CDO Club Recognizes GE CMO Linda Boff for Her Leadership in Transforming the GE Brand

NEW YORK, April 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Linda Boff, CMO at GE, was today recognized as U.S. Chief Digital Officer of the Year 2016 by the CDO Club, the world's largest community of C-suite digital and data leaders.Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160426/360101LOGOBoff is being recognized for her leadership in transforming the GE brand as the company becomes a Digital Industrial company.She is not the first non-CDO to gain the recognition: The first-ever CDO of the Year award was given in February 2013 to Teddy Goff, who served as Digital Director at Obama for America in both 2008 and 2012, and now serves on Hillary Clinton's 2016 U.S. Presidential election campaign.Boff was announced as the recipient of the award after her featured presentation at the NYC CDO Summit, presented by Centric Digital, on April 27, 2016, at Thomson Reuters in New York City."Today we recognize Linda's critical role in evolving the GE brand by showing the importance of digital leadership in the marketing function," remarked David Mathison, CEO of the CDO Club and CDO Summit."Her work is a testament to how traditional businesses can succeed and thrive by putting digital at the center of their business and marketing strategy," added Brian Manning, President & Chief Digital Officer at Centric Digital, the summit's presenting sponsor.GE's brand has stood for technology and innovation for 124 years, and its innovative marketing is critical — especially as it aligns with the company's digital transformation.The company has pioneered many first-to-market digital activations — experimenting on new platforms and using cutting-edge technologies in ways that are unexpected and easy to share and that generate attention.GE was the first brand on Vine, and among the first brands on Twitter, Instagram, Medium, Giphy, Poncho, MikMak, Meerkat, and Periscope. The GE Podcast "The Message" hit #1 on iTunes last fall.The company also began experimenting with Virtual Reality (VR) in 2014, and in 2015 it partnered with The New York Times on its first VR storytelling activation.Boff was promoted to CMO in September 2015 after previously serving for four years as Executive Director, Global Digital Marketing, where she played a key role in GE's foray into digital marketing and content creation.Before GE, Boff served as CMO of iVillage Properties, part of NBC Universal. She joined GE in early 2004 with 18 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and communications, including senior roles at Citigroup, the American Museum of Natural History, and Porter Novelli.She is a 2014 AWNY Changing the Game Award winner, B2B magazine's 2012 Digital Marketer of Year, and 2012 Media Maven. She is on the board of Partnership with Children, a NYC-based organization that provides social support to some 5,000 hard-to-reach schoolchildren. Boff is also on the Ad Council's Executive Committee and is a member of Digital 50.Boff earned a BA in Political Science and Psychology from Union College.Previous CDO of the Year award winners include Adam Brotman, Chief Digital Officer at Starbucks Coffee Company; Rachael S. Haot, former Chief Digital Officer of New York City and New York State; Patrick Hoffstetter, Chief Digital Officer at Renault; Tanya Cordrey, former Chief Digital Officer at Guardian News and Media; Mike Bracken, former Chief Digital Officer at U.K.'s Government Digital Service; and Rebekah Horne, Chief Digital Officer at National Rugby League.About the CDO SummitThe CDO Summit addresses the challenges and opportunities arising from Big Data, the cloud, digital disruption, and social and mobile media. CDO Summit gatherings include the very best digital strategists and practitioners on Earth, speaking in intimate, collegial, and supportive environments designed to encourage networking, learning, and knowledge-sharing. For more information, visit CDOSummit.com.About the CDO ClubThe CDO Club is the world's largest community of C-suite digital and data leaders. Its 1,500+ registered members receive access to breaking news, original research, career development support, networking opportunities, and inspirational events. For more information, visit: http://CDOClub.com.Media Contacts:Michelle OsterCommunications ManagerCDO SummitEmail: EmailTel +1 516 488-1143Racheal DuCentric DigitalEmail: EmailTel: +1 646 854-3892SOURCE CDO Club

Centric Digital at the NYC CDO Summit on April 27

“From the mechanical innovations of the First Industrial Revolution to the emergence of computers and the Internet of the 3rd, the business world has been in a state of radical transformation since 1760,” explains Brian Manning, co-founder, president and CDO ofCentric Digital.“We’re now moving into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which isn’t some lofty prediction on the horizon—it’s already here.”Current advances in the access to technology; interplay between nanotech, brain research, 3D printing and mobile networks; and quick and cheap invention of new products and services are pushing us further and further into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.“This revolution will change business models across all industries and will transform nearly every aspect of our lives and the lives of our customers. It’s imperative that CDOs are ready for this impending transformation.”Manning, who has been watching these trends unfold for years, co-founded Centric Digital to help traditional businesses get ahead of these impending digital changes.Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York City, Centric Digital was created by Brian Manning and Jason Albanese to get enterprises in traditional sectors that are slow to change—like finance, health, retail, industrials, etc.—to transform their business from the ground up.In fact, in 2014 Centric Digital was named #34 on the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies in the United States, including #1 in New York state and #1 in New York City.

While digital transformation is the sole focus of Centric Digital, it’s also what inspired Manning and Albanese to write their newly published book,REVIVE: How to Transform Traditional Businesses into Digital Leaders.Manning lends his unique expertise throughout the book, drawing on his experience in the digital divisions of companies such as Citigroup and Barnes & Noble.com and management consultant experience from Accenture.REVIVE shows traditional leaders exactly how executives are applying ideas that go far beyond incremental improvements and change the game.In his upcoming keynote at the NYC CDO Summit, “Transforming Traditional Businesses into Digital Leaders”, on April 27 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Manning will highlight how companies can transform a traditional business into a digital leader using approaches in the book.In order for companies to keep ahead of emerging trends and developments, it’s important to see how other businesses are using new and emerging technology.Today, there are quite a few savvy digital companies that are harnessing the power of big data visualization, virtual and augmented reality, omni-channel experiences, automation, and the internet of things to revolutionize the way they do business. These companies are the ones who will thrive as the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to develop.Meanwhile, traditional businesses continue to lag behind. In order for them to keep up, they’ll need to implement a digital strategy. But where to start?“One of the first steps to any successful transformation is putting a solid strategy into place,” Manning emphasizes throughout the first few chapters of REVIVE.Developing a strategy should first and foremost be based on understanding the audience—what economic and social characteristics do they have and what drives their behaviors and decisions?This can be done through qualitative and quantitative research and persona development.

Once a strategy is in place, a roadmap not only needs to be created, but consistently built upon as well. This will ensure that the company is able to stay ahead of disruptions and changes.As Manning states, “Your roadmap is a living strategic communication document. Its purpose is to align your organization around the high-level initiatives that are driving transformation.”Companies also need to dial every aspect of the organization into the roadmap. Siloed departments are no longer acceptable for companies seeking the agility needed to remain competitive. This, however, is no simple feat—especially for traditional businesses that are entrenched in outdated business models and hierarchical management structures.Fortunately, this is where CDOs become the catalyst for massive change.

Overall, the role of the CDO goes well beyond understanding responsive website design and digital marketing. CDOs must be driving transformation and connecting the digital dots across the entire organization. They are the ones responsible for leading digital transformation and they must be on the cutting edge of the latest changes, trends, and technologies.As we move further into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, who will be the champions, ambassadors, and leaders of change? The traditional executive role will struggle to keep pace with the set of skills, expertise and know-how required to navigate these changes.It’s the role of the CDO that will blaze the path forward into the unchartered frontier of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.Catch up with Brian Manning and uncover more ways in which CDOs can be the change every traditional business needs by registering for the upcoming NYC CDO Summit.See All NYC Speakers Here >If you are tasked with understanding what digital leaders must do in order to succeed in almost any industry, the best place to learn more is at the CDO Summit.Register today for the NYC CDO Summit presented by Centric Digital, hosted at Thomson Reuters on April 27, 2016.

