#amazon inventory management software development

[mosylufanfic]

Holding Out for a Hero

I’m so proud of myself, I finished a 12 Days of Killervibe prompt at the last minute!

Holding Out for a Hero

Caitlin pinched the bridge of her nose, breathing out against the burn in her eyes. No matter how she juggled the numbers, they always came out red in the end.

"Dammit, Daddy," she muttered.

The bell over the door jingled, and she jerked her head up, pasting a bright retail smile on her face. "Welcome to Jack Frost Toys!" she called out, quickly minimizing the accounting software. "Are you looking for anything specific?"

Usually they weren't. Usually, they came in, wandered around a little bit, and left. If she was lucky, they bought something before they left.

But the man standing just inside the door, snow dusting his hat and shoulders, said, "Yeah, please, I'm begging you. You're my only hope."

She cocked her head and guessed, "A . . . Star Wars toy?" There wasn't any particularly hot Star Wars toy this year that she was aware of, and she followed every toy blog and website she could find. 

He laughed, tugging his gloves off and shoving them in his pocket. "No, just a desperate nerd looking for a Puffy Penguin. My niece is three and she watches the show on repeat. I know Leo Lion is like the hot toy this year, but Maya knows what she wants. For her it's Puffy or nothin', and I couldn't tell if you had any from your website so I came down here just in case and please?" He widened his eyes at her. "Please."

Her heart melted. One of the best things about this store was seeing children find their new best friend. Second on that list was adults who cared enough about the children in their life that they moved heaven and earth to find, not just the latest hottest toy, but the toy that was just right.

She slid off her stool. "I've got some ZooFriends toys right over here. We're sold out of Leo, of course -" Everywhere was sold out of Leo. "But I've got Puffy in a variety of styles."

"Oh my god," he breathed, snatching a Puffy Penguin stuffie off the shelf and holding it as if it were the Holy Grail. "You've got them all. Elly and Slowpoke and Skyhigh - " He stared at the elephant, sloth, and giraffe toys lined up next to the penguins.

She smiled brightly. "Now this one says phrases from the show, but this one is a lot huggier if you ask me -"

"I'll take them both," he said, grabbing the talking Puffy. "Holy shit. Nowhere has ZooFriends anymore. How do you?"

She bit her lip. "Lucky, I guess." She stepped away and grabbed one of the plastic hand baskets printed with the store logo. "Would you like a basket?"

He took it. "Really? Because it's three in the afternoon on the first Saturday of December. A toy store should be wall-to-wall. Where is everybody?"

She turned away. "Amazon," she said. "Walmart. Websites, chain stores -" She shrugged and tried to laugh. "The plight of the modern small business owner. Is there anything else I can help you find?"

"I'll keep looking around," he said, studying the shelf. "So you're the owner?"

She nodded. "This store has been in my family for five generations."

He almost dropped the basket. "Five - Did they even have toys that long ago?"

"Oh, toys have been around as long as humans have had childhood! Did you know they've found marbles in Egyptian tombs? And dolls in archaeological digs. Toys are how children learn about the world, and how they start to decide their identities and practice interactions with others! They . . ." She trailed off, blushing. "Sorry, my major was psychology and I did my senior thesis on the role of play in early childhood development."

He held up a hand. "Hey, I'm the last person to shame anybody for nerding out. That's pretty awesome. You're in the right business."

"For right now, anyway," she murmured. 

"What?"

She smiled brightly. "I don't suppose you have any more nieces or nephews that need Christmas presents?"

He studied her for a moment. "Do you have any action figures?"

"Collectible or to play with?"

"Collectible?" he said hopefully.

She led him down the aisle and to the back wall. His eyes went wide. "Oh my god, you've got Max Mercury, black series." He grabbed it off the wall. "And Brainiac? This is a great section!"

She smiled. "My dad invested in these because he was hoping to bring in the collectors."

"Well, he made good choices." He picked the Braniac from its spot and turned it over in his hands, studying it closely. 

She left him to it and went back to the counter. She didn't feel like agonizing over the accounts when he was still here, so she cleaned the counter, dusted the book corner, and rearranged the ZooFriends shelf to fill in the empty spots he'd left when he took the two Puffy toys.

After half an hour, he came up to the counter with an overflowing basket, most of it action figures. With her heart singing the song of small business owners, she scanned them briskly.  His purchases came out to well over two hundred dollars. It was a drop in the bucket of her costs, of course, but it was a bigger drop than most. 

He handed her his credit card without a wince. When she ran it, his name popped up on her screen. She handed it back with the receipt. "Here you go, Mr. Ramon."

"Cisco," he said. "Please. Mr. Ramon is my pop."

"Cisco," she said. "I can wrap these if you want."

"Just the Puffys," he said. "The action figures are for me."

She grinned at him and selected a print of happy reindeer to wrap the stuffed animals. "Naturally."

He laughed self-consciously. "I'm not sure whether to be insulted or not. I promise I'm a grown-up man."

"Of course you are," she said, hands busily folding and taping. A really nicely grown-up man, too. She battled back her blush and hoped he hadn't noticed. "But I'll never look down on any adult who still likes toys."

"Well, sure, that's a good hundred and fifty dollars of my total."

"There's that," she acknowledged, setting aside the first perfectly wrapped box and picking up the second.  "But toys are important to children's imaginations. And children grow into adults, who still need their imaginations." She nodded at the Max Mercury he held. "I don't think any of us ever really outgrow the desire to be someone's hero."

"Well," he said, "you're my hero today."

She met his eyes and felt the blush rise again. "Thank you."

He grinned and accepted the bag with the two wrapped presents inside. "And come Christmas morning, I'll be Maya's hero."

She smiled. "She's lucky to have an uncle doing his best to find her the perfect present. I'm glad you came by today."

"Yeah, well, it was coming out here or spending a hundred and seventy-five dollars on eBay and hoping like hell it made it here in time." He fiddled with his wallet. "I really don't mean to be that guy, but your website is . . ."

Her face went hot and she made a business of putting away the scissors and the tape and rolling up the rest of the wrapping paper. "Archaic?"

"I was going to say behind the times," he said tactfully. "If you had web ordering, you'd be sold out of ZooFriends and a whole bunch of other stuff."

"I know," she said. "But I really haven't had the time to get a good system set up since I took over the store. I need inventory software that integrates with ecommerce and for that I need technical skills, money, and time, and I don't have any of those."

He leaned on the counter. "You don't have to tell me, but how did it get this bad? You clearly love this place and I really don't feel like you would have let it fall behind like this if you had a choice."

She chewed her lip. "My dad died in September."

Sympathy spread over his features. Not the plastic, practiced sympathy she'd seen so often, but real compassion. "I'm sorry. Was he sick?"

"He had MS," she said. "He'd had it since I was ten, and he'd always kept on top of his medication and his therapy and everything. So - " She looked down at the perfectly clean counter and wiped it off again. "So when I was away at school and he told me he was doing fine, I believed him."

"He wasn't doing fine," Cisco guessed.

She shook her head. Tears burned in her eyes again. "It probably started small. Just little things falling through the cracks. Then the cracks got bigger, more things fell through. . . ."

He nodded. "They tend to do that."

"Mhm. Then last spring, he had an assistant manager who embezzled a lot of money - "

"What!"

"They caught him!" Caitlin assured him. "But most of the money was gone, and the stress of that just sent my dad's health into a tailspin. I'd just graduated so I moved back home to take care of him."

"And I'm gonna guess you were so wrapped up in that, you didn't even realize what was going on with the store until you took over."

She sighed. "Got it in one." She mustered up a smile. "I didn’t mean to dump that on you. It's bad now, but things will come around. They always do. The holidays are the best time of year to be a toy seller."

"Yeah," he said. "They sure are." He smiled back and gathered his purchases. "I'll tell people about this place."

"Great," she said. "Here's my card, by the way."

"Caitlin Snow," he read off the little rectangle of cardstock. 

"That's me. Let me know if you have any particular collectibles you'd like me to obtain."

"Hmm?" He was looking at his phone. "Uh, yeah, if I think of any, I'll give you a shout. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," she echoed, watching him leave. The jingle of the bell over the door echoed in the toy store's emptiness.

