcoming resistance to ERP adoption. Without visible sponsorship and support from senior leadership, ERP initiatives may struggle to gain traction and momentum.

💡Solution: Engage senior executives early in the ERP planning process and clearly articulate the strategic importance of the project. Demonstrate how the ERP system aligns with broader organizational goals, such as improving operational efficiency, enhancing customer satisfaction, or enabling growth opportunities. Secure visible sponsorship from top management to instill confidence in the project and foster a culture of accountability and ownership.

4. 📚 Inadequate Training and Change Management

Also, transitioning to a new ERP system requires a cultural shift and a commitment to ongoing learning and adaptation. Without proper training and change management initiatives, employees may struggle to embrace new processes and technologies.

💡Solution: Develop a comprehensive training and change management program tailored to the specific needs of end-users. Offer hands-on training sessions, workshops, and online resources to familiarize employees with the ERP software and its functionalities. Also, foster a culture of continuous learning and feedback, and provide ongoing support to address user questions and concerns. Then, communicate the benefits of the ERP system transparently and involve employees in the decision-making process to cultivate a sense of ownership and empowerment.

5. 🎛️ Scope Creep

Then, another common reason of ERP failure causes is scope creep: the enemy of ERP projects, leading to ballooning budgets, extended timelines, and diluted focus. Without clear boundaries and prioritization, organizations risk losing sight of their original objectives.

💡Solution: Firstly, define the scope of the ERP project rigorously and establish clear boundaries around deliverables, timelines, and budget constraints. Then, conduct thorough requirements gathering and prioritize functionality based on business value and impact. Also, resist the temptation to accommodate every stakeholder request and focus on delivering core functionalities that address critical business needs. Regularly review and reassess the project scope to ensure alignment with evolving business priorities and market dynamics.

6. 📊 Poor Data Quality and Governance

Also, data is the lifeblood of ERP systems, and poor data quality can undermine their effectiveness. Without proper governance and data management practices, organizations risk making decisions based on inaccurate or incomplete information.

💡Solution: Prioritize data quality initiatives as part of the ERP implementation process, including data cleansing, validation, and enrichment. Establish robust data governance policies and procedures to define data ownership, access controls, and quality standards. Invest in data management tools and technologies to automate data validation. Enforce data governance policies, and maintain data integrity throughout the ERP lifecycle. Regularly monitor and audit data quality metrics to identify and address issues proactively.

Learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of SAP

7. 📝 Overlooking Integration Challenges

In addition, ERP implementations often require integrating with existing systems and processes. Ignoring integration challenges can result in data silos, workflow disruptions, and compatibility issues.

💡Solution: Conduct a thorough analysis of integration requirements early in the ERP planning process to identify potential bottlenecks and dependencies. Engage cross-functional teams, including IT, operations, and business stakeholders, to collaborate on integration design and testing. Leverage integration tools, middleware solutions, and industry standards (e.g., APIs, web services) to facilitate seamless data exchange and interoperability between disparate systems. Prioritize data mapping, transformation, and validation to ensure consistency and accuracy across integrated systems.

Also read the 5 key benefits of hiring a SAP FICO Consultant

8. 🔬 Insufficient Testing

Then, thorough testing is essential to uncovering software defects and usability issues before they impact end-users. Without adequate testing, organizations risk encountering critical issues during production deployment.

💡Solution: Develop a comprehensive testing strategy that encompasses functional testing, regression testing, performance testing, and user acceptance testing. Define test scenarios, scripts, and acceptance criteria based on business requirements and user workflows. Allocate sufficient time and resources for testing activities throughout the ERP implementation lifecycle, including system configuration, customization, and data migration phases. Leverage automated testing tools and methodologies to accelerate testing cycles, improve test coverage, and identify defects early in the development process. Encourage user participation in testing activities to validate system functionality, usability, and performance from an end-user perspective.

9. 🤝 Failure to Align with Business Processes

Also, ERP systems should align with existing business processes to maximize efficiency and effectiveness. Failure to map ERP functionality to business requirements can lead to resistance and inefficiency among end-users.

💡Solution: Conduct a thorough analysis of existing business processes and identify opportunities for process optimization and standardization. Engage key stakeholders, including department heads, process owners, and end-users, to collaborate on business process mapping and requirements gathering. Customize the ERP system to align with specific business needs and industry best practices while minimizing the need for complex customizations. Provide training and support to help users understand how ERP functionality supports their day-to-day tasks and decision-making processes. Continuously monitor and refine business processes based on user feedback, performance metrics, and industry trends to drive continuous improvement and organizational agility.

