CapTech Trends

How can AI help overcome business challenges and enhance customer experiences? Join us as host Vinnie Schoenfelder, CapTech Principal, Strategic Innovation, Brian Bischoff, CapTech CTO, and Bree Basham, CapTech CX Lead, discuss CapTech's annual tech trends and what 2025 has in store for organizations and customers. Tune in to hear: Why agentic AI in automation mattersHow AI-powered data accelerators work When hyper-personalized customer loyalty becomes crucialWhy modernization with AI is essential

Listen in as we discuss how CapTech's Annual Consumer AI Study findings have evolved. Brian Bischoff, a CapTech Principal leading our Practice Areas & Services, and Elliott Hartz, a Senior Consultant in our CX practice, join Vinnie for a discussion around what's changed, what's surprised them, and how organizations can positively adopt AI technologies for their customers. Over half of consumers are willing to pay a monthly fee for enhanced AI-powered benefits.The shift from simply "trying out" AI to demonstrating clear ROI from AI initiatives.Generative AI's widespread adoption in both personal and professional settings.

In this episode, Gaby Olivera, Customer Experience Senior Consultant, and Reid Baswell, Technical Director, join Vinnie to discuss multilingualism in conversation design, and how prioritizing this customer experience leads to enhanced brand loyalty.Tune in to hear more about:  How 76% of online shoppers prefer to buy products with information in their native language.Why language is no longer limited to written word; brands should consider how emojis, GIFs, memes, audio, pronouns, and color translate across languages. Incorporating multilingualism early into your design considerations to save time and resources. How AI can accelerate the process — but a human touch is still required.The technical underpinnings of internationalization, including locale codes and responsive design.

In this episode, CapTech CTO, Vinnie Schoenfelder is joined by Technical Director, Shannon Flowerday (Customer Experience), Manager, Carrie Ryan (Customer Experience), and Principal, Jon Bradway (Sports & Media) to discuss how integrating data into your customer experience strategies can grow brand loyalty and increase revenue for your organization.Tune in to hear more about:How a “Did You Forget?” online ordering feature resulted in an extra $10M per year for one manufacturing company.Consumers are willing to share their data if there is a clear benefit brought to them with said data.How personalized notifications achieved a 4x increase in engagement vs. standard notifications. For consumers, if the basic tasks they need to do are hard, they have no interest in spending more time with that brand.The “first quarter problem” sports organizations are facing and how data-driven customer experience can help solve this and influence fan behavior.

In this episode, CapTech CTO, Vinnie Schoenfelder is joined by CX Manager, Carrie Ryan and Systems Integration Director Kevin Vaughan to discuss the increasing expectations consumers have around innovation and how they are more accepting of AI in their daily lives. Tune in to hear more about:  How to strike the balance between the user experience and product usability vs. being innovative for innovation's sake. Compared to last year, consumers are more willing to share data because they're aware of the benefits AI provides for personalization, efficiency, and more.  The key to integrating AI into the daily lives of consumers is to understand their customers and their needs.  If your company's innovation cycle is too slow to release, companies that are leaning heavily into AI will surpass you quickly.  

Given an automation mandate in 2021, MNX, a time-critical logistics company, started their AI journey with CapTech to focus on operational precision and efficiency. Tim Kutz, CIO of MNX Global Logistics, joins Managing Director Michelle Meyer, and CTO Vinnie Schoenfelder to discuss the swift adoption of AI over the past 15 months.Tune in to hear:“If you don't have good data you're done.”The importance of having a tight team of business and IT folks on your team.Creating an adaptable culture when navigating the inevitable uncertainty of AI.Moving from operational AI goals to customer experience AI goals in 2024.“People hear AI on the news and TV and think it's this is a daunting thing. It's not. It's something new, like cloud or anything else you need to understand and get the right people to help you. But it is moving so fast.” – Tim Kutz, MNX CIO

In this episode, we are joined by leaders from rvatech/: Nick Serfass,  rvatech/ CEO Todd Dube, rvatech/ Data + AI Summit Co-Chair, Analytics and AI leader at CarMaxMegan Holt,  rvatech/ board member, CapTech Managing Director rvatech/ is a technology trade organization focused on igniting the growth of the technology sector and the technology community within the greater Richmond, Virginia region.Tune in as we discuss the upcoming rvatech/ Data and AI conference, practical technology applications and career opportunities. Register for the rvatech/ Data + AI Summit on March 28, 2024 here. 

