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• How to develop a business process in 8 steps

  Well-designed business processes help organizations achieve their goals faster, but they require planning and effort. Follow these steps to develop processes that deliver value. Continue Reading

• How to improve and optimize a business process, step by step

  The processes that form the backbone of modern business operations require continuous improvement to stay effective and efficient. Here is a method for improving them. Continue Reading

• robotic process automation (RPA)

  Robotic process automation (RPA) is a technology that mimics the way humans interact with software to perform high-volume, repeatable tasks. Continue Reading

• spatial computing

  Spatial computing broadly characterizes the processes and tools used to capture, process and interact with three-dimensional (3D) data. Continue Reading

• 7 top technologies for metaverse development

  Several advanced technologies in various stages of maturity have been powering everyday business processes. How will they one day transform the 3D virtual world into reality? Continue Reading

• Definitions to Get Started

  • What is a think tank?
  • What is emotional intelligence (EI)?
  • What are agreed-upon procedures (AUPs)?
  • What is cognitive automation?

  • What is an IT project manager?
  • What is a cyberthreat hunter (cybersecurity threat analyst)?
  • What is blockchain? Definition, examples and how it works
  • What is nearshore outsourcing and how does it work?

  View All Definitions

• value chain

  A value chain is a concept describing the full chain of a business's activities in creating a product or service -- from initial receipt of materials through its delivery to market.Continue Reading

• consumer data

  Consumer data is the information that organizations collect from individuals who use internet-connected platforms, including websites, social media networks, mobile apps, text messaging apps or email systems.Continue Reading

• Top metaverse investors and how to start investing

  Would-be metaverse investors have many ways to get in on the action. Read our coverage of the metaverse's top investors, direct investing opportunities and investment risks.Continue Reading

• conduct risk

  Conduct risk refers to the potential for a company's actions or behavior to harm its customers, stakeholders or broader market integrity.Continue Reading

• competitive differentiation

  Competitive differentiation is a strategic positioning tactic an organization can undertake to set its products, services and brands apart from those of its competitors.Continue Reading

• reshoring

  Reshoring is the process of bringing back manufacturing or production operations to their country of origin or a nearby region.Continue Reading

• shared services

  Shared services is a delivery model organizations use to consolidate similar business functions into a single unit that supports the entire organization.Continue Reading

• enterprise agility

  Enterprise agility is a paradigm for scaling agile methodologies beyond development teams.Continue Reading

• Gaussian splatting

  Gaussian splatting renders extremely high-quality images -- using numerous scans of an object -- that can then be viewed from any angle and explored in real time.Continue Reading

• startup culture

  A startup culture is a workplace environment that values creative problem-solving, open communication and a flat hierarchy.Continue Reading

• OODA loop

  The OODA loop -- Observe, Orient, Decide, Act -- is a four-step approach to decision-making that focuses on filtering available information, putting it in context and quickly making the most appropriate decision, while also understanding that ...Continue Reading

• SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud)

  SMAC (social, mobile, analytics and cloud) is the concept that the convergence of four technologies is currently driving business innovation.Continue Reading

• paternalistic leadership

  Paternalistic leadership is a managerial approach that involves a dominant authority figure who acts as a patriarch or matriarch and treats employees and partners as though they were members of a large, extended family.Continue Reading

• mPOS (mobile point-of-sale)

  MPOS, or mobile point-of-sale, is a smartphone, tablet or dedicated wireless device that performs the functions of a cash register or electronic POS terminal wirelessly.Continue Reading

• smart machines

  A smart machine is a device embedded with machine-to-machine and/or cognitive computing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) or deep learning, all of which it uses to reason, solve problems, make decisions and ...Continue Reading

• 16 BPM best practices to ensure project success

  A BPM approach to transformation enables companies to continuously improve and reinvent their business processes, injecting innovation as they go. Learn how to do it right.Continue Reading

• hyperautomation

  Hyperautomation is a framework and a set of advanced technologies for scaling automation in the enterprise. The ultimate goal of hyperautomation is to develop a process for automating enterprise automation.Continue Reading

• pilot program (pilot study)