Also read how to implement an efficient ERP in 6 steps

10. 🛠️ Lack of Ongoing Support and Maintenance

Lat but not least, ERP implementations require ongoing support, maintenance, and updates to remain effective over time. Without dedicated resources and processes in place, organizations risk encountering technical issues and compliance challenges.

💡Solution: Establish a dedicated support team or center of excellence (CoE) responsible for managing ERP system operations, maintenance, and user support. Define service level agreements (SLAs) and escalation procedures to prioritize and address user queries, technical issues, and enhancement requests in a timely manner. Invest in training and knowledge transfer to empower internal resources to handle routine support tasks and troubleshoot common issues independently. Stay informed about software updates, patches, and security advisories released by the ERP vendor and apply them promptly to mitigate security risks and ensure regulatory compliance. Continuously monitor system performance, usage trends, and user feedback to identify opportunities for optimization and enhancement. Engage with the ERP vendor and user community to stay abreast of best practices, industry trends, and emerging technologies that can further enhance the value and capabilities of the ERP system.

Conclusion

In conclusion, ERP failure causes can be attributed to a myriad of factors, including inadequate planning, poor vendor selection, lack of executive support, and insufficient training and change management. However, by addressing these challenges proactively and implementing best practices for ERP implementation and management, organizations can minimize risks, maximize ROI, and achieve long-term success with their ERP initiatives. By fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, organizations can leverage ERP systems as strategic enablers of business transformation, growth, and competitive advantage.

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

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Data & Business Intelligence IT Decision-makers Job Descriptions Tips & errors to avoid

Small Data for more human-centric data processing

Small Data for more human-centric data processing
Small Data for more human-centric data processing

The use of Small Data allows companies to make a good interpretation of Big Data, enabling a more human-centric approach to data processing.

In this article, we discuss this new trend by introducing data consumption prediction and the evolution of data processing.

Data consumption

The amount of data consumed worldwide in 2022 was 947 ZB. And it is expected to reach 180 ZB in 2025 according to Statista data.

Data Volume 2022-2025 by Mindquest

This increase in the use and consumption of data led companies to invest in new technologies. This is to manage and analyze this data in order to gain in-depth knowledge of their customers.

Thus, in 2021, investment in Big Data and data analytics solutions by companies increased by more than 10%. And it is expected that between 2021 and 2025 the annual growth rate will be 12.8%. This investment by companies foresees the business’s need to obtain qualitative information from the data collected.

Despite this, the human aspect of data processing often falls by the wayside in the face of companies’ imperative need to know their customers in depth to achieve business growth.

As a result, companies are beginning to change their metrics to better account for their customers. Thus, as many as 78% of corporate marketing departments have changed their metrics due to the pandemic.

In this sense, Mindquest analyzes how to move from ‘data centric’ to ‘human centric’ in data processing. And this transition involves the introduction of Small Data.

Small Data implementation

Small Data implementation has become critical for companies that want to make profitable use of Big Data. In fact, interpreting Small Data helps companies ensure a service or product that meets real customer needs.
It is no longer just a matter of collecting a large amount of data, but of deriving truly useful information from it.

Following are 3 ways to move from data-centric to human-centric in the data processing

1. Evolution towards Big Data Marketing

The application of data in marketing strategies is a common practice for marketing teams in all companies. Because of this, they have improved their digital strategies.

Thus, companies use Big Data for analytics, but despite its importance in the current context, its collection and analysis is increasingly complicated. This is due to the increased regulation and knowledge of users on the treatment of the same.

For all these reasons, companies must evolve in the treatment of their data and not only take them into account for the benefit of their business, but also to offer real and tangible benefits to their customers and users, taking them into account.

2. Small Data Implementation

Although companies have invested in Big Data in recent years, according to Gartner, by 2025 70 percent of companies will have shifted the focus of their data strategy from Big Data to Small and Wide Data.

“Small data is an approach that involves less data but still provides valuable insights. This approach includes some time-series analysis techniques or few-shot learning, synthetic data or self-supervised learning.” (Gartner, PR May 19, 2021)

The use of small data enables companies to interpret Big Data well, deepening their understanding of customers and their motivations for doing so. They do this by extracting useful information from each customer and opting for data quality rather than quantity.

Its use will be essential in the coming years as companies begin to base their business strategy on the customer. Consequently, they need to know the reasons that motivate their customers’ behavior in order to adapt to them.

The use of small data will enable companies to understand and draw conclusions from the large amount of data they already have on their customers.

