Tag: Australia

Somebody’s Watching Me

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Retailers are watching me.  You too!

With smartphones, online shopping and lots of data, more and more companies are watching everything that you do to learn how to better sell you goods and services.  Retailers are using a variety of different tactics such as customer loyalty programs, facial recognition devices and cell phone signal trackers.  Then they use the collected data to determine where to place products in the store and how and where to advertise.

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Picking up your cell phone signal – Some U.S. malls rolled out technology that tracked consumers‘ cell phone signals in stores to track their paths through the mall. This technology is already popular in Europe and Australia.

Facial recognition – Retailers are using facial recognition technology to find out more about their core customer. It’s used to find out demographic information.

Loyalty programs – Many businesses use loyalty cards to track purchases and shopping habits. The retailer uses this information to target promotions exactly to the shopper.

Location Apps – Target and Walgreens have apps that lead customers around the store to the items they’re looking for. But while you have access to location information about the store, the retailer has the power to see what you’re looking for and where you go.

Abandoned carts?  Products that you pick up and then put down? How you walk the store?  All of this information is being used to make your shopping experience even more pleasurable – or so they say!

And in the spirit of Monday morning tuneage, yet another classic from Rockwell – I believe he is a one hit wonder:

More on this tomorrow.  Thanks to www.businessinsider.com

Enjoy the day.

Webman

We are Disconnected! – Part 2

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As we have discussed before, the amount of information that we are bombarded with every day is just staggering.  It really is no wonder that we have a very difficult time filtering through this information, determining what is important and what is not.  This information overload not only leads to a more challenging and stressful work environment, but also carries over into our personal lives, as the separation no longer exists due to smart phones, Crackberries and the like.

In a recent report, commissioned by Hitachi Data Systems, it found 40 percent of companies in Australia and New Zealand are suffering from the information glut, up from 34 percent two years ago.  The report also found 81 percent of companies surveyed now considered it important to manage data growth, up from 68 percent two years ago.

Workers are drowning under a deluge of emails and information. Corporations are failing to help staff cope with the technological barrage, daily meetings and constant connection, leading to rising levels of stress and psychological illness and costing billions in lost productivity.  Psychologists and experts said the information glut is becoming a major issue for firms who are searching for realistic answers to the problem.

Most workers receive an average of 36 emails a day and huge volumes of other information. Add to this social media, instant messenger, daily meetings and the ever-present telephone plus the arrival of new technologies which employees are expected to embrace to stay ahead of the game.  Many employees are reaching “breaking point” with the amount of information they receive and there is a huge need for employers to step in and help.  http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/12/05/information-overload-is-causing-illness-and-costing-money-experts-warn/#ixzz1g2MLMhJf

In these very difficult economic times, companies have cut back on staffing, added more and more projects to achieve their expected growth rates and are relying on these workers to produce at the highest levels of productivity and quality.  Is it any wonder that employees are more dissatisfied at work than ever with many of them focused on finding the next job and leaving their existing employers.

As shared yesterday, we have moved from a “we” to a “me” society.  Is it any wonder that this has happened given the ever increasing lack of loyalty by employers, the overwhelming need for companies to achieve their financial goals for Wall Street and their shareholders?  Oh did I mention the fact that the average pay ratio between CEO’s and employees for the Fortune 50 companies is 213 to 1.  And the CEO to worker pay ratio at United Health Group is 1,737 to 1.  Hmmm.  See the infographic: http://www.payscale.com/ceo-income

So let’s summarize.  Employers hammering employees to do more with less.  More information for employees causing high levels of stress.  Employee dissatisfaction at all time high levels.  People disconnected from their friends and family.  Sound bite society.  Occupy America.

Houston, we have a problem.

Please let me know what you think about this blog.  Have a great weekend.

Webman