You’ve been chosen to work with a software company to add the latest feature to your business operations. We’ve all been there. It’s daunting. OBVIOUSLY you want more than just success, you want to..
You’ve been chosen to work with a software company to add the latest feature to your business operations. We’ve all been there. It’s daunting. OBVIOUSLY you want more than just success, you want to..
If you're reading this article, you’re well aware of WHY data security matters. The trick, as always, is in the HOW. How do you actually reduce your business data risk? Where are your biggest risk..
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a 2-for-1 security layer system. 2FA forces users to use two different authentication methods to verify themselves. You can think about it as a ‘double lock’ for..
Great data security is an essential element of business - obviously. Often overlooked though, is the essential role of employee training as a tool within that data security arsenal. Your team is the..
Whether we like it or not, companies will always need to collect data. Often, the data collected can be private or sensitive, which means that it needs to be protected. When customers hand over..
The 'business of growth' is becoming ever more important in a world that is faster than it was yesterday. Smart businesses are using automation to keep up, and this is especially true for the..
Audit trails are a detailed record of activity and changes made to data, system or applications. As you can imagine, in a world where businesses must prioritise data security - being able to access a..
Authentication and Session Management are critical components of online data security that help protect personal and confidential information. Authentication is about verifying the identity of a user..
As an IT Manager, one of your many (many) responsibilities is to establish and manage a robust and effective password policy for your organisation. Easier said than done of course. Especially in an..
Data is arguably one of today’s most valuable commodities, making protecting that data a crucial exercise. Great data security involves a layered approach to defence. One of the first layers in that..
Customer Education is all about teaching customers how to use, and to realise value from your products or services. This kind of education is especially important if you’re an Internet Service..
In South Africa we celebrate Women’s Month in August. Something that we’re very excited about over here at SOLIDitech. The reason is simple: This month is important for us and the tech workforce...
With changes in technology and the rise of a global pandemic, customers are increasingly uninterested in having direct contact with company representatives; face-to-face, or otherwise. Time-strapped..
Every single thing you do at your business today probably requires some form of data and some way of processing that data. Think about placing an order, making a payment, or managing an account...
Embarking on a software project can be daunting - but preparing yourself for the journey can make all the difference. Below we’ve put together our 6 do’s and don’ts for a successful software project..
Integrated ISP online sign up is where your Internet Service Provider business tools are integrated into your ecommerce website. An investment in custom software like this isn’t taken lightly though,..
Integrated ISP online sign up is where your Internet Service Providers business tools are integrated into your ecommerce website. That is, features such as feasibility checks, product information,..
Customer experience can be defined by a number of factors, but broadly it boils down to:
Integrated online sign up is all about integrating your online sales process into your billing platform. Depending on your platform, this can mean that your coverage, products, and payment options..
If you think that great service is the sole responsibility of the Customer Services Team - then think again. It takes an entire, connected team to deliver great service. Let me explain with an..
We’re currently in the age of digital transformation. With so many businesses embracing transformation, our experience has been that the most successful ones have an understanding of how software..
If you’re teaming up with a software development team to work on your business’ software solution, chances are you may hear the word ‘Agile’ thrown around at some point. Are they just talking about..
Will automating more operations within your business mean that you should reduce your staff compliment? No, not necessarily. Whilst automation will greatly increase the efficiency and quality of your..
Properly appreciating the value of software can be difficult. When you purchase a shiny new car, you get a full feast of the senses. The new paint glistening, the curvature of the car, the..
What is the role of the customer during a software development project? How, and how much, do you need to be involved to get the best return on your investment? In this article, we explore the..
What happens during a software development project? Is there more to it than a collection of introverted techie engineers sipping coffee from Star Wars-branded mugs? In this article, we provide a..
If you’ve spent even a moderate amount of time around developers or the software industry, chances are you have heard the term ‘API’ thrown around. As likely as it is that plenty of developers love..
We use Software every. Single. Day. And it’s constantly changing - the cell phone you had 3 years ago seems, well, quite antiquated compared to the latest cell phones available today. As technology..
You’re about to invest in a new software solution or enhance existing functionality. You’ve got your software partner, spec’d out your requirements, had the necessary workshops and have received your..
As a Billing Manager, it’s your job to arm decision makers with all the financial information they need to make effective business decisions. Beyond cash flow and accurate accounting, revenue and..
Growth-driven software no longer belongs solely to the IT Department, it's an essential part of every aspect of your business.With so much riding on this investment, you need to make sure you create..
