Hence, there’s no denying that app development is progressively turning into an attractive market, especially for the startups. Here are a few stats related to mobile app for your better understanding:

• As per Statista, mobile apps are expected to generate over $935 billion in revenue by 2023.
• Over 3.48 million apps are available on Google Play Store. 
• Over 1.96 million apps are available for download on the Apple App Store.

• 69% of all US digital media time comes from mobile apps.
• The average smartphone owner uses 10 apps per day and 30 apps each month.
• As per a report, 49% of people open an app 11+ times each day. While 21% of millennials open an app 50+ times per day.

But despite this rising popularity in app usage and mobile app development, there are several legal and ethical issues that app developers must abide by to develop a long-lasting and profitable product. In this blog, we have listed some of the crucial legal issues for mobile apps.

What makes an app legal?

Here are a few crucial mobile app legal requirements that you must consider while developing an app:

1.  Confidentiality agreements

To protect your legal app ideas from possible stealing or competition, sign a confidentiality agreement. In most app development environments, confidentiality issues may arise in a scenario where you outsource third parties. A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is considered the most familiar way to protect your product idea. Generally, NDAs restrict information dissemination about a particular project or product. They also limit the information to the people who have signed the document. For the uninitiated, NDAs can be signed with multiple parties.

NDAs are especially useful in the following situations:

• NDAs protect sensitive information disclosed during the app development phase. (For instance, passwords, source code, or business plans)
  
• They protect your business from possible risks when outsourcing people who have also worked with competitors
  
• Keep your app a secret while under development
  
• Maintain confidentiality of trade secrets

2. Intellectual property rights

Intellectual property (IP) relates to all work that is original and created during the mobile app development process. During the app development process, you and your team will be creating legal app ideas, original content, designs, logo, app names, source code, etc. These all original elements are considered IP and belong to you. Your company needs to register them as trademarks, copyright, or patents to protect the app idea.

• Copyright – It protects your app’s source code, artistic or written work, and design. Your app will be safe from unauthorized copying. 
• Patents – Patent protection covers certain methods, processes, and products used in app development. They are generally new and non-obvious.
• Trademarks – Trademark identifies the source of origin of goods or services. It often includes protection for things like your app’s logo, name, and slogan. Most of the app development companies register at least their app’s name as a trademark.
  

3.  Jurisdiction

If you’re planning to launch a product overseas, make sure that a future product complies with local laws. Before marketing and distributing your product in international markets, hire a legal tech service expert to help you with all legal work. This would help you to understand the laws of other countries for efficient launch of the product.

4. Incorporate a business

You must know how you want to operate your business. You can act as a sole trader, become a partner in a partnership, or form a limited liability company. An LLC is considered a right structure as it limits your liability and protects personal assets if any problem arises.

5. App store agreements

Once the app is ready, the next step is  distribution of mobile apps through app stores. Your app must comply with all app publishing requirements arising from the guidelines of Google and the guidelines of Apple. You must also check government regulations for apps before distributing them. The terms and policies put emphasis on personal data protection and address IP issues concerning your app. These platforms also reserve the right to modify their legal terms or add new clauses when necessary. Your app must comply with changes or else it will result in legal action or removal from the app store. 

6. Terms of Use

Terms of Use is a legal agreement that mobile app developers enter with their app’s users. The agreement is valid automatically as soon as the user downloads the app. It states about the app, how the user must use it, what constitutes improper or unlawful use of the app and consequences of improper use. A Terms of Use agreement is crucial because it limits the possibility of legal and ethical issues for mobile apps if a user misuses your product.

7.  Privacy policy

Privacy rights – specifically, the privacy rights of end-users of the app—should not be overlooked. The prime way of addressing privacy rights of the mobile app users is through a privacy policy. Your privacy policy must explain to the users how the app will store and use their data. Such policies must also clarify the rights of end-users regarding their data. They must also know how to exercise their rights for data protection. 

Here are a few steps to meet Privacy Policy requirements:

• Privacy Policy must be in place from the beginning of the mobile app development process
• It must be clear and transparent to prevent app development legal issues
• Make it available as soon as the user downloads the app
• If your Privacy Policy is provided after the installation of the app, make sure to disclose it before the app processes the user’s data
  

8. End-user License Agreement (EULA)

The major app stores require apps on their platform to have an end-user license agreement (EULA). It is a contract between the owner of the app and the users using the app. It specifies the terms under which the end-user will use the app and identifies all permissible and non-permissible uses. The EULA will also ensure that the user isn’t misusing the app in a harmful way. Your EULA must be enforceable – this means that the app user needs to agree to the EULA. The most effective way to get user consent is use of “clickwrap agreements’’.  Developers disclose them before the app is downloaded. The EULA is presented to the user, requiring them to state that they have read it and then agree to its terms by clicking on the “I Accept” button.

[Also Read: What is the Role of Technology in the Legal Sector?]

How Appinventiv ensures compliance with legal requirements for mobile app development?

At Appinventiv, we are dedicated to shield and protect the privacy of our clients and visitors. We make sure to consider all legal issues in the software development process. Here are a few steps that we take to comply with legal requirements for app development process:

• At Appinventiv, we have Privacy Policy in place for users and clients to describe how we use and process your personal data. The Privacy Policy explains what happens to any personal information that you provide to us, or that we collect from you while you visit our website.
  
• We disclose every practice regarding collecting, using, and protecting personal information in our Privacy Policy.
  
• We also encourage our clients to sign a non-disclosure agreement before discussing their app idea.
  
• We make sure to sign app development contracts with clients to prevent legal issues in mobile app development. The contract generally specifies the scope of work or services, time limits, fee arrangements, code ownership, etc. 

Wrapping up!

As you can see, it’s important for companies to determine their legal scope and address all possible legal and ethical issues for the app development process. Follow the above-mentioned legal requirements for creating an app to minimize the legal risk and protect your intellectual property rights. You can deal with legal issues in software development efficiently with a trustable mobile application development company. There are a number of  reliable mobile app development services that can minimize your liability and help your business to achieve success. 

At Appinventiv, we have helped many small-scale companies, medium-sized businesses, and enterprises to understand legal issues related to their app. If you want any assistance with app development and related legal issues, you can contact us as we are the top web development company in USA.

The post Top 8 Legal Issues to Consider to Protect your App in 2021 appeared first on Appinventiv.

Agriculture is one of the oldest and the most important practice of growing crops and raising livestock in the world. We humans have come a long way on how we farm and grow new crops with the help of new technologies. The population of the world continues to grow as we speak and in 30 years the global population will reach 9.7 billion according to the UN estimates. So, in order to feed everyone and solve the climate change issues at the same time, we need to produce 50% more food by 2050 on the same land and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions that are caused due to agriculture.

With such goals in mind we need to seek ways to revolutionize our farming techniques and a better way to figure this out is to introduce artificial intelligence in agriculture. AI -based technology in agriculture helps in growing healthier crops, controlling pests, observing the growing conditions, monitoring the soil, organizing data for farmers and helping them with multiple tasks. 

AI is used by many companies in the agriculture sector through precision farming and predictive analytics. Let’s look into the Market growth of AI in agriculture through the below statistics:

Market Overview

• According to Markets and Markets, spending on AI technologies and solutions in Agriculture is estimated to grow from $1 billion in 2020 to $4 billion in 2026, attaining a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.5% between 2020 and 2026.

• AI in agriculture market size stood at $852.2 million in 2019, and it is expected to reach $8,379.5 million by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 24.8% during the forecast period (2020–2030).
• By region, North America generated the highest revenue in AI in the agriculture market but it is predicted that the fastest growing market will be the Asia Pacific.

• Artificial intelligence is deployed in agriculture mainly in field, livestock, and indoor farming in 2019. Field farming is the main farming type where AI is used in agriculture, with a market share of more than 60%.

AI Applications In Agriculture

The adoption rate of artificial intelligence in the agriculture industry has changed the overall outcome of farming efforts, with a majority of startups in agriculture adapting AI-enabled approaches to increase the efficiency of agricultural production. Let’s dive in deep into the future of AI in agriculture. 

1. Predicting the weather

Over the years we have experienced a drastic increase in the pollution level and unpredictable climatic conditions. The change in climate has made it difficult for farmers to determine the right time for sowing seeds and that’s where AI comes into the picture. With the help of artificial intelligence it is easy to gain insight into how weather, seasonal sunlight, wind speed, and rain will affect the crop planting cycles. Weather forecasting will help farmers analyze and plan when the seeds should be sown.

Use case: IBM weather forecast sends out alerts in case of weather disruptions and provides integrated solutions to help maximize crop yields, minimize environmental impact and reduce costs.

2.  Monitoring soil and crop in real-time

Soil is one of the most important factors that determines the growth and health of any plant. The nutrition of the soil determines the quality of the crop. Due to deforestation, the soil quality deteriorates over time and it becomes very difficult for the farmer to understand what soil will be best for what crop. 

