How customer voice
drives business

eDiscovery software is a type of document review software. It’s used for uploading documents and then searching for important dates, names, subjects, and other metadata classification fields.  The software often comes with functions like filtering, tagging, and culling to streamline the process of sifting through documents. This type of tool accelerates research for court cases, projects, investigations, and more.  Imagine fast and accurate research all in the same place you store documents. It’s designed for organizing based on your needs, and answering the questions your projects ask. eDiscovery can be very niche to organizations or persons that provide legal services, but that’s not a rule. Below we cover more about eDiscovery and how software is used.  What is eDiscovery Software? eDiscovery essentially means electronic discovery or discovery that is virtual. Electronic discovery means the discovery is in the form of electronically stored information or ESI. In the legal process, discovery means the exchange of evidence that will be presented in court. This way the prosecution, defense, and legal teams will not be blindsided by unknown information.  eDiscovery platforms market their services as discovery solutions. The creation of discovery software comes from the need for faster data processing, better data management, […]

Computer-Aided Design, or CAD, software are fantastically powerful tools that can help turn your creative, engineering, and design concepts into reality. They are also often extremely expensive. As a result, many turn to the wonderful world of open-source software. For CAD tools, it is possible to get incredible functionality with none of the cost of premium software. Since CAD is an extremely diverse field of tools, we have highlighted some of the best options for a whole range of use cases.  Types of Open-Source CAD The following is a list of the niches we will cover, and the tool was chosen to represent them 3D modeling for Engineering- FreeCAD 2D modeling – LibreCAD 3D modeling for Games and Animation – Blender 3D Modeling for Engineering – FreeCAD There are a ton of options for 3D modeling CAD tools that are open source. FreeCAD is the best option for the highest number of use cases. The description they use on their website is the best way to describe this open-source tool; “FreeCAD really is a Swiss Army knife of general-purpose engineering toolkits.” FreeCAD allows for the creation of extremely detailed 3D models that can be exported in a huge array of […]

Cloud computing has been growing in popularity among companies of all sizes for years. The global cloud storage market is projected to increase from $50.1 billion in 2020 to $137.3 billion in 2025.  Compared to on-premise storage, this solution promises cost savings, better resource allocation, and improved security from data loss due to on-site server malfunctions or cyberattacks. However, according to a 2021 Flexera report on cloud cost in 2020, up to 30% of corporate cloud spending goes to waste. Cloud Management Software can help you optimize your use of data with customized features and storage that fit both your budget and your business needs.   Picking the right computing model Cloud Management Software is designed to improve the functionality of cloud usage. Buyers of cloud resources can choose from three different computing models: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). The model you choose will depend on business needs, your self-service capacity, how cost-effective it is, and how well it works with your cloud providers.  Smaller businesses will have more modest cloud management needs and fewer IT specialists to customize software features. In this case, finding a full SaaS solution with […]

Whether you store data with PostgreSQL, MySQL, or NoSQL, there’s a good chance that a database management system (DMBS) can save you time and headaches. Several factors can help you select the right DBMS for your organization. Consider your current database type, business needs, and scalability requirements. If you’re unfamiliar with databases, this video offers a great introduction to some of the fundamentals! We’ll guide you through evaluating DBMS products based on four factors: Pricing Existing Database Migration Functionality and Business Needs Scalability DBMS Pricing The perfect DBMS for you might as well not exist if it’s outside your price range. The range of pricing options is as large as the range of DBMS options itself. Free open-source DBMS products are common, like many other products in the database world. Vendors may also offer paid support plans or proprietary licenses built upon the open-source component. Generally, though, “free” is the starting point for open-source options. Yearly licensing fees and tiered systems are another common pricing model. Depending on your selection, yearly fees can range anywhere from under $100 to over $2,000 per user per year. Cloud-based vendors may charge a per-hour or per-resource fee in addition to licensing fees. These […]

TrustRadius announces 413 awards for software that has Best Feature Set, Best Value for Price, and Best Relationship

