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Amazon S3 Glacier (S3 Glacier) is a storage service that keeps backups, archives, and other low-cost data safe and accessible for a long time. It has unique features that make it better at handling large files than other storage services.

Growth in the digital space is emerging as a top priority in today’s business world. Businesses are finding more ways to use their data to generate new opportunities. Keeping up with these changes can mean new methods for success and improvement, while not doing so can mean falling behind your competitors. 

Introduction to an ERP Implementation Enterprise resource planning, or ERP, is a kind of software that aids in managing and automating business activities for enterprises. ERP implementation is a process of planning, configuring, and deploying it to automate various functions of a company. ERP aims to give a company a single, integrated view of all its data and operations, which can assist in increasing productivity, cutting costs, and promoting improved decision-making. Modules for accounting, human resources, supply chain management, customer relationship management, and other topics are frequently included.  ERP systems can be divided into two categories: On-premise ERP  Cloud-based ERP On-premise ERP systems are installed and run on the company's own servers, whereas Cloud-based ERP systems are accessed online and run on servers owned and maintained by a third-party provider. ERP solutions are accessible to businesses of all sizes and in all sectors. They can aid businesses in process automation and simplification, boost productivity, enhance decision-making, and offer real-time visibility into their daily operations. Organizations can optimize information flow and cut down on the time and cost of processing data and procedures manually by implementing an ERP system. It's essential to note that the adoption of ERP is a challenging, time-consuming procedure that calls for thorough preparation, research, and execution. Additionally, it's critical to choose the proper ERP system for the firm's industry and specialized demands, as well as to guarantee that the system will work seamlessly with any other systems and software already in use by the organization. The following are the most crucial criteria to consider while choosing an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system: Scalability: The ERP system should be able to scale up to accommodate more users and data as the business grows. Customizability: The ERP system must be adaptable to the distinct needs of the company. Integration: The ERP system should integrate seamlessly with other systems and software that the company is currently using. Data security: To safeguard critical corporate data, the ERP system needs to have strong security measures. User-friendliness: All personnel inside the company should be able to use the ERP system with ease. Reporting and analytics: The ERP system should have robust reporting and analytics capabilities to provide the company with valuable insights and metrics. Support and maintenance: To guarantee that the ERP system remains current and functional, it should include thorough support and maintenance services. Cloud-based or On-Premise: Based on the business requirements, security concerns, and finances, the organization should select whether they choose an on-premise or cloud-based ERP solution. Industry Specific: The ERP system should be capable of handling the particular demands of the firm and should be adapted to the industry's specific needs. Mobile compatibility: Any device should be able to access the ERP system, which should be mobile-compatible. It's significant to note that this list is not exhaustive and that each company will have distinct needs and specifications. Before choosing an ERP system, it is usually advised to have a clear understanding of the company's requirements and objectives. Then, carefully weigh your options to determine which one is the best fit for the company. The team at Aptimized can ensure you are selecting the right ERP system for your business, contact us today.

What are the steps you need to consider?  Cloud software has many distinct advantages that provide a definite competitive edge for many companies. However, on-premise software has unique qualities that companies have grown to rely on. With SAP looking to change its strategy for all cloud, companies that need to transfer their processes to cloud software have massive considerations to make. While there has yet to be an official announcement on the decision to eliminate on-premise software, it is crucial to consider the potential for this change and how it may impact your business operations.  What are the most important considerations? Are you ready to standardize your process flows?   What are the steps you need to take when integrating cloud software?  We’ll cover the basics and provide the details on potential shortfalls you might encounter. While the transfer to the cloud may initially seem daunting, it could be an excellent on-trend decision as more and more companies begin to switch over. Along with being an on-trend idea, it comes with ease of accessibility, cost efficiency, and advanced security features that you are unable to achieve with your current systems. These capabilities lead to quicker response times, enhanced efficiency, and higher reliability of processes for your company.  The key steps to consider when beginning cloud transfer:   Create a structured roadmap or implementation plan. This includes deciding whether shallow cloud integration or deep cloud integration is the right choice. Shallow cloud integration is typically sufficient for preliminary running, but deep cloud integration requires modification during the integration process. A thorough business analysis should be conducted to understand which integration option is right for you.  Identify current performance metrics. When undertaking cloud migration, it is imperative to understand what key performance indicators are currently in place to decipher if they remain applicable using the cloud.  Prepare for the cost of migration. Generating an appropriate budget requires a proper analysis of cloud billing and operational expense models. While there is typically a positive financial return from switching to cloud software, proper budgeting is necessary to ensure success.    It is important to note there are some drawbacks to the cloud that leaves room for concern if on-premise software becomes unavailable. Cloud software typically leads to an increase in the total cost of ownership. While there is a low initial investment, prices tend to increase throughout its life cycle. Connectivity is another concern for productivity because the cloud software needs internet access to function. Any gaps in connectivity can create significant delays for organizations that rely on the cloud.  The biggest drawback for most companies is the lack of customizable features or complex developments. This poses a significant disadvantage to companies that rely on the advanced customizable features of on-premise software.  Despite these drawbacks, cloud software has direct benefits for your business. Aptimized has specialized professionals with a demonstrated ability to assist companies through the implementation. If switching from cloud-based software with ease is your goal, contact the team at Aptimized to learn more about how we can help.  

