White Cloak Technologies Inc.

Administrator


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White Cloak Technologies, Inc. holds its first ever webinar on December 2, 2020
(Wed) entitled Digital Transformation In Action: Where you’re at & Where to
next. In this free-to-register webinar, White Cloak tackles the next big thing
in digital transformation to prepare enterprises to quickly adapt to emerging
technologies.

Digital Transformation In Action: Where you’re at & Where to next December 2,
2020 | Wednesday | 1:30 PM - 3:15 PM GMT+8 | ZoomSign up at: 
https://bit.ly/WhiteCloakWebinar2020

White Cloak has also invited keynote speakers experts in their field. Hot topics
discussed are:

Indicators of a Successful Digital Transformation Journey by Ernest Valencia •
Head of Digital Marketing • Ayala Malls

 * How to know if the business is on the right track in digital transformation?
 * What should they do during digital transformation to prepare for the next big
   thing?
 * When and how to choose partners / vendors for digital transformation
   projects?

Data as the Fuel to your Relevanceby John William Orillo • Lead Engineer, Data
Analysis, Algorithm and Research	Samsung Research Philippines

 * How can businesses leverage data to fuel their relevance in the digital
   space?
 * How can businesses make data-driven decisions?
 * What are the tried-and-tested practices and tools in storing, defining,
   maintaining, and using data?

Gearing Up for the Next Big Thing in Digital Transformationby Ralph Vincent
Regalado • CEO & Founder • Senti AI

 * What will be the next big thing in digital transformation?
 * What are the emerging tools and trends in digital transformation?
 * Should businesses invest in these ahead? Why or why not?

Presentations per speaker will be followed by a Q&A session moderated by Cindy
Burdette, CEO & Co-founder of ALLCARE. 
Register through: https://bit.ly/WhiteCloakWebinar2020

insights

Next Big Thing in Digital Transformation: White Cloak Holds First Webinar

Kim Nicole Montano


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"When can we launch?"


This is probably the most frequently asked question we get from our clients. As
always, we love the eagerness, but as any software development goes, there
should be critical planning and proper prioritization of which features should
be done first.


Here at White Cloak, we also want to launch as soon as possible! This is why we
opt to work with our clients who understand how to work with agility in mind.
Through conducting workshops about the agile mindset, our clients get a better
picture of how they can get to the launch date as quickly and efficiently as
possible. By having measurable ROIs through a definied iterative delivery of
features, there is constant feedback and small but continous releases.


In the coming weeks, we will do a high-level explanation of the methodologies,
how to get feedback, and what success metrics to look out for. At the end of
this series, we hope that everyone will have a better understanding of how to
use these practices to the fullest.

Agile


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Test Automation is using software to control the execution of tests and compare
the expected outcome versus the actual outcome.


With the ability to run hundreds of thousands of tests, test automation allows
us to try out features quickly. It gives us the agility we need to refine our
software more efficiently. The result, award-winning apps, efficiently
fine-tuned thousands of times, perfectly working and ready to use.


Our clients also love automated software testing not only can they:
a) Deploy products faster

b) Reduce testing costs and most importantly

c) Get a fully-working, 100% tested software that ensures their users will have
a seamless user experience.


So, what are you waiting for? Don't know where to start?

Send us a message!

Automation


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More often than not, even when the puzzle is still unfinished, you already have
a rough idea of the final picture. An MVP or Minimum Viable Product is similar
to that. An MVP is a version of your product that shows your customers the value
you bring them with the least amount of resources and effort. Sounds great,
right? But you might wonder how one starts building an MVP. It is critical that
we list down the most critical features and only work on those that will
convince our customers to try our product or service.


The MVP is only a piece of an even larger picture called Build-Measure-Learn
framework that teaches us to get feedback early that leads to launching a
business model that actually works. If you think you have a big idea to launch,
and you are worried about the resources needed, make sure you start with only
the most critical to your customers - not to you.


Thinking of building your MVP, send us a message and we can brainstorm on it
together!

MVP (Minimum Viable Product)


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Did you know that testing cars are a lot like the best practices in testing
software?


Much like car manufacturers go through rigorous tests before they deliver their
cars to customers, we too in the software development industry have different
stages wherein we make sure that the app of our clients is operating perfectly.
We call these different stages: Environments.


We have the development environment where features are incrementally added and
tested by developers. Once passed, developers hand the build off to quality
assurance to be checked in the Testing Environment. Here they perform testing
activities to detect all possible defects or faults related to the added
feature. After this, we move on to the Staging Environment to simulate all
possible user behaviors and use real data to see how the application behaves.
Similar to crash testing in cars, we want to know how our software fares in
extreme circumstances.


Finally, once the car or the software is done through these testing environments
it is now ready to be used in production. Are you testing your software like how
you test cars? Are you making sure that the personal data of your software users
are protected? Have you tested if the security of your applications is
impenetrable? Are you confident that users will be able to use your app as
planned without issues? If any of your answers in the questions above are no,
then you might want to revisit how you test your software.


At White Cloak, we test our software the way car manufacturers do, like our
users' lives depend on it.