Use Case: An AI-based application called Plantix uses image recognition-based technology that helps farmers identify nutrient deficiencies in soil, plant pests and other diseases. With the help of Plantix, farmers can easily figure out which fertilizer to use in order to improve the quality of the harvest. The app also provides tips and solutions for the detected problems.

3.  Using drones for data collection

Thanks to AI and machine learning in agriculture that crop yield can be improved through real-time sensor data and visual analytics data from drones. Drones can provide real-time video surveillance that can analyze growth patterns of the crops. 

On the other hand, smart sensors can provide data of moisture, fertilizer and natural nutrient levels. That being said, we cannot deny the fact that drones are a reliable tool for capturing data on how specific fertilizers, watering patterns and pesticide treatment methods are improving crop yields. 

Use case: PrecisionHawk allows farmers to virtually walk around their fields with the help of drones. Farming operations of all sizes either big or small, are using drones to reduce the time and costs associated with crop data collection.

4.  Precision farming

Use of AI in agriculture has resulted in applications that provide farmers with proper guidance regarding water management, crop rotation, timely harvesting, optimum planting, pest attacks, etc. With the help of machine learning algorithms and the images captured by satellites and drones, we can predict weather conditions, nutrition management and analyze crop sustainability. 

Precision farming is an approach where data inputs are utilised in precise amounts to achieve maximum crop yields. Farmers with smartphones and AI applications can get a customized plan for their lands. With such IoT and AI driven solutions, farmers can meet the requirements of our current and future world that include – increased food sustainably, growing production and revenues without depleting any of our natural resources.

The market value of precision farming is expected to grow from approximately 5.09 million U.S. dollars in 2018 to 9.53 billion U.S. dollars by 2023.

5.  AI powered robots

AI powered companies are developing robots to perform multiple farming tasks. These robots will be trained to control the excessive growth of weeds and to harvest crops. They will also be trained to pick and pack crops. The goal is to automate such manual tasks and accomplish them at a much faster pace with higher volumes when compared to humans. 

Use case: Agrobot robots have the ability to operate 24/7 which increases the efficiency, optimizes the cost of  precision to weed, hoe, and harvest. The Argobot E-series with advanced AI system not only picks up the crops but it can also identify the ripeness of the crop in the field.

6.  AI enabled surveillance systems

AI technology in agriculture enables the usage of satellite images in order to compare them with past data to detect animal or human breaches. This reduces the risk of any domestic or wild animal that can destroy crops. AI algorithms can also detect something as small as an insect, for example- locust, grasshopper, etc. Once an intrusion is detected, alerts are immediately sent to the farmers on their smartphones so that they can take the required precautions.

Use case: Plantix app turns your smartphone into a mobile crop doctor with which you can accurately detect pests and diseases on crops within seconds. Plantix serves as a complete solution for crop production and management.

Benefits of AI in Agriculture

• AI in agriculture is a more efficient way to produce, harvest and sell essential crops.
  
• Implementing AI-empowered approaches in farming can help farmers respond smartly to climate changes
  
• AI emphasis on checking defective crops, pest identification further improving crop health and yields.
  
• With the help of AI, it is impossible for intruders – wild or domestic animals and thieves to ruin your harvest.
  
• Crop management practices are improved with the help of technology.  Farmers can produce higher crop yield with better quality by using fewer resources.
  
• AI technology reduces the labour challenge and automates manual work, accelerating the food transformation.   

Final Say

Technological advancements in agriculture will help the world deal with food production issues for the growing population. The growth in artificial intelligence technology has strengthened agro-based businesses to run more efficiently than ever. If you are looking for an AI app development company for your brilliant idea, this is the time to bring that idea to life. 

We also serve across the globe with our AI development services in USA , Europe, and Asia to help our customers and clients achieve their goals.

The post Implementation of AI in Agriculture appeared first on Appinventiv.

From paper calendars and notebooks to custom-code digital processes and software platforms, the food industry has witnessed numerous technological transformations. The way restaurant businesses operate and run, has become drastically streamlined and automated. 

If you’re a restaurant manager or owner not being able to focus on important aspects of your business, signs are that you’ve not been exposed to innovative restaurant technology that allows you to achieve operational efficiency.

However, don’t confuse this revolutionary progress with updated ovens and economical dishwashers (not even a coffee machine!). The latest use of technology in restaurant industry makes the food business omnichannel and more digital.

Restaurant technology is more than just a trend. You can sit, relax in any corner of the globe and know what’s happening in your restaurant – be it dining, service management, or even stocks!

As a general rule of thumb, thinking of a restaurant as just a business about eating is straight out dumb. Here’s a quick list of stats that indicate the importance of technology in restaurants or the food industry:

•       63% of consumers believe that online ordering is more convenient in comparison to dining out with their family.
•       More than 80% of restaurants are adopting technology in their operations – like reservations, online ordering, and restaurant analytics.
•       68% of consumers admitted that the use of server tablets in restaurants improved their dining experience gradually.

The stats are not about a brand-new refrigerator or dishwasher. Apart from the clean plates and tidiness, the customer barely notices any changes in a restaurant (at least on a conscious level). Before you learn how  emerging restaurant technology is shaping the industry, you need to know what it is in general.

What Is Restaurant Technology?

If we talk about Restaurant Technology in a layman’s words, then it can be portrayed as a dedicated tech that helps commercial kitchens become more sustainable while saving time, labor and money. 

In the past, the process of managing a restaurant involved using notebooks and a calendar with each data written by hands. This means you needed to provide human efforts to capture order data, sort transactions, and report about performance. The present day structure however belongs to cloud computation and automation.

The culture of cloud computing and automation has been receiving constant attention for a while. Across a variety of industries, the adoption of automation and cloud-based software has been increased dramatically, and the restaurant business is no exception. Cloud-based restaurant POS systems have become increasingly popular as they are easy to install, remotely workable and one time investment for long.

Restaurant technology relies on a network of computers or remote servers that are hosted on the world wide web to manage, store, and process data. It’s not only convenient but secure and tamper-proof too.

5 Revolutionary Technologies Bringing a Change in the Restaurant Industry

The world is changing every second and businesses need to adapt to a new era of customers – the ones who find something good and the next second, they own it. From the smart refrigerator in the kitchen to the invoice machine at the dashboard, restaurants are also greatly impacted by technological changes. Here’s a list of five technologies that are changing the restaurant industry completely:

1. Self-Ordering Tablets

After such long anticipation, the truly server-less restaurant experience is finally here. The self-ordering tablets have proved that there’s no place for human servers in a technologically-modern restaurant. Brands like McDonalds and Panera Bread have integrated self-ordering kiosks in many of their well-known locations. 

This AI-based restaurant focused technology allows consumers to browse the food menu and choose their favorite dish without involving any employee.

2. Contactless Payments

As the pandemic invaded the world, the availability of contactless payment became an indispensable part of the dining experience. According to a survey, 34% of guests believe that mobile payment options are a crucial part of their dining experience. 

With this technology, you can help your guests remain secure and safe by paying through the dip, tap, or swipe. This entirely eliminates the need for physical contact between staff and guests, especially at these unprecedented times.

3. Bluetooth Temperature Sensors

If you’re a restaurant owner, you already know that following food safety guidelines by HACCP is a task in itself. To make sure they abide by all rules, a lot of restaurants are using Bluetooth temperature sensing to preserve a par level quality of their equipment and food. Restaurants have the ability to measure the temperature of their important assets, either manually or automatically, with the help of fixed probes and sensors.

4. Reordering With Facial Recognition

There are a few restaurants that are conducting facial recognition trial experiments that’ll allow consumers to reorder previous meals at self-service kiosks with the help of facial recognition. The trial was specifically conducted on restaurants that offer a menu with numerous optional customization layers. With such a great variety of choices, the simple way to reorder encourages the customer to think about coming back.  

This technology can also be integrated with facial recognition to help establish loyalty and make business-customer relationships lasting by providing customers a way to reorder their favorite meals quickly.

5. Handheld Entertainment

The tablets in restaurants are more than just a way to make quick orders and pay. There are numerous companies like Buzz Time that provide tablets with entertaining trivia and games to restaurants. It also allows consumers to join nationally conducted competitions 15 hours a day and seven days a week. 

These tablets can also be used to organize a live poker or trivia tournament in the restaurant. With this technology, restaurants can attract a plethora of customers at their place.

Like every other industry, the impact of technology on the restaurant industry is more than a tool for restaurants. Using technology in restaurants or the way you harness this tool will determine whether it works for your benefit or loss. As of now, everything seems to be on the positive side of the track.

Ways Restaurant Technology is Transforming the Industry 

1. Supplier and Employee Onboarding

With the constant progress in virtual reality, AI, and augmented reality, the HR leaders in restaurants have gained a lot of benefits through technology. It allows new joiners, suppliers, and trainers to take a tour of the facility virtually with the help of software and headset without any additional costs.

This also allows trainees to complete their training without visiting the restaurant physically. They can even visit the employees in real-time and keep their learning going without even smelling or touching the food.