120 and 122 Fifth Avenue Introduce WiredScore Gold Certification and Bluetooth Wireless Access System

New Technology Infrastructure in Lower Fifth Avenue Building Attracting Top Tenants

New York, NY (PRUnderground) April 7th, 2016

The Bromley Companies is pleased to announced the completion of several significant upgrades to its technology infrastructure at 120 and 122 Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Both 120 and 122 Fifth Avenue have been certified “Gold” by WiredScore . The WiredScore Gold certification provides tenants with access to best-in-class internet providers, as well as full distribution of fiber connectivity throughout the building ensuring that tenants are protected from service interruptions. Today, tenants at 120 and 122 Fifth Avenue have access to unique sources of high-speed fiber or copper connectivity from six internet services providers which include Verizon, Time Warner Cable, TW Telecom, Megapath, Lightpath, and Windstream. The building’s infrastructure is well prepared for the unexpected; it has multiple points of entry for connection diversity in case one entry is damaged, and dedicated spaces to protect telecom equipment.In addition to achieving Gold certification for connectivity, 120 Fifth Avenue has rolled out a wireless building and elevator access system which can be activated using any smartphone or Apple Watch. The system provides tenants 24 hour access via Bluetooth to the building lobby as well as elevator access to tenant floors. The app on tenant phones or Apple Watch makes it easier to roll out and manage system for tenants and simple and secure for building employees to use. The Bluetooth based system is one of the first deployments in New York City of the technology of an office building.“While technology and media companies are attracted to the high ceilings, historical character of 120 and 122 Fifth Avenue, we have made these significant investments to improve the technology in the buildings to meet the demanding needs of our tenants,” said Michael Borrero, Vice President of Property Management of Bromley.These significant infrastructure investments have paid off, attracting a mix of Fortune 500 and emerging tenants at the buildings including the corporate headquarters of Barnes & Noble Inc as well as officers for Carters/Oshkosh, Chanel and Centric Digital among other industry leaders.“As a leading global digital consulting firm, Centric Digital is pleased to have recently doubled our office space in 120 Fifth Avenue to accommodate our rapid growth” said Brian Manning, President and Co-Founder of Centric Digital. “One of the reasons we decided to increase our presence at the building was the commitment of ownership to provide the technology infrastructure necessary to support our business. From the multiple providers of high speed internet connectivity to the recently launched smartphone enabled building and elevator access system, 120 Fifth Avenue provides us with infrastructure we need to satisfy our intensive corporate requirements and future expansion”120 and 122 Fifth Ave. located between 17 and 18th street on lower 5th Avenue, are fully renovated, adjacent buildings with a combined 305,000-square feet of office and retail space. The properties are owned and managed by The Bromley Companies (www.bromco.com), a national investment and development company.CONTACT INFORMATIONContact:Michael Borrero212-807-7744mborrero@bromco.comFounded in 1972, Bromley Companies is a New York based real estate development and investment company which owns and manages over several million square feet of office, retail, residential and industrial space. The core of Bromley’s portfolio is located in lower Fifth Avenue in New York City with additional holdings in the Midwest and Southeast. Additional information can be found at www.bromco.com or by contacting Beverly Burchett at 212-807-7744To be added to the Company’s distribution list or to obtain the latest news releases and other Company information, please contact marketing@bromco.comAbout The Bromley CompaniesFounded in 1972, Bromley Companies is a New York based real estate development and investment company which owns and manages over several million square feet of office, retail, residential and industrial space. The core of Bromley’s portfolio is located in lower Fifth Avenue in New York City with additional holdings in the Midwest and Southeast. Additional information can be found at www.bromco.com.

4th Annual NYC CDO Summit, Sponsored by Centric Digital, Returns to Thomson Reuters on April 27, 2016

NEW YORK, April 6, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- CDO Club, the world's largest community of C-suite digital and data leaders, today announced speakers and sponsors for the fourth annual NYC CDO Summit, presented by Centric Digital, a global digital transformation partner.The all-day U.S. event will take place on April 27, 2016 at Thomson Reuters in New York City.Linda Boff, CMO of GE, has been confirmed as the event's featured speaker.With the 2016 agenda now released, keynotes have been confirmed as:

• Anna Frazzetto: Chief Digital Technology Officer & SVP at Harvey Nash
• Brian Manning: Cofounder, President and Chief Digital Officer at Centric Digital
• David Mathison: Founder/CEO, CDO Club
• Graham Waller: Research VP at Gartner
• Kevin Bandy: Chief Digital Officer at Cisco
• Larry Kramer: Director at Harvard Business School Publishing
• Linda Boff: Chief Marketing Officer at GE
• Ben Gray: Digital Experience at Applause

In addition, speakers from the following organizations will be represented: American Museum of Natural History; Applause; BBVA Compass; BT Global Services; City of Boston; CDO Club Israel; CDO Club Turkey; CXOTalk; Centric Digital; Cisco; Daily Racing Form; Gartner; GE; Harvard Business School Publishing; Harvey Nash; Healthgrades; Humana; IBM; Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; Nobel Media AB; ObjectFrontier Software; RTÉ; Rachael Ray/Watch Entertainment; SAP; The Data Incubator; The Franklin Institute; The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Thomson Reuters; Town of Gilbert Arizona; Ziff Davis, LLC.Interest in the CDO Summit continues to mount as the number of Chief Digital Officers (CDOs) has continued to double every year, to over 2,000 in 2015, according to the CDO Club.The event agenda will offer in-depth discussions surrounding the rising voice of the CDO as a critical decision maker and board room influencer as well as the top challenges and opportunities in digital transformation, big data visualization, omnichannel customer experience design, building and leading effective digital and data organizations, and understanding latest trends in digital, mobile, and social media.Attendees to the often sold-out event include some of the industry's top C-suite digital and data executives.Remaining registrations are currently available at the NYC CDO Summit website."It's no longer enough to redesign your website or build mobile apps. For brands and business to succeed in the digital age, you must understand how to transform your business strategy, customer experience and operations," said Brian Manning, Co-founder, President & Chief Digital Officer at Centric Digital, the event's presenting sponsor. "The NYC CDO Summit provides the opportunity for CDOs and organizations to come together and learn from one another. Chief Digital Officers and other decision-makers responsible for digital transformation in their organizations simply cannot afford to miss this event."To help participants understand how to transform traditional businesses into digital leaders, Brian Manning will reveal insights from his new book REVIVE, which he co-authored with Centric Digital Co-Founder & CEO Jason Albanese, during a keynote presentation at the event.Anna Frazzetto, Chief Digital Technology Officer & SVP at Harvey Nash, will keynote on "The Rise of the Chief Digital Officer, Our CEO of the Future." Her presentation will include data from the yet to be released 2016 Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey report, with real-life examples and research from close to 4,000 global businesses."The need for Chief Digital Officers and an effective digital transformation strategy only continues to grow, in every sector. We're proud to be partnered with such amazing organizations and speakers to bring this timely and important event to New York for the 4th year in a row," said David Mathison, CEO of the CDO Summit and the CDO Club.Additional sponsors for the NYC CDO Summit include Harvey Nash, Applause, Chadick Ellig, MutualMind, Mendix, and Object Frontier Software (OFS).The first CDO Summit was held in New York in 2013. Other events have been previously held in London, Amsterdam, and Sydney.Twitter users can follow the Summit at http://Twitter.com/CDOSummit or via the hashtag #CDOSummitNYC.About Centric DigitalCentric Digital is a leading digital transformation partner, providing solutions to traditional businesses to revive their business models, rejuvenate their customer experience, and automate their business operations for the digital age. Its frameworks, data and platform are fast-becoming the industry standard for enterprises to measure and drive digital transformation. Global enterprises across health, finance, retail, industrials and government rely on Centric Digital to interpret digital trends, benchmark their digital capabilities, create digital business strategies and roadmaps, and deliver digital and mobile experiences. For more information, visit centricdigital.com.About the CDO SummitThe CDO Summit addresses the challenges and opportunities arising from Big Data, the cloud, digital disruption, and social and mobile media. CDO Summit gatherings include the very best digital strategists and practitioners on Earth, speaking in intimate, collegial, and supportive environments designed to encourage networking, learning, and knowledge-sharing. For more information, visit CDOSummit.com.About the CDO ClubThe CDO Club is the world's largest community of C-suite digital and data leaders. Our 1,500+ registered members receive access to breaking news, original research, career development support, networking opportunities, and inspirational events. For more information, visit: http://CDOClub.com.Media Contacts:Michelle OsterCommunications ManagerCDO SummitTel US: +1 516 488-1143Racheal DuCentric Digital+1 646 854-3892

Centric Digital Selects Bookend Capital as Minority Investor

Alexander Panos Joins Board of Directors of Leading Digital Transformation Solutions Company

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Centric Digital, a leading global digital transformation solutions provider, today announced that Bookend Capital has made an investment in the company. Founded in 2009, Centric Digital has been recognized as one of the fastest growing private companies in America, including being ranked on the Inc. 500 for the past two consecutive years (including #34 overall and #1 in New York in 2014) and the Crain’s Fast 50. Bookend Capital’s investment represents Centric Digital’s first institutional funding.

"We selected Bookend Capital for its proven track record of supporting fast-growing, game-changing companies," said Jason Albanese, Chief Executive Officer of Centric Digital. “This strategic investment will further accelerate the expansion of best-in-class capabilities and our global footprint.”"Our frameworks, data and platform are fast-becoming the industry standard for enterprises to measure and drive digital transformation" said Brian Manning, President & Chief Digital Officer of Centric Digital. "We will continue to innovate solutions that drive results for our clients.”“Jason Albanese and Brian Manning are digital visionaries,” said Alexander S. Panos, Founder of Bookend Capital. “With Centric Digital, they have built a robust business with market leadership and long-term growth potential - exactly the kind of elements we target in an investment.”Bookend will take a minority equity position in Centric Digital. Mr. Panos will join Centric Digital’s board of directors, and support the company’s expansion plans in consumer products, fashion, beauty and retail. Other terms of the transaction were not disclosed.GCA Savvian Advisors, LLC served as financial advisor and Goodwin Procter served as legal counsel to Centric Digital. Paul Hastings served as legal counsel to Bookend Capital.About Centric DigitalCentric Digital is a leading digital transformation partner, providing solutions to traditional businesses to revive their business models, rejuvenate their customer experience, and automate their business operations for the digital age. Its frameworks, data and platform are fast-becoming the industry standard for enterprises to measure and drive digital transformation. Global enterprises across health, finance, retail, industrials and government rely on Centric Digital to interpret digital trends, benchmark their digital capabilities, create digital business strategies, and deliver digital and mobile experiences. For more information on the company, visit centricdigital.com and for insights on digital trends visit centricdigital.com/blog.About Bookend CapitalBookend Capital was founded in 2015 by Alexander S. Panos, a former General Partner and Managing Director at TSG Consumer Partners. Bookend makes investments in dynamic companies with long-term growth potential. Bookend has a perpetual investment horizon and supports management teams to build sustainable market leadership. For more information, visit bookendcapital.com.