Environments in Software Design

Amy Domingo


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User Experience Design (UX) is like preparing food according to your customer’s
“taste”. What do they feel like eating? What spice level do they want it in? Are
they following a certain diet? There will even be times that they won’t even be
able to describe what they want. They’ll just know it when they taste it. Sounds
familiar? 


Likewise, when making your product, you really need to get to know your
customers to make your product palatable to them. Put yourself in their shoes.
Discover which ingredients work best with their taste and needs. Through the
process of getting to know them, you might even find out that what they need is
actually different from what their current taste is. As a UX designer, your job
involves balancing out their needs with their wants.


Now that you’ve got the taste and nutrition right, it’s now time to make it look
great and aesthetically pleasing. It looks as good (or even better) as it
tastes! That’s where the User Interface (UI) Design comes in. Can you make your
product appealing enough so that your customers can’t wait to dig into your
product?


"But wait, is making it look good is part of the cooking and food preparation
process too?"


Yes, you’re right! And that’s why UX and UI need to work seamlessly together.
This is the White Cloak way. You need to consider both practices to cook up a
great product that keeps your customers coming back for more!

UX and UI Cooking 101


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In this day and age of technological advancements, it is rare to see companies
that do not have websites or even software applications. From automating
business processes (internal and external) to improving customer processes,
having a software application can provide reliability and improve businesses,
regardless of the industry.

However, most companies struggle with one question; to outsource or not. While
having an internal IT department can provide several benefits, it also has
drawbacks, including purchasing necessary equipment, hiring specialists, and a
whole lot more. On the other hand, outsourcing allows companies to focus on
their core business activities and strategy while saving both money and time.

Outsourcing software development is becoming more common today, as companies
globally turn to third-party services to deliver intrinsic solutions that can
alleviate pressure on internal staff. According to Statista
[https://www.statista.com/topics/1900/it-outsourcing/], the global market for 
outsourced IT services is worth US$92.5 billion, which means more and more
companies are leveraging third-party software developers.

Apart from the increasing number of businesses outsourcing software development,
below are some of the reasons why you should also leverage third-party
developers.



1. No more tedious recruitment process
Hiring IT professionals for a development project is a lengthy procedure
[https://www.glassdoor.com/research/time-to-hire-study/#]. Apart from making
sure that you recruit people with the necessary expertise, you also need to
ensure good employment conditions so your developers will stay with you for a
long time or until you release your software. If you choose a reliable
third-party software development company, you can be sure that your software is
created by highly experienced programmers that will be there with you throughout
the development process, plus, no need to stress about the recruitment process
and other problems.



2. Reduce operational cost
According to Glassdoor, the average salary of a developer is Php200,000
[https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/philippines-information-technology-salary-SRCH_IL.0,11_IN204_KO12,34.htm] 
(as of April 2021) per year.  That doesn’t include benefits, training, outside
consulting, bonuses, or other employee-related expenses. Apart from that, an
internal IT team must have space to work and the necessary equipment and
furniture. As their employer, you need to provide all of them. So if you decide
to hire your own team, you need to think about all the additional operational
and overhead costs. Outsourcing developers removes all of these problems because
you don’t need to maintain a whole team. All you need to do is pay the actual
hours the developers work on your project; no need to spend money on additional
rent, furniture, and equipment.



3. Work with developers with exceptional skills and team chemistry
An outsourced software development team allows you to hire developers with
extensive experience and exceptional skills. You can rarely find developers with
these experiences, and they indeed have an expensive price tag of as much as
Php
73,000 per month
[http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=171&loctype=1&job=1&jobtype=1] 
if you wish to hire them in your internal team. By outsourcing your IT team, you
get to have more than a developer. Usually, external IT agencies have teams of
designers, product managers, quality assurance engineers, and, of course,
developers. All of the members have experienced working together on multiple
projects, thus, giving them the team chemistry to work through various projects.
Apart from team chemistry, developers from an outsourced team have experienced
working with different IT projects across various clients and industries, giving
them an edge over an internal team.



4. More time to focus on your business
When you outsource developers, you don’t need to worry about managing a team.
The agency will appoint you a manager whom you can contact directly for updates
on your project. This means that you only have minimal involvement, such as
making sure that you and the team are on the same page. Because of this, you
have more time to focus on your core business processes and strategies rather
than worrying and managing a whole team of developers.



Outsource Your Software Development Team Today
When you outsource a software development company [https://www.whitecloak.com/],
you ensure that your business processes are supported by IT experts and your
custom business apps are developed by an exceptionally skilled team of
professionals. Outsourcing also helps you concentrate on your core business and
streamline your company’s workflow, ensuring that you only focus your energy on
developing and improving your business. 


Ready to outsource your developers? Contact White Cloak today
[https://www.whitecloak.com/contact-us] and find out how we can help create the
best solution for your business in this age of globalization and technological
advances.

