HTML that stands for HyperText Markup Language and CSS for Cascading Style Sheets are closely related and complementary. We can’t use one without the other.

To clarify the difference between those two languages, we can suppose that HTML represents the hidden part of an iceberg and CSS the visible one. HTML was released in 1993. At that time more importance was given to information and data, CSS came out 3 years later to properly exhibit data graphically talking. Javascript makes the website content interactive and dynamic.

Let’s illustrate that with an example.

HTML : 

<p> Hello ENCGHUB. </p>

CSS : 

p {

font-size : 12px;

Color: red;

}

The result will be displayed this way:

Hello ENCGHUB.

HTML can run different types of content like texts, links, lists,forms, tables, media (pictures, audio, videos) or external integrations like video players for example.

CSS comes to properly visually display those types of content. CSS properties are text style, font character, text colour, background colour, alignment, zones, dimensions, opacity…

Using HTML/CSS allows :

1. 1. 1. to define semantically correct content so search engines like google, yahoo and bing can read it !
      2. Visually display with CSS the content coded using HTML.
      3. To guarantee pages accessibility.
      4. To enhance the search engine optimization (SEO).
      5. To offer a pleasant user experience.

Indeed, the last two decades have seen a rapid growth in the adoption by companies of tools enabling them to collect, process, store and disseminate large volumes of information that can be a real competitive advantage, quickly and at low cost. This is the emergence of Business Intelligence.

Rapid evolution of tools and methods, modification of external repositories: the management controller’s ecosystem is aging. Certain symptoms are not deceiving: piling up of reports, difficulty in meeting deadlines, difficulty in publishing results, recourse to external consultants, and multiplication of Excel spreadsheets… All these phenomena undermine performance. BI has thus entered the arena with the promise of integrating all the necessary data sources and giving managers, especially management controllers, well-analyzed and truthful information on which to base their decisions. The sooner the answer is provided, the sooner the search for the solution can begin.

BI is thus an asset for :

1. Securing your data

By launching a BI project, the financial controller makes his data a priority correlated to the company’s performance, and sets up a real standards policy. They can be audited, cleaned and streamlined. Betting on a BI consultant will thus be a real winning investment so that the whole company can draw on a reliable and homogeneous raw material for all.

2. Enrich your data

Internal data is, of course, at the heart of the challenges. However, the increasingly competitive economic context is pushing the financial controller to enrich his database to integrate exogenous data. The latter will refine decision-making based on competition figures (market shares), but also operational and commercial data (order books, production speed and volumes, etc.).

3. Boost its processes

The formula is classic: the financial controller is a “Business partner”. He is integrated into the decision-making processes and works transversally with the different business lines. The use he makes of data is used for decision-making: it is this strategic role that makes him a major co-pilot.

Today, this role is pushed further by technological innovations.  More and more management controllers are using innovative processes, with much faster reporting frequencies on a monthly rather than quarterly basis. This “simplification” of the budget process is a major evolution: more agile, more reactive, more alert, well-equipped financial controllers present a competitive advantage for their company.

4. Revaluing one’s profession

The loss of time related to the extraction, collection, management or consolidation of data is a crucial reason to equip oneself with a BI solution.

According to a recent study conducted by the International Data Corporation (IDC), an employee would lose 5 hours a week searching for relevant information about his business. This phenomenon exacerbate work for the financial controller who manually compiles Excel spreadsheets and must deal with the expansion of data volumes.

Delegating and working hand in hand with ISD is the first virtuous reflex to have. Moreover, data extraction and consolidation are tasks that are perfectly managed by a BI tool, with first levels of reporting that can be automated, which will also contribute to a certain degree of personal fulfillment. Freed from thankless tasks, the financial controller will be able to devote himself to the most rewarding and demanding part of his job: analysis and consulting.

5. Becoming an information prescriber

By presenting dashboards and indicators that have an impact and are readable to top management, the financial controller will give more weight to his advisory force. An agile solution will enable him to restitute complex data in an intelligible way, encouraging decision-making.

Moreover, by integrating exogenous data, the financial controller can challenge himself by identifying new forms of optimization or new opportunities for the company (moving from a sales model to a service model, for example). He then becomes a force of proposal in the evolution of the business model.

Finally, rather than just “accountability”, management control needs to take on a greater share of governance of activities and resources. As a true prescriber of information, the management controller identifies the relevant data (rather than reporting it exhaustively), and must above all integrate into his practices the arrival of real time information within the Finance Department. Invoicing and accounting available on the Cloud, online order taking by clients that upsets and accelerates the chain… Reporting to the company as well as to investors becomes a live mission that adapts to all these factors; a challenge that requires more adaptation and modernization of management control.

References

•  Anthnoy, R; Govindarajan. (2007) Sistemas de control de gestión. 2eme édition. Mc Graw Hill. México.
• Baars, Henning and Kemper, Hans-George (2008), Management Support with Structured and Unstructured Data—An Integrated Business Intelligence Framework Information Systems Management, 25:2, 132 —148.
• Raphael Grytz Business Intelligence & Analytics Cost Accounting: Review and Synthesis of the Literature. Universität Paderborn Artus Krohn-Grimberghe  Universität Paderborn
• Li, S., Shue, L. and Lee, S. (2008).Business Intelligence approach to supporting strategy-making of ISP service management, Expert Systems with Applications 35: 739– 754.
• Oskou, V. Soltani, M. (2012), A model to promote Business Intelligence and knowledge management approach, National Conference of entrepreneurship and business management knowledge-based, Tehran.