With such great progress in employee and supplier onboarding, your restaurant business can enjoy the freedom out of monotonous tasks. This also allows you to focus on numerous other important aspects of your business such as customer engagement and employee productivity.

2. Material Handling

If your business deals with a wide range of fresh and raw products, you might be aware of the significance of maintaining their freshness without incurring any losses in revenue. Several tech interventions offer material handling in the restaurant business.

These technologies use a variety of digital tools to reduce and prevent food wastage in restaurants by more than half. They’re also very helpful in connecting commercial kitchens with the cloud-kitchens and analyze the volume of food being wasted every day.

Moreover, with detailed real-time data, chefs can tweak their production process and make required improvements for reduced food wastage and make their kitchen even more profitable. They can also be integrated into POS to keep a regular track of the inventory.

3. Reservation Management

When it comes to the most long-lasting category of restaurant technology trends, nothing can beat the competency of reservation management tools. Several restaurant app development services allow people to book a reservation for dining on vacation and special occasions through your restaurant.

With the help of the solution you’ll find it easier to fill the empty seats of your restaurant at any point in time. Talking about efficiency, the technology in food service industry is lightyears ahead of the traditional practice of waiting for the reserved seats to fill without a proper plan for it.

4. Food and Beverages

To make sure your restaurant maintains a healthy bottom line, you need to keep a keen eye on the volume of your food and beverages. There is a large variety of food management systems that make the complete process easier by providing automated inventory counts and invoices.

They can also connect with your POS system and suppliers to view sales data and track orders. This allows you to prevent your food inventory from getting empty and keep your operations running around the clock.

5. Quality Control

After the outbreak of coronavirus, the quality of food has become a serious concern for restaurant businesses. It’s not only about maintaining the proper safety of your food supply chain but also about the assurance of quality that goes along with the transparency throughout the premises.

A survey revealed that 94% of restaurant food consumers are likely to be more loyal to businesses that provide complete transparency with their processes. Even though it’s pretty easy to say, implementation takes years.

Digital transformation in restaurant industry and technological interventions such as IoT sensors are a great way to detect and solve issues in food warehouses before they become a significant concern. They’re also necessary to monitor the temperature fluctuations in the warehouse.

Innovation in Food Industry

It turns out that the technology trends in restaurant industry was silent progress that came into existence after consumers changed their behavior because of economic and social factors. Now, it’s more of an experience-based model than a hospitality business. Future of restaurant technology trends can be seen in the restaurant industry that is using robots in their setup to take orders from customers and serve them. People are making use of restaurant mobile app development services to build apps that provide innovation strategies in restaurant business.

The post 5 Ways Restaurant Technology Is Transforming the Industry appeared first on Appinventiv.

As we’ll see in this article, 21st-century farmers cannot be considered progressive if they don’t use modern technology in agriculture, vis-a-vis mobile apps. Nowadays, many farmers are developing organic food e-commerce platform for themselves to interact directly with customers or B2B industry.

How Mobile Seeped into Agriculture?

Thanks to the scale of unprecedented, accelerated industrial development, agricultural apps have found cross-fit applications for every step of the food production supply chain. Human-rendered climate issues, naturally occurring soil erosion, fertilizer induced mineral depletion, and the downgrading of the water table are some of the visible forces impacting agriculture. 

Since the problems are interconnected, so should be the guided means to resolve them. Once you factor this into consideration, it isn’t inconceivable to see technology and agriculture growing closer to each other. 

Modern farming technology varies in terms of the application by nature of the development level of a country. You are more probable to see agricultural apps being used by food traders/suppliers in developing countries as farm management is driven by manual labor. Whereas in developed countries where on-farm activities are machine-driven, farmers have acclimatized themselves to using apps for agriculture. 

They realize the value addition with ground results that immediately materialize with apps for farming that offer resource optimization, time-saving, soil nurturing, and more. 

Benefits of Mobile Apps for Farmers 

The expanding reach of technology in agriculture can be observed all around us and its positive impact is quite palpable. 

• Apps for farming act as an information enabler in geographies with poor ICT infrastructure. With smartphones getting affordable by the minute, marginal farmers can download and learn from ready-to-use practical guides along with accessing active channels to purchase relevant tools.  
• For those with considerable farm holdings, large scale sensors can be installed on the field whose collective data can be accessed through app dashboards. The analysis could include information as per the nature of sensors such as vulnerable patches for pest infestation, a failing batch of crops, and nutrient deficiency among others. 
• Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be used through a mobile compatible app that can educate farmers on soil management practices to optimize crop production.  

Trends for Farming Apps Proliferation

Smart agriculture is a widening movement that throws light on how farmers aim to reform crop yields and returns. It brings to fore the much glocal (global + local) role that ICT will play as part of upscaling the business positives of farming. Product sales powered by consumer demand point to the billion-dollar market size that will continue to head up. 

Any attempt to transfer the regenerative power, not only of crops but also profits, back into the hands of farmers must begin at the most widely reachable point for all, mobile phones. With the computing power of desktops stuffed into handsets, enterprise businesses can easily launch apps for agriculture that target niche areas. 

One such area of smart farming that piques both the farmer and investor interest in this field in precision farming. It employs the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data Analytics to overcome traditional shortcomings such as labor shortage, unpredictable weather, and harvesting times. Exploring the variety of solutions of such modern technology used in agriculture, we can see the opportunity scope for apps.  

Types of Apps in Farming 

Based on applications, mobile application development for farming can engineer the following types of solutions:  

Peer-to-Peer Information Sharing 

Mobile app development can be steered to create information-sharing groups for a closed knit community of farmers. Since the soil conditions range from one place to another, democratizing information flows can benefit everyone. 

Online Lending for Farmers  

An app could be farming cum financial in nature where not just information, but the financial assistance in the form of loans could be disbursed. It could even create an e-commerce marketplace where access to inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and on-demand labor is provided. 

B2B Farming Store 

Providing an auctioning platform where food producers could get justified prices is highly opportunistic. Provided you have a strong network of farmers subscribed to the platform, food procuring businesses could save crucial time and energy by submitting bids and winning the auction at the same time offering farmers handsome prices. 

Weather Forecasting Apps 

Many open sources for weather information utilize government satellite data as well as the publicly available history of geographic records to predict changes. You can take this a step up. The in-built gyroscope and barometer in mobile devices can be used to gather the information that helps in weather forecasting. 

GPS Tracking 

The human eye can barely make out the difference in ground levels and assume the landscape to be naturally flat. It gets impossible to study top-soil conditions once the crop foliage grows beyond a certain extent. GPS trackers can guide farmers to target specific parts for leveling. Geo-fencing can study a selected region of crops and share key performance indicators to optimize yields. Tech can also be used to precisely plow furrows.  

Livestock Management Apps 

Custom application development is tailor-made for livestock farms. The software can be used to register, process, and suggest the scope of improvement at every step of the operation. Farms can be classified as per their business model that ranges from breeding, feedlots, and dairies, to industrial meat processors. Such apps can digitize farm management chores and save big monies.

Plausible Features of Farming Apps 

Based on the above classification we can surmise a list of features that are conventionally suited to farming apps. Please note this is just an implied checklist and not a set-in-stone word. 

Drone Synchronization 

The commercial drone segment is one that packs a punch with promises of heavy returns. In the US alone, agriculture stakes claim to a considerable allotment of drone installations. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles open up a multitude of scope for automation and time consumption. They can be used for field vigilance, precision spraying, and pest detection. Mounting them with thermal cameras can even help farmers assess water spillage, and or excessive damping from drip irrigation. Drone sync and remote control through apps would surely be a feature much wanted/appreciated by farmers. 

In-App Chat

Chatbots – where human answered or machine answered contribute greatly to a business growth story. It is a fundamental feature of any app that aims to establish a two way line with the customers. Be it local farming networks or advisory services, a chat window would encourage farmers to openly discuss pressing issues or report new findings about anything farming. If not human-aided, answers could be pre-fed to the app with the free-mium app model offering expert interaction on a pay as you go basis. 

Machine Vision & Cloud Storage Support 

That plain old video conferencing isn’t fascinating at all. Anybody with a Google Duo, WhatsApp or a Skype Mobile could video call for free. What’ll take this feature to the platinum standard would be real-time image processing coupled with machine learning. Software developers refer to it as machine vision. Farmers should be able to upload images, processing which the AI-powered backend could point to an impending pest invasion still not ripe enough to surface. The uninitiated farmer could put the crops under a scanner (literally) and take requisite measures to salvage what is left of it. 

Informational Guides 

Since the profit margins are scanty for most farmers, it is not a surprise that they are averse to casual experimentation with their choice of crops. But when they do give in to temptation, wouldn’t it be convenient to have a ready-to-apply encyclopedic guide for different crops. Dedicating a section of your farming app to good-to-know information will immensely benefit first-time growers of a crop. More importantly, if they reap handsome profits you would attract organic attention from others vis-a-vis word of mouth referrals. If you can list high-rated agricultural products along with trusted distributors and their contact information then all the more better. 