3. Be aware of Wide Data

There are more and more data sources or points of contact between a company and its customers. So much so that marketers use data from an average of 15 sources

In this context, Wide Data is essential for companies. This is because it links together data from a wide range of sources to reach a meaningful analysis.

Thus, “Wide data allows analysis and synergy of a variety of small and large, unstructured and structured data sources. It applies X-analytics, where X is looking for links between data sources, as well as for a variety of data formats. These formats include tables, text, images, video, audio, voice, temperature, or even smells and vibrations:” (Gartner, PR May 19, 2021)

Its use allows them to understand customers’ use of each platform and gain a more comprehensive view of them. In this way, companies are able to adjust their strategies accordingly to better engage with their customers.

Conclusion

As important as data is to business strategy, it does not speak for itself.

The entire data analysis team needs to be able to draw conclusions from the data that truly impact the company’s relationship with customers.

In this sense, understanding the work behind data interpretation is essential for each company to enhance the value of its analytics team, which continue to play a determining role in the future of the company.

Also read our article about the differences between Business Intelligence and Big Data. Both work together on data, but they do not do it in the same way. Business Intelligence software helps companies make decisions based on data and metrics. But what does Big Data have to do with it?

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

What Makes a Good CTO?

What Makes a Good CTO?
What makes a good CTO ? How to become a CTO ? Discover the role and the essential skills of the CTO in Mission Control Center by Mindquest

What makes a good CTO ? Discover the role and the essential skills of the CTO.

Interested in the full picture? Download our comprehensive career guide on how to become a CTO.

The CTO role

The success of the CTO is largely based on their ability to deploy new technologies at the right time. And, since technology progresses every day, a good CTO needs to be fully up-to-date with current developments and challenges.

But, while they need to be tech-focused, balancing tech acumen and computer skills; good CTOs must also possess other, softer skills like creativity and strategic thinking.

Teamwork and collaboration skills are, of course, also key. To accomplish something that has not been done before, CTOs will need to work together with several in-house engineers and external vendors.

A hybrid set of skills

While no two CTO job descriptions are the same, change is common to all their functions. They must therefore be adaptable and flexible to respond to the ever-changing needs of the market and the company’s customers.

Additionally, the conventional, tech-silo figure of the CTO has progressively evolved onto a more external, customer-facing role. The CTO of today needs to possess a hybrid set of skills. With business and interpersonal skills having gained importance in recent years.

Leaving the code behind

Moreover, successful CTOs have to complement their technical skills with those needed at the senior management and executive levels.

In what is an ironic twist for a technology leader, the role becomes less technical as they become more senior. It is precisely the ability to move beyond technical specifics and towards more strategic and managerial functions what is most difficult about this transition.

In addition, a CTO must master the art of delegation and leave the code behind.

What makes a good CTO: Essential skills

Based on all the above, a good CTO should possess:

  • Excellent communication skills: The effectiveness of their position depends on their ability to communicate across departments and teams. They also need to relay highly technical information to individuals with little to no technical knowledge
  • Adaptability: In order to better support the business as a whole, the CTO must understand every angle of the business. And also know how to adapt technology to each case and need
  • Leadership: They need to operate as technology and IT team managers. Inspiring and encouraging the rest of the team to meet the strategic goals
  • Understanding of market and customer expectations
  • Exceptional organisational skills
  • Great negotiation skills
  • Strategic thinking: They need to think about the organization as a whole. They have to be able to plan ahead, identifying future problems and trends
  • Coding: While the CTO has left behind the more technical years; understanding of current programming languages is key to better communicate with engineers and be able to conceptualise more efficient and realistic technology products
  • A computer science, engineering or related university degree; an MBA or other appropriate graduate degree are always a plus and preferred in the industry
What makes a good CTO ? How to become a CTO ? Discover the role and the essential skills of the CTO

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

The Microsoft Technology Stack for Business

The Microsoft Technology Stack for Business
When it comes to all things enterprise technology, these are the principal platforms that make up the Microsoft Technology Stack.

When it comes to enterprise technology, the Microsoft Technology Stack reaches almost as far as the eye can see. From operating systems and development tools to cloud computing, the company owns an extremely diversified portfolio of solutions that can be hard to keep track of as an IT professional.

Don’t get lost in the clutter. These are the principal platforms that make up the Microsoft Technology Stack.

.NET

An open-source, cross-platform development framework used to build all sorts of applications. .NET, allows developers to choose among a wide variety of programming languages, code editors and libraries, giving users the flexibility and scalability to build solutions for everything from web and mobile to IoT.