Contacts

For Centric Digital:Racheal Du, 646-854-3892pr@centricdigital.comorFor Bookend Capital:Anreder & CompanySteven S. Anreder, 917-923-7011steven.anreder@anreder.com

Follow GoDaddy's lead: Skip the Super Bowl

Want to save $5 million? There's a better (digital) way to grow your business, says Centric Digital's co-founder and president

We’ve had 50 years of kickoffs; 50 years of parties; and, of course, 50 years of commercials. These days the Super Bowl ads are almost more important than the game itself — and, this year, the "bargain" price of $5 million will get you a 30-second ad slot during the big game.To put this into perspective, you can barely heat up a cup of coffee in the microwave in 30 seconds — yet advertisers are expected to get viewers interested in their brand in that short amount of time. Plus, the $5 million is just the beginning — this price doesn’t include the hefty production costs needed to compete with the likes of Coca-Cola, Budweiser, BMW and Doritos.So, if you’re really thinking about handing over that much money for a short-lived amount of exposure, there’s a better option to consider.Imagine if Blockbuster could go back in time and invest in better product development — like the types of online video streaming now core to Netflix. Do you think they’d choose that over spending millions on Super Bowl ads in the mid-to-late 2000s? Or what if RadioShack really could use the time-traveling DeLorean featured in their self-effacing 2014 Super Bowl commercial? Chances are they’d use it to avoid purchasing the ad slot in the first place — it could have freed up their funds to enhance the in-store experience by creating a type of Genius Bar for their customers.While these companies have to settle with the clarity of hindsight, there’s one company that’s making a pre-emptive move instead.For the first time in 12 years, GoDaddy will not be airing a Super Bowl commercial. Even though their controversial big-game ads are what put them on the map, the company realized they’ve outgrown this type of strategy. According to Variety, "GoDaddy no longer feels it needs the Super Bowl bullhorn to get the word out. The company will in the future focus more on using data to find audiences more likely to want and need its products.""The stuff worked," said Phil Bienert, GoDaddy’s chief marketing officer (who, so it happens, is also my former boss from when I was at Citigroup!), about the old Super Bowl ads. "Now we are at the point where we don’t need to grow brand awareness domestically any more. A platform like the Super Bowl is really not something that’s necessary for us." Instead, GoDaddy has been putting increased effort into the personalization of their website, offering a more tailored and effective user experience — and since Centric Digital (and myself) is a frequent purchaser through GoDaddy, I can tell you it’s working well.These are the types of digital transformations that revolutionize businesses. You’ll see a better return on investment by leveraging data to discover pockets of loyal customers than you would with a blanket ad. Sure, the appeal to reach 114 million viewers in one shot is great — that’s why so many companies agree to shell out this kind of cash — but the strategy behind it is past its prime. You’re throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks, rather than concentrating your efforts in an area where you know you’ll get the best return. You didn’t have the ability to use data to target your audience in 1967. You do now.No matter how traditional the company, it’s not too late to start thinking about digital transformation — and it doesn’t need to cost $170,000 per fleeting second, either.While every company is different, here are two examples of digital transformation initiatives in the $5 million or less range that will last longer than 30 seconds:Retailers enabling mobile experiences in the physical store. This one is particularly poignant for retailers — consider the positive impact of offering a mobile app that will lead customers to products they’re searching for in the physical stores. Customers will no longer need to hunt down an employee, or wander aimlessly through the aisles, they can simply open up the app.Automotive manufacturers offering a virtual-reality test drive. Automotive companies should start thinking about virtual reality experiences as an option for test-driving cars. Many customers research different brands and prices online from the comfort of their own home, why not let them virtually take the car for a spin in the same moment they’re considering the purchase?If we spend the next 50 years doing the same thing, we’re going to get the same results. Digital technology is transforming how we do business and we need to transform right alongside with it. More companies should be thinking along the lines of GoDaddy, asking the question: How can I better serve my customers through digital experiences right now? The answers will help you grow your business in ways that a 30-second, multimillion-dollar Super Bowl ad won’t be able to.Brian Manning is co-founder and president of Centric Digital.

Centric Digital Founders Author New Book on Digital Transformation

Founders Jason Albanese and Brian Manning write - REVIVE: How to Transform Traditional Businesses into Digital Leaders. A book on assisting traditional enterprises adapt in the digital age.

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Industry leading digital transformation experts Jason Albanese and Brian Manning of Centric Digital announced the release of their new book,REVIVE: How to Transform Traditional Businesses into Digital Leaders,published by Pearson Education, Inc. In this book, Albanese and Manning explain why and how traditional enterprises must adapt to the increasing demands of the digital age to grow and avoid disruption. They also detail how to drive a full-scale digital transformation within enterprises that breaks down organizational barriers, cuts costs, accelerates product/service delivery, and dramatically improves customer engagement.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160108/320393

"Our goal with this book is to provide the necessary insights and guidance for traditional business struggling to adapt their business model to thrive in the digital age," said Brian Manning, Chief Digital Officer and President, Centric Digital. "It's no longer enough to redesign your website or build mobile apps. To lead in digital, you must first rethink your business strategy and transform your customer experience and operations."

Centric Digital co-founders Jason Albanese and Brian Manning draw on immense experience helping Fortune® 500 companies succeed with digital strategies, platforms, and channels. They present data-backed insights into the ways midsize and large organizations are stuck hiring, managing, organizing, and leading in obsolete "analog" ways. The book's proven and practical recommendations demonstrates Centric Digital's ability to help companies leverage the nearly boundless opportunities of digital."As the digital economy continues to scale and become more elusive to traditional businesses, it's critical they take the necessary actions to pivot their business model or they risk being disrupted by new movers in their sectors," said Jason Albanese, CEO of Centric Digital. "We wrote this book as a guide to help these businesses understand this sea change and assist them in their evolution."REVIVE's multiple case studies show exactly how executives are applying these ideas to go far beyond incremental improvements. Some of examples of the digital roadmap in this book include the following:

• Why traditional companies are failing at digital and how they can succeed.
• How to overcome strategic, operational, technical, and market related causes of failure.
• How to benchmark, envision, roadmap, and build a successful digital strategy.
• Why preparing for the future, near and far ensures your readiness for the next decade's technology revolutions.

The book is available for purchase at Pearson, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, 800 ceo read.

About the Authors

Jason Albanese is CEO & Co-Founder of Centric Digital, a leading digital transformation solutions company. His vision and entrepreneurial skills accumulated during a successful career building innovative B2B digital companies has allowed him to turn Centric Digital into one of the fastest growing companies in America. Previously, he co-founded and served as CEO of SageSecure LLC, a digital asset management and risk company that also succeeded in delivering strategic growth to the Fortune® 1000 through digital products and services. Albanese writes a weekly business strategy column for INC.com, is author of Network Security Illustrated, has been published in The Journal of Research and Practice in Information Technology (JRPIT), and holds a patent on an Internet-based distance learning system he co-designed. He serves as the Chair of the Governance Committee on the board of Partnership with Children, a non-profit focused on outreach to New York City public school students at risk of academic failure; and is an active member of Young Presidents Organization, serving on the board of YPO Manhattan in the role of Member Integration Committee chair.

Brian Manning is President, Chief Digital Officer & Co-Founder of Centric Digital. He has leveraged his deep digital expertise and creativity to shape Centric Digital's brand and market position into the strategic partner of choice for the world's largest enterprises. Manning started his career at Accenture and since went on to lead digital businesses within global enterprises such as Citigroup and spinoffs such as Barnes & Noble.com. He has managed $500+MM ecommerce businesses, defined multi-billion dollar consumer digital bank strategies, and launched dozens of digital products. Manning's passion for all things digital sets a high bar for Centric Digital's clients, partners and employees. Chief Digital Officers consistently seek his advice and he has helped shape the digital organizations and strategies of several Fortune 500 companies. In addition to driving thought leadership for Centric Digital he is a frequent guest writer drawing the connection between the latest trends that traditional enterprises can leverage. His quest for doing everything digitally has defined Centric Digital's operations and fully removed the use of paper from his work or personal life.

About Centric DigitalCentric Digital is the leading pure-play digital transformation partner, that provides solutions to traditional businesses to revive their business models, rejuvenate their customer experience, and automate their business operations for the digital age. Global enterprises across health, finance, retail, industrials and government rely on Centric Digital to interpret digital trends, benchmark their digital capabilities, create digital business strategies, and deliver digital and mobile experiences. For more information on the company, visit centricdigital.com and for insights on digital trends visit centricdigital.com/blog.