In this special edition episode of CapTech Trends, guest co-hosts and CapTech AI leaders Brian Bischoff and Jason Snook are joined by Ajit Mandgi, the Director of Analytics at Dominion Energy, and Paul Brooks, Professor and Chair in the Department of Information Systems at VCU School of Business.  Tune in to learn how AI is impacting various industries and gain helpful insights to navigate the future as this technology continues to evolve. In this panel discussion we cover:  How ChatGPT has impacted higher education and how educators have quickly adapted their teaching strategies.The transformational impact generative AI has had on the energy and utilities industry.The responsibility of leaders to help organizations embrace and navigate AI - and keep up the momentum.What the AI transformation will look like in the next few years.

AI is a once-in-a-lifetime technology advancement and it's here to stay - so what does that mean for your business and how do you get started? Listen in as Vinnie chats with CapTech AI leads, Fellow Jason Snook, and CX Director LesLea Carey and we discuss: Consumers are expecting AI, so how will you meet that need in 2024? AI is more than ChatGPT - the endless AI use cases include dynamic pricing, personalization, automation, anomaly detection, and more. Why you should move now and how to push past the analysis paralysis and unknowns. Excellent AI examples from Walmart and Dominos.

Tune in to our latest episode as Principals Vinnie Schoenfelder, Bree Basham, and Brian Bischoff discuss the three key trends we see in the evolving landscape of technology and consumer interaction. The use of Generative AI for authentic human-like interactionsCreating winning customer experiences through immersive and frictionless technologies The race to capture consumer loyalty by merging digital and physical elements of technology advancements Links:Read the full articleCapTech AI Consumer Study

How do consumers really feel about AI? In this episode of CapTech Trends, CapTech CTO Vinnie Schoenfelder, discusses the findings of CapTech's AI study, with CapTech Fellow Jason Snook and CapTech Manager Carrie Ryan. Tune in as we cover: Surprising findings that challenged our hypothesis How AI is deeply integrated into building brand loyalty The future of AI and the consumer    Read the full study here. 

A discussion with Dominion Energy. In this episode of CapTech Trends, we speak with Les Carter, Strategic Advisor for Grid Resiliency at Dominion Energy. Les, affectionately referred to as "The Godfather of Undergrounding" discusses how the new VISTAR(SM) app developed by CapTech is helping change how they approach undergrounding efforts and the adoption of emerging technologies.  Listen in as we discuss: How the decision to introduce AR positively disrupted Dominion Energy's outlook on emerging technologies.Key advantages and challenges to using VISTAR for undergrounding.Advice for leaders who are incorporating AR and emerging tech into their companies. How to increase tech adoption both internally and with customers. Learn more about VISTAR: https://www.captechconsulting.com/solutions/vistar   The VISTAR app is now available for download on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vistar-by-captech/id6449709614 

In this special edition episode of CapTech Trends, Vinnie Schoenfelder hosts a conversation about sports technology with two special guests: Armando Bacot, UNC-Chapel Hill basketball player, and Roberto Castro, a former PGA TOUR golfer and leader in CapTech's sports technology practice.  Tune in as we discuss:  NIL: The impact of NIL (name, image, likeness) and how it can create opportunities to learn from business leaders. Sports Technology: The intersection of sports, technology, and business, and how this data can enhance an athlete's performance and fan engagement. Armando: Armando's plans for the future as he enters his fifth year at UNC and MBA program.