4 Reasons Why You Should Outsource Your Software Development


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Results from a 2020 survey by Twilio show that businesses have started to put
more money  into digital transformation initiatives. 79% of respondents have
increased their budgets for  new digital strategies in response to COVID-19.
This surge in demand for technology will  continue at least through 2023
according to a report by the IDC.

Global research firm Gartner also predicts IT spending will increase 8.4% to
$4.1 trillion this  year as more companies across industries move their
operations online.

Today, we’re seeing technology being adopted to create new business models.
Retail brands  are building their presence in eCommerce platforms and shifting
sales online. Automation is  enabling companies that have had to reduce their
workforce due to the pandemic by  increasing productivity despite having fewer
employees.

Digital transformation means closing the gaps left by mandated lockdowns and
other  restrictions that have used technology to limit the way people work. At
first glance, the criteria  for doing this are simple: business owners and CEOs
consider what's on the market, what it  can do to increase productivity, and how
it meets their needs.

But often, generic, off-the-shelf software doesn't meet the companies’ specific
needs. This is the reason why businesses look for custom solutions.

Custom software is a solution that is created, deployed, and maintained for a
specific  business. It is developed to solve a company's specific problems with
the features it needs to  be more effective.

If you're wondering if developing a custom software is the right route to take
for your  company, let's take a look at some of its advantages and
disadvantages.



Advantages of Custom Software
1. It's a personalised solution for all your needs

Developing a custom software solution ensures that it's tailored to suit your
needs. You can  be particular about how it should be built and how it should
support your business needs.  The problem with ready-made products in the market
is that there's no assurance that they  will all fit seamlessly into your
operations.


Custom software can be personalised the way you like and need it to be. When you
have a  solution designed to do exactly what you want it to do, it optimises
processes and increases  productivity. One example of custom software is
automated invoicing, which allows  businesses to pay, get paid, process
payments, and get real-time notifications. This kind of  cloud-based solution is
effective for small to mid-sized online businesses who need an  efficient means
of distributing invoices between suppliers and buyers in a safe and fully
 integrated digital format.

2. It’s a smart long-term investment

Some businesses are hesitant to invest in custom software development due to
cost. And  while the up-front costs are usually higher, it saves businesses
money long-term. There is no  need to buy extra hardware, acquire annual
licenses, or pay for features that your team is  likely never going to use. All
these recurring costs will cumulatively be more expensive if you  incur them
yearly.

3. It allows seamless integration

Customising software allows easier integration with your existing applications.
Businesses can  avoid having to maintain several programs, reducing stress, and
accomplishing more.



Disadvantages of Custom Software
1. It requires a higher technical proficiency

If you choose to develop custom software, an extra level of technical
understanding is  required. Implementing custom software requires you to invest
in training your people as  well. If your employees lack the skill set necessary
to configure it and maximise its functions,  going for an off-shelf program
would be better.

2. It needs more time to develop and deploy

The designing, implementation, and set up stages of custom software will take
time that some  businesses can't afford to lose. During development, you may
also face various complications  that may delay the delivery of the product. If
you need a fast solution so as not to disrupt your  workflow, a custom software
might not be worth the risk.



Why Choose Custom Software Development 
Although the initial cost of this project can be high, especially for SMEs, it
has the potential to  be more cost effective in the long run.

The ROI of custom software is not as simple as investing a certain amount and
receiving  another amount as profit, but once implemented, take a look at how it
benefits the overall internal productivity of the business and establish the
right metrics for growth to evaluate its  effectiveness.

Companies can cut down their expenses by up to 50-60% when they outsource a
developer  to help them build their custom software. This is due to the reduced
cost of onboarding,  salaries, and other employee benefits. Apart from these
savings, they are able to avail the  services of specialized professionals who
are able to speed up development for the  company.

Let us know how we can help your business today.

What is Customer Software? Things to Consider Before Investing in One


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A tech leader’s role has immensely changed over the past few years, thanks to
the technological advancements driving the digitization of businesses today.
Now, IT leaders should not only understand how, when, where, and why information
is disseminated throughout the company, but they also need to have an
understanding of the business as any CEO would.






25% of CIOs will be held accountable for digital business results
A study by Gartner
[https://emtemp.gcom.cloud/ngw/globalassets/en/publications/documents/top-priorities-for-it-leadership-vision-for-2021-cio-ebook.pdf] 
shows that by 2024, 25% of traditional large enterprise CIOs will be held
accountable for digital business operational results, effectively becoming “COO
by proxy.” It has also predicted that by last year
[https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/develop-business-acumen-in-the-it-workforce/#:~:text=In%20the%20digital%20business%20world,new%20business%20value%20and%20growth.]
, 100% of roles in IT will require an intermediate level of proficiency in
business acumen to execute the digital business strategy effectively. 


While the latter prediction didn’t fully happen, the changes in the landscape of
the IT industry show that leaders in the field should have a better
understanding of the business, learn how to interact with visionaries across the
business, and drive a smart digital agenda. Technology will always be the
foundation, but now, business should also be part of the mindset of IT leaders.