Media Contact: Racheal Du, Centric Digital, 646-875-8751, pr@centricdigital.com

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

Smartsheet Named by Google as One of the First Solutions "Recommended for Google Apps for Work"

BELLEVUE, Wash., Nov. 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today during the Web Summit conference in Dublin, Ireland, President of Google for Work Amit Singh named Smartsheet as one of the first solutions in the new "Recommended for Google Apps for Work" program.The program is designed to help Google customers discover solutions that work best with their existing productivity tools and to find apps they can trust, such as Smartsheet's collaborative work and project management solution. Smartsheet works with Google Apps to empower users to organize work their own way, and to easily connect with the people and content necessary to make work happen faster and easier."We are committed to providing our customers with a seamless product experience and they often ask us about solutions that work best with Google Apps," said Rahul Sood, managing director, Google Apps for Work, Google. "As part of the Recommended for Google Apps for Work program, customers can trust that partner solutions such as Smartsheet undergo rigorous reviews for integration quality and a comprehensive assessment of security policies, including application penetration testing that all partners have to go through to be included in this initiative."Smartsheet began working with Google in 2010 with the initial launch of the Google Apps Marketplace, and became one of the first ISVs to be designated a Premier Technology Partner in 2014."We run our business 100% in the cloud - you won't find a pen, a pad of paper or a server here," said Brian Manning, President and Chief Digital Officer for Centric Digital. "As an example, we've combined Google Apps for collaborating real-time on documents, and Smartsheet for real-time visibility into project status and work management. This has been fundamental to exceeding client expectations with efficient delivery, co-creation and access to our work from anywhere."Smartsheet's collaborative work management solution integrates across the Google Apps for Work product suite, including Google Drive, Calendar, Docs, Forms, Sheets, Gmail, and Hangouts.Benefits of using Smartsheet with Google Apps include:

• Easy administration and use. Administrators can add Smartsheet for all users directly from their administration consoles.
• Single sign–on. Sign-on to Smartsheet with Google credentials to provide seamless access to accounts.
• Secure storage. Access and store documents in Google Drive directly from the context of work in Smartsheet.
• Google Apps Marketplace availability. Individuals with proper administrative privileges can use self-service to add Smartsheet directly from the Google Apps Marketplace.
• Shared dates. Synchronize dates in Smartsheet with Google Calendar to always see the latest dates.
• Instant meetings. Start a Google Hangout from within Smartsheet with everyone currently collaborating on the same work.
• Gmail integration. Update work in Smartsheet directly from inside Gmail.
• Form data collection. Collect responses to Google Forms in Smartsheet to organize them and take additional actions.
• Merge document data. Use lists of data in Smartsheet to generate multiple customized Google Docs.
• Mobile access. Access work in Smartsheet from anywhere with the Smartsheet Android App.

"We're seeing significant customer momentum away from traditional applications and toward cloud services and Google Apps for Work," said Mark Mader, CEO of Smartsheet. "The tight fit between Smartsheet and Google Apps for Work productivity tools helps organizations empower their employees to do their best work. Customers are the clear beneficiaries of Google's increasing focus on customer success and productivity through vetted and proven integrations with products like Smartsheet."Companies interested in learning more about Smartsheet and our integration with Google Apps for Work may visit the Smartsheet listing in the Google Apps Marketplace.Google Apps for Work resellers interested in learning more about partnering with Smartsheet may visit our website for a special offer.About SmartsheetSmartsheet helps over 72,000 organizations and millions of people to deliver their best work. Our collaborative work management solution lets people manage work their way while at the same time making it simple to control their teams and processes. The ease of use of the familiar spreadsheet-like interface, work automation and Gantt chart features, have made it a popular and highly functional collaboration and project management tool. Nearly 10 million registered users in more than 190 countries use Smartsheet across every department and every industry. Visit www.smartsheet.com for more details.CONTACT: Jennifer Gehrt, smartsheet@communiquepr.com, 206 282 4923SOURCE Smartsheet

Centric Digital on the 2015 Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies for 2nd Year in a Row

New York, NY, August 12, 2015: Centric Digital, the leading pure play digital transformation partner, announced today that it was named one of the fastest-growing private companies in America by Inc. Magazine for the second year in a row. The company was ranked #402 on the 2015 Inc. 500 list based on a three-year sales growth of 1,175%."The continued rapid growth of our company is a testament to the hard work of our growing team. It is also a validation of our unique approach to digital transformation which will continue to expand with our forthcoming product lines." said Jason Albanese, Co-Founder and CEO."We are excited to have made the Inc. 500 list for the second year in a row and recognize that the support of our clients, partners, and employees has helped us in this achievement. We continue to maintain our position as the nation's leading digital transformation partner for enterprises and are on track to double year-over-year revenue in 2015," said Brian Manning, Co-Founder and President.

Inc 500 Methodology

The 2015 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2011 to 2014. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2011. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent--not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies--as of December 31, 2014. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2011 is $100,000; the minimum for 2014 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/5000.

About CENTRIC DIGITAL

Centric Digital is the leading pure-play digital transformation partner that provides solutions to traditional businesses to revive their business models, rejuvenate their customer experience, and automate their business operations for the digital age. Global enterprises across health, finance, retail, and industrials rely on Centric Digital to interpret digital trends, benchmark their digital capabilities, create digital business strategies, and deliver digital and mobile experiences. For more information on the company, visit centricdigital.com and for insights on digital trends visit centricdigital.com/blog.Media Contact:Brian ManningPresident & Chief Digital OfficerCentric Digital646-875-8751brian.manning@centricdigital.com

Four Reasons that Minimalism Makes for Great Office Design

To reinforce their reputation as revolutionary innovators, tech companies and startups resist stodgy, traditional business practices at every turn, including office design.

Most people have heard of Google's immense playground of an office in Mountain View, CA, or Gawker's relaxed work environment, complete with rooftop patio and fancy carpentry. The hope isn't to make the workspace less professional or productive--it's that, when given a space that isn't bleak and boring, employees will enjoy doing their work and be more productive as a result.

The tech industry has had such a big influence on the business world in general, and these once revolutionary design ideas have become pretty commonplace. More and more companies are doing away with formal dress codes and cubicles in exchange for open floor plans and shuffleboard tables.

But as fun as these workspaces can be, these innovations aren't valuable if they don't actually encourage and facilitate productivity from the people using them. In fact, businesses that clutter their offices with redundant, new technologies and loud wall art are only hurting their bottom lines, sacrificing work quality and resources for a skin-deep veneer of hipness. By training a minimalist eye on some aspects of your office design, you can achieve the open, fun qualities of the modern workspace without getting bogged down by frills and clutter.

Get Down to the Details

When we set out to design the offices at Centric Digital, a huge priority was to encourage collaboration. In turn, we thought long and hard about the tools we would give our employees.

While that deliberation required a lot of time spent on the details, it solved for one of the most basic principles of working life: give someone a tool that works every time and they'll become more productive. Give people a tool that frequently doesn't work and is a pain to use and they're not going to use it. When people aren't using basic collaboration tools like whiteboards because they're designed poorly, the negative impact on your business is obvious.

That's why we designed our office with user experience as a top priority in every area we could. We chose glass whiteboards that looked sleek and could be cleaned instantly; we used felt erasers instead of those Expo ones that never really do the job; and most importantly, we picked something that's simple and easy to use, rather than some kind of bulky, unnecessary new technology.

Go for What's Simple, Not What's Newest

Continuing with the whiteboard example, many people asked me why we didn't go with one of those fancy new "smartboards," workplace tools that use touchscreen technology instead of dry erase markers and can print out what you've written on them. But while it may seem advantageous to have something that looks like it belongs on the Starship Enterprise in your office, it's pointless if the product doesn't actually make your work easier.

Smartboards don't run on any of the major platforms like Android or iOS. The cost of installation wouldn't just be in purchasing the hardware itself, but retrofitting your entire office to work with technology that could become obsolete in a matter of months. Are all those expenses really worth getting a whiteboard that prints when you could just as easily take a photo with your smartphone?

This principle applies to software, too. We collaborate with clients and team members around the world, so we use video conferencing technology, not clunky office phone sets. And instead of using the heavyweight, costly conferencing solutions offered by major tech companies, we just use Google Hangouts. 50% of the world uses Gmail, and those who don't can just use UberConference to dial in to ongoing calls--why use big, heavy tech solutions that require an onboarding session to understand instead of something that everyone already knows how to use?

It's part of the same user experience principle: create something "light" and easy, and your office will both look more modern and function more productively. Create something "heavy" and difficult, and your office runs the risk of becoming a distracting, disorganized disaster.

Open Your Office

Another trend we immediately jumped on when we opened our current offices in Manhattan's Flatiron District was the open floor plan, meant to increase collaboration by making the whole office space visible. Centric's entire leadership team embraced that idea because we really do value transparency, collaboration, and making everyone feel like they're truly part of the team. As we often say, "We don't have an open-door policy--we just don't have doors!"