Fleet management software can revolutionize the way your organization does business, but not everyone has the budget to pay for it. Others may simply want to explore cost-saving alternatives to paid options. The best free fleet management software balances limitations and features in a way that is well-suited to your use case. Here are the best free fleet management tools, where they shine, and who they are right for. What is Fleet Management Software? Business software can often be named in vague or confusing terms; this is not the case for fleet management software.  Broadly speaking, this type of tool is designed to help you manage your entire collection of vehicles, drivers, and any incidents that may occur on the road. More basic options are simple logistical tools to help you stay organized. Advanced systems can track real-time location, fuel usage, efficiency, and much more.  If you are looking for a quick recap of how these tools work, check out the video below. How do you choose the right Fleet Management Software? With the host of options available, it’s possible to feel drowned in choices and to not know what you should be looking for. If you are unsure what […]

Computer-aided design (CAD) software allows you to create models, designs and simulations in ways that would be time-consuming, more difficult, or even impossible to do without it. CAD in its simple forms can be simple tools that turn the design process digital. More expansive versions are vastly complicated rendering and modeling features using material simulation.  This piece is great for those who know what they are looking for in a CAD tool and need a little guidance, or complete novices. Here you will learn the huge array of what CAD can do, and how to make it work for you.  What is CAD software? CAD software has a broad series of tools created to help you turn your concepts from mental image to some sort of design or representation. CAD tools were some of the first complex tools to come out of computers once they were capable of doing so. In the 60’s, IBM developed some of the earliest CAD tools, and they have only exploded in capability and popularity since.  Different types of CAD software CAD software can fall into two categories, and be further subdivided from there. The two major types of CAD tools are 2D and 3D.  […]

What will HR look like post-COVID? The good news: Overall, the shift to remote work seems to be agood thing. HR pros are seeing improvements in employee well-being, and the move hasn’t made their jobs significantly harder. COVID-19 changed everything for the HR industry. Now, over a year after the pandemic began, we’re checking in to see how HR professionals are doing. The bad news: The vast majority of HR professionals are feeling challenged and exhausted by the pandemic. And they’re facing even bigger hurdles with the Great Resignation and the need to rapidly improve their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. This report examines these issues from the eyes of HR pros across the United States, from associates up to the C-suite—and ultimately asks how HR technology is helping to make things easier. Want to see the full PDF of the report? Click the button below. The sections in this report are: Top 10 HR Trends Report Statistics The State of HR in 2022 How Do HR Pros Feel About Remote Work? Decoding the Great Resignation Thinking Differently About DEI in 2022 The Impact of HR Technology Methodology and Demographics Top 10 Statistics from the 2022 HR Trends Report […]

2021 brought the Great Resignation, which for most companies meant numerous vacant positions. For organizations and staff everywhere, this means more time and money spent onboarding software. In addition, HR staff and managers alike are facing challenges associated with increased remote onboarding. It’s easy to see why onboarding has changed significantly within the past two years. Companies now recognize the need for standardized onboarding procedures that set their new hires up for success. In the past onboarding was often primarily thought of as an HR task. Now it is shifting to a shared responsibility between HR and management. Hottest Employee Onboarding Statistics for 2022 Given the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Great Resignation, onboarding has undergone rapid change. These updated onboarding stats give insight into the current state of onboarding. 20% of turnover occurs within the first 45 days of employment (Talmundo, 2021) 37.4% of companies listed remote onboarding as a challenge they faced because of the Covid-19 pandemic (Workable, 2020). 61% of HR professionals expect new hires to stay at their company for at least two years (The Manifest, 2020) 48% of HR professionals believe onboarding should continue past the first month of employment (Talmundo, […]

Fleet management software allows organizations to help with the daunting tasks like organizing vehicles, drivers, incidents, and so much more. The right software can simplify this logistical quagmire and unlock the potential of your organization. As such, there is a huge array of options available. Fortunately, by breaking down your needs, limits, and scale, you can choose the best fleet management software for your budget. In this piece, we will cover: Pricing Scale and Scalability Features Needed  Mobility Ease of Use and Integration With all of these features in mind, you will have a much better picture of exactly what you are looking for. With that, we can start to look at some of the software out there. Fleet Management Pricing A software could do everything you ever dreamed of and more, but be utterly useless if it is too expensive for your budget. The first and potentially most important part of any software discussion is a rough guide to pricing. As a general rule, fleet management software will cost you about $25-40 per vehicle. The extremes can range from $5-$250 per vehicle, but these tend to be for very specific use cases.  Other costs can include hardware that may […]