Business acumen
[https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/sep-oct-2020/how-to-leverage-business-acumen-to-create-a-future-ready-organization/] 
isn't a single skill.
Instead, it is a much broader set of competencies that require understanding
across multiple aspects of a business, including but not limited to financial
acumen, market perspective, and business system thinking. It is basically a
portfolio of skills that allow leaders to support an organization in achieving
its financial and strategic goals. 


So why is business acumen becoming essential for IT and tech leaders? Below are
some of the reasons why.





Business acumen can help IT leaders build partnerships across the business.
For any leadership role, it is apparent that strategic partnerships are
essential. However, for IT leaders, such as CIOs, partnerships are critical to
helping generate business value from key digital initiatives. Tech leaders
should learn how to map the digital strategy to what the other C-suite
executives are doing. By collaborating with them, adapt and improve the strategy
to continuously meet business goals. 


For example, tech leaders should have the mindset of how technology can improve
the leader’s effort to provide demonstrable benefits, including new revenue
opportunities, significant operational cost savings, or competitive advantages.






[http://bit.ly/wcb1-Leading-IT-Tech-Teams-Webinar]



Business acumen can  help leaders become business advisors, not just tech
advisors
The role of an IT leader
[https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/cio.asp#:~:text=A%20CIO%20is%20a%20high,technology%20systems%20of%20a%20company.&text=A%20CIO%20must%20be%20agile,people%2C%20and%20those%20it%20serves.] 
is generally internally focused, advising on what technology stakeholders and
employees need to be more efficient, productive, and operate a support function.
As technology plays a more critical role in the success of a business, tech
leaders should take on an advisory role where they’re guiding the digital
transformation of the entire company. 
According to a report by Wipro Digital,
[http://www.wipro.com/newsroom/press-releases/New-survey-highlights-leadership-crisis-in-digital-transformation/] 
nearly 50% of executives believe that there is a lack of knowledge as to what
the term digital transformation actually means. Only tech leaders with business
acumen have the capacity to execute a digital leadership strategy that will make
the business more efficient and simultaneously create new, profitable digital
channels.







Business acumen can help communicate tech leaders' initiatives' impact to the
broader organization.
It’s no surprise that excellent communication is not often synonymous with IT
leaders compared to CEOs. However, for them to drive transformational change
across the organization, they need to step outside of their comfort zone and
figure out how to communicate key IT initiatives to the rest of the company. 


By communicating your vision, you can shift your employees’ perceptions of IT
from simply a support function to a driver of digital innovation across the
enterprise and ensuring that everyone understands how it will impact them
individually. Tech leaders have the power to create a new digital-first culture
and frame the narrative around how these initiatives can support the overall
business goals, especially if equipped with the right skills.






Conclusion
Traditionally, CIOs have mainly focused on honing their technical skillset.
However, in today’s ever-changing digital landscape, an effective CIO with
business acumen is in high demand. This is why it is imperative for IT leaders
of today to build their business acumen skills to better shape the companies of
tomorrow. 
Want to learn how to lead your own IT and tech team successfully? Watch White
Cloak Technologies [https://www.whitecloak.com/]’ Leading IT Teams Into Digital
Business Acceleration webinar for free and learn applicable skills from the top
CTOs of the country! Watch the video recording here
[https://bit.ly/Watch-Leading-IT-Tech-Teams-Webinar] now!

The New Breed of IT Leaders: Why You Should Have Business Acumen


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In this age of technological advancements, if you are running a business or
starting a new one, you must consider having a mobile app to boost your
business’s growth. However, coming up with a unique app idea, no matter what
goals you are trying to achieve with it, is not enough anymore, as the app
market is becoming increasingly competitive. 


According to Grand View Research
[https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/mobile-application-market],
the global mobile application market size was valued at USD 154.05 billion in
2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.5%
from 2020 to 2027. This continued growth means that it will become more
challenging to stand out. Apart from that, the investment in app development is
substantial, both considering your time and budget. 


Diving into the mobile app development stage unprepared can result in costly,
frustrating, and brand-damaging mistakes. To help you avoid such errors, below
are some tips that you should consider before developing an app.





Conduct initial market research and empirical expirements
Before developing an app, most people will recommend conducting deep market
research to understand the current market. However, deep research is unnecessary
and may waste your time and effort. Instead, do some initial market research
quickly followed by empirical experiments, where you test your proof of concepts
(POCs) on a small scale. You can also use split cases and test different unique
selling points (USPs) and check where more users would sign up. 


Once you have completed this research, you will have all the information you
need to clearly define your unique take on the problem you are solving. There
are millions of mobile apps in the market, and this is your opportunity to
ensure yours stands out.




Decide whether you'll develop a native, web, or cross-platform app
Native apps are exclusively developed for a single platform using
native-to-the-operating-system language. It acquires all of the operating
system’s features and the advantages of the app. On the other hand, web apps are
best for solutions that don’t necessarily require access to the device’s native
abilities. Cross-platform apps are the best solution for low-cost custom apps
with secure and easy-to-maintain features. 