Payment Gateway 

The last feature could work best for a directory, but what if you plan to create a full-fledged ecommerce application. In that case, you would have to enable the app to process payments through a gateway.  

Weather Forecasts 

Earlier, we mentioned an app to help farmers judge the weather and it’s working mechanism. If not a standalone application, you can still integrate it as a side-feature of a larger app. Although you would have to hire an app development agency to accomplish an all-inclusive mobile app with peripheral features that impact farming big time, yet the effort would be worth it. 

Rounding Off 

As a multi-award winning mobile app development company, we at Appinventiv understand our social responsibility and agree that somethings are better viewed from a moral compass. Yes, our responsibility to our stakeholders comes first, wherein we continue doing ground-breaking work in emerging technologies to this day. In fact, you can explore it right here. 

Nevertheless, every once in a while we take up projects to do our bit towards the community, and nothing like working for the very people who make it possible for us to enjoy a loaf of bread. If you’ve read through the lines, we’d be waiting to hear from you.

The post Breaking the Digital Frontier in Agriculture with Mobile Apps appeared first on Appinventiv.

As internet-enabled devices multiplied in production and installations, there were 12.5 billion internet-connected devices in 2010, so did the general awareness associated with IoT. Fast forward to 2020, there are about 31 billion IoT devices amongst us and a considerably few questions around what is IoT. Today there are numerous IoT technologies that are still emerging and making its way to the industries.

As the IoT technology proliferates the marketplace, so does its form and utilities being realized by people in general. And why not? Combined with robotics and AI, the IoT technology hammers out human-dependencies from supply chains and reduces the cost to businesses. Nowhere is this more applicable than perhaps the food industry. 

Beginning from the very farm that your food grows in, to the warehouses that store it and the retailers that distribute it, the food service industry has stepped in a new age of remote monitoring, sensing, and action that will have profound, and mostly positive, implications for its supply chain players. Let us find out how.   

Applications of IoT in Agriculture

From disease control measures to cattle and field monitoring systems, IoT is making the project successful by transforming the industry of agriculture by putting the power back where it belongs. Into the farmers’ hands. Major sectors where this tech has found a solid footing are indoor farming, livestock management, and aquaculture among others. But how is IoT overcoming challenges and breaking new ground in farming? 

1.  Robotics

Robots have come a long way since the third industrial revolution, abetted by the development of the internet. Although far from changing the face of the F&B industry, agricultural robots aka agribots could offer a circumventing solution to the problem of labor shortages. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be deployed to detect and exterminate weeds from the field. They could save farmers time, human resources, and spray volumes by acting precisely as per the demand. This saving translates into a healthy soil that has a lesser amount of pesticides/weedicides to absorb and more positive bacteria to preserve. 

2.  On-field Navigation 

Machine learning, GPS, and the internet of things are making manned machine navigation a thing of the past. Farmers can remotely control their tractors, rotavators, and a host of agricultural machinery with a smartphone. As the code memorizes rough patches, it learns to alter gears and smoothen navigation to both protect the crops and the equipment. 

3.  Automated Crop Harvesting 

Crop harvesting often turns out to be the plight of farmers often due to untimely harvests. Factors influencing such events could be the weather, untrained personnel, or other poor farm management. Harvesting robots could be trained with the wealth of information that we now possess to pick the right fruit at the right time. With the Internet of Things technology, farmers could grow high-value crops at scale than hedge their bets with varieties supported by minimum support prices. 

4.  Remote Sensing 

Another way by which the food industry is scaling its appetite for the Internet of Things is by installing on-field sensors. By design, sensors are engineered to detect discrepancies in weather conditions, crop nutrition, soil pH, and more. Such a smartly coded crop monitoring system offers advance intel to farmers and warns them to prepare for exigencies.

5.  Drones 

Drones are yet another example of IoT in the food industry. The self-guiding technology makes use of GPS, image processing, infrared cameras, and ground control systems. New generation farmers are leveraging Drones-as-a-Service (DaaS) to predict crop yields, diagnose pest infestation, precision fertigation, and field supervision. Aerobotics is one of the few food tech startups that have made their mark in the field, literally. It combines drone scouting and multi-sensor analysis to predict crop health for longevity.  

IoT in Food Packaging

The food manufacturing industry is high on the deployment of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The two most suited application areas of IoT that have emerged so far are manufacturing and packaging. Both the SMBs and enterprise vendors have realized the value-added, multifold benefits of IoT in the F&B industry and the following sections illustrate further on it. 

6.  Warehouse Management 

The use of IoT in warehouse management is known to be a recurrent top IoT trend. Inventory tracking consumes a lot of overheads and unaccounted muscle-power in the food service industry. Massive swathes of data need constant reconciliation and therefore must be accurate. Sensors act as immaculate tracking devices for warehouse inventory, the data pertaining to which is updated in the software real-time. Consequently, the stock loading times are optimized, managers maintain a magnified vigil on supply chains, due to which the storage space is fully taken advantage of.

7.  Vision Picking

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and collaborative robots can go so far in fetching deeply buried stocks in densely packed shelf lines. So if human intervention can’t be uprooted it can surely be made smart and that is what vision picking glasses do. Think Google glass with a lot more information packed in it. Vision picking marries the internet of things with the food industry helping humans identify the right storage zones. 

8.  Product Authenticity Labels

Internet-enabled microchips can be embedded in state-of-the-art food packaging that will expose the originality of the product, once scanned. QR codes are spin-offs of the same concept that evaporate doubts over the authenticity of the product. Especially in times like COVID, customers ordering food online are terrified than ever about the origins of its supply chain. As a result of which an IoT app development company like us is working seriously to offer this feature to our clients.

9.  Smart Sensors

You never know what customers demand, at least that is what our experience as a food delivery app developer tells us. Integrating QR codes isn’t enough. They come in telling us that their stock keeping units are packages with such advanced sensors that indicate not just the veracity of quality but whether the sealing has been broken or not, the source of its ingredients, yadda yadda yadda. For the uninitiated, that is yet another way the internet of things technology is transforming the industry of food. 

10.  Digital Triggers

Modern-day customers love exploring the possibilities associated with food. While sharing the supply chain credentials established trust, offering insights on how to unleash and savor lesser-known recipes takes engagement to impressive levels. As a food app development company, we recommend IoT triggers that inform viewers of add-on combinations to enjoy edible items with. It’s a strategic way to augment food packaging with dynamic, ever-changing information that cannot be printed in the first place.

11.  Flash Sale Coupons

One of the IoT challenges a food delivery app development company like us comes across on our daily roaster is how to make products fly off the shelf without any marketing gimmicks. Turns out we can use IoT (duh!) to run flash-sales for items with low shelf life or those closing in on expiry. Buy one get two offers makes most of us drool. 

IoT in Food Retail

While open food markets and retailers are the two major platforms for distributing farm produce to consumers, restaurants, road-side eateries, and hotels act as other outlets. Due to this reason, restaurant mobile app developers have been reshifting focus on how to drive IoT in operations. Let’s see how businesses can go about their business the smart way with IoT. 

12.  Reverse Vending Machines

For locations that regulate strict recycling legislations, reverse vending machines are a common sight. They incentivize people to deposit disposable/recyclable materials such as cans and plastic bottles by paying them a certain sum. Integrating IoT-enabled programs notifies the retail staff to empty the machine before a queue begins to form. Lesser queues translate into happy customers the lifetime effect of which can be felt in return-customers and their purchase orders. 

13.  Remotely Controlled Storage Units 

Refrigeration or storage is a huge concern for the food manufacturing industry. At most locations, operations still depend on the same old, fractured system of human aided supervision. This discounts the fact that the human eye is prone to judgemental errors not to mention the public holidays when the storage units could be under-staffed. IoT-enabled remote monitoring systems can play a cameo in filling such ubiquitous gaps. They can prompt supervisors to action if the temperatures are fluctuating beyond the requisite limits and save precious food. Restaurant app development services like us, can create handheld smart controllers with which the user could moderate temperatures without physical presence. 

14.  In-store Energy Management 

Temperatures inside large supermarkets, malls, and retail chains are usually regulated by HVAC systems. But they are not intelligent and lack the ability to alter air-conditioning/central heating. An all-encompassing IoT suite could stabilize room temperature in accordance with the outside world. This would help in preserving perishable consumables that cannot bear the brunt of frequent temperature change. In addition, this energy optimization would even save millions of dollars in utility bills contributing further to cost efficiency.  

Key Takeaway

The Internet of Things will continue to expand its applications territory into the foreseeable future to varied industries the foremost of which shall remain F&B. Given the well-established line of achievements Appinventiv has won in the years since inception, IoT solutions are definitely up our alley. Let’s put it this way, if we don’t excite you with our elevator pitch when we meet, the drinks on us. We’ll be waiting for your call.