  A pilot program, also called a feasibility study or experimental trial, is a small-scale, short-term experiment that helps an organization learn how a large-scale project might work in practice.Continue Reading

• globalization

  Globalization is the process by which ideas, knowledge, information, goods and services spread around the world.Continue Reading

• business process outsourcing (BPO)

  Business process outsourcing (BPO) is a business practice in which an organization contracts with an external service provider to perform an essential business function or task.Continue Reading

• localization

  Localization is the process of adapting and customizing a product to meet the needs of a specific market, as identified by its language, culture, expectations, local standards and legal requirements.Continue Reading

• Business Process Model Notation (BPMN)

  Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN), also called Business Process Model and Notation, is an open standard to diagram a business process.Continue Reading

• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

  The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is legislation in the state of California that supports an individual's right to control their own personally identifiable information (PII).Continue Reading

• digital leadership

  Digital leadership is the strategic use of a company's digital assets and emerging technologies to achieve business goals. A digital leader is a person who guides this digital approach within an organization.Continue Reading

• holistic (holistic technology)

  Holistic technology is an approach to IT management that considers the infrastructure as a whole instead of as a collection of individual systems.Continue Reading

• bimodal IT (bimodal information technology)

  Bimodal IT is a two-tiered IT operations model that allows for the creation of IT systems and processes that are stable and predictable as well as agile and fast.Continue Reading

• business process management software (BPMS)

  Business process management software (BPMS) helps companies design, model, execute, automate and improve a set of activities and tasks that, when completed, achieve an organizational goal.Continue Reading

• business process automation (BPA)

  Business process automation (BPA) is the use of advanced technology to complete business processes with minimal human intervention.Continue Reading

• e-commerce

  E-commerce (electronic commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services, or the transmitting of funds or data, over an electronic network, primarily the internet.Continue Reading

• IT cost structure

  IT cost structure refers to the relationship between different types of expenditures within a larger IT budget.Continue Reading

• Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI)

  Established in August 2000, the Business Process Management Initiative (BPMI) is a nonprofit organization that promotes the standardization of common business processes, as a means of furthering e-business and B2B development. It has since merged ...Continue Reading

• business innovation

  Business innovation is an organization's process for introducing new ideas, workflows, methodologies, services or products.Continue Reading

• How to set business goals, step by step

  Setting business goals that are detailed and come with deadlines motivates employees and keeps your company on track. Learn how to do it.Continue Reading

• PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board)

  The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a congressionally established nonprofit that assesses audits of public companies in the United States to protect investors' interests.Continue Reading

• Universal Process Notation (UPN)

  Universal Process Notation is a method for illustrating the steps in a business process.Continue Reading

• digital process automation

  Digital process automation (DPA) uses low-code development tools to automate processes that can span multiple applications.Continue Reading

• RPA vs. BPM: How are they different?

  Don't confuse RPA with BPM. These process-oriented initiatives are distinctly different but also highly complementary when planning, automating and improving business operations.Continue Reading

• standard business reporting (SBR)

  Standard business reporting (SBR) is a group of frameworks adopted by governments to promote standardization in reporting business data.Continue Reading

• Systems Modeling Language (SysML)

  Systems Modeling Language (SysML) helps teams design, develop, test and deploy complex physical systems.Continue Reading

• business process reengineering (BPR)

  Business process reengineering (BPR) is a management practice in which business processes used are radically redesigned to improve efficiency, effectiveness and performance.Continue Reading

• innovation management

  Innovation management involves the process of managing an organization's innovation procedure, starting at the initial stage of ideation, to its final stage of successful implementation.Continue Reading

• radical innovation

  Radical innovation is an invention that destroys or supplants an existing business model.Continue Reading

• process mining

  Process mining is a technique that interprets logs from enterprise applications -- like customer resource management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms -- to identify the steps in common business processes, detect variations and ...Continue Reading

• organizational change management (OCM)

  Organizational change management (OCM) is a type of change management framework for managing the effect of new business processes, changes in organizational structure, or cultural changes within an enterprise.Continue Reading