To help you decide, below is a table differentiating the three app types: 





Native

Web

Cross-platform


Technology

iOS:  Objective-C / Swift

Android: Java / Kotlin

Coded in HTML, CSS and JavaScript, platform-agnostic

React Native / Flutter / Kotlin Multiplatform


Performance



Highest. Native apps have the full capability to access the device’s features
and APIs

Limited. They run through the browser and don’t have full access to the device’s
functionalities

Close to native. A modern cross-platform solution such as Flutter is able to
utilize native SDK

Cost

Most expensive. Separate code base per platform.

Significantly cheaper than native due to a single code base.

Significantly cheaper than native due to shared codebase.



Create your business model
According to a research
[https://www.businessofapps.com/app-developers/research/app-development-cost/] 
by Business of Apps, an application with a set of must-have features starts from
US$120,000. You should have a business model in place to recoup the cost of
developing your app. A business model will also be your guide that will turn
your app ideas into action. You should start with visualizing the project and
formulating the key concepts that will provide the basis for your business.
Think of it as the roadmap of your app development journey. From its budget,
monetization options for the app to your marketing strategy, you must have a
 business model ready to make your application successful.




Know your target audience
Defining your target audience is one of the essential steps you should take
before developing an app, as the audience plays an integral part of your app.
You should try to answer questions such as who will be using this app and how it
will help them. If your app can meet your target audience’s expectations, it
will likely increase popularity and success.





Be open to change during the development process.
App development should be an ongoing process. Along the way, you may encounter
several conundra that may lead to changes in your original plan. Most of these
changes are incremental but be ready and open as there may be some adjustments
and modifications that need to be made during the app development journey. For
example, the popular messaging platform, Slack, was first developed as an
online
game called Glitch [https://mashable.com/article/slack-glitch/]. The company
then took the customized communication platform the team used to build Glitch
and transformed it into the business communication tool we know of today.





Conclusion
There is no sure-shot success way of anything you do in this entire world, but
these tips can help make the app development process as seamless as possible.
Remember, the success of your app doesn’t only depend on one thing; it is an
ongoing process, and there will always be areas for improvement even after you
have launched your app. 
Do you have a killer app idea? White Cloak Technologies
[https://www.whitecloak.com/] has executed various killer app ideas and yours
could be the next. Contact us today [https://www.whitecloak.com/contact-us] and
let us know how we can help you achieve the mobile app of your dreams.

5 Important Tips To Know Before Developing A Mobile App


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White Cloak Technologies, Inc. was named winner of two Bronze Stevie® Awards in
the categories: Innovation in Technology Development; and Innovation in
Technology Management, Planning & Implementation in the eighth annual
Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.


The Innovation in Technology Development award recognizes White Cloak’s
contribution to the tech industry with its high-quality, highly-rated custom
software; while the Innovation in Technology Management, Planning &
Implementation category, recognizes the efficiency and agility of White Cloak’s
software development from ideation, launch up to the apps’ continuous
improvement.



The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize
innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region.  The
Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world's premier business awards,
conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International
Business Awards® for 19 years.


Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for “crowned,” the winners were
celebrated during a virtual (online) awards ceremony on Wednesday, 14 July 2021.





White Cloak President and CEO, Donn Gamboa, remarks, “I’m honored to accept this
award for Innovation in Tech Management, Planning & Implementation.” Donn
further adds, “Being able to scale from a handful of developers to a
fast-growing tech company who’s working with some of the top firms in the
country, is a team accomplishment we’re proud of.”


Miguel Fermin, White Cloak Chief Technology Officer also stated in his
acceptance speech, “It’s a privilege to accept this award for Innovation in
Technology Development.” Miguel further remarks, “This is a validation of our
efforts to enable organizations to scale their business through effective and
efficient software delivery. Our team is proud of making an impact on the
digital transformation in the country.”


Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average
scores of more than 100 executives around the world acting as judges in March
and April.


“The eighth edition of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards attracted many remarkable
nominations,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Gallagher.  “The organizations
that won this year have demonstrated that they have continued to innovate and
succeed despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and we applaud them for their
perseverance and creativity.  We look forward to celebrating many of this year’s
winners during our virtual awards ceremony on 14 July.”


Details about the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and the 14 July awards ceremony,
and the list of Stevie Award winners, are available at 
http://Asia.Stevieawards.com. [http://asia.stevieawards.com.]


About the Stevie® Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards,
the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The
American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards
for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie
Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more
than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations.
Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the
Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn
more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.


Sponsors and partners of the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards include Adobo
Magazine, PR Newswire Asia, and the Korea Business Communicators Association.

White Cloak wins two Technology Stevies in 2021 APAC Stevie Awards

Digital transformation continues to transform the way businesses operate for the better, digitalization has become the way forward for many organizations, especially in today’s rapidly evolving and increasingly competitive environment.  

Why You Need To Kickstart Your Digital Transformation Journey


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Digital transformation is a buzz phrase that has been often thrown around a lot
for years. And for a good reason. As it continues to transform the way
businesses operate for the better, digitalization has become the way forward for
many organizations, especially in today’s rapidly evolving and increasingly
competitive environment.