In this episode of CapTech Trends, CapTech CTO, Vinnie Schoenfelder discusses passkeys, the first step towards a frictionless password future, with Fellow, Mark Badger and Senior Consultant, Andrew Levy. Listen in as we discuss:The brand advantages to being a passkey early adaptor How passkeys can both improve user experience and add security The consumer expectations around the scalability of passkeys Resources referenced in this episode: CapTech Passkey Article: The Password-less Future Is Closer Than You ThinkRIP, Passwords. Here's What's Coming Next.FIDO Alliance

Tune in to learn about our findings from our third annual Consumer Innovation survey. Bree Basham, Principal and CapTech's Customer Experience (CX) lead, discusses the key takeaways for brands to consider as we move through 2023. Brand loyalty: The race for customer loyalty is tight. How do brands find customers where they are, and best engage them?Emerging technologies: How can brands meet customer expectations around AR, VR, and the Metaverse?Gen Z: All eyes are on Gen Z, and this consumer group is looking to purchase from companies prioritizing innovation. Read the full survey findings: 2022 Consumer Innovation Survey 

Are you getting value from the data that you have? Listen in as Vinnie chats with Andrew Novokhatny about moving from traditional to advanced analytics. Andrew is a data and analytics expert and healthcare analytics professor at UNC Chapel Hill.  Tune in as we discuss: Pivoting into forecasting and making predictions using your data Don't forget the change management part of the equation How high-performing companies are using their dataHealthcare use cases in the fraud, waste, and abuse domain 

Join us as Vinnie chats with Leighann Hughart, Senior Manager in management consulting and an organizational change management (OCM) expert. Tune in as we discuss: Debunking common myths about change managementWhy your OCM and customer experience teams are better together Supporting enterprise-wide product adoption with user-centered change management

In this episode, CapTech Technical Director, Cameron Snapp joins Vinnie to dig deeper into data transformation, the importance of data-sharing, and what's new in the landscape. Listen in as we dig into:Why understanding your data sources and communicating what happens to them, is important for the future. How third-party tools that sit in your data pipelines can make it easier to retrieve the data you need. The value of data democratization across an organization.Observing the shift of responsibility from building pipelines to now educating about them.

Last month, we announced our latest in sports innovation, PinPoint Challenge™ powered by our proprietary ShotLander® technology. In this episode, we dig deeper into the business strategy, development, and technology behind the PinPoint Challenge with systems integration director, Clinton Teegarden, and director in our sports practice and former PGA TOUR player, Roberto Castro.  In this episode we cover: How the ShotLander technology democratizes golf tech outside of professional leaguesWhy the future of ShotLander will extend beyond golf and into other sports and industries How leveraging each of our practice areas in product development made for a better user experience The technology behind PinPoint Challenge CapTech Sports Experiences: https://www.captechconsulting.com/sportsCourse Record Show Podcast: https://courserecordshow.com/

In this episode of CapTech Trends, CapTech CTO, Vinnie Schoenfelder discusses how to become a thought leader with CapTech Technical Director, Mark Broksi. Mark is passionate about fostering academic growth (from his previous experience as a university educator) and in his current role in consulting. Listen to this inspiring episode as we discuss:  The difference between a thought leader and a subject matter expert.  How you can make the conscious choice to develop your skills and become a thought leader.Why becoming a successful thought leader requires being uncomfortable and taking risks.Why there is not a single thought leader archetype.The common traits and patterns of behavior among successful thought leaders.How organizations can embrace the development of thought leaders through their company culture.  Books referenced in this episode: The Scout Mindset: Why Some People See Things Clearly and Others Don't by Julia GalefPeak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson

In this episode of CapTech Trends, we dig deeper into hyperautomation, one of our four 2022 Tech Trends. Our host, Vinnie Schoenfelder, and CapTech fellow Bill Klos discuss how hyperautomation technology is preparing organizations for the next frontier of digital transformation. Listen in as we discuss: The differences between automation and hyperautomationThe factors that are causing companies to take hyperautomation more seriouslyHow to identify the feature flags within the development process The required top-down and bottom-up decision-making discussions

In this episode of CapTech Trends, we dig deeper into one of our four 2022 Tech Trends about microchannels. Vinnie and CapTech Agile Director, Brian Hardwick, chat about how the user experience has evolved from multichannel to omnichannel, and now to microchannels, and how these small channels can have a big impact on the overall user experience. Listen in as we dig into both the technology and branding essentials, including: Microchannels mean more opportunities for data to inform your long-term strategy. Speed to market matters. When adding a new microchannel, focus on getting an MVP to market and let the data inform your next steps. Why a unified brand experience is important across all channels - even third-party vendors. The importance of accessibility and inclusivity in your long-term channel strategy.

In this episode of CapTech Trends, we dig deeper into the first of our four 2022 Tech Trends about the cloud and productivity. Cloud SME Mike Diiorio and Vinnie discuss the ways in which a move to the cloud is a culture change and requires organizational buy-in, communication with your teams, and a long-term cloud strategy. Listen in as we cover the following hot-button topics in cloud adoption today:Why your priority should be creating a long-term cloud strategy and gaining buy-in across the entire organization.Addressing the skills gap in migration efforts - making sure your people understand what cloud adoption means for their jobs and creating opportunities for continual learning.Why multi-cloud split models are becoming the preferred model and how cloud vendors are adapting. If you're starting from scratch, having a cloud advocate or two can help lead the way and train teams through adoption. Why the lift and shift approach can turn into a worst-case scenario. 

In this episode, we bring Calli Rogers, director in our data and analytics practice, back by popular demand. Listen in as we dig deeper into metadata-driven ingestion and discuss topics such as:Why Python is the preferred language in the analytics space.The importance of having a full-time role in data governance.Trivia: Why is our data butler named Alfred?

In this episode of CapTech Trends, we dig deeper into our 2022 Tech Trends with data expert Michael Fitchko. This episode is rich with case studies and advice on how to grow your data productization efforts, whether you're just starting or have a mature architecture.  Listen to learn more about: Why the relationship between your data and your company's vision is important to success. Getting started with trusted data, not perfect data.Shift from looking forward, not backward, with mature data.Two case studies: one on how data cleansing led to an improved user experience, and another on how data productization prevented employee attrition.

In this episode, Vinnie talks with Clinton Teegarden, a Director in CapTech's System Integration practice, about what companies can do today to successfully prepare for the metaverse. Listen to learn more about: Why it's important to understand crypto now.How to start thinking about unique customer experiences without the constraints of a physical store. How the metaverse is creating completely new opportunities, particularly in banking and financial institutions. 

In this special edition of CapTech Trends, Vinnie chats live with one of CapTech's data leaders, Arjun Baradwaj, about how companies can expertly leverage their data as a revenue stream through data productization.

Has consumer behavior returned to “pre-covid-19” norms? In this episode of CapTech Trends, Vinnie Schoenfelder chats with CX Principal Bree Basham about our 2021 consumer study which looks at consumers' perceptions, behavior and technology usage. This annual study, started in 2020 during the pandemic, shows how customer expectations have shifted and how brands must emphasize innovation and inclusion to keep up with their customers. Listen to learn more about: How accessibility has become influential on purchasing decisions.  Why brands must shift from omnichannel to microchannel interactions post-pandemic. How digital savviness has increased since the pandemic with customers expecting convenience and ease of experience. How consumers are willing to share personal data in exchange for discounts, perks, and convenience. 

