Month: November 2022

The cold, rain and snowfall that have been occurring in various parts of the country in recent days seem to have left behind that late summer , with temperatures too warm for the month of November.

In fact, these days we can hear or read terms such as ‘polar vortex’, ‘air lock’ and even ‘beast from the east’, in relation to the possibility that a cold continental air mass could enter from Russia and Scandinavia. .

In any case, everything seems to indicate that the temperatures will register a notable drop in the coming days. “In the final stretch of the week, night frosts may be the protagonists, since there may be the lowest temperatures so far in the autumn-winter season . It will freeze in most of the cities in the northern interior,” says the meteorologist Roberto Granda in his prediction for eltiempo.es .

In addition, adds the meteorologist, the thermometers may hit bottom on Saturday, December 3, at which time the temperature will begin to rise . From now on, “we would not talk so much about cold but about rain with the arrival of several storms.”

And the rest of winter?
As explained by eltiempo.es , the average temperature for the winter months is 7.9 ºC , while the average rainfall is 205 mm. January is usually the coldest month, while December, the rainiest.

With these data as a reference, the meteorologists from eltiempo.es predict that during this winter we will have temperatures slightly above normal throughout the country . If fulfilled, temperatures would follow the same pattern as in the last ten years, when temperatures have always registered positive (warmer) anomalies in our country. Since the year 2000, thirteen years have shown these same anomalies.

As for the rainfall, it is expected that it rains a little less than normal in the north , while more precipitation would only be recorded in both archipelagos. In the rest of the country, the rains would be at values ​​similar to the average.

The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), for its part, uses terciles to express its seasonal prediction. These three tertiles (upper, central, and lower) reflect the probabilities that temperatures or rainfall are higher, the same, or lower than the values ​​considered normal or usual.

Thus, the agency forecasts a greater probability (between 40 and 50%) that the temperature will be in the upper tercile (warmer) in all of Spain , giving even more possibilities to the eastern and Balearic areas. The chances of temperatures being positioned in the central terciles are at 35 and 30%, respectively, while the probabilities that they are in the lower (colder) terciles are currently at 25 and 20%, respectively.

As for the rains, the AEMET forecast differs a little from that of eltiempo.es . Although they calculate that it will rain the same in most of the country and a little more in both archipelagos, AEMET forecasts that there is a 45% chance that in the Valencian Community, in the Region of Murcia and in eastern Andalusia the terciles are higher (more rain).

In recent years, companies have opted for new technologies and, especially, for artificial intelligence, to help improve internal processes and streamline operations.

However, many of them continue to have problems accessing information. Employees spend a lot of time looking for the document, the answer, or the information they need to perform their functions, which translates into a loss of work hours and, therefore, money.

1. The human and economic cost of poor knowledge management

Is it possible that an employee can share all the internal knowledge of the company with the rest of his colleagues? Probably to a certain degree, but a lot of knowledge is stored in documents on local computers, dispersed systems that are not always updated with the latest legislation, changes in regulations, in the product…

This is how, little by little, knowledge is lost in a chaotic universe of data, often irrecoverable. For Fortune 500 companies, this lack of quick and up-to-date access to information comes at a cost: more than a whopping 31 billion euros a year.

And it is that, despite the efforts to improve the internal functioning through new technologies, much of the knowledge continues to be fragmented, disorganized or simply difficult to access.

2. Improving knowledge management: key for companies

Today, to improve this internal communication, reduce the time spent looking for answers and information and reduce employee frustration while increasing their productivity; You can use different measures or tools.

Unify or centralize systems

The important thing is to be clear that it is not necessary to have a single system, but that the systems that we have are well connected and are updated with the latest information in real time. In this sense, at present, many companies are committed to using an internal intranet that is fed with information from different existing systems, and in which employees have access to a centralized search engine to save time.

Document processes, products and services

It is necessary for all companies to document important processes, as well as the operation of certain products, machines, etc. Limiting this action means that knowledge is concentrated in a particular person or in a specific team, on which the entire company depends. In short, it can become a problem for the company in the short – medium term.

Documenting processes can simplify internal workflows and improve productivity, as well as free certain skilled employees from repetitive internal requests.

Improve self-service customer service

Another important cost for many companies derives from customer service. However, today we know that up to 85% of consumers prefer to answer their questions and queries on their own, without contacting the support service.

In this sense, we see how every day more companies are committed to facilitating access to information. Making a help center or helpcenter available to customers has become essential for customer service. This tool allows users to find answers to frequently asked questions, in real time, and helps them in a simple way to resolve doubts that may arise in the process of purchasing the product or service. Likewise, support requests are reduced in a very notable number, which will also impact the volume of calls – which will also be reduced – and contacts to customer service.

In short, the use of artificial intelligence in these areas has allowed companies, in recent years, to streamline procedures, reduce response times and economic costs worth millions of euros. A safe bet for improving customer service and the purchasing process, in general.