Finding businesses that are riding the wave of digitalization isn’t hard because
they’re everywhere. E-commerce continues to boom and the shift to the cloud
remains imminent. The mobile phone has likewise become an extremely powerful
channel for communication. The ‘why’ behind all these disruptions is even much
clearer in view. When done correctly, adopting a digital model not only promises
but also delivers measurable results such as improved operational efficiency,
increased customer satisfaction, reduced product development costs, new revenue
streams, reduced cost of poor quality and high yields. 


What exactly is digital transformation?

Digital transformation is not one and the same for all companies, and so there
is no one definition that is suitable for all. In essence, however, digital
transformation is the weaving of digital technology to every fabric of your
business -- from marketing to accounting -- with the goal of optimizing business
processes and creating new ones to better respond to customers’ needs and
deliver more value to them and the business.

With the COVID-19 global health crisis, businesses that have long been
traditional or looking to digitally transform, found themselves standing at a
crossroads. With the unprecedented impact of the pandemic, which still persists
globally, digital transformation is suddenly no longer an option, but an
imperative in order for any business to survive and thrive. The need for a
digital strategy becomes reinforced as it plays a critical role in meeting the
urgent need for adaptability, speed and efficiency in the new normal. 

The rise of the digital economy has accelerated -- digital transactions, remote
working, online learning, among many others, were widely adopted. Now, enabling
products and solutions to be digital is a necessity, not a premium to build
engaging customer experiences. 

Why do you need a digital transformation strategy? How to build one?

While much has been said about technology alongside digitalization, the strength
of digital transformation goes beyond just technology. True success lies within
each element and how well each element is interwoven across your entire
organization. And this is why you need a well-defined and executed digital
transformation strategy that is laser-focused on innovation and puts the needs
of the customer at its core.

But how exactly do you get there? How do you develop a winning strategy that
will position your company for success?  Here’s a practical guide for you.

 1. Define your scope and vision
    
    First off, you need to have a clear main objective and vision in mind for
    implementing the digital transformation initiative. A key aspect here is
    identifying your current situation, problems and pain points you wish to
    solve, goals, performance indicators, and potential opportunities for
    growth. Why do you need to transform the enterprise? What do you need to
    transform? How do you transform? The most common mistake that companies make
    is diving into the adoption of all sorts of new technologies right away
    without first fully understanding the need for the project and what it is
    aimed at solving. 
 2. Research the market
    
    Every digital transformation project requires a comprehensive look at the
    current market dynamics to make sure your strategy remains relevant and
    updated.  What digital transformation strategies do your competitors have in
    place? What digital solutions have they adopted and will adopt? How are
    these solutions adding value to their business? A competitive analysis will
    give you a better look into the readiness and success of digital
    transformation programs. And having this insight will help you stay ahead of
    the competition. Doing in-depth market research also opens doors to new
    opportunities within and outside your industry. 
 3. Reimagine the experience 

It goes without saying that digital transformation is inexorably linked with the
purpose of building improved customer and employee experience through
technology. So once you’re done with your competitive analysis, it’s time to pay
special attention to how you want to deliver value to your customers and
employees based on your digital efforts. The central idea here is to consider
how you can ease the productivity flow for your employees and how your customers
can have a better shopping or purchasing and brand experience. To fully maximize
the opportunities of digital, adopting a people-first approach is a core
component. 

4. Choose the right technology and partner

Before making any digital transformation effort, you’ll need to identify the
technologies and solutions that you’ll need to invest in to make your strategy
come to life. Prior to this, it’s likewise important to audit your existing
platforms and technologies and see which ones you can revamp, optimize or
integrate with new technologies. You’ll also need to make sure you prioritize
your most important needs and introduce new technology at a measured pace that
is in line with your environment.  Depending on your actual needs and
requirements, these technologies can include cloud computing, mobile
applications, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, virtual reality,
to name a few. This step also requires the involvement of other people outside
your organization such as consultants, vendors, or suppliers -- those with
expertise who can partner with you in developing and implementing transformation
strategies and helping you in the transition. 

Whether you’re a new venture or an established player, establishing a digitally
transformed business can greatly impact your odds of success and rate of return.
Companies who have charted their digital transformation path are now reaping the
most significant rewards of a future-forward business strategy. Have you charted
yours? Let White Cloak help you in accelerating true digital transformation for
your business. Turning your vision into action is critical, and is a rigorous
process but with a reliable partner like White Cloak, and the comprehensive
suite of tools it offers, it can be done 

Interested to learn more about how White Cloak can help you? Contact us today
[https://www.whitecloak.com/contact-us]!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the raging COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on various aspects of business,
brands are forced to rethink and recalibrate their current systems to survive,
stay relevant, and be competitive. These days, going digital is a critical
component to building a more resilient future and delivering the best possible
experiences for customers despite the effects of the pandemic, especially as
customers are continuously looking for digital experiences that deliver
seamless, frictionless experiences for their individual, personalized needs. In
this regard, implementing an effective mobile strategy can serve as a great way
to connect with audiences. And this is where apps can play a key role, as they
offer various advantages for brands that are looking to grow their customer base
and build engagement. 