In this episode of CapTech Trends, Vinnie chats about the future of machine learning with data engineering director Calli Rogers. Listen to learn more about: ·      Why bias is inherent in data science and machine learning·      What the future looks like for machine learning·      Why it's important to know your specific industry – in addition to the math and statistics – to be successful

Your data is the most powerful data set that exists on the planet today. Should you have control over and own your own data? In this episode, Vinnie Schoenfelder welcomes mePrism CEO Tom Daly and CapTech co-CEO Steve Holdych to discuss data privacy and its value to both the consumer and companies. Topics covered include:  Understanding how your data is being used and how the magic of technology can be distracting. Why compliance and full transparency with consumer data is critical to brand affinity. How the mass scale of sharing data influences purchasing behaviors. For more information on mePrism: https://www.meprism.com/ 

Featuring ARtGlass CEO Greg Werkheiser, this CapTech Trends episode discusses how ARtglass, a Richmond, VA based company, is bringing cultural sites like Pompeii, George Washington's Mount Vernon, and Madame Tussaud's to life through an immersive Augmented Reality wearable. Introducing this technology into museums and historical sites not only leaves people entertained, but also provides an emotional and intellectual experience. Learn more about ARtglass: https://artglassgroup.com/

In this episode, our CTO Vinnie Schoenfelder speaks with Jack Cox, Ryan Tarrant, and Brian Bischoff about how innovation challenges are great for employee morale and skills development. And if the focus is on true intellectual curiosity, the potential can extend beyond internal benefits. We’ve seen the solutions from our innovation challenges translate into new solutions that help our clients solve business challenges – and impact our bottom line. Learn more about fostering a culture of innovation through innovation challenges, including:  How to emphasize innovation and intellectual curiosity.The importance of recognizing the people that participate. The value of keeping innovation challenges broad and open.

In this episode of CapTech Trends, CapTech CTO Vinnie Schodenfelder chats with CX Principal Bree Basham, and Senior Manager Kevin Vaughan about how to invest time and resources in innovation post-COVID-19. What you'll hear Businesses are identifying and quickly addressing new opportunities that are being created due to COVID-19. Customer expectations are changing and they are redefining what brand loyalty means to them. Recommendations on how to look ahead and adapt quickly with innovation in mind.Suggestions for embracing the "fail fast" approach authentically. 

As customer demand has increased, organizations need to see more clearly the where the holes are that jeopardize brand loyalty among competitors. In turn, companies must have better line of sight into how to capture more market share during times of disruption. In 2020, smart companies understood, almost immediately, that customers were adopting new technologies, prioritizing safety, and expecting value—and that they were willing to change their shopping behaviors to meet these shifting needs. The stage is set for 2021 to be the year of acceleration. Trends of the last few years are still relevant, but companies that have embarked on upgrading their technology strategy must now master it. To be successful in 2021, organizations must elevate the significance of and invest in technology with advanced architecture, strategy and implementation. Learn more about the year of acceleration in this podcast.

If your organization is new to Machine Learning (ML), there are some best practices and common pitfalls you must be aware of. Often, organizations become interested in the promise of ML, or they want to play catch-up with their competitors, and they decide that it’s time to adopt ML too. But it’s not something that happens just because you want it. Often, leaders don’t know what problems ML can solve for or how to make the right business case to reach great results. To be successful, you must first build a strong core team comprised of the right cross functional talent who know the best practices to follow and pitfalls to avoid. In this podcast, Vinnie Schoenfelder, Tom Estella and Ramon Matos dive in on the details of making your new ML initiatives work, and yield powerful results.

We’ve long been following Augmented Realtiy (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) and predicted that AR would outpace VR. So far that seems to be coming true. What’s interesting is that AR came about in the 1960s but went nowhere quickly because it wasn’t viable – until mobile came along and now it’s caught like wildfire. Why? Unlike VR, which is still pretty niche and expensive for hobbyists and architects, the cost of entry is next to $0. The ease of access and use makes it available to just about everyone with a mobile phone. With AR available at the finger tips of a large majority of Americans, where do we see it going next? What have companies gotten right and what have they gotten wrong? Listen to this podcast to explore the future of AR with us.