For a business to operate at ‘Internet speed’ and to thrive in an age of Internet Connectedness, you need to be able to evolve quicker than your competitors. We’re living in a world where a single..
Business Process Automation is everywhere and has fast become the ace in a CTO’s pocket. But it’s been around for longer than you think… Much longer. Just think about how ancient water sellers..
Getting tired of watching your business tied down by tedious and admin-heavy tasks that cause your collections process to suffer? Watching papers stack up can be comical, but it's no joke when your..
A collections process is essentially designed to make sure your customers pay you (on time). A great collections process does this and more; giving you an auditable, reportable view on exactly who..
In today’s society, where customers expect near-instant gratification, it can seem just about impossible to reach the market with your brand new product before your market has gotten bored and moved..
You use automation every day; recording your favourite TV shows and being thankful for Facebook birthday reminders, even the sprinklers in your garden are automated. The benefits of automation don’t..
When you’re standing in front of what feels like a stadium full of people with your data presentation ready to go, sometimes picturing everyone in their underwear is not enough. Business news daily..
As increased importance is placed on data, human attention spans are shrinking (to 8 seconds or less according to the NY Times). This means that in order to deliver a killer data presentation (and..
A small business is required to do pretty much the same tasks as a larger business, but with fewer people. This presents a few very specific challenges around processes, time slicing, scalability and..
Debt collection software transforms your monthly 3-day ‘find the spreadsheet, update it so it’s accurate(ish) and then try and contact everyone..nicely’ collections trauma into an effective, instant..
When your ISP Billing Software works, it’s brilliant. But when it doesn’t, it could be disastrous for both your pocket and sanity. If the automated processes supporting your billing function are not..
Next time you mundanely plonk your cheeks down on your car seat, don’t just mindlessly look out into the distance. Take note of what’s right under nose. A warning light that flashes when your engine..
To start reading this article, press 1.
To skip to the conclusion, press 2.
To speak to a customer service representative, press 3.
You pressed 3, goodbye. Click. Beeeeeeep…
We’ve all been through..
You can’t seem to read an article these days without bumping into terms like ‘Business Process Automation’, ‘BSS/OSS’, or ‘Automated operations’. These terms are popular because they describe real..
Embarking on an automation project is never undertaken lightly. Business operations and processes affect almost every part of your business; from Agents on the ground, to Engineers, to Finance and..
As we all know, setting up a successful automated provisioning process isn’t as simple as just stringing a few tasks together with mailto links and hitting “go live”.
Complications arise because of..
Customer portals are like email signatures - ‘property’ owned by you that is very rarely taken full advantage of. Rather than an afterthought (i.e. more than a simple, but non-functional place where..
When it comes to billing, even the smallest mistake can have the most severe impact on your bottom line.
ISP Finance departments capture, process and organise volumes of personal, transactional and..
As a CIO or COO you’re constantly seeking out simplified systems that give you a competitive edge. Simplification means fewer errors, less expense, better (and quicker) service delivery, stronger..
As networks and application delivery models evolve, security remains top of the mind for IT managers. ISPs hold volumes of sensitive customer information that include personal, financial and other..
“The customer is always right”. “The customer is king”. “Make the customer feel at home”. “Smile and nod”. “Think happy thoughts”. You’ve heard all of this advice before but are you really heeding it?
One thing that most ISPs have in common is some sort of billing system to handle their subscription-based and ad-hoc billing. For some ISPs this billing system may be a simple spreadsheet. For..
The technology arena is very much a dynamic one, with new developments hitting the scene almost daily. Companies are constantly challenged to bring best-of-breed products and solutions to challenging..
When done right, business process automation can help organisations achieve much higher levels of productivity by removing countless redundant processes and workflows that no longer serve the company.
The "last mile" is a term used in the telecommunications industry to describe the technology used to provide the last mile of connectivity between the service provider and the customer.
Similarly,..
The customer churn rate in a subscription-based ISP business is a measure of the number of subscribers/customers that cancel their services over a specified period of time, e.g. a monthly churn rate..
Fast-growing businesses can very quickly find that investment in disparate software products doesn’t yield the results they need. Siloed software creates islands of knowledge that is difficult to..
Losing customers is as natural to business as gaining them. ‘Customer Churn’ is a measurement of your customer gain-to-loss ratio. Low churn indicates a well performing business in a stable..
"Provisioning" specifically refers to the act of setting up or configuring the necessary hardware and software to activate a customer's purchased services. Automating that process results in, amongst..
It’s tough being a customer service representative. You’re the front line of the business dealing with both happy customers (yay), and some very unhappy customers (not very yay).