The best content ever written means absolutely nothing if it’s never seen. Search engine optimization (SEO) tools are designed to ensure your hard work gets seen your target audience in the most efficient manner possible. Our blog and SEO team atTrustRadius went through our own buying process for content SEO. We originally used Topic, but they’ve since joined the CafeMedia family. We needed a replacement and realized our buying experience can help other content creators find their best SEO tool. Each of the tools we looked at occupies a different niche and could be right for you depending on what you need in an SEO tool. We will also cover two tools that fall somewhat short, and explain why they may not be ideal for content marketing and production use cases. There’s a wide array of tools out there for blog and marketing content optimization. Some offer simple optimization guides and keyword suggestions and checking, while others can generate content for you. Understanding exactly what you are looking for, your budget, and what your limitations are are key for choosing the right tool.  The SEO tools covered in this piece are: Growth Bar SEO Frase ClearScope Content Harmony Surfer MarketMuse […]

Construction projects are complex by nature. To be completed successfully, safely, and on time, the multitude of moving pieces (and the various people or companies who will play a role in delivering each one) must all be synced up. Stakeholders need to be on the same page and aware of how every part of the project will unfold. But it’s nearly impossible to create a perfect construction project plan at the onset of the job. Even if you’re confident that you’re accounting for the full scope of work involved in the project, there will inevitably be changing variables during the planning, bidding, and building phases that will drive a change in your plan. A Request for Information (RFI) document is used to keep these projects moving in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. RFIs request key information from design and engineering professionals needed to flesh out project variables that have come up since the original bid or contract was drawn up. In essence, the RFI is a communication vehicle for the dynamic planning and decision making that must go into completing a complex and expensive construction project. Let’s dive deeper into how construction RFIs are used in the industry. Here we […]

Advertising is one of the most important fields for most commercial companies. The best part of advertising is it’s always changing because people change. Advertising is all about following people, and these past 2 years have been unprecedented for everyone.   Certain areas of marketing have decreased while others have flourished with the pandemic. Below we look at the growth, trends, and major changes in the advertising industry. 12 Noteworthy Advertising Statistics for 2021 In 2020, 70% of all marketers focused their efforts on content marketing (HubSpot, 2020). About 35% of marketers feel it’s integral to analyze the ROI of their campaigns (HubSpot, 2020). In 2020, 52% of marketers relied on attribution reporting (HubSpot, 2020). In 2020, over 75% of consumers participated in an internet activity that was new to them (Qualtrics, 2021). It’s estimated 20% of marketers participated in email marketing automation for their campaigns throughout 2020 (HubSpot, 2020). Ad revenue in 2020 fell to 578 billion USD worldwide, but the market expects 12% growth while recovering from the coronavirus (Statista, 2021).  Digital Advertising is noted to grow by 15.4% for 2021, while print advertising like magazine ads is noted to decline (Statista, 2021). One of the major advertisers on […]

Market segmentation is the art of finding niche markets for your products by building profiles of potential customers and breaking them down into groups. Segmenting customers with similar needs and wants into groups makes it easier to target them directly. Whether you’re a small business or a Fortune 500 company, knowing who your customers are can boost revenue and lead to sustained brand growth.  Marketers can choose from several useful tools and strategies that can help them get to know their customers and keep marketing plans up to date. Segmentation analyses of target markets over time help businesses of all sizes stay ahead of the curve. Here are the four different types of market segmentation and how you can reap the rewards of knowing your target audience. Demographic Segmentation The demographic market segment classifies customers by individual attributes. Examples include age, gender, disposable income, family size, marital status, and education level. All of these stats might impact demand for a product or service.  Interest levels may depend on a variety of different attributes at the same time. Some products may or may not be gender-specific A completely different approach might be needed if you plan to target baby boomers or […]