**

Walking back around the building to his car, Cisco snapped a pic of the business card Caitlin Snow had given him. Then he dialed a number on his phone and wedged it between his shoulder and his ear as he pulled on his gloves. "Hey, Iris? Got a moment?"

"Hi, Cisco. Half a moment. My editor's breathing down my neck again about finding some heartwarming story to fill up Sunday space."

"Yeah, I remember you mentioning that. What would you say to a struggling fifth-generation local toy store owner who just took over the business after her dad's death, carries everything from ZooFriends stuffies to high-end collectibles, and knows toys backwards and forwards?"

Iris paused and he could practically hear the gears clicking. "Tell me more."

**

A week before Christmas, Cisco finally found a good excuse to drop by Jack Frost Toys again. With the name of a rare collectible action figure in his pocket, he turned into the parking lot and found it jam packed. He finally managed to wedge his little car into a space half on the gravel and climb out.

This was a good sign, right?

When he walked in the front door, the girl behind the counter wasn't Caitlin. "Welcome to Jack Frost Toys!" she called out before returning her attention to the grandma-looking lady at her counter. "We absolutely do gift certificates. How much would you like that for?"

The place was transformed. There was no other word for it.

When he'd come in the last time, it had been neat and bright and colorful, but empty and somehow sad. Now there were people in every aisle, voices ringing off the rafters. He cut down the doll aisle and almost stepped on a kid sprawled out on his belly, leafing through a colorful picture book. A little girl was staring at the Barbies as if she were deciding the fate of nations. A couple of moms were talking to each other over the Lego sets.

"It's just such a cute little place! It was getting so run-down there for awhile, but this new owner’s really spruced it up."

"I used to come here when I was Mandy's age and it always seemed like the most magical place to me. I'd forgotten all about it, honestly, but we're coming back."

Cisco smiled to himself and edged around them to the collectibles wall. 

The door to the stock room opened and Caitlin came out, arms loaded down with what seemed to be flat-folded gift boxes. She stopped short when she saw Cisco. "Hi!"

"Hey," he said, smiling at her. She was wearing reindeer antlers and her hair was up in a bouncy ponytail. "You're busy."

"We are! I'm sorry, I've got to -"

"Yeah, go ahead."

She went to the front counter and stashed the gift boxes underneath. "Allegra," she said to the girl who'd greeted Cisco as he came in. "I just got off the phone with our supplier and they'll have more wrap here tomorrow. Can we hold out?"

"It'll be tight, but we should be okay."

"Great. I'll be back to cover your break in a few minutes, okay?"

"Take your time, I'm good."

Caitlin edged back around the counter and paused to check in with the moms. She considered their questions, looked around, and plucked a few sturdy wooden toys from a lower shelf. "I really like this designer for the textures they incorporate," she explained. "Babies enjoy being able to experience different kinds of material as they explore the toy, and it stimulates their brain development. Have a look at these. I'll be right here if you have any questions."

"Thanks so much."

She beamed and moved on. 

Cisco watched her consult with the little Barbie lover and pick out a second book for the reader, as well as four or five other small interactions. It was like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel or Einstein doing calculations on a chalkboard. She was in her element.

She came around the end of the aisle and spotted him again. Her face lit up. "I'm so glad you came by again." She threw her arms around him.

"Uh," he said. "Hi again to you too." He gave her a quick hug back.

She pulled away, blushing. "Sorry. I - I just wanted to thank you. I know the article in the paper was your doing." 

"Oh," he said. "No, that was nothing. I just called up a friend. She's the one who did the interview and that great photo - "

 Iris had been savvy enough to pose Caitlin by her display of the coveted ZooFriends toys. Cisco had noticed how bare the shelf looked now. 

" - and you were the one who made this shop so amazing that once people knew it was still here, they came."

"But none of it would have happened if you hadn't put it in motion. You said I was your hero that day for having the Puffys, but you’re my hero now.

“Pshaw,” he said. “Like you said, nobody grows out of that.”

“But not everybody does something. So. Thank you."

"Well, you're welcome." He looked around. "So you're doing pretty good, it looks like."

She nodded, beaming. "People started coming in after that article, and PalmerTech asked me to purchase toys in bulk for the families at their company holiday party. All my part-time workers are doing as many hours as they can, and I'll be able to pay the rent for January and February, and if it keeps going like this, I can hire somebody to revamp the inventory system for ecommerce." 

She ran out of breath and panted for a moment, her eyes bright.

Cisco had to smile back at her. "That's amazing."

She nodded. "I mean, we're still competing with Walmart and Amazon, and we still took a real hit from what Jay did. So we're not out of the woods, but this - " She looked around, eyes still bright. "This is going to give us some breathing room.   

"I'm really glad."

She turned her smile back on him and stole his breath. "Sorry, I'm just chattering away, and - did you come by looking for something else? Another collectible?"

"Ah - well, I was planning to ask about the limited edition Star Wars figures they're talking about for next year."

"I don't think I'm going to be able to order any of those until March, but I can definitely get your contact information."

"Oh. Okay, sure. But actually it was an excuse."

Her brows crinkled. "An excuse?"

"I really wanted to come by and see if you wanted to go get coffee or something. Sometime." He looked around. "I mean, maybe not right now because it's still December and you're slammed, which is great, but - "

"I'd like that."

His stomach filled up with warmth, like drinking an entire mug of hot chocolate. "You would?"

"Very much." 

They smiled shyly at each other until Allegra called out, "Caitlin? A little help?" She had a line that stretched halfway down the doll aisle.

"Oh!" Caitlin said. "Uh, I should - "

"Yeah! Go. I'll hang around until you're free, and then I'll get your phone number."

"Okay." She gave him one last smile before rushing up to the counter and opening up a register. "I can help who's next over here! Oh, sweetheart, that's a great choice. Your best friend is going to love it."

Cisco watched her for a moment, smiling to himself, and then turned to browse the collectibles. She'd been right, he mused. The holidays really were the best time of year to be a toy seller.

FINIS

[digitalmarketingstrategie]

Splitly Review: An All-in-One Amazon Split Testing Tool, But Is It Worth It? (An Honest Review From User)

If one overriding theme has arisen in our reviews of the best Amazon seller tools, it’s that an all-in-one tool such as Sellics or CashCowPro is never going to be able to manage keyword rankings like an all-in-one, a specialized tool like KeyworX could.

It’s with high expectations and bated breath, then, that we come to analyze Splitly, the highly-regarded all-in-one Amazon A/B testing tool.

Is it the undeniable standout in its field similar to KeyworX, near the top of the game like FeedbackFive, or just another competitor that fails to stand out amongst the crowd at all?

Let’s take a look at the software in detail:

What is Splitly & What Can It Do For You?

Splitly is an Amazon A/B testing (or split testing) tool that allows Amazon sellers to:

Test selling prices against each other and automatically set the price that will provide the most profit

Use an AI-driven split testing algorithm to do the same for product titles, descriptions, images, etc, in order to quickly and scientifically ascertain the most effective product listing possible

Track keyword ranking positions based on the above changes and instantly see how each change affects your business

Sounds good right?

But how well do these features actually work, and can you get the same functionality elsewhere for cheaper?

We’ll answer this and more, but first, let’s break down the individual features to see how well they work:

Splitly Features

Algorithmic Split Testing

This section stands out immediately because it isn’t just a standard A/B testing tool that lets you run two things at once, see the conversion or engagement rates for each, and decide which one to continue with.

No, the split testing function in Splitly uses artificial intelligence to do this for you, running different images, titles, descriptions, and prices, rotating them out without your input, and recording the customer behavior caused by each.

Once it has enough data to know which listing is the most effective, it will continue to run that one, maximizing your business, sales, and traffic.

You can then run new tests within the context of the results of the last one in order to find the next step of optimization development and any potential other ways to improve your listing.

Even better?

We did this for the first time just a few short minutes after signing up — it really is unbelievably easy.

In our opinion, this is a highly impressive offering and earns Splitly a spot at the top of the list when it comes to split testing tools.

