An international technology company had developed systems and tools to manage its supply chain, but as demand grew, so did the strain on those existing systems. Increased demand required a supply chain with far more efficient tools and scalable systems. ​To help build a world-class supply chain organization, RedCloud Consulting stepped in with expert change management support, ensuring smooth adoption and system success. THE CHALLENGE Our client, a global tech company, wanted a supply chain that could reliably scale with market demands. Besides development, adoption of supply chain improvements was key. And to achieve that, a fundamental transformation of roles, processes, and systems needed to happen. "Thank you so much for all the work you do. Your perspective, energy, and expertise contribute greatly. Thanks for standing up this effort to help the team establish baseline engagement metrics so we can shoot for the stars! What isn’t tracked isn’t counted.” - Client Representative THE SOLUTION Our team of experienced consultants tapped their critical thinking toolkit to generate thoughtful ways to drive adoption. Throughout the project, our consultants relied on inspired storytelling, creative infographics, and other proactive forms of communication to ensure changes were managed in a way that best supported the clients’ supply chain transformation and ease of adoption. In addition, our team developed innovative tools to measure communication effectiveness. Creating a communications metrics dashboard to better understand baseline trends for how employees consumed project sites, emails, and workshop content allowed the RedCloud team to make informed and necessary adjustments. Due to the size and complexity of the transformation efforts, our client requested a persona repository. ​Our team's strategy involved creating a RASCI matrix to define roles and responsibilities for different groups impacted by the transformation. Using this matrix, the RedCloud team was able to build a "live" persona repository on SharePoint, which housed project personas, FAQs, training resources, contacts and more. This enabled change managers to be aligned on persona data points. RedCloud change managers also identified the need for a scalable project management approach to support small to large projects. They created a visual representation of change management deliverables and drove weekly meetings with client team members to make sure that any changes to the timeline were proactively addressed. THE RESULTS RedCloud increased communication effectiveness by creating a way to quickly measure the effectiveness of various forms of communication, and identify additional engagement opportunities. By leveraging SharePoint, RedCloud enabled consistent persona data capture and transparency. This saved the client time by providing change managers and other team members with upfront persona information, allowing them to better drive business and change management decisions. RedCloud change managers used their extensive experience in Prosci ADKAR to increase transformation awareness and knowledge through communications and training, focusing on feedback and engagement opportunities to guarantee transformation readiness.

At RedCloud, we've honed a hybrid business and technical approach that improves project outcomes and fosters better collaboration among team members. This method—which we call “Delivery Excellence”—drives successful projects and builds long-term relationships and trust with our clients across nearly any sector or industry. The members of our Delivery Excellence Practice are all about maintaining high-quality standards and ensuring that every deliverable provides high value and efficient implementation. How RedCloud Can Help RedCloud experts excel in navigating highly complex projects through leading-edge project management strategies and solutions. Acting as guides for our clients, we lead advanced problem-solving and strategic planning sessions, implementing industry best practices to ensure every project is executed with precision. By leveraging modern tools and methodologies (without “over-engineering” a solution), we deliver projects efficiently and at scale, empowering our clients’ organizations to achieve their goals with confidence in our capabilities. Our Core Principles Holistic Understanding: We bridge the gap between different departments and stakeholders, ensuring that projects align with both business goals and technical requirements. Effective Communication: Our team excels in translating technical jargon into business terms and vice versa, fostering better collaboration and understanding among team members with diverse backgrounds. Risk Management: With our dual perspective, we create robust risk management plans that mitigate issues before they escalate, keeping projects on track and avoiding costly delays. Resource Optimization: We optimize both human and technical resources to ensure that projects stay on track and within budget. Efficient Problem Solving: Our ability to analyze problems from both business and technical angles results in quicker and more effective solutions. This minimizes disruptions and keeps the project timeline intact. Customer Satisfaction: Our practice is centered around delivering solutions that meet technical specifications, business requirements, and, most importantly, our clients’ needs. Organizations choose RedCloud's Delivery Excellence Practice because of our unique hybrid approach, which combines business acumen with technical expertise. We build long-term relationships based on trust and success, helping our clients achieve their strategic goals. Contact our practice lead today to learn how RedCloud can help your projects succeed.