It’s quite rewarding..
The nature of the ISP industry demands that those who operate in this playing field constantly improve their internal processes as a means of retaining and growing their customer base. An Internet..
More and more businesses are realising the benefits automation can bring them and their core departments such as Operations, Support, Marketing, Sales, and of course, Finance.
For a time-starved..
Business efficiency is one of the key reasons to automate your business. ‘Efficiency’ however is defined by a number of factors - all of which are equally important when determining the overall..
Revenue assurance is one of the main challenges for any organisation. This holds especially true for Internet Service Providers (ISPs), who operate in a business climate where new competition arrives..
Revenue leakage sucks. It literally sucks revenue away from your bottom line.
As Revenue Leakage refers to revenue or potential revenue that is lost through processes/transactions, stemming the flow..
Revenue Leakage [shiver… say it again] Revenue Leakage. We all fear it, but it really is a terrible term. Why - because it doesn’t actually identify the problem. The real problem lies in not knowing..
What is Automation: Using a set of preprogrammed workflows to convert a manual task with consistent and repeatable steps into one which a computer completes for you.
Customer Portals are seriously useful for account self-administration. They save time-consuming phone calls and confused customers. But when done badly, Customer Portals can become a singular point..
Access Control is all about security. And the best approach to security is to have multiple secure layers. Access Control is just one of those layers (albeit the first).
Think about a house: Before..
Efficiency is your biggest challenge. It’s an ever evolving behemoth that includes numerous departments, moving parts and duct-taped together processes. But you’ve got it under control and things..
Executives are accountable for more than ever before: Balancing efficiency with profitability, productivity with your business goals and effectiveness of process with customer satisfaction.
Your job..
A recent study by PMG found that "while automation enhances customer experiences [and] increases productivity, speed demands are stressing IT's abilities and resources, putting business benefits at..
Saving 'mega time' is a pretty big promise - and is certainly something that grabbed your attention if you’re reading this post. Continue on though dear reader - you will not be disappointed.
..
Automation is a fabulous thing. It built the first affordable cars and has paved the way for driverless vehicles. Across the world, automation is enabling businesses to do what they do - brilliantly...
I say 'business automation' and you think '[insert question here]'. The truth is, business automation is a pretty vague term in a pretty big industry. This lack of clarity, along the Hollywood..
No one likes getting bills, it doesn't matter if they are delivered via text message, email or post. But in our experience, businesses dislike bad debt even more.Debt that goes bad becomes..
Businesses everywhere use key business metrics to track, measure and assess their performance. This allows you to alter your strategy or operations to consistently achieve your goals. Often,..
What's the one skill that any new Developer should focus on learning? Yes, actually learning to code is pretty high on the list. But how would you even know where to start without being able to..
"The only good thing to do with good advice is pass it on; it is never of any use to oneself." ― Oscar Wilde, An Ideal HusbandAs a new developer trying to launch a career, you've got a challenging..
As professionals in the automation industry it’s our job to keep up with the latest trends, news and (least we feel out-geeked)...'Jargon'.
But sometimes, every now and again, along comes a term or..
Provisioning is a general term which means to provide, or make something available.
In the telecommunications industry it specifically refers to the act of setting up or configuring the necessary..
The concept of 'Business Process Automation' is not exactly new. Henry Ford introduced the world's first assembly line in 1913 to revolutionise the manufacturing industry.
We have brought the same..
At SOLID we're always on the lookout for talented Developers who are passionate about helping businesses achieve their objectives.
If the below job description sounds like you - then simply send a..
To make sure we're able to support our growing customer base we're very happy to announce that we have moved to new premises in Fourways, Johannesburg.
We look forward to welcoming new and existing..
Imagine your business system did not require any hardware, it was available 24x7 and all you paid for was the service you required. It could scale from 100 to 100 000 customers and back down again in..
The SOLID Billing, CRM and ERP platform has revolutionised the way ISPs and VNOs invoice and manage their customers.
As a growing force in the Customer Billing services market, SOLIDitech was..
The SOLID Dev Team have been working around the clock to release the eagerly anticipated version 3.0 of SOLID. This new version includes some great enhancements as well as a number of brand new..
SOLIDitech was selected out of a number of key players in the industry to deploy their SOLID billing and financial solution to a global ISP company, across a number of African countries.
SOLIDitech
Block B, Aintree Park
Cnr Doncaster and Loch Road
Kenilworth, 7708
+27 86 137 0200
sales@soliditech.com
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