After all, very few competing tools use complex algorithms to evaluate the results and make decisions on them, instead preferring to simply display the results and let you do the rest.

This is the most intelligent way to approach optimization and A/B testing because it ensures you never rest on your laurels or get too satisfied with a listing that can still be improved.

And let’s be honest, any listing can still be improved! Optimizing is an ongoing journey where you build off of what you’ve learned previously and find new ways to take it.

Doing this manually can range from being a nightmare to being impossible since you can’t be expected to remember everything you’ve ever tried and the associated statistics.

With Splitly, you don’t need to — and that’s a huge bonus for any Amazon seller.

Automated Pricing Optimization (Profit Peak)

Even if you get to a stage where you’re happy with your listing and decide not to run the split testing anymore, you’ll probably still want to keep the price management function running.

This is because it ensures your prices are always in the right spot to be as attractive to customers as possible while also ensuring your profits are as healthy as they can be.

It’s also simply because, once you experience never having to worry about tweaking your pricing again and knowing it’s always handled, you won’t be able to go back.

Profit Peak can also help with inventory management since it automatically takes supply and demand into account, increasing prices slightly if you (and sellers of similar products) are low on stock but demand stays the same, for example.

Profit Peak is super easy to use and another powerful benefit for any Amazon seller. Personally, we would recommend any Splitly user keeping it running 24/7.

Failing to do so will likely lose you some money pretty quickly.

This means that no matter whether you’re sleeping, working, socializing, or vacationing, Splitly is keeping an eye on everything and making sure your prices are at the ideal level, so you don’t need to.

Keyword Rank Tracking

Splitly also offers a keyword rank tracking solution.

It updates you daily with accurate keyword rankings for your products and those of your competitors. Historical reports help you to track your ranking over time and see what events have had the biggest impact.

It is best used alongside the above features to measure how your listing optimizations affect your rank since this has a major effect on your sales volume.

For example, what if you test two listings against each other, and Splitly tells you one is more effective, so you apply it permanently which then causes your rank to increase?

This tells you that the new listing is not only an all-round improvement on the old one in terms of customer engagement metrics, but Amazon’s algorithm prefers it too — which is exactly what we’re looking for,

In other words, this listing is your new gold standard, and while you can certainly continue to test new tweaks and improve it further, you should keep what you’ve learned and never roll back any improvements or go back to how things were previously.

You can continue to do this over time, boosting your conversion rates and your Amazon ranking, but you can also track the rank increases and decreases that happen to your competitor’s listings, then check those listings for the alterations or optimizations that caused the rank changes too.

Through combining these two strategies, you can learn from every change that happens within your niche, and well, it’s difficult for anybody to compete with that!

Very difficult.

If keyword ranking is the main thing you’re looking for, KeyworX does that a lot better and is a lot cheaper — don’t forget that.

But, if you want both keyword ranking and split testing in a high-quality package that allows both of these functions to work together to the benefit of your listings, you will struggle to do better than Splitly, and for some, especially some larger Amazon businesses, that is likely to be worth the extra cost.

Speaking of value and pricing, how much does Splitly cost anyway?

Splitly Pricing

At first glance, it seems that the number of keywords you can track and the number of concurrent tests you can run are the main differences, but be sure to also note that you don’t get Profit Peak, the price optimization tool, in the smallest package.

The biggest (Enterprise) package is a beast at 100 concurrent tests and 5,000 keywords — even we struggled to reach the maximum for this package with our wide range of clients selling on Amazon, so chances are that this will be more than enough for most of the biggest Amazon sellers.

What about customer service?

As part of the JungleScout umbrella, Splitly has an excellent customer service team who are quick to respond and happy to explain any part of the tool you are struggling with.

What about data and privacy? Is Splitly secure?

Splitly and JungleScout work closely with Amazon Web Services to securely read data from Amazon. They also use OpenSSL AES 256-bit encryption (government/bank-level encryption).

You can read up on their privacy policy here.

Which marketplaces does Splitly support?

How much can it change my pricing? What if it messes up?

On first use of Profit Peak, it will make very minor changes as the algorithm continues to learn. This stage typically involves gravitating towards the price point that will give you the most profit, before other factors come in and potentially change this slightly.

The algorithm behind Profit Peak is very intelligent and we find it extremely unlikely you’ll get any bad results, but you do have the ability to set a minimum and maximum price to keep it under control if that makes you feel safer.

Can I manually edit my listings while testing is ongoing?

No — doing this will cancel the test, although we don’t know why you would need to. If you have ideas that might be better than the test you’re currently running, note them down and give them a chance in the next test.

Final Breakdown

A huge standout in the Amazon A/B testing niche

Smart AI decisions create a scientific testing environment

Maximise your listing for conversions

Maximise your price for profits

Well-designed and intuitive to use

Saves you hours per week of careful tweaks

Offers keyword tracking for related insights

The keyword tracking is beaten out by KeyworX, but then keyword tracking isn’t the main objective of Splitly

Nothing else significant enough to be worth mentioning!

Conclusion

For those who waste a lot of time every week tweaking their listings and trying to figure out what works best, Splitly is an absolute must-have.

Even if you do have a lot of experience and knowledge around Amazon product listing optimization, you can still benefit a lot from the testing Splitly provides.

The combination of proven, data-driven insights on which listing features work and easily trackable changes in keyword ranking make boosting your Amazon sales and profits as easy as it is likely to be any time in the near future.

At the end of the day, your product listing is your shop window, and you can’t expect to build and scale a successful business without maximizing your listings.

Splitly makes this not just manageable, but laughably easy, and for that, it earns a strong recommendation for any Amazon seller or business.

summary:

It’s with high expectations and bated breath, that the authors come to analyze Splitly, the highly-regarded all-in-one Amazon A/B testing tool.

Use an AI-driven split testing algorithm to do the same for product titles, descriptions, images, etc, in order to quickly and scientifically ascertain the most effective product listing possible

The split testing function in Splitly uses artificial intelligence to do this for you, running different images, titles, descriptions, and prices, rotating them out without your input, and recording the customer behavior caused by each.

This is a highly impressive offering and earns Splitly a spot at the top of the list when it comes to split testing tools.

Even if you get to a stage where you’re happy with your listing and decide not to run the split testing anymore, you’ll probably still want to keep the price management function running.

Offers a keyword rank tracking solution.

What if you test two listings against each other, and Splitly tells you one is more effective, so you apply it permanently which causes your rank to increase?

You can continue to do this over time, boosting your conversion rates and your Amazon ranking, but you can track the rank increases and decreases that happen to your competitor’s listings, check those listings for the alterations or optimizations that caused the rank changes too.

If you want both keyword ranking and split testing in a high-quality package that allows both of these functions to work together to the benefit of your listings, you will struggle to do better than Splitly, and for some, especially some larger Amazon businesses, that is likely to be worth the extra cost.

It seems that the number of keywords you can track and the number of concurrent tests you can run are the main differences, but be sure to note that you don’t get Profit Peak, the price optimization tool, in the smallest package.

For those who waste a lot of time every week tweaking their listings and trying to figure out what works best, Splitly is an absolute must-have.

Even if you do have a lot of experience and knowledge around Amazon product listing optimization, you can still benefit a lot from the testing Splitly provides.

The combination of proven, data-driven insights on which listing features work and trackable changes in keyword ranking make boosting your Amazon sales and profits as easy as it is likely to be any time in the near future.

To learn more about how the authors can offer results and rank positions that nobody else can, take a look at the case studies to see the results the authors have already achieved for the clients with the unique, self-developed Amazon ranking process

[prorevenge]

Hire me under false pretences, then fire me under more fallacies? Welp; OK then

First post; TL;DR at the end

Background.init()

After leaving 6th form (college for my family over the pond), I started a job as a Full Stack Java Developer for a small company in the city I currently reside, study and work (more on that later). For those not in the know, a "Full Stack" Developer, is someone that develops the application/website that controls an application, the middleware "brain", and the back-end, usually a Database of some kind.

In the contract, it stated that "All development projects developed within Notarealcompany's offices are the sole property of the company". I was new to the scene and assumed this was the norm (turns out it is - Important later).