Having a dedicated software platform brings huge benefits to your bottom line,
including increased visibility for customers,  an additional direct marketing
channel, increased value, stronger brand recognition, improved customer
engagement and customer loyalty, insights on customer behavior, and a better
overall brand experience.  More recently, companies have accelerated the shift
from basic, single-use apps to multi-purpose ones, also known as super apps,
which, from a business perspective, essentially offer greater convenience and
simplicity for users. 


What is a super app?

Coined by BlackBerry founder Mike Lazaridis in 2010, a “super app” is defined as
a “closed ecosystem of many apps that people would use every day because they
offer such a seamless, integrated, contextualized, and efficient experience.”
That is, super apps provide multiple functions in one application. Or in other
words, super apps are a one-stop app that covers a diverse range of daily
services in a single place — whether it be for shopping, healthcare, payments,
audio or video streaming, etc. A few commonplace examples of super apps in Asia
are Grab, AliPay, Uber, Line, WeChat, GoJek, etc. 

To ensure you build the super app that your brand truly needs, it’s important to
consider the following factors before diving into your super app development
strategy.


1. One solid and strong main use case

Behind every successful super app is a solid and strong frequent core use case.
In various markets, the most common use cases are payments, transportation and
food. Other capabilities that your super app can host include: social,
e-commerce, health services, hotel and flight booking, gaming, insurance,
government, and public services. You can start your super app with one strong
main use case then gradually add other functions to it later on. Given the deep
interweaving of customer service into these capabilities, super apps serve as a
channel for your brand to connect with your customers when needed. 


2. Cohesive additional use cases

To build a more meaningful connection with your customers via your super app,
delivering a consistent experience for your users.  It is, therefore, important
to take into consideration that the functions or services you wish to augment
into your app should be relevant or adjacent to your core use cases. Grab, for
example, Over the years, has broadened its offerings across Southeast Asia to
include deliveries, mobility, financial services, and others. This synergistic
combination of many different services enhances the ability of your brand to
provide reliable and high-quality services to your users. 


3. Ease of payment access

Generally speaking, super apps use payment systems to its advantage in order to
build a wide-ranging ecosystem based on multiple functions or services. A good,
unified payment scheme is vital to ensuring streamlined end-to-end user journey.
Later on, you can also integrate an e-wallet function so your users can
conveniently process and complete their payments without the need to exit the
app. 


4. Accessibility

Whether it be single-purpose or multi-purpose, the bedrock of any successful
application is user experience. From the moment they open your app, deciding
which item to order or purchase to making the payment, your super app must
guarantee a simplified experience for your users. Your ability to enable such
consumer-focused experiences related to your super app will be a huge
determining factor whether your users will use your app or be encouraged to keep
using it. It is therefore crucial to ask: Is your user experience value-adding,
easy to use and effective for your target audiences? 


5. Building a long-term mindset

Setting long-term goals is crucial for planning a successful super app strategy.
Businesses, regardless of nature and size, that are looking to develop a super
app must not only visualize the success of a super app in a single moment, but
also how it can be sustained. Taking the long view from the very beginning also
helps guide decision-making processes and better amplifies the relevance of your
super app development, keeping in mind how it can deliver superior value and
improved results based on digitized customer journeys and experiences. It's also
important to consider the reduction of technical debt
[https://www.productplan.com/glossary/technical-debt/#:~:text=Technical%20debt%20(also%20known%20as,speedy%20delivery%20over%20perfect%20code.] 
to ensure that your app is built for the long haul.


6. Expert resources

Super app development requires a better-established infrastructure and more
excellent resources than a simple app. Data is also a fundamental component of
your super app; and without data infrastructure, you cannot create value of
data, which you need a vast wealth of to deliver better services. This is why it
is critical that before you embark on your super app journey, you have the best
service providers and highly experienced and skilled teams to help you put the
complex pieces of the puzzle together in a way that benefits your customers and
 yields maximum results for your business. 


In today’s competitive digital-first era, the game-changing super apps are
taking the leap and are definitely here to stay, shaping the future of digital
innovation as they continue to change the way consumers socialize, shop, eat,
travel and pay. With that, they unlock great potentials that expand your brand
presence and present new opportunities for attracting new customers, helping
boost innovation and the customer experience in the online space.  With the
capabilities it can offer for increased growth, customer engagement and
retention, super apps are likely to remain strong and healthy for many years. 


White Cloak is a trusted and renowned mobile application company that you can
partner with in bringing your super app to life. Backed with expertise in
software platform and mobile app development, White Cloak’s high-caliber and
passionate teams aim to deliver tailor-fit high-performing mobile apps that
bring high efficiency, productivity and value to empower our partners. Contact
us [https://www.whitecloak.com/contact-us] today to book a consultation and
explore the best industry practices for your own super app development.

6 Factors to Consider Before Developing Your Super App


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In such a fast-moving arena as software development, time is everything and
things need to be immediate and fast for the customer. But more often than not,
companies run the risk of critical frictions in cost and productivity for the
sake of speed. This is where the concept of technical debt comes in. 