It is these broad capabilities that make .NET one of the world’s most popular developer platforms. As such, it benefits from the support of a vast community and an extensive repository of libraries.

GitHub

GitHub has been part of Microsoft since the company acquired it in 2018. The platform is used by both amateur and expert developers to host code, review it and collaborate by focusing on version control and following a continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD) philosophy. 

Its impressive community is what really fuels GitHub. Millions of programmers upload their work and review each other’s code through the platform. As such, GitHub is one of the world’s largest open-access repositories and collaborative projects platforms.

Furthermore, the fact that is used by hobbyists, corporations and top professionals alike has turned GitHub into a sort of LinkedIn for developers and tech enthusiasts. A place to showcase one’s talent and concrete achievements.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is one of today’s leading cloud-based productivity platforms. It combines the traditional MS Office suite with a set of collaboration tools and features like cloud-based storage and Teams to provide organizations and individuals with the means to get things done wherever they are located.

It is a mix of software like Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with flexible and scalable cloud storage and security and world-class security. From an IT perspective, it requires companies to deploy, maintain and update an infrastructure that is adapted to business needs while preserving security and a nimble spirit.

Microsoft Careers

Dynamics 365

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are all-encompassing software toolsets with capabilities extending across marketing, sales and customer service. As a leading CRM, Dynamics 365 allows organisations to easily plan and execute operations from a single platform. The speed, efficiency and cohesiveness derived from its use have made CRM a staple of today’s business management – as well as one of the most profitable specialisations in the IT world.

Dynamics 365 is a scalable solution that allows for advanced customization, making it adaptable to the needs of each company. It is the job of technical MS experts to set up, customize and maintain this environment in a way that maximizes efficiency, user satisfaction and customer loyalty.

Test these upcoming Dynamics 365 features

Azure

Microsoft Azure is the company’s public cloud computing platform. A competitor to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and IBM Cloud, Azure provides companies with a wide range of cloud services, including computing, storage, analytics and networking.

Azure is an open-source-friendly, adaptable and scalable platform that fits the needs of every customer. Furthermore, Azure is industry-specific, providing dedicated tools to sectors like healthcare, e-commerce or retail. It offers 4 different types of cloud computing: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), software as a service (SaaS) and serverless.

A whole army of professionals is needed to design, deploy and maintain such cloud ecosystems.

On Learning Azure IoT and Being an Active Member of the Community

Microsoft Power Platform

The Microsoft Power Platform enables businesses to create and deploy custom-made workflow apps and reports that help them easily extract, process, and analyse data. The Power Platform is integrated with the rest of Microsoft’s ecosystem of platforms as well as with other third-party apps.

It is a key tool in today’s data-driven business world, providing actionable insights in real time. It requires a team of technical experts to deploy, maintain and expand, as well as to train end-users and offer them support on a daily basis.

Microsoft SQL Server

SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) by Microsoft. Also called MSSQL, it serves as the backbone to data registering, accessing and manipulation for its enterprise customers.

It is protected by high-grade encryption and caters to a variety of businesses depending on size and data needs.

Learn more about the QlikView Developer Job

Visual Studio

Microsoft Visual Studio is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that can be used to build anything from the ground up. In a way, IDEs are the word processors of the programming world, allowing developers to create applications for a multitude of platforms from a single place. Visual Studio includes debugging, automation and team collaboration features, creating a holistic environment to conceive and deliver high-quality applications.

Learn more about the Microsoft Technology Stack and the various roles within Microsoft Technologies in our comprehensive Microsoft Technologies Careers Guide

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

Strengthening the IT support team: the top back-to-school challenge for CIOs?

Strengthening the IT support team: the top back-to-school challenge for CIOs?
Strengthening the IT support team ? Many companies have been hit hard by the Covid-19 epidemic.Their new mantra: adapt, anticipate, and reassure internally.

Many companies have been hit hard by the Covid-19 epidemic. Disruption was inescapable, from decline and suspension of activity to forced restructuring of teams and processes. IT teams were among the most impacted by these upheavals, as IT decision-makers had to take on a new role to help their organizations navigate the crisis. Therefore their new mantra: adapt, anticipate, and reassure internally. Is then strengthening the IT support team the top back-to-school challenge for CIOs?

As we approach the start of the new school year, the challenges for CIOs and other IT managers are increasing. Like who awaits impending doom, they are faced with the threat of a new lockdown at any minute. Adapting to a new way of working and conducting business won’t be easy either.

It is now more strategic than ever to strengthen their IT support team, guaranteeing operational continuity and completing the digital and organizational transformation of the company. Yet budget and organisational constraint make this a challenging endeavour.