The Story.main()

My "Training" was minimalistic, and expectations were insanely high. I was placed on a client project within the first month, and was told that this was to be a trial by fire. Oh boy.

​

Having spoken to the client, their expectations had already been set by the owner; let's call him Berk (Berk is an English term for moron); "Whatever you need, our developers can accommodate". Their requirements were as follows;

The Intranet software MUST match the production, public site in functionality, including JQuery and other technologies I was unfamiliar with

MUST accommodate their inventory and shipping database, including prior version functionality (which included loading a 400k+ database table into a webpage in one shot)

MUST look seamless on ALL internal assets, regardless of browser (THIS is important)

ABSOLUTELY MUST USE THE STRONGEST SECURITY MONEY CAN BUY (without requiring external sources)

Having asked what the oldest machine on their network was, I realised it was a nightmare given form. They wanted advanced webtoys to work on WINDOWS XP SP1 (which did not, and does not, support HTML5, let alone the version of JavaScript/JQuery the main website does).

I was given a time-line of 2 months to build this by the client, who were already under the impression that all would be ok.

​

Having spent a few days researching and prototyping, it was clear that their laundry list of demands was impossible. I told them in plenty of time, providing evidence with Virtual Machines, using their "golden images". The website looked clunky, the database loader crashed the entire machine, the JavaScript flat-out refused to work.

​

Needless to say, they weren't happy. I was ordered to fix the issue, or "my ass is out on the street".

​

Spending every waking moment outside of work, I build something that, still to this day, I am insanely proud of. The Database was built robust; built to British and German security standards around Information Security. The Password management system was NUKE-proof (I calculated it would take until the Sun died to crack a single password), and managed to get the Database to load into the page flawlessly, using "pagination", the same technology Amazon uses to slide through pages, and AJAX (not important; my fellow devs will know). I managed to get the project completed a DAY before the deadline. Gave the customer a deadline, and plugged their live data into it. Everything worked fine, BUT, their DB had multiple duplicate records, with no way to filter through them. I told them that I could fix this issue with a 100% success rate, and would build dupe-protection into the software (it was easy); without losing pertinent information. The SQL script was dirty, but functional.

​

Shortly after completing the project, I was told it was "too slow". Now bare in mind; the longest action took 0.0023 of a second; EVEN ON XP. Never the less, I built it faster, giving benchmarking data for the before and after (only 0.0001 of a seconds improvement).

Shortly after, I was told to pack my "shit", as I'd failed my peer review.

The nightmare continues

Because I'd built the software outside of work, on my own time, on my own devices; they had no rights over it, as the only version they saw were the second-to-last, and final commits from my private github.

​

Shortly after leaving, I'm served papers, summoning me to court for "corporate espionage". Wait, WHAT?

Turned up to court with all relevant documents, a copy of my development system on an ISO for evidence, and a court-issued solicitor. Their claim, was that I'd purposely engineered the application to be insecure, causing their client to be hacked, losing an inordinate amount of money. They presented the source code as "evidence", citing that the password functionality for the management interface was using MD5 (you can google an MD5 hash and find out what it is; see here: https://md5.gromweb.com/?md5=1f3870be274f6c49b3e31a0c6728957f

I show the court the source code I have from the final version (which had only been altered once within work premises to improve speed and provide benchmarking information). They then accuse me of theft, despite showing IP-trace information from Git, the commit hashes from Github, correlating with my PC, and all the time logs from editing and committing (all out of hours).

The Aftermath

To cut an already long story short; I got a payout for defamation of character and time wasted, they paid all the court costs, and was let go with the summons removed from my record.

The story doesn't end there though...

​

Currently, I am doing a Degree in Information Security, and working for a Managed Service Provider for security products and monitoring. I was asked to do a site visit and perform;

Full "Black Box" Penetration Test (I'm given no knowledge on the network to be attacked, and can use almost any means to gain access)

Full Compliance test for PCI DSS (Payment card industry for Debit/Credit payments)

GDPR (Information storage and management)

ISO 27001 FULL audit

All in all, this is a very highly paid job. Sat in the car park with a laptop, I gained FULL ADMIN ACCESS within about 20 minutes, cloned the access cards to my phone over the air, and locked their systems down (all within the contract). Leaving for the day, I compile a report with pure glee. Their contract with us stipulates that the analyst on site would remain to remediate any and all issues, would have total jurisdiction over the network whilst on job, and would return 6 months later for further assessment and remedy and and all issues persistent or new.

​

The report put the company on blast; outlining every single fault, every blind spot, and provided evidence of previous compromise. The total cost of repairs was more than the company was willing to pay (they were able, I saw the finances after all). The company went into liquidation, but not before trying to have me fired for having a prior vendetta. The legal team for my current employers not-so-politely tore them to shreds, suing for defamation of character (sounds familiar right?), forcing them to liquidate even more assets than they intended; ultimately costing them their second home.

​

TL;DR: Got a job, got told I was fired after doing an exemplary job; then had the company liquidated due to MANY flaws when working for their security contractors.

submitted by /u/BenignReaver [link] [comments] ****** (source) story by (/u/BenignReaver)

[breezethegame]

Dev Log #1-ish?

Seeing how I missed like two weeks of mini blog posts, I’m deeming this one an actual “Devlog” (fanfare and such yada yada). I'm just going to call it a Dev Log.

So much has gone on the last few weeks that I’m struggling to piece it all together, so here is an attempt:

Computer Adventures:

So, I don’t haven’t built a dev machine from the ground up for years now, (maybe since college?) and typically just upgrade parts as I see fit (graphics card, ram, processor, etc).

Well, my motherboard has been giving me problems for close to a year now, where it occasionally decides “yeah, don’t really care about your boot device today”, as well as other miscellaneous things that required me to do things like removing the CMOS battery or main drive. I was also running out of upgrade options, so I got a bit fed up and decided it might be time to replace it.

I wasn't going to be cost-effective to get another LGA1150 board and CPU, and I try to build computers with future-proofing in mind. I was also looking to get a smaller case too. I already had a nice GPU (GTX 1070) that I got a couple years ago before cryptocurrency “did the thing” and graphics card's prices got ridiculous, so didn’t have to worry about replacing that.

Ultimately, I decided to do a "completely new" build.

I’ve been building computers for friends and family for many years, so I literally woke up the next day and said, “I’m about to build this thing blind”.

Well, kinda learned the hard way of the hassle of going at it that way (along with committing a couple noobish mistakes)...

Shopping Time!

Lesson 1: Double check store inventory before heading to a store that's 20 miles away

Well, I choose the nearest Fry's Electronics (it was Saturday, and I really wanted to get a machine built the same day). I get there and start looking for all of the cases and motherboards (severally disappointed that they only had one Micro ATX board in stock, something I was looking to get for the more compact build, but not as restrictive as a Mini-ITX, which they had several of). Impatient as ever, I decided I was going to pick it up.

While looking at other things, I hear another customer talking to sales rep, and the rep mentions that they don’t have a certain CPU in stock. After listening even more (I’m noisy, sorry), he mentions that they have NO Intel CPUs in stock. I decided that I had to get in on this convo.

He informs up that as of late, their store may receive like, 10 at a time, and also mentions that their other location doesn’t have any either (both of these locations are 20+ miles away from me in Dallas).

I also find out that they don’t have the specific ram I was looking for either (I ended up getting something a little pricier). He ends up informing me that the Micro Center 10 minutes away from where we were should have some CPUs.

So I end up at the Micro Center and they did have the CPUs, as well as a case that caught my attention. They also had a lot of other nice things too! Kind of wished I would have known to go to Micro Center first, despite it being much farther from home.

Building Time!?

Lesson Two: Get a head-start of figuring out your plan for wire management and how pieces will fit in your new case

I got home and was ready to build. I spent a lot of time trying to get the interior wire management together since it’s a much smaller case than my last one. I ended up spending a couple of hours getting it just right (I don’t intend to go back into this machine once it’s complete since I’m nearly maxing it out spec wise for now), before moving out to everything else.