That being said, open floor plans require their own balance if they're not going to defeat their own purpose. For instance, if there are no partitions at all, sound is going to travel too freely and make your office noisy and distracting. Putting up just enough barriers and soundproofing mechanisms to block sound without closing communication isn't always easy, but it keeps you from hampering the objective you were aiming for when you chose an open floor plan in the first place.

Another common tendency in workplace design is the impulse to shove as many people into an open office as possible, given all the open space that a lack of cubicles creates. But this, too, can backfire: cramped working conditions create a sweatshop-like environment that does little to increase morale or make people feel like their superiors are accessible. Furthermore, mashing people together with small desks decreases office mobility. You want people to be able to get up and take their work to a conference room without being interrupted, not step over one another's toes every time they have to use the bathroom.

Only Buy What You Need

This last point is a simple one: unless you have Google money, don't try to build your own Googleplex.

Things like branded pinball machines and on-site sushi chefs may make people feel like they're somewhere truly progressive for a few days, but afterwards, they just become unhelpful, expensive distractions from work. Your team can go out to have drinks, play games, or whatever it is they want to do to get a break from the grind, but when they do all their leisure activities in the building, that's what they'll associate the space with.

The same can be said of the architecture and decor of your office. Drapes and mahogany are "heavy," ostentatious additions to a space that should be screaming pragmatism. What's more, these things aren't needed to be stylish or modern. Minimalist, uncluttered environments not only encourage productivity, but are almost always aesthetically pleasing. Think about the Apple store, for instance--would it look half as appealing if it had all the hokey fake wood and exposed brick of an Urban Outfitters?

Minimalism in all aspects of office design isn't just an aesthetic choice--it's a business one. A lack of clutter drives productivity, making every task your employees perform a little simpler and easier. Simplifying the user experience for everyone means eradicating bureaucracy, doing away with clunky organizational structures, and creating an effective, more attractive workplace.

Smartsheet Interviews Brian Manning on the Paperless Office

There are no phones in the office of Centric Digital in New York City. There are no notebooks, pens, or Post-It notes. In fact, the desks are only loaded with laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other emerging digital devices.“We’ve been told by prospects who visit our office or meet with us that we look like we’re from the future, and I think that’s a good thing,” said Brian Manning, president and chief digital officer (CDO) of Centric Digital, a digital transformation agency.When Manning started Centric Digital in 2009, he decided the company would only use cloud-based apps, like Google Apps for Work. They have never had a server; all their work has been 100% digital since day one.“The way we’re trying to work is another level of productivity,” said Manning.

Saving Time and Improving Efficiency

He gives this example: four people go into the same meeting with a pen and paper. They’re all taking notes, replicating the same work. Then, they have to type up those notes and email them to each other. Finally, they have to combine all those notes into one master set. You suddenly created three or four hours of work for a single, one-hour meeting.Instead, at Centric Digital, Manning and his colleagues all type notes collaboratively in Box Notes or a Google Doc, in real time. A one hour meeting stays a one hour meeting, no extra work.For Manning, it’s clear that working in the cloud has saved time and improved efficiency, but that’s easier said than done. How did he actually do it? How did he successfully create a cloud-based office, where all employees actually use the apps?

Top Tips for Moving to the Cloud

Manning will be the first to say that moving away from the “old way of working” and to this new, app-based environment can be a challenge for some people.

Centric Digital's paperless office

“All of these apps are like learning a new technology,” said Manning. “We all know how to use Powerpoint and Word, and sometimes, it’s easier to do that rather than forcing yourself to work with a new app the way it’s supposed to be used.”To ensure successful adoption of new apps across his organization, Manning has introduced concepts like an “app ecosystem” or a “cloud champion.” To make sure these apps stick, he’s always finding and comparing new apps to make sure his employees receive the best experience possible.Here are more of Manning’s top tips for companies wanting to move to the cloud (or companies who want to start in the cloud from day one!):

• Assign Each App an App Owner: “Every app is owned by someone. Our VP of People owns the BambooHR app, and walks employees through relevant information about that app. Someone from our sales team owns our CRM app, and will sit down with new employees and explain how to use it."
• Have an App Ecosystem Champion: “You definitely have to have a champion that is not going to back down. Because each day, someone is going to say, ‘This is too hard, we have to do it this way.’ Everyone wants the easy way out, and you need someone who is championing the cloud and showing people how to use the apps. This person can also make sure everyone is set up on the right apps, that we have the right number of licenses, we’ve deleted the wrong users, and that we have the right amount of total users.”
• Continuously Compare Apps: “Lightweight cloud-based tools are fairly new. Every month, it seems like there is another race and you don’t know which app is going to be in the lead. You have to constantly compare apps to make sure you’ve chosen the best ones for your team.”
• Aim for Consolidation: “As you compare apps and start using new ones, you always hope for consolidation. Either that, or the apps you do add will have new features. You always want to be thinking about your app ecosystem. How can you consolidate it? How can you maintain the best experience for the people using it?”
• Provide Feedback to App Developers: “Constantly provide feedback to the product development teams of the apps you use. They will take your comments very seriously. The app developers are listening right now -- get involved and tell them how the app could be better for you and your business. You never know, they may do it exactly as you suggested sooner than you think.”
• Leverage APIs to Connect Apps: “We’ve tied together many of our apps to make our own Cloud ERP. Most apps have fairly easy to use APIs and our developers are able to use downtime from client projects to help synchronize similar data points across different apps. This is a huge step to automating our business which sets us up to scale to the next level.”

The Real Business Benefits of Moving to the Cloud

A cloud-based working environment can sound efficient and easy, but like all things in business, you have to be able to identify its ROI. In some cases, it can be as simple as comparing price tags -- many cloud-based apps today are dramatically cheaper than programs hosted locally on a server. Other measures of ROI, some more anecdotal than others, include increased productivity, time saved, or the decreased number of emails or meetings.The ROI for Centric Digital has been easy to identify. Manning says in some cases, he and his team are able to get things done more quickly. And, being able to provide complete real-time, up-to-date status reports for clients has been crucial, allowing Centric Digital to save hours each month by reducing the amount of emails required to convey the same information.“You can eliminate the problems where clients want to know what is going on, where something is, and the status of something,” said Manning. “You can eliminate it because you can give clients a real-time status report that they can check at any time. It’s not like a static update report that gets sent out every Wednesday. No, ours is always up to date and always available in the cloud. “

Centric Digital uses Smartsheet, a cloud-based project management app, to create a real-time status report for clients.

Embracing the Cloud

The cloud is not just another technology trend -- nearly one-third of all workloads run on the cloud today, according to Morgan Stanley. And that number will just keep increasing.And, with a success story like Centric Digital’s, it’s not hard to understand why more and more businesses will adopt the cloud. With reduced costs, increased productivity, and real-time communication, the digital work environment is changing how we work for the better.“True, 100% cloud is about real-time collaboration and real-time data,” said Manning. “Everybody is looking at the same exact version of something. There is no room for error.”To learn more about how Centric Digital's digital transformation and its business benefits, watch this video:

In the News: Turning Traditional Businesses into Digital Leaders

When the digital revolution began in the late ’90s, Brian Manning ’96 recognized the rumblings. He was project manager for the launch of Barnes & Noble’s online music store, which made the front page of The Wall Street Journal.

These days, Manning’s mission is to help businesses not only change, but thrive in the digital sphere. Centric Digital, the digital transformation company he and Jason Albanese co-founded in 2009, claims the number 34 spot on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. in 2014. It occupies the top spots in New York state and New York City.

“The world is going through a transformation in which traditional businesses are moving to adapt,” says Manning, president and chief digital officer. “We look at the trends, help them benchmark against best practices and competitors, and shape their strategies.”

Clients include health care companies, retail stores, finance companies, media and entertainment companies, and nonprofits.

For the world’s largest nonprofit health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, Centric helped consolidate separate websites that had emerged as the organization adopted digital marketing as a key element in its fundraising efforts. While it was moving in the right direction with digital marketing, multiple platforms required a lot of maintenance and made it difficult to integrate new features.

Manning, a mechanical engineering graduate, has always been adept at solving problems. “People say, ‘You have an engineering degree, and you’re not even using it. That’s such a waste.’ Absolutely not,” he says. “Engineering teaches how to break down and solve problems, which is the No. 1 skill you need in business—and especially consulting—because all clients have problems.”