A Hothouse is an Agile innovation method that combines principals of Lean & Design Thinking to solve complicated or gnarly business problems - sometime in day, sometimes in a couple of days. Hothouses involve truly understanding the problem, and then getting the right people into a room for a highly collaborative, cross functional, and flexible working session that yields impactful, actionable outcomes. Listen to this podcast to learn more about what Hothouses are and what you can expect to achieve out of them, why they’re an important and effective approach for solving tough challenges, and how you can ensure your Hothouse is successful.

Creating more diversity in the world of Technology will only result in a stronger, more impactful future for computer science. Black Girls Code fills a critical gap by motivating and teaching black girls to embrace the techie within and find joy with a future career in STEM. Crystal Harris joins this podcast along with Mylon Blueford to talk about the amazing things Black Girls Code has done for girls everywhere and everything they'll continue to do to transform what's possible in so many lives.

Accessibility software and hardware, as well as the approaches and patterns that can be applied to software development, enables the use of computing technology for those who are disabled or impaired. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 (WCAG) will be released much sooner than the previous release and organizations need to be ready to implement new changes. But organizations shouldn’t view web accessibility only as another compliance requirement. Accessible organizations also have opportunities to maximize their customer base, achieve more effective SEO, reduce legal risk, support future populations in need, and bolster brand loyalty. In this podcast, specialists from our Customer Experience practice dive deeper into how strong accessibility strategies can help organizations reap rewards beyond compliance.

In this episode, CapTech technical thought leaders demystify the difference between artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The many applications of machine learning that propel vastly different industries are explored, along with the recent advancements in ML that are generating more interest than ever before. And since no technology comes without challenges, our experts discuss recommendations on ways to combat potential complications so that organizations can win in curves in this critical time of innovation.

CapTech Customer Experience (CX) researchers explore the findings of two recently conducted CapTech survey studies to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on financial services customers. This research provides insights into customers’ financial decisions, attitudes toward future habits, and perception of their financial institution’s response to the pandemic. Our speakers share key insights and recommendations to help financial institutions better engage with customers and identify opportunities in our “new normal” environment.

CapTech Customer Experience (CX) expert, Jason Snook, PhD, takes a deep dive into the history, current landscape, and applications of conversational technologies and how these play into the rapidly changing business dynamic with COVID-19. Our thought leaders explore how companies can leverage chat bots, text bots, natural language processing, and other technologies to provide value to their customers, especially in our current contactless and remote environment.

CapTech technical experts discuss enterprise architecture and where it performs best within an organization. As middle-tier technologies have shifted from monolithic tools and frameworks to more lightweight, containerized, and server-less environments, a similar movement has also occurred in enterprise architecture. Formally centralized enterprise architects have now migrated to be distributed architects working within functional teams. Our thought leaders discuss the pain points and dysfunction of both approaches and suggest methods for taking a middle pendulum approach to achieve the best results.

Dr. David Sprick from the Kansas Department of Labor’s Division of Workers’ Compensation joins CapTech thought leaders for a discussion on how the COVID-19 pandemic has presented a number of challenges for state and local agencies. Our speakers highlight opportunities for agencies to leverage private sector best practices to modernize, enhance the citizen experience, and create efficiencies that decrease expenses and generate new sources of revenue.

CapTech Agile Coaches discuss how to run an effective remote standup meeting amidst the unique circumstances of COVID-19. The speakers share how teams, both familiar and new to daily standups, can find their groove and improve standup meetings in this virtual environment.

As the global pandemic continues, CapTech thought leaders dive deeper into what makes a high-preforming team effective, especially while delivering remotely. The speakers share agile principles, best practices, and immediate changes that can be made to support teams amidst this new environment.

CapTech thought leaders provide advice on how to continue successful delivery during the global pandemic. The speakers share best practices for building resilient teams, fostering consistent delivery, and preparing for the future.