The latest RedCloud Lunch and Learn session delved deep into our Privacy Practice, spotlighting its pivotal role in enabling our clients’ organizations to secure data and uphold privacy standards. These internal, professional development events are opportunities for experts from across our company to educate other RedCloud consultants on our core services and capabilities, ensuring that our clients have access to a holistic set of solutions when they work with our team. Built on the mission of safeguarding data and ensuring compliance with regulations while prioritizing customer privacy, practice lead Alka Garg walked her fellow RedCloudians through the comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse client organizations. Highlights of the Lunch and Learn include: Privacy Program Development as a cornerstone service of the practice, emphasizing the crafting of bespoke privacy programs aligned with regulatory requirements. Operational Excellence serves as a guiding principle for our work, emphasizing seamless integration of privacy measures into daily operations to optimize efficiency and effectiveness. The development and implementation of robust Policies and Procedures, which provide our clients with clear guidelines for handling personal information within organizations. The presentation then shifted to some real-world examples from our team’s work across industries, applying best practices and industry-leading approaches to Privacy. Those case studies included: Implementation of the Privacy Case Management tool streamlined privacy inquiries, enhanced compliance with regulatory affairs, and facilitated auditability. The platform's ongoing enhancements and maintenance management underscored RedCloud's commitment to evolving privacy solutions. Over the past five years, our team of privacy experts has continuously supported reporting through dynamic datasets and provided SharePoint design and support for privacy teams and internal stakeholders. Additionally, the transformation of complex data handling standards into user-friendly Power Apps showcased our innovative approach to addressing intricate challenges. Collaboration with our clients at a Fortune 50 technology company to clarify and plan tech strategies, including Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning use cases, reflected RedCloud’s commitment to driving innovation. Visionary initiatives such as the formulation of technology direction, strategic roadmaps, and AI strategy memos highlight our team’s forward-thinking approach to technology integration. Lastly, our work with clients at the world’s leading online marketplace for short-term rental properties illustrated our team’s prowess in policy creation and refreshing, particularly in the realms of AI guardrails and ML review processes. Gap analysis to ensure alignment with global data protection regulations and the development of priority matrices underscored our dedication to compliance and ethical AI practices. As Privacy is critical to every company in today’s economy, this latest RedCloud Lunch and Learn was highly attended by our team members and demonstrated our commitment to data security, privacy, and innovation for all of our clients. We look forward to the next professional development opportunity at RedCloud - always a rewarding opportunity to get our team together to learn, discuss and collaborate for the betterment of our work with all our clients.

