Rachel Present Schreter | Director of Content/Product Marketing
Is there anything that’s as much fun as a “best of” list? With 2020 right around the corner, we wanted to take the opportunity to share some of our favorite stories from this past year. They address a variety of topics, from how companies are using digital tools to excel, to a guide to increasing sales to customers, to how to avoid common pitfalls in digital transformation, the way to automate the software supply chain and of course, predictions for the year ahead.
Our top 9 articles from 2019, in no particular order:
1. McKinsey explored how successful companies are gaining an advantage through their use of digital tools, analytics, and more. We liked the discussion of agility and how flexible business models and automating processes—which are among our key offerings—can help improve the bottom line of a business. It’s good to know we’re not the only ones seeing the critical role these efforts can play.
2. We took a look at what questions you need to ask about digital business transformation in our blog. It’s hardly a surprise that this shift continues to capture the attention of the people around us, and this is our take on what you need to figure out to ensure a successful transition.
3. On that note, CMSWire published a fascinating discussion on the key reasons digital transformations fail, and what you can do to avoid falling into similar traps. Their list captures some valuable lessons for companies that are in a process of transition. With the world moving faster all the time, is there any company that can afford to fail in this field?
4. In a two-part series on increasing customer lifetime value, we discussed the importance of this metric, and what you can do about it. We looked at both how you can cross-sell and upsell to existing customers, as well as how tracking licensing can help you learn what your customers need and provide it, improving their experience and your business.
5. Harvard Business Review published a short article with the results of a survey they conducted with top executives at leading companies. Their take on best practices for digital transformation is well-phrased and interesting.
6. We couldn’t resist McKinsey’s piece on How to Operate Like a Tech Company. As more and more companies move to derive and provide value through software, the lessons here apply broadly.
7. Our most popular webinar of the year was from another business unit within Thales that used Sentinel to automate their software supply chain and gained tremendous efficiency as a result. At only half an hour long, it’s worth a watch.
8. We redid one of our favorite white papers. If you haven’t taken a look at our brand-new How to Get Licensing Right the First Time white paper, now’s your chance. It’s more relevant than ever before, and you can download and read on your way to your New Year’s Eve party...or some other time.
9. Finally, take a look at the coming trends from Forrester’s Predictions 2020. We agree that top of mind will be questions about data strategy, automation, continuous technological experimentation, and more and they summarize it all beautifully.
Looking Forward to 2020:
When you take a look at the top trends of 2019 – digital business transformation, gaining business intelligence and maximizing customer value – it becomes more and more clear that companies are interested in the cross-section of revenue generation, data analysis, and customer satisfaction. Companies are increasingly looking to better understand their customers and how they use their products, increase customer satisfaction, and sell their product in a way that their customers want to buy.
All signs seem to indicate that these trends will continue to be hot topics in 2020, as companies continue to develop ways to increase their revenue, and look towards their customer usage data and insights to lead the way.