In Business, Happily Ever After Is Life Sans Filing Cabinets

Contributed by Brian Manning, Co-Founder, President and Chief Digital Officer at Centric DigitalIn 2009 when my business partner and I set out to build Centric Digital, many businesses were dealing with the hangover of the global financial crisis. They were searching for ways to be more efficient and grow in a struggling economy. Despite this, many of these businesses were still stuck in an “analog” mind-set, and their offices were still crowded with desk phones, copiers, printers, fax machines, filing cabinets and oceans of paper.We knew if we wanted start and grow a business in that environment, we’d need to do it very differently and very efficiently. Herein lay the catch-22. As we grew, the growth led to exponentially more contracts with new clients, partners, vendors, contractors and employees that would naturally require paperwork.When you’re building a business with a name like Centric Digital, you need to exemplify what running a business digitally really means. We chose to make our office paperless from the beginning and being 100% cloud for document solutions. Keeping our business purely paperless appealed on many levels. Not only were we crossing off administrative and maintenance costs, we avoided the following hidden by common issues in business:Filing Cabinet “Loss Ratio” – You may be familiar with the commercial real estate term “loss ratio” which means the percentage of your office space you pay the landlord for but can’t use as office space such as hallways, stairwells, etc. Well, you can add your Filing Cabinet Loss Ratio to that number as well. The sheer real estate and related costs necessary to house paper files. Just imagine what it would take to accommodate filing cabinets when your business earns global success.“Administrivia” Time Drain – Everyone should measure the minutes or hours they spend signing and reviewing and tracking physical documents. Afterwards, they can imagine what they could have achieved in that amount of time.“We’re Only Human” Error Rates – No one should be forced to search for files, volley between people correcting data, or uncover what is holding up the completion of a contract.Today, our team is nearing 200 globally and no paper in sight. We only have two executive assistants who are more focused on supporting our executives with complex coordination vs. filing paper. We don’t even have desk phones or fax machines and definitely no filing cabinets. When you implement cloud-based document solutions, you enhance efficiencies, cost-effectiveness and eliminate incidence of human error.Think about it: you can make video calls through Google Hangouts and track documents in Digital Transaction Management (DTM) platforms. No paper chase necessary. After all, you’re investing in your company’s growth, and paper just holds you back. In fact, managing contracts and documents requiring signatures via paper would have cost us around $200,000 just last year.Now that we’ve eliminated paper, let’s move into other benefits gained from operating in the Cloud. With your recouped costs, you’re now free to invest in your products and services, not to mention more engaging marketing activities, enhanced customer experience and acquire top talent. Why not impress your client by flying out to meet them instead of sending them packets of paper-based materials?However, chief among the benefits is dynamic collaboration.Here is a scenario you’ll probably recognize where having cloud storage for documents, notes or anything else once kept in the old, paper medium becomes essential to success:

• Owning Your Workflow – Before and After Cloud Storage
• Before: Business today moves at an incredibly fast pace. You can write down your thoughts on a notepad as soon as they come to you, but what if you left that notepad behind at the office when you could have used it in a meeting with a major prospect?
• After: Keep every thought, idea, strategy in a Cloud-based notebook and it travels with you everywhere and on any device so you can wow that major prospect. Get your company equipped to store all notes and key resources in a Cloud application so you’re just a few clicks away from finding out exactly what you need to know, no matter where you are.

In conclusion, when you run your business paperless and your document management in the cloud, you gain the freedom from having to chase and pay for paper (in the form of labor, time and potentially lost opportunities). Why not start now?To learn more about Centric Digital’s digital business success, click here.

From One Paperless Business to Another: Tips On How to Thrive

Contributed by Brian Manning, Co-Founder, President and Chief Digital Officer at Centric Digital

If you were to enter my office at Centric Digital, you may wonder if I’ve either left the company or if I do any work. It’s a totally paperless office.

Not a single piece of paper crowds my desk. Ever. But don’t worry, I’m pretty busy.

Want to know my secret? Here it is: I keep everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, in the cloud. For example, if I need to take notes in a meeting, I grab my tablet or laptop and jam out notes on Evernote or store individual copies to Box.com to maintain organization and broader visibility, if necessary.

At Centric Digital, we enable our clients’ success by transforming their digital experiences and operations. Our team always practices what they preach when it comes to cultural and business best practices.

For example, take a client meeting where a group may need to take thorough notes.

Let’s examine a before and after scenario:

• Before: You’ve probably been here before. Your team heads into a client meeting (maybe one in an international locale) and promptly takes notes on notepads. In this scenario, each individual on the team is redundantly gathering the same information and worse, it’s not immediately available or easily distributed to the broader team who likely need the information to start work effectively.
• After: Instead your team whips out their tablets or laptops at the meeting and instead of various streams of note taking, they all contribute to one cloud based document in real time. Trust me, it’s not chaos! It’s very clear who is incrementally contributing what information or data.

What’s more, in appropriate settings, you can control access to each Cloud document to the appropriate remote team members so they can peer into the progress and even pose questions and ideas for your team as the meeting is happening. Collectively, you’re enhancing your team’s strength and demonstrating solid value to clients.

That’s the definition of transparency and visibility.

But this leads me to another best practice, which relates more to technology and even more to the way you approach your business strategy with technology.

In short: As a business, focus on your core competencies.

For example, hosting and data security isn’t a business Centric Digital is in, so we contract with leading partners to securely manage our hosting needs.

Hosting and data security is a growing concern of our clients, especially given the latest rise in incidents. Some companies believe they can be safer if they take security and data storage into their own hands. But if you think about it, that doesn’t necessarily mitigate risk. If major companies that are leaders in hosting are getting hacked despite their extensive security architecture, then it’s a reality that anyone is game to be hacked. While it may seem like giving up control, we tend to leave security up to security experts.

Don’t try to be a one-stop shop wonder and always keep true to the key value you offer to the marketplace. We combine our strengths with best in class cloud applications to deliver our services. Whether it’s internally or with clients, your business will operate more efficiently when paperless.

To learn more about Centric Digital’s collaboration with leading Cloud SaaS providers, click here.

Centric Digital Saves More Than $200K Annually by Going Digital with DocuSign DTM

DocuSign for Box Helps Centric Digital Employees and Clients Drive Operational Efficiencies Worldwide

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Centric Digital uses DocuSign for Box to achieve an annual estimated cost savings of $200,000 on paper-based document management expenses including administrative handling, printing, faxing, scanning and overnighting.
• With DocuSign, Centric Digital empowers more than 170 employees in six countries to send, sign, and access digital documents for clients, vendors, and partners - anytime, anywhere, on any device. Securely.
• Employees and clients of Centric Digital enjoy the operational efficiencies, error reductions, and time savings delivered by DocuSign's Digital Transaction Management (DTM) platform and Box integration.

NEW YORK, Jan. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Centric Digital, the leading pure play digital transformation company that helps organizations better understand and optimize their digital businesses to remain competitive in an increasingly digital world, announced today that it has standardized on DocuSign, Inc. (DocuSign®) for Digital Transaction Management (DTM). Centric Digital leverages DocuSign's integration with Box, https://www.docusign.com/partner/box, to eliminate paper-based processes to transact contracts and documents 100% digitally — anytime, anywhere, on any device. Securely. DocuSign enables Centric Digital's global team of more than 170 working in digital strategy, product innovation, technology delivery, finance, HR, sales, procurement, legal, and marketing to provide top-tier transaction experiences to valued clients, vendors, and partners around the world.Since 2009, Centric Digital, has been helping enterprises and organizations of all types achieve their digital transformation objectives. By providing detailed benchmarks and critical analysis of going digital trends, Centric Digital helps global brands roadmap and implement tailor-made digital business strategies that position customers at the cutting edge of their respective industries. Trusted by companies ranging from emerging brands to members of the Fortune 500, Centric Digital prides itself on helping its clients achieve their digital potential by guiding them through the transformation from traditional businesses into digital leaders.DocuSign is helping companies like Centric Digital automate manual, paper-based processes with the only open, independent, standards-based DTM platform for managing all aspects of documented business transactions. Businesses may go 100% digital with DocuSign's industry-leading identity management, authentication, forms/data collection, collaboration, workflow automation, payment collection, digital and electronic signature, and document retention in the cloud.

QUOTES:

• "DocuSign makes it possible for our global team to send, sign, and archive documents in hours and minutes rather than weeks and days," says Brian Manning, president and chief digital officer at Centric Digital. "The savings on paper, the cost avoidance from reduced administrative headcount, and DocuSign's reputation for ease-of-use, customer-centricity, and bank-grade security as the global standard for Digital Transaction Management make it the clear tool of choice for keeping our business digital as we help our clients reach their own digital transformation goals."
• "We're pleased to have Centric Digital join the DocuSign Global Trust Network to bring the power of Digital Transaction Management to its employees, clients, partners, and vendors around the world," said Neil Hudspith, chief revenue officer, DocuSign. "Both Centric Digital and DocuSign are committed to empowering clients with an efficient and secure way to digitally transform how business gets done for faster speed to results, increased security and compliance, and a better end user experience."

To learn more about DocuSign's DTM platform, visit https://www.docusign.com/how-it-works/digital-transaction-managementhttps://www.docusign.com/solutions.

About Centric Digital

Centric Digital® is the leading pure play digital transformation partner for traditional businesses. Global enterprises across healthcare, finance, retail and industrials have turned to Centric Digital to help revolutionize their business models, customer experiences and operations to grow and compete in the digital age. Founded in 2009, Centric Digital fuses digital ingenuity, management consulting rigor, and startup creativity to raise the bar in digital services. Centric Digital solutions help enterprises understand trends and benchmark their digital capabilities against best practices and competitors. Centric Digital has successfully created innovative business strategies, realigned roadmaps to corporate objectives and designed and delivered innovative and enterprise scale digital and mobile experiences. For more information, visit www.centricdigital.com or call (347) 974-0980. Visit the Centric Digital blog at www.centricdigital.com/blog and follow Centric Digital on LinkedIn and Twitter.Copyright 2009-2015. Centric Digital is the owner of Centric Digital® and all of its other marks www.centricdigital.com/about-us/terms-of-use/. All other marks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

About DocuSign, Inc.

