Precisely announced the latest update to its Data Integrity Suite, including the launch of Spatial Analytics and Data Enrichment services. Precisely also extended its mainframe modernisation collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Wix.com has launched the Figma to Wix Studio plugin. NetSuite has launched the NetSuite SuiteSuccess Healthcare Edition in North America.
Creatio announced a funding round of $200 million led by Sapphire Ventures. Rocketlane has announced a $24 million Series B funding round for its customer-centric PSA solution.
Arribatec has announced that the European External Action Service (EEAS), a European Union (EU) agency has awarded the Unit4 partner with a final contract award of €6.3 million for an ERP support contract. E.T. Browne Drug Co. has revealed how the latest version of SYSPRO has helped increase profits and revenue. This was after leveraging the new inventory and MRP features. Two divisions of Honda, Honda Motorcycles and Honda Power Products, have made the strategic decision to work with BuyCo and FourKites.
RAVEL Inc. announced the appointment of three new senior leaders to strengthen the leadership team. Yooz has announced that it has renewed and extended its partnership with Infor. WINT Water Intelligence has announced a new partnership with HSB (Harford Steam Boiler). HSB is a specialty multiline insurer part of Munich Re.
Zoho published the State of Automation report that identifies the benefits and challenges of low-code platforms seen within Europe. Yooz has published the fourth edition of its State of Automation in Finance report. Zoho also published details of a survey into the state of Digital health in the UK, from a European-wide survey. New research commissioned by Exasol provides a snapshot of the current state of AI implementation in the UK, US and Germany.
Paul O’Sullivan, Head of Salesforce UK AI Centre and UK&I Chief Technology Officer, offered 4 tips for the successful implementation of AI within an enterprise. Drew Millen, Chief Technology Officer at VertiGIS, offered a tip, or rather a warning about the danger of elegance creep for developers.
Azul
Azul announced strong growth and continued momentum across the Asia Pacific region. As organizations turn to its OpenJDK solutions to address cost and performance challenges in the wake of Oracle’s Java SE pricing change and rising cloud expenses. It reported a 37% increase in new bookings year-over-year. And a strong start to the first quarter of FY25 with a 437% year-over-year surge in growth. Azul’s solutions also resonated particularly well in the banking and finance sector in Asia. Which saw a 31% increase in new bookings year-over-year in FY24.
Dean Vaughan, Vice President of APAC at Azul, commented, “The Asia Pacific region has long been a strategic focus for Azul, offering immense growth potential, and this past year has been no different. Across the region, enterprises are grappling with spiraling cloud costs and growing frustration over Oracle’s Java pricing. On the Oracle side specifically, we have seen a steady increase in audit threats and aggressive sales tactics.
“These market shifts have steered more customers toward Azul’s reliable and cost-effective Java solutions, resulting in our remarkable success in the region. We are also experiencing our highest volume of channel partner opportunity registrations ever, driven by enterprises searching for alternatives to Oracle Java and seeking innovative ways to optimize cloud costs.”
Burendo
Burendo has opened its first office in London, on Liverpool Street. Austen Bell, Co-Founder and Director of Burendo, commented, “We’re looking forward to welcome everyone to our new London office! It’s not just about having a fancy new space (although, the view is incredible!), it’s about creating a place where everyone feels welcome and supported to do their best work for clients across the UK.”
Deltek
Roth Sheppard Architects selects Ajera
Deltek revealed how Roth Sheppard Architects has leveraged Deltek Ajera to streamline operations and improve profitability. Jill Joseph, Controller, Roth Sheppard Architects, led the project. That saw the replacement of QuickBooks, bill.com, Gusto and various spreadsheets for financials and time tracking with a single solution, Ajera.
Joseph commented, “We looked at a few systems, including Monday.com and NetSuite, but those solutions were not specifically designed for A&E firms. Plus, after hearing positive reviews from staff members who had a history using Deltek solutions at other firms, we decided to implement Deltek Ajera. With the help of Deltek Professional Services, we went live in May 2023.”
Several benefits of the new solution were quickly gained. Billing timelines were reduced from over ten days to two. Fom creating the draft invoice to sending the bill to the client. Ajera streamlined and detailed their project time tracking significantly. This was because employees began regularly entering their timesheets, providing clearer and more accurate data.
Cost point Summer release
In a blog and video, Deltek revealed the latest updates that came from the Deltek Costpoint Summer release. There are improvements to the digital assistant Dela and a new Costpoint Teams App. A new Quick-Entry Expense Report provides a simpler expense entry experience for users who don’t need a complex setup.
Jitterbit
Jitterbit published an independent study by Censuswide that reveals the promise artificial intelligence (AI) is creating for office workers. Many see AI as offering new skills and personal growth opportunities.