The post 14 Ways IoT is Impacting the Food & Agriculture Industry appeared first on Appinventiv.

 “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.”

~ Aristotle, philosopher, Logician and Scientist

The current pandemic is all about change, in fact a very rapid one! There has been a massive shift in food consumption and eating habits, especially with the new concerns like hygiene, social distancing and healthcare safety that have now come to light and will affect the current and future food tech companies.

Let’s look at the aftermath and innovations that are going to occur in food technology and F&B. 

Predictions for food tech and F&B after COVID-19

1.  The era of food delivery

This is the era of online food and grocery delivery and the demand of supply is increasing as we speak! The online food supply chain is multifaceted. It generally involves producers, consumers, processing and storage units, marketing and transportation, etc. Numerous new merchants have now enrolled with established grocery delivery platforms.

This is good for the consumers because it provides a greater variety, more competition within vendors, faster and cost efficient deliveries. As a result, people who did not understand food and technology together and were cynical about this entire process in the past, have now downloaded grocery delivery apps during this crisis. Downloads of grocery delivery apps increased exponentially in the United States in the first half of March.

Due to the pandemic, various establishments have been forced out of business. So, I do expect a rise in the cloud kitchen model since various food entrepreneurs are now focusing entirely on the delivery model. But at the crux of it, the impact of COVID-19 on the grocery business will be minimal.

2.  Inclination towards a vegan culture

The vegan culture is on-vogue these days! According to a report by the UN, more than 75% of emerging infectious diseases originate in animals. Due to the corona virus crisis people have shifted towards vegetarian food or as they like to call it- ‘a plant-based diet’.

People are now more mindful than ever about what they are eating and how it is going to impact their health. As a matter of fact, countries around the world will ban the trade and consumption of wild animals which will also drive the future of the food tech industry. 

3.  Mass adoption of contactless payments

On 3rd March, the World Health Organization asked people all over the world to go for cashless payments amidst the crisis. Moving forward the world experienced the new wave of innovation in the food industry that is, contactless payments in order to shun the transmission of the virus. Even at its current state, integration of contactless payment has become a definite way to increase user retention in payment apps.

Various ecommerce platforms and delivery apps have disabled the option of cash on delivery (COD). You can currently pay using credit or debit cards, UPI, net banking, e-wallets or even cryptocurrencies.

Not only this, the same day when WHO issued their advisory, 38% of credit card consumers were evaluating the contactless feature. Such times demand an increased awareness about the functionality and benefits of contactless payments that will finally result in food tech innovation.

4.  Shift towards home dining

Social distancing has now forced us to spend more time at our homes. For a while at least, people will prefer a homemade sandwich over a subway. There is no denying that home cooked food is safer and healthier. However, people who have been eating out since the day they graduated will have a hard time adapting to this change.

Technology has penetrated into every possible life aspect. Hardly a day goes by without a new app or technology coming to light with the promise of greater service, comfort, connection and convenience. Food tech companies like Equal Parts have drastically helped consumers during these tough times. Technology and food have come up with initiatives like text-a-chef that is a cooking coach, helping consumers revamp their kitchen, robot food startups so that no humans touch your food, also providing consumers with easy lunch ideas and tips through artificial intelligence.

5.  Going local

Since the international borders are shut, food supply chains have been impacted which has a huge effect on the future of food tech. As a result, F&B businesses are compelled to evaluate their dependency on far-away producers and replace them with the local ones.

People want to consume food closer to its source says Yelp’s coronavirus impact report. The recognition of community supported agriculture increased dramatically by 430%, farms by 149%, butchers by 139%, and fruit and vegetable stores by 123%. After reading the numbers above it is safe to say that going local is the future food tech!

6.  Food safety rules to get more severe

There will be an inevitable strictness when it comes to food safety standards and regulations because of the zoonotic origin of the current pandemic. This severity will be seen in every aspect of F&B and will have an impact on the future of food technology.

People are more concerned than ever about how the food is produced, how hygienic are the conditions and who is touching the food. Maximum companies in the food technology sector have started working on these minute details and concerns of their consumers to make the entire process efficient and convenient as per the WHO guidelines.

7.  Cashierless Stores

Technology in the food industry is planning to minimize human interactions and using a combination of sensors, cameras and technology. This idea was introduced two years ago but then the hype died down after initial tests were executed by several companies which included big names like Amazon.

The same idea has again come to life to make the future food tech industry safer than ever. People need supermarkets and stores to function during such times without putting their staff and consumers at risk. Amazon recently announced the ‘just walk out’ stores, redefining the role of AI in the retail domain. I am expecting other major F&B and food technology companies to join the league.

8.  The F&B world to be digitalized

We have all seen numerous F&B businesses and promising food technology ideas fail because of technical sluggishness. Now that countless number of small businesses are joining hands with delivery platforms, digitalization will be unstoppable! Their inventory systems will be digitized, implementation of cashless payments and automating manual tasks will be an inevitable process during this crisis.

The ending stroke

This constant innovation and growth is opening gates to various new food tech companies and I am particularly very excited for the opportunities enabled by this new digitalized world. It is undeniable that COVID-19 would give birth to transformations in the food app development companies.

If you are a consumer reading this, get ready for some finger licking, healthy, reliable, safe and hygienic food coming your way. If you are a food professional, or an entrepreneur in the F&B industry, I hope this prophecy gave you new ideas that you could explore. 

If you are in search of a food delivery app development company say no more! I have the best food delivery app developers who can help you build the right foundation. If you want to know how to be on your toes while this revolution happens and make the most of it, get in touch with the best restaurant app development company. So, what are you waiting for?

The post What’s To Come For Food Tech and F&B Sector After COVID-19 appeared first on Appinventiv.

The entertainment mobility event through the face of music app development in itself was a sign that the global media and entertainment industry – across its different genres – is going to witness a massive shift. 

Today, the same shift is being seen by the gaming, cable, and news industries – with all of them being consumed digitally and evolving with constant advancements of technology in entertainment.

 In this article we are going to study the shift further while looking into the ways you can charter this change with the help of technology and partnership with an entertainment app development company. 

Technological advancements have brought in a series of new content platforms and providers – Facebook, Twitch, Netflix, and YouTube – which have grown at an exponential state in the last one decade. 

With the consumers being presented with so many media and entertainment options, how can businesses win the race of being the best in the marketplace?

– Engaging experience, rich content, proper implementation of technology in entertainment, and heightened personalization.

How is the Media and Entertainment Industry Changing 

Business model is constantly evolving

If you go by the digital trends underpinning the media and entertainment domain, you will find that disruptions are constantly sweeping in the M&E industry powering invention and expansion of newer business models. Consumers have started expecting the media and entertainment providers to deliver content according to their convenience, choice, and value – all packed in the personalized experience packaging. 

Brands that are considerate about their existence have started giving into this demand on a cross-platform. 

Advertisement models are emerging 

With the lines between digital and linear media blurring, advertisers are evolving to understand and then target the viewers. On the other hand, viewers are getting fragmented across multiple video platforms – live TV to connected TV, and desktops to now mobile and other immersive platforms such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and wearables. 

To match this shift in platforms, the advertising medium is also taking multiple forms like native, vertical, 360 degree, and programmatic ads. 

Customers are now craving new experiences 

There used to be a linear model in operation in the traditional M&E models in terms of distribution, creativity, and monetization. The consumers used to be passive – waiting for the content to be made available to them. But with digital transformation, a new world order has come into existence – it is more disintermediated, atomized, complex, and dynamic. This, in turn, has raised the expectation around how the services have to be delivered.  

Till a few years ago, the consumers were delighted to stream content on multiple platforms. Now they want a personalized experience on all fronts – financial services, mobility to entertainment content and communication. Something that has been brought on by the active role of movie streaming apps in redefining entertainment. 

The shift, drawn by high competition, that the industry is witnessing on all fronts – consumers, advertisers, and M&E providers – requires a change in how media and entertainment industry providers offer their services. 

This change, which can help businesses win the competitive race to the M&E industry top should be on two-ways: technological and marketing. Let us look into both the aspects that make up the most successful mobile apps, individually. 

Technologies That Can Help Entertainment Brands Get a Leg Up in the Industry

AI for Personalization

Artificial Intelligence has been playing a huge role in improving customer experience across industries and more evidently so in the entertainment and media industries – making it the key future entertainment technology. This is poised to continue in the years to come as media companies continue working with AI for personal content recommendation and better advertisements. 

Considering the growing customer expectations and demand for customized content, media businesses have started making AI an inherent technology. It makes it possible for them to personalize the content that users consume in addition to the ads that the users see. The technology also plays a huge role in understanding customers’ pay preferences. 

Augmented and Virtual Realities Content 

In 2017, it was anticipated by The Global Entertainment and Media outlook that by 2020, VR content revenue would grow to $5 billion. Even though the application of the technologies in the entertainment industry have been slow, enterprises have slowly started increasing the adoption in the gaming domain. 

