Recent TRG blog posts

No sooner had the US software publishers started venturing out into the international markets in the early 1980s than the need for software localisation arose. Microsoft, for example, opened its office in Japan in 1978 and expanded their business into Europe in 1979.

Unsurprisingly, the significance of localisation at that time was not fully appreciated. When Microsoft introduced Multiplan (predecessor of Excel) to the Japanese market, they asked their distributor to localise the software into Japanese.

Automation has long been a prominent trend in manufacturing and a critical driving force behind increased productivity and reduced cost. A new revolution of robotic technology is arriving and will shape the future of the manufacturing sector.

Companies used to rely on tangible, physical assets like factories, estates, and equipment to create value. In today’s globalised business, intangible assets such as brand values, intellectual properties, data, human capital, and customer capital have become the key value drivers for businesses. Finance professionals, however, still find it difficult to manage such assets.

The real estate industry, for the most part, has not been well known for being technology intensive. This nature may soon disappear, however. Data analytics is transforming how real estate companies, customers, and financial institutions do business in this industry.

Employees come and go; it is a stark reality of the corporate world. Unfortunately, half of employees who leave their jobs also take confidential corporate data with them according to research conducted by Symantec in 2013. And 40% of them intend to use such data in their new jobs. You need to take proactive measures to protect your data when your employees move on, because the consequences could be severe for your business if you don’t.

Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Expedia, Agoda or Booking.com have become a crucial source of hotel revenue. Independent hotels are particularly dependent on OTAs for their revenue. While this is not necessarily a negative trend, hoteliers should avoid relying too much on this channel for it may hurt the hotels’ profitability. OTAs usually demand around 10-20% in direct commissions. Additionally, the rate parity agreement with OTAs limits the hotels’ pricing options.

Much is written about the significance of metrics on tracking the execution of strategy and operational effectiveness. However, many executives find the plethora of metrics to be overwhelming and costly to track. “What key metrics should I track and why?” is one of the commonly asked questions. Although there is no such easy answer to this issue, the principle of “less is more” usually holds true.

Scheduling has long been a daunting task of retail management. Optimising the scheduling process could help increase margins considering that labour is among retailers’ largest operating costs. Additionally, improved scheduling greatly contributes to better relationship between employers and employees. Morale and productivity will be higher, and customer satisfaction will be too. If you are a manager or business owner in the retail industry, you may want to consider the following best practices for retail scheduling.