The Key findings included:
- 85% of office workers expect AI to improve their roles. Dispelling fears of job displacement and embracing the potential for job augmentation and optimization
- 96% of office workers believe AI can enhance their professional skills. Reflecting broad acceptance and excitement about the technology
- 61% of office workers are not concerned about AI replacing human jobs. Indicating a growing understanding of AI as a tool that complements human efforts
Bill Conner, President and CEO of Jitterbit, commented, “Rather than being distracted by negative headlines, office workers see beyond the AI hype. This is an evolution, not a revolution. US and UK employees are identifying what AI should be used for; learning skills, automating processes, and outsourcing routine tasks to focus on more strategic efforts. AI is changing the world, and our research shows office workers are open to the true potential this incredible technology offers on a practical level.”
Rootstock Software
Rootstock published the second part of its comparison between the 2023 and 2024 editions of the State of Manufacturing Technology survey. In this release, it revealed how concerns have changed. For manufacturers using the Salesforce platform, the ability to connect multiple disparate sources is no longer a concern. Nor is there now a concern about using new business models.
The top our concerns this year were:
- The lack of Supply Chain visibility is the new top fear for manufacturers (27%)
- Operational adaptability remains the second highest concern. With 26% (2024) noting it compared to 26.2% in 2023
- 26% of manufacturers cited an inability to get products to market fast enough as a significant concern if they don’t digitally advance
- 23% of respondents highlighted the need for upskilling their workforce to keep pace with digital transformation initiatives
TSIA
TSIA published a Quick Poll Insight that asked how organisations are leveraging AI for risk management and lead generation. 52.6% are already using AI to identify risks associated with upcoming renewals and to improve overall renewal rates. 47.4% are using AI to identify, create, or qualify sales leads. Hannah Yoon, a Data Journalist at TSIA, concluded that the potential for AI to enhance other workflows, such as offer creation, remains largely untapped for most companies. (Registration required)
A second Quick Poll Insight looks at the perceived value of Customer Success. 47% of respondents revealed that their organization is currently debating the value of customer success management. In companies of more than $1 billion in revenue, only 45% are doing so, compared to 49% in smaller firms. The main reason (66%) for the continued debate is confusion around organizational structure. There are more interesting findings, and TSIA plans to explore the theme further. (Registration required)
TSIA also published a survey insight into employee incentives and benefits in professional services. The report looks at stock options, retirement programs and signing bonuses. These benefits do not require immediate pay outs. Amy Clark, data journalist at TSIA, concludes, “Professional services organizations that have not yet created or applied these types of employee benefits could be at a competitive disadvantage when hiring highly skilled employees, as the industry standard now includes incentives such as these.” (Registration Required)
TSIA also published an article (Subscription required) that is a guide for leaders of customer success and renewals organizations.
Workday
US Federal Agency goes live
Groundswell and Workday announced that a prominent US federal agency with an international mission and global workforce has gone live on Workday HCM for thousands of members.
George Batsakis, CEO of Groundswell, commented, “This successful implementation of Workday demonstrates our modern ERP transformation and deployment capabilities and our commitment to federal agencies. To be performing well here, especially on the heels of our recent Workday award at the Defense Intelligence Agency, is a great moment for Groundswell and our implementation partner, CrossVue.
“We are excited to continue exceptional delivery of Workday solutions and supporting the larger ERP modernization movement happening throughout our wide range of government customers.”
Peakon Employee Voice
Workday published its latest insights from Workday Peakon Employee Voice. It reveals a concerning 27% of employees are at high risk of burnout. The survey data comes from 2.6 million employees across more than 850 companies and 12 industries around the world. The data reveals that without plans to improve employee health and well-being, a higher risk of burnout exists.
The key findings were:
- 27% of employees are at high risk of burnout
- 33% of managers at organisations with high burnout risk fall into the high-risk category themselves. Compared to 15% at organisations with low burnout risk. In other words, managers at high-risk organisations are two times as likely to be at risk of burnout
- Employees at high-risk organisations managed by someone with high burnout risk are 19% more likely to be at risk of burnout themselves
- By comparison, employees at “low-risk” companies are only 12% more likely to be at risk of burnout when their manager is experiencing poor health and well-being
Daniel Pell, Vice President and Country Manager of UKI, Workday, commented, “The list of challenges facing organisations seems to grow every year, but boosting employee engagement and talent retention will always be critical to success. While many organisations understand that people are one of their most important assets, the desire for greater efficiency and productivity can place added stress on the workforce.
“Boosting employee health and well-being is not only the right thing to do, but it can help reduce costs associated with absenteeism and turnover, make the organisation more productive overall, and build a culture that is more likely to attract and retain top talent for years to come.”