Strengthening the IT support – A front-line service

IT support has always been a vital service within the company. Operating as an internal customer service, it helps solve end-user problems, responds to all their requests related to the work environment, and improves productivity.

In just months, the pandemic has strengthened the role of IT within organizations and propelled the IT service to the front line. While some companies had to completely shut down activity during lockdown, many were able to remain active thanks to telework.

But managing such a sudden and massive transition has required significant technical and organizational adaptation. Setting up collaboration tools, remote troubleshooting and technical assistance, rapid resolution of incidents, training of employees regarding cybersecurity risks… IT support teams had to put in long hours to ensure the proper functioning of remote work.

Moreover, to complicate things, cybercrime has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic and continues to rise.  Hackers are taking advantage of the human and organizational weaknesses of companies, targeting remote access points and employee email. Finding the right security experts has become a big challenge for businesses in recent months.

In short, IT support teams have made themselves more essential than ever.

Facing new challenges

The challenges related to the Covid-19 crisis add to a multitude of already existing challenges within IT support teams. Issues such as cost reduction, process optimization and quality of service have only acquired more importance.

The notion of the internal customer is leading many companies to redefine their structure and put the user at the heart of the process to improve employee experience. This perspective, which brings benefits like satisfaction and fluidity, often requires support teams to unify points of contact, collect feedback and proactively participate in improving the image of the overall IT department.

Another challenge: reducing tasks with low added value and exploiting technologies such as AI to automate as many operations as possible. The idea here is to allow support teams to focus on more strategic tasks like provide guidance to users.

IT support managers have also one more major new challenge: communication. They need to be transparent and reassuring with their team and play an important role in raising employee awareness about increased security threats.

Set up an adapted Talent Strategy for strengthening the IT support team

To have a good IT support, you need to start by having a suitable team. Having the right people in place is an essential condition for success, as it is often the skills and motivation that make the difference between an efficient support service and an insufficient one.

But how do you make sure you have a strong team? You can start by following these few tips:

  • Perform an audit of current skills within your support teams: look at what skills are missing, see if key skills are concentrated in too few employees, etc.
  • Adapt your team’s organization to be able to call on the right people at the right time: in an emergency, you need to be ready to activate a reorganization plan to mobilize key skills
  • Identify the most efficient resources and secure your existing talent
  • Set up training mechanisms to re-skill certain employees whose area of ​​expertise is no longer suited to the current situation
  • Establish a recruitment plan to cover the missing skills and be able to quickly find the right candidates when needed
  • Focus on communication and transparency

Strengthening the IT support : Is calling on external resources an effective strategy for your IT support?

On top of operational challenges, the current economic crisis is having a heavy impact on corporate budgets. Many organizations have had to drastically cut down their expenses, especially their IT costs.

So how, as an IT decision-maker, can you strengthen your support teams without taking significant budgetary risks? Outsourcing or calling on IT freelancers can be a winning strategy in this time of crisis.

In addition to fewer administrative constraints and the positive effects that freelancers can have on your internal teams, the recruitment of an independent consultant can allow you to mobilize very specific skills to accelerate projects or resolve incidents in key business areas.

The flexibility of working with contractors allows you to limit risks during this unstable period, as well as access highly coveted expertise such as cloud and certain collaborative tools.

Regardless, the start of the school year promises to be pretty intense. Whether you choose to strengthen your support teams through hiring or by occasionally calling on external staff, do not neglect the importance of having a strong support team to face the coming months with confidence.

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

The Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring an IT Contractor

The Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring an IT Contractor
Recruitment: 3 major mistakes to avoid when hiring an IT contractor or freelancer: Hiring the wrong freelancers can quickly derail your project...

What are the top 3 mistakes that you should avoid when hiring an IT contractor? Working with IT contractors keeps getting more and more popular in the world of work. And for good reason: including freelancers in your projects can bring great benefits to your whole team.  

IT contractors are a workforce that is often very qualified and cost-effective. Especially in the context of a one-off increase in company activity or under special circumstances such as the Covid-19 pandemic. However, hiring the wrong freelancers can quickly derail your project and leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.  

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

Recruitment: 3 major mistakes to avoid when hiring an IT contractor or freelancer:

1st of top mistakes to avoid when hiring: Not vetting the consultant’s qualifications thoroughly

You need to make sure that a consultant recruited for a particular skill possesses it and in a way that is well-suited to the reality of your project. 