DocuSign® is The Global Standard for Digital Transaction Management®. Global enterprises, business departments, individual professionals, and consumers have standardized on DocuSign, with more than 40,000 new users joining the DocuSign Global Network every day. Today, that network includes millions of users in 188 countries. DocuSign's DTM platform supports legally compliant electronic and digital signature processes tailored to meet requirements globally with localization in 43 languages. Companies and individuals DocuSign to accelerate transaction times to increase speed to results, reduce costs, increase security and compliance, and delight customers across nearly every industry – from financial services, insurance, technology, healthcare, manufacturing, communications, real estate, retail, and consumer goods to higher education, non-profit and others – as well as every business department, including sales, finance, operations, procurement, HR/staffing, legal, and customer support. For more information, visit www.docusign.com or call 877.720.2040. Visit the DocuSign blog at www.docusign.com/blog and follow DocuSign on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.Copyright 2003-2015. DocuSign, Inc. is the owner of DOCUSIGN® and all of its other marks, www.docusign.com/IP. All other marks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/centric-digital-saves-more-than-200k-annually-by-going-digital-with-docusign-dtm-300022124.html

6 Essential Tips To Doing Business Internationally

Improve your international business and travel skills with these easy tipsOne of the most enjoyable and simultaneously challenging parts about building a successful business today can be travel, especially international travel. Most businesses today, especially those in the digital field, try to take advantage of how small the world has become thanks to technology and the Internet. This could mean hiring overseas, serving clients abroad, and/or partnering with companies anywhere in the world. Here are six very important tips that will serve you well when doing business internationally:

Be patient

It is critical to understand and appreciate cultural differences when you are doing business in a foreign country. We are very adjusted to a blistering pace in digital business today, but when doing business overseas, you need to take extra time to earn trust, and learn the customs of others you with whom you are working. This approach will be deeply appreciated by senior executives and members of large organizations such as governments.

Socialize and enjoy

One of the best ways to earn trust and understand a foreign culture is to take the time to go to events with your foreign colleagues and associates. Not only will you meet other people that could open new doors, you will build a reputation in their community. Some example functions that I have attended over the years include wine tastings, government balls, and even extended visits to the countryside in some truly amazing places around the world. In the process I have learned an enormous amount about foreign culture, wine making and even outdoor survival! Not only has this been fun, but a great means of personal development, all while working towards building my business.

Respect customs and try new things

When getting to know people and earning their trust it can be a great sign of respect to learn about their culture, and try things your new colleagues share with you. This can be anything from the banal, to the outright thrilling and dangerous. Food and the way in which people dine is one good example. It would be discourteous to show up to a French restaurant in Paris and only be willing to eat a hamburger. For me, over the years I have eaten everything from Goulash to Fugu (a potentially poisonous fish served as a delicacy in parts of Japan), and in the process not only made some great colleagues, but also really enjoyed getting to know how things work in other parts of the world.

Reciprocate

Its a wise idea is to invite your colleagues from abroad back to your home city in the US and show them a good time on your turf and your dollar. Most people I have done business with abroad greatly appreciate other cultures, are accustomed to travel and have a heightened sense of how things work in other parts of the world. Give them a chance to get to know your culture, both locally and generally. You will find your hospitality and personal background will not be lost on them.

Stay in touch

Perhaps the simplest piece of advice is the best advice. Take advantage of how easy it is with modern technology (Hangouts/Skype) to stay in routine touch with your contacts abroad. As a digital enthusiast I strongly recommend using Google Hangouts and Google Voice for free (or very low cost) video and voice chat internationally. There are also excellent cloud based applications that make it very easy to integrate your business internationally as well, such as Tripit, Harvest and Box.com.

Travel well

There are many detailed tips you can find on the internet about how to travel long distances well. If you have had little experience on long haul flights it can make very big difference in your health, your timing and performance when you arrive at your destination. One specific piece of advice is to sign up for the Global Entry Program as soon as possible--this will save you many hours in lines over many trips. Your sleep patterns on flights are equally as important, especially if you are taking long trips for short periods of time.

The Uber economy

The livery company's growth spawns a slew of startups offering goods and urban services via mobile app.Uber's disruption of the taxi and livery-car industry has given it a market valuation so sky-high that a slew of startups are launching on the premise of replicating the company's attack against the old order of doing business, whether it be food delivery, makeup, selling a mattress or even locksmithing.The resulting movement of taking commonplace services and delivering them with the help of a mobile app is being referred to by some as the "Uber-for-X economy." And that economy is booming. According to a report from venture-capital database CB Insights, startups that fit the Uber-for-X model have raised a total of $1.73 billion in venture funding in 2014. "It's a convergence of trends," said CB Insights analyst Matthew Wong. "Mobile apps are everywhere, e-commerce is huge, and a fast-growing, service-based economy is serving denser urban areas. People will invest in that."Uber, which is valued at upward of $17 billion and recently estimated it will reap $10 billion in revenue in 2015, has raised $1.2 billion on its own this year. Add that to the $475 million raised by fellow West Coast-based technology star Airbnb, and you have almost the amount of total investment that has trickled down to startups building on the Uber-for-X model.

Fertile ground

Many of those newer outfits see New York as a necessary market to incubate in or explore, a fact that is reflected by Silicon Alley's share so far in 2014: $82.2 million, an impressive amount for just nine deals."Inherently, we all like convenience," said Toby Harvey, head of marketing at Pager, a Manhattan-based mobile app that schedules doctors for house calls in Manhattan and Brooklyn. "But delivery and the idea of 'coming to you now' are certainly ingrained in the DNA of New York City."Getting goods and services delivered to your door is nothing new in New York. But as the country's largest consumer market, New York is fertile ground for entrepreneurs and investors who want to build an Uber-for-X business.Flatiron-based Handy, a mobile app for booking cleaners, plumbers and handymen, raised $30 million in June. Online grocer FreshDirect pulled down a $10 million investment earlier this year. GlamSquad, a mobile app for scheduling beauty professionals for home or office visits, received $7 million in October. Pager, which was developed by a team that included Uber veteran Oscar Salazar, raised a seed round of $4.5 million in May.For those Alley-based startups, New York's notoriously expensive reputation is not a concern because using the Uber-for-X model is deceptively inexpensive, at first."Many people think about technology disruption as entirely new hardware, an entirely new application or an entirely new business model," said Brian Manning, president of Centric Digital, a digital-strategy consulting firm. "By contrast, Uber leverages existing hardware, existing applications and existing business models to transform the experience of a traditional business."Thanks to the low capital needs for a startup to start up, Uber-for-X businesses in the five boroughs can focus on the upside of an enormous consumer market."The New York mentality is what makes the city so attractive as a tech hub," said Mr. Harvey. "It does allow a certain amount of problem-solving in a different way. In our case, health care is a universal thing, and health care on demand is a 'solve' for tons of stress and friction."New York's delivery-friendly mentality and layout allows entrepreneurs to experiment with new ways of doing business. Bringing a service (often performed by a contractor) to a person's home not only offers convenience, but also saves a company both labor and real estate costs.Flatiron-based KeyMe's app lets users scan a physical key and upload that image to the cloud. Users can then order copies of the key to be delivered, or use their scan to instantly create a new key at kiosks in places including Bed Bath & Beyond."In New York, the density and infrastructure are ideal to service a lot of people using a hub-and-spoke model," said Greg Marsh, KeyMe's founder and CEO.That business model is as much a part of the Uber-for-X paradigm as mobile apps. By creating a system that moves goods or services around a central hub—like Uber cars moving around bases--startups can deliver to users without having to invest heavily in physical assets.Sam Rosen used this method to found MakeSpace, a Chinatown-based startup that uses a mixture of mobile apps, cloud technology and old-fashioned logistics to create an Uber for self-storage. From a small Manhattan office, Mr. Rosen and his team manage a fleet of trucks that picks up customers' stuff, catalogs it, and takes it to a New Jersey storage facility. The entire customer interface is managed digitally and is optimized for speed and cost. In May, MakeSpace raised $8 million from a group of investors including Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

NYC worth the effort

Using a smartphone to store one's winter boots is still quite novel, however, and many Alley entrepreneurs say New Yorkers are slower than others to adopt mobile apps for everyday transactions. "That early adoption threshold is a little higher in New York," said Mr. Harvey. "But we think it's worth the extra effort."Some West Coast startups seem to agree. In October, Shyp—a San Francisco-based company that is using the Uber model to challenge traditional delivery services such as FedEx, UPS and even the U.S. Postal Service—signed a 10-year lease for space in Brooklyn's Industry City. In keeping with the theme of convenience and mobile engagement, Shyp charges $5 to have a package picked up from a home or business, then allows users to track their packages on an app interface similar to Uber's.The company will look to try out its model in New York after raising $10 million in Series A funding in July."New York's a major market," said CB Insights' Mr. Wong. "These apps are launching everywhere, but they're definitely keying in on New York as a market where they need to be."While it remains to be seen if there will be capital left over for the next wave of Uber-for-X startups—like celebrity chef David Chang's recently announced Maple, which will deliver gourmet dinners from a handful of kitchens around the city—investors' interest does not appear to be weakening."I don't think this is even the peak," said Mr. Wong. "There will be more, and more significant amounts."