In the software community, the term technical debt, also known as tech debt or
code debt, is often thrown everywhere. Similar to financial debt where one
incurs this when something is needed urgently but full cash payment is not at
one’s disposal; In software development, this means opting for sub-optimal
methods and results in favor of speed in production and delivery. And much like
financial debt, the cost of dealing with debt becomes higher and goes out of
control the longer it remains unaddressed or neglected. 

But what exactly is technical debt?

Coined by software developer Ward Cunningham in the 1990s, technical debt is a
phrase that explains the ongoing cost of development decisions made in the short
term for the sake of earlier software release and faster time-to-market. He
described the concept as: 

"Shipping first-time code is like going into debt. A little debt speeds
development so long as it is paid back promptly with a rewrite. The danger
occurs when the debt is not repaid. Every minute spent on not-quite-right code
counts as interest on that debt. Entire engineering organizations can be brought
to a stand-still under the debt load of an unconsolidated implementation,
object-oriented or otherwise."

Wikipedia defines technical debt (also known as design debt or code debt) as “a
concept in software development that reflects the implied cost of additional
rework caused by choosing an easy (limited) solution now instead of using a
better approach that would take longer. As with monetary debt, if technical debt
is not repaid, it can accumulate ‘interest’, making it harder to implement
changes.” The Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University
defines technical debt as something that “conceptualizes the tradeoff between
the short-term benefit of rapid delivery and long-term value. 

Why should your company care about technical debt?

Regardless of interpretations in the definition, recognizing the importance of
the concept of technical debt is a good starting point to gain control over it.
Often, companies incur technical debt because it’s the only feasible option at
their current scenario that matches market and customer demands. Over time,
however, technical debt can be a bottleneck that further slows down your
production-test-release cycle. Moreover, while it’s an inherent outcome of teams
working in collaboration with one another to accomplish business targets, the
resultant technical debt, if left unchecked, can be a difficult burden to bear
for a business as it affects different levels such as on an individual,
departmental, and at an organizational level. 

Technical debt in agile software development is real and very significant, and
manifests itself in various forms: poorly designed code, delays, reduced
productivity and efficiency, delivered negative value to the customers,
diminished transparency, loss of opportunity, extra unplanned costs, and so on
and so forth. Costs also include both hard costs, such as headcount, rent and
material, and soft costs, such as longer hours due to suboptimal code. With
respect to individuals and teams, tech debt can also lead to lower morale and
high turnover due to work dissatisfaction. On the organizational level, there is
the risk of suffering a slower pace of innovation and increased difficulty in
managing the software asset portfolio. 

With the COVID-19 pandemic crisis and its strain on businesses to digitally
transform, most companies are in a tight corner to deliver and market at an even
more accelerated pace with greater reason. This is why it’s important to be
calculating and circumspect in terms of risks and compromise levels related to
cost, quality and security. Time is an expensive and valuable resource that
technical debt can impinge upon over the long term.


How to steer clear of technical debt?

Technical debt is a normal part of the modern enterprise and it inevitably
happens with time. Effective management of technical debt entails systematic
effort and visionary thinking.


But as with most undesirable circumstances, prevention is always better than
cure. Future-proofing solutions and following rigorous best practices are key to
making sure technical debt is reduced. While it is sometimes necessary to
expedite products and services to market, it’s critical to eliminate the debt
before it becomes larger and leads to risks and further costs, as it can
undermine the performance of a business and its ability to leverage digital
transformation as an engine for growth and value creation. 


Here are three proven ways to help you reduce and manage technical debt: 

1. Catalogue your IT infrastructure

Having a comprehensive view of your IT stack helps you correctly identify the
potential drivers of your debt load, conduct gap analysis more efficiently,
resolve issues sooner, and ensure high-quality processes and end-to-end
delivery. 

2. Perform routine code reviews

Regular code reviews help you stay on top of your business goals through
streamlined and advanced software development. Apart from reduced technical
debt, making code reviews part of your routine provides benefits including
improved code quality, shorter development and test cycles, stronger user
satisfaction, among others.

3. Build a good architecture design

The importance of flexible, easily scalable structures cannot be overstated. As
software and solutions constantly evolve to meet the rising demand for
innovation, choosing the right architecture that’s sustainable can save you a
lot of time, energy, and money in the long run. 

As a leader in the software development industry in the Philippines, White Cloak
is a reliable solutions provider that builds systems and applications based on
best practices, methodologies, and regulatory frameworks, ensuring projects are
successful not just within a few months but also further down the line. To help
companies mitigate technical debt, White Cloak takes advantage of a combination
of automation technologies that eliminates complexities and redundancy from
development and delivery, enabling enterprises to improve their agility and
deliver best-in-class results to their customers. 

Do you need help with a technical debt strategy or other software development
issues? Our team at White Cloak is ready to help. Contact us today!

Understanding Tech Debt: What is Technical Debt And Why It Matters

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Understanding Tech Debt: What is Technical Debt And Why It Matters

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Let's create something amazing together

Let's create something
amazing together