20
Jun
2018
A couple of weeks ago I reported on my involvement the E-Commerce Working Group organized by the EC3 – Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre. Once a year I spend ten days with Europol and other private companies as part of the Retail Week of Action, where we help hunt eCommerce criminals. There we are able to speed up the usual process by reporting suspicious activities directly to the...
15
Jun
2018
At first sight, Financial Advanced Analytics can seem overwhelmingly complex. Not only do we have to consider factors that are relevant to advanced analytics projects in general, but we must also consider industry-specific factors within finance processes. These include layers of legislation, an emphasis on accountability and traceability in relation to decision-making (even down to individual...
30
May
2018
Anyone who still doesn't believe in the future of mobile payment and contactless payment will certainly have changed their mind since last Thursday. Once again, an American financial giant bought out a promising European finance startup - in order to consolidate its business in Europe.
Last Thursday, I learned that PayPal had snapped up the mobile payment service iZettle for $2.2 billion; news...
07
May
2018
Nowadays advanced analytics is transforming business processes in every conceivable industry. As a result, the hype surrounding big data and advanced analytics is reaching fever pitch. Here, Jörg Brendemühl, Vice President Analytics & Consulting Services at Arvato Financial Solutions, sifts through the complexity of today’s financial world and outlines how advanced analytics is enabling...
19
Apr
2018
Like many of my fellow countrymen and women, I’ve switched from commuting by car to by bus and train in recent years. I sold my car after moving to the big city and haven’t been stuck in traffic once since then. I can even prepare for appointments during my journey to the office. It’s no surprise to me that an average of 30 million Germans take public transport each day. I actually now...
28
Mar
2018
Customer retention is essential for every business in every industry. And yet, many businesses are quick to terminate relationships with customers who default on their loans. Could this delicate situation actually be an opportunity in disguise? When customers fall on hard times, implementing a suitable debt collection process might be all it takes to help them get back on track. Here, Volker...
19
Mar
2018
Financial,accounting,investment advisor consulting with her team at office.
It may have been a while since I was a financial accounting student, but I recently overheard a conversation between two students on a train that reminded me of a topic that was the cause of much head scratching not too many years ago. That topic was accruals. It seems that business administration students continue to grapple with this, admittedly, very dry topic. Accrued income, deferred income,...
13
Mar
2018
Razor blades, socks, care products, cereals, drinks, pet food – the list of products that can be ordered online by subscription is long. Last week I showed why there are good reasons for online retailers to opt for flexible subscription models. The most important point is customer loyalty. Retailers create additional touchpoints through subscriptions for consumers, who value the convenience...
12
Mar
2018
global satellite telecommunication technology
It’s almost hard to believe but this year was the ninth time I’ve attended Mobile World Congress (MWC). I first attended the conference back in 2005. Back then it was hosted in Cannes. And, wow, has it changed since the early days!
With more than 100,000 visitors and hundreds of exhibiting companies, MWC has grown to become easily the largest mobile trade event of the year. Now held...
06
Mar
2018
Recently I had dinner at my neighbour's house, which gave me an opportunity to admire my host's bulging bookshelf once again. He still belonged to the generation that loved and lived for the book club, a statement my neighbour had proudly declared a few months ago. He celebrated every new tome, reading it first and then adding it to his collection on the shelves. My neighbour was not alone in...