We're excited to introduce Sean Taylor, a talented Content Designer at RedCloud, who recently joined us for our latest "10 Min With" interview. Sean collaborates with a team of content designers to create seamless user experiences, working on projects such as clarifying product language, writing video scripts, and crafting team newsletters. Sean shares his approach to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, his recent read "Billy Wilder on Assignment," and some surprising personal anecdotes, including his love for ultrarunning and DVDs. Join us as we get to know more about Sean Taylor and his journey at RedCloud below. Describe your role and what you do in a nutshell. I work on a team of content designers, collaborating across multiple work streams to help create user experiences. Some examples of past work include clarifying product language, writing video scripts, and helping create a team newsletter. How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance in your role? My days are consistently filled with meetings, so I try to plan and carve out times throughout my week that allow me to focus on my physical and mental health. I also enjoy cooking, so taking breaks while making meals helps me reset for a moment. It's easy to get stuck behind your screen, so I make sure to take advantage of my free time during the weekends. Every day is different, so maintaining a sense of flexibility is key to balance your work and your life. Tell us about something interesting you've learned recently. Being off your phone is a lot more fun than being on it. (Sent from my phone) If you could suggest a book for the entire RedCloud team to read, what would it be and why? I just finished reading Billy Wilder on Assignment, which depicts his time before he became a celebrated writer/director. You've probably heard or seen his movies like Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, and The Apartment. I believe you'd get a kick out of reading his works from his early years, which are translated into English for the first time. What's a piece of obsolete technology you still have a soft spot for? DVDs. I just got a 4K player as well. I could (and do) sit and watch them for hours. What's one thing people don't know about you that they would be surprised to discover? The first race I ever competed in was a 100-mile race, and I had 30 hours to complete it. After 21 hours and 71 miles, my knees were swollen the size of baseballs, which was the farthest I've ever been. I wish I had completed the full race, and shoutout to all the ultrarunners out there. I couldn't walk for three days, plus I ordered a pizza twenty miles away by accident and never received it. I still think about that pizza sometimes… What are you passionate about or enjoy outside of work? Sports. I've loved competing ever since I was a kid and will always jump at a challenge. I support the Atlanta Braves, Alabama, and Aston Villa. I also love watching and playing golf, which blossomed after I saw "Happy Gilmore" when I was seven.

This month, RedCloud’s Digital Solutions practice, led by Benny Swedberg, was honored by Consulting magazine with the 2024 Leaders in Technology: Firm Excellence in Technology Application award. This prestigious accolade recognizes our team’s ability to empower businesses to streamline operations, elevate customer experiences, and embrace innovation, enabling our clients to adapt and thrive in today's rapidly evolving marketplace. The award specifically recognized RedCloud’s implementation of a comprehensive managed service for Digital Transformation for clients at an industry-leading, international retail corporation. In this ongoing engagement, our team devised a robust internal framework targeting multiple workstreams that were formerly manual, reliant on physical paperwork, or plagued by inefficiencies stemming from the integration of enterprise systems. Our Digital Transformation team developed an integrated program encompassing marketing, triaging, project management, development, and support. The project accomplishments include a substantial reduction in the risk of data security breaches, a noteworthy decrease in workstream effort hours, and a substantial increase in net sales attributable to innovative merchandising assistance applications, resulting in seven-figure sales growth. A big thanks must go out to our clients for their trust and partnership, and to our talented team of consultants working on the Digital Solutions practice for their unwavering passion and ingenuity, creating specific solutions to meet our clients’ most pressing challenges. Here’s to continued innovation and many more milestones ahead!

Are you tired of jumping through hoops to retrieve data from related tables in Power Automate? Say goodbye to cumbersome processes and hello to efficiency with the “expand query” feature. By leveraging the expand query in Power Automate, you can streamline the retrieval of properties from related tables without the need for additional steps. In this tutorial created by our RedCloud Digital Solutions Practice team, we’ll walk you through the process step by step, demonstrating how to set up the flow, identify navigation properties, utilize them, and parse JSON to get the desired output. Let's dive in! Utilizing the expand query in Power Automate can streamline the retrieval of properties from related tables without the need for additional steps. Here's a brief example: Step 1: Set Up the Flow Begin by creating a flow that uses the Dataverse List Rows action. In this demonstration, the flow is manually triggered, listing “Accounts” from Dataverse. To limit the output, a row count is set to one. Step 2. Identify Navigation Properties Subsequently, use the Compose action to output the result from the List “Account” action. This output serves to identify the navigation properties necessary for expanding related tables. Copy this output. Step 3. Utilize Navigation Properties In Visual Studio Code, search for navigation properties. These properties enable the expansion of related tables directly within the list rows action, eliminating the need for separate steps to retrieve related table values. To specify specific columns from the related table, OData queries can be employed. For instance, to retrieve Country details (Region, Location, and Currency) associated with a case, the following query can be used: Step 4: Parse JSON OData for expanding Country and selected properties will result in the JSON output shown below. By generating a sample from the JSON above, it will result as the following output in your flow.