6 Counterintuitive Ways to Become a Better Leader

Great leaders can practice these seemingly counterintuitive tips regardless of raw talent.Leading a company and its vision can be a daunting task. There are always forces pulling at you, often in different directions. Being a great CEO is as much about grit as it is about talent so many elements can be learned but also need to be practiced. Most great CEO's I know have these things in common, and are more than happy to talk about them:

1. Hire well and delegate

Surround yourself with amazing senior leadership and let them worry about the "how", while you set the expectations of the results they need to achieve. If you cannot delegate, your business will never scale. If you do not have great people around you, then you will have a harder time delegating--so focusing on this area will actually improve several areas of your business and skills as a CEO in one shot.

2. Avoid micromanaging

As a CEO, everything you fail to manage routinely will start to decay and you will find areas of your business will stall or move backwards. To get great results out of your team, you need to manage them constantly, but it's the results you should manage, not the path they take to get to the results. Be sure to articulate what your expectations are and the timeline, but refrain from dictating exactly how the tasks get completed.

3. Set your priorities and stick to them

Instead of trying to be all things all the time, concentrate on a few areas of your strengths that coincide with your company's needs but only stay involved at the right stages of those needs. For example, bringing in new opportunities for the business is often a critical function for a CEO, but it does not require the CEO to develop each opportunity to completion. For the business to scale, a CEO's instincts, vision and charisma should result in finding and attracting new opportunity, but the sales team and operations team should be able to take those deals and manage them to a result.

4. Learn to say 'No'

One of the hardest daily elements of leading a company (or anything for that matter) is that you need to constantly disappoint people to help keep the big picture goals on track. Many people have a tendency to want to please others, or find it difficult to deliver bad news. While this may make you a "nice person" it does not make you a good CEO. You do not need to take pleasure in disappointing people or standing up to confrontation, you just need to practice it, so you can get it done when the situation calls for it.

5. Think long term, but react daily

One of these easiest ways I balance my professional life as a CEO is by not getting too caught up long-term thinking. No matter how difficult a period my company is going through, I find I can handle it by chipping away at one piece at a time. Sometimes it's as simple as breaking down the problem into pieces and working on a piece each day. This is ironic as many believe CEO's should always be operating on longer term views, but there is enormous value to breaking those big strategies down and taking them one day at a time.

6. Constantly reinforce your vision

And do not be afraid to repeat it over and over. Making change happen is extremely difficult, and the larger your business becomes the more difficult it is to shape it as you see fit. Your team members will always look to you for constant re-alignment on where the company is going, as they should, because smart employees know that business vision is subject to change.

Steer Your Company Culture Before It Ends Up Steering You

Get your company culture on the right track before its too hard to pivot.Building the right culture is of paramount importance if you are looking to grow a sustainable business. Like most things in business, achieving a specific cultural result requires a consistent and rigorous approach. Culture cannot be forced; it must be guided and shaped. The following measures when applied over time can help you achieve your cultural goals while your business is growing.

Stay connected with all company employees

Senior leadership and especially founders/CEOs need to be in constant "connection" with all their employees, long after the business has grown past 100 employees. Sometimes, when you are in a CEO role it can be difficult after the company achieves "growth equity" status to find the time to spend inside the organization. So many outside forces, like investors, partnerships, business development, and PR are constantly monopolizing CEO time. However, nothing is more powerful to your employee base than hearing directly from the leaders that are shaping the company vision.

Weekly update

One important way to achieve a great connection with your employee base is by hosting a mandatory "weekly standup" at your office HQ, and ensure every remote or offsite employee stop what they are doing and videoconference into the weekly meeting. The CEO and other senior leaders should take turns running this meeting, alternating week over week.

Agenda

Equally important is the agenda and content of this meeting. A weekly "dashboard" can be created that uses a consistent format and provides contextual updates on progress towards company goals and achievements. In addition--one or two employees should be asked each week to share an update from the recent project(s) they have been working on, and present a case to their peers, in front of company leadership. This rigorous approach produces an environment where honesty and transparency and recognition of hard work become demonstrated company values.

Socialization and the "feedback loop"

Company events both in and out of the office are a great way to develop relationships across the business and give people a chance to speak their minds more freely. At our company, we tie the weekly update to a catered lunch--so everyone can spend time and choose to discuss how the company is doing, what's working and what's not. This creates a very important feedback loop between employees and management--resulting in your ability to make changes to policies and procedures that keep things running smoothly for everyone. Lastly, a company "intranet" that is regularly updated and intended for employees eyes only is another great way to allow constant communication on all topics, including achievement of goals, and even company enterprise value of your employee base are all shareholders.

Great HR leadership

For our company, the first time we employed great HR leadership was a major turning point in our company culture taking the shape we intended. Dedicated and talented HR can be expensive, and often be perceived as a cost center, but in truth it's the best investment a growing company can make and will pay dividends when the right people are chosen for the role. Once you have HR leadership, make sure to carve out weekly meetings to stay on top of all issues including future hiring strategies.Making an investment in the above areas will produce results, and in a relatively short period of time. Remember, the consistency is key—but make the investment now and it will pay you and your company back many times over.

How Remote Tech Teams Collaborate Successfully

Reddit's CEO Yishan Wong doesn’t believe that his 50-person team can perform their absolute best while working remotely.So, Reddit, aka “the front page of the Internet,” is forcing its whole remote tech team to move to the Reddit HQ in San Francisco.

The advice Wong got from one of his mentors "who had managed large geographically-dispersed teams at Mozilla was this, 'You don't make the decision based on a blanket philosophy, you make it based on whether it's working. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,'" according to Wong's recent Quora answer.Still, Wong recognizes that telecommuting does work for many organizations.After all, it’s nearly 2015. Cloud, mobile and advanced enterprise technology should allow any tech team to collaborate virtually, right?

Working from Home Works Well on a Case-By-Case Situation

When digital expert Brian Manning cofounded Centric Digital, a digital transformation consulting company, in 2009, he consciously built the company on an infrastructure that supported virtual collaboration. After all, the very nature of the business is to help enterprises across the country grow their social footprint.Since then, Centric Digital has grown fast, snagging a spot among Inc’s 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in 2014.With all of this growth, Manning and his cofounder find it’s best not to implement a formal work-from-home policy for their 180-person global team. This way, folks can strike the balance of collaborating at work without feeling like they can't take a day to work at home.For instance, "in the case where somebody’s better working from home one day because they’d save the commute time and they can spend that much more time working on the client project," Manning says. There has to be a reason.Generally, however, Manning believes that when a team is working on a group project, it’s better to be together.

Challenge Potential Candidates to Use Virtual Tools

At any given day, Manning’s design and development team in Argentina may collaborate closely with folks in the US.Building a team consisting of highly tech-savvy, communicative and trustworthy professionals is essential to make remote work successful.To spot culture fits, Manning challenges candidates to prove they’d be able to collaborate virtually during the interview. So, for strategists, for instance, Manning asks candidates to draw up a few PowerPoint slides on their best strategy for a given situation."Before they put the pay mechanisms in the taxis, we asked: 'What are three things you would do to make the UX in taxi rides better?'" Manning says. "Lots of ideas came out and this really allowed them to demonstrate how they work in those kinds of document tools."

Avoid Email & Chat for Disagreements

Look, miscommunications happen everywhere. Even in-house tech teams fumble.“Sometimes, the concepts behind what a piece of code does is a little more abstract than you want it to be,” says Court Demone, design and marketing lead at Canadian web-appsSearchTempest.com and Autotempest.com. Demone works with three other guys who live halfway across the country.In order for true collaboration to take place from 300+ miles away, there needs to be some ground rules about virtual communication.If all of your communication happens through chat or email, “it’s far more likely that things will get a little more inflamed than necessary because you put your association of what the other person’s feelings to the words, whether or not that feeling’s felt on the other side,” Demone says.That’s why, if there’s a disagreement or opposing viewpoint about something, Demone and his team always talk it out through Google Hangouts.“You sort of lack that empathy with the other person because they are just words on a screen as opposed to an actual person,” Demone says.Preet Anand, CEO of tech company BlueLight, would agree and says their daily virtual meetings are the glue that keeps them together.“There's also a fair amount of banter that happens this way, and I think that's nice,” Anand says. “It deepens trust between the team.”

Going 100% Cloud is a Must

The most successful virtual tech teams, like Centric Digital, operate 100 percent on the cloud. “And I really mean that,” Manning says. “We’re 180 people and we don’t have a single server room—we use all cloud apps.”In fact, Manning’s worked at huge companies, like Accenture, and has never had the level of access that his team’s created at Centric Digital.Some of Manning’s top cloud apps include: Harvest for time and expense tracking, JIRA for bug tracking and Agile project planning Git Hub for code storage and source code maintenance.There’s a very simple criteria by which Manning and his team selects or eliminates the most successful telecommuting tools.