Getting my old water-cooling radiator in was a bit tough (a very tight squeeze), but after that, adding in the ram, etc was a Breeze.

Hours went by, I installed Windows, software, etc…

I go to shut it down (after having done several restarts for the software installs prior), and it doesn’t want to power off. After 10 minutes of waiting, I manually power it off. Whatever, I’m super tired at this point.

The next day (Last Sunday), I’ve encountered several other smaller issues. Updating the BIOS didn’t help either. Great…

Okay, Building Time For Real

Lesson 3: Kinda make sure things boot up and work before you get too early to clean/tighten things down in your build

After taking the whole thing apart, I ended up swapping out that mobo for another of the same kind (since Frys didn’t have any others), but then ended up ordering different board on Amazon. So waited another day or so and the new board arrived (it’s now Tuesday evening).

I rewired/rebuilt the computer once again, installed the software, etc. I spent most of Wednesday day checking in with the team and catching up with emails and such. Then Thursday as I was beginning to do some work, I noticed that the computer was saying that my Windows wasn’t activated. I go to my Microsoft account to retrieve my key, and the page wouldn’t load to provide me the key and would only show the transaction.

Lesson 4: Make sure to keep your activation key(s) somewhere other than online/digital if you can

It’s super late and the option to speak to someone was obviously closed, but they had a chat option, so I reached someone through there. After back and forth for a while, and him remoting into the machine to check the activation status, he tells me that the key might not be showing up because it was an “upgrade”, so I would need to buy another copy of Windows 10 again.

Lesson 5: Tell "Aaron" from Microsoft no over and over, and don't fall for possibly sketchy things like sales pitches that come out of nowhere

I originally bought Windows Home and upgraded it to Pro on the same day back in 2015, so I told him that and he kept insisting that I buy Windows 10 again. I refused and told him that I wouldn’t and that I’d take care of this in the morning, and he then offered that I could pay a smaller fee to reactivate my Windows 10, but it would be a one time fee of like, $40. (I refused again).

When I go to end the remote session, he then informs me that he “Really wants to help me out” and ends up activating it anyway. (This whole thing seemly suspicious, I ended up recording it). I watched him activate Windows for over 10 minutes through some manual process (it's almost 2am, and I had work in the morning). He eventually finishes and thanks/apologies. Not sure why I even had to go through all that, but whatever...

I ended up spending Friday wrapping up installs and doing a fresh system backup afterward, before moving along with pulling down the Breeze project from source control, and reminding myself of where I left off…

Anyway, long story short, I tried to get a system built in a day, and it ends up taking almost a week!

Okay, but did you get any dev done these last two weeks?

Yeah, somehow!

Health Bar and Health System:

First thing the team and I did was evaluate a few things that are critical, but we’ve been bouncing back and forth on: The Health System

(WIP of a concept we're working on for his health bar)

The reason for this is mostly for game balancing purposes:

Is this a game that focuses on having Breeze (the player) overwhelm his opponents with an array of abilities (think Devil May Cry/Bayonetta, Kingdom Hearts, God of War?)

Or is this a game where Breeze must focus on finding openings to deal damage and avoid an onslaught of danger (think Hollow Knight, Ori, Megaman, pretty much most NES/SNES platformers)

Game design… is hard at times. Sometimes you think something will work well in theory, but when you get down into the specifics, you begin to question how certain things will balance out.

You’d think something like designing a health bar isn’t too trivial, until you realize that the Health bar represents the player’s health, and the player’s health influences the character’s survivability, which is then tied to other factors: what options does the player have to “survive” and what threatens that?

Anyway, not going to get too deep into that because I lack the PhD.

Basically, there was a bit of a rift in the UI design process that led to really evaluating game design items, and I’ve been working towards seeing what Breeze’s options are and how to limit them in areas, or how I can build the world and it’s inhabitants in a way that will make this all work out.

It’s not going to be something that will likely be answered quickly, but nevertheless, that’s Game Design™ sometimes...  

Frame Data:

[Insert Craig of the Creek frame data meme here]

I used to have a really convoluted way of tackling this in which I would have events in the animation that if given an ID, it will look for a set of “Frame Data” and then look for a specific frame and then load that information up.

It would then pass that frame information into the active hitbox and if something is in it, math and physics and stuff would happen.

I didn’t change this up too much, but I did reduce the setup process by allowing you to just drop the FrameData right into the frame of the animation (no more extra array and ID lookup stuff!)

New Particles:

We’ve got new particles! There’s one for jumping/landing/dashing dust, as well as one for wall sliding.

In the last update, I added a feature that generates “points” at the edges of a character’s collider box (as well as other “checks”), so this helped in making sure that the particles are created in the right place. This was especially challenging with the wall sliding particle.

Also, with the wall sliding particle, I needed to implement a way to have a “looping” particle effect, as well as making sure the particle effect follows Breeze as he’s moving down the wall

Developing Sprite Model Sheets

We've got models sheets completed for just about all of the cast members, though, since there's several artists on the project, as well as animators (including I), I wanted to get some sheets together that would work as a base for animators to use, and to eliminate elements that aren't needed in the sprites (minor details that would be seen in promotional art or more detailed art in general), as well as get a proper size for the characters in-game.

Misc. Features

I’ve done various other quality of life code changes to make it easier to do certain things, like creating new attacks, making the screen pause/slow-mo when Breeze changes forms, and updated my Debugging Manager so that I can hide/show certain debug messages.

I’ve also been working on a RoomManager, and writing features to look handle what happens when the player enters a room (like starting a cutscene, showing UI, spawning things, etc)

I’ve also been looking into updating the game’s Music Handler, mostly for how to handle looping a song after it's intro plays, as well as finding ways to add effects to tracks!

Other Breeze things:

I’ve been working on getting shirts done through Teespring, and I would have loved to show off some of the shirts I ordered, but Teespring shipped them using DHL, and somewhere between DHL and USPS, my shirts have been sitting in shipping limbo for 5-6 days, despite being like a city or two away from me… Maybe tomorrow ~

Also, working on a couple of enamel pin designs! Haven’t figured out the maker yet, but designs are coming along nicely!

Quick Test Build Coming

So, a week or two ago, I planned on releasing a quick build for the Drop Tier backers and above. There was a lot of features and such that I wanted to get done... before my computer stuff happened. Our goal was to have one out before the end up March, so....

I’m going to release one anyway. Maybe tomorrow?

I’ll be creating a post for those in the eligible tiers once I’m done compiling/building it! Please keep in mind that this build will be very minimal and exists to test out controls/physics. I wanted to make a strong first impression, but I'll chill on the whole "striving for perfection" thing for now!

Also, I'm on vacation this week, so I'll be cramming on Breeze stuff this whole week to make up for lost time!

[razieltwelve]

Partnership (Final Rose)

Fury was eating a snack under the large tree in the front yard when Victoria approached him. The little girl bore a remarkable resemblance to Diana, but she was far more malevolent. Fury had seen Victoria turn playgrounds into battlefields with only a handful of words, to say nothing of what she could accomplish when she really put her mind to it.

“I have a business proposal for you,” Victoria said, sounding nothing at all like an eight-year-old girl.

“Kweh.” 

“I’m in need of someone who can be… intimidating, and I think you fit the bill.” Victoria sat down beside him and then reached into her pocket for a treat. “Here. You can eat this while I explain. Consider it payment for at least hearing me out.”

Fury sniffed the treat suspiciously. He doubted Victoria would actually have the nerve to poison him. She might be devious, but she was always careful about not going too far. Fury was a member of the family. Both her parents and her uncle would view poisoning him in a very dim light. As cunning as Victoria could be, she’d yet to come even close to outwitting Diana.

“Kweh…”

“Good. It’s actually pretty simple. You see, at my school, many of the kids collect the toys that are given out with Gary Burger Kids’ Meals. Being the enterprising person that I am, I found a way to acquire the toys without having to buy the meals.”

“Kweh?” Fury was vaguely curious as to how she’d managed that. He also made a mental note to keep her as far from Professor Radical as possible. The two were far too similar at times.