• process innovation

  Process innovation refers to a change in an existing operation or product that creates significant value for an organization.Continue Reading

• 5 core steps in the risk management process

  Implementing an effective risk management process is a key part of managing business risks. Follow these five steps to ensure a successful process.Continue Reading

• managerial grid model (The Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid model)

  The managerial grid model was developed by Robert R. Blake and Jane S. Mouton in the 1960s to help companies and individuals analyze and improve management styles.Continue Reading

• FTC (Federal Trade Commission)

  The FTC, or Federal Trade Commission, is a United States federal regulatory agency designed to monitor and prevent anticompetitive, deceptive or unfair business practices.Continue Reading

• workflow

  Workflow is the series of activities that are necessary to complete a task.Continue Reading

• IT strategic plan (information technology strategic plan)

  An IT strategic plan is a document that details the comprehensive technology-enabled business management processes an organization uses to guide operations.Continue Reading

• ITIL V3

  ITIL V3 is the third version of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), a globally recognized collection of best practices for managing IT and for implementing IT service management (ITSM) practices.Continue Reading

• How to modernize legacy applications

  For many organizations, system upgrades mean investing time, money and resources. Discover how to modernize legacy applications with these critical tips.Continue Reading

• ICT (information and communications technology or technologies)

  ICT, or information and communications technology (or technologies), is the infrastructure and components that enable modern computing.Continue Reading

• business services

  Business services refer to all services that support a company.Continue Reading

• multisig (multisignature)

  Multisig, also called multisignature, is the requirement for a transaction to have two or more signatures before it can be executed.Continue Reading

• What is a digital transformation strategy? Everything you need to know

  A strong DX strategy details an organization's current state, its plans for the future and the actions to achieve those goals. Discover the key elements that should be included.Continue Reading

• The right digital transformation framework for your business

  Digital transformation is tough. Find out how using a digital transformation framework can keep your company on the right track.Continue Reading

• cross-functional team

  A cross-functional team is a workgroup made up of employees from different functional areas within an organization who collaborate to reach a stated objective.Continue Reading

• How AI impacts digital transformation

  AI adoption is changing digital transformation as enterprises deploy the technology to improve customer experience, boost developer productivity and look for a competitive edge.Continue Reading

• strategic leadership

  Strategic leadership is a practice in which executives, using different styles of management, develop a vision for their organization that enables it to adapt to or remain competitive in a changing economic and technological climate.Continue Reading

• authoritarian leadership

  Authoritarian leadership, also known as autocratic leadership, is a management style where an individual possesses total decision-making power and retains as much authority as possible, often requiring followers to strictly adhere to their ...Continue Reading

• chief marketing officer (CMO)

  A chief marketing officer (CMO) is a C-suite executive responsible for overseeing the planning, development and execution of an organization's marketing and advertising initiatives.Continue Reading

• How digital transformation is changing customer experience

  Digital transformation and customer experience go hand in hand as organizations look to provide self-service options, highly personalized experiences and easier ways to query data.Continue Reading

• Building a digital transformation team: 9 essential roles

  Who needs to be on a digital transformation team? Metrigy's Robin Gareiss lists the key positions of an effective digital transformation team and why they're important.Continue Reading

• competitive advantage

  Competitive advantage is the favorable position an organization seeks to be more profitable than its rivals.Continue Reading

• chief digital officer

  A chief digital officer (CDO) is charged with helping an enterprise use digital information and advanced technologies, such as the cloud, AI, machine learning, automation, IoT, mobile and social media, to create business value.Continue Reading

• 10 online digital transformation certifications and courses

  Transformation is tough. We've compiled a list of popular paid online digital transformation courses and certification programs for leaders seeking to gain a competitive edge.Continue Reading

• digital economy

  The digital economy refers to the economic activities that emerge from connecting individuals, businesses, devices, data and operations through digital technology.Continue Reading

• 12 digital transformation tips and best practices

  Successful digital transformation requires agility, speed, cost optimization, technical innovation and cultural change. C-suite commitment and employee buy-in are also critical.Continue Reading

• mind-brain identity theory

  Mind-brain identity theory is a philosophy that purports the mind and brain are the same.Continue Reading