In America, perhaps more than any developed nation in the world, “consumer” habits drive our economy. Our nation’s Consumer Price Index reports on the health of consumer spending, guiding many other aspects of the economy. The consumer sector is dynamic, with trends shifting constantly. What’s new today may be old news tomorrow. Here at RedCloud, we thrive on this dynamism as we help clients meet their customers where they are with their product or service's technology, go-to-marketing, and messaging.  We're not just observers but collaborators, innovators, and partners in progress, adapting strategies and solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients and their customers. From startups to established Fortune 50 enterprises, we embark on a journey of partnership, leveraging our expertise to refine strategies, enhance customer experiences, boost retention rates, and seamlessly integrate cutting-edge technologies. Our market research, which forms the bedrock of our approach, has led to significant improvements in our clients' businesses. We delve deep into consumer insights, deciphering trends, preferences, and behaviors to unearth actionable intelligence. Armed with this knowledge, we craft bespoke strategies tailored to each client’s unique positioning and aspirations. But it’s not just about understanding the market; it’s about crafting experiences that resonate profoundly. At RedCloud, we're champions of customer-centricity. We believe every touchpoint is an opportunity to delight, surprise, and forge lasting connections. Whether optimizing digital interfaces or revamping brick-and-mortar experiences, we strive to elevate every interaction, transforming customers into loyal advocates. With our expertise, passion, and dedication, we're not just shaping the future of consumer engagement; we're pioneering it. Take a closer look at our success stories in the consumer sector: Cyber Vulnerability Prevention & Information Security Management and Boosting Sales​ Through Unified Support. These real-world examples showcase how RedCloud has helped businesses like yours navigate the dynamic landscape of consumer behavior, driving growth and fostering lasting customer relationships.

As any leader will tell you, in today’s digital-first world, data has become the lifeblood of successful businesses and organizations. Harnessing the power of data analytics and AI is no longer just an option—it's a necessity for staying competitive and innovating. Customers are coming to expect it in many products and services. Through our team of experts that make up RedCloud's Data & AI Practice, we understand the pivotal role that Data and AI play in unlocking invaluable insights, informing strategic decisions, and ultimately propelling our clients’ businesses forward. RedCloud's Support to U.S. Department of Defense One exemplary showcase of our Data & AI Practice in action is our ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on an aircraft maintenance program. Our team at RedCloud is providing technical leadership support to develop predictive analytics and reporting capabilities aimed at optimizing fleet maintenance and parts replacement processes for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. By leveraging a combination of data scientists and DoD maintenance subject matter experts, we're building technical capabilities applied to specific helicopter fleets flown by the U.S. Marine Corps. Our goal is to enhance the availability of the right equipment at the right time, thereby increasing aircraft readiness and improving planning efficiency. At RedCloud, we're passionate about helping organizations unlock the power of their data and AI capabilities. Whether you're looking to optimize operations, enhance customer experiences, or drive innovation, our Data & AI Practice is here to support your journey toward success. To learn more about how RedCloud is transforming aircraft maintenance for the U.S. Department of Defense, contact us today and explore our full case study here. Ready to embark on your data-driven journey? Contact us now, and let's unlock your business's full potential together.

