Welcome to Peer Insights. What would you like to do today?

In the sales engagement, be useful, respectful, and flexible. 

To start with, for the initial outreach, whether by intro or cold, ask yourself if you should really be directly addressing the CIO (who has a broad range of responsibilities), or someone reporting to them with a more immediate connection to what you are offering. 

On the other hand, when a CIO is actively exploring and discovering (e.g. at a trade show), be prepared to be concise, and clear. Know your existing customers extremely well and focus on telling what you did for them and what the impact was. If they are interested, tell them how you did it.

Keep your slide decks short, your appendices (architecture, pricing, etc) deep and detailed. Always have a specific actionable plan that you can communicate, which starts with today and ends with the CIO success objective attained. Revise and enrich it at every interaction. Proactively and energetically engage in the less fun parts of the selection and buying process (compliance, legal, etc.).

Most importantly, always focus on what will make them and their company successful. Deliver well and don't get greedy.

Many AI-based applications are finally making the jump across the hype cycle from ‘promising’ to ‘delivering’ real value. Chatbots are one that have made a dent in 2017 and will continue to do so in 2018. Messaging has proved to be a simple, and extremely effective way to communicate and interface with information. Message based apps leverage a commonly used medium to provide a conversational interface to complex workflows. This has already dramatically simplified how enterprise users interact with applications and collaborate at work, especially as more and more millennials enter the workforce with drastically different expectations for software than their prior generation.

But adding AI to chat takes us beyond just simple question and answer commands. Instead of typing “File HR Ticket” to a SupportBot, an employee can simply describe their actual challenge, e.g. “what is our maternity leave policy?” Bots can handle complex NLP, decompose the question, search for potential answers across multiple applications/ backends, and instantly provide the user with the right answer. This greatly simplifies workflow and massively boosts productivity and customer/ employee satisfaction.

Zooming out a bit, the bigger picture going into 2019 is very clear. AI will be built in as a layer across every application going forward — just as “mobile” used to be a standalone category, it is now seen as a necessary component of any software product.

There are many KPIs that are important for IT, but some of the most important ones for the next 3 years include:
1. Reducing the time it takes to complete tasks.
2. Improving the accuracy of tasks.
3. Reducing the number of errors.
4. Improving customer satisfaction.

The best way to transition to the cloud will vary depending on the specific needs of the enterprise. However, some tips for making a successful transition to the cloud include:
1. Define the goals and objectives of the transition.
2. Assess the current IT infrastructure and identify which parts can be migrated to the cloud.
3. Develop a plan for migrating applications and data to the cloud.
4. Test the applications and data in the cloud to ensure they are working as expected.
5. Monitor the applications and data in the cloud to identify any issues.

Digital transformation does not necessarily mean getting rid of legacy systems. It can mean transitioning from paper-based or manual processes to digital processes. It can also mean upgrading legacy systems to take advantage of new technologies.

I've always prioritized innovation dollars over core if the core business need is more than 3 years old. Markets change fast; what was a "core need" likely can be streamlined or optimized to fit today's accelerated economy. Review and revision should be done annually, as a means to lower cost improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. In short to create differentiation and value. The side benefits include regularly reducing technical debt and inculcated transformation as a part of business growth.

There are many reasons why large enterprises engage with startups. Some of the most common reasons include:
1. To gain access to new and innovative technologies.
2. To find new and innovative ways to solve problems.
3. To tap into new markets.
4. To find new and innovative products and services.