To protect yourself against this difficulty; which can cause harm, both financially and in terms of reputation; it is necessary that you thoroughly vet the veracity of the freelancer’s claims and assess the true depth of their technical skills. Start with these questions: 

  • Has the freelancer provided a list of previous relevant projects? Have you verified their references? 
  • Has the freelancer justified their skills with a document or portfolio of any kind? 

During the interview process, you must ask pointed questions about the candidate’s area of expertise. It will quickly reveal the reality of the situation.  

Also read How to manage the onboarding of IT contractors in 5 steps

2nd mistake : Hiring a Consultant who does not align with your company’s values and culture 

In order to avoid divergences in operating methods, which can lead to confusion and frictions within the teams; it is preferable to choose a freelancer who aligns with the company’s values. Here, you should pay special attention to the candidate’s softer skills. As these are the ones that will determine how well the contractor fits into your existing team. 

The same goes for ensuring that the consultant aligns and complies with legal and confidentiality requirements. Make sure they fully understand your confidentiality policies and non-disclosure agreement (NDA) so that they unknowingly break the contract. 

Also read How to Manage the Offboarding of IT Contractors in 7 Steps

3rd mistake: Setting an inappropriate remuneration rate 

DevSecOps Job Description

The third most common mistake made by companies looking to hire a freelancer is to offer a pay rate that is not in line with market standards. Whether it is higher or lower than what is normally charged in that particular field of expertise and for that level of seniority. 

If you set a daily remuneration that is too high; you will end up paying more than what you need to. Plus, your collaboration with the contractor may not be sustainable in the long term. 

On the contrary, if you set a remuneration that is too low; you will have difficulty attracting good candidates with a suitable level of experience. 

Companies not used to working with freelancers are precisely the ones that usually make these mistakes. Keep in mind that collaboration should be seen from a balanced angle and in a “win-win” relationship. Only then will the collaboration be efficient in the long term. 

Embracing AI Trends in IT Recruitment

Lat but not least, the implementation of AI in recruitment practices has the potential to revolutionize how companies identify, engage, and hire IT contractors.

Here’s a closer look at how embracing AI trends can enhance your IT recruitment processes:

  • Streamline candidate vetting processes.
  • Analyze resumes for relevant skills and experience.
  • Predict candidate success based on data analytics.
  • Enhance decision-making during the hiring process.

By embracing these AI trends in IT recruitment, companies can not only stay competitive but also gain a significant edge in identifying and securing the best-fit IT contractors for their projects.

Don’t miss our Top 5 Strategies to Overcome the AI Talent Gap.

Mindquest, with its commitment to staying at the forefront of industry advancements, ensures that your recruitment strategies align with the latest AI innovations, facilitating a smoother and more effective hiring process.

Would you like to find out more about our recruitment service for IT consultants? Post your requirements now, or find out more about our job offers directly on our Mindquest platform!

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

History of Cloud Computing: The Past, Present and Future

History of Cloud Computing: The Past, Present and Future
Discover the history of cloud computing, where exactly is the cloud right now, and where is it headed with Mission Control Center by Mindquest

Discover the history of cloud computing. Cloud’s current momentum can often make younger generations believe this technology is a thing of the 21st century. In fact, sharing computing resources is an idea that dates back to the 1950s, when the same mainframe computers were accessed by all company employees via locally connected dumb terminals.

But it was not until 1969 that computer scientists lead by J.C.R. Licklider premiered ARPANET, the world’s first network connecting computers across vast distances. The system enabled communication and time-sharing of computing resources between different educational and military institutions. It later evolved into a network of networks — The Internet.

Licklider had a vision: an ‘intergalactic computer network’ that, beyond keeping everyone connected, would allow us to access data and applications regardless of location. More than half a century later, his vision is closer than ever to becoming a reality. About 59% of the global population has now access to the Internet, while cloud computing has gone from buzzword to the lifeblood of today’s enterprise.

The technology has indeed proved itself indispensable to digital transformation – cloud has been a decisive factor in the business world’s ability to withstand the COVID-19 crisis, supporting the sudden shift to remote work and helping companies quickly deploy and scale up IT infrastructure.   

But what is the history of cloud computing ? Where exactly is the cloud right now, and where is it headed?

History of cloud computing: The various pathways to cloud

Current cloud offerings vary depending on how they approach data storage and application management. Also, there are three types of deployments: public, private and hybrid.

Public cloud offerings lease cloud infrastructure and solutions to multiple customers who all share the same network, with every customer’s data siloed from the rest. On the other hand, private cloud is used by a single organisation, whether the user owns it or leases it from a provider.

Then, private clouds tend to be tailor-made to the meet needs of the specific company.