Massive disruptions driven by changes in the business ecosystem have transformed nearly every aspect of industry. Increased outsourcing, the rapid growth of the work-from-home movement, and swiftly advancing technology have all created new challenges that all aspects of business must adapt to. 

Working conditions are more varied than ever before in today’s world. From working remotely to companies moving back to the office to offices operating in a hybrid environment, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a simple policy that gives employees the flexibility to use their own computers and phones for work. 

Running local government can be a challenge. Unlike a private enterprise, local governments and municipalities deliver numerous services to the public that are vital. Even small towns can run multiple functions ranging from waste management to managing education establishments.

Abstraction masks a complex concept or system, letting an actor of a corresponding process use an easy mechanism to interact with underlying components. Thinking itself abstracts more complicated psychology. We use our conscious minds to interpret events and make decisions.

Social media is the new public square. It has become a key factor for brands’ success today. Building a solid social media presence and credible engagement is now a priority for most companies because it has the power to influence public perception and shape brand reputation. 

The days of putting IT security, data governance, and supporting policies on the back burner have quickly ended for our local government. The ability to procure Cyber Security insurance coverage is becoming more and more challenging.

Are you a software as a service company looking to reach a wider audience to sell your product? Would you like to expand your consumer base to sell more of your software? No matter your answer to either of these questions, there is always room for new sales, and a lot of it comes down to optimizing your ecommerce model to cater to the needs of the public. 

Cybersecurity protects computer systems from unlawful and unauthorized use of data. Nowadays, especially after the coronavirus pandemic, which led everyone home and online to go to work or school, cybersecurity is critical and relevant due to the increasing opportunities for bad actors to go online and exploit the ever-rising population on their computers and smartphones. 

In the world of digital marketing, there are numerous channels that enable your business to increase sales and profit. Choosing the right channel depends on your business model, the resources you have, what your unique business value is, and what your product is.

Within the past ten years, data, especially “Big Data,” has become an invaluable resource for any business. From the smallest vendor to the largest multinational enterprise, being able to store, organize, and draw insight from increasingly large amounts of data is a critical aspect of any system’s design. 

A record-breaking number of 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in March 2022. Employers are scrambling to fill these vacancies and keep up with the work processes required to keep companies moving forward or simply operate at the same pace. 

A robust strategy and an SAP S4 Data Conversion approach dictate the success of post-merger integrations. To set the direction and develop value, organizations need Enterprise & Solution Architects to be fully involved starting from the planning phase.