The covid-19 pandemic is a major reason for a spike in VPNs, but the market has found ways to make themselves relevant for non-work uses as well. Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are rising in popularity for both remote work and personal use. VPNs do not protect against malware or stop you from being hacked, but many are interested in using them for secure networks for work, and to stay safe on public networks.   One major reason for more VPN use is simply increased advertising on entertainment sites, specifically, YouTube. The trends section below covers the kind of advertising VPNs are doing on YouTube and elsewhere. The market is expected to grow exponentially, and many are scrambling for an advantage. There are new and interesting developments for 2021. Below are statistics that give a brief insight into the VPN market.  Top VPN Statistics for 2021 The global VPN market is believed to be $75.59 billion in 2027 (Statista 2021)  There are about 142 million VPN users iIn the US. (Security.org 2020). Slovakia, Spain, and South Africa are the top up-and-coming markets for rising interest in VPNs include  (VPNMentor 2020). 92% of Americans believe protecting their data and information is important, but […]

Despite their title, the impact small businesses have on the U.S and global economies is anything but. Small businesses account for 99.9% of U.S.-based businesses. Small businesses are defined as businesses with fewer than 500 employees by the U.S. Small Business Administration, or SBA. As with most things in the world, entrepreneurs and their small businesses have faced new challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Many individuals used the pandemic as their opportunity to be their own boss and turn that passion project into a business, as new business applications trended up in late 2020. The statistics below show how small businesses are evolving to meet these challenges. Top 13 Small Business Statistics for 2021 Because of their size, small businesses are more dynamic than their larger corporate counterparts. The small business space changes more rapidly and dramatically than the corporate world.  As such, the stats provided below are from 2020 and 2021 to give the most up to date information possible. 78% of small business owners expect their business to survive the pandemic, while 4% expect their businesses to fail (Guidant Financial, 2021). Shoppers spent roughly $19.8 billion at small businesses on Small Business Saturday in 2020 (American Express, 2020). […]

Building a high-functioning website and collecting customer data is one of the most important things a business does today. An optimized website can: provide valuable company and product information to clients serve as a platform for stories and educational blogs enable ecommerce stores provide users with a personalized experience Though the website serves as a public face for a company, its purpose runs deeper. A website collects vital customer information that can be used for marketing and selling purposes. To collect customer data and to function at full capacity, websites use tags. Whether you are just starting to build a website for your business or have an established site – tags are one of the most important tools to integrate into your site. Tags can be a difficult and complex group of tools to keep in order. Too many tags can clutter a website and result in slower load times. Implementing a tag management strategy is key to making sure tags are performing as they should be and optimizing – rather than slowing down – your site.   Here we take a look at the basics of tag management, why it matters, how it works, examples of popular tags, and some […]

Odds are that each department in your organization uses some sort of project management, workforce collaboration, project portfolio management, task management, or issue tracking software. Unlike department-specific technology, however, project management software is intuitive and flexible enough to be used by individuals across functions and project types. As companies grow, centralized PM tools become crucial for eliminating redundancies. However, finding the PM tool that fits your needs isn’t always easy. Some products are better suited for certain use cases than others, and it’s likely that your team members are already committed to using the tools they’re familiar with. Because of this, most companies end up purchasing multiple project management tools instead of just one. In a recent TrustRadius survey, 58% of 200 end-users reported that they use at least two project management tools.  Not all businesses can afford to purchase 2-3 different tools– especially small businesses operating on a tight budget. Combined with the reality of a crowded market (there are 230 project management products listed on TrustRadius alone!), finding the perfect PM software can be a struggle.  To help you cut through the noise and figure out which product would suit your needs best, we’ve compiled a list below of […]

And just like that, 2021 will soon be history. The digitization of communication shows no signs of slowing down; the Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) industry is expected to grow to at least USD 55 billion by 2025. Certain trends within the VoIP market have been intensifying over the past few years, including the consolidation of online communication technologies, increasing mobility of VoIP software, growing security concerns, and the slow death of traditional telephones.  Once upon a time, ‘business phone systems’ were reserved for enterprises with hundreds of physical phones. However, VoIP technology has made business phone calling highly accessible for small and giant companies alike. It allows users to make voice calls via the internet—instead of using old school landline telephones or mobile phones that rely on cellular networks. Heading into 2022, we have compiled a list of the 8 most important VoIP trends to keep an eye on as 2022 approaches. Those trends are: Increasing Popularity of UCaaS AI Technology for VoIP 5G for Mobile Looming Security Concerns Integrated In-App Communications Increasing Mobility Goodbye to traditional telephones Competition or Consolidation with Video Chat Services #1 Increasing Popularity of UCaaS  2022 will see the further consolidation of communication technologies […]