Dedicated Focus on Media Enterprise Development 

In an ode to become big digital media houses, agencies tend to focus more on their exciting media arms and less on the development of intelligent enterprises. This is the reason why a number of entertainment companies, who inspite of having amazing content and a loyal user base have failed. 

The time to come will favour those who start making investments in technologies that guarantee high efficiencies, low spending, and greater work processes which are aligned with constant improvements. 

Decentralized Data Privacy and Distribution 

Over the last few years, fake news and constant misuse of the customers’ data has become the reality of the media and entertainment sector. In 2020 and ahead, media agencies are expected to make use of disruptive technologies like AI and Blockchain for detecting and blocking deep fakes. 

Overall, the survival race to becoming the most successful apps in the world will be won by agencies that understand how to use technologies to not just meet their user base needs but also make their business infrastructure smarter. 

Now that we have looked into the side of technology in entertainment and which tech can make you a winner in the entertainment race, let us look into the marketing side of it. 

How to Market Your Entertainment App Towards Success

Sell Experience 

What every media and entertainment entrepreneur must understand is that they compete with the users’ attention with television channels, social media content, YouTube, OTT platforms, and podcasts. 

So what they need from your brand in return of their attention would be an immersive experience. One way to achieve this can be through the ‘Live’ content – one that makes consumers feel like they are witnessing everything first hand. Another, more content related way can be what Netflix is doing with its Unsolved Mysteries series. The series asks users to share their ideology or findings on the episodes aired. 

The ultimate objective in both of these cases is to offer immersive app experiences – something that is unanimously present in the most successful apps of the domain. 

Reach Out to Your Audience on Multi-Platform 

Although a no-brainer, you will be amazed how very few media houses reach out to their customers on different platforms. 

For an app user, there is a direct access to the trailers of upcoming shows – something that non subscribers remain deprived of. The solution to this gap is simple – promotion. You should promote your upcoming content on social media platforms by using targeted advertisements and postings. 

Promote Ethical Practices and Transparency 

While the shifting social wave has brought a number of necessities like non-binary movement and black lives matter in the forefront, being media houses, you should go one step ahead from your content choice to be a part of the societal revolutions you believe in. 

Focus on promoting a complete transparent and ethical practice for your business – this can include detailing the content fact-checking policy and promoting your brand culture stories that show your brand as a person. 

Keep Followers Engaged

Unless you are planning to follow Netflix move of cancelling inactive customers’ subscriptions, we would advise you to keep your followers engaged. 

There are multiple ways to retarget your customers – efficient push notification strategy, social media advertisements and emailers telling customers of new season launch, etc. The idea is to use the power of personalization to keep your followers engaged and active on your platform. 

Reimagining your entertainment business growth is not easy. You would need to partner with a media software development company to chart the digital transformation route. Your mobile app success will ultimately depend on the efficient build of your application and how well it is able to deliver the same valued experience even in high concurrency events.

The post Ways to Get a Leg up in the Crowded Entertainment App Industry appeared first on Appinventiv.

For around 2 days, I kept on meeting different vendors to get a good deal. And finally when I found one, I asked them to send the truck to my door at 9 am. However, the truck arrived at around 10 the next day, and that too after hundreds of calls at the office.

We helped in loading the truck and left for the train. Two days later, when we entered our new house, we found that the truck had not yet reached. We called the vendor to confirm, asked for the contact number of the truck’s driver, but all in vain. There was no trace of the truck.

It was two days later our truck arrived and revealed the accident and other issues it faced and apologized for not being able to contact.

Whenever I look back, I find it hard to not think, “What if we had no time to find and analyze different deals? What if the truck never arrived at our place?”

Thanks to the introduction of the concept of On-demand in logistics and courier business, it is least possible to happen in the present time. 

Today, from finding a logistics and courier service provider to tracing the track, everything is possible in the real-time through an on demand logistics and courier services application. Something that has not solely indicated a wave of disruption in the logistics and courier sector, but also encouraged companies to look into how to start their own on-demand business and get a bigger slice of the market.

Assuming you to be a logistics & courier service company who has either not witnessed the benefits of on-demand or is sitting on the fence regarding entering the market, I will be giving you a brief glimpse of the whole in this article.

But firstly, let’s ponder upon the challenges that made entrepreneurs embrace the idea of riding the uprising ‘Uber for X’ wave.

Challenges Faced by Traditional Logistics and Courier Service Industry

1.  Cumbersome Processes

In the traditional logistics and courier business model, multiple third-party companies are participating such that they may or may not be interacting or exchanging information with each other. This often creates confusion about the participants and makes the process complicated and tiresome.

This marks the foremost challenge that demands innovation in the existing business environment.

2.  Changing Customer Expectations

With the rise of digital adoption in all walks of life, users are becoming more demanding. They are expecting faster, cheaper, and effective services in every aspect, which is again making logistics and courier service providers to bring their team on board and discuss how to meet their changing needs.

3.  Delayed Delivery

Many times, drivers fail to reach the destination or deliver couriers and other goods on time to the consumers due to government regulations, accidents, and other such situations. This again ruins the reputation of the existing business model and make it imperative for business leaders to explore the potential of On-demand and other such concepts.

4.  Lengthy Paperwork

Traditionally, all the documents – be it related to making a deal, loading goods, delivering products, or managing the maintenance expenses – are paper-based and quite lengthy. Because of this, it becomes nearly impossible for the business leaders and drivers to access them anytime and anywhere and accelerate the complete process. This, again, acts as a barrier in the development of the logistics and supply chain management segment.

5.  Higher Cost

Be it paying the toll tax, hiring new drivers, reimburse for the delayed delivery, coordinate with third-parties, or buy new tools to make a customer strategy, everythings adds to the cost associated with running a business; making it yet another challenge hindering the path to a successful venture.

6.  Poor Feedback System

Last but not least, the tiresome processes and huge amount of work have left workers with less time to check and respond to the feedback shared by the customers. In fact, not every online logistics company offers this service. Something that accounts for a poor feedback system to be another challenge faced by the logistics and parcel delivery service providers.

With this covered, let’s take stock of how on-demand helps logistics and courier economy in solving these challenges.

Benefits of going On-demand in Logistics and Courier Business

1.  Convenience

The on-demand logistics apps have made it possible for consumers to come across the top service providers, book for a delivery, choose the pickup date, location, and much more – anytime and anywhere. This convenience has lifted the business and made consumers more interested in taking the services of the organizations involved with on-demand business model.

2.  Time Efficiency

By investing in on demand service app development, business leaders are able to provide high-end services to their target customers without involving multiple third-parties into the equation, asking for endless questions, as well as organize the inhouse processes and assign different assignments to their drivers in real-time. This saves time required and gives them enough space to focus on launching new products/services and so on.

3.  Cost Effectiveness

On-demand logistic applications have brought the customers directly in touch with the top service providers. They have eradicated the need for third-party agents and even streamlined the process, which has eventually aided in gathering more outcomes with minimum investment. 

Also, it has made it possible for the entrepreneurs to run their business without hiring new drivers or vehicles, which again adds to the profitability of the business.

4.  Real-time Tracking

The biggest advantage of considering on-demand in courier delivery and logistics business is real-time tracking. As the name suggests, this functionality enables consumers as well as business leaders to track the vehicles (or fleets) in real-time. While this assures consumers about the courier delivery, it aids companies to see how to optimize the process and grab better opportunities in the marketplace.

5.  Minimum Paperwork

By launching an on-demand mobile application, it has become much easier for the companies to store every single piece of information about the products, drivers, vehicles, and other associated entities and maintain the record in real-time. Something that has eventually been helping in saving time, efforts and making the ecosystem streamlined and profitable.

6.   Enhanced Security

The real-time tracking, better optimization of processes and other such factors also help the logistics and supply chain management companies in ensuring high-end data security into the ecosystem. This aids in building a trust between customers and service vendors as well as bring more profits into the environment.

7.  Ease of Warehouse Management

The process of warehousing has always been challenging for the logistics and courier service providers. 

However, with the inception of on-demand in the industry, it has turned out to be an effortless and time-saving process since the application gives you detailed information around where the searched product is stored, what’s the status of the warehouse, and more – all with a single tap.

8.  Smoother Supply Chain Management

Not just in the case of managing a warehouse or making a courier delivery, the on-demand logistics applications have also brought a major difference in the supply chain process.

The applications have eased the process of tracking the goods while moving from one process to the next, check for the fraud cases, make effective communication across the teams, and much more.

9.  Effective Fleet Management

Traditionally, it was quite tough for the logistics and parcel delivery companies to keep a track of every single vehicle they have, the routes they have travelled, the number of deliveries made, the license expiry date, and much more.

However, with the advent of on demand mobility solutions, this has become much easier, quicker and efficient.

10.  Better Inventory Management

Right from checking the availability of any particular good in the warehouse to detecting any discrepancies, malfunctioning of any machine, and more, the on demand logistics mobile applications have made the inventory management process more streamlined and seamless than ever before.