Integrations have roadblocks to overcome ranging from technical integration practices to processes, people, and culture. However, the most significant challenge of merging two organizations is the harmonization of disparate technology landscapes

How Cloud Computing Is Powering the Digital Revolution As businesses continue to integrate advancements in computing technology, those at the forefront perform more efficiently than ever. The Digital Revolution, as this is termed, poses a unique set of challenges that cloud computing can best resolve. Navigating the cloud can be a very difficult pursuit, but understanding the whys and hows of cloud computing is a necessity to maintain growth through the Digital Revolution. Why the Cloud? Scalability With more users than ever harnessing digital technology, costs of computing and storage are becoming a significant draw. Expanding hardware capabilities can quickly become cost prohibitive. More importantly, resources still drain time and money when not in use.  Unlike this traditional model, cloud computing utilizes a pay-as-you-use model, where services can scale-back in downtime and can instantly grow when demand is high. It enables new services to start small or large without any initial investment. Cloud computing offers flexibility and growth where traditional computing cannot. Global Reach As part of the Digital Revolution, more and more people need to be connected across the globe. Achieving global connectivity in a company with only traditional technology is almost impossible; it requires massive amounts of resources spent on networking and a large team dedicated to maintenance.  Cloud computing gets rid of the need to manually manage networks and even the need for centralized computing. Utilizing cloud technology, it is possible to build an interconnected global system where the majority of computation happens close to the end-user, minimizing cost and latency.  Unique Features Cloud platforms offer a unique suite of technologies that are otherwise inaccessible to most businesses. One of the most unique and transformative is Artificial Intelligence. Many cloud providers have fully functional AI frameworks available, making complex but increasingly important tasks such as image recognition and natural language processing easy to achieve in the cloud.  One powerful feature is Infrastructure as Code, which allows an entire environment to be defined as code rather than manually configured. This not only enables the agile changing, deployment, and debugging of infrastructure, but also allows for the infrastructure to be worked on like any other project, so version control systems and automated testing can be implemented.  Other unique features include: Serverless application platforms Globally accessible data buckets Fully managed databases Automated global logging Reliability Ensuring the reliability of computing systems has always been a major design factor. The Digital Revolution has only increased this importance by making technology a vital part of both a business’s processes and everyday life. Any downtime or issue can be disastrous and may lead to severe consequences both for a service and its end users.  Cloud computing opens up many techniques to drastically increase uptime and make disaster-resistant systems. It is also possible to host services in multiple regions, allowing for one instance to take over if another fails. With Infrastructure as Code, it is easy to rollback an entire system if it is found to work improperly. Where to begin Design Designing a cloud system offers many of the same challenges that designing a regular system does. The choice of how to host an application, what kind of database to choose, and how a network should be organized. These challenges have a wider range of solutions in the cloud than they do in legacy systems.  Also important is deciding how much infrastructure will be in the cloud; it is possible and often necessary to have a significant number of resources on physical in-house servers. Most cloud providers offer some hybrid-system integration, allowing smooth communication between cloud and physical systems. Cloud Providers There are numerous cloud providers, but the largest and most robust are Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Each of these providers, while offering many of the same services, have their own advantages and problems that make them unique in their applicability. AWS, Amazon’s cloud offering, is the largest cloud provider by market share. This serves as one of its main benefits: it has access to a global network and a vast amount of reliable resources. It also has the largest number of professionals who are able to develop versatile systems. AWS boasts strong security measures, designed to keep vital resources safe and confidential. Microsoft Azure is another large cloud provider, best known for its simplicity compared to other cloud providers. While this does make environments easy to set up, it can also limit their potential. Azure is able to easily integrate with many Microsoft services, including the Microsoft Office suite.  The Google Cloud Platform is smaller than its competitors, though it offers the same breadth of services. Where it shines is its data analytics capabilities: it offers many powerful database options, as well as a host of machine learning systems designed to foster automation and growth. It also offers the most scalable services and tends to be less expensive than its competitors. Using cloud computing to accelerate the Digital Revolution is an incredibly large endeavor requiring years of experience to build robust systems. Contact Aptimized to learn more about migrating your legacy systems to the cloud environment safely, efficiently, and accurately.