While big data and AI are key drivers of innovation in today’s economy, garnering a good deal of the current industry spotlight, marketing and sales remain crucial to the initial and long-term success of nearly any type of product or service. To that end, over the last decade at RedCloud, we’ve developed a highly accomplished Marketing and Sales practice, providing our clients with proven strategies and innovative tactics to introduce, educate, and motivate customers. Leveraging that expertise, Account Director and Practice Lead Scott Morton hosted our recent internal “Lunch and Learn'' session, with a packed agenda covering RedCloud’s latest service offerings, industry trends, and insightful presentations on recent projects with our clients at Microsoft. Attended by a wide range of the RedCloud team, this session was a treasure trove of knowledge. Highlights of this Lunch and Learn session included: A dive into RedCloud's Marketing and Sales offerings, providing an in-depth overview of the array of tools, strategies, and resources used by our team to bolster marketing and sales endeavors. RedCloud's offerings are finely tuned to address the multifaceted requirements of contemporary businesses, covering everything from lead generation and customer relationship management to data analytics and automation. An overview of RedCloud’s ongoing work with Microsoft Cloud Marketing MOSA (Marketing, Operations, Sales, and Analytics), a framework providing businesses with a holistic approach to cloud marketing through leveraging the full potential of Microsoft's cloud solutions for marketing and sales success. Our team also learned how RedCloud's tailored MOSA solutions can help businesses implement effective cloud marketing strategies, driving growth and profitability for our clients in today's competitive marketplace. The Lunch and Learn concluded with Scott providing a deep dive into strategy and planning, providing our team with essential tools and frameworks to develop and execute successful marketing and sales strategies. From setting SMART goals to conducting market research and competitor analysis, this “Strategy & Planning 101” equipped our consultants with a new set of skills, tools, and resources to expand current projects, adding more value to their clients. As always, this session sparked cross-team collaborations and ideation within RedCloud’s team of experts, reminding us of the importance of pulling together from time to time to educate and inspire our teammates. We already can’t wait for the next one!

Meet Alvin Le, a Marketing and Information Systems student at the University of Washington who is currently interning at RedCloud. In this insightful conversation, Alvin tells us a bit about his tasks and projects, the skills he's leveraging from his academic background, and his observations about the RedCloud team's culture. Plus, find out his favorite app and how it enhances his dining experience! Why did you seek out an internship with RedCloud, and in the consulting industry? I met RedCloud Account Director Scott (Morton) at a University of Washington alumni event hosted by my fraternity and was immediately intrigued by his description of RedCloud. I connected with him on LinkedIn shortly after and reached out to ask if I could join RedCloud as a Consulting intern. Fortunately for me, Scott was extremely accommodating and made the process easy and enjoyable. As a Marketing and Information Systems student at the University of Washington, working at RedCloud offers the perfect combination of marketing and technology that I seek in a role. I’ve always wanted to work in consulting - I love the strategic, creative, and client-facing aspects of the industry - and I was actively searching for consulting opportunities aligned with my background and interests. I found that in RedCloud, and I look forward to being a sponge of knowledge. What are your main tasks and projects as part of your internship? As I’m only a few weeks into my internship, I’m still learning the ropes of my assigned tasks and projects. I currently have the opportunity to work alongside Scott and assist him with monthly SLA MOSA reporting and Studio MOSA reporting. I also assist Yan Ma, a Senior Product Marketing Manager at RedCloud, with weekly Microsoft 365 newsletters as part of Microsoft client work. I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge in my first few weeks, and I’m excited to continue working on such fulfilling projects. What skills have you used, or do you think you'll use the most from school in your internship? Much of my coursework is directly applicable to my role at RedCloud. Material from my Marketing classes allows me to understand the industry jargon, and my Information Systems curriculum gives me a good grasp of the technological landscape in which I work. I’ve previously worked on Marketing Consulting projects in school, which have developed the critical thinking skills, teamwork abilities, and growth-centered mindset necessary for a strong foundation in the field. I’m confident that I can leverage my resources at the UW Foster School of Business and past work experience to excel in this role and make a lasting impact on the RedCloud team. What is it like working with the RedCloud team? My experiences with the RedCloud team have been nothing but positive. Everyone I've interacted with has been friendly and helpful, from the recruiting process to onboarding and actual work dynamics. Though my work is primarily remote, it is easy to see that RedCloud emphasizes a close-knit culture that values its human resources. What have been some of the biggest takeaways you had from your internship so far? So far, my internship has taught me valuable lessons about professional communication, essential business processes, and the importance of efficient teamwork. By assisting seasoned consultants on my team, I observe and understand the professional synergies required to deliver weekly action items on time and of high quality. Along with industry-specific knowledge, I can apply these takeaways to future work experiences. Name a piece of tech you can’t live without or your favorite app? Currently, my favorite app is a restaurant-reviewing platform called Beli. Beli allows you to rate restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc., you’ve visited using an intuitive algorithm that automatically ranks them. You can share your ratings with friends on the platform, read the reviews of others, and even make last-minute reservations. I would describe the user experience as a Yelp/Instagram hybrid. For an avid “foodie” like me, Beli encourages me to visit new restaurants with friends and family, adding a new factor of enjoyment and excitement to my dining experiences. I even used Beli to track the countries I visited when I spent a quarter abroad. I highly recommend this app to anyone who loves to explore their surroundings when traveling or food lovers who want to track where they eat through social media.