11.  Improved User Experience

Unlike earlier when users were supposed to meet multiple agents and stand in long queues to get a perfect deal for them, the on-demand applications have made it possible for them to come across the top service providers and make a booking with a few taps on their smartphones. 

Also, the apps have offered them the opportunity to track their orders in real-time, communicate with the associated driver, direct them for a faster delivery, change the delivery address and date, and much more. Something that has indicated a better user experience. 

12.  Business Expansion

Lastly, the inception of the On-demand concept in this industry has opened a new set of opportunities for the businesses. It has encouraged them to look beyond their premises and see what and how introducing new technologies into their business process can enhance their productivity and profitability.

Because of such benefits, various entrepreneurs have already started consulting a reputed on demand mobile app development company and refer on demand mobile app development guides to get familiar with trending statistics, cost to develop a logistic app, business and revenue model to prefer, and determine why on-demand platforms fail. And this way,  enter the league of top on-demand logistics and courier services brands. A few of which are –

Now, while this information is valid to invest in on-demand software development and start your own logistics and courier service startup, it is good to uncover the future trends and prepare for a successful future ahead. 

So, let’s take a stock of future on-demand logistics and courier trends.

Future Predictions to Consider While Entering On-demand Logistics & Courier Industry

1.  Self-Driving Trucks

Autonomous trucks and vehicles is one of the most discussed logistics tech trends of the time. This technology will bridge the gap between the number of drivers on duty and the increasing demands for delivery services. Also, they will come to the rescue in the case of maintenance issues and help with taking other fleets/products to the warehouse when met with an accident or any other calamity.

2.  AI-enabled Robots

AI-powered robots are again going to make a huge difference in the logistics and courier service businesses. They will not just improve the customer experience, but also speed up the processes, offer more convenience, enhance route planning process, and more. Which will ultimately make it possible to delight the targeted user base with minimum efforts.

3.  Drones

As you might have already seen in the case of Austrian Airlines and Amazon, drones will accelerate the delivery process, document damage outside of the aircraft, and free up the workload of technicians and later, lower down the maintenance cost.

4.  Advanced Delivery Algorithms

Advanced delivery algorithms are also anticipated to leave a remarkable impact on the on-demand logistics and courier services business environment.

It will introduce the power of task-order matching, geo-analytics, and dynamic route optimization into the market, which will lead to improving efficiency at work, and so is the productivity. 

What’s more, it will enable customers to automate their whole delivery chain.

5.  Blockchain

The use of Blockchain in Supply chain management is also one of the trends that will aid the service providers in ripening higher benefits.

Right from securely validating document transactions to improving compliances, monitoring freet capacity in real-time, identifying fraud risk, issuing smart contracts, and monitoring performance, the technology is adding value to the logistics and courier services economy.

6.  Digital Twins

Digital Twins is yet another trend that will reshape the logistics and parcel delivery service market in the coming years. 

The technology, with its potential to create a digital replication of any physical entity, enables service providers to collect product and packaging data and employ the information to detect potential weaknesses and recurring trends to enhance the future operations. It will also enable them to make accurate 3D models of their centers and experiment with the layout changes or launch of a new equipment to record the impact in a risk-free manner.

Furthermore, it will assist them to test different scenarios, increase work efficiency, improve delivery times, and aid self-driving cars in getting familiar with their routes.

7.  AR/VR

As already mentioned in our article around AR benefits for Businesses, the technology empowers workers to detect the location of any object using the virtual labels added to the object, view the 3D image of the products, and get real-time access to navigation information. This eventually simplifies the processes, saves time, as well as reduces fatigue.

Likewise VR technology, when incorporated into driver and freight management systems, provides companies with the functionality to track them in real-time, reschedule the tasks, and optimize the process efficiency to a greater extent.

Now, as you have gone through the trends and predictions that are expected to change the landscape of logistics and courier services industry, it is likely that you are ready to improvise your existing business processes. Which further indicates that you are up for hiring an On demand app development company and enjoy better opportunities and profits.

So, do not waste a single minute. Look ahead to contact our on-demand experts today! Discuss your idea with our team and also, feel free to disclose your challenges and get a customized mobility solution.

The post How Does On Demand Impacts Logistics & Courier Management Sector? appeared first on Appinventiv.

What would you do?

If I would have asked this question back in the 1950s, you would have replied that you will try to send someone to bring the documents immediately and meanwhile capture the attention of everyone, or simply ask for another hearing from the judge.

However, these days, you can rectify the mistake by accessing the same document on the cloud via your mobile phone- all thanks to the unstoppable growth of use of technology in the legal sector. Or better say, the evolving legal technology market.

Legal Tech, aka, the segment of the legal industry that operates with the integration of cutting-edge technologies, has wholly transformed the way attorneys and law professionals work. It has brought forth better opportunities to digitally transform the law business and meet the expectations of tech-savvy clients. And interestingly, this has not remained confined to the top legal organizations; small legal teams and startups have also recognized the opportunity and invested into the same. [Know in detail here: Why Do Small Legal Teams Need Legal Operations Software?]

A ripple effect of this is that today – 

1.  The legal tech market constitutes 2.6% of the total legal service market share. The one that will be worth USD 1,011 Bn by next year.

2.  More than 700 legal tech startups have entered the market, though belonging to different domains, i,e, eDiscovery, Online legal services, Lawyer search, Legal research, AI legal tech software, and Practice management software.

3.  As per 2019 Global Legal Department Benchmarking Report, the adoption of technology in different legal areas has also increased by significant values.

4.  The total investment in the legal tech market recorded in 2019 was around USD 1.2 Bn, and is expected to increase considerably this year with virtual law offices and digital courtroom being the need of the hour due to global pandemic.

5.  Cloud adoption in the legal industry increases by 20% annually; indicating that lawyers are understanding the essence of replacing paper-based documents with digital ones.

Such numbers have swayed law professionals across the globe and made them interested in investing in legal firm software development, get familiar with legal tech future trends and eventually, build a business plan.

Now, while this seems a perfect roadmap to enter the legal technology market and get on the top, it is not actually so. 

To ensure that you leverage higher possibilities and benefits, it  is equally important to know what all changes has the industry experienced so far. Meaning, getting acquainted with the evolution of the legal tech market in the past few years and the set of technology used in law firms is also essential. 

So, taking the same thought into consideration, let’s take a look back at the history of the Law technology market before heading to the future trends.

An Outlook of The Transformation of Legal Industry 

What started back in the 1960s with the introduction of networked computers and the Internet with J.C.R Lickilder’s work on ARPANET, the Legal technology industry has travelled a long way towards digital transformation with the advent of advanced software solutions and other related innovations. It has introduced various automated and highly-efficient tools and platforms in different areas such as –

1.  Legal Research

Traditionally, the process of legal research was time-consuming, error-prone, and tiresome, which made it difficult for the law organizations to deal with complex issues, meet the needs of their clients, and make quick decisions. However, with the advent of legal research tools and platforms like Casemaker, FindLaw and Casetext, this can become much easier.

2.  Predictive Coding and eDiscovery

Also called technology-assisted review (TAR), Predictive coding technology is employed to determine responsive electronically stored information (ESI) documents. The AI-powered predictive coding and eDiscovery tools will continue to learn and make better decisions while saving time and money.

3.  Digital Billing

Right from calculating GST, to managing heap of data, getting customized billings, and accessing data from the cloud, digital billing solutions are helping legal organizations with various other processes within the environment.

4.  Legal Document Management

Legal document creation and management software like Clio, Smokeball and MyCase has also come forth to assist law professionals with creating, accessing, and managing all the documents and making the right business decisions.

5.  Contracts Verification and Management

These types of law and technology solutions comes loaded with AI and Blockchain and 

assists legal organizations in verifying and managing the digital contracts quickly, efficiently and error-free.

[Also Read: Why Do Small Legal Teams Need Legal Operations Software?]

Let’s have a glimpse of how much the law industry has changed so far, in the form of a timeline as shown by the image below.

With this covered, let’s take a look at the future of the legal tech domain and the advanced technology solutions to focus upon.

Technology Trends that Will Continue Ruling the Legal Tech Market

1.  Client collaboration being the centerpiece of legal economy

The foremost trend that will continue to reform the legal landscape is focus on client collaboration.

The law organizations will focus on collaborating with their targeted user base to ensure greater transparency in their ecosystem. This will later assist in wider acceptance and adoption of secure and innovative tools for managing critical legal issues.

2.  Predictive Legal Analytics will be on the rise

Switching from analytics to predictive analytics will also be one of the key trends in the legal domain. This will result in developing innovative solutions that offer higher strategic planning and other data-driven information.

Not only the new legal tech startups, but the existing ones will also plan around introducing the power of predictive analytics into their mobile apps and other solutions.

3.  Growth in Virtual assistance and Automation

Another trend that will continue to prevail in the law industry is the hike in usage of virtual assistants and automation tools.

Both small firms and solos will look ahead to using these software and platforms to manage multiple tasks efficiently and effortlessly, including intaking and scheduling of meetings.