Automation can be an overwhelming concept - where to start, which processes to automate, how to develop an efficient plan. However, reworking existing business processes to run automatically or on a scheduled basis can be a big time and cost saver for a company.  Whether it’s something as simple as running a financial report automatically and saving it in Excel, or pulling data from an ERP and mapping it to a Shopify site, automation eliminates tedious, repetitive tasks that can cost a business hours of work while also limiting human error.  There are many different types of automation depending on the application and business case, but 3 standard examples are automating within an application, basic automation with batch scripts or other simple scripting languages, and more advanced automation with a language such as python: In-App automation Many tasks can be automated from within an application, and this is often the simplest approach. With financial reports for example, programs such as QuickBooks offer the ability to run reports on a scheduled basis. Rather than manually exporting a report at the end of every quarter, you could simply setup a scheduled report to export a quarterly report, and even set email recipients. This could be even more useful for reports that are run more frequently, such as at the start of each week or business day. Simple in-app automation is available in many different programs, and can save you time over the course of a week or a month on repetitive tasks. Basic Scripting Scripting is a type of programming involving generally simple commands. In Windows, for example, a script could be used to copy a series of folders or files from one location to another, or run an application automatically. While this might not seem like a useful tool, there are many other repetitive tasks that scripting can be used for.  If your first task everyday is to go and check your inbox, a simple batch script could be made to open your default web browser and load your email client, like gmail.com. This same script could then be scheduled to run as soon as you login using the built-in tool Task Scheduler.  This basic example could save you time in your morning routine, but, on a bigger scale, using the same tools could enable you to automatically perform other similar tasks, like renaming a large batch of files all at once, or shutting down a program that refuses to close correctly, all without needing to press ctrl-alt-del. Advanced python automation For more advanced scripting and automation, a more powerful language is needed. Python can be used to integrate and automate apps with each other. Through the use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), several different programs can communicate with each other.  An example of python automation could be exporting product data form an ERP and uploading it to a Shopify website. ERPs often provide APIs allowing for applications to integrate with them, although the actual methods of integrating can vary between different ERPs. Shopify also offers an API with many different features, such as adding new products, or updating existing ones. In order for these two applications to communicate, some sort of middleware needs to be put in place. This is where Python comes in. A python script can act as a bridge between applications, connecting with your ERP to export product data, modify field names from the ERP in order to match fields in Shopify, then upload that data to Shopify. If you often find yourself creating .csv files of product names and fields to upload to Shopify, a python script to automate these tasks could save hours throughout your day for more important tasks. There are many different forms of automation, from helping an individual with basic tasks to more advanced integration between applications. Determining what is needed for your business requires identifying the pain-points and drafting a strategic plan that addresses each one. The Aptimized team is experienced in crafting innovative technology solutions that drive success and deliver high-quality results. Contact us today to request a proposal and learn more about how we can help.

Ariba is a leading supply chain management solution provider with a powerfully broad range of capabilities. Ariba’s contract management solutions form an integral part of its broader services, which is why understanding contract compliance and standardization with Ariba Contracts is vital for any business looking to utilize this tool. Contract Compliance In simple terms, contract compliance refers to managing how and when contracts are enforced. Critically, it allows for business logic to control how users are able to create contracts. This facilitates the simple enforcement of internal rules and government regulations based on contract type or region, users involved, amount of money the contract deals with, and other additional options. Ariba Contracts is a contract management solutions system with many features to support contract compliance and enforcement. Along with native integrations to other Ariba components, Ariba Contracts helps to manage and govern contract creation, negotiation, and enforcement. Since contracts are often repetitive and highly derivative of previous contracts, the Ariba software for contract management allows for standardized templates to be created, providing a starting point for contracts that can be reused for future projects. Contract Standardization Another feature of Ariba Contracts is the optional Clause Library, a central repository which stores clauses, which are individual parts of a contract, to be used and reused among different documents. This ties back into contract compliances because metadata added to these saved clauses would enable them to be allowed/disallowed in the particular circumstances. For instance, adding specifications in the metadata of the clauses regarding EU regulations would allow this condition to be present in the necessary contracts applicable to these regions. The Clause Library has many features to intelligently re-use clauses. Once a clause is approved, it can easily be used elsewhere as much as needed. The Clause Library also provides one space from which documents are pulled. They can be updated and managed, and since the Clause Library comes with native version control, previous versions can also be easily restored. Ultimately, the Clause Library allows for standard clauses to be easily pulled into many contracts, easing enforcement issues. The Clause Library limits the amount of custom work that needs to be done to create new clauses, ensuring standard language is used between contracts. Contract compliance can also be ensured with compliance documents. To optimize the uses of Ariba contract management solutions, contact the Aptimized team.