“Standard policy is for Gary Burger to distribute a certain number of toys to each store on Tuesday and Friday mornings. However, to prevent stores from running out, they typically send out 20% more toys than they expect to hand out. The extras are collected and returned to a number of depots every Sunday evening. Now, if Gary Burger kept exact counts, I wouldn’t be able to get my hands on any, but they don’t. Instead, a manual count is only triggered if certain tolerance limits are exceeded. This means that a certain number of toys can be smuggled out each week without anyone noticing.”

“Kweh.” Good grief, Fury thought. Victoria was basically running a smuggling operation at the age of eight. “Kweh?”

“The average Gary Burger kids’ meal costs five lien, but kids don’t really want the meal. What they want is the toy. On the InfoNet, people are selling the toys for seven lien or more each because they can guarantee kids get the one they want instead of a random toy. The rarer ones can sell for much more. But me? I can sell toys for three lien each.”

“Kweh?” How was she doing it, Fury wondered. She’d need someone on the inside…

“The truth is that a lot of the people working at the depot are badly strapped for cash. Out of the three lien I charge, I give two lien to my helpers at the depot and only keep one for myself. Sure, the profit doesn’t sound that big, but it’s about numbers. The depots in busy areas handle thousands of toys every week. That means you can skim hundreds of toys before anyone notices, and hundreds of toys means hundreds of lien.”

“Kweh?” Fury had a hard time believing she was just selling them to people at school. Kids didn’t always have a lot of pocket money.

“I am selling them to people at school - and all the schools in the area. I’ve even got people further out working for me. Look, parents like it when things are simple. If their kid comes to them and says they can get the toy they want for three lien without all of the fuss, most of them will do it. And when their kid comes back with the toy they want, they’re fine with it. It makes their life easier and simpler, and it makes me a little richer.”

“Kweh?” Fury wanted to know exactly why she wanted him to get involved.

“I have Ragnarok,” Victoria said. “In theory, I could rip every single one of my schoolmates to pieces without breaking a sweat. In practice, I can’t do that. My parents would mangle me. Some of the older kids have noticed what I’ve been doing, and they’ve been trying to muscle in on my business. Sure, they don’t have my contacts, but they can scare the other kids off. I need you to come with me to the park to impress upon them what a bad idea it would be if they kept doing that.”

“Kweh?”

“No, you wouldn’t have to actually do anything.” Victoria smirked. “I know these kids. They’re cowards. Just the thought of you doing something will be enough. More to the point, it should hold them off long enough for me to dig up stuff to blackmail them with. They’re bullies, Fury, and that means there are people who’ve just been waiting for a chance to speak up. They’ll get a choice. Either they start behaving, or I get rid of them using all of the incidents I’ll be able to do dig up as evidence.”

Fury stared at Victoria. So this was what Diana would have been like if she’d decided to be evil instead of mischievous? Interesting. Well, her scheme was kind of funny. But how had she convinced the people at the depot to work with her.

“Kweh?”

“Simple. They’re underpaid and overworked. They needed more cash, and although I’m just a kid, I was able to deliver. I had to give them an advance the first time, but once the money started flowing in, they were all on board. It’s simple economics, really. Heck, some of them have doubled their weekly earnings working with me. They’re not about to rat me out, and having contacts at the depot will make any future schemes relating to Gary Burger even easier to pull off.”

“Kweh?” If he was going to help, he wanted to know what he’d be getting out of it.

“That’s a good question, Fury.” Victoria nodded sagely. “You don’t need money. You earn enough working with my Uncle Taren. But what I can offer you is regular access to Gary Burger food whenever you’re in the area - free of charge. After all, my people at the depot know people at all the stores. If you help me out, I can make sure they know to have a burger ready for you whenever you drop by.”

Fury considered the offer. He did like some of the burgers there, albeit only as a treat every now and then. “Kweh.” If nothing else, helping Victoria out ought to be interesting.

X     X     X

Fujin was currently out on a mission, but both Diana and Jahne were home. In fact, the blonde was currently using Diana’s chest for a pillow.

“Do you know that our daughter is making more than a thousand lien a week selling Gary Burger Toys?” Jahne asked.

Diana chuckled. “I did tell them that they needed to update their inventory methods. They still haven’t fully automated the process, and their current software has holes all over the place.” She paused. “Out of interest, how did you find out? I noticed the price of Gary Burger toys dropping on the InfoNet and did a sweep of the inventory. There’s nothing out of the ordinary. in fact, the records are so ordinary that it made me suspicious. Some surveillance of the depots showed what was happening.”

“Victoria is smart enough to use dummy bank accounts whenever she isn’t handling everything in cash. She’s also smart enough to only run her business during school hours, so I won’t notice any unusual behaviour when I go to pick her up. However, I have been keeping track of some of her ‘competition’ at school. She recently moved against them, and some of my agents noticed unusual behaviour at a few of the Gary Burgers. They brought it to my attention since it’s nearby, but looking into it allowed me to notice what she was doing.”

“At least she’s putting the money to good use,” Diana said.

“Oh?”

“I’m fairly certain that Victoria is trying to construct a stealth-capable drone mothership.”

“…” Jahne sat up. “Are you serious?”

“Completely. She hasn’t developed the expertise to fabricate high-end stealth technology, but she has seen examples of it in my drones and in the drones my Aunt Vanille and my cousins use. I don’t think she can reverse engineer it yet, but she can probably understand enough of the basic principles to cobble together something that will resist passive scanning from civilian technologies.”

“Good grief.” Jahne sighed. “What do you think she’s going to do with it?”

“Most likely, she’ll use it to expand her operations. A stealth-capable drone mothership could transport dozens of drones that could make hundreds of deliveries, all without being spotted. That applies to both pick up of goods and distribution. It’s actually something some of the drug cartels in Vale tried, but their technology wasn’t good enough to stand up to mine. I used their signals to trace them and then helped the authorities deploy strike teams. Knowing Victoria, the drones will have much better encryption, most likely salvaged communication components from decommissioned delivery drones and old cargo transports. It won’t stop someone like me from getting in, but it’ll be commercial grade. No normal person is going to be able to intercept the communications or even trace them if she’s smart enough to bounce the signal properly.”

“And she is smart enough,” Jahne said, lips pursed.

“Relax,” Diana said. “I’ll keep an eye on it. If she does anything too crazy, I’ll step in. Just don’t tell your mother. Otherwise, the next thing we know Victoria will be working with Atlas military.”

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

Victoria really does take after Jihl (her grandmother) when it comes to morals. On the upside, Fury gets free burgers.

You can find me on fanfiction.net, AO3, and Amazon.

[jbaquerot]

Artificial Intelligence And Big Data: Good For Innovation?

AI can provide many benefits to our economy and society. Difficulty accessing data needed to train AI systems can create a barrier to entry for startups and other firms, potentially reducing competition and innovation. Data portability is one likely solution.

Artificial intelligence is firmly embedded throughout the economy. Financial services firms use it to provide investment advice to customers, automakers are using it in vehicle autopilot systems, technology companies are using it to create virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri, and retailers are using artificial intelligence (AI) together with customers’ prior sales histories, to predict potential purchases in the future, to name but a few examples. The potential of AI to boost economic growth has been discussed in numerous forums, including by Accenture, the Council on Foreign Relations, the McKinsey Global Institute, the World Economic Forum, and President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, among others.

The most dramatic advances in AI are coming from a data-intensive technique known as machine learning. Machine learning requires lots of data to create, test and “train” the AI. Thus, as AI is becoming more important to the economy, so too is data. The Economist highlighted the important role of data in a recent cover story in which it stated “the world’s most valuable resource is no longer oil, but data.” In this sense, both the ability to obtain data about customers, together with the ability to program AI to analyze the data, have become important tools businesses use to compete against each other, and against potential entrants.

A potential entrant that lacks access to good data faces substantial hurdles, and this has led some regulators to question the extent to which control over data creates barriers to entry. For example, in December 2015 FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeney asked: “Can one company controlling vast amounts of data possess a kind of market power that creates a barrier to entry?” This is a worry, because if barriers to entry are too high, entrants will not enter, established firms will not feel competitive pressures, and innovation may suffer. Thus, in March 2017 CFPB Director Richard Cordray noted: “We recognize that data access makes it possible to realize the many benefits of competition and innovation.”