Given the digitalization and globalization of the business world, as well as the important role of business communication which brings together the means and methods- used by a company to get in touch with its environment and to pass information on it, establish its notoriety or to strengthen its brand image with its internal and external partners- this cannot be achieved without having a good command of technology, and the strong relationship between these two which appears on the internal level of the organization only at its external level with its environmental partners, this relationship which enables companies today to carry out their work more efficiently, quickly and above all with more comfort, also to build solid relationships between employees as well as with customers and external partners. Although everyone knows the importance of technology but it is only now that we have come to really understand its importance during the Coronavirus crisis, hence the appearance of the telecommuting and distance education platforms.

In this article, we will tackle the impact of technology on an organization, the change towards the culture of telecommuting and the impact of the Coronavirus on the evolution of the latter, likewise the role of intercultural management in the efficiency of the company. We will also make a comparison between communication then and now, thanks to technology, to conclude with recommendations on the situation.

We all know the role and the importance of technology in an organization; and within the framework of the external growth of companies on a global level, technological tools (IT, telecommunications) are at the heart of the projects, we know that they have revolutionized companies for a few years and more precisely, the organization of work. So in order for a business to face competitors it has to organize itself. Today, the integration of these technologies within companies is present for the sole purpose of providing solutions and to make life easier for employees, and these technologies allow them to work in easier conditions than before with a certain efficiency and productivity. So thanks to these technologies, for example software and electronic messaging that facilitate the management of work with security and speed, as well as systems which subsequently lead to the smooth running of the business. As a result, people no longer have to see each other to work together thanks to all these means of networking. But there are still some obscure points which can hinder the proper use of these tools made available, and that physical contact is still important, for example emails are useful, but used wrongly or improperly, therefore they can become completely useless, so they can produce information overload, blurring the boundaries between work and non-work, a feeling of isolation.  Besides, a strong use of technology destroys interpersonal relationships and can be a source of stress, without forgetting their impacts on health such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

Nowadays, digital transformation has several effects on human practices, habits and behavior. It consists of developing new information and communication technologies, and helps the companies to bring innovative working methods and tools. In this sense, the telecommuting is one of this digital revolution’s benefits. It is an organizational working way, which allows the employee, but also the company, to gain in terms of time, efficiency, flexibility and, above all, productivity. In other words, by telecommuting, the employee can exercise remotely his/her missions, relaying on new technological working methods. In the context of Coronavirus, companies operating in several business sectors use this practice to work online without moving to the workplace. It also aims at limiting the spread of the virus by avoiding the human direct contact. However, the adaptation with this new working method seems difficult, because it’s available only for the service sector, while the industrial one remains incompatible with the telecommuting. Moreover, this practice can in some cases demotivate employees, decrease the feeling of belonging to the company and degrades the collective projects. All these elements impact negatively the development of the employee’s career and productivity in the company.

Cross-cultural business communication

In a professional world, cross-cultural management can be benefic for the business communication of the company facing the globalized world, and a good company is a company that knows where to include technology in negotiating and when to be there as a person, this can affect its sales figures positively, knowing that a successful transaction only in Europe is different from a country to another, in France for example, highlighting the concept, that is to say the originality, the history and the innovative character of the product, is an effective way to sell a product, because the relational and the emotional aspect are decisive in the conclusion of a sale. But in Germany, it’s totally the opposite; it is the sales pitch and the quality of the product and the service that prevail. To sell effectively in Germany, you must not neglect to provide the customer with additional information such as: market trends, competition, the technical presentation of the product; the salesperson who wants to sell in Germany is therefore not in a seductive approach like in France, but puts forward rational and verifiable arguments, by putting forward the quality of the product above all. In addition, for a company that is interested in dealing with other countries, it should take into consideration the cross-cultural factors, like in United States, it is recommended to be punctual, meet deadlines, to always get straight to the point, to be efficient and honest in the negotiation process. Americans are, however, adept at small talk in order to create a relaxed working atmosphere, so do not hesitate to maintain these informal exchanges while minimizing physical contact, which Americans generally do not appreciate.

But in China, trust founded relations are really important to make different transactions with Chinese population, it is essential never to lose face of your Chinese partners when you want to sell effectively in China, it means never show a position of weakness or shame. Moving to Russia, it may be relevant to take into account certain well-marked cultural traits: Adopt an informal tone, sometimes be theatrical and accentuate your emotions, do not interrupt your interlocutor and ask questions at the end of the negotiation, do not use the term “compromise” (synonymous with defeat, for the Russians) accept invitations to dinner or to the Sauna, bring a gift on first contact.

In conclusion, communication is the most important element in business, it is critical to the success of each organization. Without strong communication, businesses will face significant problems. This is especially true in today’s business environment. The organizational structures and cultures are changing, and this has added a new dimension to the challenges organizations face with communication. Communicating within the global economy has an impact on the business communication and the workplace, so the use of technical communication tools has become necessary. This is especially in our current situation.

Authors

• MOUSSAFIR Hakima
• SIDKI Mounia
• KAIZAR Chaimae
• N’AITOBRAH Youssef
• KRIMI BENCHEQROUN Chaimaa

Resources

1. https://owl-ge.ch/travaux-d-eleves/2011-2012/article/impact-des-nouvelles-technologies-sur-l-entreprise
2. https://magajo.com/limpact-nouvelles-technologies-lentreprise/
3. https://lematin.ma/journal/2019/teletravail-mal-decoller-maroc/318615.html
4. https://www.communicaid.fr/blog/formation-interculturelle/vendre-a-travers-les-cultures/
5. http://jrnledcompresearch.com/technology-and-its-impact-in-business-communication/