Today many businesses are focusing on how software can help their customers. The idea is to make the consumer’s life easier or a business customer’s processes run more smoothly. We are going to take a look into a mix of solution that has been introduced as software solutions to help people and businesses that solve problems. We have also included some blockchain technology solutions because it seems blockchain technology is slowly but surely integrating its technology into society.
-
Food Trust System By IBM
With the supply chain in the food industry being corrupted at certain levels, the push for fair trade, current software systems not able to integrate between partners in the supply chain, and food waste a problem most food chains face, Food Trust by IBM was developed.
One of the issues prior to the Food Trust app is that no one really knows where the food came from. The system was designed to track food directly from the farm/producer all the way to the shelves where consumers purchase the food. With this system in place, a certified label can be placed on the food being purchased stating that it has been imported legally and follows fair trade regulations.
The system can integrate with current databases being used by companies such as Tesco. It can track exactly which location the food supply is in, and how quickly it should be put on the shelves for sale before it pasts its sell-by date; the latter solving the issue of food waste
-
Channel Manager Systems For Vacation Rentals
The vacation rentals market is booming right now. People are now able to use websites that have tens of thousands of visitors every month looking to rent a holiday home for their vacation away or a place for a business trip. In order for this industry to operate, there needs to be hosts for the property so guests have a point of contact.
A host could be one of a large number of people that own a house or apartment and have listed their property on a vacation rental website for holidaymakers to book up for their vacation. Many of these hosts have had multiple bookings with many using the proceeds to purchase further properties for the purpose of renting it to holidaymakers.
Also, property management companies looking after people’s holiday homes are using the very same vacation rental websites. Mostly these firms’ strategy is to help their clientele (the property owner) make an income from their holiday home by using vacation rental websites.
However, in this business occupancy rates are the key to success. The more dates filled, the more profitable the operation. Therefore, rather than listing properties on a single vacation rental website with 10,000 visitors, the property can be listed on multiple vacation rental websites. For instance, the property could be listed on five websites with 10,000 visitors each. As a result, the property is now visible to 50,000 online holidaymakers searching for a place to stay as opposed to just 10,000.
One problem arises from this strategy. Double bookings were making life difficult because for some properties people were booking on ‘Vacation Rental Website A’ for an xxx date to xxx date, which overlaps with a booking on ‘Vacation Rental Website B’. This occurs because the sites calendars do not link up and so dealing with these double bookings cost time and money.
To solve this a vacation rental channel manager by Lodgify was created. This channel manager connects to calendars on multiple vacation rental websites and ensures that they all sync with a master calendar. When a new booking is made, the channel manager updates all calendars on all platforms the property is listed on. The solution has saved businesses and those currently active in this line of business thousands of dollars as well as a huge amount of time having to resolve issues with double bookings.
-
Money Tap App
The Money Tap app is a blockchain based banking application that was created by Ripple. It is only available in Japan at this time, but its success could mean that soon enough we will be seeing similar systems implemented across the globe.
The Moneytap app by Ripple offers instant banking transactions. There is no waiting for money spent using your bank account to be deducted from your balance. Literally, as soon as the payment is made, the transaction amount is deducted immediately from the account balance. Now in many countries, transactions already happen immediately, but those systems are not using blockchain technology.
Some of the key advantages to this app are that bank to bank transfers are instant and mostly free of charge or come with low costs. Those that have the app installed can send friends money to his/her bank account using the 2D code. Payments can be made in shops via a 2D code on a mobile app. Plus, shops do not get charged for accepting this payment method as opposed to when accepting credit/debit card transactions in which the shop is charged a percentage.
On top of this, the app is not tied to a single banking system. This is a blockchain ecosystem of its very own. Consequently, any bank can sign up to use the system. The more banks that use this system, the easier transactions are for anyone that has a bank account with any one of the consortium of banks that are connected to this blockchain ecosystem.
Eventually, the plan is that multiple international banks join the network. This would make international transactions seamless for both the B2B and B2C markets.
-
Website Applications Making Everyday Consumerism Easier
When it comes to electrics, plumbing, or construction on properties or homes most people need help. If you want to renovate your home, then you probably need help from multiple experts. Architects, plumbers, electricians, staircase designers, carpenters, and so on.
Even if you are a construction worker, you are likely going to need the expert advice for areas of construction that you are not an expert. If you are an IT guy, office workers, or work in a profession that has nothing to so ith construction, then you are almost certainly going to need the advice from several different experts.
At the moment, there are not a lot of solutions out there that can really fast track the process of having your electrics redone, plumbing reworked, or entire house renovated. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel if we see more companies such as Mr Stairs. The online staircase builder by Mr Stairs allows people that know very little about wooden staircase manufacturing to actually go through the process of designing their staircase using a website solution.
If only there were more websites out there that would take the initiative as Mr Stairs has. There are various options available on this web app such as commercial or home stairs so the correct building rules and regs are followed, the shape of the staircase, style, and how to take measurements.
Why is this app so amazing? Straight off the bat, from not having a clue about where to start when it comes designing a wooden staircase for a property to within the space of just a few minutes, consumers are already halfway to getting their staircase into production. What’ more is that the web is simple and effective. It is surprising we have not seen anything like this on other websites within the construction industry.
Summary
If you are a business or consumer, then software apps that help to save time are the way forward in this day and age. Why use outdated manual methods when you can save a bundle of time and even educate yourself by using an application. If you own a business, then start to see how you can help your consumers or clientele by seeing how you can use software solutions to save you and the time. The end result could end up increasing your bottom line.
In the examples we have given above, food chains can gain brand trust by only purchasing stock from supplier connected to the IBM Food Trust network. The Lodgify vacation rental channel manager has helped property owners and property management businesses increase their bottom line using automation to manage bookings across multiple platforms.
Moneytap has won the hearts of the Japanese public. Banks that have signed up to this Ripple blockchain system are winning business from their competitors that have not signed up to Moneytap thus increasing their bottom line.
Lastly, if you are looking for a wooden stairs manufacturer, are you going to choose a company that makes you go through all the rigmarole of architects and explaining regulations or the one that lets you solve all of these issues in a few minutes via a web app? Mr Stairs has won a lot of business from this web app, and so hopefully we will electricians, architects, and other such companies follow suit to make the consumers’ life that little bit easier and a lot more comfortable.