The hurdles faced by entrants may have implications beyond competition and innovation. A common technique that entrants currently use to overcome the lack of customer data is to train their AI on publicly available datasets. But, if these datasets are biased in some way, then the resulting AI will reflect the bias. The worry is that if many entrants use similarly biased datasets, then bias quickly propagates, as argued by Amanda Levendowski.

Access To Data Helps Firms Move Down A Learning Curve

An established firm’s access to data may allow it to take advantage of a learning curve, which may exacerbate barriers to entry for other firms (Michael Spence’s 1981 article in Journal of Political Economy is a classic on this topic). An established firm’s access to data allows it to refine its AI over time, allowing it to get better at offering its AI-enabled product over time. Due to this learning-curve effect, there are increasing returns to scale in data control. As Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson put it, “the real power—for good and ill—is in software and increasing returns to data. If one self-driving car company does well initially, it will be able to collect more data—and then further improve its algorithm. Other companies will not be able to catch up.”

The learning-curve effect is not just about learning how to use your data better, it is about how to better organize your business around the new technology. Take the case of Netflix and Blockbuster in the early 2000s. At the time, Blockbuster was the dominant firm in the video rental business and Netflix was the technology-oriented niche player. The two firms had very different business models: Blockbuster targeted impulse renters; Netflix targeted technologically sophisticated movie buffs via DVDs by mail. Netflix relied on sophisticated logistics software to track its rentals and manage its DVD inventory. Blockbuster eventually realized the threat posed by Netflix and attempted to replicate Netflix’s DVD by mail business, but was unable to do so successfully. By that time, Netflix had benefited from shipping and tracking millions of DVDs and had moved so far down the learning curve, and refined its logistics so well, that Blockbuster was unable to replicate it effectively.

Difficulty accessing data can create a barrier to entry, which has two implications. First, consumers don’t benefit from the innovative new products that a potential entrant might offer. Second, established firms, knowing that there is little chance of entry from a potential rival, may not see the need to innovate and improve on their existing products. Without the threat of entry, then, there may be fewer incentives to innovate.

Is Innovation Suffering? The Evidence Is Mixed

Despite the potential creation of entry barriers, there seems to have been lots of entry by innovative firms, at least in the recent past. Venture capital investment in AI startups grew by 40% between 2013-2016, according to McKinsey Global Institute. Anecdotally, companies such as Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple have bought up hundreds of innovative startups over the past decade. A recent article in the New York Times suggested these acquisitions were evidence of anticompetitive conduct. But it is not that simple; we do not have the counterfactual of how many of these startups would have been created but for the opportunity of being bought out by a larger incumbent. Put differently, the very fact that firms like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple buy up startups may itself cause more firms to startup in the first place.

Likewise, there seems to be lots of investment by established firms. A recent report by McKinsey Global Institute estimates that established firms spent $2 to $3 billion on AI-related acquisitions in 2016, and between $18 and $27 billion on internal corporate investment in AI-related projects in 2016. Thus, it does not seem like entry and innovation have suffered in the recent past, but there are still a couple reasons to worry about the future.

We have been enjoying a long economic expansion (the third longest in U.S. history). Perhaps there has been entry by so many startups because, thanks to the expansion, there is lots of access to venture capital. When and if venture capital starts to dry up—for example if there is a recession—barriers to entry could become more important. And there are some signs that venture capital is tailing off; seed-stage financing is apparently down 40% from a peak in mid-2015, and some of the decline may be due to fear of established firms, particularly large, platform-oriented technology firms.

Academic research has highlighted, theoretically and empirically, that economic incentives push large platform firms to extract more and more value from the firms that rely on them. Theoretical work in this area includes papers by Joseph Farrell and Michael Katz, and more recently by Geoffrey Parker and Marshall Van Alstyne. Recent empirical work by Wen Wen and Feng Zhu document that when a platform starts to appropriate features of its developers’ applications, the application developers cut back on innovations to those applications. If at some point there is evidence that AI and big data has created an unfair advantage, and innovation is suffering, then what are the remedies?

Data Portability As A Potential Policy Solution

If customer data is deemed to be a critical resource, some form of customer data portability may be a solution. Under such a model, a customer would maintain possession of some core data that he or she could then take from one company to a rival, much in the way that a phone customer can take his or her phone number from one provider to another (which was not always the case). In principle, this should help reduce barriers to entry, because any potential customer of a new entrant could easily shift her data from the established firm to the entrant. Moreover, the ability of the customer to do this creates an incentive for the established firm to innovate and improve upon its existing services for the customer.

In practice, the effectiveness of customer data portability will likely vary across sectors of the economy. The value a consumer gets from a social media platform derives from a network effect—the connection to all the others on the platform. Even if a customer could “port” her own data to a rival social media platform, she would not be able to port her friends' data, and so customer data portability would have little effect on competition and innovation in this sector. In contrast, customer data portability would have a larger effect on competition and innovation in other sectors such as online shopping or financial services, where a customer could port her prior purchase or transaction history.

But how would this remedy affect the established firm, which initially attracted the customer? One argument is that the originator would have less incentive to invest in the relationship between it and the customer, because ultimately rivals may benefit from that investment, not the originator. But a different argument is that the company may have more incentive to invest in the relationship between it and the customer, so as to create as much value from the relationship so as to not lose the customer to a rival.

Critics of the idea also highlight the important issues of privacy and security. For example, if data can be easily moved from one company to another, might some of the data “leak” to bad actors? Yet, these are issues that companies increasingly need to address anyway. Starting in May 2018, U.S. companies doing business in the EU will need to comply with a comprehensive suite of privacy rules spelled out under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Moreover, consumers do not seem to value privacy very highly. A recent NBER study by Susan Athey, Christian Catalini and Catherine Tucker found that most MIT undergraduate students would be willing to trade personal information in exchange for a free pizza. Ultimately, there may be technological solutions that help maintain customer privacy while allowing for easy customer data portability, as outlined by Ryan Calo in a recent AI policy paper.

In the meantime, policy makers will need to weigh potential risks to consumers from privacy breaches against the potential benefits to consumers from increased competition, and ultimately increased innovation, that may result from customer data portability. Indeed, a year ago the Obama Administration conducted a Request for Information on data portability, and earlier this year the European Commission conducted hearings on customer data portability.

In summary, AI has the potential to provide many benefits to our economy and society. However, startups and established firms that are just beginning to use AI need access to data in order to train their AI systems. Difficulty in accessing the necessary data can create a barrier to entry, potentially reducing competition and innovation. Data portability is not a panacea, but provides many benefits and will likely be part of a suite of solutions ultimately embraced by regulators.

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Streamline your Amazon inventory management with IBR Infotech's top-tier software solutions. Our tailored Amazon Inventory Management Software Development services are designed to optimize your operations, enhance efficiency, and boost profitability. With our expertise, you can effortlessly manage stock levels, track sales, and synchronize data across platforms, ensuring seamless performance. Trust IBR Infotech to empower your business with cutting-edge technology tailored to your Amazon inventory needs. Explore our solutions today and elevate your e-commerce success.

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Best Amazon Inventory Management Software Development Company in New York

Here are some of the key benefits:

Tracks inventory levels: This software can help you avoid stockouts, which can hurt your sales and disappoint customers. It can also help you avoid overselling, which can lead to order fulfillment problems.

Automates tasks: Inventory management software can automate tasks such as updating inventory levels, monitoring stock levels, allocating inventory, and forecasting sales. This can save you time and help you avoid errors.

Provides alerts: The software can send you alerts when you are running low on stock and need to replenish your inventory.

Improves profitability: By helping you avoid stockouts and overselling, inventory management software can help you improve your profitability.

There are two main options to consider:

Amazon’s built-in tools: If you are a small seller and only sell on Amazon, then you may be able to get by with the inventory management tools that are built into Seller Central. These tools include inventory reports, storage fee estimates, and sales forecasts.