4.  Advent of new legal solutions using AI and Blockchain

In 2020 and beyond, many more innovative solutions will enter and thrive the market with higher focus on blockchain and artificial intelligence in the legal field. 

These legal tech solutions will help the law professionals in finding better opportunities, projecting new strategies and finding effective ways to run their business in the present competitive and client-driven market.

5.  Rise in Legal tech investment, products and services

With the growing awareness of the outcomes of introducing mobile apps and technology in the legal field, there will be a rise in the number of acquisitions, mergers, and fundings. Not only the investors, but the established law organizations will also collaborate with the new startups to make a better position in the market.

This will further boost the number of legal technology consultants who will be specialized in aiding law organizations with integration of high-tech products to their existing model.

6.  Change in Hiring process

Lastly, a major disruption will be experienced in the hiring process this year and beyond. The legal tech startups and establishments will look forward to hiring now-lawyers to bring a direct difference in their business. This includes those who have an expertise in sales, C-suit administration and process management.

The lawyers will keep a focus on high-level, substantive tasks while the non-lawyers will participate in improving the environment and introducing new ways of increasing business efficiency.

So now as you know what all revolutionary changes the law industry has seen with the emergence of legal technology, and what is the probable future of the market, it is the right time to look into ways to step into the market successfully.

How to Prepare for the Legal Tech Market?

While the aforementioned information will help you to understand the present and future state of the market, there are two more essential ingredients to make a successful entry to it. So, let’s wrap up this article focusing on the two, which are as follows – 

1.  Identifying the challenges and opportunities

To get the best perks of considering legal software development, it is important to know why you need them. That implies, it is required to have a clear understanding of what challenges you are facing with the traditional business processes, what opportunities you are missing out, and how the legal technologies can be the right solutions.

Something that can be figured out by discussing your business model with your team, doing an extensive market and competitor analysis, and pondering on the vision and mission of your law organization.

2.  Hiring the Right Legal Software Development Company

Though a wide range of technology solutions providers have shown the potential to create amazing software for legal firms, not all are the best option to go with. This is because every legal project requires a different skill set and experience.

When finding an answer to how to hire legal technology solutions providers, it is must to consider their experience, team size, location, portfolio, tech stack, and other such factors. 

Have any further questions? Feel free to contact our legal firm technology consultants.

The post A Brief Overview of the Evolution of Legal Technology Sector appeared first on Appinventiv.

“Your food will be delivered in 20 minutes.”

“The hired plumber will reach to your doorstep by 4:00 pm”

All such messages have become a part of our lifestyle, all thanks to the On demand business model. 

The concept of delivering/receiving products or services in real-time has changed the business landscape. It has not solely added convenience and personalization into the process, but has also paved the way for higher consumer engagement and revenue generation across different industries, be it healthcare, education, transportation, food, or eCommerce. 

This has made newcomers show an interest in the idea of On demand app development and get a bigger share of the market which will be valued $335 Bn in 2025. Whilst, at the same time, it has made the entrepreneurs and marketers already having established businesses wonder about the impact of the On-demand economy on their businesses. Something we will be talking about in this article.

But firstly, let’s have a quick look at the current state of the On-demand economy.

An Overview of On-demand Economy Growth So Far

As per the Harvard Business Review, more than 22.4 Mn users spend over $57.6 Bn on On-demand services. This includes spending of around $36 Bn on On-demand marketplaces, $5.6 Bn on taxi services, and $4.6 Bn on food/grocery delivery services, annually.

Also, it has been noted that 86.5 Mn US citizens have used an on-demand service at least once in their lives.

Another report states that 51% of people who offered online services in the on-demand economy saw a rise in their financial situation, while 64% of them are hoping for an improvement in the future.

Such on-demand mobile app economy statistics are clearly indicating the proliferating market scope and encouraging everyone to step into his economy and leverage a wider range of advantages. But, what’s more interesting is the way it is transforming the traditional business model.

Ways On-demand Economy Disrupts the Business World

1.  Better Opportunities

One of the biggest challenges that the On demand business model has solved is the friction in the offline purchasing process. This business model has aided consumers placing an order for any product/service online and getting it at their doorstep in real-time. This efficiency and effortless nature of the services have received high-end recognition from the consumers; making them inclined towards on-demand services providing companies.

A result of which is that today, almost everyone is looking ahead to rise in the uprising ‘Uber for X’ wave. They are launching on-demand based startups, be it in the field of healthcare, transportation, education, or retail.

2.  Emphasis on Entrepreneurship

The On-demand app solutions are also bridging the gap between Entrepreneurship and corporate career. It is letting employees pick the working hours on their own and get the payments according to the work done. This has streamlined the lives of those who wish to start their own businesses or are doing multiple jobs to survive. Also, it has brought a significant effect on the workplace culture, making everyone respect the Entrepreneurship spirit of each other.

3.  Higher Personalization 

Thanks to the functionality of gathering and analyzing user data of Uber, Airbnb, Via, Instacart, and other such on demand delivery services startups, consumers have gotten a taste of personalized services. They are no longer satisfied with the traditional way of business processes and wish every company to operate in a way to deliver a highly engaging experience to them.

This has come up as a great opportunity for businesses whose niche industry is still not disrupted by the On demand economy. And furthermore, plan around how to offer the finest of personalization facilities to be the first one in their niche market.

4.  More Workplace Flexibility

As shared earlier, the on demand business model has provided employees with the opportunity to pick their own working time and get the payment accordingly. This has introduced flexibility in the workplace; making everyone contribute to their fullest while studying, enjoying vacations, and performing other daily chores. And eventually, ensure higher employee satisfaction and business growth.

5.  Increased Scalability

On-demand app solutions are highly secure and scalable. So, when you introduce them to your business processes, you get a highly scalable method to meet the diverse needs of your business.

These pointers have directed entrepreneurs and marketers to accept that the On-demand business model is more profitable than the traditional model and thus, it is imperative to switch to the former one. 

However, if you are still confused if this is the right decision for your business or not, scroll down immediately.

What Does the On-Demand Economy Means for Your Business?

The On-demand economy has moved beyond early adopters and has gained huge traction among consumers who wish instant, safe, and personalized experience. Also, as per NTRS data, On-demand services have been touching the lives of every individual. A few pieces of evidence of which is that –

This has made it clear to all that the On-demand economy is reshaping the world around us. A ripple effect of this that even the top established brands have collaborated with on-demand startups to enter this economy and explore better opportunities. Which again indicates that it is necessary to consider the On-demand business model for experiencing sky-high business opportunities and growth.

So, let’s not remain thinking about the same! Let’s look into how you can give a tweak to your existing business model. Aka, introduce the concept of On-demand in your business. 

How to Prepare Your Business For On-demand Disruption?

1.  Begin with Due Diligence 

The very step every business owner must take to make a wise decision related to entering the on-demand economy is to gather and analyze a heap of data. That implies, connecting with managers, workers, targeted audience, on demand app development companies, and others and remaining updated with all the information that further helps with understanding the economy both at the local and global level, becoming familiar with benefits and drawbacks of transiting from traditional to the on-demand business model, and more.

2.  Keep a Balance Between Innovation and Stability 

When talking about switching to the on-demand business model, entrepreneurs often struggle with maintaining a balance between innovation and stability. Mesmerized by the types of technologies playing a pivotal role in the on-demand economy and associated features, they often end up making multiple changes in their business process at once, which sometimes make them distracted from the core value of their brand or the basic need of the targeted user base.

So, it is again a must thing to discuss your on demand-powered business model with your in-house team and hired on demand app developers to ensure that you could reap better benefits while making minimal changes in your traditional business strategies.

3.  Consider Legal Regulations 

As already hinted earlier, the on-demand economy enforces flexibility in working hours. Meaning, anyone can be hired for part-time, contract-based, or freelancing job opportunities. Now, since various legal implications are involved in this process, it is again required that legal regulations are followed effectively during the transition. Otherwise, you might end up with misclassifying of employees, which can result in legal penalties, taxes, and interest-based on the same.

4.  Collaborate Effectively 

Another effective way to shape a win-win business solution by investing in On demand mobile app development is to collaborate with local groups. This approach will not solely aid you to fulfil your business needs, take advantage of their existing network, as well as contribute to their good. So, look ahead to it.

5.  Ensure Flexibility  

Lastly, when forging the path towards embracing on-demand business models, it is imperative that you remain flexible with your future plans. This will help you to quickly grasp the changing market and user requirements, and make the requisite changes in your business plans. 

In a nutshell, whenever an opportunity comes knocking, you must have a digital transformation plan ready with you.

By this point, you would have been acquainted with how the On-demand economy is revolutionizing the business model, what impact it can have on your business and how to prepare for the same. So, rather than taking the back seat now, start with hiring the best On demand app development company and begin working on this idea and make your business outshine in the On-demand services market. Good Luck!

The post How will the On-Demand Economy Affect Your Business? appeared first on Appinventiv.