• project post-mortem

  A project post-mortem is a business process that lets the project team, project management, and other stakeholders review and evaluate the results at the end of a project or after the resolution of an incident.Continue Reading

• Build a digital transformation roadmap in 6 steps

  Digital transformation, done right, is the key to business survival. Build a roadmap to digital business model success by following this in-depth, six-step template.Continue Reading

• digital culture

  Digital culture refers to the behaviors, practices and values that develop from the use of digital technologies.Continue Reading

• risk management specialist

  A risk management specialist is a role appointed within organizations to identify potential risks that might negatively affect the business.Continue Reading

• social network

  A social network is a website or app that lets people connect with each other on a common platform.Continue Reading

• Lean startup

  Lean startup is an approach to building new businesses based on the belief that entrepreneurs must investigate, experiment, test and iterate as they develop products.Continue Reading

• enterprise risk management (ERM)

  Enterprise risk management (ERM) is the process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling the activities of an organization to minimize the harmful effects of risk on its capital and earnings.Continue Reading

• 13 types of business risks for companies to manage

  To avoid business problems and operate effectively, companies need to be ready to deal with these common types of risks as part of their risk management programs.Continue Reading

• Whistleblower Protection Act

  The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 is a law that protects federal government employees in the United States from retaliatory action for voluntarily disclosing information about dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government ...Continue Reading

• skunkworks project (Skunk Works)

  A skunkworks project, also known as Skunk Works, is an innovative undertaking, involving a small group of people, that is outside the normal research and development (R&D) channels within an organization.Continue Reading

• digital innovation

  Digital innovation is the adoption of modern digital technologies by a business.Continue Reading

• business goals

  A business goal is an endpoint, accomplishment or target an organization wants to achieve in the short term or long term.Continue Reading

• vertical SaaS (software as a service)

  Vertical SaaS describes a type of software as a service solution created for a specific industry, such as retail, financial services, insurance, healthcare or manufacturing.Continue Reading

• business process mapping

  Business process mapping is the visual display of the steps within a business process showing how it's done from start to finish.Continue Reading

• digital platform

  A digital platform is a web-based structural software package that speeds and eases transactions among users.Continue Reading

• enterprise IT (enterprise-class IT)

  Enterprise-class IT (also known as enterprise-grade, or enterprise IT) is hardware, software and other IT services designed to meet the demands of a large organization.Continue Reading

• microtargeting

  Microtargeting (also called micro-niche targeting) is a marketing strategy that uses consumer data and demographics to identify the interests and preferences of specific individuals or small groups to send targeted advertisements that align with ...Continue Reading

• business process

  A business process is an activity or set of activities that accomplish a specific organizational goal. Business processes should have purposeful goals, be as specific as possible and produce consistent outcomes.Continue Reading

• business process improvement (BPI)

  Business process improvement (BPI) is a practice in which enterprise leaders analyze their business processes to identify areas where they can improve accuracy, effectiveness and efficiency and then make changes within the processes to realize these...Continue Reading

• Why cloud governance is shifting to business stakeholders

  Balancing value creation with innovation is a constant challenge for organizations. Here's what to consider when evaluating the long-term business value of cloud governance.Continue Reading

• electronically stored information (ESI)

  Electronically stored information (ESI) is data that is created, altered, communicated and stored in digital form.Continue Reading

• technology adoption lifecycle

  The technology adoption lifecycle describes how different customers accept and adopt new technology, with early adopters enthusiastically embracing new products and services, and later adopters taking longer to make a purchase decision.Continue Reading

• IT modernization

  IT modernization is the process of updating an organization's information technology infrastructure, practices and systems to keep up with emerging technologies.Continue Reading

• sharing economy

  The sharing economy, also known as collaborative consumption or peer-to-peer-based sharing, is a concept that highlights the ability -- and perhaps the preference -- of individuals to rent or borrow goods rather than buy and own them.Continue Reading

• steering committee

  A steering committee comprises a group of high-ranking IT professionals who provide guidance and strategic direction to an organization or organizational segment.Continue Reading