Mark Smith's Analyst Perspectives

About the Analyst

Mark Smith

Mark is responsible for the overall direction of Ventana Research and drives the global research agenda covering both business and technology areas. He defined the blueprint for Information Management and Performance Management as the linking together of people, processes, information and technology across organizations to drive effective results. Mark is an expert in technology for business from Performance Management, Business Intelligence, Analytics to Information Management across finance, operations and IT. Mark has held CMO, product development and research roles at companies such as SAP, META Group, Oracle and IRI Software. He has experience across major industries including banking, consumer products, food and beverage, insurance, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and retail and consumer services.


Recent Posts

Product Experience Management Value Index Classifies and Rates Vendors

Posted by Mark Smith on Mar 14, 2023 3:00:00 AM

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Value Index research, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research Value Index: Product Experience Management 2023 is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal to vendors supporting the spectrum of product experience management and supporting product information management. Using this methodology, we evaluated vendor submissions in seven categories: five relevant to the product experience Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability and Usability and two related to the customer experience TCO/ROI and Validation. 

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Topics: Marketing, Product Information Management, Operations & Supply Chain

Product Experience Management Requires Next-Gen Digital Technology

Posted by Mark Smith on Mar 10, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Having just completed the 2023 Ventana Research Value Index for Product Experience Management, I want to share some of my observations about how the market has advanced over the last two years. The product information management software market is quite mature and products from any of the vendors we assess could be used to effectively deliver information to help your organization improve its operations. But as we established the definition of product experience management (PXM), the requirements for experiences to external parties—from consumers to customers and from partners to suppliers—places new requirements on vendors to meet an expanded set of requirements for organizations and expectations. 

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Topics: Marketing, Product Information Management, Operations & Supply Chain

Product Experience Management Market Requires Digital and Processes Excellence

Posted by Mark Smith on Mar 9, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Having just completed the 2023 Ventana Research Value Index for Product Experience Management, I want to share some of my observations about how the market has advanced over the last two years. The product information management software (PIM) market is quite mature and products from any of the vendors we assessed can be used to effectively deliver information to help your organization improve its operations. But as we established the definition of product experience management (PXM), the requirements for experiences to a range of external parties including consumers, customers, partners and suppliers, places new requirements on vendors to meet an expanded set of needs for organizations and expectations.

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Topics: Marketing, Product Information Management, Operations & Supply Chain

Digital Business Market Agenda for 2023: Effectiveness and Engagement

Posted by Mark Smith on Jan 25, 2023 3:00:00 AM

With Ventana Research’s 2023 Market Agenda, we continue the guidance we’ve offered for two decades to help organizations derive maximum value from digital business technology investments. Through our market research and expertise, we identify trends and best practices and share insights on how to achieve technological effectiveness, particularly in key processes and systems to engage the workforce.

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Topics: Performance Management, Business Continuity, Digital transformation, Digital Business, Digital Security, Digital Communications, Work Management, Experience Management, Governance & Risk, Sustainability & ESG

2023 Market Agenda: Digitalization Evolves for Business Revitalization

Posted by Mark Smith on Jan 6, 2023 3:00:00 AM

Ventana Research has announced its market agenda for 2023, continuing a 20-year tradition of credibility and trust in our objective efforts to educate and guide the technology market. Our research and insights are backed by our expertise and independence, as we do not share our Market Agenda or our market research – including analyst and market perspectives – with any external party before it is published. We continuously refine our Market Agenda throughout the year to ensure we offer the expertise and insights organizations rely on to better assess and navigate the direction of the technology industry.

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Topics: Customer Experience, Human Capital Management, Marketing, Office of Finance, Analytics, Data, Digital Technology, Operations & Supply Chain, Digital Business, Office of Revenue

Pyramid Analytics Expands Decision Intelligence Across the Organization

Posted by Mark Smith on Dec 30, 2022 3:00:00 AM

In today’s organization, the myriad of analytics and permutations of dashboards challenge workers’ ability to take contextual actions efficiently. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom for investing in analytics does not recognize the benefits of empowering the workforce to understand the situation, examine options and work together to make the best possible decision.

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Topics: business intelligence, Analytics, Data, Digital Technology, AI and Machine Learning, Digital Business, Analytics and Data, Analytic Data Platforms

Moovila Manages Work for Digital Business

Posted by Mark Smith on Dec 29, 2022 3:00:00 AM

The management of work is a focal point for every organization that has people and resources directed to accomplish the smallest to largest of tasks. But many organizations are not easily able to manage complex activities because the details of how people are assigned and complete work are not as simple as they should be. Traditional project management methods and technologies have failed to work in an enterprise manner, so new approaches have emerged to meet today’s challenges. The essence of work management is to ensure the automation and intelligence afforded by the technology industry is infused in how organizations operate, as outlined in my perspective.

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Topics: Digital Business, Work Management

The Business and Technology Trends for 2023 and Beyond

Posted by Mark Smith on Dec 13, 2022 3:00:00 AM

The technology industry has established itself as a pivotal force in its ability to help organizations become more intelligent and automated. But doing so has required a journey of epic proportions for most organizations that have had to endure a transition of competencies and skills that was, in many places, transitioned to consulting firms who were hired appropriately to manage changes. Unfortunately, this step led, in many cases, to an extended focus on digital transformation rather than the necessary modernization of business processes and technology. Through 2024, after concerted investment into digital transformation, one-half of organizations will require a new digital business and technology agenda for organizational resilience.

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Topics: Customer Experience, Human Capital Management, Marketing, Office of Finance, Analytics, Data, Digital Technology, Operations & Supply Chain, Digital Business, Office of Revenue

NICE Elevates Power of Customer Experiences

Posted by Mark Smith on Nov 2, 2022 3:00:00 AM

Pressures to engage consumers through every interaction and provide a delightful customer experience are influencing advancements in business and technology. Organizations are challenged to manage friction points experienced by billions of consumers amid expanding digital channels. These issues must be addressed to engage and respond to customers every second of the day.

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Topics: Customer Experience, Contact Center, agent management, Digital Business

The Workforce Management Value Index Assesses Technology Vendors

Posted by Mark Smith on Feb 7, 2022 3:00:00 AM

I am happy to share insights gleaned from our latest Value Index research, an assessment of how well vendors’ offerings meet buyers’ requirements. The Ventana Research Value Index: Workforce Management 2022 is the distillation of a year of market and product research by Ventana Research. Drawing on our Benchmark Research, we apply a structured methodology built on evaluation categories that reflect the real-world criteria incorporated in a request for proposal to workforce management vendors supporting the spectrum of these requirements. Using this methodology, we evaluated vendor submissions in seven categories: five relevant to the product experience ﹘ Adaptability, Capability, Manageability, Reliability and Usability ﹘ and two related to the customer experience ﹘ Total Cost of Ownership/Return on Investment and Vendor Validation.

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Topics: Human Capital Management, Learning Management, Talent Management, Workforce Management, Payroll Management, Total Compensation Management, employee experience