As companies and organizations embrace technological advancements, they also expose themselves to an ever-expanding array of cyber threats. With threats emerging from various sources and targeting diverse attack vectors, companies of all sizes and make-up must remain vigilant and prepared to mitigate potential risks effectively. At RedCloud, we recognize the imperative of safeguarding valuable information across all digital frontiers, be it software applications, networks, the cloud, or IoT devices. Our Security Practice stands ready to fortify your digital fortress and shield your organization from the perils of the modern cyber landscape. How RedCloud Can Help We are committed to helping businesses improve their cybersecurity posture and mitigate risks effectively. Leveraging the latest data security technologies and best practices, our dedicated Security Practice offers a range of solutions tailored to each client's unique needs.  Our core services include: Network Security: Protecting the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data during transmission across networks is paramount. Endpoint Security: Safeguarding individual devices such as computers, smartphones, and IoT devices is crucial in today's interconnected world. Information Security: Ensuring the protection of sensitive data, regardless of its location or transmission, is a top priority. Information Security Testing: Verifying the robustness of your data and applications, particularly in cloud environments, is essential. Application Security: Safeguarding software and applications against vulnerabilities and threats is paramount. Incident Response: Effectively managing cybersecurity incidents, including data breaches and cyberattacks, is critical. In a time where cyber threats are prevalent, taking proactive cybersecurity measures is crucial to safeguard organizational assets and ensure business continuity. With the support of RedCloud's Security Practice, our clients can navigate the intricate cyber landscape with assurance. Reach out to our practice lead today to discover how we can strengthen your organization's cyber defense and secure its digital future.

Recently, RedCloud’s Client Engagement Director Scott Ekman and Delivery Excellence Practice Lead Chris Syberg hosted an engaging "Lunch and Learn" session for our team focusing on our rapidly evolving Delivery Excellence (DE) practice. Team members at RedCloud HQ joined in person, and numerous of our consultants from across the country joined via Teams to learn more about recent advancements within the DE practice, as well as some updates on related new and growing client projects. As outlined by Scott and Chris, at RedCloud, we view Delivery Excellence as an investment in our people and processes, ensuring customers get real value from RedCloud. Our hybrid business + technical approach to project management leads to improved project outcomes, better collaboration among team members, and more successful projects overall. Through this approach, DE offers our clients some key advantages to bring projects and programs to life, including rapid Time to Value, Solving the Right Problems through holistic understanding and effective problem solving, differentiating between “activities” vs. “impact” to improve our Ability to Execute and taking a deliberate and incremental approach to drive Program Management Maturity. Also, importantly, the presentation demonstrated how DE is not a rigid set of steps we take in a “one size fits all” fashion—rather, it is a flexible platform of Project/Program Management best practices, standards, and enablement tools to ensure we are delivering the right solutions to the right problems. By leveraging our expertise and resources in this area, we help clients drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage in today's dynamic business landscape. Another big THANKS to Scott and Chris for sharing their expertise and inspiring our team to leverage these resources across all of our Practices. We look forward to the next opportunity in 2024 for our team to share and learn from each other. Learn more about our Delivery Excellence Practice here and contact Scott and Chris to hear more about career opportunities and client solutions.