Finally, the hybrid cloud combines both approaches. Companies pursue the hybrid approach for its versatility, which allows them to mix and match resources and IT skills to obtain the best of both worlds.

A new global study by data virtualisation company Denodo identifies hybrid cloud as the most widespread deployment path.

Hybrid configurations account for 42% of all deployments. Public cloud takes second place with an 18% share – head-to-head with private cloud, which accounts for 17% of enterprise configurations.

Two-thirds of respondents (66%) use the cloud for analytics and business intelligence, while 42% of companies leverage the technology for logical data warehousing. Data science is the focus of 41% of respondents. 

Everything as a Service

Public cloud offerings have evolved well beyond data management and storage. They now focus on providing different services and can be further classified depending on the nature of these services. The most widespread are:

  • Software as a service (SaaS) solutions, which involve providers offering customers online access to applications they host
  • Platform as a service (PaaS) offerings, in which a third-party vendor provides hardware and software tools for companies to build applications, etc.
  • Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) solutions, which comprise all those services involving the lease of virtualized computing resources like storage

The multi-cloud

Similarly with hybrid cloud, combining a variety of cloud services from different providers can help companies achieve the cloud ecosystem that best fits their needs. This strategy is known as multi-cloud.

 The multi-cloud approach is rapidly gaining popularity among businesses, especially the bigger ones, and it is projected to soon become the industry standard. However, the use of different architectures and software among cloud providers can lead to cybersecurity, compatibility and operational issues. So that, cloud users are currently pushing for industry-wide standardisation to tackle this problem.

What’s next for the history and future of cloud computing

With at least 50% of the world’s business already circulating through the cloud, the technology’s role in the enterprise will only keep on growing. Furthermore, it’s convergence with emerging technologies like IoT and AI is opening a whole new realm of possibilities.

Chief amongst these is cloud edge. The approach combines edge computing – the processing and storage of IoT data closer to the device – and cloud to reduce latency, increase security and allow for greater flexibility. This is made possible by not having to send all data collected to a distant data centre for processing, but rather processing it on-site and only sharing the resulting insights.  

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

The Best Tech Podcasts for IT Pros

The Best Tech Podcasts for IT Pros
What are the best Tech podcasts for IT pros? A list with a few tech-related podcasts that should be part of any IT professional’s audio library.

What are the best Tech podcasts for IT pros? If it’s true that we are what we eat, then it might also be worth entertaining the idea that we are what we listen to. We’ve put together a list with a few tech-related podcasts that should be part of any IT professional’s audio library.  

From interviews with subject matter experts to business news analysis and futurism. This list has everything you’ll need to give you an edge in your career journey. Best of all? It’s all free. 

Looking for a job in IT? Check out our IT job hunting guide.

Best tech podcasts for IT Pros

Recode Decode 

There are few names in tech journalism that are as prominent as Kara Swisher’s. After making a career covering high-level cases around Silicon Valley, the U.S. reporter started Recode Decode in 2015. But what was originally a tech-exclusive interview show has now transcended into the broader public realm. Snatching AdWeek’s best podcast of 2019 prize.   

Thrice a week, Swisher interviews tech executives, politicians and public personalities to discuss their big ideas about changing the world. As an IT professional, it’s important to keep an open mind. Swisher’s show is a great way of expanding your horizons.   

You can start with this episode on how the global lockdown will forever impact the way we work. 

If you are looking for a more tech-focused approach, the Recode Decode brand is also host to other, more targeted tech podcasts. We recommend you check out Reset, a show on how and why tech is changing everything.   

Start with this episode on the future of work and the role of technology in it.  

WSJ’s The Future of Everything 

Speaking of how tech will shape our future – make sure you give a try to this Wall Street Journal podcast. The Future of Everything features interviews and analysis by the newspaper’s best reporters, exploring, together with industry pioneers, how technology and science are changing every aspect of life and business.  

If you want to keep tab on the tech innovations and trends transforming your industry and others, this is your show. A great way of staying ahead of events and the competition. 

You can start with this episode on the future of artificial intelligence. 

This Week in Tech 

If you’d like to focus more on the present, This Week in Tech with Leo Laporte is a good show to stay up-to-date with industry news. From mergers and acquisitions to product and software releases, this popular podcast makes honour to its name by looking at the past week in tech news.  

This is your go-to show if you enjoy a mix of straight-up business news and other, softer news stories like Elon Musk’s new son, X Æ A-12, and how his name should be pronounced.     

Here’s their latest episode.  