Third-party software: There are a number of third-party software programs that can help you manage your Amazon inventory. These programs can offer a wider range of features than Amazon’s built-in tools, such as integration with other sales channels, more advanced forecasting tools, and reporting features.

Here are some popular third-party inventory management software programs for Amazon sellers:

Jungle Scout

Zoho Inventory

Veeqo

SoStocked

Key Features to Look for in a Top Amazon Inventory Management Software Development Company

When choosing a software development company to create your Amazon inventory management software, it’s crucial to consider their expertise in specific features. Here are some key features to look for:

Core Inventory Management:

Real-time Inventory Tracking: The software should provide a clear view of your stock levels across various locations (warehouses, fulfillment centers) in real-time.

Multi-Channel Integration: If you sell on platforms besides Amazon, you’ll need software that syncs inventory levels across all channels to prevent overselling or understocking.

Inventory Forecasting: Look for a company that can develop software with features that analyze historical sales data and predict future demand, helping you optimize stock levels.

Automatic Reordering: The software should automate reorder suggestions based on pre-set minimum stock levels and lead times.

Additional Valuable Features:

Order Management: Streamlined order processing with features like order tracking, fulfillment automation, and shipment management.

Reporting & Analytics: Robust reporting with insights on inventory performance, sales trends, and profitability. This allows you to make data-driven decisions.

FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) Integration: Seamless integration with Amazon’s FBA program for sellers who use their fulfillment services.

SKU Management: Efficient SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) management capabilities, including barcode scanning and product data management.

Scalability: The software should be scalable to accommodate your business growth and increasing inventory complexity.

Beyond Functionality:

Security: Choose a company that prioritizes data security to ensure your inventory information and customer data are protected.

Experience with E-commerce Development: Look for a development company with a proven track record of building software for e-commerce businesses, particularly those focused on Amazon sellers.

Customization: While core features are important, some level of customization is beneficial to tailor the software to your specific business needs.

Ongoing Support: Reliable customer support is essential for addressing any technical issues or questions that may arise after deployment.

By considering these key features and development company strengths, you can make an informed decision and find the right partner to create an Amazon inventory management software solution that optimizes your business operations.

The Benefits of Hiring a Professional Amazon Inventory Management Software Developer in New York

There are several advantages to hiring a professional Amazon inventory management software developer located in New York, USA:

Domain Expertise and Focus:

Tailored for the New York Market: New York City is a major hub for e-commerce businesses. A New York-based developer is likely to have a deep understanding of the specific challenges and opportunities faced by Amazon sellers in the region. This can translate into software that’s better equipped to handle factors like high competition and diverse customer demands.

Amazon Expertise: New York houses a significant talent pool of developers familiar with the intricacies of the Amazon platform and its ever-evolving policies and APIs. This expertise ensures the software integrates seamlessly with Amazon’s infrastructure and adheres to best practices.

Communication and Collaboration:

Time Zone Alignment: Being in the same time zone as your developer facilitates smoother communication and collaboration. This is crucial during the development process and for ongoing support.

Clear Understanding of Needs: New York fosters a fast-paced business environment. A local developer might be more attuned to the urgency and communication style prevalent in your business, leading to a better understanding of your specific needs.

Additional Advantages:

Access to Talent Pool: New York City boasts a large pool of skilled software developers. This increases your chances of finding a developer with the specific skill set required for your project.

Potential for In-Person Meetings: While remote development is common, the proximity of a New York-based developer allows for the possibility of in-person meetings, which can be valuable for brainstorming sessions or complex project discussions.

Beyond Location

It’s important to remember that location isn’t the only factor to consider. Here are some additional key points:

Developer Portfolio and Experience: Prioritize a developer with a strong portfolio showcasing experience in building Amazon inventory management software or similar e-commerce solutions.

Development Methodology and Communication Style: Ensure the developer’s methodology aligns with your project needs and that their communication style fosters transparency and collaboration.

Cost Considerations: New York City development rates might be higher than other locations. However, the potential benefits of localized expertise and streamlined communication can outweigh the cost factor.

By carefully considering these factors, you can make an informed decision about whether hiring a New York-based professional for your Amazon inventory management software development is the best fit for your business.

Why The IBR infotech is the Best Amazon Inventory Management Software Development Company in New York

Are you struggling to keep up with Amazon inventory? If so, you’ve come to the right place! IBR Infotech is one of the top Amazon inventory management (AMI) software development companies in the world. Their software automates your processes, centralizes your data, and delivers real-time inventory insights to help you optimize your inventory levels and increase your profitability.

Potential Strengths of IBR Infotech:

Focus on Inventory Management: Their website highlights their expertise in custom inventory software solutions, suggesting a strong understanding of inventory management principles.

Experience with E-commerce: They showcase experience with web development, e-commerce, and mobile application development, indicating familiarity with the e-commerce landscape.

Client Testimonials: Testimonials on their website suggest satisfied customers who have experienced positive outcomes using their solutions. However, independent third-party reviews would provide a more balanced perspective.

Areas for Further Research:

Limited Public Information: There’s a lack of independent reviews or in-depth case studies on their website showcasing their success with Amazon inventory management software development specifically.

Portfolio Focus: While they mention inventory management or Order Management solutions, it’s unclear how many projects they’ve undertaken specifically for Amazon sellers or how those projects compare to competitors.

Direct Comparison: A comprehensive assessment would involve comparing IBR Infotech to other New York-based development companies with experience in Amazon inventory management software. This would allow you to see how their features, pricing, and development approach stack up.

By conducting this thorough research and evaluation process, you’ll be in a stronger position to choose the development partner that best aligns with your specific needs and budget for your Amazon inventory management software development project.

How IBR Infotech makes inventory & order management easy yet insightful

Multi-channel inventory and order management

Complex order fulfillment made simple

Easy multi-location inventory management

Product and sales performance analysis

Smart forecasting and inventory planning

How to Choose the Best Amazon Inventory Management Company

Choosing the right Amazon Inventory Management Software Company can be crucial for your business success. Here are some key factors to consider:

1. Your Business Needs:

Inventory Size & Complexity: Do you have a small, straightforward inventory or a large, diverse selection?

Sales Volume: How many orders do you process daily/weekly?

FBA Reliance: Do you use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) or manage fulfillment yourself?

2. Software Features:

Inventory Replenishment Automation: Does the software automatically suggest reorder points?

Demand Forecasting: Can it predict future sales trends to optimize stock levels?

FBA Integration: Does it seamlessly connect with Amazon’s FBA system for real-time data?

Reporting & Analytics: Does it provide clear insights into inventory performance and storage fees?

3. Company Reputation & Experience:

Industry Expertise: Does the company have experience in your specific industry or product category?

Customer Reviews & Case Studies: Check online reviews and see how they’ve helped similar businesses.

Scalability: Can the software and company support your growth plans?

4. Pricing & Support:

Cost Structure: Transparent pricing model that aligns with your budget and needs.

Implementation & Training: Does the company offer implementation and training support?

Ongoing Customer Support: Reliable and responsive support team to address your questions.

By carefully considering these factors, you can choose an Amazon inventory management company that streamlines your operations, boosts profits, and empowers your business growth.

The IBR infotech — Your Gateway to Achieving Amazon Inventory Management Software Solutions

Effortless Inventory Management for Amazon Sellers

Empower your Amazon business with IBR Infotech, your one-stop shop for top-tier inventory management software solutions. We provide a comprehensive platform that automates tasks, centralizes data, and unlocks real-time insights — all designed to optimize stock levels and skyrocket profitability.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Amazon Business with the Right Inventory Management Software Developer in New York

Don’t let inventory overwhelm your Amazon success. Partner with IBR Infotech, a leading New York-based Amazon inventory management software developer. Our innovative solutions empower you to:

Automate tasks and streamline operations.

Gain real-time insights for data-driven decisions.

Optimize stock levels and minimize storage fees.

Boost profitability and unlock your business potential.

IBR Infotech: Your key to unlocking Amazon inventory mastery. Contact us today!

Contact Details-

IBR Infotech:

WhatsApp : [phone]

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Website: https://www.ibrinfotech.com/