Clockwise 

Delving deeper into the user side of technology, Clockwise proposes a rather quick-paced and original format. Under 30 minutes, 4 panellists discuss 4 tech topics impacting society and business — from how COVID-19 contact tracing technology works to remote troubleshooting tips for IT pros. 

The show combines actionable insight and information with good humour and commentary on the everyday life of tech professionals. An excellent lunch companion.  

You can start with their latest episode, the topics of which include a post-pandemic wish list of tech changes and a recap of the best (and worst) phishing attempts.  

IDG’s CIO Podcasts 

If you are at a managerial level or in charge of IT strategy and operations, IDG’s CIO Podcasts can be very helpful. Packed with interviews with CIOs and IT leaders, the podcasts are a great way of keeping track of IT management best practices.  

The publication has two separate podcasts series for the U.K. and North America.  

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IT Decision-makers Tips & errors to avoid

The Case for Automation in Software Development

The Case for Automation in Software Development
The rapid growth of automation in software development is not only prompting significant media buzz around its promising capabilities...

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has made great strides in the enterprise world over the past few years. According to Gartner’s most recent study on the topic,  90% of robotic process automation (RPA) vendors will offer generative-AI-assisted automation by 2025. The rapid growth of automation (and here the case of automation in software development) is not only prompting significant media buzz around its promising capabilities, but also raising concerns about its long-term impact on overall employment.

Need advice on how to start or develop your freelance consulting business in tech or IT? Need to start a new permanent or freelance assignment? Join Mindquest and get support from our team of experts.

AI in the workplace: productivity gains and fears of trust

Surely, companies are increasingly relying on virtual employees — from chatbots to AI-powered personal assistants — to increase productivity and lessen the burden imposed on staff by time-consuming and repetitive tasks better left to machine learning algorithms. However, as it tends to be the case with artificial intelligence, there exists a generalised mistrust of synthetic agents and their overblown potential to replace humans.

As we have mentioned in the past, we should look at new technological developments from a more practical perspective rather than from a position of worry. Automation and artificial intelligence are tools that we can leverage to enhance the quality and speed of our work.

Embedded in the DevOps DNA

This is particularly true in a discipline like software engineering, which requires the full power of human ingenuity while also encompassing a series of tasks that burn through a lot of time and resources. Not surprisingly, automation is deeply ingrained within agile development methodologies and represents a big part of the day-to-day in DevOps.

In their effort to optimise software production pipelines, DevOps engineers take advantage of various automation tools that allow for faster, more robust development – although how much automation should exactly be involved in the process remains a cause of debate.

In any case, benefits of automation in software development are too great to ignore: speed, more resources and increased quality and security.   

Increased resource availability

Firstly, the continuous improvement and delivery (CI/CD) paradigm is an intensive process that involves many steps and requires increased collaboration between teams. Accordingly, automation has a great role to play to help with code testing, the updating of repositories and the integration of various software components.

Moreover, automation offers a possible solution for understaffed teams of developers. Skill and personnel shortages are a prevailing issue for the industry. Development teams can greatly benefit from eager bots and other automation tools tackling all those lower-level, time-consuming tasks.                                

Maintaining quality and app security together with speed

Given today’s accelerated and competitive product lifecycle and the need for companies to adapt to ever-changing markets, speed is key in the delivery of software solutions. However, it is hard to achieve optimum levels of speeds while preserving code integrity and ensuring security across your universe of solutions.  

Automation not only helps ensure the production of robust and quality code with fewer resources — it also leads to greater security standards by allowing developers to continuously monitor for vulnerabilities while maintaining the focus on higher-level aspects of software creation.

In fact, a recent report by Ponemon Institute and IBM revealed that organizations without security automation experienced in 2019 breach costs that were 95% higher than those companies with fully-deployed automation ($5.16 million average total cost of a breach without automation vs. $2.65 million for fully-deployed automation).

AI fuels innovation in business, but a shortage of qualified talent hampers its widespread adoption. To overcome the AI talent gap and gain a competitive edge, companies need effective strategies. Explore our infographic for the top 5 strategies to build a strong AI team.

Conclusion

This data underscores the ongoing significance of security automation in the contemporary cybersecurity landscape. As organizations grapple with evolving cyber threats and vulnerabilities, the adoption of automated security measures emerges as a key strategy for not only enhancing overall cybersecurity posture but also for minimizing the financial impact associated with data breaches. Therefore, as we progress into 2023, these insights serve as a compelling reminder for businesses to prioritize and invest in advanced security automation solutions to safeguard their digital assets and maintain resilience in the face of evolving cyber risks.

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